Chapter 54
Jaysong padded side by side with Firestar as they returned to their camp. After Jaysong had met Brookpaw, the Gathering had been uneventful. The biggest piece of news came from Mistystar who said that there had been dog scented on their territory. Jaysong had met a dog once when she was a young apprentice and never wanted to run into one again. Although Jaysong had other things to worry about. When Rabbitclaw and Brookpaw had gone to sit with their clanmates, Jaysong had wondered about Brookpaw's brother, Brokenpaw. The ShadowClan apprentice had Tigerstar's blood running through him and Jaysong couldn't help, but wonder if Brokenpaw shared the murderous tabby's ambition. True, Brookpaw was a descendant from Tigerstar as well, but the gray apprentice seemed so gentle. Jaysong knew she was being harsh. She didn't even know Brokenpaw and the tom had other great cats blood running in his veins: Blackstar, Brackenfur, and Jaysong herself.
"Is something troubling you, Jaysong? You seem quieter than usual," Jaysong jumped a little as Firestar spoke. She had been thinking so hard about Brokenpaw that she forgot she wasn't alone in the forest. Turning to Firestar, Jaysong meowed, "I'm fine- wait actually I have something I would like to ask you. Rabbitclaw's kits have been born and their mother is Dawnclaw. That makes Tigerstar's blood exist in their veins. I know I'm being judgemental, but when Rabbitclaw was telling me about his son- Brokenpaw- it sounded like he was more ambitious for his own good. I may be jumping to conclusions, but I wanted your advice on it before I work myself up over nothing. Can you tell me this? When you appointed Brambleclaw as your deputy, how did you see him for himself instead of Tigerstar?"
Firestar paused for several heartbeats before mewing, "When Brambleclaw was born back in the old forest, all I could see was Tigerstar. You never knew Tigerstar- thank StarClan for that- but Brambleclaw looked very much like his father. I was harsh towards Brambleclaw when he was a kit- I admit that- but I also took him as my apprentice when he came of age. I was also the one who told Brambleclaw about Tigerstar's bloody pawsteps and I regret to say he resented me a little for it. Then when Tigerstar brought ShadowClan and RiverClan together to form TigerClan, he offered Brambleclaw a position in his Clan. I was very proud that day for Brambleclaw said no although I was sad that Tawnypelt stayed with ShadowClan. Later on Brambleclaw became one of my best warriors and my deputy. Brambleclaw was ambitious, but most cats are. The leader of ThunderClan before me- Bluestar- sacrificed her kits to become deputy of her Clan, but it was for her clanmates own good. It also was good for the rest of the Clans because Bluestar's daughter became Mistystar, leader of RiverClan. All cats are ambitious, but it doesn't alway end up in the same way as Tigerstar. Brokenpaw could be a loyal warrior, Jaysong."
Jaysong blinked in surprise. Never before had she heard anything like what Firestar just told her. Maybe Firestar was right. Maybe Brokenpaw's ambition was more like Brambleclaw's or Bluestar's instead of like Tigerstar's. Jaysong also knew that Rabbitclaw and Dawnclaw would train Brokenpaw to be a loyal warrior so she had nothing to worry about. Brokenpaw wasn't even in her Clan! Jaysong was about to say this to Firestar, but another voice cut infront of her, "Firestar! Jaysong! Intruder!" Jaysong whipped around and saw Spiderleg sprinting towards them, Stripepool following her mate. Firestar didn't even pause before he was sprinting towards the direction of camp, Jaysong following him. Jaysong could hear Spiderlegt and Stripepool trying to keep up.
Bursting through the camp entrance after Firestar, Jaysong saw Bumblethroat wrestling with an old cat. It appeared the struggle had just begun because cats were still pouring out of their dens. Jaysong heard a gasp and saw Squirrelflight fling herself at Bumblethroat, yanking him off the loner. Firestar too gasped although he just seemed angry that Squirrelflight had attacked a clanmate. Squirrelflight didn't even look up as Firestar and Jaysong approached and instead snarled at Bumblethroat, "Great StarClan! Don't you know that not every cat is a threat, Bumblethroat? That is Purdy! He helped us seasons ago when we went up to the mountains!" Jaysong looked at Purdy and remembered what Rabbitclaw had said. Brokenpaw had attacked Purdy when he journeyed through ShadowClan territory. After that and now Bumblethroat, Jaysong knew that Purdy's last few days hadn't been easy.
"Flea-brain youngin!" Purdy was hissing as he scrambled to his paws. Lionblaze darted to Purdy's side and helped the old cat get to his paws. Even when he did, Purdy still looked unsteady and Lionblaze stood by his side. "Didn't you 'ere me when I was shoutin' for Brambleclaw an' Squirrelflight? You think I know those names by random!" Purdy then glanced at Lionblaze and rasped, "Well, well, well, what do you know? Its you! Lionpaw, if my memory is correct. Where's your littermates and that annoying youngin... Breezepaw?" Purdy looked like he was proud of himself for remembering Lionblaze and Breezepelt's names.
"I'm Lionblaze now, I'm a warrior. Breezepaw is now Breezepelt and lives in WindClan with Crowfeather, you remember him right?" Purdy nodded and Jaysong thought she heard him mutter 'skinny flea-brain.' "And Jayfeather and Hollyleaf both now hunt with StarClan." Jaysong could see the pain in Lionblaze's amber eyes. Every cat in the Clans knew about Jayfeather and Hollyleaf so it must've hurt Lionblaze to have to explain about his littermate's death to another cat. Even though Purdy probably didn't know what StarClan was, he seemed to understand Lionblaze's grief and gave the golden tabby a comforting lick on the shoulder.
Squirrelflight who had padded away from Bumblethroat, meowed, "Purdy, this is a pleasant surprise, but what are you doing here? You live a great distance away and you shouldn't be exhausting yourself with this journey." Jaysong could tell that Squirrelflight didn't want to say what she had been thinking and knew that most of the Clan were thinking the same thing. That Purdy was too old to go on a long journey.
"Who says I'm goin' back? Not me! There's these dogs! Huge things an' not the sort of creatures who attacked Lionblaze and Breezepelt all that time ago. They've got no Upwalkers to control them an' they've already killed a couple housecats. I thought I would come 'ere and find someone more safe like to live." Jaysong shared a glance with Firestar. Were these the same dogs that RiverClan had scented on their territory? Jaysong suddenly knew what Firestar was going to say before he did.
"Purdy, you are welcome to stay with us, if you want," Purdy nodded as though he knew this was what Firestar was going to say all along. Firestar then called, "Mousefur! Longtail! Will you escort Purdy to your den?" The two elders pushed their way out of the crowd and welcomed their new denmate.
Suddenly a voice meowed, "Who is this cat? Is he a captive?" It was Brownpaw, looking at all of his clanmates with his stump of a tail wagging in surprise.
