Chapter 72

"Congratulations you four," Jaystar called to the four apprentices now four warriors. Even though Cloudtail was gone and Brightheart grieved for his death everyday, Clan life went on. Squirrelflight's kits as well as Boulderpaw had successfully tracked a loner's scent, searching for the intruder. True the cat got away, but not before the apprentices had given the loner a couple of good scratches. Jaystar decided that their actions were as worthy to become warriors as anything else. Avalanchepaw had become Avalancheclaw for Brambleclaw; Airpaw had become Airsong; Bluepaw had become Bluepool; and Boulderpaw had become Boulderfrost. Jaystar's apprentice, Bearpaw, was bouncing around the new warriors who had been her denmates for a couple moons. "Bearpaw, would you like to go on patrol?"

"Yes Jaystar!" Bearpaw darted away from the new warriors and began bouncing around Jaystar, her golden brown fur fluffed out in excitement. Jaystar flicked her tail to Squirrelflight and Berrynose- who happened to be the closest cats to her and Bearpaw- and lead the way out of camp. Knowing that the dawn patrol had went to the WindClan border, Jaystar decided to take her group to the ShadowClan border; not that she had anything to fear from ShadowClan. Upon reaching the ShadowClan border, Jaystar flicked her tail to Berrynose, silently ordering the cream-colored warrior to mark the border. Berrynose followed instructions and when he came back, he was not alone.

"Rabbitclaw!" Jaystar meowed to Rabbitclaw and padded over to brush her muzzle against her son's shoulder. Behind Rabbitclaw were two smaller cats: Brookpaw and Brokenpaw. Jaystar glanced at Brookpaw who was looking at the ThunderClan cats with respect in her gray eyes while Brokenpaw was glaring at his father for talking with cats not from his Clan. Jaystar remembered how much she used to fear Brokenpaw and his ambition, but she had once buried those feelings. Now they had begun to rise up once more. Rabbitclaw gave Jaystar's cheek a respectful lick and mewed, "I was hoping we would find you. My kits were made into warriors! Brookpaw is now Brookclaw while Brokenpaw is now Brokenheart."

Brookclaw looked proud at Rabbitclaw's words while Brokenheart merely shrugged as though being a warrior didn't mean much to him. Jaystar's gray eyes narrowed; why wouldn't Brokenheart be excited at being a warrior like Brookclaw was? Being a warrior was one of the biggest honors to any Clan cat. Jaystar decided to ignore her strange kin and instead focused on Rabbitclaw who was talking with Berrynose. It was then that Jaystar noticed something odd about the two warriors. Rabbitclaw had the same heard shape as Berrynose as well as the same shade of green eyes. Jaystar had always wondered why her kits had green eyes while she had gray eyes and Blackstar had gold eyes. Rabbitclaw and Berrynose even talked the same way... as though they had fur over their mouths. Jaystar realized that she had Berrynose's head and she sort've talked the same way that he did... as well as the way Hazeltail and Mousewhisker talked. What did this mean?

Jaystar couldn't think for long because a loud noise drew her away from her thoughts. A group of cats were emerging from the pushes and Jaystar got ready to spring until she recognized the four cats. Three of them were allowed to be on ThunderClan territory while the other shouldn't have even been this close to Clan lands. Lionblaze and Featherfoot looked at Jaystar calmly as though knowing she was about to question why the strange cat was on her territory. Although when Turtleclaw glanced at the cat, Jaystar had all the answers. The love in his eyes as he glanced at the she-cat made why he was here very clear. Cloud Shadow Over Water had come to join ThunderClan along side Turtleclaw.

*

"Cloud, why should I accept you into ThunderClan? Leaf-bare is approaching and there isn't going to be enough prey for every cat. Our Clan is huge right now... I'm sorry, but I can't take you into the Clan. You were a good friend to ThunderClan when we came to visit the Tribe, but I have to look after my Clan now and we have too many mouths to feed. You can stay here for the night, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you back to the Tribe." Jaystar meowed sadly. She had wanted to accept Cloud, but after talking with her senior warriors- Sandstorm, Thornclaw, and Spiderleg- she had decided against it. All of them had said it was a bad idea.

"What about if he lived with my father?" Jaystar turned and saw Hazeltail pad next to her, her green eyes- so much like Rabbitclaw and Rushleaf's- soft as she glanced at Turtleclaw and Cloud. Jaystar remembered Smoky and his mate, Floss- two cats she had never met- and thought that Hazeltail may have had a good idea. Cloud could live with the loners until newleaf. Jaystar would even go and explain the situation to Smoky and Floss. Jaystar glanced at Turtleclaw and Cloud, wondering if they liked Hazeltail's idea. Turtleclaw and Cloud shared a glance and the tortoiseshell she-cat mewed, "That's a good idea, Hazeltail, but if its okay with you Jaystar, I would like to live with Cloud? You see I think I'm expecting kits and I want to be near him." Lionblaze and Icestorm gasped quietly at the shock that their kit was having kits, but Jaystar nodded before padding towards Featherfoot who was seating nearby. "So Featherfoot, how is Stormfur and Brook?"

"They are fine. My brother, Stone, is now Teller of Pointed Stones since Stoneteller went to join the Tribe of Endless Hunting. I think my parents are sort've happy to see him gone; Stoneteller never liked Stormfur that much. Anyway my sister, Silver, has two beautiful kits: Fox That Lives By River and Dust That Flies Down Mountain. My other brother, Crooked, has gone to join the Tribe of Endless Hunting. I was sad at first, but my parents told me he died like a warrior. I know that he is watching me now even though he is dead." Featherfoot paused before adding sadly, "He was not the only death the Tribe faced. Gray is dead too. I'm sorry Jaystar."

Gray was dead?!