Brambleclaw dreamt of blood. It was welling up from the ground and flooding camp. He flailed agianst the red current as it pulled him under. when he surfaced he wasn't floating in a sea of red but instead he was being thrown around in the salty waters of the sundrown place. A huge wave lifted his body and crashed it down on the shore. Except when the water receded he was standing on the lakeshore with Hawkfrost watching Firestar bleeding into the water wich slowly turned red with blood.
He watched as the scene shifted and it wasn't Firestar bleeding to death but Squirrelflight. He tried to run forward but he couldn't move he had to watch her die. He watched straining agianst invisible bonds as she took her last breath. Then somehow he was running towards her but knowing it was too late. When he got there he buried his muzzle in her fur hoping to smell her sweet scent one last time but there was only the smell of blood and death. He felt like a million claws were slicing into his flanks. He breathed in agian but still the haunting stench of death. He choked. Agian he felt the claw marks.
That was when he woke up. And realized he really was choking on ginger scrambled back in horror running into Jayfeather who had been poking him with unsheathed claws to wake him. The events of the previous night's battle slowly flooded back into his mind. He looked around and realized he must have fallen asleep during vigil. The ginger fur he had been choking on was Firestar's not Squirrelflight's. He almost sighed in relif until he realized what that meant. I'm clan leader he thought stunned. As if on cue Jayfeather scramble to his feet grumbling someting about sleeping on the job.
"We need to get you to moonpool so you can recive your nine lives." He told Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw nodded. Jayfeather turned and headed for the thorn tunnel. "Wait, Right now?" Brambleclaw asked suprised. "Yes now" Jayfeather said. " Or do you want to wait until all the other leaders find out Firestar is dead and have time to mount fullscale attacks." "He's right you know." a voice said from beside Brambleclaw. Both toms turned around quickly to see Squirrelflight and Leafpool standing beside each other. Leafpool kept going. "Onestar already knows,Ccrowfeather was here remember?" Squirrelflight nodded. "I can take care of camp while you're gone. " She rubbed her head agianst his shoulder. "Go, The clan can survive on its own for a little while while you go get your lives." Brambleclaw nodded taking comfort in her familar scent
It took a little while to get to moonpool. Just long enough for Brambleclaw to become nervous. They climed up to the top of the slope and looked down into the cavren. It was a beautiful sight the pool reflected countless silver stars. "Before we go down there you need to know what to do." Jayfeather said. "When we get down there copy exactly what I do, you cannot talk once we get down there, understand?" Brambleclaw nodded he was too nervous to speak. They padded down the slope side by side. When they reached the pool Jayfeather lay down and waited. They couldn't talk so that left Brambleclaw with his thoughts. What if I show up and Firestar is there alone saying I am not fit to worse the whole of starclan.
After what seemed like forever Brambleclaw noticed something happening to the pool. It started slowly at first. The moon was reflected in the water as he watched its silver shape grew bigger until all the water was glowing silvery white. He was so engrosed he almost didn't notice when Jayfeather moved. The medicine cat bent over and took a single sip of water. Brambleclaw mimicked him. The water tasted fresh and sweet and he felt himself getting sleepy. Fighting the urge to resist he lay back down and let sleep overtake him.
This time instead of red blood he saw silver stars. They seemed to be blurring moving towards him. As they got bigger he could see they were not stars but cats running towards him at unthinkable speed. He saw many familar faces and many he didn't know at all. When the cats finnally halted they were right in front of him. They all spoke as one. "Welcome Brambleclaw" A single cat stepped forward. It was a she-cat with a familiar golden pelt. Goldenflower. His mother purred. "Brambleclaw, I am here to give you your first life. with this life I give you a mother's love for her kits, use it to protect your clan as I would protect you and your sister." She touched her nose to his. He expected to feel like a kit agian at his mother's belly but instead he felt immense pain as a surge of angry fire swelled through his body he felt his mothers feirce desire to protect her children from any harm that might come their way. When the pain subsided his mother was no longer standing before him. Instead a slim silver furred she-cat stood before him. Feathertail. "With this life I give you understanding, use it to deal with everyone from a fiesty kit to a grumpy elder." When she touched her nose to his he felt a warm surge of caring. He felt how much she cared about him, her brother and all the other cats on their quest, even Crowfeather. No, especially Crowfeather. He was sad when the warmth subsided but it was made up for by the cat who stepped froward next.
"Hollyleaf, I'm." the dark she-cat silenced him with a flick of her tail. "Brambleclaw. I was never mad with you or Squirrelflight. Really I was mad with myself. You raised me I should have trusted you. That is why wth this life I give you trust." She bent and touched her nose to his. He felt her deep anguish it sliced at his heart but it was soon replaced by a warm lightharted feeling. Similar to the one he remembered as a kit at his mother's belly. undivded devoton to the idea that he could put all of his faith in her and she would protect him. As much as he enjoyed the feelng he knew it would end. When it did standing before him was a cat he had hoped he wouldn't ever see agian.
"Brambleclaw with this life I give you forgiveness. I was never able to forgive Squirrelflight for choosing you and it was what killed me. I wish you would forgive both her and me. Use my gift when judging the smallest punishment to the largest crime. " As brambleclaw touched noses with Ashfur he gave a slight nod. when he backed away he thought he saw a new light in his former clanmate's eyes.
The next cat to step forward was one Brambleclaw had never actually met. A brown tom with a crooked jaw. It could only be one cat. Crookedstar the renowned riverclan leader. "Brambleclaw With this life i give you something i fear you may not need. That is perceverence. I know how it feels to be judged by how you look. It takes great perceverence to overcome a legacy." When the two toms touched noses Brambleclaw felt strong winds roaring then pride and happiness. then he felt water gushing around him the Stone under his feet silding away and a sharp pain to the side of his head. This continued for what felt like a lifetime but when he opend his eyes it seemed no time had passed at all. He looked at Crookedstar who nodded. Brambleclaw realised he had been shown crookedstar's story how he had overcome his broken jaw.
The next cat was a very fimilar one. Bluestar padded forward head held high. "Brambleclaw wth this life I give you faith. Remember how I lost my faith. do not let this happen to you. "When she touched her nose to his he felt a warm glow. The light of starclan enveloping him. bluestar moved away only to be replaced by a dark red brown tom. "I am Pinestar Tigerstar was my son. I left Thunderclan when he was just a Kit. Leaving him open to the influences of cats like Thistleclaw. I never forgave myself afterwards. With this life I give you mercy remember sometmes what seems the most cruel action is really the most merciful." Brambleclaw nodded touching his nose to Pinestar's
The next cat was a dark grey she-cat. "I am Yellowfang I died in the fire that almost cut your life short. With this life I give you loyalty. I left my brthclan of shadowclan to live in Thunderclan where I found a true home. I will froever stay loyal to those who were loyal to me. remember this."
The last cat was Firestar. The ginger tom was young and healthy agian. "Brambleclaw when I give you this life you will be forever known as Bramblestar. I give you a life for mentoring use it to train the next generaton of our clan. he touched his nose to Bramblestars. Every cat in the clearing began to cheer. "Bramblestar Bramblestar."
At last he awoke feeling stronger than ever and proud to be the new leader of Thunderclan.