Chapter five is here on Christmas Eve.

The light was fading from the black tabby tom-kit's eyes as a small blue-grey tabby tom shook him violently. "Freckled Fur! Wake up!"

"Blazing Heart." A young voice meowed as Blazing Heart turned his head to a dark brown tabby kit, who was crying. "He's dying. We can't save him."

"We can!"

"We can't!" The dark brown tabby tom snapped to his younger brother. "Give up. Silent Gale and Night Raven are dead, and our home is gone."

Some years later…

"Roaring Thunder!" Blazing Heart cried to his brother, who was lying motionless in the mud of the battle field. Blazing Heart rolled the brown tabby over and saw a deep gash in his throat, blood choking Roaring Thunder. The tom glanced up and meowed, "Freckled Fur…" The tom shook violently as Blazing Heart cried, "NO! WAKE UP! PLEASE!"

Whispshadow awoke in a cold sweat as he snapped out of his dream. He glanced around the medicine cat den. Jayfeather was awake, pressing herbs to Ambershine's shoulder. Fallen Shard was moving around, her shattered leg slowly following her quick movements. Clawswipe and Sootspring were sleeping. Sootspring had recovered from a twisted paw, while Clawswipe was recovering from a bad cough.

The sun was rising when Whispshadow decided to fully awake. Four moons had passed since the moor-ripper ripped through the camp. WindClan was now staying in ThunderClan's camp, and every cat was trying to rebuild dens. But cats where still depressed. One in particular. She was a white she-cat named Whitewing, who wouldn't sleep, eat, drink or move. She just cried out for her dead mate, Birchfall. Bramblestar was very shaken up, having to choose a new deputy since Squirrelflight retired due to failing sight and a broken leg. He choose Spiderleg, a fierce tom.

"Tonight is the gathering. We have missed it for a while. I will bring Spiderleg, Jayfeather, Whitewing, Millie, Thornclaw, Lionblaze, Toadstep, Poppyfrost, Dovewing, Ivypool, Mousewhisker, Sorrelwing, Ferntail, Hollyfeather, Blossomfall, Whispshadow, Clawswipe, Sootspring, Goldenpaw, Dashpaw, Rainpaw, Riverkit, Archkit, Slightkit and Shykit. Sandstorm can tag along too." Bramblestar meowed as he glared at Ivypool, who sat. "My kits?"

"Wait, did I say kits? I meant Riverpaw, Archpaw, Slightpaw and Shypaw."

The four kits looked up and began to smile. It was some of the first smiles in the clan for a long time. "Shypaw, your mentor will be Slatefoot. Slightpaw, your mentor will be Ambershine, Archpaw, your mentor will be Bumblestripe and Riverpaw, your mentor will be Whispshadow." Some cats looked at Riverpaw, who seemed alert of Whispshadow. The undersized black she-cat glanced up at Whispshadow who meowed gently, "Train hard and you will be a very great warrior."

"Shypaw! Slightpaw! Archpaw! Riverpaw!"

The sun was beginning to set when the cats set out. WindClan had left to, with their new leader, Boulderstar. The huge grey tom was awaiting for Bramblestar along with the other leaders at the island.

Whispshadow began to feel proud. His name would be said in front of so many cats. Clawswipe and Sootspring limped away, as Whispshadow saw a brown and white she-cat and a light brown tabby tom walk over. "Hello!" The she-cat meowed loudly as the tom slowly mewed, "You're new."

"Yes, I am. I'm Whispshadow."

"I'm Mallownose," The brown tom meowed as he looked at the she-cat, "And this is Mossyfoot. We are from RiverClan." They both smelled like rotten fish, which made Whispshadow wrinkle his nose.

Suddenly, the cats fell quiet. A big ginger tom had stood up as he meowed, "Let the gathering begin!"

An old blue-grey she-cat who smelt of fish stood up. She was very boney, but strong looking. "RiverClan is happy that WindClan and ThunderClan are back. We chased a dog off our territory early today. We also have a new apprentices, Stormpaw and Mosspaw!"

Two small grey tabby cats smiled as cats called out their names. The next leader was Boulderstar. "We have recovered. ThunderClan has been very kind and is letting us stay in their camp until we have finished ours."

"WindClan lost both Onestar and Harespring in the moor-ripper, but Weaselfur has become deputy." Boulderstar added as Weaselfur smiled as the cats cheered out WindClan.

Bramblestar was next. "ThunderClan has grown a lot better. We lost many, but gained many cats. Whispshadow, Clawswipe, Sootspring, Goldenpaw, Dashpaw, Riverpaw, Archpaw, Shypaw and Slightpaw!" Bramblestar cheered as many cats yowled out the names. "Our camp is beginning to look like it did before."

Suddenly, the ginger leader leapt down at the leaders. "ShadowClan has become sick. We've lost many. But we are not weak!" He spat as his eyes glowed at Bramblestar. "And ShadowClan would like to have the clearing back!"

Mistystar, the old she-cat, let out a low hiss, "What? Rowanstar, ThunderClan won it!"

Rowanstar growled at her and knocked her to her paws. The old she-cat glared up at Rowanstar who hissed, "Quiet, elder! I am taking it once and for all!"

"No!" Bramblestar growled as he began to watch Spiderleg growling at Rowanstar's deputy, Crowfrost.

Many cats began to yell, "He's crazy!"

Sandstorm looked up, her eyes bright. "You are not to stomp into my clan's home and fight over a small clearing? What makes you think that?"

Before Rowanstar could answer the ginger elder, Sandstorm added, "I feel for ShadowClan. Your clan is very ill, and I don't won't bloodshed!"

Every cat was staring at Sandstorm, the brave elder still staring at Rowanstar. Rowanstar was growling but yowled, "This gathering is over!"

The cats began to fade away. Clawswipe had returned, but there was no sign of Sootspring. Whispshadow saw the grey tabby tom speaking with a silver-grey ShadowClan she-cat, who was smiling with pride. "Goodbye…" Sootspring meowed as he bounded after Whispshadow.

-0w0-

"Wake up!" Bramblestar was growling as Whispshadow jumped up. ShadowClan's scent drifted into his lungs as he saw many cats, including Rowanstar, cornering Bramblestar and Jayfeather. Sootspring and Clawswipe where awake but frozen in fear. Many warriors where glaring at the ShadowClan cats, their eyes angry.

"Give us the clearing!" Rowanstar demanded as he added, "Or there will be bloodshed!"

Bramblestar eyed him and spat, "We won that! Don't you remember Russetfur?"

Rowanstar seemed to think and stop, but he snapped out of it. "She was old. I became deputy, and that's what matters!"

Suddenly, a tortoiseshell she-cat stepped in between the two leaders. "Both of you stop it! You are both leaders!"

"Tawnypelt is right!" Bramblestar meowed as Whispshadow remember Jayfeather telling him about Tawnypelt, Bramblestar's sister. Suddenly, a loud gasp sounded as Whispshadow saw Rowanstar grab Tawnypelt in her neck and snapped her neck. The she-cat fell, her eyes staring at nothing. Suddenly, Bramblestar lunged at Rowanstar, eyes blazing.

"Attack!" Rowanstar ordered as many warriors lunged. The two clans where fighting brutally. Whispshadow was pinned by a big tabby tom, but dug his claws into the tom's flanks. The tom ran away, but Whispshadow held his breath when he saw Goldenpaw and Dashpaw fighting the deputy, Crowfrost. Goldenpaw was nipping at his legs while Dashpaw was raining down blows on Crowfrost's back. Suddenly, Rowanstar sounded, "Retreat!"

The ShadowClan cats vanished into nothing but brambles as Whispshadow saw Sootspring panicking around a body of a she-cat. The she-cat from the gathering was dead, her belly torn open. "Why?" Sootspring growled as he clawed the earth. "Why her?"

Death, battles, Rowanstar… Mistystar is old!
I'm sorry I killed Tawnypelt. I loved her a lot, too. But I need Rowanstar to be cruel and evil, so killing her was my only way…