Chapter 75
"You do not carry the scent of the dark forest, nor do you smell like those soft-footed StarClanners." Jaystar flinched at her attacker's words. After running away from her old clanmates, Jaystar had ended up in a place that looked like none she had seen before. Almost immediatly Jaystar realized she was no longer in StarClan. Jaystar had ran around for awhile trying to find her way back to StarClan lands and she probably would have kept on exhausting her strength if not for a dark brown tabby that had attacked her from the shadows. At first, Jaystar thought that it was Brambleclaw come to take her back to StarClan. She was wrong. It was not Brambleclaw, but the former ThunderClan deputy's father: Tigerstar.
Jaystar knew so much about Tigerstar from nursery stories as well as elder stories. Tigerstar murdered the ThunderClan deputy who was before whatever cat had been before Tigerstar. Jaystar thought she remembered his name was Redfur or something like that. Redtail maybe? Tigerstar had then crippled Cinderpelt, the medicine cat before Leafpool, and attempted to kill Bluestar multiple times as well as Firestar. Even when Tigerstar left ThunderClan, blood followed his paws. Tigerstar had killed a ThunderClan warrior, Runningwind, and then unleashed a pack of dogs on ThunderClan. That wasn't even the worse part.
Tigerstar had then brought BloodClan to the forest and almost destroyed the Clans. Luckily Tigerstar's bloody reign ended there.
Jaystar heard more cats pad towards them and craned her head around to see if they were friend or foe. Tigerstar's massive body made seeing them impossible, but the dark brown tabby could tell what Jaystar was attempting to do. "The two cats you scent approaching are two other cats who dwell in the dark forest with me. One of them is Darkstripe, a former warrior of ThunderClan, TigerClan, and BloodClan. A cat with no loyalty in his veins." A cat growled, but didn't object Tigerstar's words. Maybe Darkstripe was still afraid of Tigerstar even though he was dead. "The second cat is a warrior with much purer blood even though he isn't Clanborn. He is my son, Hawkfrost. I'm sure that maybe you've heard his name whispered amongst the other Clans. He is much younger than Darkstripe and a much stronger warrior."
"Thank you, Tigerstar. Your kind words honor me," Jaystar heard another cat- Hawkfrost most likely- meow. Jaystar felt Hawkfrost pad closer to her and Tigerstar and give the ThunderClan leader a curious sniff. Pulling back, Hawkfrost hissed, "You wouldn't know this cat, Tigerstar, but tonight we are joined by Jaystar, leader of ThunderClan. You have stopped following the living cats' paws since Lionblaze refused our help once and for all, but I haven't. I have been following all cats joining Clans even though they are not born in their Clan's camp. You have not interest in them since you are Clanborn, but I do. One cat- whose the kit of those kittypets, Smoky and Floss- is this cat, Jaystar." Hawkfrost paused and then added, "Jaystar is part of a prophecy. A prophecy that could shape the Clans."
Jaystar was about to demand how Hawkfrost knew about the prophecy, but Tigerstar meowed, "Oh really? A prophecy that could shape the Clans? Maybe you aren't so worthless, kittypet. Maybe you could help me and my friends leave this place and rejoin StarClan." Jaystar could tell that Tigerstar was lying and the dark brown tabby could tell she knew. "So will you help us, kittypet? I'm sure if you do you will be remembered much longer than your former leader, Firestar. Isn't that what you want? To be a noble leader for ThunderClan and make sure all the Clans remember you even after you die? What leader wouldn't want that?"
Jaystar paused and thought over Tigerstar's words. Jaystar was still angry at StarClan for lying to her through all her youth and maybe by bringing them to Tigerstar, she could get revenge. No. I'm not the type of cat who seeks revenge for another cat's wrongs, Jaystar thought to herself, making her decision. "I'm the type of leader who is loyal to her Clan and StarClan!" Jaystar snarled, slashing her claw on Tigerstar's eye. Tigerstar's grip slackened and Jaystar leaped to her paws, running in the direction she thought was back to StarClan. She was wrong. She was only heading deeper into the dark forest.
After running for a while, Jaystar slammed into another cat. Jaystar jumped back and watched as a brown tabby whirled around to face her, his long fur bristling, "Who are you?!" Jaystar shrank back, her gray eyes wide with fear. For some reason the brown tabby scared her more than Tigerstar, Darkstripe, and Hawkfrost. At least she knew who they were and the deeds they commited in their lives. Jaystar didn't have the slightest idea who this cat was. Unless... "What are you?! A mute?! I'll ask again nicely before I rip your fur off! Who are you?! Brokentail wants to know!" So Jaystar was right. It was Brokentail.
"I'm sorry. I'm Jaysta-" Jaystar meowed, but Brokentail cut her off, "I already know who you are. Our kin share blood after all." Jaystar's eyes widened and so did Brokentail. The brown tabby actually looked softer than normal, but his eyes hardened almost immediatly. "You don't know?! Rabbitclaw knows and you don't know?! Rowanclaw is my son and I'm sure you know that his kit is Dawnclaw and her kits are Brookclaw and Brokenheart. Your grandkits! How do you think Brokenheart got his name? Dawnclaw allowed Rowanclaw to name it after his father! Me!" Jaystar winced not wanting to believe Brokenstar, but somehow she knew he was telling the truth.
Jaystar opened her jaws to speak, but another voice spoke. A voice that made Jaystar forget that she was angry with StarClan. "Jaystar, you must come home with me." It was Blackstar.
