Things are going to be bit busy over the next few weeks. I've been having very little motivation to write, so this will probably be all that gets posted until things calm down. I'll do my best to work on BoT as well. Please be patient.


Chapter 6

"StarClan grants us safe passage," Tigerstar snarled again, baring his teeth.

To his credit, Mudclaw only flinched a little. "Go home!" he insisted.

Tinyclaw swallowed. A quick glance told him that they were outnumbered. Tinyclaw might be able to take down one or two, but they would swarm Tigerstar – and in his state, who knew how well he could fight anymore? He was on his last life – something only he and Tinyclaw knew – and Tinyclaw did not want to think about him losing it here.

"This isn't worth it," he decided resignedly. Tigerstar swung his head around, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. Tinyclaw implored, "They aren't going to let us pass, Tigerstar; and this isn't a fight we could win – not that we should have to."

"I have to speak to StarClan," Tigerstar snarled.

The wind blasted against their pelts. "We're too far from safety," Tinyclaw insisted. Please, see reason! "If we needed help in this fight, neither of us could make it back in time."

It took a moment for Tigerstar to sigh and sheathe his claws. He unbent his back and grunted. "Fine," he decided. "We will go." His eyes flashed up to Mudclaw, full of fire and anger. "But we will return – it is not within your rights to cut us off from StarClan!"

Mudclaw twitched at that, but he meowed, "A wise choice."

Tinyclaw narrowed his ice-blue eyes. This time, Mudclaw did flinch. "Shut up," Tinyclaw snapped. "You know full well that whatever we've done, you have no right to force us back. We will return, and you won't stop us then."

Mudclaw did not speak, his whiskers twitching furiously. Tornear stepped up and offered, "We will escort you to Fourtrees."

It was less of an offer and more of a decision made without consent. Tinyclaw knew that they weren't even that far from Fourtrees, and that they were capable of walking themselves – but Tornear and Mudclaw and the rest of the patrol surrounded Tinyclaw and Tigerstar. Yet Tigerstar let out a warning growl and pushed his way through them, his huge shoulders forcing through. The WindClan cats made no move to stop him, and Tinyclaw followed. The patrol kept pace – at a short distance.

They reached Fourtrees soon, and as Tinyclaw and Tigerstar clambered down the slope and into the forest, the WindClan watchers made no move to follow. Their lithe, brown shapes flitted back into the moorland, leaving the ThunderClan cats on their own in their own territory.

When they reached the floor of the small valley, Tigerstar was panting. His limbs were trembling with effort, and his eyes were wide with dismay. Tinyclaw made sure the WindClan cats were gone before brushing against his leader's side.

"StarClan doesn't want to see me," he moaned. Tinyclaw's heart ached – he sounded so defeated. "They sent WindClan to bar my way… Why are they so angry with me?"

Tinyclaw swallowed. My naming broke ceremony for the first time in memory, he thought, recalling the elder's words. Could that really be the reason why StarClan is ignoring him? Could they be so petty?

He swallowed his words. What would he do – what could he do? – if StarClan were really angry with ThunderClan?


"What's the meaning of this?" Dustpelt wondered incredulously.

Tinyclaw sighed. His was just one of the questions asked as Tinyclaw and Tigerstar made their way back into camp. Tigerstar answered no queries – only staggered to his den to rest, leaving Tinyclaw with a wave of worry and confusion. This was the first time in their memories that someone had been turned away from the Moonstone.

"WindClan stopped us," Tinyclaw explained.

"And you didn't tell them where you were going?" Longtail snarled. From his tone, it seemed as if he were scolding a kit.

Tinyclaw flattened his ears. "Of course I did – they stopped us all the same." Quickly, he recounted what had happened. The gathered warriors recoiled in shock – how could WindClan do such a thing?

"How dare they!" Willowpelt hissed from the back.

"I'd have clouted them!" Longtail added. His striped tail lashed. "How could you let them boss you around?"

Tinyclaw flicked his tail in irritation. "We were outnumbered," he reminded Longtail frankly. "Would you have risked your leader's safety?"

That shut Longtail up. Tinyclaw sighed. The Clan was buzzing, but there wasn't much he could do about it. When the gorse tunnel twitched, heralding Oakheart and Fernpaw, his new apprentice, Tinyclaw was saved from more explanations by Dustpelt. When they were done, Dustpelt signaled for Ashpaw, and the four cats headed out again.

Tinyclaw frowned. He looked about at the gathered cats, and then sighed again. "Has anyone seen Cloudpaw?" he wondered.

"I was wondering if you'd seen her," Runningwind sighed. He looked irritated. "We were to go hunting after I'd washed, but when I was done she was gone! Swiftpaw said she'd gone hunting by herself."

Tinyclaw sighed a third time. Cloudpaw! He snapped to himself. You little… "I'm sorry, Runningwind," he offered, trying to keep his cool. "I'll have a word with her when we find her."

Runningwind's irritation did not lift – Tinyclaw suspected his friend wanted some words with Cloudpaw himself. Who didn't, these days? Cloudpaw's disobedience was beginning to become a nuisance, and Tinyclaw didn't know how much more the Clan could take of it.

As he was about to apologize again, Tinyclaw groaned at the sight of Cloudpaw marching through the gorse tunnel. In her jaws was a squirrel as big as she was – and she was clearly happy about it. She marched it to the fresh-kill pile, then padded off to the apprentice's den. From the way she'd ignored the pile itself, Tinyclaw had a sinking feeling she'd eaten on her hunt.

"I'll handle this," Tinyclaw growled. This time, Runningwind did not seem skeptical – the lean tom got to his paws and walked away.

Tinyclaw rose himself and padded towards Cloudpaw. To some relief, she approached when he called her name. Aware of Runningwind's eyes on him from across the camp, he growled quietly, "You ate while you were out, didn't you?"

Cloudpaw shrugged. "I was hungry," she meowed.

Tinyclaw lashed his tail. "Can you tell me what the warrior code says about eating before the Clan is fed?"

She sighed. "I can't, right? Just like I can't do anything else?"

Tinyclaw resisted the urge to dig his claws into the dirt. How could one cat be so frustrating? "I suppose you didn't fetch that pigeon, either?"

Cloudpaw blinked. A moment later, she insisted, "It was gone."

He swallowed, realizing that he wasn't sure if he believed her. He stamped down the urge to scent her pelt, to see if the pigeon was what she'd eaten on her hunt. No use pursuing that and causing a riot. "Why didn't you hunt with Runningwind, like I ordered?"

"He was taking too long," Cloudpaw sniffed. "I could have caught a ton of prey on my own – I do better that way."

Tinyclaw tried to push away his growing frustration. "You are still an apprentice," he told her as evenly as he could manage. "Apprentices hunt with warriors to supervise them; to give them advice and help perfect their skills. You'd do much better with a warrior for guidance."

She huffed and nodded, "Fine, Tinyclaw."

Tinyclaw had a feeling his words were going in one ear and out the other. A growl in his throat, he snapped, "You won't be so nonchalant if you carry on like this! How do you think you'll feel when Ashpaw and Fernpaw get their warrior names, and you're still a 'paw? Because that's what will happen if you keep carrying on like no one ought to care what you're up to!"

Cloudpaw's eyes widened incredulously. "That'll never happen!" she snapped back, tail fluffing.

"Oh?" Tinyclaw wondered. "Well, one thing's for certain – you'll be staying behind while Ashpaw and Fernpaw go to the Gathering!"

Cloudpaw's entire body fluffed now. "Y-You can't do that!" she spat. "You -!"

Tinyclaw narrowed his eyes. "I am deputy of this Clan, Cloudpaw," he growled at her. She jolted, as if she'd forgotten. "And when what you've done today is reported to Tigerstar, I can guarantee he will agree."

"But -" Her eyes were pools of misery.

Tinyclaw had none of it. "You'll be missing a lot more than Gatherings if you don't learn some respect from those who worked to earn it themselves!" he roared back, interrupting her. "Now, go make yourself useful!"

Cloudpaw turned away, plunging into the apprentice's den. The other apprentices stared at Tinyclaw, eyes wide in shock. Tinyclaw didn't care. He didn't care if the whole Clan had overheard; right now he was more worried, more fearful, of the fact that Cloudpaw might never be a warrior – and that it would be his fault.