Rising Moon
Jedi Goat
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors.
Author's Note: Stardawn, Whitedove suspects Ashfur of Firestar's betrayal way back in Sunset (remember the Twoleg traps and Hawkfrost?).
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Chapter 35
Clouds were converging over the moon, though few cats in the Gathering clearing had noticed. They were all too focused on Preybone.
"I will give you two days!" declared the massive gray tom. "If, by dawn two nights from now, you have not fled this forest, I and my army will attack! Now, be gone with you!"
Very quickly, the clans began to clear out. Moonblaze, however, stayed where she was. She was in shock.
"C'mon," hissed Wolfspirit, nudging her to her feet. She glanced uneasily back at Preybone's rogues, who were circling the clearing ominously. "Let's get out of here!"
Moonblaze nodded slowly, thoughts still on Preybone. Two days. In two days, we must fight…or flee. She glanced over her shoulder as she left the clearing. We won't give up this easy, Preybone. You'll see.
That night, when ThunderClan returned to camp, they were met by anxious yowls from their fellow warriors.
"Where's Nightfang?"
"What happened?"
"Did you fight him?"
Firestar silenced the clan with a wave of his tail. Quietly he relayed the grim news. "Nightfang is working with Preybone. Together they want to re-form BloodClan and take over our territory."
The clan listened in horrified silence as he continued, "They've given us two days. Then we must leave…or fight."
"We aren't giving up, are we?" demanded Squirrelflight, fire in her eyes. Her young kits sat at her paws; though she was still nursing, Squirrelflight, too, was prepared to battle.
"No," Firestar answered her calmly. "ThunderClan will fight."
"But what of the other clans?" wondered Ferncloud.
Firestar paused. "We have not spoken…but for now, at least, we are on our own."
The clan absorbed this in solemn silence. As they disbanded, Moonblaze heard her clanmates muttering together uncertainly. Those were not very good odds, once clan against all of their enemies.
No, Moonblaze remembered, two. StarClan will be with us. She looked up at the dark clouded sky and sighed.
I hope.
The next morning, the clan continued to bustle with preparations. Moonblaze padded out of the medicine cats' den, yawning widely and glancing about. She, Cindercloud and Leafpool had finally finished restocking herbs yesterday, and now she needed another duty, the clan spread thin as it was.
Spotting a group of cats gathered at the entrance tunnel, she headed over to investigate. A patrol of some sort must be setting out, she noted, deciding she might as well join them.
Oakheart looked up as she approached. "Moonblaze," he greeted her calmly, showing no sign of his feelings toward her. Moonblaze dipped her head in return, hoping perhaps they could steal some time alone later.
"May I join your patrol?" she asked, looking over at Ashfur, Ferncloud, and Wolfspirit, the rest of the group.
Oakheart nodded. "StarClan knows we could use the help."
Together they set off through the tunnel, Moonblaze falling into step behind the others. She noticed Ashfur and Wolfspirit brushing pelts as they walked; with a pang of longing Moonblaze looked away. If only she and Oakheart could be like that…not having to hide their secret romance…
She shook off those thoughts, knowing it was a silly wish. As a medicine cat, she was forbidden to love. The warrior code wouldn't change just for her.
Moonblaze sighed. StarClan, it would be enough if we just make it through this alive.
As the patrol passed ShadowClan's border, Moonblaze paused and sniffed the air. She recoiled at the terrible stench – rogues. It seemed ShadowClan – no, BloodClan – was keeping its borders secure. They would be on high alert, in case the other clans tried a surprise attack.
The patrol ventured on down to the river, their border with WindClan. Here WindClan's scent was pungent, but fear lingered in the air. Moonblaze couldn't blame them.
She turned to leave, assured the border was safe, but Oakheart stiffened beside her. "Wait," he warned in an undertone.
Obediently Moonblaze froze, her eyes flicking back to the stream. Taking another whiff, she realized the WindClan scent was strong – too strong. There were cats on the border!
Wolfspirit sank into a battle crouch, her bushy tail sweeping the ground behind her. Ashfur and Ferncloud took up positions on either side of her. Moonblaze and Oakheart stood off to the side, not moving.
The grass on the other side shimmied, and then a small group of slim cats darted out onto the frozen water. Moonblaze quickly counted four warriors; their patrol could take them. Beside her, Oakheart growled low in his throat.
The WindClan cats reached ThunderClan's side of the stream and hurried up the slope. At the head of the group Moonblaze recognized Onestar; the brown tabby glanced about nervously as he guided his clanmates onward.
With a quick swish of his tail, Oakheart bounded out in front of the surprised cats. At the signal, the ThunderClan patrol burst out of hiding and surrounded the invaders.
"What are you doing here?" snarled Oakheart, standing in front of Onestar.
Onestar flicked his ears back, giving a slight bow of his head. "Please, we come in peace. We have come to meet with Firestar."
Oakheart considered this. "All right," he agreed finally, signaling for the ThunderClan warriors to back off. Moonblaze sheathed her claws, quite relieved. She did not want to attack the clan she had befriended long ago.
"We will escort you to camp," Oakheart told Onestar, and with that, he set off up the slope. Framing the group, the ThunderClan and WindClan cats followed.
Upon arrival in the camp, Oakheart went to fetch Firestar. The WindClan warriors looked around the camp with interest, while other ThunderClan cats emerged from dens to watch them suspiciously.
Upon further observation, Moonblaze recognized the three other warriors. There was Crowfeather, gazing tensely in the direction of the medicine cats' den; Weaselfur, sitting quietly; and a snow-white she-cat.
"Snowpaw?" Moonblaze asked, recalling the tiny apprentice who had been in her care long ago. Sister to Cougarpelt, the she-cat had been suffering from extreme fear of the wolves. The confident she-cat who now stood before her looked nothing like her past self. Small but well-built like Cougarpelt, she was quite beautiful.
Snowpaw blinked at her a moment before recognition dawned on her face. "Moonblaze!"
Moonblaze was surprised the she-cat knew her warrior name; then she realized Cougarpelt must have told her.
"Congratulations on your name," she smiled, dipping her head. "I got mine, too, just a little while ago." She nodded toward Weaselfur, her mentor. "I'm Snowfall now."
Their conversation was interrupted as Oakheart returned with Firestar. ThunderClan's leader gave a respectful nod to Onestar, which he returned.
"We can speak in my den," Firestar mewed. "Your warriors may stay in our camp for now."
The two leaders padded off toward the Highledge. Moonblaze turned back to Snowfall, flicking her tail in a friendly way. "Want to come to the medicine cats' den?"
"Sure," agreed Snowfall, rising to her paws.
They crossed the camp in silence, Moonblaze slipping through the fern curtain first.
Moonblaze settled on the cool stone floor, Snowfall sitting across from her.
"So," Moonblaze said, absent-mindedly rearranging a pile of herbs, "is WindClan going to fight?"
Snowfall nodded, watching her movements, transfixed. "Onestar says we won't leave the territory without a fight. He's convinced that since we fought BloodClan before, we can do it again."
She blinked and looked away, her shoulders slumping slightly. Suddenly she looked more like the young apprentice she had been. "Moonblaze…so you really think we can win? I mean, even if our clans join together, we will be vastly outnumbered…"
Moonblaze said nothing; it was the same thing buzzing on her mind, but there was no answer.
"I don't know…" she finally murmured.
"You're a medicine cat," Snowfall said. "Haven't StarClan told you anything?"
Moonblaze thought back to the dream she had had the other night. Although Dawnbreak had revealed her heritage, Moonblaze could not see how it was relevant to the upcoming battle. And the prophecy? She understood it now, mostly. However, worry pricked her paws when she realized that she had a role to play in this battle, and she didn't know what it was. What is the spirit of the forest, anyway?
Slowly, Moonblaze shook her head. "No, they haven't told me anything," she sighed. "What about Cougarpelt?"
"He won't tell me," Snowfall sighed, lowering her head.
Moonblaze wandered around the room. "StarClan will be with us, whatever happens," she declared. Even though she was uncertain about StarClan's plans for her, she trusted them. Her brother and sister in StarClan were watching over her. Always.
A moment passed in silence. Snowfall opened her mouth to speak when suddenly a yowl split the air outside. Heart in her throat, Moonblaze rushed outside.
Could it be BloodClan already?!
Her eyes hurriedly swept the camp; the warriors present in the clearing were turning toward the entrance tunnel, while others were peering out of their dens in concern. Crowfeather and Weaselfur of WindClan were rising to their paws beneath the Highledge.
Oakheart was poised at the entrance tunnel, fur on end. Moonblaze stopped in her tracks, watching. What's going on? Dimly she sensed Snowfall appearing at her side.
Then a group of cats stepped through the tunnel. The spotted golden she-cat at the front raised her head, giving Oakheart a challenging look.
"We've come to see Firestar."
RiverClan had arrived!
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A dark gray tom sat in silence, gazing into the depths of the midnight-black pool. All around him stars twinkled and danced, but the tom sat in stony silence. He stared down at his reflection; a starry cat gazed back.
There came a rustle behind him, and the tom turned. A pale gray she-cat slipped down the slope toward him, her bright green eyes troubled.
The tom rose smoothly to his paws. "Anything?"
The she-cat shook her head. "No. The Elders won't tell me anything – and they forbade me from speaking to our sister tonight."
The tom sighed, looking up at the sky. "I sense great trouble ahead. I only hope our sister is all right."
The she-cat settled beside him. "Me too. I only wish there were some way we could help. I can tell the Elders are holding something back. I fear they know the fate of the clans, and –" She broke off, unable to say more.
The tom nodded in understanding, sharing those same fears. "I know, dear sister, I know."
Together they gazed up at the stars until they faded into the dawn.
To be continued...
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