Windclan
The WindClan warriors stood their ground without moving a muscle. Nightfrost quickly realized they are waiting for their leader to signal them. From behind the line of warriors, a black-and-white tom weaved his way to the front. This elderly cat must the last leader of the four clans and his father's other friend in the clans, Tallstar.
Tallstar sniffed the air, but Nightfrost and the other two warriors were downwind, their scents carried away by the steady breeze. As the black-and-white cat walked toward them, Nightfrost breathed in the rank odor of crowfood that hung on his coat. Like the younger two warriors, he remained perfectly still, his eyes down, as the tom circled them, sniffing their fur closely.
Finally, the elderly tom returned to his warriors. The black tom heard him murmur, "Thunderclan." The warriors flattened their fur, but remained in a defensive line, shielding the rest of the cats.
Tallstar turned to face his visitors and sat down, curling his tail carefully around his paws. "I was expecting Shadowclan," he growled. His eyes burned with hostility. "Why are you here?"
Nightfrost spoke,"We came to find you. Bluestar and the other leaders wish for your return."
The WindClan leader's voice was still wary. "That land is not safe for my clan anymore," he meowed with a haunted look.
"Shadowclan has driven out Brokenstar," Fireheart meowed. "He is no longer a threat."
The warriors behind Tallstar turned and looked at one another. Murmurs of surprise rippled back through the Clan.
"You must return as soon as possible," he urged. "Shadowclan and Riverclan are starting to hunt in the uplands. We saw a Riverclan hunting patrol near the old badger set while we were on our way here."
Tallstar bristled angrily as his clan looked furious.
"But they are poor rabbit hunters," Graystripe added, a smile forming his mouth. "I think they went home with empty bellies."
Some of the Windclan warriors chuckled, other smiling in amusement. Tallstar nodded, purring with amusement.
"Windclan will return to our home."
Fireheart opened his mouth. "If we may, could we travel with you?"
Tallstar's eyes flashed. He knew the question was a tactful offer of help. He looked steadily at Fireheart. "Yes," he replied at last. "Thank you."
Fireheart dipped head and continued. "I am Fireheart. The gray tom is Graystripe and the small black one is my brother, Nightfrost." Fireheart introduced, pointing with his tail to each. Sunlight was flooding through the gap in the roof now, making Fireheart's orange pelt glow in the dim tunnel. Tallstar widen his eyes in surprise, before nodding.
"Your names suit each one of you."
Another monster roared overhead. Fireheart and Graystripe flinched. Nightfrost, used to living near monsters, did not even react. Tallstar watched them with amusement and curiosity, and flicked his tail. It must have been a signal, for the line of warriors behind him split up. "We shall leave at once," he announced, standing up.
"Are we all fit for the journey?" Tallstar asked as the warriors began to move among the queens and elders.
"All except Morningflower's kit," replied a mottled brown warrior. "He is too young."
"Then we must take turns carrying him," answered Tallstar.
The Windclan cats shuffled forward, their eyes dull with pain and exhaustion. A tortoiseshell queen was holding a tiny kit gently by the scruff of its neck. The little creature's eyes were hardly open.
"Ready?" called Tallstar.
A black tom with a misshapen paw looked around the Clan and answered for them. "Ready," he meowed.
The Thunderclan warriors turned and made their way back to the tunnel entrance and waited while the Windclan cats emerged blinking into the daylight. Some of the elders blinked so long, their faces screwed up against the weak sun, it seem that they had not been outside the tunnel for some time. Tallstar padded out of the tunnel last of all and walked to the head of his Clan.
"Shall we take you and your clan back the way we came? I believe it is a shorter path," asked Nightfrost.
"Is it safe?" asked Tallstar.
"We met no trouble coming here," Fireheart meowed.
Tallstar flicked his tail decisively, as though he were brushing away any doubt. "Good," he declared. "You come with me, Nightfrost. Show me the way. Fireheart, Graystripe, travel in two different sides of the Clan. Tell my deputy if you see trouble."
"Which one is he?" asked Fireheart.
Tallstar nodded toward the black tom. "Deadfoot," he meowed. The warrior turned at the sound of his name and pricked his ears.
The two friends dipped their heads in greeting and left him with Tallstar.
"Lead the way, Nightfrost, and please hurry."
"Yes, Tallstar, a friend of my father, Jake."
Windclan's leader stared at him in shock as Nightfrost dipped his head and turned back to the path they had taken on the way here. He lead to where the Twolegs were, sniffing the air to find it somewhat stale of Twoleg scent. The black warrior continued to the tunnel they had stayed the night before. Reaching the end of the tunnel, Nightfrost waited for the rest of the cats to catch up before continuing though the field.
Before they were halfway across the field, the deputy's voice rang out.
"Tallstar!" yowled Deadfoot. "We need to travel more slowly!"
Tallstar slowed the pace, but only a little. Nightfrost followed, paw by paw in front of the Windclan leader.
"So, you're Jake's son?" Tallstar asked. Nightfrost could feel his amber eyes staring at his black pelt in an odd way, making him feel awkward.
"Yes, I am. He told me about you once."
"So, he remembered me," the black-and-white tom purred, "How is Jake?"
"He is well, still living the life of a kittypet."
Soon, they reach the hedge near the Thunderpath and waited for the clan to catch up.
Fireheart and Graystripe eventually reached them. His brother turned his attention to the Thunderpath.
"We should try to get the clan over in small groups," Fireheart meowed. "Graystripe and I will stay with any that need help." He looked at the clan leader. "If you agree, Tallstar," he added.
Tallstar nodded. "The strongest group will go first," he meowed.
The other Windclan cats began to appear through the hedge. Before long the whole clan was clustered beside them, pressed against the sharp twigs, as far back from the Thunderpath as possible.
A mottled brown tom lead the first group forward. Fear scent came from the young tom.
"Do you want us to cross with you?" Fireheart offered. The mottled brown tabby shook his head. The cats beside him peered along the Thunderpath first one way, then the other. All was quiet, and the group dashed safely over to the other side.
Two warriors came next, accompanied by a pair of skinny elders, led by Nightfrost. Nightfrost checked left and right, with only one monster coming. As soon as the monster passed, Nightfrost yowled out. "Now!"
The four Windclan cats stepped out onto the empty Thunderpath. Nigthfrost reached the other side and look back to see two elders limping on the Thunderpath.
"Look out!" Graystripe yowled, and even the two elders bounded forward, fur bristling, and hurled themselves onto the other side a heartbeat before the monster raced past.
Two larger groups crossed, leaving just one more. Only once they were safely over would Tallstar and Deadfoot cross. A queen and her kit stepped up to Fireheart's side. Behind her trembled three very elderly cats.
His brother meowed to them and looked at Graystripe, who nodded to him. Fireheart leaned forward to take the queen's kit, but she pulled back, her ears flat.
"Now!" At Graystripe's yowl, Fireheart and the queen stepped out onto the Thunderpath. The elders crept out behind them with Graystripe beside them. Time seemed to stand still as the elders hobbled slowly forward on stiff, battle-scarred legs.
The small warrior twitched his ears to a distant roar of a monster. Fireheart heard it too, his brother hissing to the queen and the Windclan she-cat stumbled ahead to reach the other side.
Nightfrost tensed as Fireheart and Graystripe pressed themselves against the elders' scrawny bodies, nudging them forward. The noise of the approaching monster grew louder and louder.
Fireheart grabbed the nearest elder by the scruff of the neck and dragged him forward, before turning to haul the second closer to the verge. The monster raced closer. Nightfrost rushed forward when a cat pulled him back by his tail. He turned to see Deadfoot, his paws on his tail. He snarled at the deputy and looked back to where his brother is.
The monster somehow passed the four cats safely. Nightfrost let out a sigh of relief as Deadfoot got off him.
Tallstar bounded across with Deadfoot and gathered his trembling Clan around him on the verge.
The same brown tom touched Fireheart's nose with his own. "You would have died for us," he murmured. "Windclan will never forget that."
Tallstar's voice sounded behind them. "Onewhisker is right; we shall honor you both in our stories. We must keep going," he continued. "We have a long journey ahead of us."
The clan followed the hedgerow along the Thunderpath before turning away to join the track through the woods. The scents here seemed to soothe the Windclan cats, but the journey had taken its toll; they were traveling slower than ever. And when they reached the fence at the far side, it took all the Thunderclan warriors to use all of their strength to help the weakest cats over.
Clouds billowed up over Highstones, growing blacker as they covered the sinking sun. A cold wind ruffled the cats' fur, bringing the first drops of rain.
Nightfrost looked at the Windclan cats. There was no way they could travel through a long, wet night. He was tired too, and, for the first time since he'd eaten Yellowfang's herbs, he was feeling the effects of hunger. A glance at Fireheart and Graystripe told him that his friend felt the same way. The big gray warrior's tail drooped, and his ears were flattened against the spattering rain. His brother shared tired glances with him.
"Tallstar," Nightfrost called. "Perhaps we should stop soon and shelter for the night."
The WindClan leader stopped and waited while Nightfrost caught up with him. "I agree," he meowed. "There's a ditch here; we can shelter in that until sunrise."
Graystripe and Fireheart exchanged glances. "We might be better sheltering in the hedgerow," Fireheart suggested. "There are rats in these ditches."
Tallstar nodded. "Very well." He turned to his Clan and announced that they would be spending the night here. The queens and elders flopped down at once, despite the rain, while the warriors and apprentices gathered to discuss hunting patrols.
Graystripe's stomach growled. The other warriors turned to him with amused but sympathetic eyes. Then they froze as the grass behind them rustled. The Windclan warriors bristled and arched their backs, unsheathing sharp claws, but Fireheart and Graystripe turned their heads joyfully. The wind carried a scent as familiar as their own den. It took Nightfrost a moment to recognize the scent.
"Ravenpaw!" Fireheart gasped as a sleek black cat emerged from the long grass.
Fireheart raced over to his old friend and nuzzled him. "Thank Starclan you're safe!" he purred.
Nightfrost twitched his whiskers, remembering that Bluestar had warned him that he may meet Ravenpaw. The loner purred happily to Fireheart and Graystripe. "Firepaw!"
"Fireheart," Graystripe corrected him. He stepped forward and touched noses with the black cat. "We're warriors now! I'm Graystripe."
"Do you know this cat?" snarled Deadfoot.
"Is he a loner?" asked Onewhisker.
"He can help us find food," Fireheart meowed quickly, glancing at Ravenpaw.
The black cat nodded. "I know all the best places to hunt around here!" he meowed. His fur didn't even bristle beneath so many hostile gazes. His voice is now more confident and he stood as a strong cat, not the trembling, scared apprentice he was.
"Why would a loner help us?" demanded Deadfoot.
"Loners have helped us before," Graystripe told him. "Another loner once saved us from a rat attack near here."
Ravenpaw stepped forward and bent his head respectfully as he addressed the Windclan warriors. "Let me help you! I owe my life to Fireheart and Graystripe, and if they're traveling with you, then you must be friends." He lifted his eyes and let his gaze rest on the Windclan cats. They returned his stare, more weary now than hostile. The rain was falling harder and, with their fur bedraggled, they looked skinnier than ever.
"I'll go and find Barley," Ravenpaw meowed. "He will help, too." He turned and disappeared through the long grass.
Nightfrost stared at the long grass in shock. Did Ravenpaw just said Barley?
Hey Barley.