"They killed Bane!"
"She-cats killed Bane!"
"Even Bane couldn't win against a group of she-cats!"
The whispers raced around the camp.
"Petalpaw? Are you all right?" Lightning looked down at the apprentice who stood, legs trembling, staring at the still body of Bane with loathing.
"That was horrible," the apprentice meowed, "I saw him… all of him. What he did to the cats he was supposed to love and protect…" she shuddered all over.
Lightning grimaced, then stepped forward and pressed her cheek against Petalpaw's, "You were so brave though! So quick and brave! You pushed him past the breaking point! You made him slip up; he made a mistake! He was so focused on you that he never heard the others racing back to camp!"
Slowly, Petalpaw's trembling eased.
"Petalpaw, I'm so proud of you." Rainstar joined Lightning and pressed her muzzle against Petalpaw's other cheek. "Just remember though, that for every horrible thing we face and live though is a lesson. Now that you have seen the bad things that a cat can be, you'll make sure no one you know and love will ever follow in those bloody pawprints. You will be a wise, kind, and noble cat when you grow up."
There was a rustle, and Mist staggered into sight, his expression weary and his pelt covered in the aftermath of battle. "It's over. We've won. Clan Red Claw has been resurrected."
Lightning's eyes widened "Mist! You're…"
"It's all right. Most of it isn't mine." He looked over at Petalpaw, "I've never seen a cat, tom or she-cat, so brave, or so clever. You did what even we four could not do; you manipulated Bane. You did brilliantly."
"So they say," Petalpaw meowed, "but I'm going to have nightmares for moons about what I saw."
"That is good though. Dreams help a cat process what she has endured." Lightning butted in, "I had nightmares for moons too. But eventually, they faded. And I learned how to use what I saw to make myself stronger, rather than being horrified by them."
"Lightning, we're going to need your help." Rainstar padded over to them, "There are going to be injuries, and our medicine cat, Maplefur, is too far away to be of help. Do you four know which of the local plants will help my warriors?"
The she-cat nodded and purred warmly, "Let all the she-cats gather. I can tell you what to gather and how to use it." She glanced at Mist, "Go rinse off, and then get some rest. If I know you at all, then I know you pushed yourself to the limit in battle."
It was a testament to Mist's physical state that he wordlessly staggered to the nearest stream, rather than make a joke or scoff at the idea of resting.
Skyclan cats trickled back to camp slowly and each one was quickly cared for by Lightning, Reed, Pool, Streak and Evening.
Lightning saw how Reed's eyes sparkled as she drank in every word about the effects of the herbs and how to use them. Her whiskers twitched. Her bravery in the fight with Badgerheart was already spreading through the camp, but Ghost had also told her how reluctant Reed In River Current had been to take on fighting skills.
Perhaps it was time to have a talk with the she-cat. Reed was not a young cat, but that wouldn't matter. She had moons stretching out before her… moons that she wouldn't have had in Clan Rancor.
"Reed? It looks like everyone is settled. Would you come with me please? There's something important I want to talk to you about." Lightning murmured as the exhausted Skyclan cats sank into their temporary nests.
The two she-cats moved away so that their conversation wouldn't disturb the others.
"You were amazing in the fight against Bane," Lightning said, not missing the way Reed shifted uncomfortably. "You held on through the pain of being kicked by Badgerheart, and I heard from Ghost that you used the Lure Strike very effectively in battle."
"I… I'm glad it's over. I hated it. I mean, I know we had to… and I know it's part of being a warrior to fight for our freedom but…" Reed rubbed the side of her head where Badgerheart's blows had rained down.
"What if you didn't have to be warrior?"
Reed stiffened, "Lightning, I refuse to spend my life in the nursery again!"
"Skies about us, no!" Lightning exclaimed, "I would never ask that of any of you. If, at some point, you fall in love with a tom, you would sleep in the nursery, yes. But sleep only! And even that is to keep you from being woken up early in the morning by patrols coming and going. They might step on a kit or disturb their sleep. No, I wasn't planning on putting you in the nursery either."
"Well, what else is there? Clan leader?" Reed blinked, "I would be honored, Lightning, I really would but… I have no idea how to do that."
"No, not clan leader either. We have some other cat in mind for that position. I saw how you acted when I started telling the she-cats about the herbs. Your eyes lit up like the moon." Lightning put her whiskers forward kindly.
"You mean to say... there's a position in a clan that only deals with herbs?"
"Somewhat. In Skyclan, I met a tom named Maplefur. He used his knowledge of herbs to help his clan stay healthy. He tended their wounds, but he also served as a bridge across the gap between the living warriors and the warriors that had passed. He was called a medicine cat. When my brothers and I were kits, Clan Red Claw had a cat who did similar things. She was called the remedy seeker." Lightning looked up at the sky, still clouded over.
It was hard to believe that the battle had only begun shortly after dawn, and the terrible bloody war hadn't even taken the entire day. It was only now heading toward evening, and despite the cloud cover, she knew that the first hints of the night sky were just barely appearing at the edges of the horizon.
Reed was silent for a long moment. "I would be Clan Red Claw's remedy seeker? I would never have to raise a claw in battle again?"
"Well, not entirely true. There are still dangers in our world. We want you to be able to defend yourself, so yes, you would have to fight. But it would not be a day-to-day concern for you anymore," Lightning agreed, "and every cat would respect you as much as any warrior, because your position would be both special and very important."
Relief washed over the she-cat's face and she tipped her face toward the sky as a warm shaft of sunlight broke through the clouds and spilled over her fur. "Then yes! Oh Skies Above your words sound so right for me, it's like finally seeing the sun after a long rain!"
Lightning shot the open patch of sky an amused glance, "I would say our ancestors agree. Then, when everything with Skyclan is settled, we will see about getting your position firmly and officially established. In the meantime, please keep an eye on our allies. I'm going to band the she-cats together and see about burying the Rancor toms. It's a bad precedent if we leave them to the open sky."
Reed shivered, "You're right. One Resting Place is bad enough. What will we do about the one we have?"
Lightning frowned, "I'm not sure. Maybe that can be your first question to our Ancestors. The pit is far too large for any cat to fill up in their lifetime, and it presents a danger to kits and grown cats alike keeping the vulture and crows so close. I also wouldn't envy the cat who fell in while pursuing prey."
Reed nodded and turned her gaze toward the sky thoughtfully as Lightning padded back to the others. "I will ask our Ancestors tonight then, and see if they have an answer." She blinked. "Um, how do I do that?"
"Simply ask. I think our remedy seeker did it in her dreams."
"Then I hope my dream are full of starry coated cats."
.
The next day, the clouds had grown heavy and dark. A faint rumble could be heard now and again. The rain had had only been threatened of the previous day was showing signs of coming to full fruition.
Every cat was either weary from the hard desperate battle the day before, or from the long trek from Clan Rancor's Nursery. Lightning and the first female warriors had spent a long night digging graves for the Rancor toms that had been slain in battle, helped by a few willing she-cats and even a young tom or two who was nearly ready to become a Pupil.
Still, when Reed approached, she lifted her head to listen.
"Lightning, no cat talked to me, but I saw that this storm is our answer," Reed meowed nervously. "and I had a very strong impression of danger to us if we stayed here."
Lightning glanced up at the clouds and shuddered, "I think you're right. Those clouds are almost as dark as night. I'd better gather everyone together."
She moved over to her brothers and had a few quick words with them, anxiety making her pelt ruffle. Then the four siblings flowed up the trunk of their favorite tree and perched next to one another.
"Toms, queens, she-cats and Skyclan cats alike, please gather for the first true Clan Red Claw meeting." Mist called, sitting on a low branch.
Slowly, every cat dragged themselves out of their nests and out of the cover to join him.
"The reign of Bane is over. Clan Rancor has been utterly destroyed. Today dawns on Clan Red Claw's resurrection. Never again will a she-cat spend all her days in the nursery. Never again will a tom beat or abuse his own clan mates. From here on out, all cats will have the opportunity to be a warrior!" Mist gazed down at his new clan mates with warmth and pride.
A ragged cheer rose from the throats of every cat.
"It is time for Clan Red Claw's first big decision. I wish I could say that every cat will be given his or her new name today, or even tomorrow. Unfortunately, we have some work ahead of us, and before even that, before even selecting our new clan leader," some cats shifted thoughtfully at the prospect, "we must move to Clan Red Claw's true camp. Lightning has read the winds and the skies. Those clouds are going to open up a massive deluge by this afternoon. When there were four of us, we took to the trees during a heavy storm. There are now too many of us to do so safely, and during rain, Otter's tunnels run the risk of being flooded. There simply isn't enough shelter here, and cats would be miserable, cold and at risk of getting sick in the rain."
There was an uneasy murmur from the she-cats and kits.
"We must move," Ghost insisted from his position next to Mist on the branch. "I know the old Rancor camp will have bad memories for many of you, but it is a better place to spend the storm. It is designed to drain off the worst of the deluge, and has ample space for every cat to be warm and dry."
"There are also ample herbs close to the camp, and I know many of you are soon to be in need of a change of dressing. We can handle that much quicker from there." Lightning meowed, "I know everyone is still exhausted, and hurting, from the battle. This is why we're starting the day off early: we have the time to travel slowly, carefully, and with respect to every cat's needs."
"It is time for the first lesson for our former Rancor cats." Otter meowed, his voice warm and persuasive as he climbed down the tree trunk, "You are Clan Red Claw now. This means we help each other, any cat with strong, steady paws, join up with a cat who is injured or weak. Help them, so that if you are ever injured, you know a friend will help you, instead of just leaving you on your own."
There was a soft murmuring in the throng, and then, tentatively, she cats and kits merged into the throng of weary Skyclan cats, shyly offering shoulders to lean on.
The trek back to Red Claw's camp was, thankfully, uneventful if slow.
"How bad of a storm are we looking at?" Quailfur limped his way to Lightning's side.
Lightning lifted her gaze up to the clouds as a stiff wind blew at their backs. She could feel the tension building above, and the winds that stirred everyone's fur was warm, but blew straight through fur like it wasn't even there. If it carried rain, a cat would be soaked to the skin in seconds. "Bad. It's building above us like a river about to break over its banks. When it lets loose, it will be like drowning on dry land if you're out in it."
Quailfur shuddered.
There was a slight hesitation at the entrance to camp, but Quick Claw In The Dark strode calmly through the entrance and called, "Come on everyone! The winds have blown away the rank Rancor smell!"
"All right, every cat split up. She-cats, join the warriors, and a few of you may have to sleep in the Pupil's Den for now. Queens, take your kits to the nursery. No, I promise, it's not permanent. It's just for now. I swear to you on the Skies Above that Bane's rules died with him." Lightning reassured the scowling queens. "Please, the skies are going to open up any second, and you really, really don't want to be caught out in it."
"Rainstar, will you and Silver Moon join me in the leader's den please? Your kits will be fine in the nursery for a little while." Mist lead them into the spacious den as Silver Moon's eyes widened in shock, taking in the den that housed the six of them in relative comfort.
Almost as soon as the last tail vanished inside a den, there was a great booming crack of thunder above them. Then the skies opened up.
Foliage bent under the heavy deluge and a roar like a waterfall filled every cat's ears. It was as though a silver wall made of water had fallen from the clouds; the rest of the camp vanished behind the silvery veil and visibility was reduced to half a tail length.
"Skies Above!" Silver Moon murmured, peering out and then nervously drawing back. "You're right, I wouldn't want to be stuck at the old camp in this!"
"Silver Moon, did you ever wonder why Lightning taught you how to hunt and left you on your own?" Mist's question made the queen flinch.
Slowly, she turned to face the four siblings. "A bit. I know you both were following me for those two days. Why didn't you talk to me?"
"Because you needed to be on your own," Mist curled his tail around his front legs. "Lightning taught you how to hunt because you needed to be given a sporting chance."
"I…don't understand." Silver Moon meowed.
"You were born after Bane took over. You lived all your life obeying his rules. They were all you knew. And yet, you broke those rules. You dared to defy them, and you chose to escape despite the danger that you knew had to be out there." Mist's gaze bored into the queen solemnly. "You took a big risk, but you knew that sometimes the rules are wrong. You challenged them, you found out that the world was larger than you had thought, and you got to see something wondrous because of that."
"A female clan leader." Silver Moon looked at Rainstar with emotions chasing back and forth behind her eyes too quickly to identify.
"You learned how a real clan acts. You made friends and allies. In truth, you did more than the four of us could hope for." Mist's eyes were warm. "The loss of one truly did lead to the destruction of a clan. Now it's time for the nest greatest challenge… if you are ready."
"Clan Red Claw needs a clan leader," Lightning meowed. "That leader must be you."
Silver shivered, "I… I don't know… I have kits to raise."
"You will have the support of your clan while you do. And your kits will be trained as equals. The four of us will be right there with you, to help you understand the laws that no other cat lived to remember. We will give you advice. You won't be alone."
Rainstar watched them with interest, "In Skyclan, the clan leader earns the name "star" to show that he or she walks with our ancestors."
"In Clan Red Claw, our leader's name becomes one of the great marks of the Skies Above; the sun, the moon, or a star." Mist explained, "We were a bit preemptive with Silver Moon. In the future, it will not be so obvious and the next clan leader will be properly trained."
"When the rain finishes washing our territory clean of Clan Rancor's taint, we will hold the ceremony." Lightning promised.
Silver Moon looked dazed.
"I know it's a lot to take in," Otter murmured, "and there's more yet to come. We still have to split the clan. Lightning told us that Skyclan needs she-cats badly." He glanced at Rainstar who nodded, "We need she-cats and toms. They are welcome to make the decision, but we also need to be sure that Clan Rancor's territory isn't abandoned due to bad memories."
"Don't be afraid. He honest, but kind when you talk to them." Mist offered, "Remember, they're going to have a female leader no matter which clan they go to, and toms will never lord it over them the way they did in the past."
"A-All right. I will think about what to say."
"Take your time." Lightning reassured her, "Everyone will likely fall asleep in the dens long before the rain stops. Everyone is still too tired to think about anything but how comfortable the nests are. I doubt they even notice that the nests are stale."
Suddenly Otter signaled for silence. He tipped his head this way and that, his ears stretched to their utmost as he lowered his head toward the ground. Then his eyes flew wide.
"Brace yourselves!" he gasped. "The earth is on the move!"
Beyond the camp walls, a rumble grew to a roar; it was so loud that it drowned out the sound of the rain. The ground beneath their paws shuddered, and a slow creak swelled into a mighty snapping sound, as though great trees were being broken to splinters. The roar continued long past the time were even a mighty lion could have sustained his voice. Even over the rain, cries of fear rang out throughout the camp. Slowly the rumble in the earth faded away, and the rumble of rain took back over.
"Did anyone get hurt?" Silver Moon cried, leaping to her paws. "Skies Above! My kits! The nursery!" She made as if to charge out into the deluge.
"Silver Moon stop!" Lightning's voice cracked out with authority, "You cannot charge blindly into this."
Silver Moon shuddered, "B-but…"
"Point your nose directly toward the ground," Otter ordered. "The rain must pour in the direction of the ground, not into your nose or mouth. Place one paw directly in front of the other. The nursery is..." he gently aimed her in the right direction, "straight ahead of you. Go slow, watch every step you make and keep a straight line. Make sure everyone is all right. The rest of us will check the other dens."
Silver Moon quivered with the need to race ahead, but she slowly padded out into the deluge as she had been ordered, vanishing almost instantly into the rain.
"Lightning?" Otter asked, when the she-cat padded up to the entrance as soon as Silver Moon was gone.
"I'll check on the Pupil's den," Lightning reassured them. "I'll keep the young cats calm."
"Rainstar, maybe you had better go to the Warrior's den. I think most of your own warriors are there. They'd feel better if their leader came to check on them." Ghost blinked gently at the clan leader, correctly guessing where she wanted to go. "Walk a straight line from… here." His fluffy tail marked the direction the Skyclan leader had to take.
Ghost and Otter sat anxiously at the entrance to the den, ears perked anxiously. They wanted to check on the camp too, but knew it was too dangerous to too many cats to wander blindly. Silence fell as the she-cats faded into the rain, and all that was left was the splashing of water.