Starlingkit's Prophecy

Chapter Nine: War and Warriors


It had been four moons since Starlingpaw had had her heart-to-heart chat with her father Jayfeather. Since then Robinpaw had been promoted to a warrior by the name of Robinsong. More importantly, RiverClan and WindClan had been engaging in border scuffles and tension was rising between the two Clans.

In fact, the last Gathering had been ended shortly after it began because Mistystar and Onestar's apprentices began to brawl and refused to stop until StarClan sent their clouds over the full moon.

Then the sleak, powerful ten moon old apprentice skidded into camp with her friend Robinsong by her side. "Firestar!" She yowled to her mentor who was observing the Clan from the Highledge. "I have to tell you something!" She panted, her sides heaving.

"What is it?" Graystripe padded towards the two she-cats.

"What is it?" Firestar repeated, leaping down from the Highledge and approaching his apprentice and warrior.

Starlingpaw flicked her eyes between the two toms and shook her head. "Three RiverClan warriors were on the lakeshore. They came all the way here to ask for our help."

"Fox-dung," Firestar spat. "What do they want from us now?"

"They want to form an alliance against WindClan," Robinsong explained.

By this time the other ThunderClan warriors had come to hear the news. "Those WindClanners asked us for the same thing a few days ago!" Brackenfur mewed, his ears twitching nervously.

"I wonder if ShadowClan formed an alliance with RiverClan," Poppyfrost added. "Do you think they want to drive each other out?"

"That would be flea-brained of them," Icecloud scuffed her paw on the stony earth. "No Clan can just drive another Clan away."

"That's right," Firestar nodded towards the white warrior with a dark flash in his eyes. "But that doesn't mean we should let them go to war over- over what? The rabbits running across the border?"

"Leafbare is coming early this year. They're worrying over where their borders lie. The more territory they have, the more prey they can hunt when the snow falls and all the fresh-kill hides," Graystripe said.

Firestar lashed his tail at the tomcat. Within two leaps he was back on the Highledge. He decided to get all of his Clanmates together.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Meeting!" He yowled.

The rest of the warriors and the queens and the elders padded out from their dens to see what their ginger leader wanted. Starlingpaw sat beside Robinsong and Flamepaw. She wasn't sure if Firestar wanted to fight both Clans, back up one of them, or prepare to defend their camp if either enemy Clan decided to attack for not complying.

"Where's Dustpelt?" Flamepaw whispered, looking around for her mentor.

"He's hunting with Sandstorm and Rosepetal so shut up," Larkpaw hissed under her breath.

Firestar cleared his throat and looked at each of his Clanmates in turn. "It's leafall and leafbare is approaching quickly. The Clans are preparing for the coming cold and prey shortage. We all know that RiverClan and WindClan are stressing the most," Firestar watched as the ThunderClanners nodded and murmured about the annoyances. "If a patrol from either Clan comes to ask for our help, tell them that we will have no part in their issues. As long as they keep to the three fox-length rule, send them on their way. If they advance into our territory or attack then get help, chase them off, or fight back. They won't be tolerated any longer!"

"That's right, Firestar!" A cat yowled.

Brambleclaw shifted around on his paws. "Everyone needs to be alert and aware for enemy patrols."

Firestar nodded to his deputy. "Dismissed."

The Clan idly went back to their tasks. Brambleclaw looked up at the sky. Then he padded over to where Flamepaw was.

"Where's Dustpelt?" The deputy asked.

"I don't know," Flamepaw mewed, her eyes wide with worry for her mentor. "I think Larkpaw said she saw him still out in the forest hunting with Sandstorm."

Just then the pale ginger she-cat ran into camp. "Dustpelt is dead!"

"What?"

Sandstorm's green eyes were blinking with shock. "WindClan cats just came up by the shore. They wanted our help just like RiverClan. We said no and they attacked us. Rosepetal and I are okay, but Dustpelt..."

Flamepaw shook her head in disbelief as the cream-colored warriors dragged her mentor by the scruff.

"We just had a Meeting about this," Brambleclaw muttered. "This happened fast." He ran over to the lifeless body.

"Dustpelt!" Ferncloud cried, racing out of the nursery with her two kits.

Starlingpaw stared at the body while the rest of the Clan stood still in shock. No more than two moments ago did Firestar tell the Clan what to do in an instant like this. It was irony that killed Dustpelt because he and the two other warriors were the only ones out of camp at the same time of the Meeting.

Rosepetal shook her head and sighed bitterly. "I fear the WindClanners will launch an attack on us now. They have ThunderClan blood on their paws."

"Onestar isn't a cat to apologize quickly," Thornclaw recalled with a lashing tail.

Starlingpaw gulped. She had never been in a real battle before. The fight with ShadowClan long ago wouldn't be like a battle WindClan might want to start. She was stronger and faster and braver now, but was she fit for battle? Was her heart strong enough?


Later that night, snuggled in the cool moss of her nest, an alarm was sounded from the Highledge of camp.

"WindClan are attacking!"

Starlingpaw's amber eyes sprang open. She sprung out of her nest and raced out of the apprentice den with her sisters by her side. The warriors scrambled out of their den and the elders rushed past them towards the nursery.

The WindClan warriors clawed down parts of the bramble wall that protected the front part of camp. Like mosquitos they swarmed into the ThunderClan camp with an overwhelming size.

Because with the WindClan warriors were Dark Forest allies.