Chapter 41

Jaysong padded into the Tribe's camp, proudly holding her catch. Gray and Wing flanked Jaysong, each of their jaws filled with fresh-kill. Jaysong glanced around for her clanmates and spotted Turtlepaw sitting next to Cloud, her green eyes wide as she looked at something that clearly made her shocked. Jaysong followed Turtlepaw's gaze and saw Squirrelflight nose to nose with a old brown tabby, his amber eyes glaring at the ginger warrior. Lionblaze flanked Squirrelflight, baring his teeth as the brown tabby took another steps toward the ginger warrior. Nearby, Stormfur was sitting alone while Brook hovered outside of the nursery, her gray eyes flickering to Stormfur every now and then. Jaysong turned to Gray, but was surprised when her friend- as well as the other members of the hunting patrol- were racing over to the brown tabby, bristling as they looked at the Clan cats.

Bounding over to Turtlepaw and Cloud, Jaysong asked, "Whose the brown tabby and why is everyone fighting? Is he leader of the Tribe or something?" Jaysong wanted to add, 'he seems like a piece of foxdung for talking to Squirrelflight and Lionblaze like that,' but didn't. Even if Turtlepaw and Cloud were friends, the white to-be might take the side of the brown tabby instead of his new found friendship with the Clan cats. Cloud turned to Jaysong and explained, his voice muffled like all the Tribe cats, "That's Teller of Pointed Stones or Stoneteller. He's been on Healer since before I was kitted."

Seeing Jaysong's confused look, Turtlepaw continued, "A Healer is like the leader and the medicine cat. Do you remember how Brook said Stone would become the new Healer? It's a huge honor! It's like being deputy and the medicine cat's apprentice. Anyway, Stoneteller seems angry at Squirrelflight and Lionblaze for returning to the moutains. They're too far away to hear much, but I did pick up 'doesn't the Clans have any trouble of their own.' Squirrelflight is annoyed because she came to tell Stormfur about Graystripe. I think Stoneteller doesn't by it. He seems to think that the Clans are trying to make the Tribe follow the warrior code."

"I think we'd all benefit from the warrior code," Cloud meowed, surprising Jaysong. Turning to Jaysong, Cloud continued, "Turtlepaw has been telling me about the Clan ways and it seems so much easier than the way we live. A leader, deputy, and medicine cat could devide up the powers more evenly instead of one cat holding all that power. Also the border patrols we do help us keep out uninvited cats and we learned that from the Clans. Anyway I may not have been alive the other times we met the Clans, but we owe them. Feathertail is honored in our stories because she saved us from Sharptooth. Then other Clan cats helped us fight off the invaders."

Jaysong padded over to the older cats, flanking Squirrelflight's other side. On Stoneteller's side, Gray blinked at Jaysong, his green eyes pleading her to understand that he didn't want to fight. Jaysong turned to look at Squirrelflight who growled, "We've came here to tell Stormfur of Graystripe's death, not to turn the Tribe into a Clan!" Squirrelflight's tail lashed and Jaysong pressed her pelt against the ginger warrior's fur, trying to comfort her former mentor. Squirrelflight gave Jaysong a lick on the ear before glaring at Stoneteller, who had snorted in belief at the ginger warrior's words. In a cracked voice, Stoneteller rasped, "Stormfur's not your denmate anymore! You can't tell him things that don't concern him!"

"Graystripe was Stormfur's father!" Lionblaze snarled from Squirrelflight's other side, his tail lashing from side to side. Squirrelflight pressed her tail against Lionblaze's mouth and meowed calmly, "If you can't understand why we are here, Stoneteller, then we can't force you to understand although I must add, any cat with emotions would be able to tell why we are here. We will leave a dawn so we will not trespass on your hospitality anymore. I hope you remember this, Stoneteller, for we will. The next time you want help, don't expect any to come from ThunderClan. Goodbye Stoneteller."

Squirrelflight stalked away towards Stormfur and Brook- who had finally given in to her desires and sat next to her mate- while Lionblaze followed her. Jaysong glanced over and saw Turtlepaw meow something to Cloud before padding over to the ThunderClan cats, her tail dragging on the stone ground. Jaysong took a step to join them, but felt someone lay their tail on her shoulder. Expecting Gray, Jaysong turned around and was surprised when she caught Stoneteller's wide amber gaze. Stoneteller was staring at her with shock and he rasped, "The strongest of two will save the Clan."

"What?" Jaysong asked as the prophecy she had heard before, echoed once more in her ears. Stoneteller blinked at Jaysong and then suddenly light came into his amber eyes. Ignoring Jaysong completely, Stoneteller gave himself a little shake and padded to the other side of the hollow. Someone else padded up next to Jaysong and the golden brown warrior turned around. Gray glanced at Jaysong and then glanced at Stoneteller's departing form, "That was strange. Stoneteller seemed ready to claw your friends ears off, but now when he was talking to you, he seemed more relaxed then I ever saw him. What did he ask you?"

"To see if Squirrelflight and Lionblaze were lying about their reasons to come here," Jaysong lied, guilt knawing at her stomach. Jaysong didn't like lying to Gray and she expected the pale gray cat to call her lie. Gray didn't however because he meowed, "Well there is something I would like to ask you." Gray paused shyly before blurting out, "I like you a lot, Jaysong, and I think you could accomplish way more living in the Tribe then in the Clans. What I'm trying to ask you, Jaysong, is will you stay in the Tribe with me? I know it's different, but you can get used to it. I will help you get used to it."

"Jaysong, listen to me. Pick whatever path you want to choose, but the prophecy that has long revolved around you will change if you choose to stay with the Tribe. If you return to the Clans tomorrow then you will walk the first steps of your destiny. It's your choice, Jaysong." The golden brown warrior blinked in surprise as Jayfeather's mysterious voice filled her ears. Knowing that the choice was up to her, Jaysong turned to Gray and meowed, her gray eyes dark as she realized she could be changing the future. "Gray, I like you too, but I have a mate with the Clans as well as two kits. I love them more than I can say and whatever feelings I have towards you, I have to return to them. It's what has to be. If I met you first then maybe this goodbye would be different."

"We'd be great together, Jaysong, but I know your heart- even if it belongs with me- resides in the Clans. I was selfish to ever believe otherwise." Gray mewed sadly, touching Jaysong's ear with his nose. Jaysong purred and gave Gray's neck a gentle lick, wiping away a couple clumps of mud from his beautiful gray pelt. Gray pulled away and added, "However, I think you are wrong about this being on goodbye. We still have tonight. Come, sleep in my den tonight." Glancing at her clanmates, Jaysong watched as Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, and Stormfur pad to a den on the other side of the hollow. Turtlepaw had bounded towards Cloud and the two of them padded into another den. Jaysong turned to look at Gray and nodded.