Chapter 10
Fallen leaves crackled under Tinyclaw's paws. The smell of leaf-fall was in the air, and the trees were beginning to color even under the moonlight. Soon the forest would be red and gold, and the great oaks of Fourtrees would begin to lose their leaves.
Crowds of cats gathered below, down in the hollow. The full moon light shone down on their pelts, and on Fourtrees.
ThunderClan waited impatiently at the stop of the rise, all eyes on Tigerstar, whose broad shoulders were outlined in silver. The Clan seemed unsure of things, but seeing Tigerstar leading them to the Gathering definitely restored some hope in them that their old leader was in there somewhere.
Tinyclaw's own eyes were fixed on Tigerstar. The old tom had refused to speak about what he was going to say tonight, and Tinyclaw had no idea how he was going to react upon seeing Bluestar, or standing next to her. Would StarClan allow a fight tonight?
Tigerstar's tail flicked, and he loped down the slope and into the hollow – ThunderClan followed.
Down in the hollow beneath Fourtrees, only WindClan and ShadowClan were present. Bluestar and Tallstar sat below the Great Rock, looking down upon their Clanmates. WindClan and ShadowClan apprentices were sparring together, and Bluestar was looking down on them proudly. Tigerstar ignored them both, striding atop the Great Rock and laying down in the moonlight.
Tinyclaw wasn't shocked – right now, Tigerstar thought them both his enemy.
"Tinyclaw!"
Onewhisker's voice made Tinyclaw turn his head away from the leaders. The small brown warrior's eyes shone with pride, and beside him stood a ginger-and-white tabby tom that still hadn't grown into his big paws. "This is Gorsepaw – remember him?"
It took Tinyclaw a moment – but then he remembered. Gorsepaw was Morningflower's kit, born during WindClan's time in exile from the rest of the Clans. Tinyclaw recalled carrying the tom as a kit across fields and thunderpaths. "Yes, I do," Tinyclaw meowed. "Your new apprentice, I'm guessing?"
Onewhisker nodded. "Whitetail is a warrior now," he meowed. "Is Cloudpaw a warrior yet?"
Tinyclaw shook his head. "Not yet, but soon."
"A shame," Onewhisker admitted. He looked down at Gorsepaw. "Remember Tinyclaw, Gorsepaw?"
The ginger-and-white tom nodded. "Yeah," he meowed. His eyes met Tinyclaw's sparkling with memories. "I'm really happy to see you again – Morningflower told me a lot about you. She said you carried me almost all the way home."
Tinyclaw felt pride bloom in his chest to mean so much to the old queen. He was glad that she'd filled in the gaps in his kithood memories. "I'm honored," he said. "You'll be a fine warrior, Gorsepaw – and look at how big you are!"
Gorsepaw's tail flicked bashfully. "Everyone says I'm bigger than most WindClan cats, haha…"
Onewhisker's whiskers twitched, and he looked about the clearing. "RiverClan isn't here yet," he commented.
Tinyclaw opened his mouth to agree – but a fishy smell touched his scent glands. Speak of the rat, he thought, watching RiverClan stream into the hollow with Leopardfur at their head. Their sleek pelts glowed in the moonlight.
"Ah," Onewhisker mewed, "there they are."
"Is that… Leopardfur?" Gorsepaw wondered. "Isn't Crookedstar RiverClan's leader?" He looked to Onewhisker in confusion.
Onewhisker frowned. "Crookedstar's been sick," he meowed. "Leopardfur might be RiverClan's leader now. Come to think of it, one of our patrols caught RiverClan scent on our land not long ago, heading for Highstones…"
Tinyclaw twitched his ear. He'd known about Crookedstar being ill, but he had hoped that Leopardfur wouldn't take leadership of RiverClan until his own troubles ceased. The last thing ThunderClan needed now was to deal with Leopardfur's demands.
A gray shape moved through the cats, parting from the RiverClan group and heading for Tinyclaw. His dark stripe of spine fur shone bright in the moonlight, and Onewhisker purred. "Graystripe! I feel like I haven't seen you in moons!"
Graystripe's amber eyes sparkled. "Onewhisker! And… I'm guessing you're Gorsepaw now?" Gorsepaw's head bobbed in assent. Morningflower had no doubt told him of Graystripe, too.
Shock filled Tinyclaw. "You're here!" he breathed, rubbing muzzles with his old friend. "At a Gathering!"
Graystripe chuckled. "Well," he meowed, whiskers twitching, "Brambleclaw said I had to have a chance to prove myself."
"Brambleclaw?" Onewhisker asked, tilting his head.
"Our new deputy," Graystripe announced. "You'll hear all about it, I'm sure – but Crookedstar died a few nights ago. Leopardstar leads RiverClan now."
Tinyclaw swallowed, glancing up at Tigerstar. The old leader was still lounging on the Great Rock, his amber eyes chips of stone as he looked down at the Clans. Leopardstar was chatting with Tallstar and Bluestar, possibly getting introductions out of the way before the formal announcement. Brambleclaw was at Leopardstar's side.
Does Tigerstar know? Tinyclaw wondered. Will he be proud of his son?
"Leopardstar has reorganized RiverClan in less than a day," Graystripe went on, catching Tinyclaw's attention again. "She's got us working at peak efficiency! Which means no breaks."
"I'm sure that's proved a strain," Tinyclaw chuckled.
"It's good to hear," Onewhisker meowed. He flicked his tail. "Come on, Gorsepaw – we'll catch up with them later. Let's go introduce you to the RiverClan apprentices."
Gorsepaw nodded, and the two padded off to join the bustle. Graystripe watched them go, whiskers twitching. When they were well out of earshot, the gray tom scooted closer to Tinyclaw. "Tinyclaw, I've got something you need to hear?"
Tinyclaw frowned. "What?"
Graystripe's eyes met his own. "Leopardstar might be planning to take Sunningrocks."
Tinyclaw's tail bushed as he looked at Graystripe incredulously. "Graystripe!" he hissed. "Are you mad?!"
"Don't be upset!" Graystripe pleaded, eyes wide. "I just. I can't stand the thought of harm coming to ThunderClan!"
"You have kits to think of! Silverstream!" Tinyclaw pressed. "You're a RiverClan cat!"
Graystripe's shoulders fell. "I know. I know… I just… I've tried with every fiber of my being to be as loyal to RiverClan as possible. But ThunderClan is where I grew up – where I came from. My heart can't take the thought of cats I grew up with getting hurt."
Tinyclaw sighed. Graystripe's waffling loyalties were going to get him into a great amount of trouble – but he understood his friend's conflict. And the information was good to have. Any sort of ability to plan ahead was nice nowadays. "Do you know when this might happen?"
"I don't," Graystripe insisted, shaking his head. "Leopardstar wouldn't tell me anything that crucial – she wouldn't even tell Silverstream!"
Tinyclaw shifted on his paws. "You can't press this," he told Graystripe sternly. He had already made up his mind that he would not make Graystripe take up the role of a spy in RiverClan. "I'll do what I can to prepare ThunderClan for an attack, but you can't afford to risk your safety by rooting for information for another Clan. You know that."
Graystripe's eyes were filled with his conflicted misery. "I know," he breathed.
A yowl caught their attention. The leaders had gathered upon the Great Rock, highlighted in moonlight. Tigerstar kept Leopardstar as a buffer between him and Tallstar and Bluestar. Tinyclaw suppressed a sigh at Tigerstar's blank amber gaze that stared off into nothing.
Graystripe nestled next to Tinyclaw. It felt good to sit next to his friend again, and Tinyclaw's heart briefly ached.
"Cats of all Clans!" Leopardstar yowled as silence descended. "Crookedstar has passed on to StarClan – I, Leopardstar, now lead RiverClan!"
Tinyclaw's ear twitched. That much was obvious to those gathered below. Still, some cats murmured whilst others cheered. Mousefur cheered loudly from within the crowd – Tinyclaw had very little idea that the two she-cats were friendly towards one another.
"Typical Leopardstar," Graystripe sighed. "It's usually the eldest leader's job to introduce the new leaders at a Gathering."
Tallstar did not seem upset by the turn of events as Leopardstar went on: "I have appointed Brambleclaw as my deputy."
"Leopardstar! Brambleclaw!" cheered the Clans. Tinyclaw lent his voice, too – though he was wary of Leopardstar, he was proud she'd chosen a seemingly level headed warrior as her deputy. Perhaps they would balance one another out in the end.
"Congratulations," offered Tallstar. Bluestar echoed his praise.
Tigerstar said nothing, his amber eyes fixed upon his son in the crowd. Pride glowed in his eyes and it seemed like Brambleclaw was the only cat in the clearing to him. Tinyclaw's throat tightened. Bluestar was staring at Tigerstar thoughtfully – had she put together what Goldenflower had said? It wouldn't have been difficult, really – Brambleclaw and Tigerstar resembled one another greatly.
"One of our elders, Goldenflower, passed on this moon," Leopardstar announced. "She is succeeded by her kits Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt, and Tawnypelt's kits. She was also mother to Swiftclaw, deputy of RiverClan before myself."
The Clans shuffled into mournful silence. Tinyclaw dipped his head, hearing Graystripe let out a sorrowful murmur next to him. Was Goldenflower watching from StarClan? Was she worried for her kits? Tinyclaw didn't dare look up to see Bluestar – was she mourning for the cat she killed?
When heads raised again, Leopardstar had stepped back to allow Bluestar to step forward. The two she-cats shared a glance of respect.
"ShadowClan is doing well," Bluestar announced clearly. "We have a new apprentice, Rowanpaw, mentored by Jaggedtooth, and Tallpoppy has given birth to two kits. ShadowClan is growing strong again, and the sickness has been eliminated once and for all."
Tinyclaw let out a held breath as Bluestar backed away. She said nothing about Goldenflower or Tigerstar. StarClan, if it weren't for her I wouldn't have to worry about this sort of thing!
Tallstar padded forward. "I am glad ShadowClan is doing well," he meowed diplomatically. "WindClan has-"
"Enough of this farce."
Tigerstar's voice was grating, like claws against stone. The other leaders looked to him in shock – how could he interrupt another leader's announcement? Eyes flew to the sky. No clouds. The Clans murmured in worry.
"Tigerstar," Tallstar meowed, "what are you talking about?"
Tigerstar raised his tail, padding to the very edge of the Great Rock to look down upon the Clans like a hungry owl. His eyes flashed like fire.
"What's Tigerstar doing?" hissed Cloudpaw, worry causing her tail to fluff nearby.
"WindClan has been stealing prey from ThunderClan," Tigerstar announced plainly.
No! Tinyclaw wailed inwardly. It's a dog, Tigerstar – don't do this!
It was too late. WindClan cats were bristling, thrusting themselves away from any ThunderClan cat they happened to be near. Onewhisker's voice pierced the crowd: "Prove it, Tigerstar! Prove WindClan have stolen a single morsel!"
Anxiety crawled along Tinyclaw's shoulders like spiders. Tigerstar's whiskers twitched. "Prey remnants were found not far from where we all stand gathered," he growled. "There is no more proof needed."
Tallstar's long tail stood up straight. "Yes, there is!" he hissed. "Tigerstar, how dare you accuse us without anything tangible!"
"The prey found were rabbits," Tigerstar snapped back. "What other Clan hunts rabbits as fervently as WindClan?"
Tallstar was bristling from ears to tail tip. "That's preposterous! My warriors stick to their territory, Tigerstar – it's your warriors that like to do the wandering. WindClan have found prey missing on our own territory, I'll have you know! What if I posited that ThunderClan has been stealing from us?"
"He is right," Bluestar added cooly, her blue eyes level. "Fire has made prey more scarce in the forest, and leaf-fall won't make it any easier. Your warriors know WindClan territory well."
Tinyclaw unsheathed his claws as Bluestar's eyes trailed to meet his own. Her fur was unruffled, as if she didn't care how this argument ended. Frustration built up in Tinyclaw. It was a dog, Tigerstar – a dog!
"Stay out of our business!" snapped Tigerstar, baring his teeth. "This does not concern you."
"I think it does," Bluestar meowed. "When accusations like this are thrown about, it becomes every Clan's business. Gatherings are a time of peace, Tigerstar." Her eyes glinted. "You'll upset StarClan."
Tigerstar's neck fur bristled to its ends. "You have no right to speak of peace," he spat. "I hold no love for StarClan any longer – I care now only for my Clan's safety and well being. I will not suffer prey being stolen from our mouths!"
The gathered cats raised shocked and alarmed mews in Tigerstar's direction at this. Tinyclaw felt a horrid mixture of frustration and embarrassment, tearing into the earth with his claws.
"What is going on?" Graystripe whispered, appalled.
"I wish I knew," Tinyclaw replied, unable to keep the defeat from his voice.
"StarClan's just a story for kits," Cloudpaw muttered. "It's no big-" She shut her jaws at a harsh glance from Tinyclaw's cold blue eyes. Cloudpaw swallowed and shuffled her paws.
Tallstar's eyes were wide as they looked upon Tigerstar. It was likely hard for him to take this news, as he and Tigerstar had known each other a long time. "By StarClan, Tigerstar – WindClan has stolen nothing!" he was exasperated. "But if you want to insist we have, WindClan will be ready!"
Tigerstar opened his jaws, but Leopardstar stepped between the two toms. Her spotted pelt rippled in the moonlight as she weighed her gaze on Tigerstar. "The fire was a misfortune, to be sure; but it is not the only thing going on in the forest right now."
Confusion rippled through the Clans. Graystripe sighed heavily. "Here we go," he murmured.
Leopardstar held her head high. "Twolegs have invaded RiverClan's streams and rivers this season. If any Clan is in need to fight for more prey for leafbare, it is us. Who knows whether the Twolegs will poison the fish this season, like they did the last?"
Bluestar's eyes leveled on Leopardstar, approval sparking though them briefly. Tinyclaw's tail quivered. Did… did Bluestar encourage this? He swallowed, realizing that he knew what Leopardstar was about to demand. Graystripe's warning had been correct.
"Of course, Leopardstar. RiverClan knows suffering." Tigerstar's voice was suddenly soft. Caring. Understanding. Tinyclaw was stunned – the old Tigerstar would not have missed such a blatant hint. "RiverClan has good, noble warriors – it will survive this leafbare easily."
Leopardstar looked at Tigerstar, thrown off by his words. This wasn't what she had thought she'd hear, either. Tinyclaw glared at Bluestar. Had she plotted to drive Tigerstar into a fury by thrusting a conflict with RiverClan into the mix? The ShadowClan leader's expression gave nothing away.
"You should think carefully, Tigerstar, before you start battles with other Clans," Bluestar said, her tone crisp and level. Tinyclaw could hear the taunt in her voice, even if the other Clans thought her ambivalent as ShadowClan was not yet involved.
Tigerstar's eyes blazed once more. "Shut your mouth, you pile of-"
"I've had enough!" Tallstar interrupted. He glared at Tigerstar. "My Clanmates and I will not sit here and be so falsely accused. If you want a battle, Tigerstar, then so be it – WindClan will defend their territory against any threat!"
There was a flash of sadness in his eyes before Tallstar leaped down off of the Great Rock. The Gathering was over.
Graystripe's voice cracked. "That… went wrong in almost every way possible," he whispered.
"Agreed," Tinyclaw meowed. The sky was still clear above their ears. Why hadn't StarClan interrupted this? Did they truly want a war? StarClan is testing Tigerstar, or so Brackenfur said. Why do we have to all be caught up in it?
"Graystripe!" Brambleclaw's voice cut through the milling cats. "Leopardstar wants to leave as soon as possible."
Graystripe nodded. "Coming!" He turned his head to Tinyclaw, butting his muzzle into his friend's shoulder. "I'll see you soon."
"I know," Tinyclaw purred. "Good bye." Despite the disaster that was tonight, it had been amazing to see Graystripe. Tinyclaw's eye caught on Brambleclaw, who was sizing him up with his own powerful amber gaze. "ThunderClan doesn't want this trouble," Tinyclaw meowed.
"I'm sure," the tabby warrior grunted.
Tinyclaw watched Graystripe and Brambleclaw join their Clanmates, feeling his heart ache again. There he goes, he thought. Once more, to RiverClan. I know it's where he needs to be, but… I still wish he were coming with us instead.
He got to his paws. No point in dwelling right now. There was an intense amount of damage control that needed to be done. Tigerstar was more than just out of his mind! Tinyclaw turned to join the rest of ThunderClan, only to stop short at the cat blocking his path.
Bluestar.
Tinyclaw hadn't been this close to her in moons. Her scent was sharp and ShadowClan now, but beneath it Tinyclaw could smell the old Bluestar. Her eyes were on him, cold and emotionless. The rest of the crowd seemed to disappear and for a moment they were in the training hollow, and Tinyclaw was trying to predict what attack she'd try next – and then he saw her attacking Tigerstar, her claws going for his throat.
"Oakheart was not here," Bluestar noted.
Tinyclaw said nothing, his eyes narrowing on her. What can I do here, at a Gathering?
"I wanted to ask after my kits," Bluestar meowed. Her eyes glimmered with amusement. "Keep your claws in, Tinyclaw. There's nothing to fear here."
Tinyclaw curled his lip, hearing the mocking tone of her voice. She thinks she's impervious here!
"Oakheart wouldn't speak to you if you got down on your belly and begged," Tinyclaw told her tersely. "But the kits are alright."
Bluestar's eyes flashed. "They will be apprentices soon, no?"
"Yes."
"Then their future mentors had best treat them well," Bluestar meowed quietly. "I will be eagerly watching their progress."
"You abandoned them, Bluestar," Tinyclaw snapped. "They're not yours to mother any longer, and I won't let you lay a whisker on them! Oakheart would rather die than see you look upon them again."
Bluestar's tail kinked – but she said nothing. She turned away from Tinyclaw and marched back to ShadowClan. Tinyclaw's chest tightened. Had his words meant anything to her? Did the kits? They must mean something, if she's willing to ask about them. But that only made him more worried about the young kits.
"Yikes, that looked like a fight waiting to happen…"
Mousefur's voice cut through Tinyclaw's tension. He spotted her coming away from the RiverClan cats – probably saying her good-byes to Leopardstar. "Loosen up, Tinyclaw; you'll turn to stone if you stay stiff like that for too long."
Tinyclaw exhaled, letting his muscles unclench. I'd been ready to pounce on her just then, he thought. His muscles hurt from being bunched for so long with no payoff.
Mousefur's eyes were sympathetic. "Hey, it's okay. I think she might have just been trying to get a rise out of you, talking to you like that. She's gone now."
Tinyclaw nodded. "Thank you, Mousefur," he meowed. "I'm sorry."
Mousefur nudged him good-naturedly. "She'd get under any of our fur," she purred. "Now come on – Tigerstar's liable to just head home without us, what with the mood he's in."
Tinyclaw sighed in agreement and followed the short brown she-cat. His heart didn't stop beating in his ears until Fourtrees was long behind him.
