Chapter 30

Author's Note: This chapter is going to have a major death that will impact everyone. It will also lead up to the meaning of the prophecy.

"StarClan needs to send us some decent weather," Maroonfeather growled from behind Darkshadow and the black tom turned to see his Clanmate shake his pelt dry, but in a couple seconds his fur was as damp as if he had just jumped into the lake. Darkshadow could sympathize with his thick-furred Clanmate as he gave his own soaked fur a couple of brisk licks, rain trickling down his shoulders immediately if he paused for the smallest second. In all of his seasons spent by the lake- and in the mountains with SkyClan- Darkshadow could not recall such a leafbare. The air was warm like during a greenleaf evening and the rain, instead of cooling down the warriors of JayClan, thickened their pelts and steamed their drinking water. As Darkshadow jumped over a small puddle, he realized that if this was snow falling, they would be covered completely.

"Are all leafbares like this?" Thunderpaw asked, the only cat of the patrol with a thin pelt. Unlike Darkshadow, Thunderpaw had inherited Woodstar's thin pelt just like Airstorm and Waterdrop. Thunderpaw padded up to his mentor and drew a paw over his ear, scattering water droplets to the ground. "Gingereye used to always say how cold and brutal leafbare was. This isn't either of those two things."

"On the contrary, Thunderpaw," Maroonfeather meowed, joining the two cats, "This is brutal. How many squirrels have you seen? Or mice?"

Thunderpaw glanced around, tasting the air, "None, Maroonfeather."

"That's because most of them have probably drowned," Maroonfeather explained, "Rabbits and voles can't swim as well as cats and while we pride ourselves in being excellent swimmers we can't survive without prey."

Thunderpaw nodded and Maroonfeather turned to look at Darkshadow, "Come on, Darkshadow. Even Toby wouldn't be stupid enough to attack in this weather. I say we all head back to camp and dry off."

Darkshadow was about to agree when he saw a couple of black shapes slinking towards the camp from across the lake. There was easily a dozen shapes. Darkshadow held his tail up for silence and whispered, "Look over there."

Maroonfeather followed Darkshadow's black gaze and then dropped into a crunch, his ginger fur bristling, "Rogues."

Darkshadow was about to give a response when someone brushed their fur against his. He looked next to him expecting to see Thunderpaw, but instead there was a familiar golden she-cat with the darkest gray eyes. She turned her head to look at Darkshadow, "It is time."

"Jaystar," Darkshadow breathed, but when he blinked his eyes, the ancient Clan leader was gone. Darkshadow turned to look at Maroonfeather and Thunderpaw, his friend and his brother. Maroonfeather was snarling, claws raking against the muddy ground, but he wouldn't do anything until Darkshadow ordered him too and Thunderpaw was shaking like a leaf, but in his amber eyes there was a bravery that reminded Darkshadow of himself when he was an apprentice. Too terrified to move, but too brave to hide. "Maroonfeather, Thunderpaw, let's go!"

And in an instant, Darkshadow was running.

The forest blurred around him as he scrambled over moss-covered stones and soared over the tiny stream that carved through RiverClan's ancient territory, the heavy rain making his journey much harder than it should have been. Heavy paws thundered from behind him and Darkshadow heard Thunderpaw stumble into the stream, unable to control the speed that the black warrior was forcing him to run. Darkshadow didn't care though for he had only one thought in his mind: Lakesky.

Darkshadow raced towards JayClan's camp, the sounds of battle reaching his ears. He jumped on top of the treebridge, his claws scraping against the ancient bark in order to balance speed and grace. He waved his tail around to steady himself, but as a painful yowl echoed amongst the trees and rippled across the lake, Darkshadow found himself slipping into the numb water around him, lightning flashing from above as his head went under. Water flowed into his mouth and Darkshadow let out a loud yowl, his claws scraping against the water before everything faded to darkness, someone calling his name underneath the roar of the thunder.

"Darkshadow!"

*

"Darkshadow! Darkshadow! Wake up!" Darkshadow felt someone prod him in the stomach hard and the black warrior lifted his head, spitting out water through his open jaws. "Darkshadow, oh thank StarClan!"

Darkshadow looked up at Maroonfeather who was staring at him with relieved violet eyes, but there seemed to be something else swimming in the former rogue's gaze. Grief? Pity? Memories of the race towards camp flashed in Darkshadow's mind and he scrambled to his paws. What had happened? Was anyone hurt? Was anyone- Darkshadow couldn't finish the thought. He glanced around and realized he was in Talonclaw's den, the medicine cat hovering over Gingereye. Darkshadow took a step forward... was Gingereye-?

Maroonfeather rested a tail on Darkshadow's shoulder, "Gingereye is fine, Darkshadow."

Featherpaw padded in through the entrance of the medicine cat's den, leading Dawnpaw with her tail. Darkshadow didn't even feel Maroonfeather beside him any more and instead padded quickly towards his daughters, black eyes wide with worry, "Dawnpaw, Featherpaw, are you alright?"

Featherpaw glanced up at her father and mewed softly, "I was helping Orangepelt and the kits get to safety so I wasn't in the thick of the battle. Dawnpaw isn't injured badly, but she is-" Featherpaw paused, thinking of the word, "Traumatized."

Dawnpaw stared at Darkshadow, her dark green eyes- just a shade lighter from being called black- wide and glossy, "I'm sorry, Darkshadow. I was fighting beside him... I should have been stronger. He told me to run and I- I obeyed."

"Of course you obeyed," Darkshadow looked up as Airstorm padded into the medicine cat's den, gray eyes soft as he looked at his apprentice, "Dawnpaw, it was a direct order. You were following the warrior code."

"Airstorm, what happened?" Darkshadow whispered and Airstorm glanced at his brother, gray eyes narrowing with grief.

"Darkshadow, Woodstar is dead."

Gingereye's wail was the only thing heard after that sentence.

*

Darkshadow sat in the shadows of JayClan's camp as his Clanmates welcomed the newly named Volestar who had just returned from the Moonpool. It had been a day since Woodstar's death and everyone except for his mate and kits seemed to have moved on. Even Lakesky had started leading patrols and hunting parties. When Darkshadow had cornered her and asked why she was being so active, she had said that Woodstar wouldn't have wanted them to mourn his death for too long. Instead he would have wanted them to continue building JayClan's strength so they could avenge him. Darkshadow knew she was right, but that didn't stop him from snapping at her.

After a couple minutes, Darkshadow had wanted to apologize to Lakesky, but he was too proud of a cat to stay the two words needed to gain her forgiveness. So Darkshadow had continued to sulk, Dawnpaw and Featherpaw the only cats he talked to other than Thunderpaw when he took his young apprentice out on patrol.

Darkshadow watched Volestar leap onto HighTree, the rising moon staining his brown fur silver and Darkshadow knew what was going to happen. It was time for a new deputy to be chosen, an action that hadn't happened since Volestar's own appointment when Darkshadow was just two moons old. That was after their previous leader had died and Woodstar had taken over JayClan.

"Sadly," Volestar began, his voice not sounding sad at all, but a bit nervous and his dark eyes kept flashing down to where Talonclaw nodded encouragingly. Darkshadow was a surprised at this. Since when was his former mentor nervous? "It is time to choose a new deputy. I am honored to say that in all my seasons as being a warrior of JayClan, never had we had such fine warriors. Each of you would make a valuable deputy, but with the threat of the rogues looming overhead, I need a deputy who is brave, a good friend to every member of this Clan, who loves this Clan more than anything else in the world."

Volestar paused, his eyes scanning across the clearing until they landed on one cat. Darkshadow's eyes widened on who they were on and even that cat looked away as though they hadn't been expecting this. "I say these words before Woodstar so that his spirit may hear and approve my choice." Volestar paused, whether for dramatic effect or to decide if his choice was worthy. "Lakesky will be the new deputy of JayClan."

Every cat was surprised, but Darkshadow spotted more than one nodding in approval of Volestar's choice. Dawnpaw and Featherpaw were the first to congratulate their mother and Sunfoot padded towards his former apprentice, giving her a hearty nudge. Even Reedtail exchanged a few words with his daughter. Once everyone backed away from her, Darkshadow could feel Lakesky's eyes on him, but instead he just padded out of camp, not wanting to deal with Volestar or Lakesky and the way they were trying to push his father from memory.

*

"Darkshadow?"

"Please. I don't feel like talking to anyone."

"Darkshadow, I need to talk to you."

"About what? How I'm being a lousy father and mate?" Darkshadow snapped and sprang to his paws, whirling around to face Gingereye. "Just because you were always the devoting mate and loving mother of five kits, doesn't mean I have to be!"

"Darkshadow, I miss him too," Darkshadow glanced away. Even as a kit, his mother always knew what he was thinking. "Remember when you were a kit and Woodstar went to camp out by the lakeside with Reedtail and Orangepelt? Remember how you went to the treebridge everyday, asking when he was going to be back?" Darkshadow nodded, already knowing where this was going. "You used to tell me how much you hated it when Volestar was in charge and you wanted your father back."

"Then you got adventurous and jumped onto the treebridge, nearly drowning," Gingereye meowed, flicking her son on the shoulder, "Volestar saved you that day and you told me after that you wanted to give him a chance. Give him a chance now, son. He's doing the best he can do."

"He's replacing Woodstar," Darkshadow growled.

"He's doing what he must, Darkshadow," Gingereye meowed, "Volestar was Woodstar's former apprentice, deputy, and closest friend. He misses him terribly, but he knows what his responsibilities are now that Woodstar is dead. You must remember your responsibilities to the Clan, to Thunderpaw, and to Lakesky and your daughters."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Darkshadow whispered, glaring at Gingereye with dark eyes, "Why are you forcing me to walk beside a father who I will never see again except in memories?"

Gingereye paused and then looked away, "Woodstar wasn't your father."

Darkshadow's body froze and Gingereye continued, "Woodstar and I had lost two litters before you and I thought that I would never be able to bear kits. Your father and I soon fell out of love and we declared ourselves no longer mates. I... I began to start spending a lot of time with another tom who was there for me when all my other litters died. I became pregnant once more. I told Woodstar it was his kits and I don't think he believed me then, but once you were born, I told him the truth."

"Whose my father?" Darkshadow rasped, his voice hoarse. He had just learned that his entire kithood was a lie. Everything was a lie. He wasn't Jaystar's kin. He wasn't the son of a great leader. Yet it all made sense. He took after Gingereye's side of the family completely. He looked just like his mother except for his dark pelt and he had probably gotten that from...

"Talonclaw," Gingereye whispered, looking everywhere, but a her son.

Talonclaw.

A medicine cat.

Darkshadow got to his paws and walked away from Gingereye.

Author's Note: I can't tell you how long I've planned this chapter. Ever since I created Darkshadow I knew his father was going to be Talonclaw. I've read it over and I think it was a decent chapter. A little fast moving, but I wanted to sort of wanted to just reveal this big family secret. Even though I didn't say it in this chapter, Airstorm, Waterdrop, Cloudleaf, and Thunderpaw are all Woodstar's kits. Darkshadow is the only one who has Talonclaw as a father.