Bramblepaw dipped forward, feeling the gentle breeze of a new leaf-bare wind piercing through his fur as the cats of all clans gathered around the mouth of Highstones. The four leaders stood atop the rocky overhang, their ears perked and their gazes resting on the clans now. Their deliberation was done, they would have a plan for the clans and it would lead them away from this monstrous place that was the old forest. They would be taken someplace anew, someplace that would be worth not only their time, but would hopefully be able to contain the four clans in their current state.
Firestar stepped forward, his fiery orange fur glowing in the sunlight as he narrowed his gaze and his lip twitched into a barely recognizable frown. "The clan leaders have agreed to fully work together. Until we reach this new land, we four – along with our deputies – will keep our clans safe. We have no idea where we are going, I won't lie. But our goal is to get away from here and find a place from a dream I shared with Starclan last night."
The fiery tom's fur stood very lightly, and only for the briefest heartbeat, as he spoke of Starclan.
"While I was here, at the Moonstone, and sharing dreams… The cats of Starclan told me where we must go," Firestar continued. "A lake beyond the mountains, and surrounding it are several large and viable territories for the four clans. That is what had been promised to me…" The leader glanced back to the three cats behind him, none of them bothering to speak, so he turned his gaze back down to the clans. "Starclan is scared, I believe that whole-heartedly." The fur on his neck bristled again. "Unlike how we are all taught to believe, I think Starclan isn't as powerful as we make them out to be…"
Almost immediately there was a chorus of cats standing, yowling their profanities at the Thunderclan leader for daring to defy the idea of Starclan. Yet, none of the leaders even stood up to deny the idea either.
When the cries died down, Bramblepaw pricked his ears, listening intently to what Firestar had to say about the matter.
"What I mean when I say that is Starclan isn't going to teach us to fight, and they aren't going to fight for us," Firestar responded to the indignant cries of hatred and kittypet insults. "Starclan guides us, but they don't hold our tails and they certainly don't have control over the clans. Our ancestors are very real and they live in Silverpelt, they watch over us every night, but they are very deliberate. Without the Moonstone, their signs will come far less often, any warnings we get while we are in unknown skies will be lucky for us at best. We must work on our own, as the clans, and not under the guidance of Silverpelt and Starclan until we finally reach the new territory."
His voice had taken a darker turn, but it wasn't sinister. Bramblepaw found that while Firestar fully believed in Starclan, he wondered if his faith in what they could do was shaken. He glanced to the she-cat beside himself, Brightheart, who was frowning very lightly. Her one-eyed gaze watched her leader carefully, and Bramblepaw wondered if she was having similar thoughts.
Firestar wasn't a normal leader. Born a kittypet, the tom had to prove himself time and time again, similar to Bramblepaw having to prove time and time again that he wasn't Tigerstar's son. He felt he would still have to continuously keep proving himself, but the apprentice couldn't help but feel pity for the Thunderclan leader. All the rumors of the prophecy Bluestar once spoke of had been true, to an extent. Fire would save the clan, but at what cost did he save them?
Finding a new home didn't feel like being saved. Tigerstar should've lost, the four clans should've had the forest to themselves for countless seasons to come. But they wouldn't. The clans would leave, and Bloodclan would rule over the entire forest now.
"But we must continue to have faith that not only will our ancestors find us," Firestar continued speaking. "We must also have faith that they will continue to guide us when we reach the promised lake territory. Our ancestors are still just like us, they will make mistakes, and they probably have long before I was kitted. Long before even the eldest elder was kitted." Firestar raised his head, looking up to the sky now. Each cat found themselves doing the same, even the leaders and Bramblepaw, all looking at the somewhat clouding sky as the gray woolen shapes moved across from one horizon to the next. "Starclan awaits us in this new territory, and if we can't believe in that, then we have lost our way."
None of the cats spoke now, until one of the other leaders padded up to stand beside Firestar. It was Tallstar, his scraped and bruised and torn fur coat making him look a bit misshapen and more elderly than he was.
"We start this journey now… For those who have any questions, speak now or hold your peace until we make it to this supposed lake." Tallstar's tail raised, waiting for any cat to dare speak up.
Silence hung in the clearing, only the hushed whispers spreading from cat to cat, elder to warrior to queen to apprentice to kit. It wasn't long until the whispers stopped, and Bramblepaw stood up, his tail held high as well as his head.
"We are ready," Bramblepaw called out above the clearing, his amber gaze clear and his mind less fogged by the lack of sleep the previous night. He felt clean, his fur felt smooth and his paws had energy. He could make the several days long journey to this new lake.
Each leader glanced down at him, Leopardstar hissing momentarily before being hushed by a harsh stare from Blackfoot.
"Then let us go. Deputies, please go to the back of the clans, and make sure no one falls behind," Tallstar ordered.
The clan cats stood up, their scents already mingling together as their pelts brushed one another. They weren't a big group, barely the size for a gathering, but they were alive and they had a chance to make the clans great once again. Bramblepaw had to believe the four clans would be restored to their former strengths in this new territory, wherever they were heading.
"Stronger warriors and apprentices, form lines in the back and make sure our queens and elders stay up front," Blackfoot padded up, his ear flicking and his jet black paws scuffing along some of the dust, knocking loose a couple small pebbles in front of Mothermouth. "I also want a line of volunteers on the sides and in front of our senior warriors, so that we can protect all sides of the weaker kits, elders, and queens. We leaders will take up the front, spread out to hopefully cover enough ground in front in order to protect as many of us as possible. No more talk, form up, move out. Let's go."
Blackfoot wasn't messing around, and several cats began to move, forming a defensive circle around the queens, kits and elders. Several kits began to look scared, their eyes wide while their mothers stood above them. Some were nudged, the clans starting to move around and up the slopes towards the four leaders.
Bramblepaw remained in pawstep with Brightheart, her ear perked and her one eye on the lookout. No scents of Bloodclan's rotten carrion smell or the drifting scents of Twolegplace would bother the cats as they moved up the rocks and slopes, the four leaders rapidly taking the front and beginning to head towards the mountains. They still had quite the journey ahead of them, but Bramblepaw was more interested in keeping his clanmates safe throughout the journey.
Glancing to Brightheart, he lowered his ears. "You're still okay, right?" he asked the she-cat, who quickly brought her gaze to his.
"Of course…" Brightheart mewed half-heartedly, her tail raising just briefly while her whiskers twitched. "What about you? That was pretty terrifying that Leopardstar wanted you killed, and Tawnypaw too… You both don't deserve that."
"No, we don't…" Bramblepaw meowed in pure agreement. He had done nothing wrong to justify such treatment from the Riverclan leader, but it couldn't be helped now that Tigerstar had destroyed the forest as they knew it. "I hope we can make it through the mountains without much issue," Bramblepaw went on quietly, keeping a quieter tone similar to the rest of the clan cats. They were all afraid of the journey, some may not even make it, but Bramblepaw was unsure how dangerous this journey would be…
"I'm sure it will be fine," Brightheart replied as she glanced back, checking on the deputies behind them.
Only three deputies were there. Mistyfoot took the far side, behind mostly Shadowclan and Riverclan warriors. Oakfur – the newest Shadowclan deputy, Bramblepaw presumed – was just behind the Thunderclan and Shadowclan warriors while Deadfoot remained on the left and kept behind Windclan and Thunderclan.
To Bramblepaw's surprise, none of the three current deputies looked even slightly tired from yesterday's events. They were pretty torn up, sure, but they had fire in their eyes as they kept their gazes over the clans, making sure no one fell behind.
It wasn't long until Stormpaw and Featherpaw had moved behind the Riverclan cats, standing beside Mistyfoot now. All three had gray to gray-blue pelts, Featherpaw's pelt adding a silver sheen tabby look for her fur. The two apprentices and the deputy had been through great hardship, moving from a devastated Riverclan to Thunderclan during Tigerstar vying for more power and killing half-clan "disloyal" cats. Stonefur was the only casualty amongst the three that day, and Stonefur and Mistyfoot had been Stormpaw's and Featherpaw's mentors.
An understanding passed over Mistyfoot's gaze, and she said nothing to the two apprentices as they pressed close to her. The world had been cruel to Stormpaw and Featherpaw…
Graystripe left Riverclan so long ago, it seemed, to come back to Thunderclan when he betrayed Riverclan to keep Firestar protected from Leopardstar. Silverstream – their mother – died giving birth to the two apprentices and they had to watch in terror as Stonefur was murdered in cold blood before them. Their pelts were thin, they were scared, but they were trying to remain as strong as they could with the ruination of the clans.
When looking at the three Riverclan cats, Bramblepaw found that his position might be the least worrisome of the clan cats. They had it pretty difficult, and he wondered if they had to work twice as hard to prove to Riverclan that they are just as good for their clan as they can be. That they can be warriors worthy of such a title.
Bramblepaw glanced forward, catching Graystripe limping alongside Cinderpelt. The two were exchanging quiet words with one another, Graystripe chuckling very quietly but the twitch of his whiskers and half-smile showed that he wasn't exactly prepared or ready to keep going with this move.
Ears pricked, he eavesdropped on the conversation.
Cinderpelt's voice was serious. "Graystripe, Firestar hasn't named his deputy yet, and we know how Starclan will feel about that." Her tail thrashed. "It's definitely well past moon-high, are you scatterbrained?"
"No, of course not, but we haven't had much time to tally up all the dead…" Graystripe reminded her. "We know the cats who are dead, and some who are missing, but we aren't in a state that lets us do too much… All of us are hurt, those of us left are. If he is waiting to name a deputy, I would hope it isn't me, I can barely walk let alone hunt or fight now. I'm only walking because of you…"
Bramblepaw's tail flicked. Is his leg hurt enough to make sure he can't remain a warrior? Bramblepaw asked without speaking, unknowing of what kind of damage that Graystripe's leg had been in.
"Bluestar waited until past moon-high to name Firestar as her deputy," Cinderpelt admitted, lowering her head. "We aren't in bad shape with him as our leader, even if we lost the battle… Do you think Bluestar would have been able to save us?" Cinderpelt asked suddenly. The questioned pricked at Bramblepaw's pelt, as if he had a thorn stuck in his side.
The large gray warrior shook his head. "No," he responded simply, before bringing his yellow gaze to Cinderpelt's. "Bluestar wasn't okay for a really long time, without the dog attack and her death, she never would've found her faith in Starclan again. Even if Firestar could have survived the dog attack on his own, I doubt she would have been in shape enough to fight Tigerstar and Bloodclan. I think you can see the logic behind that."
"Maybe," Cinderpelt shook her head, seeming more fretful from Graystripe's words. "Would anyone have made a good enough leader to fight such a horrible force?"
"No," Graystripe repeated, tail flicking momentarily, even though he was being patient with her. "Out of the current leaders who lead us right now, Firestar is the fairest amongst them." There was a brief pause in speaking, but Graystripe slowly shook his head. "Leopardstar can't be trusted, she's already tried to get one of our apprentices killed… Something tells me she won't let this slide so easily," Graystripe continued as he awkwardly twisted paw and winced, straightening himself out. "We have to protect Bramblepaw from her claws, and we have to hope Tallstar doesn't try anything either… I am unsure of both their intentions."
"Tallstar is a very good friend of Thunderclan, and he heard Bramblepaw's answer to Tigerstar," Cinderpelt pointed out, her whiskers twitching as she had spotted Graystripe's wince and misbalance. "Windclan can be trusted, and so can Shadowclan. They have Tigerstar's other kin, after all. Tawnypaw is a part of their clan now. It is only Riverclan causing problems."
Graystripe lowered his head. "I guess you're right, but one way or another, we do need a deputy. Without Whitestorm around… Who has the ambition and the trust to become the deputy?"
Cinderpelt's neck fur bristled lightly. "If it weren't for your injuries, I would assume Firestar would pick you… But your injuries are very devastating, it'll take a few moons to heal and I don't know if you'll ever be to full strength." Her tail flicked his ear softly. "Firestar will pick a deputy soon, let us just hope it won't come at the cost of defying Starclan for it."
Both the cats delved into more quietness, along with the whisperings of the rest of the clans. Bramblepaw tried to angle his ears to hear them better, but found with the other noises, it was close to impossible to make out any important information. It was nice to hear that Graystripe and Cinderpelt seemed to believe in him. Instead of being thrown to the dogs, they would at least try to protect him, but Bramblepaw couldn't help but wonder if one day, he could become the deputy of Thunderclan.
Surely, I've proven myself enough as is? Bramblepaw asked himself, his gaze down now as his amber eyes glowed with self-concern. I want to protect Thunderclan from any future threats. My visions of Tigerstar… They feel so real, what if another cat comes along with Tigerstar's same ambitions? I don't want my clan to suffer because of that.
Bramblepaw raised his head, spotting Firestar at the edge of his vision. Sandstorm was walking beside the fiery ginger tom, and his green eyes darted to the side. Bramblepaw flinched, noticing how harsh the green gaze was on him now, locking the young apprentice into his mentor's gaze. Neither tom gave any indication to anyone else what was happening between them, but Bramblepaw couldn't help but feel a sense of dread with the intense crystalline gaze on his own. Firestar seemed to be staring right into Bramblepaw, not past him, as if his gaze were searching for something important.
I want to protect Thunderclan, Bramblepaw wished he could tell his mentor and leader that from this distance, and he could see Firestar's mouth move as he spoke to Sandstorm.
Then his gaze tore away from Bramblepaw as quick as it had latched on, and the apprentice felt freed from tendrils of bracken. To disappoint his leader… He hoped he hadn't, he hoped that Firestar could see the good in him, rather than to see his father.
Glancing to the side, he noticed that Brightheart had been speaking in a hushed tone with Cinderpelt. The medicine cat gave a slight nod, whispering in a rapid hushed tone back to scarred she-cat. Whatever it was had to have been somewhat important, but Bramblepaw diverted his attention back to the other Thunderclan apprentices. They had gathered a bit ahead of the warriors, and he moved forward in order to walk with them. Both apprentices looked afraid, but they still had some excitement in their eyes to be travelling so far away.
Fernpaw's pale green eyes were gazing at the mountains as the large group of cats was getting closer and closer. Thornpaw was the same, his ears perked as they both whispered between themselves, then they noticed Bramblepaw slip up to walk beside them. For a moment, Fernpaw twitched, as if having seen a ghost, though both the apprentices relaxed rapidly as they realized it was just Bramblepaw.
"I hope you're okay, Bramblepaw?" Fernpaw asked with genuine concern etching her voice.
Bramblepaw gave her a nod. "Just tired, really…"
Fernpaw opened her mouth as if to speak again, but quickly closed it, as if her words might have hurt Bramblepaw further. Thornpaw spoke up instead, pricking his ears and twitching his whiskers.
"Do you think this new territory that Firestar spoke of is real?" Thornpaw meowed.
I can't tell them what I saw, Bramblepaw reminded himself, and he replied with a slow nod. "Yeah, I think they do. I wonder if Starclan is okay moving across the sky like this… But I am sure that they will be fine, just the same as us, if what Firestar says is true." Bramblepaw glanced up to the sky now, amber eyes emblazoning with flames.
"We have to have faith in them," Thornpaw nodded in agreement. "Starclan is strong, and we will not let them die out so easily."
"I hope not…" Bramblepaw muttered.
But that same sense of dread had crept back into his paws, and he brought his gaze back to Firestar. The tom no longer looked to Bramblepaw, but he could feel a disturbance in the air between them…
I hope we will arrive safely to the place we belong, this so-called lake…
~~Author's Note
Jeez I've been a bit busier than normal lately. I went to the dentist for the first time in an embarrassingly long amount of time last Thursday, then had to do a root canal two days ago. Surprisingly... No pain, other than soreness, in the tooth where the root canal took place. I go back in a week and a half to get the crown, and then in January, I get my surprisingly few cavities done.
Anyways, I finally got a bit shorter of a chapter out, I hope everyone enjoys it and I will try posting another chapter by the end of the week!
Au revoir!