4. ThunderClan Camp

As they first stepped into the camp, eyes were already on them. Apparently, they had smelled their unfamiliar scent, and went to investigate. Lionheart and Squirrelflight rushed towards a den, and disappeared inside.

"You can bring the prey to the pile over there." Spiderleg flicked his tail in the direction of the fresh-kill pile. "And you can also bring those medicine herbs to Leafpool." When he saw our confusion, he explained, "Leafpool is our medicine cat." Then he went to join Squirrelflight and Lionheart.

Dove and Eagle padded the direction to the medicine cat's den. When they arrived, they found a light brown she-cat put different kinds of plants in crevices in the rock wall.

"Excuse me?" Leafpool turned at the sound Eagle's voice

"Oh, hello. How can I help you?" Dove dropped the bundle of herbs on the ground.

"Spiderleg told us to come and bring you these herbs. I hope they are useful." Leafpool examined the plants.

"Juniper berries! I was running low on those. And water mint! It's like StarClan sent you to me." Leafpool narrowed her eyes at the two she-cats. "I haven't seen you before."

"I expect you haven't. We're rogues. Our brother and we were just kindly escorted here by the dawn patrol."

"Welcome! StarClan must be in a helpful mood. Sending me rogues with herbs I dearly need." Leafpool frowned. "But I expect you don't know what StarClan is."

"Oh, we know StarClan very well," replied Dove. Leafpool looked surprised.

"You do?" Eagle nodded.

"Our mother taught us a lot of the things we know." Leafpool blinked.

"Who is your mother?" Dove looked down.

"You mean who was our mother," Eagle murmured. "We called her mother or Moss, but her real name was Mossheart. She died just before we left to fend for ourselves. It was a disease, see. Ever since then, Dove had learned all these different kind of plants that helps for all these different kind of medical needs. She keeps thinking it was her fault." Eagle nudged her sister, "But we all know it wasn't, even Dove." Leafpool caught a glimpsed of sorrow in the blue and green eyes. She almost felt their pain.

"Bramblestar would want to speak with you. You better join your brother now." Dove and Eagle nodded their heads once and raced out the door. Leafpool recalled a vision only half a moon a ago. After there is peace, shadow and thunder will clash, and three birds of the moss hold the future of the four Clans. Could Dove, Eagle, and their brother play a part in the prophecy?

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As his two sisters padded away, Falcon took a look around. The first thing he noticed about this camp was the extremely large ledge. The highest point, to him at least, was about three-quarter grown oak tree. Just by looking at it, Falcon could tell if a cat fell off it, they would die the minute they hit the ground. It would be a miracle if not.

Looking around some more, he also noticed cats were staring at him. They were all thinking the same thing. Falcon could tell by looking into their eyes. Who in StarClan is that cat? Haven't seen him anywhere before. Falcon snorted. One cat stepped out towards him. Falcon watched him take every step. The cat was dark gray, with equally dark eyes. When he was close enough, the gray cat started sniffing the air around him.

"Are you about to sneeze, or is there something wrong with the way I smell?" The gray cat hesitated.

"You don't have any scent I know of." Falcon purred in amusement.

"Really? How impressive of you to figure that out." The gray tom had a glint of humor in his eyes.

"You smell like a crow that's been dead for a moon, that's probably why I don't recognize it." Falcon swiped out playfully at him. "My name is Rainwhisker, and I am deputy of ThunderClan," the gray cat said.

"I am Falcon, leader and deputy of myself." Every cat within earshot snickered or purred, amused by the joke of this stranger. "And you, my friend, happen to smell like a fox that has been dead for half a moon." Rainwhisker smiled.

"That's better than you." The two knew friends started to wrestle each other, until there was one victor.

"Gotcha," Falcon meowed in his moderately deep voice, heart filled with pleasure of managing to beat his pretend rival. Rainwhisker got up and leaped for Falcon. Falcon laid down on his back, and kicked Rainwhisker's stomach as he passed over head. Rainwhisker landed on the ground with a big thud, and laid still. The watching cats were hushed, almost thinking he was dead until Rainwhisker stirred and slowly got up.

"That was quite a move. You must teach me that," Rainwhisker panted as he turned to Falcon. "I have been utterly defeated, and I admit you are quite the fighter as well." Falcon modestly licked his paw, and swiped it over his face.

"You weren't so bad yourself. You are quite the formidable warrior. No wonder you became deputy."

"That was quite a fight, Rainwhisker. You have proven yourself to be a greater warrior than before." Falcon turned around. The voice belonged to dark tabby tom, the image of a tiger. Rainwhisker bowed his head.

"But I lost rather quickly, Bramblestar. Falcon amazed me with his skills." Falcon purred.

"Not to worry. I'll teach you all I possibly can, new apprentice." Rainwhisker gave him a quick, laughing glance before turning back to Bramblestar. Bramblestar looked at Falcon.

"Where are your sisters, Dove and Eagle?" Falcon stole a glance over the tom's broad shoulder.

"Just behind you." Startled, Bramblestar turned his head to where Eagle and Dove had appeared.

"Greetings, Bramblestar," the two meowed together.

"Such a pleasure…"

"Though we imagined you differently…"

"We thought you would be huge…"

"But then again, we expect a normal cat as well. You look rather strong…"

"No doubt Squirrelflight is your mate…"

"And Lionheart is your kin, as well as some others?"

"Don't ask us how we know…"

"We just do!" Dove and Eagle finished together. Bramblestar, losing track of who was speaking, shook his head to clear it from confusion. He padded under the ledge, and called out in a clear voice,

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here under Highledge." As soon as you could say "mouse", every cat in the camp, save the kits and mothers nursing them, were under Highledge. Dove, Eagle, and Falcon, not knowing what to do, stayed by the fresh-kill pile, until Rainwhisker beckoned them over. Cautiously, they padded over to the back of the crowd, and sat.

"As most of you well know, Lionheart's dawn patrol found three rogues somewhat near the border of ShadowClan." Yowls from the cats interrupted Bramblestar. A couple of cats turned to the three kin, challenging them with unsheathed claws. Falcon unsheathed his own claws, Dove's fur bristled as she growled, and Eagle sat with no reaction besides a quick turn to lick her back.

"Stop it, you two. Bramblestar will take care of this." As she spoke, Bramblestar yowled for silence. When the cats had settled down, he continued.

"I have no reason to believe they are ShadowClan cats. They have no permanent home, so I offer them to stay here and make ThunderClan their home now. Those who disagree, speak now, but one at a time, please." At first no cat stood, and then a gray, old cat stood.

"We should not welcome strangers into our home. What if they turn against us?"

"Ashfur, I highly doubt that they would do that," Leafpool announced. "They show every aspect of compassion, loyalty, love for each other, and everything good that I have seen in cats."

"Those three are probably hiding their true selves. They might think that compassion is just a weakness and try to prove their strength by destroying us," Ashfur hissed.

"Well that's a mouse-brained idea!" The sudden outburst from Eagle caused everyone to turn.

Ashfur's fur bristled. "What?"

"If there was one thing that our mother made sure that we would remember was that violence is not strength, and compassion is not weakness. We have lived by that ever since our mother's death, and every cat, besides our enemies, of course, did not think otherwise." Dove nodded.

"As far as I know, the only cat that really didn't have compassion and just ambition was…was…" Dove faltered, trying to think of cats that would fit the description. Falcon jumped and yowled,

"Tigerstar! The only cat we can think of is Tigerstar!" Eagle closed her eyes as the eyes of the Clan cats grew wider. But none was wider than those of Bramblestar.

"How do you know of Tigerstar?"

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