Chapter 5 (G):
The light was momentarily blinding as Graystripe burst from the tunnel. There, on the stretch of grass between the Thunderpath and the forest, the ShadowClan cats had collapsed.
Crowpaw was standing near a tree with Tallpoppy's two surviving kits at his paws. They were mewling and he looked uncomfortable but he kept watching over them. The gray ShadowClan apprentice was nearby, panting and laying with his eyes closed. Littlecloud was weaving between his Clanmates, sniffing at each of them anxiously and checking for wounds. Tawnypelt was beside two elders, her hurt leg held off the ground and Blackstar was staring at his Clanmates, as though he couldn't believe what was happening to them. His white pelt was stained with blood and his black paws were covered in splinters.
Sandstorm's and Thornclaw's patrols had both made it to safety too. Brackenfur was checking on Tallstar and his warriors, while Sandstorm shared words with Mistyfoot in hushed voices. The Blackclaw lay still on the ground and Stormfur left Graystripe's side to be with his fallen Clanmate. Squirrelpaw and Brambleclaw squeezed out of the tunnel behind Graystripe and joined him on the grass.
Three cats hadn't made it, but none of them were ThunderClan warriors. Graystripe looked on, trembling with pain and confusion as his mind finally caught up with what had happened. He had tried to lead his Clanmates into a rescue mission for ShadowClan and he had almost died because of it. His vision blurred and his legs collapsed.
"Graystripe!" Leafpaw's startled voice sounded from nearby. She was at his side in an instant, feeling along his pelt with concern. "Are you okay? Can you hear me?"
There was a rush of pawsteps and suddenly Sandstorm and Dustpelt were crouched beside him too. The sandy she-cat asked something, but Graystripe was too overwhelmed to hear it. He was so stupid. How could he have thought that he was strong enough to go with them? What would have happened if he had died? Firestar wasn't there, and he was their only deputy. ThunderClan would have been lost without him. He shouldn't have gone after them.
Leafpaw was feeling his tail with concern, her paws hovering just over where it had been crushed by the tree. Dustpelt was lapping at his fur near his injured shoulder and Sandstorm was crouched near his head. Her green eyes were just a whisker length from his own and she blinked at him.
"You mouse-brain," she growled despite her worry. "You should have listened to Cinderpelt. You should have known that you were too hurt to fight."
"I know," he croaked, throat dry from fear and exhaustion. Emotions bubbled in his chest and threatened to burst. He knew that he'd never do this again. "I'm so sorry."
She gave him a long look that he couldn't quite read, then straightened. "Cloudtail, go and fetch some wet moss. Squirrelpaw, Brightheart, go with him."
Graystripe tried to sit up now but Dustpelt held him still, "Stay here until Cloudtail gets back," he said. "Everyone is okay. Let Leafpaw look at you."
"When was the last time you've eaten?" Leafpaw asked now. Her eyes narrowed when Graystripe didn't answer. "No wonder you collapsed. You can't lead a Clan if you're starving yourself, Graystripe."
"Other cats need food more than me." He managed to mumble.
Leafpaw said something that he didn't quite catch. She ran her tail along his back and Graystripe gave in. He closed his eyes. Laying on the ground, he listened to the cats move around him. It appeared that overall, each Clan had come out okay. Blackstar's voice was tense but he was reassuring his warriors that he was okay. Crowpaw passed the kits off to a ShadowClan she-cat and returned to his leader's side. Tallstar and his warriors were recovering too, though they were very tired.
Brambleclaw was pacing nearby. He said, "We can't stay in the open like this."
"We can't move Graystripe yet," Leafpaw told him. She had left his side temporarily in search of cobwebs but she had now returned to patch up some of his wounds. Littlecloud joined her, crouching to examine Graystripe's injured shoulder for himself.
"Do you and Cinderpelt have soothing herbs back at your camp?" The ShadowClan medicine cat asked Leafpaw. "Smokepaw is badly affected. I'm afraid that he'll go into shock."
"We do," Leafpaw sounded tired now too, "But there isn't much left."
Cloudtail arrived with freshly soaked moss. He bounded over and gave his bundle to Graystripe to lap at. Brightheart and Squirrelpaw gave their bundles of moss to the recovering ShadowClan cats.
Graystripe lapped at the moss weakly. It soothed his throat and recovered some of his strength but did nothing to help his mind. With a sharp inhale, he pushed himself to sit upright and blink at his surroundings again.
Mistyfoot was gathering her warriors again. "I'm taking my warriors home," she said.
"Will you help us get to Sunningrocks first?" Sandstorm stepped away from Graystripe's side to ask. "We should bring ShadowClan there."
"Sunningrocks?" Blackstar narrowed his eyes. "Why do you want to take us there?"
"That's where we live now," Sandstorm informed him. "We have herbs for the injured there, and you'll be safe from the Twolegs."
Mistyfoot gave Sandstorm a torn look, then shook her head. "We must carry Blackclaw to our camp before nightfall. I'll let Leopardstar know about what's happened." She looked to Stormfur, "Would you stay with ThunderClan and sort out what will happen next? If ShadowClan agrees that it is time to leave, then we will want to go as soon as possible."
Blackstar's ears pricked at this. "Did RiverClan agree to leave?"
"When Leopardstar heard about Firestar's disappearance, she agreed to leave with ThunderClan and WindClan." The deputy told him.
Surprise showed in Blackstar's eyes, similar to Tallstar's earlier. "Firestar is gone? Where is he?" he looked to Graystripe now.
Graystripe gritted his teeth and pushed himself to sit upright. "Firestar was taken by Twolegs. We found where Leafpaw and Brightheart had been held hostage by the Twolegs, but he was taken in the rescue mission."
"So you're Graystar now?"
"No," Graystripe's pelt pricked with uneasiness. "I have faith that Firestar will return to ThunderClan in time."
"Then ThunderClan is leaderless," Blackstar twitched his ear, seemingly unimpressed. Then he dipped his head slightly in Graystripe's direction, "You'll lead his Clan well in his place. But you are right to believe that Firestar will return to the forest."
Tallstar got to his paws slowly and faced the ShadowClan leader. "Enough of this, Blackstar. RiverClan has agreed to leave the forest. We only wait on ShadowClan now, and you've lost your territory."
Blackstar glared at Tallstar, but Tawnypelt cut in. "There's nowhere else for ShadowClan. Do you really think we can continue to live in the forest, even after you've seen what the Twolegs are capable of? There will be no forest for Firestar to return to!"
"ShadowClan may stay at the Sunningrocks with ThunderClan for tonight," Graystripe told him. "But we have to leave soon. It's only a matter of time before the Twolegs destroy RiverClan and WindClan's camps too."
The fur along Blackstar's back bristled, but it was clear that he had given in. With a bowed head, he sighed. "ShadowClan will travel with you all to our new home."
Mistyfoot looked pleased with his decision. "Good. Stormfur, then you can come back with us. We'll let Leopardstar know and RiverClan will be ready to leave by tomorrow morning."
Tallstar sat back on his haunches again, seemingly relieved. "WindClan will be ready to leave too, permitted that every Clan is healthy enough to travel."
"Then it's settled," Brambleclaw weaved his way to the front of the discussion. "We'll leave in the morning." He nodded to Mistyfoot, "Thank Leopardstar for her help today. We would have lost more cats to the Twolegs had you not come to help."
She blinked in return, "With the journey that's coming up, all the Clans will need to be allied." She bid them farewell, then raised her tail for the Clanmates to follow. With Blackclaw's weight shared between them, the RiverClan cats began to their trek back to their territory.
Brambleclaw glanced at Graystripe now, "We should probably return to camp now. Our Clanmates are going to wonder what's happened."
"Do you feel well enough to walk?" Leafpaw asked Graystripe. "Your tail is broken in two spots and you're bleeding again. Your shoulder injury has gotten worse too."
"I can walk," Graystripe said between gritted teeth. He got shakily to his paws and Dustpelt helped him stand. He nodded to ShadowClan's medicine cat, "Are your Clanmates well enough to walk?"
"I think so, if we travel slowly," Littlecloud replied. He was checking on Smokepaw again. The gray apprentice was lapping at a soaked bundle of moss. Tawnypelt was there too, recovering with the apprentice. Luckily her leg had just been dislocated and it had taken the medicine cat only a short moment to fix her injury.
The trip back to Sunningrocks was a slow and painful one. Graystripe was definitely the most injured of the group, and he had hardly done anything during the rescue. His mind kept going in circles, thinking about how mouse-brained his decision had been and what might have happened to his Clan if he had been struck down by a tree.
"Cinderpelt's going to be angry," He murmured to Dustpelt as they limped onwards.
"Probably," the tabby agreed with a flick of his ear. "But you survived, and that's all that matters."
Sandstorm was walking nearby, the fur along her spine prickling with energy. She heard Graystripe's words and padded closer to speak. "You should really appoint another deputy. Even if you don't want to take nine lives, the Clan needs another cat to fall back on if something happens."
Graystripe really didn't want to appoint a second deputy, but he understood the concern. "I know," he mumbled. "But who would I appoint?"
"Whoever fits it best," Was all Sandstorm replied with.
Her words did nothing to help Graystripe. The rest of the journey back to camp, his mind was busy trying to sort through his Clanmates. Who else would make a good deputy? Several names rose in his mind, but they all felt equally worthy. Thornclaw, Brackenfur, and Brambleclaw were all experienced warriors who kept a level head in the face of danger. They could all order patrols and looked out for the best interest of ThunderClan. But who would be the best? The decision was daunting, and it made him want to not choose one at all.
Night had fallen by the time they reached the camp. The ThunderClan cats who had stayed behind to defend Sunningrocks rushed forward to meet their returning Clanmates. Tallstar and his warriors padded to the base of the rocks and collapsed there, too tired to go further. ShadowClan climbed further onto the rocks, leaving ThunderClan to stand at the treeline.
"How did it go?" Whitepaw asked, rushing forward to greet her mother. She pulled back sharply and said, "You're bleeding!"
"It's just some scratches," Brightheart soothed her daughter.
"You're alive!" Cody called and came bounding from the rocks with Birchkit stumbling after her. She greeted Leafpaw with relief, brushing her muzzle against the ThunderClan apprentice's.
Ferncloud appeared at the edge of the makeshift nursery, looking out at everyone with bewilderment. "What happened?"
"Everyone's safe," Brambleclaw announced, coming to stand at the front of the patrol. "That's the main thing."
"Oh, thank StarClan," Ferncloud murmured.
Cinderpelt hurried forward, "Where's Graystripe?" she demanded, searching the crowd.
"I'm right here," Graystripe said, raising his tail with a wince. Dustpelt was still at his side, holding him upright. The emotions on Cinderpelt's face changed rapidly at the sight of him. Her anxiety changed in a heartbeat to relief, anxiety again, and then finally settled on anger. He knew that he was in for a stern talking later.
"What about the ShadowClan camp?" Frostfur demanded, "Did you save it?"
"The Twolegs and their monsters destroyed the camp," Blackstar growled, claws flexing on the stone. "There's nothing left but fallen trees. We have no home."
"You can stay here for the night," Graystripe reassured the leader.
Blackstar's eyes shone with relief for a moment, then he turned and ordered Littlecloud to help their Clanmates the best he could.
"You said that they lost their camp. What does that mean?" Whitepaw asked, glancing nervously at the ShadowClan cats. "Does that mean that we are leaving the forest?"
"ShadowClan has agreed to leave with the rest of the Clans," Graystripe told her, loud enough for all to hear. "I want everyone that is fit enough to hunt to make up patrols. Everyone needs to rest well tonight, for we leave tomorrow morning."
Excitement began to spread through the makeshift camp at once and yowls of approval echoed through the air. Cats began to talk and whisper amongst one another, and then Brackenfur's voice rose as he began to sort out hunting patrols. There was movement around the camp as the injured cats were separated from the uninjured ones. Cinderpelt provided herbs for Littlecloud and together, along with the help of Leafpaw, they slowly made their way through the exhausted warriors who had stayed behind from the hunt.
"We should get you back to your nest," Dustpelt said, grunting as he shifted the shoulder that Graystripe was leaning on. "Some rest would do you good,"
"I can't rest yet," Graystripe shook his head. "I need to speak with Tallstar."
Dustpelt looked as though he disagreed, but he led Graystripe over to the leaders either way. They arrived just in time to see Blackstar glare at Cody and ask, "Is this kittypet a medicine cat?"
Cody had begun to soothe the frightened ShadowClan kits and was now searching them for splitters. Birchkit was beside her, distracting the other kits while the kittypet worked.
"It's okay. She knows what she's doing," Leafpaw called from near the herb storage.
Dustpelt helped Graystripe lay down on the stone and Graystripe told the leader, "Cody was with Leafpaw and Brightheart when we rescued them from the Twolegs. I've agreed to let her stay with us until we can return her home, and she's been a help to the Clan."
Cedarheart, one of Blackstar's warriors grunted, "Typical ThunderClan. Always taking in kittypets for help."
Graystripe chose to ignore the comment and instead spoke to Tallstar. He told the leader, "You may stay the night here if you'd like."
"Thank you," Tallstar rasped. "I have sent Onewhisker back to WindClan to announce the news. They will be ready to leave at dawn."
Tornear looked up from pulling splinters from his paws. "But where are we going to go?"
"Brambleclaw said that he has an idea of where to bring us." Graystripe meowed. "We have to trust that he and the others know where our new home will be."
Tawnypelt was amongst her Clanmates atop the Sunningrocks. She looked up from her grooming and said, "Midnight's sign never came when the leaders gathered at the Great Rock. But we can travel and ask her about it again." She sounded doubtful, and Graystripe wondered just how far this badger was from their home.
"We just need to make it to Highstones first," Crowpaw said, stifling a yawn. "From there, we can decide what the best route would be."
"We should send a messenger to RiverClan to confirm the plan," Blackstar said.
"I can send Leafpaw to RiverClan," Graystripe offered. He looked around Sunningrocks to where he spotted Leafpaw helping Littlecloud heal his Clanmates. "Leafpaw!" he called.
The tabby apprentice glanced up, then excused herself from the warrior and bounded over. "Yes, Graystripe? Do you need me to get you something?"
"Can Littlecloud and Cinderpelt spare you for the night?"
Leafpaw looked behind her, assessing the injured cats with a narrowed gaze. "I think so," she said. "Thankfully most injuries are mild."
"That's good," Graystripe nodded, pleased with the answer. It would make traveling a lot easier in the morning, knowing that no one except himself was seriously hurt. "I want you to travel to RiverClan then, and confirm that we are leaving in the morning. Have them join us here at Sunningrocks at dawn."
The apprentice nodded and went to tell her mentor that she'd be leaving. Now that she was sent off, Graystripe allowed Dustpelt to take him to his nest. He sank into it gratefully, only to look up and see Cinderpelt waiting for him. Dustpelt gave Graystripe knowing a look, then left him to deal with the angry medicine cat alone.
Ah, poor Graystripe. I'm trying my best to keep his personality realistic in this story. I've always seen him as a cat who is comic relief, impulsively generous, and incredibly loyal. Unfortunately, I think that generosity is going to get the best of him and that comic relief has faded with the current events. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. There have already been some big changes to the story, you may have noticed. In the books, Mistyfoot did not fish for ThunderClan during her visit. Shrewpaw had also died while Tallpoppy, Marshkit, and Blackclaw did not.
Thank you all for reading. Don't forget to leave your thoughts in the reviews!
