Chapter 4: Thunderheart

"Thunderheart! You lead the border patrol along the Gathering hollow."

Thunderheart dipped his head to Stormshade. The sun shone overhead, giving Thunderheart's golden pelt an unreal radiance.

"Take Hazelshine, Jayfrost, Thornfang, and Vinepelt."

The four cats came up behind Thunderheart. Vinepelt's tail twitched; he was clearly ready to leave.

"Everyone ready?" Thunderheart asked. The cats nodded. Thunderheart lead them out of the bramble tunnel. He wove confidently between the trees, his patrol following him silently. There was nothing much to say.

Thunderheart stopped a fox-length from where the ground gave way to stone and lifted his tail to mark a bush. The patrol spread out, selecting bushes and plants to mark.

Thornfang gasped. Thunderheart abandoned his jump to go to the brown tom. He was peering into the Gathering hollow.

"Rats?" Jayfrost asked.

Thornfang shook his head. "Fox."

Thunderheart looked into the hollow to see a dark russet form splayed awkwardly on the stone. Flies buzzed around it, and Thunderheart could just scent the smell of crow-food that hung around it.

"I think it fell and broke its neck," Hazelshine mewed, coming up behind Thornfang. "It came from DarkClan territory."

Vinepelt bristled. "Maybe they wanted it to go in our territory."

Thunderheart flexed his claws in their sheaths. "We'd fight it off."

Hazelshine nodded. "Let's report back to Mothstar." She looked at Thunderheart, and he nodded agreement.

{ ;) }

Thunderheart peered into Mothstar's den. "Mothstar?" he called softly.

"Come in."

Thunderheart was relieved to see the golden-furred she-cat sitting calmly in her nest. Since the battle with the rats, Mothstar hadn't been herself.

"How is the border?"

"Fine, except for a dead fox in the Gathering hollow."

Mothstar sat up, immediately tense. "What? Why?"

"Hazelshine thinks it fell and broke its neck after being chased from DarkClan territory. Judging by its direction, it seems that they would have chased it into our territory."

Mothstar nodded thoughtfully. "It is difficult to control where a panicked fox will run. Anything else?"

"No, Mothstar."

The leader waved her tail. "You may go now."

Thunderheart dipped his head and departed, ducking his head to avoid bonking it on the base of the Tallstone and heading for the fresh-kill pile. His apprentice Sootpaw was there, as well as Thunderheart's half-brother Lionpaw. They shared the same father; Sunfur had died when Bright's daughter Lilyshine was pregnant with his kits. Thunderheart's mother had died when he was an apprentice; the thought still sent claws of grief to his heart. Lilyshine had died during her kitting, and Thunderheart had mourned along with Lionpaw.

Bright was a legend in the Clans. When her mate Flash had returned to see his kits, lightning had struck a tree and killed them both. Despite pestering Mistlight—the medicine cat before Dovewillow, she refused to say whether Flash or Bright were in StarClan. Lilyshine and her littermates had been apprentices then.

Thunderheart was drawn out of his memories by the sudden aroma of thrush.

"Want to share?"

That was Cinderlight. Thunderheart nodded, and the pale gray cat settled next to him.

Thunderheart was uncomfortable with the emotions Cinderlight displayed. She purposefully let her fur brush his, and when she had looked at him, it had been lovingly.

I'm not ready for a mate. No one has come along that I'm fonder of than usual, and I want to focus on being loyal to my Clan and my Clanmates.

Thunderheart moved his head so Cinderlight could take a bite. Stormshade, Cinderlight's father, was looking at him intensely and questioningly. Thunderheart could almost read his mind: Are you two serious?

Thunderheart shook his head helplessly. It's not serious between us, not now.

Stormshade nodded slightly, acknowledging Thunderheart's feelings.

"Thunderheart?"

Thunderheart looked up to see Dovewillow, the pale gray medicine cat.

"Can you come with me?"

Thunderheart blinked at Cinderlight, excusing himself, and followed Dovewillow to the medicine cat den. Dovewillow did not have an apprentice, so she and Thunderheart were alone in the den.

"I've had a dream from StarClan," Dovewillow mewed.

Thunderheart looked at her in shock. "Why would you tell me, and not Mothstar or Stormshade?"

Dovewillow twitched her pale tabby tail. "Because Mothstar couldn't handle this bit of news, and because it pertains to you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you." Dovewillow closed her amber-green eyes, remembering. "Four cats from four Clans will save the forest from destruction. Four will become one against the threat that never disappears."

"The threat that never disappears?" Thunderheart blinked in astonishment. "Are you sure that you didn't eat a bad piece of fresh-kill?"

Dovewillow lashed her tail in irritation. "I'm your medicine cat. I'm supposed to have unusual dreams. You are one of the four, Thunderheart. What you do will affect the destiny of the other three in the prophecy."

"How?"

Dovewillow sighed. "I do not know everything, Thunderheart. Some answers you must find on your own." She waved her tail. "Now go." Before Thunderheart got to the bramble screen, she called, "By the way, is something happening between you and Cinderlight?"

Thunderheart shook his head. "She wants it to be."

Dovewillow nodded. "Thank you."

[ :O ]

LightningClan Allegiances:

Leader: Mothstar: golden she-cat with amber eyes. (This cat is not me!)

Deputy: Stormshade: dark gray tom with yellow eyes

Medicine cat: Dovewillow: gray she-cat with faint tabby stripes and amber-green eyes

Warriors:

Ravenclaw: jet black tom with a dark gray chest and yellow eyes

Snowberry: white she-cat with pale gray flecks

Jayfrost: gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Hazelshine: light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornfang: brown tom with green eyes

Silverdawn: slender silver she-cat with fiery amber eyes

Sedgestorm: pale gray tom with darker flecks

Blackwing: black she-cat with a white-tipped tail

Thunderheart: golden tom with darker tabby markings and amber eyes

Squirrelfern: dark ginger and dark brown she-cat

Skunkstripe: black-and-white striped tom

Cinderlight: very pale gray she-cat

Vinepelt: dark brown tom with paler tabby markings and pale green eyes

Apprentices:

Sorrelpaw: dark tortoiseshell she-cat

Bramblepaw: dark brown tom

Ivypaw: tabby she-cat with darker paws

Sootpaw: dark gray tom

Rosepaw: pinky-brown tabby she-cat

Lionpaw: golden brown tom

Queens:

Iceflower: white she-cat with amber eyes

Hollysky: dark brown she-cat with black markings, mother to Skunkstripe's kits: Nightkit, a black tom; Daisykit, a pale brown she-cat; and Cloudkit, a dark gray tom

Elders:

Dustwhisker: light brown tom

Larkwing: brown-and-white she-cat

{====}

There will be no more allegiances at the end of each chapter. Please, please review! Please?

PS: I did not intend to allude to Lionblaze and Cinderheart's relationship. I made up Cinderlight when making the allegiances, and Cinderlight could easily conform to the requirements I required for the cat who would want to be Thunderheart's mate.