Thank you all for your reviews! This is chapter 6!
The Fourtrees was covered with damp snow and the branches on the surrounding trees were tipped with ice. Shadowclan and Windclan were already there, meowing nervously amongst themselves.
"Firestar!" Blackstar growled an unfriendly greeting.
Firestar ignored his hostility and nodded a 'hello'. The group of tense cats waited for Riverclan. Finally, there was crunch of snow and the Riverclan cats gathered beneath the
Leopardstar's tree stump. Leopardstar gave the other leaders a haughty nod. The four clans sat in silence, waiting for Bloodclan to appear. The sun had set and a crescent moon had risen. Firestar could see that the cats were getting restless, constantly shifting their eyes and grooming themselves. They were starting to believe that Bloodclan were not going to show up. Blackstar suddenly jumped up onto his tree stump. "Bloodclan is late. To fill the time… I will reveal something about Thunderclan."
Firestar felt the tension build up in his clan.
Blackstar narrowed his eyes at Firestar. "For months, you have been talking about keeping peace and following the warrior code."
He was speaking directly to Thunderclan's leader. Firestar held his gaze without flinching.
Blackstar went on, "Yet I have seen you in our territory. Riverclan has too. Windclan spotted you lumbering after a baby rabbit." Blackstar smirked unpleasantly. "You couldn't even catch the young rabbit, you were as slow as a one-legged badger. I saw you again today. This morning. Your stalking skills are terrible. Of course, I didn't expect much from a kittypet."
Firestar flattened his ears and spat, "I did not enter your Shadowclan territory or any other territory, for that matter! In fact, I know who the culprit is! He is—"
A high-pitched yowling shattered the quietness of the falling snow and soft voices. Bloodclan had arrived. They certainly didn't hesitate! A second later, chaos ruled the Fourtrees. A small and mottled brown tom threw himself at Firestar's back with full force, hissing and scratching. Firestar bent low and sprung up, letting the tomcat fly over his head and land painful on the edge of a tree stump. He winced as he felt claws dig into his tail. This time, he was battling a scarred ginger tabby with awful, transparent eyes. He screeched into Firestar ear and held his claw-tipped paw up, ready to bring it down, square on Firestar's muzzle. Firestar reared up onto his hind legs and rolled onto his back, hoping to squash the enemy Bloodclan cat and force him to loosen his grip. The cat was too quick and dodged the ground swiftly. He bounded back and got ready to sweep his thorn-sharp claws across Firestar's exposed belly. Firestar struggled to stand up but to his horror, his foot was stuck in a messy tangle of vines that were innocently placed beside a shrub. Panic rose in him as he desperately twisted his body around but it was obvious that he wasn't able untangle himself. There was a smirk of triumph on the brown tom's face. Firestar shut his eyes and steadied himself for the blow. He was not looking forward to losing another life. He could clearly remember the last time he lost a life, in the last battle against Bloodclan. Firestar waited for the claws to come down… waiting…
waiting… but they never did. Firestar opened his eyes
cautiously just in time to see the mottled tom scatter off to the faraway bushes. Firestar blinked twice in confusion before he realised that there was a another cat standing in front of him. A bright-pelted cat with green eyes.
"Scorch!" Firestar hissed in surprise.
Pure rage made Firestar yank his foot right out of the pile of vines. Firestar was as stunned as Scorch looked.
"What do you want? My life?" Firestar spat, "Well, you know what? I'm the—"
"Firestar," Scorch interrupted.
Firestar scowled at him. He seemed to be very skilled at interrupting.
Scorch ignored the look and continued. "You didn't let me explain the last time we met."
Firestar glared at Scorch's hurt expression and growled lightly, "If you want, tell me now. I don't have any time to waste."
Scorch led Firestar to a quieter clearing where there were not so many fighting cats.
Scorch began, "I was born in a Twoleg house with my brothers and sisters. When I was still a kit, the Twoleg house burnt down and my family was killed. I was wandering the streets and Bloodclan found me. They took me in. Some of the Bloodclan cats didn't trust me."
Firestar's face softened. Scorch was once a kittypet too. He too had had to live with the disapproval of some nasty clan cats.
Scorch went on, "As I grew, the cats came to respect me as a full-fledged warrior. Finally, I was chosen to be deputy after Bone and Scourge were killed."
Scorch faltered and looked down at his paws, unable to meet Firestar's eyes. "I hated battling. After the first battle with your clans, I decided that I needed to leave. When they announced that I was the new deputy, I was mortified! I snuck out and into the forest. I hoped that they'd think I was captured or killed. I really didn't want to cause any problems. I really didn't."
He gave Firestar such a sincere look of shame that Firestar actually forgave him.
"I—I'm sorry I didn't listen before…" Firestar stuttered.
"I'm sorry to for making those cats accuse you of—" Scorch was rudely interrupted by a sleek black cat which was sailing through the air toward them, all claws and teeth.
"Watch out!" Scorch yowled and slashed at the fierce black cat.
Firestar scuttled back and watched helplessly as the black cat hurtled at Scorch, lashing his tail viciously. He stopped suddenly and his eyes flashed with recognition.
"You!" the cat screeched with surprise. "Where did you go? We all thought you had gone crawling back to Twoleg life but I see that you've sided with these pathetic fools."
Scorch hissed and revealed his long, curved claws. "These 'pathetic fools' are far better warriors than those in
Bloodclan! You were never really that strong or brave, Eclipse."
Eclipse spat with rage, "You will pay for your betrayal!"
He leapt at Scorch and sank his claws deep into Scorch's side. Scorch yowled and kicked Eclipse off with his back leg. Firestar shrank back into the bushes. This was Scorch's fight. He would let him have it. Firestar distracted himself by pelting after a fleeing she-cat from Bloodclan. The she-cat was fluffy and white, hardly old enough to participate in a war. She was unusually nimble and disappeared out of sight before Firestar could catch up to her. He sat there for a moment, panting before being pounced on by a large gray tom.
"Ack!" Firestar snarled at his attacker.
The gray tom growled. It was Crow again. Firestar had
always thought that Crow's eyes were beady and dark but now, seeing them up close, he saw that they were actually green and blue. Somehow, this made Crow look less
threatening. Firestar swiped his claw at Crow's ear and felt Crow's own claws skim along his cheek. Crow pinned Firestar down and bared his teeth, ready to bite Firestar's throat but he was not quick enough. Firestar wriggled out of Crow's grasp and clawed at Crow's left foreleg. Crow winced and slumped over. He stood up again, leaning heavily to his right. Firestar didn't miss a beat. He jumped on Crow and bit his right foreleg. Crow moaned, retracting his talon-like claws. Firestar glared at him, furious but satisfied.
He finished Crow off with a quick bite and jumped on the tree stump.
"Cats of all clans," Firestar called.
Some cats showed the courtesy of looking at Firestar but others went on battling.
"Crow is dead!" Firestar announced.
Now all the cats were staring at Thunderclan's leader. Even the Bloodclan cats.
"That is not possible!" squealed a horror-struck Bloodclan warrior.
"Oh, yes it is."
All eyes turned to the owner of the voice. Scorch. He was dragging a gigantic gray tom along with him in his mouth. The Bloodclan warriors looked flabbergasted.
"Scorch?"
The questioning voice came from a short-furred ginger tom with big, bug eyes. Scorch calmly met the tom's gaze.
"Hello Scraps," Scorch greeted him, formally.
"Oh, it's all coming together now," meowed a haughty young she-cat, "You went off to hide with your little friends here and now you're trying to look tough by dragging your own leader's body to show us."
Scorch snorted, impatiently. "No, I was never a part of Bloodclan. I never dedicated my life to that clan. I hated it. To be completely honest, I would've rather been starving out in the Twoleg streets!
"I want you to consider what I am about to suggest. Every cat here must hear me out. I was born in a Twoleg house. When it was destroyed, I lived with Bloodclan surrounded by looks of mistrust. After Scourge and Bone were killed… I
realised something. All this killing is useless. I think that we should just make peace now and split ourselves into each of the other four clans."
Gasps of disbelief rippled through the crowd of cats.
A dusky tom in the centre of the clearing demanded, "Where will that lead us? Nowhere! Why should we go into another clan when we already have a great and strong clan?"
Scorch hissed, "Venom, can't you see? Bloodclan would never survive! There is no leader now—"
He paused to look at the limp and lifeless Crow with disdain.
"— there is not even a deputy! We have a much better chance of surviving if we hunt with another clan!" Scorch
insisted.
Firestar stepped forward. "Besides, I have already agreed that Scorch can join Thunderclan."
His clanmates stared at him. Even Scorch spun around to face Firestar with a look of astonishment.
"Of course," drawled Blackstar from the back of the mob. "You'd do anything to break the warrior code. Stealing other clans' food for example…"
Scorch swished his tail gently, ashamed. "No, actually… that was me."
Blackstar snarled at Scorch, "You were the bandit? Why should we let a burglar into our forest? Tell me that, Firestar!"
Firestar meowed through gritted teeth, "He didn't know about the territories or the warrior code. Just give these cats a chance! "
Blackstar backed down, unhappily. The Bloodclan cats shuffled around, uneasily.
One of them finally spoke. "Fine. We will try it but if you cats try any tricks…"
The pale brown she-cat showed Firestar her glistening claws.
"We won't," Firestar replied, confidently.
After the she-cat had chose to be with Riverclan, other Bloodclan cats started to give in and spread themselves
between the four clans.
"Firestar?"
Firestar swivelled around to find himself looking into
Sandstorm's proud eyes.
"That was a good—but strange—thing to do," she purred.
Firestar chuckled lightly. "Well, at least this means that there will be peace and quiet in the forest again."
Sandstorm's eyes glimmered with hope. "Yes, it does."
Next chapter will be the last chapter!!! Please review:)