Chapter 9 - Timberpaw

In almost an instant Pebblestar's words transformed the atmosphere of the clearing. Cats looked around at each other, some worried and some hostile. Timberpaw could hear whispered conversations. Who were the traitors?

However Streamclan remained still. Not a single Streamclan member looked surprised.

That's odd Timberpaw thought Perhaps they already know...

Beside him Whitepaw looked up at Lionstar, her silver eyes slightly narrowed. Before Timberpaw could ask why Pebblestar began speaking again.

"Bring her forward with.. them" Streamstar commanded, looking past the crowd of cats "Right in front of us all. So we can see her and the proof of her...crime"

The crowd began to part and two cats, each holding a kit, flanked a trembling she-cat. They stopped in front of the rock and dropped the kits near their mother and padded back into the crowd.

Lionstar seemed to look tense for a moment. Pebblestar chuckled darkly and jumped down to stand before the queen and her kits. The kits looked just old enough to have opened their eyes.

"Tell us" Pebblestar mewed, a cruel smile on her face "Tell us their father"

The queen seemed to shrink back. Her eyes widened and mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"Tell us!" roared Pebblestar, lashing her tail.

"I..." the trembling she-cat stammered "I'm sorry"

Pebblestar's grey flecked pelt bristled in frustration and the she-cat glanced up at Lionstar "I suppose I should tell everyone, shall I?"

The she-cat shrank back further and Pebblestar spoke "You see her kits. One is gold, with thick fur. Oh Deerstep, unfortunately for you us Streamclan cats have sleek and short fur. There is also no golden tom in our clan. Strange it was... they also both inherited their father's yellow eyes. The brown kit there has a streamclan pelt but his father's exact shade of yellow eyes"

Deerstep let out a whimper.

"Little Honeykit looks just like Lionstar, doesn't she?" Pebblestar purred glancing at Lionstar who stiffened.

Deerstep shuddered and looked at her paws.

"Filthy half-clan kits" Pebblestar snarled, her eyes locked on Honeykit and the brown kit.

The crowd gasped and looked at Lionstar.

"It can't be true" Timberpaw whispered "Come on Lionstar... please tell me she is wrong"

Pebblestar turned to Lionstar "Come on, we all know. You may as well admit to your crime. Or are you scared"

"No" Lionstar growled "I am not afraid. These are my kits"

Timberpaw's eyes widened and suddenly the clearing seemed to be filled with a hostile atmosphere.

"Hmm?" Pebblestar circled Deerstep and her kits "Starclan, it is your code that we do not take mates from other clans. If you do not approve of what I am about to do then show us a sign. Cover the moon with the clouds. But you will agree, won't you? These half-clan filth cannot live"

Timberlaw shuddered, Starclan won't allow it.. they wouldn't... I shouldn't worry because they'd never... allow innocent kits.. to be... slaughtered.

However when Pebblestar unsheathed her claws and flung Deerstep aside, the sky remained clear and the moon shone as brightly as before.

"Starclan agrees" Pebblestar announced, advancing on the kits.

No.. they can't possibly agree with this.. how? How! Timberpaw thought Oh... oh... perhaps it is becuase.. they can't now. Eaglestar said Starclan was loosing power... perhaps they no longer have the power to cover the moon. What if.. soon they can't communicate with the medicine cats. What if only I had access to Starclan due to my special link with Starclan.

"NO!" roared Lionstar and the large powerful tom leaped down from his perch and stood between his kits and Pebblestar. For a moment he really did look like a lion from the legends.

"Oh" Pebblestar glared at Lionstar "you dare to stand between me and your half-clan kits?"

Lionstar said nothing and Pebblestar flicked her tail "Never mind, I'll just defeat you then I can get to them"

Both leaders bared their teeth and sprang towards each other. Pebblestar grabbed Lionstar with her front paws and dragged him to the ground where Lionstar kicked her in the belly hard, making her scramble back. She got to her paws and let out a menacing hiss.

Lipnstar got to his paws and charged into Pebblestar throwing her back. The she-cat quickly got to her paws and reared up on her hind legs. She brought both paws down onto Lionstar's head, narrowly missing his eyes. Blood ran down from the wounds, staining Lionstar's golden fur.

The tom let out a roar of anger and as soon as Pebblestar's paws hit the ground he dealt a heavy blow to her neck, tearing quite deep into her flesh. The grey flecked she-cat backed off, her icy blue eyes filled with hatred.

Lionstar charged forward again, clawing and biting her. He grabbed the scruff of her neck and threw her to the ground. The leader lay there on the ground, breathing heavily. Lionstar was about to deal a killing blow when Brightsun, his deputy, ran up to them and placed her tail on his shoulder.

"A warrior does not have to kill to win a battle" she reminded him gently "You have won"

Lionstar paused then nodded slowly. He walked forward and picked one kit up gently, Brightsun picked up the other.

Pebblestar staggered to her paws and rasped "You may have won now but Lionstar... no one will forget"

She limped away and her medicine-cat rushed to her side and helped her along. The rest of Streamclan followed, even Deerstep who strangely seemed to be allowed to stay in her clan. Without a word Sunclan and Cragclan also left.

Lionstar looked around the clearing where only his cats remained. His gaze was challenging, as if daring anyone to go against his decision to take the kits home.

Firespirit padded up to him "We are loyal to Nightclan and the code is that the leader's word is what we must obey"

All of Nightclan nodded, though Snowpaw, Frostpaw and some others looked uneasy.

Lionstar seemed to smile slightly behind the fluff of the brown kit in his mouth. The golden tom then looked away and padded off in the direction of camp. His tail flicked, beckoning them to follow.

"Wow... I never expected our first gathering to be so..." Timberpaw announced to Whitepaw. The silence had made him feel uncomfortable.

Whitepaw nodded and looked up to the sky "I wonder why Starclan didn't cover the moon"

Timberpaw, despite trusting Whitepaw, knew he couldn't say about Eaglestar. Maybe in the future, but right now...

Frostpaw padded up to them and hissed "Because it's not supposed to happen. Our ancestors created the code and it's not supposed to be ignored"

Whitepaw flicked her ears in annoyance "The kits did nothing wrong"

"If our own leader has broken the code then that is not a good sign" Frostpaw sounded genuinely worried "What if the warrior code... gets abandoned?"

Whitepaw sighed "You worry too much" she mewed "There has always been a cat or two in every generation who doesn't follow the warrior code completely. It will always be that way. But that doesn't mean the warrior code will ever stop existing"

Frostpaw muttered something under her breath that Timberpaw didn't catch and padded further ahead.

Whitepaw and Timberpaw padded along in silence for the rest of the journey back, though Timberpaw's mind was silent.

Just how weak was Starclan growing?

Would Pebblestar, who was so angry at being defeated by Lionstar and betrayed by one of her warriors, become a dangerous enemy to Nightclan.

Did the future of the clans really depend on just him and Whitepaw?

AN : Oh another chapter! I have a few things to say :D

First, thank you to those who reviewed! It means so so so much to me!

Second, I will be putting my other story, Eaglestar's Reign, on a temporary hiatus. I will come back to it but right now I don't have enough time to regularly update both.

Third, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!