Graystripe walked through the forest with Longtail. He was on a hunting patrol. They had split into pairs to find prey more, but it seemed to be dying out from the drought.
"If this keeps up we're all gonna be wiped out," Longtail muttered. Graystripe tried not to think about it.
Up ahead at Sunningrocks, three rogues suddenly appeared. Two of them were missing an eye and the other looked like she didn't know how to groom herself.
"HEY!" Longtail yowled. "Get off our land!" The one-eyed ginger tom snarled at them.
Before anything else could happen a young she-cat jumped out behind them. She held a wad of moss in her jaws and dipped it in the river to soak. She had dark brown and black fur splashed all over her back, but her legs and stomach were white. Two white splotches on either side of her flank, sticking out among the dark colors looked strangely like sparrow wings.
The ginger tom turned to her. "Sparrow Fur, what're you doing?"
The apprentice looked up with green eyes that reminded Graystripe of Turtle Tail and he realized it was Sparrow Fur, her daughter. He'd only seen her once at a Gathering. And when they'd kidnapped her and her brothers.
"I'm-I'm getting water, One Eye," she said, confused.
The ginger tom, One Eye snorted. "Leave! We have to deal with these Thundercats!" Graystripe noticed the black she-cat backing away before she turned and ran.
"Coward," the brown tabby she-cat muttered, her one eye trailing after her companion.
"This is ThunderClan territory! You can't start a fight!" Sparrow Fur meowed.
"Shut up, kit! Go home!" One Eye spat.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Sparrow Fur yowled, standing in front of One Eye defiantly. Graystripe admired her bravery. He could barely look these cats in the eye.
Suddenly, One Eye pounced on Sparrow Fur and pinned the apprentice.
"Ow!" Sparrow Fur whined. "Get off! You're hurting me!"
One Eye didn't budge. "You don't talk to me like that," he growled.
"Get off! Or I'm telling Skystar and he'll kick you out of the Clan!" Sparrow Fur spat.
Graystripe and Longtail exchanged shocked looks. They were a part of SkyClan?
"He won't if you're dead," One Eye growled.
"Now wait a minute, she's just an apprentice," Longtail meowed, moving forward. The she-cat barred his way.
"Stay outta this!" She hissed.
Sparrow Fur kicked One Eye in the lower belly and sent the shocked tom flying. He quickly scrambled to his paws as Sparrow Fur charged him, but easily swatted her aside.
"Stop!" Graystripe yowled and charged forward. Fury cuffed him and he fell. Where was the patrol?
One Eye had pinned Sparrow Fur again and was tearing his claws into her stomach and scoring them down her flanks, while the young cat screeched in agony.
Graystripe used his weight to shove Fury aside and charged One Eye, but the ginger tom kicked out and sent Graystripe skidding away.
As he got to his paws, he saw Longtail wrestling with the she-cat.
Suddenly, there was a flash of red and One Eye was thrown off of Sparrow Fur.
Graystripe gasped. "Poppydawn!"
The elder was fighting as if she had never retired or often stared into space like she was in a different universe.
"Intruders!"
Graystripe looked up in relief to see Thistlestar dashing towards them with Frostfur and Mistyfoot, who had also been on his patrol. Mistyfoot had been grieving the death of her mate, Runningwind, but now she had energy at the prospect of chasing off intruders.
Suddenly, there was a screech. Graystripe turned, pelt spiked in horror to see Poppydawn lying dead. Her throat was slit so deeply it looked like her head would come off.
Longtail struggled out of Fury's grasp while Frostfur gasped, looking sick.
"How dare you?" Thistlestar roared, leaping at the rogues, who took off. Thistlestar charged after them and they all disappeared into the undergrowth.
Mistyfoot stared down at Poppydawn, sorrowful. Graystripe padded over to help her get her back to camp.
"Do we help her?" Longtail asked, shaking blood off his pelt. He was looking at Sparrow Fur, who lay in a pool of blood but she was still alive.
"Yes!" Mistyfoot snapped. Graystripe wondered what Thistlestar would say as Frostfur and Longtail positioned the apprentice onto their backs and staggered after them.
Thunder blinked awake and squinted. The sun was shining brightly through the entrance of the den. Everyone was up, but Ash Blaze and Lightning Tail, who had sat vigil. Skystar had assessed his own daughter in Tall Shadow's absence.
Acorn Fur had started training as a medicine cat under Dappled Pelt, not to many cats' surprise. Although Lightning Tail had been a bit put out.
Stepping out of the den, Thunder realized it was already sunhigh. Fire Heart lay under Flat Boulder with Raven Hope, curled up together. Owl Eyes and Gorse Fur were returning from a hunting trip, each holding a squirrel. Mud Paws and Mouse Ear were practicing battle moves in the clearing while Jagged Peak and Holly talked nearby.
"Have you seen Sparrow Fur?" Thunder turned to see his uncle padding up.
"No." Thunder began to worry. For one Fury and One Eye weren't here. For another…ThunderClan.
"She went to gather water from the river!" Quick Water called. "Nettle went with her."
As she said this Sparrow Fur's mentor crashed into the camp. "I lost Sparrow Fur! I was coming back and didn't notice she wasn't with me!"
Gray Wing flinched. "She's out alone?"
"Nevermind that! We have to find her!" Nettle meowed. "I need help, c'mon!" He tore out of the camp. Gray Wing and Thunder ran after him. Quick Water, Owl Eyes and Cloud Tail followed.
They tracked her scent to Sunningrocks and Thunder's fur rose as he caught the scent of cat blood.
"Sparrow Fur!" Gray Wing yowled. "I can smell her blood! And a ThunderClan cat's blood too!"
"ThunderClan attacked her?" Cloud Tail asked, fur fluffing out.
"How dare they?" Owl Eyes growled.
"Let's go see," Quick Water suggested casually and took off into their forest. Gray Wing and Nettle exchanged fearful looks before following.
They all caught up to her at the ravine. Mossflower and Mousefur were on guard. The two she-cats gave them uneasy looks and Thunder was sure they knew something.
"What have you done to Sparrow Fur?" Gray Wing growled, thrusting his face into Mousefur's.
"We didn't do anything!" The she-cat snapped, her eyes full of grief, but for something else. "She was attacked by some rogue! We took her to our camp to be treated!"
The SkyClan cats blinked, startled.
"Like I'd believe ThunderClan would help," Quick Water muttered.
Mossflower glared at her. "Then come see for yourselves! If we were lying we would hide it!"
Gray Wing and Nettle immediately barged into the camp. The apprentices clustered after them and Thunder brought up the rear after Quick Water.
He noticed Thistlestar pacing around…Poppydawn's body, growling and tail lashing, but he paid no heed to the SkyClan cats, which was a first.
Poor Poppydawn. She'd always been nice during my time here.
Thunder took the lead and led them to the medicine den. No one stopped them. Which must mean they were being truthful. That was…a first.
Spottedleaf backed away when the whole group squeezed into the den. "Don't mind us, just a friendly visit," Quick Water meowed cheerily.
"Sparrow Fur, my poor daughter," Gray Wing murmured. The tortoiseshell was lying in a nest, curled up, the herbs plastered all over making her seem as small as a kit again. "Who did this to you?"
"It was a rogue," a voice sounded from the entrance and they turned to see Graystripe. He flattened his ears, embarrassed for a moment before he continued. "A rogue attacked her. Poppydawn died saving her."
"Could it be the same one that killed Runningwind?" Spottedleaf asked her clanmate.
"What?" Gray Wing gasped. "What rogue? What did they look like?"
"There were three," Graystripe began. "Longtail and I ran into them when we were hunting. One of them–a black she-cat ran off."
Thunder stiffened. Black she-cat? He was suddenly transported back to the snowy day when he spotted her on his hunt and had chased her into ThunderClan territory. Could it be the same one?
"The other two both had only an eye," Graystripe continued and the SkyClan cats stiffened. "The ginger tom was the one who attacked Sparrow Fur. Sparrow Fur said something about getting him kicked out of your Clan for breaking rules…" Graystripe looked up at them. "Is it true they're in your Clan?"
Gray Wing sighed. "Yes, but Skystar wanted to keep an eye on them."
"I thought so," Spottedleaf said. "Skystar isn't stupid."
"Yeah, now let's get outta here," Nettle meowed and grabbed Sparrow Fur's scruff. "We gotta let Skystar know about those traitors!"
"Wait, she still needs time!" Spottedleaf meowed.
"Oh, well." Nettle dragged her out of the den. Thunder followed his clanmates, nodding at Graystripe as they went.
Frostfur, who was sitting nearby, jumped to her paws. "Is she alright to leave already?" She asked Spottedleaf, who followed them out with an annoyed expression. Thunder was surprised to see concern in the white cat's eyes. She always used to be stuck-up and hateful towards him after Cinder Flower's accident.
"No," the medicine cat huffed. "But I guess they can take her."
"Thank you." Thunder dipped his head to the tortoiseshell medicine cat and she smiled.
"Please, take it easy with her," she called after them as they left.
Fire Heart walked beside Jagged Peak to the Gathering. Behind them tumbled, Birch and Alder, newly apprenticed. Thorn was mentoring Alder and Skystar had chosen to mentor Birch himself.
Beside him, Jagged Peak was practically vibrating. His friend had just found out Holly was expecting his kits earlier that day. Fire Heart was happy for him. He would be an honorary uncle again!
"Hello," Tallstar greeted Skystar. WindClan and RiverClan were already there.
"Greetings," Skystar replied.
Gorsepaw bounded over to Birch and Alder. "Hi, is Sparrow Fur here? Or Cloud Tail?" The two apprentices stared wide-eyed before shaking their heads. No one, but ThunderClan knew what had happened to Sparrow Fur.
Skystar had immediately chased off One Eye and Fury after he had heard the story.
Gorsepaw shrugged. "Well, I'm Gorsepaw. It's nice to meet you." Fire Heart smiled as the apprentices met each other. A little behind Gorsepaw, stood a gray tabby she-cat, who also seemed like a new apprentice, but she stayed by her mentor.
"Do you think ShadowClan will come?" Thunder murmured to Lightning Tail.
Just as he said this ShadowClan cats appeared, but it was a pretty small group compared to the other Clans.
Soon ThunderClan arrived and the leaders jumped onto the Great Rock.
The leaders started their reports, but Fire Heart was distracted when a golden tabby she-cat suddenly appeared. Thunder was watching her with wide eyes and he smirked.
The other Clans were slowly turning to watch her.
"Leave, rogue!" Fire Heart rolled his eyes at the sound of Deerfoot's annoying voice. If only he wasn't one of the stronger cats that had to attend.
"Shut up, you," the elder Hollyflower rasped to her clanmate, blue eyes glinting. "It's probably another one of SkyClan's recruits."
Skystar looked just as confused as the rest of the SkyClan cats. They'd never seen this she-cat in their lives, but Skystar said nothing and continued his report.
The she-cat headed over to them and Thunder straightened up while for some reason, Lightning Tail scowled at her on the ginger tom's other side.
Birch and Alder, who were on Fire Heart's other side, stared the stranger down warily, but Jagged Peak was too distracted to care.
"Hi, I'm Star Flower," the she-cat purred in a smooth voice.
"Fire Heart." the ginger tom dipped his head politely.
"Um, I'm…" Thunder seemed to have forgotten how to talk. Ash Blaze behind him, smirked at her brother.
"His name is Thunder," she snickered. "And I'm Ash Blaze. And this grumpy one is Lightning Tail."
The black tom huffed. "You're always grumpy," he muttered.
"This is Jagged Peak, Birch and Alder," Fire Heart added.
"Are we introducing the whole Clan?" Lightning Tail asked bitterly.
"No." Fire Heart shrugged. "Just the cats around us."
"N-nice to meet you," Thunder stammered.
"The Gatherings over," Dappled Pelt meowed, suddenly padding over. "Let's roll."
"See you." Star Flower winked and left.
Thunder ducked his head embarrassed.
Fire Heart laughed.
Lightning Tail scowled more.
So that was why I kept Poppydawn alive for so long. She had a role to play before she died.
RIP Poppydawn (another one of my favorites)