Thanks to the following reviewers:

-AtlierSky (This chapter will have, well what the title says. And I love writing Gorsepaw's friendship with Cloud, Pebble, Owl and Sparrow)

-Feels Badguest (appreciate the comment)


Wind tugged at Gray Wing's pelt, making it fluff up. The sun was setting over Highstones, casting orange rays behind the peak.

Fern and Beech followed, all of them tired and stiff. This is not how I expected to spend my day. He stiffened and the sisters bumped into him. A WindClan patrol was charging towards them. Great. He knew they'd be especially wary since he had rogues with him.

Doespring was in the lead with Wrenflight, Pigeonflight, Rushpaw, and Slate on her heels. Gray Wing waited for them to catch up.

"Intruders!" Rushpaw yowled, glaring at Fern and Beech.

"What's going on, Gray Wing?" Wrenflight asked more kindly.

"These two mean no harm, I was only helping them escape captivity," Gray Wing meowed tiredly.

Doespring and Wrenflight exchanged wide-eyed looks. "Captivity?"

"It's a long story that no one really has time for," Fern meowed. Pigeonflight cast an eye over their bloody forms and whispered to Doespring.

"Maybe you should come back to our camp," Slate suggested, worriedly. "Have your wounds checked."

Before any of them could reply, Gray Wing heard a yowl from the forest and turned to see a white form racing towards them. A ginger and white cat outran him and skidded to a halt before the group of cats.

"And just where have you been all day?" Wrenflight asked her grandkit sharply.

"Um," Gorsepaw shuffled his paws.

"He was helping me with something," Cloud Tail, the other cat, dipped his head. He turned to Gray Wing with a smile and the deputy smiled back, touching noses with his foster son. "Hi, Gray Wing," he whispered. "Some tribecats are here to see you. Come back to ShadowClan with me. I have already sent Skystar there."

Gray Wing blinked. Tribe cats?! His heart pounded painfully in his chest. "Okay, yeah, let's go." He turned to Fern and Beech. "Will you go with WindClan?"

Fern shook her head. "I'd rather come with you." Gray Wing knew she was still wary around cats she barely knew and she only knew him and Thunder well.

"And I'm coming with you, sis," Beech stepped towards them.

"Fine, just don't come crying to us later if you keel over and die from your scratches," Pigeonflight muttered.

Wrenflight shot him a look and he shut up. She dipped her head to the four cats. "Safe travels."

"Wait, I'll go with them," Slate meowed, stepping forward.

"Great StarClan," Pigeonflight muttered. "Back then, clancats never wandered so much." He looked at Gorsepaw. "You 'mize as well go with your friends too."

"Pigeonflight, please shut up!" Wrenflight gritted her teeth. She took a deep breath and nodded at Slate, repeating, "safe travels." She beckoned Gorsepaw to follow and the patrol left.

"Bye Cloud Tail," he called, waving his tail at the fluffy apprentice.

"Bye!"

"Okay, kit," Gray Wing meowed fondly. "Take us to ShadowClan."


Jagged Peak glanced up from where he was pressed against his mother's side. Skystar, on her other side, leaped to his paws.

"Look, who's here," Jagged Peak murmured softly.

"Quiet Rain?" Gray Wing's voice sounded as he pushed in after Cloud Tail with Slate and two…random cats behind them.

The cats of ShadowClan looked up from sharing tongues, once more looking wary of the newcomers. Snowbird swept her tail over Holly's kits and bundled them into the nursery while Holly herself stopped her conversation with Shadowstar and Russetfur.

Runningnose appeared from his den followed by Pebble Heart, obviously scenting the blood -which worried Jagged Peak because what had his brother gotten into?- and bounded over.

"Gray Wing! You're back!" Shadowstar padded forth.

"I'm sorry I was busy helping some friends," Gray Wing apologized, flicking his tail at the black she-cat with very tangled fur and the lighter mottled one. Slate and Cloud Tail stood off to the side.

"Gray Wing?" Quiet Rain croaked, getting his attention and the tom bounded over. "Are you okay, my kit? You're hurt."

Gray Wing ducked his head. "It's not bad. Just Clan life."

"So I've heard."

"Are you okay?" Gray Wing asked anxiously, touching noses with her.

"I'm here," she murmured. "That's what matters."

"We've missed you." Jagged Peak pressed against his family as the sun set. After everything they'd been through since getting here, this was the one moment that made him feel he could face anything in the future.


Slate looked around the ShadowClan camp, wondering if she should go. She had only come out of worry for Gray Wing. She watched as Pebble Heart settled the friends, Gray Wing had rescued, in an empty den. A black tom with ginger spots was crouching beside Shadowstar outside her den. The apprentices chatted excitedly outside their den and Cloud Tail left her side to go join them.

Shadowstar looked up and beckoned her over. "Who were those she-cats Gray Wing brought back with him?"

"They were a part of Slash's group. One Eye's comrade," she explained what Gray Wing had told them on the walk here. "But they and their friends are there against their will and are being starved, so Gray Wing and Fern went to tell Slash off and rescued her sister Beech."

Shadowstar's eyes widened. "They did all that just now...wow.."

"So we're gonna let them stay?" Jaggedtooth padded over, sneering in the direction of the den in disgust.

"May I remind you, Jaggedtooth," Russetfur began with narrowed eyes before Shadowstar could reply. "You came from BloodClan, who helped hurt SkyClan! We gave you a chance though because you left them long ago and helped ShadowClan through the sickness."

Jaggedtooth muttered under his breath, digging his claws into the dirt. Slate noticed one of them looked oddly longer than the others.

Nearby, Oakfur rolled his eyes. "So are we just going to take in everyone who walks into camp now?"

"No," Gray Wing answered, walking away from his family. "They're coming back to SkyClan with me where they'll be appreciated. Every single cat we've taken in has given us something." Oakfur looked away as the SkyClan deputy glared sternly at him.

Slate admired how he could shut cats down easily.

Dawncloud flicked her son's ear with her tail. "He's right. ShadowClan wouldn't have gotten anywhere without Pebble Heart and Shadowstar or Blackfoot and the others."

"Yes, so everyone stop complaining, shut your mouth and go to sleep~! Mud Paws said in a cheery, almost sing-song voice, making the apprentices giggle.

Some cats rolled their eyes or shook their heads, amused but soon the clearing emptied out as they all went to their respective dens.


The day before had been peaceful. Skystar had left Fire Heart in charge and ran all the way to ShadowClan (crossing ThunderClan territory without a care) without stopping. He and his brothers had just stayed by their mother's side, allowing themselves to be like little kits again.

But then the next day arrived and now…Quiet Rain wanted to know how all the other former tribe cats were doing…

And she didn't yet know most of them were dead.

Except for Moon Shadow because the news had to be broken to his son, Sun Shadow, of course.

"Tell me!" Quiet Rain meowed. "What happened to everyone?"

Skystar shuffled his paws as Gray Wing and Jagged Peak exchanged looks. If they told her the truth, what if she thought this wasn't the right home for them.

"Where are the others who traveled from the mountains with you?" Quiet Rain repeated, looking suspicious now.

"Dappled Pelt and Shattered Ice live with RiverClan now," Jagged Peak meowed.

"I know that!" Quiet Rain snapped. "I met your River-something friend by the river! He told me."

"Quick Water, Cloud Spots, Acorn Fur, and Fire Heart live in the forest with me," Skystar offered. "Well…SkyClan's side of the forest."

"Who're Acorn Fur and Fire Heart?"

"Fire Heart was a housecat we rescued moons ago from Thistlestar, ThunderClan's leader," Skystar explained.

"Oh, I've heard about that," Quiet Rain muttered darkly. "Attacking a defenseless kit. I'm proud you all rescued him."

Skystar nodded and hesitantly meowed, "Acorn Fur…is Jackdaw's Cry and Hawk Swoop's daughter." He knew what she would ask now that he'd let that slip.

"And where are Hawk Swoop and Jackdaw's Cry?" Quiet Rain asked gently.

Skystar dropped his head. "They both died."

Quiet Rain recoiled. "Both of them? How?"

Gray Wing and Jagged Peak exchanged looks.

Quiet Rain narrowed her eyes. "How did they die?"

"There was a battle," Skystar explained.

"With who?" Quiet Rain demanded.

Jagged Peak lifted his gaze, eyes brimming with emotion. "With ThunderClan!"

Quiet Rain frowned, confused. "I've heard of the Clans fighting, but the WindClan apprentice told me mercy was to be shown. No killing unless necessary….was it necessary for this ThunderClan to hurt you?"

"No…" Gray Wing replied.

"It was an ambush," Jagged Peak meowed.

"I don't understand." Quiet Rain's eyes widened, looking between her sons. "Why did they attack you then if you did nothing?"

Jagged Peak answered. "See, when we first got here, all the Clans thought us weird, but they weren't too rude about it. But ThunderClan…well something was always wrong with their leader…he's very brutal."

"He kicks his own cats out of the Clan if they're traitors or…disabled," Gray Wing added. Quiet Rain gasped, unconsciously glancing at Jagged Peak's leg. "They kicked out a cat named Ravenpaw, or well, Raven Hope now because Tigerclaw, ThunderClan's deputy, lied and said he was consorting with ShadowClan's past leader Brokenstar."

"Brokenstar?" Quiet Rain repeated, looking puzzled.

"He was another messed up leader," Skystar picked up. "He trained kits before they could fully walk and threw them into battles where they were killed," Quiet Rain gasped again. "He drove out WindClan, he kicked out Yellowfang."

"Yellowfang?"

"She was ShadowClan's medicine cat before Runningnose," Skystar meowed. "We took her in because Brokenstar framed her. She died in a fire later, but she was a brave and loyal cat."

Quiet Rain closed her eyes for a long while before she opened them and nodded for him to continue.

"I have four kits," Skystar meowed. "Air Leap is Bright Stream's but she died birthing him." Quiet Rain gasped in dismay. "Thunder and his sisters, Ash Blaze and Ivy Breeze, their mother is Storm. She was another rogue. Thunder once got caught on ThunderClan territory and Thistlestar forced him to stay, threatening war on our Clan if he left. He still did towards the end of leafbare because Thistlestar was going to kick out another cat named Cinder Flower because she was crippled. So he saved her and two kits and now they're all valuable members of our Clan."

"So what I'm hearing…" Quiet Rain began. "Is that SkyClan is the only Clan with a heart? Saving and accepting outsiders without a fuss?"

Skystar smiled sadly at his brothers. "Pretty much. But ShadowClan is good too now thanks to Shadowstar rebuilding them. And WindClan. We helped them and now they've helped us, so we're close friends."

"But what about RiverClan?"

"They're neutral," Gray Wing shrugged. "They don't care much for anyone but themselves, but they're not cruel like ThunderClan."

Quiet Rain let out a shaky breath. "I really want to confront this Clan. They sound so…lost!"

"Not all of them are bad," Skystar protested. After all, his son believed so. "A lot of them are scared, but they try to be good."

"And yet only two managed to get away and the rest participated in the ambush! Who else died in the battle?"

"Falling Feather," Gray Wing said softly.

"Did Turtle Tail also die there?" Quiet Rain demanded, giving Gray Wing a sad look.

Gray Wing's eyes clouded with grief at the mention of his deceased mate. "She was run over by a monster on the Thunderpath. ThunderClan stole her kits and she was trying to get them back."

Quiet Rain bristled like she was going to storm all the way to ThunderClan and take on all of them.

"What about Shaded Moss?"

"Another monster," Skystar meowed. "When Jackdaw's Cry and them were apprentices I took them to the Moonstone where us leaders receive our nine lives and talk with StarClan, the ancestors here. On the way back he saved Falling Feather because she got scared and confused."

"Rainswept Flower?"

"Thistlestar…."

Quiet Rain leaped to her paws. "Out of my way!"

"Um, what're you doing?!" Skystar meowed.

"Where does ThunderClan live?"

Skystar saw Jagged Peak and Gray Wing exchanged alarmed looks.

"Um, wait, wait, mom! There are dogs!" He yowled. She paused. "So, um…the dogs are gonna attack them all anyway." Skystar knew he shouldn't but he had to get her to stop somehow. (Of course, he wasn't that cruel to hope the dogs would kill them all…although he still hoped they'd get rid of Thistlestar, Tigerclaw and Darkstripe).

Quiet Rain smoothed her bristling fur and huffed before her expression softened and she nuzzled each of her kits. "Oh, my poor kits. You've seen so much death and heartbreak…I'm sorry I allowed you to leave…and where is Fluttering Bird? Dead too, I presume?"

Skystar stiffened but nodded. "Yes. But it was her muscles…she just got weaker."

"But she lived longer than we thought and she was happy," Gray Wing added.

Quiet Rain trembled, but nodded.

"I am sorry I sent you away," she repeated.

None of them replied, too grief-stricken to reassure her…

Because in the mountains they may all still be alive, together and happy if they'd never left.

But if we never came here…the good things in our lives would have never happened… Skystar thought of Thunder, Ash Blaze, and Ivy Breeze. He thought of Yellowfang having her second chance at life. He thought of Fire Heart, Raven Hope and Cinder Flower…cats he'd rescued from Thistlestar.

And he thought of Storm and all her rogue friends too.


So yeah. Kinda brief, but hope you enjoyed this sweet yet sad chapter. The next two will also take place in ShC camp, still about sweet family stuff and everything...and soon we'll move on to the other drama going on.

Review.