Chapter 4 (G):
Gritting his teeth, Graystripe got to his paws. He held his injured leg off the ground as well as he could, then limped past the white apprentice.
"Graystripe!" Cinderpelt hissed in a warning voice, but he ignored her with a simple flick of his tail.
He limped around the boulders to where he could see the RiverClan patrol. Mistyfoot had stopped a respectful distance away from the makeshift camp. Beside her stood Stormfur and Swallowtail, along with a young apprentice named Splashpaw. Thankfully, they didn't look hostile. In fact, Mistyfoot and Stormfur both were looking at his limp with concern.
"Welcome, Mistyfoot," Graystripe dipped his head to hide the pain that he was in. "What brings you to ThunderClan?"
"Leopardstar has sent me with a message," Mistyfoot told him, but her eyes wandered to his hungry Clanmates. He knew that she was taking in their thin frames. Her eyes became fixed on something, and he looked over his shoulder to see that Shrewpaw was laying on the bare stone of Sunningrocks now and Cinderpelt was pressing wet moss to his forehead. Leafpaw was leaping back onto the boulders with a new bundle of herbs to help treat the apprentice's shock and exhaustion. Ferncloud was there too, cleaning her son's pelt with fierce licks.
Graystripe became aware of the RiverClan cats' builds as his eyes returned to them. They were as plump and as sleek as ever, clearly eating well despite the other three Clans' sufferings. Mistyfoot shook herself as if clearing her head, then addressed him.
"Leopardstar wants to send her condolences for the loss of Firestar," she bowed her head respectfully. "She believes that Firestar's disappearance is a great loss for every Clan in the forest. She has agreed that when each Clan is ready, RiverClan will join in the journey to find our new home."
Graystripe bit back a sharp retort. Of course, he thought. Of course Leopardstar would only give in once she saw that Firestar was gone. If the approaching threat was so great that she herself could be taken, then surely she'd want to leave with her Clanmates before they were properly affected.
"RiverClan is ready to join in the journey?" Squirrelpaw's voice was surprised, as were her Clanmates' around her. Many cats began to whisper or speak, and Graystripe had to raise his tail for silence.
"Tell her that we appreciate her decision and we only wait for ShadowClan now." Graystripe meowed to the RiverClan deputy. "Is that all?"
Mistyfoot shook her head, "Mothwing is also requesting the help from Cinderpelt and Leafpaw."
"Is something wrong?" Cinderpelt's voice spoke from where she crouched on the topmost boulder. Leafpaw looked worried from where she had moved to sit beside Squirrelpaw.
"Mudfur is ill," Stormfur told them, "He has been sick for many days now, and we are afraid he will join StarClan soon."
Cinderpelt stood at once, but then hesitated and looked at the collapsed Shrewpaw. Her tail flicked as she decided quickly what to do. "Leafpaw," she glanced at the tabby, "I want you to stay here and make sure that Shrewpaw recovers. I'm going to grab some herbs and head to RiverClan. You may join me when you are sure that Shrewpaw is feeling better."
Leafpaw looked disappointed by her mentor's words, but she nodded her understanding and returned to Shrewpaw's side. Cinderpelt meanwhile, limped off to search through her herb storage for what she might need. In just a short moment, she was limping over to the RiverClan patrol with a large bundle of herbs held in her jaws.
Mistyfoot nodded her thanks to the medicine cat, but did not say goodbye to the Clan however. She hovered there hesitantly, her eyes watching the hungry and soaked pelts of the ThunderClan cats before finally dipping her head and asking, "May RiverClan hunt on the behalf of ThunderClan today?"
Graystripe was startled, "You want to hunt for us?" Several cats behind him meowed their surprise as well or growled at the thought of the rival Clan taking pity on them.
"Yes, if you will let us." Mistyfoot confirmed with a nod. Swallowtail looked uneasy beside her, and Splashpaw began to protest when the deputy silenced him with a displeased glance. "Think of it as paying back a favor." she meowed, her voice sounding almost amused as she turned to Graystripe again, "RiverClan has not forgotten when two young ThunderClan warriors fed us during a time of need." She turned and addressed her patrol.
"Go and gather fish from the river. We won't be here long." At once, Stormfur and Swallowtail padded over to the river's edge and crouched beside it. They peered expectantly into the water as they waited for a flash or brown or silver to appear. Splashpaw followed more slowly, looking over his shoulder uneasily at ThunderClan.
"You don't have to do this, Mistyfoot," Graystripe told her, feeling torn by the offer. He did not want his Clanmates to think that he would let a rival Clan pity them, but he knew that he did not want another cat of ThunderClan to die of hunger. They had already lost a kit under his leadership, he did not want to lose anyone else.
"No, she doesn't," Mousefur growled in agreement, her hackles raised.
"Firestar always believed that all of the Clans must stick together in a time of need." Mistyfoot told ThunderClan calmly, "There is no need to see our neighbors starve while we survive. All Clan cats go to the same place in the end."
Several untrusting growls sounded behind Graystripe, but it did not matter. Stormfur and Splashpaw were already hauling a couple of fish up towards the Clan. They placed them in front of Graystripe, and Splashpaw turned to resume his fishing. Stormfur however, stepped aside as Brambleclaw asked to speak with him privately. Squirrelpaw padded over quickly to join them.
"Besides," Mistyfoot continued, ignoring the journeyed cats who had stepped away to speak. "The river has grown shallow. I'm sure you have noticed."
Graystripe nodded, though he hadn't noticed. Looking past her and at the river though, he did realize that the water level was so low that they could wade through its current instead of needing to swim. He would have expected the water level to have risen in the rain, but it had actually gone down significantly.
"It's made fishing good," Mistyfoot meowed, though her pelt prickled. "But I fear the good fishing will not last for long. If the river gets any lower, then RiverClan will grow hungry too."
"Then it's a good thing that Leopardstar has agreed to join us. We only wait on ShadowClan now," Graystripe murmured. They stood together for a short while as the Swallowtail and Splashpaw gathered a few more fish. When there were five at his paws, Graystripe had to stop them.
"We thank you for your help, Mistyfoot." He told her formally, "ThunderClan will not forget your generosity."
"Nor RiverClan yours." Mistyfoot gathered her patrol. Cinderpelt came to stand beside them with her herbs. She meowed her goodbyes and led her patrols back towards the river. They waded across easily and slipped into the forest on the other side. The medicine cat followed close behind.
Graystripe stepped to the side now and watched quietly as his Clanmates gathered around to eat. Brackenfur crouched down and sniffed curiously at a small minnow, beside him Cloudtail was already digging into a bigger fish without question. Goldenflower was curling her lip at the smell though and turned her nose up and away disdainfully.
Brambleclaw came and sat beside him as they watched the Clan feast. A hunting patrol had just returned to camp empty-pawed, led by Brightheart, and they joined the Clan as they divided the fish without complaint. Even Mousefur, who still grumbled about RiverClan taking pity, eventually settled down to have her fill as well. It appeared that her hunger was growing greater than her pride.
"I think it's good that you accepted the fish from RiverClan," Brambleclaw told him, looking sideways at him. "When the journey begins, we will all have to support one another."
"Do you know where we're going to travel, exactly?" Graystripe asked the warrior. It was a question that had been stuck in his mind for quite some time. These StarClan-chosen cats always spoke of their travels and of needing the Clans to leave if they wish to survive, but never of the place they would be staying at.
Brambleclaw's pelt bristled at the question. "I have an idea," he said, voice tense. "But without StarClan's sign, it will be hard to be sure."
Graystripe nodded absentmindedly, recalling the tabby's efforts to get each Clan leader together to join on the Great Rock for a sign from StarClan that had never come. A shiver went through Graystripe as he tried to hold onto his faith in his ancestors. So much had been lost, and they hadn't sent the sign that they had promised. He could only hope that they sent one soon.
"How is RiverClan?" Graystripe asked as he sat at the top of the slope with Cinderpelt. She had returned from helping Mothwing several days ago, but this was the first time since their return that Graystripe had found time to speak with Cinderpelt alone.
The only thing he had known about RiverClan's well-being was what Mistyfoot had shared with ThunderClan. Since their visit, Graystripe noticed that RiverClan had been putting out less and less border patrols, like the rest of the Clans had been forced to do.
"They are growing hungry," Cindpelt told him. "The fish are starting to disappear with the river being this low."
Graystripe nodded, having heard Mistyfoot's prediction. "Did Leopardstar say anything more about leaving?"
"Leopardstar told me again that RiverClan will stand beside us in the journey," Cinderpelt reported with sad eyes. "Mudfur's death has shaken the Clan. There was nothing I could have done to help him, and Mothwing agreed that the best option was to let him go peacefully."
The two of them sat in respectful silence for the lost medicine cat and watched the Clan below them. It was in between patrols currently, and several cats were crouched around the singular shrew that the dawn patrol had caught. Graystripe wanted to order them to feed the elders first, but he knew that they were all starving and exhausted too and his hardworking warriors deserved it more than any cat.
It was good that RiverClan had agreed to follow in the journey, Graystripe thought. Now all they had to do is wait for ShadowClan's word and he knew that ShadowClan had already become affected by the Twolegs as well. That, and along with their already limited source of prey, he didn't think it would be long before a messenger was sent and they could leave.
But Graystripe's mind settled on a more pressing thought, a thought that had been in his mind for quite some time now. "Has StarClan…?" He began awkwardly but trailed off with uncertainty.
Despite Cinderpelt and Firestar both trusting Graystripe with their prophecies and knowledge, he still felt as though it was not his place to ask. It didn't help that he still felt guilty from restricting her from visiting the Moonstone during the past half-moon. He just couldn't bear to lose Cinderpelt or Leafpaw if anything happened on the long journey to Highstones. It had bothered him more than he would admit, to have Cinderpelt just across the river for a few days.
"You can ask me, you know." Cinderpelt's whiskers twitched with faint amusement. "I won't get mad."
He cleared his throat and tried again, "Has StarClan shown you anything? Or Leafpaw?"
"StarClan has shared very little with me since this all started." Cinderpelt shook her head solemnly. "And Leafpaw hasn't reported much to me either."
Graystripe was about to respond when he saw movement below them. A tall black-and-white tom was leading a patrol towards Sunningrocks, and Graystripe got to his paws despite the twinge of pain in his shoulder. Even from where he sat at the top of the slope, Graystripe could tell that the two warriors accompanying him were exhausted and battered, and the apprentice beside them didn't look to be in a much better condition either.
"What is Tallstar doing here?" Cinderpelt asked.
"I don't know," Graystripe said and bounded down to join his gathering Clan. He stepped forward to greet the WindClan leader. "Tallstar," he dipped his head and tried to keep his eyes from wandering to the old tom's pelt. He was so thin, and he stumbled weakly on his paws, but his head was still raised proudly. "Welcome to ThunderClan. What can we do for you?"
"Crowpaw!" Squirrelpaw exclaimed as she padded to the front of the group. "Are you okay?"
"I'm as fit as any of my Clan," Crowpaw retorted. Graystripe couldn't help but think that what the apprentice said was true, but that it was nothing to be proud of. He glanced at the thin warriors, who he easily identified to be Onewhisker and Tornear. He had always known WindClan to have the thinnest warriors of all four Clans, but the cats standing before him now looked like skeletons with fur.
Tallstar interrupted the apprentices, his eyes scanning the ThunderClan cats in search of a certain tom, "Where is Firestar?" he asked.
It was as if a twig had snapped. Graystripe could suddenly feel the tension in the air. His pelt prickled, "Firestar is not with ThunderClan at the moment. I am in charge." He hoped his voice sounded stronger than he felt.
Tallstar's eyes widened with shock. "Firestar's gone?" he echoed with a bewildered expression. But then he shook his head, "We need ThunderClan's help," he rasped. It was just then that his leg buckled and he collapsed onto his side.
Squirrelpaw moved forward to help, but Brambleclaw held his tail out firmly to stop her.
"The Twolegs have started to destroy the warrens where we have been sheltering," the leader panted with the effort of just speaking. "We cannot stay a moment longer on the moor, but we are too weak to travel alone. I don't care that we haven't had another sign. I just know we have to leave. Take us to this sun-drown-place, I beg you."
Graystripe looked down at Tallstar. Briefly, he remembered sitting alongside Firestar and Ravenpaw when they were all apprentices, attending their first Gatherings together and whispering about the great WindClan leader. And now here he was, the great warrior, begging at his paws…
"ThunderClan will help," Graystripe promised at once. "ThunderClan and WindClan have helped each other many times over. We can afford to do it once more. I-"
He broke off as the bushes trembled and a new visitor stepped out into the open. The ShadowClan warrior, Tawnypelt, bounded over to where the gathered cats stood. She came to a stop, her eyes scanning the cats desperately for a certain ginger tom, much like Tallstar had.
"What's happened?" Graystripe demanded, stepping towards the she-cat now.
"The Twolegs are attacking our camp!" She gasped, flanks heaving with the effort of running all the way to Sunningrocks from her own territory. "They have surrounded us with their monsters. Please help! Please help us," She repeated. Her frantic eyes landed on Graystripe now, having given up her desperate search for Firestar in the crowd. "Help us for the sake of the ThunderClan blood that runs in my veins, if nothing else."
"ThunderClan will help for the sake of all the Clans," Graystripe told her though his mind wanted to stop. What am I doing? He inwardly panicked. How could he help two Clans at once, while keeping his own alive as well?
He turned against his will and his eyes fell on his Clanmates. For a second he stood there as if paralyzed. All of ThunderClan was staring at him expectantly. Some warriors flexed their claws, ready for battle, and others were watching with fearful expressions. Was he leading them into just another failure? Who would they lose today?
But he shook himself roughly. "Thornclaw and Sandstorm," he called, "You will each lead your own patrol. Choose your own warriors; everyone who is fit to fight will help." Instantly, the two mentioned cats gathered their patrols. Cats weaved to find a patrol to join or stepped back to allow their more fit Clanmates to prepare for battle.
Dustpelt was pushing his way to his side though. "What about defending the camp?" he asked.
Graystripe couldn't think of anything they had to defend it from; the entire forest was empty and the Twolegs were focused on ShadowClan currently. "The queens know how to fight," he began and the brown tom was about to disagree when Tallstar had pulled himself to his paws again.
"We will come with you," the old leader said firmly. Graystripe turned to see that the accompanying WindClan warriors were pacing and lashing their tails at the prospect of battle as well.
Graystripe knew from Tallstar's expression that there was no use in arguing. He dipped his head, "If you wish." He said, then raised his voice and addressed his Clan. "Are the patrols ready?"
"Graystripe!" A voice cut through the crowd. The ThunderClan warriors stepped out of the way to let Cindperpelt hobble forward. She came up to Graystripe and said in a hushed voice, "Your shoulder is still hurt."
"I'll be fine," he tried to tell her. "I can still-"
"You're going to hurt yourself even more," Cinderpelt pushed, "What are your Clanmates going to do if you can't make it back to camp? Who is going to lead them then?"
"That won't happen," Graystripe promised her and touched his nose to her ear. He raised his head again and repeated, "Are the patrols ready?"
When yowls of agreement met his words, he turned and began to lead the Clan from the camp. They streaked through the forest, sticking to the most direct path as they bounded towards the ShadowClan border. His shoulder screamed with pain all the way. As he leaped over a fallen tree in their path, his leg threatened to buckle but he stumbled and kept going.
The cats didn't hesitate even a heartbeat at the destroyed sight of Fourtrees, neither did they hesitate as they came up to the Thunderpath that divided ShadowClan from the other three Clans. Every cat in the forest had known that the black surface had been abandoned and silent for many moons and the cats pounded across the black surface without pausing.
Graystripe glimpsed a monster through the trees as they raced along the most used ShadowClan paths. Its yellow forepaws were lowered to the ground, its claws tearing through the forest, and a terribly unnatural sound filled the air. The cats dropped into a crouch as the deafening sound reached them.
They crouched, watching in terror as another huge monster ripped a tree out of the ground. The monster hauled the tree backward, exposing its roots to the air and shaking its branches wildly. The tree was tipped onto its side and the monster began to cut the branches and strip the bark. Dust began to fill the air and sharp chips of wood fell around them.
Another monster came up behind them on the path, and Tawnypelt yowled over the noise, "They're nearly at the camp! Quickly, this way!" Graystripe and the other Clan cats dove in the direction she was heading and they fled from the monsters in a mixture of fear and determination.
The pain in his shoulder began to worsen now and he started to slow. "Keep going!" He yowled to his Clanmates and they pushed on ahead of him. He very quickly found himself at the back of the group, limping as he went. Maybe Cinderpelt was right, he thought with gritted teeth.
There was a squabble between Crowpaw and Squirrelpaw from up ahead, but Graystripe couldn't make sense of what was happening. His pain and all of the Twolegs' noise were clouding his senses. But as a monster began to tear up a nearby tree and wood splinters seared his flank, he managed to push on. The tree crashed to the ground and Graystripe dove after the group.
They reached the bramble wall of ShadowClan's camp and Graystripe crouched panting. Sandstorm and Thornclaw had taken charge of their patrols, each of them diving into the camp to help the queens and elders.
Brambleclaw had taken up ordering the rest of the warriors. Tawnypelt told them the fastest escape route, and the WindClan warriors were set on defending it. His eyes fell on Graystripe, and he ordered, "You stay here, outside the camp. Keep an eye on the monsters and yowl when they get too close. Got it?"
Graystripe wanted to protest, but he knew that he'd only get in the way if he tried to help with the evacuation. He bit his tongue and nodded. The others tore away to fulfill their roles, and Graystripe waited tensely near the bramble wall. His ears twitched nervously as he could hear cries and yowls of fear from inside the camp.
The monsters were growing closer with every passing heartbeat, but Graystripe stayed put. More and more chaos sounded from inside the camp and he heard Blackstar yowl at one of his warriors. Were cats getting out? Graystripe couldn't tell. But suddenly from up ahead, a monster crashed into sight. Its jaws grasped a tree and began to cut into it savagely. It was far too close to the camp! He knew when that tree fell, that it could very likely crush the camp.
"Get out! Everyone get out! They've reached the camp!" Graystripe yowled as loudly as he could and crashed through the bramble wall. He ignored the thorns that scratched at his pelt. He had to make sure that everyone was out.
There were several cats still left in the ShadowClan camp. Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw were at their escape route and Squirrelpaw had a kit in her jaws. Tawnypelt was helping Tallpoppy across the camp, each of them with a kit in their jaws, and Blackstar was nudging an apprentice along. To his surprise, Hawkfrost and Stormfur were there too, darting to each den as they searched to make sure that everyone had escaped.
A tree groaned overhead and Graystripe felt his heart leap as a huge trunk began to crash towards him. Instinctively, he shrank backwards and into the brambles. The trunk and its branches collided with the camp sickeningly, and Graystripe watched with wide eyes. He could no longer see the Brambleclaw and the others.
Tawnypelt let out a wail of grief and Graystripe knew that the queen beside her had gotten hit in the fall. But another tree groaned from overhead, and he couldn't stay there any longer. He emerged from his hiding place and hobbled towards the camp entrance.
"Graystripe!" Stormfur's yowl made him turn. The RiverClan warrior pounded to his side and helped Graystripe squeeze through the tunnel.
"Where's Squirrelpaw?" He panted, pulling away from Stormfur to look anxiously back at the camp. Another tree was crashing down into the clearing. "Where's Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt?"
"Squirrelpaw got out," Dustpelt was crouched near the entrance, his fur standing on end. "I haven't seen the others."
"We're here!" Brambleclaw gasped over the sound of another groaning tree. A monster was cutting into a huge sycamore now. The tabby warrior was grunting with the work of carrying the limp form of Blackstar from the camp. Tawnypelt was just behind him, pushing a trembling apprentice in front of her and holding a kit from her mouth.
"Blackstar!" Dustpelt yowled over the noise, "Is he okay?"
"He got hit by a branch," Brambleclaw mumbled around the white leader's scruff. "Help me carry him."
Dustpelt leaped to his paws and hurried over to help take some of Blackstar's weight. Graystripe turned to Tawnypelt and demanded, "Where is the Tallpoppy?"
The warrior's eyes were filled with grief, and she shoved the kit towards him. "She's dead, but Marshkit isn't. I have to go back for him."
"No," Stormfur held out his tail to stop the warrior. Just as he did the sycamore crashed down into the camp. "There's no saving him. You're going to get yourself killed."
Tawnypelt's face was torn with grief and she stared at him. Finally she dipped her head and nudged the gray apprentice forward. "Go, run! We need to move,"
The apprentice was slow with shock, but he followed Tawnypelt's orders. Brambleclaw and Dustpelt started forward with Blackstar held between them. Stormfur kept pressed to Graystripe's side as they hobbled after them. Onewhisker spotted them from up ahead and he darted back to retrieve the kit from Graystripe.
"Hurry!" Tallstar's voice cried from up ahead.
Without the kit, Graystripe was able to move faster. He limped along with the help of Stormfur. A terrible crack split the air and together they froze. A huge tree was crashing to the ground. Graystripe grabbed Stormfur by the scruff and hauled the warrior backwards just in time. Branches whipped at their pelt and the whole world seemed to shake with its power. Pain seared Graystripe and he cried out as a branch pinned his tail.
Stormfur scrambled over to help him and grunted with the effort of lifting the branch. Graystripe shot out from under it with a hiss and turned to his son. The world was strangely still now that the tree had fallen, and Graystripe felt dazed.
There was a scrambling noise and they turned to see Tallstar standing on the trunk and looking down at them with relief. "Graystripe, Stormfur, this way!" The WindClan leader dove down the other side of the tree and out of sight.
Graystripe looked at the huge trunk with disbelief, then started towards it. He was beaten and bruised but still managed to somehow jump up and over it. Stormfur stayed by his side the whole time and soon they were pounding after the others. He could hear that a Twoleg behind them had spotted them, for it yowled and pounded their way, but neither of them stopped to confront it.
He could see Onewhisker with the kit helping guide the ShadowClan apprentice now. Tawnypelt was limping with one of her legs held at an awkward angle. But thankfully Blackstar was back on his paws and Brambleclaw and Dustpelt were able to run alongside him unburdened.
A Twoleg yowled nearby and yet another tree began to fall and Graystripe and Stormfur stopped in their tracks. They were so far behind the others that the tree fell between the duo and everyone else. It shook the ground and made Graystripe screw his eyes shut as pine needles and dirt flew up around them.
Graystripe and Stormfur recovered together and began to start forward again. They struggled over its trunk and towards safety. On the other side, Mistyfoot was standing in shock as the others rushed past her. Hawkfrost was hauling a limp body behind him, a black warrior by the name of Blackclaw. The warrior was limp and dead. Tallpoppy and her kit were not the only casualties of the camp being destroyed.
"Mistyfoot!" He gasped as he and Stormfur grew closer. "Why are you here?"
She turned to him with wide eyes, "We could hear the noise from our camp. Leopardstar sent us to help." she looked back down at her warrior, "He got caught under a tree helping the others escape."
"He's going to have died for nothing if you don't move," Hawkfrost grunted and pushed his way past the deputy. Mistyfoot leaped after him.
Stormfur and Graystripe limped onwards, finally reaching the open ground near the Thunderpath. Brambleclaw and Squirrelpaw were crouched near the entrance of a tunnel that led underneath the path. Squirrelpaw yowled for them to hurry.
There was a howl as another Twoleg caught sight of them but Graystripe ignored it. He could hear its pounding paws chasing them but Brambleclaw flashed forward threateningly. He stood between them and the Twoleg with his teeth bared. The creature backed away hesitantly, grumbling as he did.
"Graystripe," Leafpaw was crouched in the tunnel, anxiously looking out at the Twoleg. Her voice was shaky with relief, "You're okay. Come on, everyone's waiting in ThunderClan's territory."
Thank you all for reading. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the reviews!
