Chapter 6 (G):

Graystripe awoke early the next morning despite his exhaustion. The business of the camp and the voices of his Clanmates roused him from his sleep, and he blinked blurrily from his nest. He didn't even have to move a muscle to know that he was terribly sore. He laid there for a long time, very slowly moving and stretching each leg in turn.

Cinderpelt came over to his makeshift den with some herbs. She gave him a sympathetic look, in much more of a friendly mood after the stern talking and practically force-feeding that she's given him last night. She stepped closer to his nest and dropped the herbs at his paws.

"These are traveling herbs. They'll help give you energy, keep your appetite at bay, and hopefully will reduce your soreness. I gave you one poppy seed too. It should ease your pain without making you tired." She told him.

"Thank you, Cinderpelt." Graystripe winced as he stretched his neck forward and lapped up the herbs. They were bitter and sharp-tasting, but he finished them quickly. He cleared his throat afterwards, wishing that he had some water.

She reached forward with a paw to gently examine his shoulder and asked, "How are you feeling? Are you able to walk?"

"I'm going to have to, won't I?" Graystripe grunted. He forced himself to his paws. His muscles screamed in protest but he bit his tongue and slowly lowered into a long stretch. For a short moment, he felt as though he'd never straighten back up. He forced his body to cooperate with his mind and stood again. "I'm going to check on Ferncloud and the others."

Cinderpelt nodded, still looking at Graystripe with concern. "Do let me know if you can't keep up. ThunderClan needs you, and we can always rest a day if needed."

"There's no need," Graystripe hid a wince as he reached forward to touch her shoulder with his tail. He had forgotten that it was broken and had been put in a bind. He lowered it slowly and then left the overhanging boulders with her following close behind. In the open, Graystripe saw that a cold rain had covered the forest in the night.

It was a gray dawn and the cats were slow to rise despite their whispered excitement. Last-minute hunting patrols were arriving back at the camp, some lucky with scrawny pieces of prey but most cats turning up empty-pawed. Cinderpelt and Littlecloud divided their herbs between the cats who needed it most, and Leafpaw was already checking in with Tallstar, the elders, and the queens without needing to be told to.

Graystripe's ear twitched as he could hear the monsters nearby. They were closer to Sunningrocks than ever and he could hear them rumbling over the gentle pattering of rain. As much as he didn't want to say goodbye to the forest that he had known his entire life, he was grateful that ShadowClan and RiverClan had finally agreed to leave their home. If they could find this home that StarClan is promising them, then the starving would end and his Clanmates would be safe.

ShadowClan was the first to awake, unfamiliar with sleeping under the trees and in rival territory. Without the familiarity of their own camp, most of the cats gathered in small groups around the clearing and whispered to one another in the rain. Their pelts bristled and their eyes shifted about them nervously.

But ThunderClan had awoken too. Brackenfur had taken up the role of issuing hunting patrols. He chose every ThunderClan warrior that was fit and sent them out in groups.

Mousefur licked her paw and brought it over her ear, glancing with dislike in the direction of Blackstar. The black-and-white leader had seen ThunderClan preparing for the day and had quickly grouped his own warriors into rival hunting patrols too. "It looks like Blackstar is already organizing his own hunting patrols."

"I don't know how they expect to catch anything." Rainwhisker meowed, shaking water from his head. "Maybe some frogs in this weather." He looked disgusted.

Graystripe closed his eyes for a long moment, thankful for Brackenfur having taken up issuing patrols. He was tired and sore, and he wasn't looking forward to the day ahead of them. They were about to leave the forest and his mind just refused to comprehend that. He tried to imagine what this new home might be like. He had lived all his life here, safely within the borders of ThunderClan's territory. He had never needed more than this territory had given him. It was hard for him to imagine living anywhere else. There is so much that they would be leaving behind with this forest. He had made so many memories here.

His thoughts moved onto Firestar and he opened his eyes before they could go much further. As much as it pained him to leave Firestar behind, he had to focus on what was best for ThunderClan. He would give anything to stay and wait for his best friend to return, but all of ThunderClan relied on him today. He had to take care of his Clan not only for them, but for Firestar too.

Squaring his shoulders, Graystripe made his way over to Cinderpelt and Leafpaw. "Will there be enough traveling herbs for everyone?"

"Oh yes," Cinderpelt answered, her paws working as she sorted her herbs into neat bundles. "I just hope that where we're going has the plants I need to replenish my stocks."

Graystripe nodded. That wasn't something he had thought of before. Would their home have enough herbs to last them through the leaf-bare?

"Oh, Graystripe?" Leafpaw's voice caught his attention. "I thought I should let you know that Cody went back to her Twolegs last night."

"That's good." He meowed, realizing that he hadn't seen among the ThunderClan warriors. "Then we don't need to send an escort. Did she say anything?"

"She was thankful for everything ThunderClan has done for her," Leafpaw told him. "And she said that she'd keep a look out for Firestar in the Twolegplace."

Graystripe nodded, appreciative of the offer, but didn't know if it would help any. How would Cody have any idea where the Clans had gone? He was beginning to think that he would never see Firestar again, with the Clans having to leave now.

"I was thinking," Cinderpelt began slowly, almost apprehensively as she glanced at Graystripe. "If we're heading for Highstones, would you like to take the chance to speak with StarClan?"

Speak with StarClan? He had never seen the Moonstone before, let alone spoke with StarClan. He wouldn't know what to do, or what to say. What if StarClan tried to grant him nine lives? Could he accept them? New thoughts, worrying thoughts, began to enter his mind again. He wasn't sure if he could handle seeing Firestar standing amongst their ranks.

"You don't have to." Cinderpelt continued carefully when Graystripe was silent. "I could speak with them instead, if you'd like."

But Graystripe just shook his head. "I have to think about it." He mumbled noncommittally and turned away. With the Clans not yet ready to leave, he had more time to speak with his Clanmates. As he peered through the rain at the cats who hadn't gone hunting, he spotted a group of elders huddled underneath an overhanging ledge of Sunningrocks.

He padded over to them and asked them how they were doing. Frostfur and Speckletail looked so thin as they shared a nest for warmth. Longtail was there too, and his head swiveled around to look in Graystripe's direction as he approached.

"The patrols should be back soon," Graystripe told the she-cats. "When they return, I'll have Shrewpaw bring you some prey to share. RiverClan should be here soon and then we'll start our journey."

Frostfur and Speckeltail shared an uneasy look between them, and Longtail settled into a crouch in the silence. His blind gaze had fallen to the ground now.

Graystripe looked at them with alarm. "Is something wrong?" he asked. Why were they acting so oddly?

"I'm sorry, Graystripe." Speckletail rasped as he shuffled closer under the shallow overhang to escape the rain. "We can't follow the Clan to the new territories."

"What?" Graystripe was shocked. "Why don't you want to come? There will be plenty of prey where we're going, and Cinderpelt will have herbs to help us along."

"I'm too old to make such a journey," Speckletail told him evenly. She didn't sound upset, only as though she'd accepted her fate. "Frostfur and I would prefer to stay behind."

Frostfur nodded weakly, "I'd rather die beneath Silverpelt, knowing StarClan waits for us, than exhausted on the side of a Thunderpath."

Graystripe winced at her wording but dipped his head to the elders. He hadn't given much thought about how difficult the journey would be for the elders. But he knew that what they said made sense. If they didn't feel like they could keep up, and they wanted to live out the rest of their lives in the familiarity of their homes, then he wouldn't stop them.

"If this is what you wish, then I will not make you follow." He turned to Longtail though, who had been silent up until now. "But I will not leave Longtail behind."

The blind tabby curled his lip. "What use would I be?" He spat. "I can't even see where I'm putting my paws!"

Graystripe looked at the warrior. Longtail had been through much, he knew. Torn between his loyalty to ThunderClan and following Tigerstar, Graystripe and Firestar had disliked Longtail for quite some time. But in the end, the sharp-tongued warrior chose loyalty to ThunderClan over the murderous traitor, and Graystripe could not bear to leave another one of his Clanmates behind.

"Your senses are as good as any other cat," Graystripe argued. "You are mouse-brained to think that any warrior here would want to leave you behind. You are a member of this Clan, and you are as important as anyone else."

Longtail was silent for a long moment, then finally he lowered his head. "Thank you, Graystripe."

He nodded curtly and looked around at the camp. The first of the hunting patrols had arrived back at camp and the cats were beginning to share the prey between them. He was pleasantly surprised to see that they had actually brought something back with them. Thank StarClan for good hunting, he thought. Hopefully the other patrols would do just as well. They needed all the strength they could get.

"I'll tell a warrior to share some prey with you. Whether or not you are coming with us, you can still have a meal." He promised the elders as Leafpaw padded over to give the two of them their share of traveling herbs. She meowed with surprise as Frostfur and Speckletail declined to eat them.

Graystripe padded over and asked Sorreltail to share her prey with the elders, then looked around at his Clanmates again. Cinderpelt was finishing dividing some of her herbs to share with ShadowClan. Littlecloud was crouched beside the she-cat as he accepted her herbs and they worked quietly together.

He spotted Ferncloud speaking with Russetfur, Blackstar's deputy. The queen had been laying in her nest, curled around three kits at her belly. But she sat upright now, her ears pricked as the deputy leaned down to sniff at the kits. Graystripe wandered over to hear what they were saying.

"Thank you again, Ferncloud," The ginger she-cat meowed. "StarClan knows that these kits need a little extra care after what had happened yesterday." She turned and nodded in greeting to Graystripe as he approached.

He looked down at the kits with approval. During the rescue of ShadowClan the day before, Tallpoppy and one of her kits had died to the falling trees. Two of her kits survived, now motherless, and Ferncloud had been more than willing to take in the pair for the night. The two kits, who Graystripe learned to have been named Applekit and Toadkit, were sleeping on either side of Birchkit. The small ThunderClan tom was purring contentedly from where he was sandwiched the duo.

Ferncloud's eyes were filled with a mixture of grief and love as she looked down at the three of them. Less than a moon ago, she had Hollykit and Larchkit with her. Though the ShadowClan kits would never be her own, Graystripe had no doubt that she already cared for them deeply.

"How could I say no?" The queen said in a quiet voice. "They're doing much better after a night of rest. They needed some love after all that they went through."

Leafpaw arrived just then with a bundle of herbs in her jaws. Russetfur dipped her head to Ferncloud and stepped away to let Leafpaw work. The apprentice checked on the kits then got to work dividing the herbs. Ferncloud lapped up her portion gratefully, then helped Leafpaw coax Birchkit, Toadkit, and Applekit into eating their shares.

"It tastes like crow-food!" Birchkit squealed. The two ShadowClan kits chorused their agreement.

"You've never eaten crow-food before," Ferncloud pointed out, her whiskers twitching with amusement. "Now just swallow it."

Just then, there was a call from Ashfur. "RiverClan is approaching!"

Graystripe backed away from the overhang. All of ThunderClan's hunting patrols had arrived back at the camp, and now Leopardstar was here too. The golden leader was wading across what was left of the river with her Clan behind her. She stepped onto the bank and the water streamed from her shiny fur easily. She addressed him with a flick of her tail.

"Graystripe," she greeted him, her eyes catching on his ruffled and beaten pelt. She blinked with concealed surprise at the bind Cinderpelt had put on his tail to keep it still. "RiverClan is ready to leave when you are. Is ThunderClan well?"

"ThunderClan is doing well," Graystripe told her as the warriors gathered on the bank. He assumed that they had already eaten and taken their herbs. "We are finishing our prey, then we will be ready to start our journey. Is RiverClan well?"

"Very," Leopardstar meowed. Her eyes moved past him and watched as Blackstar joined them on the shore.

"ShadowClan is ready," Blackstar reported gruffly. "Let us gather the Clans now and head towards WindClan."

Graystripe nodded and began to call his Clan towards him. The cats gulped down the last of their prey or herbs and began to gather around him. Some quick words were shared and Graystripe stood atop the Sunningrocks as he made sure that everyone was accounted for. There was no turning back now, he knew.

When everyone was ready to go, the three Clans began to pad in the direction of WindClan, heading up the slope and away from their homes. Graystripe hung back for a moment however, allowing himself to say a farewell to the elders he was leaving behind.

"Goodbye, Speckeltail and Frostfur," he dipped his head low in respect.

"May StarClan guide you." Speckletail placed her muzzle on his forehead.

"You have a long journey, Graystripe." Frostfur agreed. "Stay strong for ThunderClan."

"I will," Graystripe promised quietly.

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