Chapter Ten
Shadowlion shoved Darkstar awake when the sun was still low in the sky. He was going to complain but she pointed her nose to a spot just outside camp where Brighttalon was talking to six unfamiliar cats. Not quite unfamiliar- Darkstar recognized Rosepetal and the black-striped silver tom from Thunderclan.
"The Shadowclan cats and the Thunderclan cats are here." Shadowlion hissed.
"Thanks." Darkstar murmured, standing to join Brighttalon. She nodded in acknowledgement and left to make sure the rest of the clan were awake.
"-Sending out patrols when the other three groups arrive." Brighttalon was saying when Darkstar reached them. "While you're waiting, you can help yourself to the prey pile or get acquainted with my clanmates."
"Will you not be here?" Rosepetal asked.
"No, I'll be going to your camp with Crimsonclaw." Brighttalon waved his tail behind him, presumably at Crimsonclaw.
"Ah, okay." Rosepetal said in acknowledgement before entering the camp with her clanmates.
"Welcome to our camp." Darkstar said in greeting as they passed him.
"Thank you." The dark gray Thunderclan she-cat responded. "I'm Cinderheart."
"Darkstar." He introduced himself.
"You've met my clanmates before, I believe."
"Yeah. I know Rosepetal by name but I never learned yours." Darkstar said to the tom.
"Bumblestripe." He supplied.
"It's nice to meet each of you. I need to speak to my deputy so I'll talk to you later."
Cinderheart dipped her head in agreement and led Rosepetal and Bumblestripe away.
"Brighttalon?"
"Yeah?"
"Did Shadowlion tell you which cats I wanted to go where?"
"Yeah, she did."
"Would you mind sending them off before you go? I can greet the cats from other clans as they come."
"Sure. I told the Thunderclan and Shadowclan cats that you'd send out patrols as soon as the next three clans get here."
"Alright. Thanks." Brighttalon nodded and set off to find the other cats who would be leaving camp. Darkstar took up Brighttalon's position in front of the camp and waited.
Moonleap arrived with three Windclan cats just after Brighttalon took the rest of the Fireclan patrols away and the Riverclan group found Fireclan's camp a little before sunhigh.
As soon as the Riverclan cats came in, Darkstar climbed to the top of the camp.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather in front of the camp for a clan meeting."
Rosethorn, Wildear, Nightshade, Dustpaw, and Rabbitpaw led the strangers out to the front of the camp to sit where Darkstar could see them.
"Fireclan cats have been living in two groups since we came here. Half of us train and hunt during the night while the rest sleep and at dawn, the two groups switch places. I'd planned on changing which cats got to train during the night after yesterday's Gathering but the threat from the Dark Forest upset things. Instead half of you will train in the night with Rosethorn, Wildear, and Rabbitpaw and the other half will train during the day with me, Dustpaw, and Nightshade. Is there anyone who has a preference on when they train?"
"Riverclan cats are more used to training during the day." Grasspelt called out. "We're more comfortable that way."
"Then it'd be a good idea to get used to fighting in the dark. Not all of your enemies will attack when it's light. However, if you're sure you'd rather stick with training in daylight, you can."
"I'll train at night." Petalfur volunteered.
"I think I'll try that also." Mosspelt agreed.
After the Riverclan cats were settled, the other cats spoke fast and loud, trying to voice their decisions above the cats around them.
"Quiet!" Darkstar yowled. "The cats who want to train at night, stand next to Rosethorn. The ones who want to train during the day, stand next to Nightshade." As Darkstar spoke, Rosethorn moved over to his left and Nightshade moved over to his right.
When the shuffle of movement ceased, Nightshade had Rosepetal, Cinderheart, Sunstrike, Sedgewhisker, Swallowtail, Grasspelt, and Moonleap and Rosethorn had Petalfur, Mosspelt, Ratscar, Applefur, Owlclaw, and Bumblestripe.
"Sedgewhisker, Swallowtail, and Sunstrike, would one of you mind training during the night? I think that there should be at least one cat from each clan in each group. That way, whatever is learned in either group can be shared with your clanmates. Ratscar, Applefur, and Owlclaw, would one of you also switch?"
Both groups of three cats talked amongst themselves for a little while before addressing the rest of the cats.
"Shadowclan are used to training in the night. Applefur and I will train with the daylight group." Ratscar decided.
"Similar to what Ratscar said, Windclan are used to training during the day. Sedgewhisker and I can try training in the night." Swallowtail added. The cats switched places so that they were with their training group.
"The cats who will be training through the night should try to get some sleep. Nightshade and Dustpaw, watch over camp. I'll show the rest of you around the territory so as to make future patrols easier." Darkstar jumped to the ground as Rosethorn's group returned to camp. She and Wildear settled the newcomers into nests while Darkstar gathered his seven cats and took off into the forest.
Darkstar listened to them running behind him as he approached the Thunderclan border. Once he reached it, he lifted his tail to signal them to stop.
"This is where Fireclan territory meets Thunderclan's. It's a fairly straight line from here down to the lake. We're going in the opposite direction." He began running alongside the border and the other cats followed close behind.
"Isn't there a greenleaf twolegplace up here?" Cinderheart asked quietly. Darkstar nodded but didn't respond verbally.
They reached the campground not long after that and Darkstar turned to address the assembled cats again.
"Twolegs often stay here during greenleaf so we will have to be cautious about that until the colder weather comes in. As you can see, none are here now but someone will check here each morning. Some of my clanmates were talking about using this as a leaf-bare training ground but we haven't been able to try that out yet." Darkstar continued his run toward the creek and led them across the twoleg bridge and further, to the Shadowclan border.
"Fireclan territory and Shadowclan territory meet here. The border continues down to the lake where it ends on a half-bridge." Darkstar informed them. Then he spoke directly to the Shadowclan cats. "Is the half-bridge Shadowclan territory or Fireclan?"
Ratscar and Applefur glanced at each other before Applefur spoke. "I would say that it's Shadowclan's but you'll have to talk about that with Blackstar."
"Alright. That makes sense. Thanks." Darkstar led them a little deeper in Fireclan territory until he reached the twoleg path. Then he ran down toward the lake. As soon as he was close enough to see the waves lapping at the beach where the wind had ruffled the surface, Darkstar turned and raced parallel to the water's edge until he came to the creek.
"Do we have to run everywhere?" Grasspelt panted.
"I was a boy when I learned how to run." Darkstar responded, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lip. Sunstrike laughed aloud.
"You can't be tired already, Grasspelt?" Sunstrike asked.
"Not every cat is as used to fleeing as Windclan." Grasspelt hissed, annoyed.
"Windclan flees from no one!" Sunstrike growled, bristling her fur at the brown tabby.
"Enough you two." Darkstar said, stepping between them. "We all need to get along for the next few days until the danger from the Dark Forest isn't quite so immediate." Both of them stepped back, their ears flat in embarrassment.
"If it's a problem, we can walk the rest of the way." Darkstar said to Grasspelt.
"No. I'm fine." He muttered.
Darkstar nodded in acknowledgement and led the group across the creek before running alongside it back in the direction of camp. It wasn't until he reached the clearing at the bend in the creek that Darkstar stopped again.
"This is our usual training area. Our new apprentices are brought here to learn hunting crouches and we all spar here sometimes. Everyone will eventually be put into a training group to practice battle moves here. This is also the first place I found the scent of intruders from the Dark Forest."
Darkstar chose to walk through the narrow stretch of woods between the training ground and camp. Darkstar stood next to the camp entrance to talk to his patrol again.
"Sunstrike, would you be able to find the cam- greenleaf twolegplace again?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Would you mind hunting around there? I didn't have time to send out hunting patrols before my clanmates had to leave." Sunstrike nodded and took off in the direction of the campsite.
"Cinderheart, do you want to hunt in the training ground?"
"Alright." The dark gray she-cat answered before going back the way they came.
"Rosepetal and Ratscar, will you two hunt along your borders?" They both nodded and left.
"Where can I hunt?" Applefur asked.
"Along the lakeside?" Darkstar offered. The mottled brown she-cat nodded and ran in that direction.
"Grasspelt, will the creek offer adequate fishing?"
"It should." Grasspelt responded. "If not, I'll move down to the lakeside."
"Alright. Thanks." Grasspelt nodded and vanished into the undergrowth.
"Will you hunt along the twoleg path, Moonleap?" Darkstar asked the last cat remaining.
"Sure." Moonleap agreed before also leaving.
After the undergrowth settled from Moonleap's departure, Darkstar poked his head into camp to check on Nightshade, Dustpaw, and the sleeping group.
"Everything okay?" Darkstar whispered. Nightshade picked her way between the nests to speak easier to her leader.
"It took a while for them to get to sleep and I need to replenish my stores. I'm completely out of skullcap and could use more willow bark and plantain leaves."
"I sent my entire group out to hunt and had planned on joining them."
"When will I next be able to gather supplies?" She asked, her tailtip twitching.
"As soon as some of the hunters come back." Darkstar answered. Nightshade flattened her ears but also nodded.
"Fine. But I'm blaming you if any of these cats come to me for a sleep aid."
"Sounds fair." Darkstar agreed. "Someone should be back before long."