CHAPTER 7:

Briarlight was in shock. She blinked twice, staring at her forever-silent Clanmate. She barely had enough time to stare in surprise when Dustpelt pushed to the front of the crowd.

"Spiderleg!" he croaked. Age was dawning on the old tom, and his muzzle was completely gray, forcing back the dark brown tabby fur that engulfed the rest of his body. Briarlight pulled herself back out of the crowd. Too many things had happened that night. She was still in shock about the allegiance between the two Clans that had the least in common, WindClan and RiverClan.

I wonder how Onestar and Mistystar managed to work that out, she muttered silently. Bramblestar was standing on Highledge, Squirrelflight next to him, as always.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Every Clan cat was already assembled below, so Bramblestar got immediatly to the talking.

Jayfeather and Tigerpaw sat down right underneath the ledge. Leafpool and Sorreltail reluctantly pulled away from Spiderleg, followed by the rest of the cats who had come to investigate the dead tom's body.

"As most of you have already heard, our warrior, Spiderleg, has been found dead," he turned to the part of his Clan that had stayed behind at the camp while the Gathering took place. "Can any of you explain what has happened here?" he flicked his tail acknowledging Hazeltail, who had stepped up to Highledge and was already looking down upon the cats.

"Well, all of us were settling down, right after you left camp. Everyone went to their nests, and it seemed silent and peaceful in our territory. Then, Spiderleg said that he had to go use the dirtplace, so we let him go, without a worry in the world," Briarlight could tell that Hazeltail was struggling with the words, apparently still in surprise about Spiderleg's death.

"We all waited and waited for Spiderleg to come back. Then, I got tired of waiting for him to return to the warriors' den, so I got up and went to the dirtplace to find him,"

The whole Clan fell silent, even the warriors who already knew what would happen. Apparently, Hazeltail was good with suspense.

"When I walked to the dirtplace, he wasn't there. I looked around for him, and there wasn't even any sign that he'd even been there. So, I padded out of the dirtplace, and as I was heading back to the warriors' den to tell the rest of the Clan, I saw a dark shape lying in front of the camp entrance to the abandoned Thunderpath. I walked over, curiousity getting the best of me, and found Spiderleg. He was lying perfectly in front of the entrance, not a single scratch on him. He looked like he'd just laid down to die!"

The she-cats' voice rose to a pitiful squeal, and she flicked her tail dissmissively at Bramblestar, and then pelted down the slope and ran to Daisy, her mother, in the back of the crowd. Bramblestar took Hazeltail's place at the end of Highledge, and meowed," As Hazeltail has told us, Spiderleg seems untouched. Jayfeather, have you examined the body yet?"

The gray tabby flicked his tail, and padded over to Spiderleg, and started examining. When he was finished, he turned back toward Bramblestar.

"Hazeltail speaks the truth. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him. Battle-scar wise anyway," he padded back to his spot next to Tigerpaw.

"This is a mystery that everyone in the Clan must help to solve. Spiderleg was a trustworthy and loyal warrior, one that had many more seasons of life. He had no reason to die now," his amber eyes scoured his Clan. He looked ready to launch himself into the group of cats, but then pulled back his head in reason.

"This is a tough mystery, one that can wait until tomorrow. But for tonight, we will prepare Spiderleg for his vigil. Every cat that was close to him in some way, may sit with him for tonight. Tomorrow morning, the elders may take his body away for burial"

Briarlight watched the leader sigh, and then retreat into his den with Squirrelflight hard on his paws.

Dustpelt was first to sit down next to Spiderleg, who had been moved to the middle of the camp. Birchfall, Foxleap, Icecloud, and Mousewhisker came to join him. Stormpaw, Spiderleg's apprentice, looked grief stricken, even though he'd only been his apprentice for less than a moon. Briarlight felt guilty as she dragged herself to the medicine den past Foxleap, who glanced at her a few times.

She rounded the corner and padded past the nests until she found hers. Tigerpaw was already in his nest, but Jayfeather was still up sorting herbs, his back to her. "Jayfeather? It's time to get some rest. It's already past moonhi-" she paused, he wasn't even listening to her. "Jayfeather!"

He still kept sorting herbs.

Briarlight shuddered and felt a chill pass through her pelt. The moonlight in the den faded, leaving blackness to cover the entire medicine den. Jayfeather's gray pelt was barely visible besides a faint glow from the brightness tinted into his fur. Tigerpaw started snoring, sound asleep. Briarlight felt her only working paws rooted to the ground.

Jayfeather kept his place, sorting herbs together like nothing had changed. Briarlight felt another chill pass through her body. Jayfeather? Are you alright? she itched to meow, but then, realizing she was acting like a kit, straightened up. How could I have been so mouse-brained? He's blind, of course he doesn't notice that the moonlight faded, she thought in reasurance. But, why didn't he answer me?

Briarlight knew that she wouldn't be able to go to sleep unless Jayfeather was alseep too. She puffed out her chest fur and meowed firmly," Jayfeather! You have to go to sleep, now!" she reached out a paw to his shoulder. At the slightest touch from her paw, he whipped around. Everything went dark in the den, in the camp, in the forest. But, before everything went black, there was one last image from Jayfeather's face that was stuck in her memory.

His whole face was bare with some black patches of fur. The eyes, violet with black slit pupils. His ears, cut and torn, with crusted blood around the edges of the scratches. But, his mouth was what made everything turn to dark.

It was a round, black, bottomless hole, with jagged, sharp teeth pointing around the edge of it. Then, nothing else came to mind, as she sank down to the ground, seeing nothing but it in her head.

Briarlight awoke to loud, frightened voices. She opened her eyes, and the faces were a blur. A cat with gray tabby fur and another cat with light brown tabby fur were peering down at her. They were too blurry to pick out names. She blinked drowsily, feeling sleep calling to her, and sunk back down.

When she awakened again, she was standing in the middle of a sunny clearing in a forest, which had the strong scent of prey-season. She turned around a few times, and found that she had the use of her hind legs again. It felt odd, being able to walk around without her belly rubbing against the ground, but good at the same time.

Briarlight padded around for a moment, trying to catch a scent of someone who'd brought her here. It had to be StarClan. No place else in existence was as beautiful and sun-warmed as it.

Then, a voice from behind caught her attention. "My, my, I see you've found your way to StarClan, young one," Briarlight turned around and saw a young white she-cat with glistening blue eyes padding out of the trees. "Do you plan to stay?" the she-cat asked.

"Umm, I don't really know what I'm doing here. I guess I passed out back in my Clan..." "And what Clan do you come from, young warrior?" the she-cat interrupted. Briarlight couldn't stand cats who interrupted, but tried to not let it bother her this time.

"I-I come from ThunderClan," she mewed warily.

"Oh! That's my birthClan too!" the white cat yelped cheerfully. Briarlight nodded, and then got back to her story. "Well, I passed out after seeing... a-a disturbing sight, and then I woke up here," she decided not to mention the part about Jayfeather, and hoped the white cat wouldn't bring it up.

"Well, do you plan to stay here, in StarClan?" she asked Briarlight. "No! I've still got my whole life to live! It's not my time to walk with our ancestors yet!" she retorted sharply. The she-cat nodded, and then flicked her tail. "Uhh, what's your name, by chance?" she asked Briarlight again.

"My name is Briarlight, the ThunderClan medicine cat assistant!" she raised her voice, showing that she wasn't afraid of the she-cat, even though she feared for what would happen to her now.

The cat nodded. "My name is Snowfur. Come, Briarlight. I know why you are here now. Follow me," Briarlight warily followed Snowfur.

As they both padded through the forest, Briarlight found it wonderful to be able to walk on all four paws. Feeling the cool breeze on her belly and legs, and the gracefulness of swerving through the undergrowth without doubt of if she'd be able to make it or not. Snowfur seemed to take notice, and brought up a conversation.

"So, Briarlight, who are your parents? I may know them. I know you have heard of my sister, that's for sure." Briarlight flicked her ear, and cheerfully padded over a sharp thorn branch that had fallen onto the ground. "My mother's name is Millie, she was a kittypet, but then my father, Graystripe, found her and brought her to ThunderClan."

"Oh! So you're related to that rascal, Graystripe, huh? He's had quite a life, I can tell you that. He's an elder now, right?" Snowfur asked. "Yeah. But he's still the best cat in ThunderClan!" Briarlight yowled as she happily bounded over a log.

Briarlight caught up to Snowfur. "Who's your sister? Do I know her?"

"Oh, who doesn't know her?" Briarlight flicked her ear in confusion. "Uhh, me? Please just tell me!" she asked impatiently. Snowfur sighed and turned to Briarlight. "My sister's name is Bluestar."

"Really? I didn't know Bluestar had a sister," Briarlight meowed as the two cats reached a clearing. "Yes..." Snowfur mewed quietly. The white she-cat stopped in the middle of the clearing, and then stepped aside to show three cats standing there. The biggest one was Firestar, known widely throughout StarClan for his flame-colored pelt. The smaller she-cat standing next to him was Cinderpelt, the cat who'd given Briarlight the confusing prophecy.

The last cat was Yellowfang, her ragged, knotted dark gray fur and flattened muzzle giving away her identity at first glance.

Snowfur flicked her tail and then started to pad away. Firestar called to her," Snowfur! Why don't you stay here? You've done more than a good job bringing Briarlight here in the first place." Snowfur turned around, and then sat down next to Firestar, and looked at Briarlight like all of them were already doing.

Finally, Cinderpelt broke the silence. "Briarlight, we have been sending you signs over and over again," the old ThunderClan medicine cat meowed. Yellowfang joined in after her apprentice," Now, it is time you tell us what you have predicted will happen,"

"Based on these signs," Firestar mewed. Snowfur flicked her tail at Briarlight, telling her to speak.

"Well, you showed me the dark cloud sign. The shadow from the cloud blocked out the sun for a moment, and then sunlight came back through. I think this meant that something terrible will happen, and then good things will reappear after it," Yellowfang nodded, and then meowed," what other signs did you recieve?"

"I was visited by you all, and then Cinderpelt gave me that confusing prophecy," Briarlight reported. Cinderpelt joined in afterward.

"If you paid more attention to your Clanmates, then you might understand," the dark gray she-cat meowed. Well that really makes it more clear, Briarlight thought with a flick of her ear. Snowfur looked confused, and was flicking her tail tip back and forth. Briarlight cast her eyes over to Bluestar's sister.

"Is there something wrong, Snowfur?" she asked warily. The white she-cat shook her head a few times, as if to clear the trance she was in. "No, it's just, I saw you flick your ear,"

"Well, yeah. It's a habit. It happens at random times. I don't really have a lot of control over it," Snowfur lowered her gaze to her paws.

"I used to know a cat who did that too..."

"Who?" Briarlight was curious now. She'd never really cared about her ear-flicking habit before. Sometimes she never even noticed it. But to have a StarClan cat, as old as Bluestar, question it? It had to be something special.

Snowfur opened her mouth to speak, but then Firestar stopped her. "I'm sorry, Briarlight. It looks like we're out of time here," He got to his paws. Yellowfang, Snowfur, and Cinderpelt did the same. Briarlight took a step forward. "B-but who's the cat? I want to know," she could already hear her voice echoing in her mind. The four cats in front of her faded, along with the lush, green, prey-filled forest behind.

Then, Briarlight opened her eyes, and saw the medicine den wall in front of her face. She felt that she no longer had the use of her hind legs again. She slumped down in her nest, which she could tell it was by her own scent. Someone had laid her down in the nest, and Briarlight was grateful for it.

I really need some help, she thought with a relaxing sigh. There's too much to worry about now. Too many things for one cat, especially one with only two working paws, to get through. What ever happened to those good old days? Running around with Thornclaw, training and hunting for my Clan. Not a doubt that my life would take a change for the worst.

With that last thought in mind. Briarlight drifted off to sleep.