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Ch.10: What Was Lost (Part 3)

Fireshade and Graystripe stared at the hole in the Earth gawping at them like a great maw. Like there resting Place the previous night, the entrance was round and lined with stone, sloping away into utter blackness. This was where chasing WindClan had brought them.

"They have to be down there," Fireshade meowed with tense green eyes.

Without another word, the orange warrior led the way, all his senses alert for a WindClan patrol. The floor beneath his paws felt wet and slimy, and the sound of trickling water echoed all around him. As the turn leveled out, Fireshade pricked his ears and opened his mouth. The damp air smelled rank and bitter-worse than the tunnel they had slept in. Here the Thunderpath fumes mingled with the fear-scent of WindClan cats. Not even ShadowClan's desperation was this pungent during their rebellion...

With urgency renewed, Fireshade's whiskers sensed a turning in the tunnel. Firshade flicked his tail, touching Graystripe lightly with its tip. He couldn't see his friend in the blackness, but Graystripe must have felt the signal, because he stopped beside Fireshade and together they peered around the corner.

Ahead of them, the tunnel was lit by a narrow hole in the ceiling that led to the wasteland above. The orange tom could see many cats huddled together in the gray light-warriors and elders, queens and kits, all pitifully thin. A cold breeze blew relentlessly through the hole in the roof, stirring the thin fur on the skinny bodies. He shuddered, for the breeze carried to him the stench of sickness and crowfood.

Suddenly the tunnel shook as a monster roared overhead. The duo of ThunderClan, already tense, leapt, but the WindClan cats didn't react. They simply huddled with half-closed eyes, numb to their surroundings.

Guilt stabbed Fireshade's heart as he swallowed the chilling sight of this once proud Clan. With his queer and haunting visions plaguing him, he'd almost forgotten how important retrieving WindClan was. These cats needed their home back, their lives back.

The noise died away. Fireshade took a deep breath and stepped around the corner, out into the thin light.

A gray WindClan tom spun around, his fur standing on end as he yowled an alarm to the rest of the Clan. In one smooth movement, the WindClan warriors formed a line across the tunnel in front of the queens and elders, their backs arched, hissing fiercely.

Mentally cursing his carelessness, Fireshade saw the glint of unsheathed claws and thorn-sharp fangs.

But the once-kittypet ignored the sudden burst of adrenaline and pressed his body warningly into Graystripe, who had padded out to join him. They had to show that they were not a threat if they wanted WindClan to see reason and return to the forest. Judging by the fact that the warriors hadn't sprung yet, they had to be waiting for a signal from Tallstar. A spark of admiration welled up in the young ginger tom; despite what Brokenstar had taken from them, they still acted as a Clan that served the warrior code.

From behind the line of warriors, a black and white tom weaved his way to the front. With a jolt, Fireshade recognized the long-tailed cat from his dream. The ground seemed to come out from underneath him as he peered into the golden orbs that had been much more youthful and angry than they were now. The hair raised along the ThunderClan warrior's spine as confusion and wonder besieged him. He couldn't help the utterance that went past his lips.

"Talltail?"

"Talltail?" Graystripe echoed as he looked Fireshade. The other tom's eyes were larger than he'd seen in a while. They were stretched as if beholding Bluestar for the first time all over again. "How do you know his warrior name? He's a leader now." His friend hadn't even honestly known his name was Tallstar before today.

The orange tom ignored him for what felt like the fiftieth time since they'd met. But Fireshade took a sitting position as his eyes narrowed and his head hung. Yet he still dared to look straight at Tallstar as he approached. Graystripe assumed the position too, keeping still but with eyes looking down. He wondered if Tallstar had heard his friend.

To the gray warrior's suspicion, he swore he saw a look of recognition pass between Fireshade and Tallstar out of the corner of his eye. The leader circled sniffed them both. He's keeping me out again, Graystripe huffed inwardly. Though not hostile, Fireshade hadn't completely dropped his defenses to him or Ravenfeather since the battle against ShadowClan. Save for moments like last night in the tunnel, his friend's behavior was still very enigmatic.

Finally, Tallstar returned to his warriors. Fireshade 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?"

As Graystripe expected, Fireshade took charge in that no-nonsense tone he had learned to imitate from Tigerclaw. "We came to find you," he said with his shoulders squared. "Bluestar and the other leaders ask that you return home."

The WindClan leader's voice was still wary. "That land is not safe for my Clan anymore," he meowed. There was a hunted look in Tallstar's eyes that sent a pang of sorrow through Graystripe.

Firshade stepped forward, trying with all his might to do more than just hiss. "ShadowClan has driven Brokenstar out," he rumbled. He spoke up as if to address WindClan. "He is nothing now!"

Graystripe narrowly avoided flinching. By the burning glow in Fireshade's eyes, he probably thought even that fate was too good for Brokenstar. The ThunderClan warrior didn't like that his companion's hatred of the tyrant was still so palpably fresh. If we didn't have a whole patrol and kits with us, he might have hunted down the bastard and his thugs that very night!

The warriors behind Tallstar turned and looked at one another. Murmurs of surprise and even satisfaction rippled back through the Clan.

"You must return as soon as possible," Fireshade urged. "ShadowClan and RiverClan are starting to hunt in the uplands. We saw a RiverClan hunting patrol near the old badger set while on way here!"

Tallstar bristled angrily.

"But they are poor rabbit hunters," Graystripe added, not desiring to travel with more than one grouchy cat at time. "I think they went home with empty bellies."

Tallstar and his warriors purred with satisfaction. Their good spirits encouraged the duo, though it was apparent how weak they were. Fireshade, being Fireshade, did not grow complacent because their task was half complete.

"May we travel with you?"

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