"What do you mean?" asked Larkpaw worriedly, not wishing to offend the cats.
"What do you think we mean, apprentice?" growled Rainwhisker, his lips curling. Larkpaw only glared back, her eyes cold.
"Rainwhisker, leave her alone. Let's get back to the cave. Stoneteller has some explaining to do! Besides, it wasn't her fault," mumbled Squirrelpaw, but Larkpaw could tell that she, too, was shocked and slightly angry.
"Look, I don't know what I've done to get on your bad side, but I'm not going anywhere with you until I know what's going on," stated Larkpaw sharply, unsheathing her claws and grasping the hard earth.
"Fine. Tell her, Squirrelpaw," commanded Firestar, lashing his tail irritably.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Squirrelpaw retorted. Larkpaw absentmindedly thought that the cats must be very on edge, or else Squirrelpaw would not be so harsh on her own father. Then Larkpaw was painfully reminded of her own father, whom she had so cruelly abandoned, staring after her through the trees.
"Well, we lived in a forest far away to the…on the other side of these mountains." Began Squirrelpaw, shooting Firestar a loathing look.
"The north," Larkpaw chirped automatically.
"To the north of these mountains…" said Squirrelpaw, perturbed. "Everything was fine, ThunderClan was prospering-"
"ThunderClan?" broke in Larkpaw again, blinking.
"Our Clan. Anyway, everything was fine, and then all of a sudden, Twolegs decided to come and tear apart our forest." Squirrelpaw shuddered with the memories of the event that Larkpaw had never experienced.
"It was horrible!" added Rainwhisker, nodding.
"They never stopped. But Brambleclaw, Crowpaw, Tawnypelt, Stormfur…and Feathertail, we were given a prophecy. Actually I wasn't, and neither was Stormfur, we were just along for the ride. But anyway, there were six of us, traveling to the sun-drown place."
"Were?" questioned Larkpaw, suddenly interested.
"Feathertail died saving the Tribe cats from Sharptooth." Answered Squirrelpaw, the pain visible in her eyes.
"Sharptooth? So they're rid of that monster…" murmured Larkpaw half to herself.
"You certainly know an awful lot about the Tribe cats!" said Squirrelpaw suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at Larkpaw.
"Of course she does, Squirrelpaw. She's been their neighbor for her whole life, I would imagine!" said Firestar, coming to Larkpaw's defense.
"I'm telling the story!" snapped Squirrelpaw. "Anyway, the six of us went on a journey to the sun-drown place, where we met Midnight the badger, and she told us that there was danger in the forest: the Twolegs. And that we should leave. So we did. Then, while we were journeying through the mountains, we saw a shooting star go down just beyond these mountains, so we figured this was the place StarClan meant for us to go. It seems we were wrong!" Squirrelpaw added with a dark expression.
"We've been staying with the tribe for a while, to rest up just a bit. We were hunting just today, and getting ready to leave," said Rainwhisker.
"And we left our deputy, Graystripe, behind," Firestar said sullenly, his eyes full of grief.
"I see," said Larkpaw simply, because she did. Then, as if on a second thought, she asked, "So you have Clans, and deputies, and you have faith in StarClan, and medicine cats, just like us?"
"Well, yes we do. Just like you," said Firestar, shaking away the thoughts of Graystripe and looking up at Larkpaw warmly. Larkpaw looked away. The leader was looking at her as if she was a small kit, and she wasn't…was she?
"Yes. Funny that we both existed with no knowledge of each other," mused Larkpaw, giving her tail a quick lick.
"But you do realize we intend to settle down where you and your fellows now live. It is what StarClan wishes, if we are to understand out medicine cats," said Rainwhisker, with a superior air.
Larkpaw looked up, her eyes confused. "But you can't! We've lived there since our Ancestors first arrived! The valley is our home, our only home! Besides, I don't think you could overpower all four of our Clans!" replied Larkpaw, smirking slightly at the mention of a battle.
"Oh, I doubt that we could not. And, did we neglect to mention, the forest was our only home, before it was destroyed. In any case, it is what we would do, even if it means death to us. We follow the paths laid out by StarClan, and this is one." Said Rainwhisker.
Larkpaw looked skeptical, but held her tongue.
"Anyhow," continued Squirrelpaw, "that's our story. Now, you agreed to come if we told you, and I did," Squirrelpaw was adamant that they returned quickly, for already she missed the company if her friends, especially Brambleclaw and Leafpool.
"Alright, alright. I've just one more question. How many of your Clan are there? And are all of you so huge?" queried Larkpaw.
Firestar let out a tiny laugh. "There are four Clans, and as an answer to your second question, are all of your warriors so small?"