Finally, the night of the Gathering arrived.

Bluefur had high hopes for the night. Perhaps Thistlestar would put aside his penchant for fighting, now that it was so clear that ThunderClan could not afford a battle.

In the days before the Gathering, ultimately only Speckletail had succumbed to illness. Rosetail's fever had subsided, but as grateful as Bluefur was that her friend was well, Rosetail's recovery seemed to reassure Thistlestar that ThunderClan would be fine without a medicine cat.

The moon was rising slowly as Bluefur made her way to the Gathering place at the back of the patrol. Most of the Clan's warriors were present, and as Bluefur looked around, she realized that the patrol was all warriors. There were no elders, queens, or apprentices. Granted, most of the elders were ill and there was only one nursing queen and apprentice in the entire Clan, but Bluefur still found it strange. In her youth, there would have been a gaggle of young cats weaving in and out of the crowd, mewing excitedly about the Gathering. Now though, she could only see the stoic gazes of warriors.

The cats slowed as Fourtrees came into view. Bluefur, who had been deep in thought most of the evening, weaved her way through the group and sat closer to the front. At the very head of the cats were Thistlestar and Tigerclaw; they stared down at the clearing, their tails twitching.

Tigerclaw leaned toward the Clan leader. "Thistlestar, what will you say about ShadowClan killing Spottedleaf?"

"I was hoping one of you would ask. Listen, all of you." Thistlestar turned and faced the patrol, and the cats stared up at him, their eyes narrowed in the dim moonlight. "There is a reason I chose only warriors for this patrol, not elders or queens," he declared, sweeping his gaze over the waiting ThunderClan cats. "Tonight, I plan to demand that ShadowClan give up the territory they stole." Murmurs spread through the group, some approving, others anxious.

"I don't doubt you will be able to convince them," Longtail spoke up, shuffling his paws awkwardly, "but ShadowClan cats have bees for brains. What if they refuse?"

"Then we will respond as expected." Thistlestar's gaze bored into the young warrior. "And that means all of you should be prepared if they say no. If ShadowClan wants a fight they'll get one." The meows redoubled in volume.

Bluefur leaped to her paws and shoved her way to the front of the group, unable to keep quiet any longer. "This is madness, Thistlestar! The full moon truce is sacred; we cannot break it for Clan rivalries."

"We cannot break it at a Gathering." Thistlestar's voice was a low hiss as he stared at Bluefur. "You fool, do you think I would order an attack on another Clan at Fourtrees?! No," he spat. "I will give the signal, and lead the takeover of the land by the Thunderpath once the Gathering is over. If ShadowClan insists on stealing from us, we will not back down. We will make them regret-"

"We have no need for that land," Bluefur meowed quietly. "We have no need for it, and we can't afford a battle without a medicine cat."

"You're thinking like a kittypet, Bluefur! ShadowClan would never give us the same respect. We've seen what they can do. They are the ones responsible for this! All these Clans, they put their own above others." Thistlestar swept his tail around, indicating the mass of gathered ShadowClan and RiverClan cats below. "Why should we be any different?"

Mumbled whispers sprang up, but when Bluefur raised her chin the cats went silent. "We cannot abandon the warrior code just because other Clans may not follow it."

Shocked mews hit her ears, and Bluefur knew why: she had just accused her Clan leader of breaking the warrior code.

"Silence!" Thistlestar's growl silenced the dissenting voices. "See, I thought you might have a problem with this, Bluefur. But you seem to have forgotten something: a Clan leader's word is law." He took a step forward, so that he and Bluefur stood nose to nose. "And because I am your leader, you will follow my orders. If I order you to stand down you will stand down. If I order you to attack you will attack. If I order you to catch me a pheasant and then line my nest with its feathers, you will do so. Is that understood?"

Bluefur's heart pounded in her chest as she stared down her enemy. She could not remember hating him more than she did in that single moment. "Yes, Thistlestar," she spat.

Thistlestar hurled one last glare at her for good measure. "Come, all of you," he growled, stalking to the edge of the ridge overlooking Fourtrees. The ThunderClan cats followed him. Tigerclaw watched Bluefur, his expression unreadable, before he slid through the crowd and retook his spot at Thistlestar's shoulder.

Bluefur's heart ached. She missed Whitestorm- of all cats, he might have been able to talk sense into Thistlestar, and Bluefur knew without a doubt Whitestorm would never have stood for his father pulling something like this.

The night she had been so hopeful for was on the brink of turning into a bloodbath. I should have known better, she thought, as Mosstail appeared at her side and gave her a sympathetic blink.

Thistlestar flicked his tail and the ThunderClan cats spilled down the slope.


There was one thing no cat had anticipated: the sheer size of the ShadowClan patrol. Bluefur gazed at the crowd in an attempt to count how many warriors were in the ShadowClan party, but cats were weaving around each other, roiling about like the many currents of the river. One thing was clear though. ThunderClan was sorely outnumbered, and WindClan hadn't even arrived yet.

Mosstail padded up, her tail raised questioningly.

"Let's move." Bluefur began to lead Mosstail through the crowd before the younger warrior could say anything. She could tell cats were trying to treat this Gathering like a normal one, but it was obvious that every cat knew something was amiss.

Mosstail nervously twitched her tail as they walked. "Is no cat going to talk about the badger in the den?" she hissed. "It's nearly time to start. Why are there no WindClan cats?"

"I don't know." Bluefur truly didn't know, but she could guess. WindClan was incapacitated and incapable of attending the Gathering. Patrols near Fourtrees had been light lately; it would have been easy to tell if something had been amiss before now if ThunderClan hadn't been so focused on defending Sunningrocks and patrolling the Thunderpath.

From atop the Great Rock, Thistlestar, Brokenstar, and Crookedstar's pelts gleamed silver. Thistlestar's eyes were narrowed, glinting like tiny flecks of flint. He had planned attacks on ShadowClan before, but what would he do now? Bluefur's pelt prickled. What if Thistlestar changed his mind and ordered an attack within the Gathering itself? The thought would have been absurd in Pinestar's or Sunstar's time, but Thistlestar was something else.

Brokenstar was meowing something to Crookedstar now; the RiverClan leader dipped his head meekly in response, and while Thistlestar's ears were swiveled toward their conversation he seemed to be purposely ignoring the two cats.

The moon had begun to fall when a yowl sounded, announcing the start of the Gathering.

"Welcome, cats of all Clans," called Brokenstar.

"All Clans?" a RiverClan apprentice muttered, before he was silenced by a sharp hiss from an elder.

"While WindClan may not be present, it is time for this Gathering to begin." Glaring, Brokenstar waited for the crowd to fall silent. "We have much to discuss," he went on. "For many moons, ShadowClan has needed to cross ThunderClan territory to get to Fourtrees. This will not be accepted again."

Bluefur flinched inwardly when Thistlestar responded with a yowl: "Coward! Do you think you can avoid a fight after what you've done?" Thistlestar shoved past Brokenstar to the front of the rock. "Let us be clear: the territory by the Thunderpath belongs to ThunderClan!"

"I don't think I'm clear on that at all, I'm afraid," Brokenstar meowed. "The land you speak of has belonged to ShadowClan for generations before ThunderClan stole it."

Thistlestar bared his teeth. "That is ThunderClan land, and not only did you trespass upon it, you killed our medicine cat in cold blood!" A few RiverClan cats cried out in surprise.

"An unfortunate incident," Brokenstar replied smoothly, "but not one that could have been avoided on ShadowClan's part. If you had had the sense to not invade ShadowClan territory, it would never have happened-"

"Coward!" spat Thistlestar, falling into a crouch.

Puffing up his fur, Brokenstar backpedaled- not in retreat, Bluefur recognized, but in a calculated attempt to better position himself.

Although it was the height of greenleaf, Bluefur felt as though a leaf-bare wind had swept through her pelt. The ThunderClan patrol consisted of almost every ThunderClan warrior, yet there were many more cats present from ShadowClan alone. RiverClan's patrol was even larger. What would happen if Thistlestar challenged Brokenstar right then and there? Would RiverClan side with ShadowClan if the clearing broke out in fighting?

Bluefur tensed, feeling Mosstail's pelt prickling at her side, when Crookedstar stepped forward. "Brokenstar, surely there is other news you wish to share?" Thistlestar snorted as Brokenstar retook the front position of the Great Rock. Momentarily at least, the battle was averted.

"ShadowClan is thriving," Brokenstar meowed in a faux courteous mew that grated Bluefur's ears. "Unlike some Clans, we have many kits to feed." He looked pointedly at Thistlestar. It had been some moons since ThunderClan had announced the birth of a new litter. "We have several queens with kits now, and even more to come. Clearly, we are blessed by StarClan with so much new life, but new life means new mouths to feed."

"Indeed, new kits are a blessing." Crookedstar's mew conveyed no warmth; if anything, he sounded nervous. "But surely a Clan such as yours has many skilled hunters."

"The greatest hunters in the Clans can do little if there is nothing to hunt. There is not enough prey to go around, and if ShadowClan took no action, our kits would be doomed to starve."

Crookedstar looked extraordinarily tense.

"Where is WindClan?" one of the RiverClan warriors called out abruptly. Finally. Bluefur had been wondering how long it would take for the leaders to address the absence of one Clan.

"You ask about WindClan? WindClan is gone!" Brokenstar declared, turning back to the crowd. "ShadowClan needed to be fed, and we had no choice but to chase them out."

ThunderClan and RiverClan cats yowled in protest, but Bluefur noticed that while Thistlestar was bristling, Crookedstar was strangely quiet. The pale tabby shifted his paws uncomfortably.

"Such a helpless Clan was fated to meet its end sooner or later. This does not have to be so for RiverClan and ThunderClan." Brokenstar swept his gaze over the cats. "Let ShadowClan hunt on your territories, and you will be spared."

More yowls erupted from the clearing.

"Outrageous!" came the rasping voice of a RiverClan elder.

"Why do you need ThunderClan land, if you've got all of WindClan's territory to hunt?" yowled Mousefur.

"Silence!" yowled Brokenstar above the ruckus. "I am a leader and it is my right to address you here!" The clearing fell into an uneasy silence. "Now," he meowed, "cats of RiverClan and ThunderClan, you have a decision to make. Allow ShadowClan hunting rights on your territories or face WindClan's fate." Brokenstar turned expectantly to Crookedstar.

The large tabby faced the gathered cats. "I have agreed to allow ShadowClan hunting rights along the river." He bowed his head. "I believe this is best for RiverClan, and all Clans. Much blood has been spilt in recent times, there is no need to spill anymore."

Thistlestar had been silently glaring at the other leaders for so long that Bluefur was surprised when he spoke. "Then you will stop trespassing on Sunningrocks. After all, we don't want blood to be spilt! Or perhaps ThunderClan blood doesn't count!"

A flicker of defiance crossed Crookedstar's eyes. "Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan."

Bluefur wished she could shut her ears. Thistlestar was going to start a fight with two Clans at the same time if he wasn't careful.

"Thistlestar, I make you the same offer," Brokenstar cut in.

The crowd fell silent, their attention tuned to the Great Rock. Mosstail shifted her paws anxiously as she stared up at the leaders.

For a long time, Thistlestar observed Brokenstar. "WindClan was weak," Thistlestar growled finally. "They always were."

"I'm glad you see that, Thistlestar."

Bluefur blinked. Thistlestar was nodding. Somehow, he approved this. It couldn't be. Of all the times to cooperate with the other leaders he chooses now, Bluefur thought in disbelief.

"What is he doing?" hissed Mosstail. Bluefur flicked her tail, silencing her. It had to be an act.

"Know then," Thistlestar hissed, "that ThunderClan is not." Brokenstar's smug expression slid of his muzzle.

Brokenstar growled something only the leaders could hear.

A snarl rumbled in Thistlestar's throat. Bluefur felt a chill in her spine. Provoking Brokenstar had been a terrible mistake; from the way the ShadowClan leader was gazing at Thistlestar, Bluefur was not sure who would attack first.

Blackfoot of ShadowClan was glaring at Tigerclaw, who with his bristling fur looked twice his normal size. Darkstripe stalked up and took a spot behind his former mentor, while other warriors turned on the cats they had been sharing tongues with moments prior. Bluefur was horrified to see that several RiverClan cats were sending hostile looks at both ShadowClan and ThunderClan; clearly RiverClan had not forgotten ThunderClan's many attacks on their territory.

She could see Thistlestar's claws glinting in the moonlight. He raised his chin.

This is it. Bluefur tensed, and she felt Mosstail stiffen beside her. Thistlestar was staring at Brokenstar, his bristling pelt making him appear like an irate gray fox. Any moment now, Thistlestar was going to give the order to attack. She bristled, waiting for the chaos to arrive…

When Thistlestar slowly sheathed his claws.

"This Gathering is over," he spat, and without a second glance at Brokenstar bounded down the Great Rock.

Ignoring the aggressive snarls from the other Clans, Bluefur rushed towards the Great Rock.


The ThunderClan cats had hurried to surround Thistlestar as soon as the Gathering was called to a close and were now quickly heading back to camp. "Are we going to attack?" Tigerclaw hissed.

"Not yet." Thistlestar lashed his tail against the brush. "The ShadowClan patrol is too big- Brokenstar probably brought along most of his cats to fend us off when we brought a normal sized patrol."

Bluefur shook her head to herself. Brokenstar had most likely brought a normal patrol of cats, while Thistlestar had been the one to bring most of his Clan to keep the ThunderClan Gathering patrol large enough for the other Clans to not ask questions.

At least it had caused him to change his mind against the attack.

But somehow, some way, the Gathering had gone worse than she could have imagined. WindClan was gone. There was a cat who was a threat to the forest and had literally chased off a Clan, and it was reasonably likely that he would try it again. And worst of all, the one Clan they weren't fighting was gone.

Bluefur's ears jerked at Tigerclaw's growl. "Hopefully Brokenstar got the message. I do wonder though, what did you say to him when he was mewing earlier?" the dark tabby warrior asked.

"I told him that if he starts something he'll regret it," Thistlestar meowed.

Scowling, Bluefur twitched her ears. Why was she not surprised that Thistlestar would purposely antagonize an enemy?

"Are you not at all concerned that a Clan is missing?" meowed Bluefur incredulously.

Thistlestar scoffed. "WindClan was hardly a Clan anyway, what with them avoiding battle like frightened squirrels. Brokenstar was right about one thing; their weakness would have infected the other Clans too. We're better off without those mangy rabbit hunters. Besides," he went on, "this way ShadowClan will be tempted to attack RiverClan, and then both Clans will be weakened."

"That's hardly a certainty," Bluefur meowed. Especially since you declared war on Brokenstar. "Perhaps they will form an alliance and attack us together."

"Then we will fight them off!" growled Thistlestar. "ShadowClan and RiverClan may have more warriors, but ThunderClan warriors are the strongest! If Brokenstar thinks ThunderClan territory will be easy pickings, we'll make sure ShadowClan ends up in the same state as WindClan!"

Bluefur was speechless. Had Thistlestar lost his mind? Even ignoring the fact that it would violate every tenet of the warrior code, ThunderClan was hardly in a position to win a battle against ShadowClan, much less drive them from the forest!

Numbly, she left the discussion to the other senior warriors and fell back to walk alongside her kits. She felt cold spreading through her paws.

Bluefur hated that she was powerless to change the situation; she wasn't Clan leader, Thistlestar was. If she had been leader she couldn't imagine sitting and provoking every cat outside her Clan while a tyrant gloated about taking over another Clan's territory.

But then again, she would never have planned an attack for the night of a Gathering or consider driving off another Clan. In Thistlestar's mind he probably was rationalizing that his lack of response would help ThunderClan.

Bluefur's fur prickled as Stoneclaw fell into step beside her. "It's never been like this before, has it?" he meowed.

"No."

Stoneclaw sighed. "It might turn out alright." He paused to leap over a fallen log. "It's true, driving a Clan from its territory is a terrible thing-"

"Terrible thing? This goes beyond that; it's unheard of." Bluefur made no effort to flatten her bristling fur. How could Thistlestar say nothing, and even nod his approval at a Clan blatantly breaking the warrior code? Certainly, she knew now it had been an act, but that almost made it worse. Thistlestar's hopelessly inept posturing had nearly caused the Gathering to devolve into battle. "Stoneclaw, no Clan has ever been driven from its territory before. If ShadowClan knows it can get away with driving off a Clan with impunity, there is nothing to stop them from doing it again." She shook her head to herself; she had not meant to snap at her son.

Did Thistlestar not realize that ThunderClan would be next, not RiverClan? Bluefur glanced at the tabby leader as he loped next to Tigerclaw. He did know, Bluefur guessed, and he probably planned to fight them off if they did try to drive off ThunderClan. How he expected to do that with so few warriors only StarClan knew.

Perhaps Thistlestar would try to make an alliance with Brokenstar. Or maybe his plan was to give ShadowClan a false sense of security before attacking- Bluefur thought that was the most likely option. And if Thistlestar ultimately did lead a direct attack on ShadowClan… Bluefur shivered at the thought. There was no way ThunderClan would get out of that without losses.