Disclaimer- I still don't own Warriors or Harry Potter.
...
Shadowclan hadn't attacked… yet. With every passing day, tension grew in the Thunderclan camp, until even the kits were subdued. Dustpelt knew that until he had sorted the problem of Blackstar's thirst for new territory, life would not go back to normal.
Why did I have to take over? He thought, stressed, anyone would have done a better job at that gathering than me. Even Longtail, and he's blind.
But words spoken in front of all four clans could not be taken back, no matter how much the speaker regretted them.
Dustpelt let out a small growl of frustration and padded over to the fresh-kill pile, where he picked up a mouse and began to take small bites of it. His appetite just wasn't there today, and he didn't want to be overstuffed if Shadowclan chose now as a good time to attack.
If Firestar isn't back by the next gathering…
Dustpelt didn't know what he would do if Firestar wasn't back by the next gathering, but he foresaw trouble, at the very least.
No matter how much Dustpelt had stressed at the Gathering that Thunderclan was fine and would be as strong without those missing warriors as with, a nagging doubt was in his mind. Thunderclan wasn't functioning as it usually would. With Firestar, Brambleclaw, Sandstorm and Squirrelflight missing, there were no longer as many cats who were capable of leading patrols. Especially since they were without a proper leader.
Angry yowling broke him from his thoughts. It was a few moments before Cloudtail, Thornclaw and Whitepaw thudded into the camp.
"Windclan have set their markers on our territory!" Thornclaw hissed, his fur bristling.
"Windclan?" Dustpelt echoed.
He had been so busy worrying about Shadowclan, he had completely forgotten about their other neighbour.
"And that's not all," said Cloudtail, "We found a Shadowclan scent trail all the way over to Windclan territory, and back again. They must have planned it together!"
Horrified wails came from the gathered Thunderclan cats.
"Windclan and Shadowclan have united against us!"
"They can attack from both sides!"
"We won't stand a chance!"
All eyes were on Dustpelt now. He sighed, thinking, not for the first time, about how strong Firestar must be to deal with all this responsibility.
"We must prepare for battle," was all he said. It was all he could have said, of course. Firestar would rip him to pieces if he came back to find that Dustpelt had led the entirety of his clan away from his territory because of his irresponsible talk at a gathering.
…
"They aren't born into their clans," Brambleclaw told Firestar at his first chance.
"What?" Firestar asked.
"The twolegs. They get sorted in the sorting ceremony," Brambleclaw launched into an explanation of what had happened since Neville had separated them. Firestar listened carefully, occasionally interrupting to ask a question.
When he'd finished, Firestar said, "not being born into your clan doesn't necessarily mean you're not loyal. Look at your sister, Tawnypelt. Can anyone say she's not a loyal Shadowclan warrior?"
"Well, no, but," Brambleclaw ducked his head, having not planned out his argument.
"I'm sure they defend their borders as well as we do. Our plan will still work," Firestar assured him.
Brambleclaw wasn't sure if he wanted to believe it.
…
That night, Brambleclaw dreamed that he was back in the forest. He was ecstatic for a moment, before remembering that this couldn't possibly be real. It was a dream.
"Brambleclaw," the voice was Thunderclan's deceased leader, Bluestar.
"Bluestar," he called. The excited expression vanished off his face, "what's happening back in the forest? Is Thunderclan Ok?"
"There is someone in this castle who can offer you help, Brambleclaw," Bluestar said, ignoring his questions, "you must find her."
"How? I don't know who she is," said Brambleclaw.
"There are two people here, one of whom you've already met, who are actually one person. That's the person you're looking for."
"Who are you talking about?" Brambleclaw cried desperately, "how will I know."
But Bluestar was fading now, "You will know," she said with infinite certainty, "it will be obvious when you have met both of them."
And then Brambleclaw was standing alone in the forest, the scent of prey tantalisingly close.
And then he woke up.
…
True to her word, Ren came to help Neville with the cats at one point.
To Brambleclaw, at least, her entrance was rather amusing.
"Hi Neville."
Neville jumped nearly two tail-lengths into the air, "Ren!" he cried, "don't do that."
"Well, how else was I supposed to announce my presence. Was I supposed to just assume that you have eyes on the back of your head?"
"No, but you could at least make little more noise on the way up," Neville said grumpily.
"Make noise? I'm a Ravenclaw in the Gryffindor dormitory, and you expect me to just stomp my way upstairs like some sort of undignified rhinoceros?"
"I've told you, it's fine. No-one's going to murder you for coming here."
"Have you read the school rules?"
"No," Neville admitted, "but I'm pretty sure 'murder' is going a little far, even for McGonagall."
Ren groaned, "ugh. I forgot I was sneaking into her House's dormitory. Why couldn't you be a Hufflepuff? I'm sure Sprout wouldn't murder me."
Neville sniffed indignantly, "I'll have you know I was very pleased not to be made a Hufflepuff in my sorting ceremony."
"I can imagine what your Grandmother would think."
Brambleclaw made a wise decision and started to block the conversation out.
"Firestar, are you awake?"
"I am now."
"Ren's here."
There was shuffling, as if Firestar had hauled himself up. A moment later Brambleclaw saw him looking through the wire mesh of his cage.
"How are we going to get her caught?" Brambleclaw asked.
There was a pause, "what if we just yowled really loudly. Maybe someone will come and investigate."
Brambleclaw thought frantically for a counterargument. He still wasn't sure about getting Neville into trouble. The twoleg hadn't exactly been nasty to him.
But there was no reason why this plan would backfire. He could only nod reluctantly.
"HEY," Firestar cried, his voice clear from the practice of calling cats to attention in the clan and at gatherings, "INTRUDER."
Brambleclaw doubted the twolegs could understand what they were saying, but he joined in anyway, "IN THE DORMITORY."
The twolegs in the room were on their feet, looking shocked.
Brambleclaw noticed that Ren was looking particularly annoyed. Looking at her flat twoleg face, he could almost imagine that she understood what they were saying.
He shook himself. That was impossible. Twolegs didn't understand cat.
"SHE'S FROM RAVENCLAW!" He continued, realising that Firestar had been yowling on his own while he had been thinking.
"SHE SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" the Thunderclan leader added.
"SHE'S IN GRYFFINDOR TERRITORY."
Suddenly, the cage was pulled open and Neville reached in, wrapping his paw over Brambleclaw's muzzle. Ren was doing the same to Firestar.
"Do you want to get Ren caught?" the twoleg hissed.
"I think they do," Ren said matter-of-factly, "they obviously don't like me. They probably just don't want me here."
"I'm sure that's not what-" Neville started.
"I'd better go. Someone will have heard that," Ren said before disappearing through the door.
"Fox dung!" exclaimed Firestar, "now we'll never get another chance."
Brambleclaw glanced at his leader, "come on, we're free. Let's escape now."
As if he had only just realised this, Firestar started, "oh, yes. Of course."
But before the cats could get out of the cages, Neville reappeared.
"Oh, no you don't," he snapped, pushing them back in and slamming the door shut
Brambleclaw had never actually seen Neville angry. If the twoleg had been a cat, he would have been bristling with anger. As it was, he just snapped, "I hope you're satisfied. She'll never come back now. She was going to help me look after you. You can understand us. I don't know why you did that, but- but I'm not going to let you out. You can stay in here until I can trust you."
And with that, Neville vanished from the dormitory.
…
Time in the castle passed very slowly. Brambleclaw's paws itched to get out of the cage and hunt, but he was confined here by Neville, who had by now gone completely mad from the thought that his cats might want to escape him.
It would be impossible to attempt another escape, not least because Ren wasn't coming back.
Though Neville and the other twolegs who slept in the dormitory were friendly towards the cats, and it was clear that Neville's 'punishment' for Brambleclaw and Firestar was merely meant to stop them from trying to leave, it was not likely that they would be let out anytime soon.
Neville did not spend much time, other than at night, in the dormitory, so for the most part the cats were left alone.
Day was about to turn once more into a long, boring night when Squirrelflight managed to find her way in.
She announced her presence with a long hiss of, "Brambleclaw? Firestar?"
His head shot to look in the direction of the window, "Squirrelflight?"
"Why haven't you been around the twolegplace?" she demanded, "honestly, I thought you were both dead."
"No need to jump to conclusions, now," came the voice of Crookshanks. The fluffy kittypet had poked his head through the window to gaze at the reunion with interest, "why would they be dead?"
Squirrelflight flicked her tail at him dismissively, and didn't answer.
Crookshanks hauled himself through, "I can't believe you made me climb up to one of the highest dens in the Red-and-gold-twoleg-clan's side," he panted.
"You needed the exercise," Squirrelflight quipped, "you fat kittypet."
Crookshanks huffed, but said nothing.
"It's good to see you again, Squirrelflight," Brambleclaw said gratefully.
"How did you find us?" Firestar mewed.
"We spotted that idiot twoleg of yours going up the tower, so we knew which den you were in. We just climbed up to the opening."
Brambleclaw ducked his head guiltily. While he'd been lazing around in the cage, despairing of ever escaping, Squirrelflight and her friend had been anxiously trying to find them.
The ginger kittypet reached forward and easily hooked his claw under the catch on the cage. The moment the door had swung open, Brambleclaw leaped out, feeling his unused muscles cramp as he stretched them. When both he and Firestar were out, Squirrelflight gave an excited yowl, "come on, we have so much to show you.
At first the climb down from the den seemed a daunting and impossible task, but when Squirrelflight showed him how to hook his claws in the cracks in a way that would support his weight, he began to see the task less as an obstacle, but more as much awaited exercise.
He had never seen the castle's grounds from this angle. They stretched far into the distance, further than any clan territory in the new forest.
"Come on!" Squirrelflight seemed to sense that Brambleclaw hadn't been let out for the last several days. Together, the two cats sprinted across the wide field, giving a large berth around the twolegs who were currently crossing it. It would have made Brambleclaw nervous to be around so many of the creatures, but right now he couldn't bring himself to care. He just wanted to run and run until he reached the forest and Thunderclan once more.
"Wait for me!" came a call from behind them. Brambleclaw stopped and swong around to see Crookshanks. The bulky kittypet was staggering forward after the clan cats, panting for breath.
"You're pathetic," Squirrelflight exclaimed, in a tone of voice so mild that Brambleclaw couldn't tell if she was joking or not.
"You said that- when I- needed help with- that rat. But- you didn't- do any better- than me."
It was a couple of seconds before Crookshanks caught up with them. When he did, Brambleclaw meowed, "what rat?"
Crookshanks opened his mouth to explain, but Squirrelflight got there first, "the first time I spoke to Crookshanks, it was for him to beg me for help with catching this one rat he was having trouble with," she laughed, "it was this tiny thing. Only it was protected by a twoleg. We had a lot of adventures trying to get to it."
"You went near a twoleg to catch a rat?" Firestar sounded unexpectedly stern, "you know they're dangerous. What if it had caught you?"
Squirrelflight bristled, "that fat twoleg couldn't have caught me if it tried for a thousand moons. Do you think I'm not fast enough to escape a slow twoleg."
"I just think you should be more careful," Firestar told her.
Squirrelflight huffed, but didn't answer.
"Did you catch the rat?" Brambleclaw asked by way of releasing the tension.
"No," Crookshanks hissed, "it got away. But we're still trying."
"I would have caught it by now if that dumb twoleg wasn't protecting it. What does the twoleg want with it, anyway. Is it saving it for a meal?" Squirrelflight mewed.
"Maybe they keep rats the same way they keep cats and dogs," Brambleclaw suggested.
Squirrelflight shrugged, "maybe."
Brambleclaw decided to change the subject away from Squirrelflight's failed attempt at catching a rat. He looked around, "which way do you think clan territory is?"
"I can't smell it," Squirrelflight said sadly, "so we have no way of knowing."
"It's probably moons worth of journeying away," Brambleclaw's tail drooped.
"What you need is a twoleg," Crookshanks meowed. When everyone stared at him, he said, "their territories are vast. I'm sure they'd be able to point you in the right direction."
"How do you know their territories are vast?" asked Firestar.
"Because my twoleg took me on a long journey to get here, and met no resistance from another clan," Crookshanks explained.
Brambleclaw, who's tail had lifted a little at the plan (if a cat could be magically made to understand the twoleg language, why not the other way around?), was again looking crestfallen, "then maybe they just don't have territories," he mewed quietly, "it might be that they just live in one big group and don't really know the land very well."
After all, no-one could possibly remember everything about a huge amount of land. And they would be hard-pressed to even find a twoleg who could understand them, let alone help them.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't really want to go around to every twoleg yowling 'I'm lost' at the top of my voice until we find one which can give us directions," Squirrelflight pointed out.
Firestar nodded, "we'll have to think of a better option."
"While we're thinking, why don't we hunt. I haven't eaten anything but twoleg pellets since we were taken," Brambleclaw suggested.
"Hunt? Where?" mewed Crookshanks, "the only rat I know around here is currently asleep in a twoleg's pelt."
"Oh, and you've gone around the whole twoleg territories mapping out where all the prey is, have you?" Brambleclaw challenged.
"Well, no, but-"
"Come on. There's got to be something around here," Brambleclaw said hopefully.
Firestar scented the air. A confused expression on his face, he said, "well, I don't smell any prey, but there is something strange in that direction."
Brambleclaw copied him, "you're right."
Wordlessly, the four cats followed the scent. Brambleclaw had never smelled anything quite like it. There were forest smells, but they were mixed in with something dark and lifeless.
He was so busy concentrating on his sense of smell that he crashed straight into Squirrelflight.
Usually, the fiery ginger cat would have spat angrily at him, but now she just looked puzzled, and a bit frightened.
"Well," she said, "it's a tree."
Brambleclaw looked up. Silhouetted against the darkening sky was an enormous tree. It would have towered above the huge oaks at fourtrees. But this tree wasn't an oak. It wasn't any type of tree Brambleclaw had seen before. It's branches were whip-thin and drooped, like a willow. But from Brambleclaw's experience, willow trees were full of light, whereas this tree reeked of darkness.
There was something different about this tree. Something that made Brambleclaw's fur crawl.
"Twolegs just love their dark, creepy objects, don't they?" Crookshanks joked. Despite the playful tone, his ears were flat and his pelt fluffed up.
Brambleclaw grunted his agreement.
"It's just a tree, guys," Squirrelflight mewed, contempt dripping from her every word, "it's not going to attack you."
To prove her point, she took some steps forward. When nothing happened, a few more. The nervousness evident on her face, showing Brambleclaw that despite her brave words she was terrified, she broke into a swift trot.
"NO! Stay back from there!" came a voice from behind the cats.
Squirrelflight turned to see who had shouted, edging back in the direction of the tree.
The other cat was a black and white she-cat with a long bushy tail. She was hurrying towards the cats. Brambleclaw tensed his muscles, ready for a fight.
There was a horrible groaning sound. Brambleclaw's head snapped back in the direction of the noise.
The tree was moving. At first he thought it was falling over, but only some of the branches were moving.
His breath caught in his throat. They were moving towards Squirrelflight, who, still glaring at the stranger with hostility, hadn't even heard the sound.
Frozen with horror, he called her name, "behind you!"
The ginger she-cat swung around. She spotted the whip-like branches and froze.
"Move!" Crookshanks shouted.
But Squirrelflight didn't move. In wordless terror, she stared at the treacherous branches as they moved ever closer to her.
Time seemed to slow down. Brambleclaw was rooted to the spot.
So was everyone else.
And then a streak of black and white cut across his vision as, faster than even a Windclan cat, the stranger raced towards Squirrelflight.
Just as the thin branches hit the ground with a surprisingly heavy thud, the she-cat cannoned into Squirrelflight and shoved her out the way.
But it wasn't over. More branches rose to the challenge and flew at the two cats. Squirrelflight, who seemed to be recovering, sprang up and raced away, followed by her rescuer.
Brambleclaw breathed a sigh of relief when both she-cats got out of reach of the flailing branches. Though the dark willow strained and even ripped out some of it's own roots in it's rage, it could no longer reach them. Even so, the cats ran far away before daring to stop.
"What in Starclan's name," Squirrelflight gasped, "was that?"
...
This chapter was a bit of a nightmare to write because I'm trying to write something else as well. I've re-written it several times and I'm still not happy with it. I promise the next one will be better!
