Chapter 84
"Mousewhisker! Mousewhisker, where are you?! Mousewhisker!" Jaystar yowled, racing towards the ShadowClan border. Dovewing was running beside her, searching for her Clanmates just as much as Jaystar was. "Featherfoot! Lionblaze! Anyone!" Jaystar knew that Dovewing was worried about Featherfoot, her best friend, and Lionblaze, her former mentor, most of all. If they... if Dovewing's vision came true than Jaystar knew that the younger warrior would never trust her special connection with StarClan again. And Jaystar knew that Dovewing's powers were not random. Dovewing had some important destiny for her Clan. One that wasn't known yet.
Dovewing noticed that Jaystar was looking at her and asked, "What?" Jaystar shook her head. It wasn't her place to tell Dovewing that she had a huge destiny ahead of her. For one thing, Jaystar didn't want to ruin StarClan's plans for Dovewing. For another, Jaystar wasn't entirely sure if Dovewing had any important destiny and she didn't want to give the gray warrior a false promise.
"Nothing. Let's keep going towards the ShadowClan border. We might be able to stop Mousewhisker before he crosses the border and does something drastic." Jaystar ordered and the two of them began running faster, all thoughts of conversation gone. Once they reached the ShadowClan border, Jaystar raised her tail for Dovewing to stop.
Jaystar paused at the border between her territory and ShadowClan's, tasting the air with open jaws. Snarling under her breath, Jaystar growled, "Mousewhisker's scent leads here and then into ShadowClan's territory." Jaystar and Dovewing shared a glance and both knew they were thinking the same thing. The battle was inevitable; Dovewing's vision was inevitable. Jaystar and Dovewing would need to have the ability to fly to be able to catch up with Mousewhisker and his patrol. Turning to Dovewing, Jaystar whispered, her eyes wide with fear for her Clanmates, "How long do you think we were talking in my den? The battle could have already be-"
A yowl sounded and with an alarmed glance at Dovewing, Jaystar raced towards ShadowClan's camp, the younger warrior running behind her. Bursting through a cluster of trees, Jaystar realized that she and Dovewing were at the secret entrance to ShadowClan camp. The one that Jaystar had used with Toadflower, Flowerpaw, and Rosestripe so many seasons ago. Making sure Dovewing was following her, Jaystar pushed through the entrance, part of her mind remembering the last time she had seen it: flames everywhere and smoke darkening the sky. What Jaystar and Dovewing witnessed as they entered ShadowClan camp was worse than the fire.
Mousewhisker was wrestling with Oakstar, his size giving him an edge of the small brown warrior while Bumblethroat was swiping at a group of apprentices, Badgerpaw at his side. Hazeltail was lying down in the center of the clearing and Jaystar was about to sprint to her aid, but Lionblaze was already at her side, nudging the ThunderClan warrior to her paws before lunging back into the battle. Jaystar was about to join him when Dovewing yowled, "Featherfoot!" Jaystar turned and saw that Featherfoot was wrestling with three warriors that were nearly twice her size. Jaystar tensed her muscles, but Dovewing was faster and was already at Featherfoot's side, snarling.
Jaystar was about to join the battle when a cat landed on her back, shoving her muzzle into the mud. Coughing and spitting, Jaystar rolled onto her back, crushing her attacker. Springing away from her attacker, Jaystar recognized the gray pelt, the gray eyes; her gray eyes. Her attacker was Brookclaw, her kin. Apparently Brookclaw recognized Jaystar because she blinked, but then her eyes grew cold as she lunged at the ThunderClan leader once more. Apparently Brookclaw was a cat who believed that Clan loyalty came before kinship. Jaystar who had lost many of her kin, did not believe the same as Brookclaw so even though the ShadowClan cat was attacking her, she could not raise one claw to defend herself.
Suddenly Brookclaw's weight was lifted off of her and Jaystar turned, expecting to see one of her Clanmates. Jaystar was shocked to recognize the black fur of Brokenheart, Brookclaw's brother. Throwing Brookclaw away from Jaystar, Brokenheart snarled, "She's your kin! You can't try to kill your own blood over something as stupid as our leader's mistake!" Jaystar watched Brokenheart in shock, remembering how she used to feel distrustful off her ShadowClan kin. Was Brokenheart not the cat Jaystar thought he was? Was he actually a loyal warrior to ShadowClan as well as a wise one who could feel compassionate to their kin even if that kin came from a different Clan?
"Brokenheart, you traitor! You actually choose your kin over your Clan?! Do you what you are throwing away?! If you kill Jaystar, Oakstar will make you his deputy once Rowanclaw is dead! Once I've killed him!" Brookclaw's eyes were wild as she talked about Rowanclaw's death who- Jaystar realized- was her kin as well. "Well I am not such fool! You won't be Oakstar's new favorite young warrior after tonight! Once I give him Jaystar's corpse, I shall claim that title and you, my brother, will have no Clan to go to once I tell of your treachery." Brookclaw's muscles tensed and Jaystar thought that she was going to attack Brokenheart, but instead she flung herself at Jaystar.
Jaystar snarled, forgetting all bonds with Brookclaw and raked her claws against the ShadowClan warrior's ears. Brookclaw yowled in pain, but didn't back away from Jaystar. Instead Brookclaw lunged forward and Jaystar reeled back in surprise. Too late Jaystar realized that she made a fatal mistake. In that moment that Jaystar jumped backwards, Brookclaw shot forward and raked her claws against her kin's throat. Jaystar's choked out a cry of pain, but then everything went dark.
Jaystar had lost another life at the hand of her own kin.
