Chapter 76
"Blackstar?" Jaystar and Brokentail meowed, glancing at each other as though surprised that both of them had greeted Blackstar. Before Jaystar could say anything else, Brokentail sneered, "Odd seeing you with stars in your pelt, my old friend. I thought that you would be following me here instead of walking with StarClan for the rest of eternity. You had solved as deputy for both me and Tigerstar after all, obeying us as the members of the weaker Clans obeyed the warrior code." Brokentail glanced at Jaystar- she ignored his attempts to bring up Blackstar's past- and continued, "I see something had affected you."
"That is enough, Brokentail. You have chosen your path and I have chosen mine." Blackstar growled at Brokentail, his ears flat on his head. Turning to Jaystar, Blackstar meowed, his tone much kinder, "You can not spend another moment in this place. Cats who have journeyed here are almost never able to return to the light." At this Blackstar shot a glare in Brokentail's direction. "You must return to StarClan lands with me and then we can send you back to the waking world. Your Clan needs you tonight." Blackstar glanced away as though he could see the future, which he probably could. "You have to come with me now."
"Why are you trying so desperately to take her away from this place, Blackstar? I remember when you were so ambitious once that you would have given anything to be in her paws." Jaystar admired Blackstar's ability at ignoring Brokentail and realized- after a couple heartbeats- that both old leaders were waiting for her to say something. "Lead the way, Blackstar." Jaystar followed Blackstar as he ran in the opposite direction as Brokentail, probably eager to get away from his former leader. After a couple minutes of endless running, Jaystar began to recognize trees around her. When Blackstar slowed down, Jaystar knew she was back in StarClan territory.
"Jaystar, this is where I leave you, but before we part ways, I have something to share with you. Something that all of StarClan wishes for you to know." Blackstar paused before meowing, his voice heavy with the weight of a prophecy, "A flower can kill and when it does a cat will be called to join the heavens. The flower will wilt after thanks to their kin... the black warrior." Blackstar finished his prophecy and- with a final, loving glance at Jaystar- began to disappear into the night. Jaystar had many questions refuring to the prophecy, but seasons of dealing with StarClan, taught her that they never gave answers. The answers to your questions were always revealed in good time.
*
Jaystar opened her eyes and recognized the Moonpool. Scrambling to her paws, Jaystar stretched her muscles with relief. Jaystar had been asleep much longer than she had planned. Padding out of the Moonpool, Jaystar realized that it was just a little bit before sunhigh. She had slept the day away! Remembering Blackstar's words, Jaystar knew that she had to return to her Clan as fast as she could. Sprinting towards her camp, Jaystar sprang into the hollow, ready for the danger that Blackstar had said would come. When she was met with the surprised glances of her Clanmates, Jaystar realized that the danger was not here. Atleast not yet.
"Jaystar!" The ThunderClan leader turned around and saw Sandstorm racing towards her with Thornclaw and Brackenspot, their eyes wide with relief as they spotted their Clan leader. Sandstorm touched her nose to Jaystar's ear and meowed, her voice thick with relief, "Great StarClan, we were all so worried. When Hazeltail and Bearpaw came back and told us that Floss had told you everything, we weren't sure when you would be back. If you would be back. Brackenspot had faith in you though, knowing that you would never abandon Rushleaf right after she had her kits and I'm glad she was right!"
"I could never leave you all," Jaystar mewed, blinking her gray eyes at her clanmates with warmth. She would miss them all if she had chosen to leave them. She would miss Rushleaf and her two new members of her kin, Butterflykit and Coalkit. She would miss Leafpool, Squirrelflight, Brackenspot, and Bearpaw... all cats who shared the bond of mentor and apprentice with her. She would also miss the warriors who fought beside her in every battle. Jaystar was about to add something else, but a loud, whining meow filled the air: "But Ferncloud! When is Stripepool going to be back? I'm starving!"
Jaystar recognized Rustkit's meow and turned her questioning eyes onto the three warriors surrounding her. Thornclaw took a step forward and mewed, his voice attempting to be calm, "Stripepool went out hunting with Rosestripe a little after dawn and neither of them have returned." Jaystar opened her jaws, but Thornclaw continued, his tail high for patience, "I sent Bumblethroat, Squirrelflight, and Badgerpaw out to look for them a couple minutes ago. They went to check the WindClan border, but we haven't heard back from them." Jaystar could feel her face twist in alarm and Thornclaw meowed rapidly, "I'm sure they are okay, but if you want another patrol can be sent out to look for them. I'll even be a part of the patrol if it makes you feel better."
"Thank you, Thornclaw. Will you two accompany him? Head towards the WindClan border and see if you can find Bumblethroat's patrol. If not then wait patiently for a WindClan patrol. Maybe they will know something or maybe some of their own cats have gone missing. I will head towards the ShadowClan border. If you find anything out look for me there. Don't worry, Thornclaw, I'm sure I will be alright. ShadowClan will think twice about attacking me or any ThunderClan warrior. Oakstar knows better." Thornclaw look slightly relieved and Jaystar sent them away with a whisk of her long, striped tail. Jaystar followed them a heartbeat later, but turned so she was heading closer to ShadowClan territory. After running around for a bit, Jaystar realized that there was another smell in the air other than ThunderClan and ShadowClan scents. The scent of blood.
Scared about what she would find, Jaystar pushed through a couple ferns and what she saw alarmed her more than anything she had ever seen since the day she first opened her eyes. This scene was more terrible than the dead dog she had seen when she was just an apprentice. It was worse than Flowerpaw's burnt body even though that image haunted her for a very long time. It was almost as terrible as when Stripepool fell out of the hollow when she was just a kit. It was almost tied because the dead cat in front of her was Stripepool, a long scratch in the light brown tabby's throat. The thing that alarmed Jaystar most was the cat standing above Stripepool, her paw's red with the younger cat's paws. It was Rosestripe, Jaystar's trusted deputy.
