CHAPTER 49-Don't Try Your Luck

I sat beside Lionblaze with my tail curled around my paws, observing the murmuring group of apprentices and warriors crowded around us. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were sitting on my left side, while Dovewing was seated next to Bumblestripe. The cats quickly quieted down when Bramblestar began to speak.

He sat up straight and gazed at the group, his amber eyes stern and determined. He meowed, "As you all know, the Clans are in terrible danger. There is a prophecy, in fact..." He trailed off and glanced questioningly at me, and from the look in his eyes, I knew that he was wondering whether or not he should reveal the omen to his Clan. I nodded, waiting for him to continue. It was time for ThunderClan to know.

"For there to be victory over the evil, secrets must be unraveled, enemies be forgotten, and new friends be forged. Through the dreaded time, a conqueror will arrive, a rescuer that was born to quake the ground and shake the frontiers. Water must quench fire, light must filter shadows, and a new storm must be forged and banded together in order for the sun to come out again."

Something deep and ancient was throbbing within those words, straining to be let out. I held a deep breath and steadied myself, the whispers of the voices echoing in my ears long after the wind had died down.

The leader continued, "There is a cat in this prophecy, a savior that StarClan has chosen over all the rest." A silent hush fell over the gathered cats as they eyed the dark brown tom, curiosity and confusion reflected in the gazes they gave each other.

"Her name is Shadefrost," he murmured quietly. The cats exchanged glances and whispered in each other's ears. I shrank back down and stared uncomfortably at my paws, trying to look small. A lot of them glanced at me. A few of them looked hopeful, but many others were scowling and bristling.

Thornclaw lashed his tail and stood up. The angry tom yowled, "But why Shadefrost? She used to be a rogue and has been in ThunderClan for only a year. Why did StarClan choose her?" The others called out at him in encouragement and soon, the clearing quickly became a mess of loud caterwauling voices.

Squirrelflight glared at him and hissed, "It's not your place to question the actions of StarClan. I believe with all my heart that our ancestors have made the right choice."

Spiderleg bared his teeth, eyeing me furiously. "But she's a rogue! We hardly even know anything about her past life. She could have been a murderer or a thief."

The queens and elders looked slightly afraid and began to inch away from me. I crouched down, crestfallen. These cats didn't trust me at all.

Lionblaze flicked his tail and turned to look at me. I flinched, expecting him to be angry, but instead, his eyes were soft and kind. He said, "I think Shadefrost should tell us a bit about her kithood, to ease the others' worries. We'll be able to know her better."

Bramblestar mewed, "That's a good idea, Lionblaze. Well, Shadefrost, tell us your story."

I scuffled my paws uncertainly, the hostile gazes from the crowd boring into me. "Well...uh...I was born and raised in a Twolegplace. I had parents and two brothers and a best friend named Sam." The crowd quieted down. "Um...one day we were being chased by a pack of dogs and I managed to leap onto a roof. But..." I breathed in deeply, wondering how many lies I was willing to make. My claws sunk deep into the earth. I had to do this, for the sake of all the Clans. I had to make them sympathize with me, pity me, think that I was one of them. "But my family wasn't so lucky. The dogs were already on top of them and I watched as the blood splattered everywhere. I tried to save them, but it was already too late. I watched my whole family die, and just like that, in a blink of an eye, everything I had was lost. Heart-broken and downcast, I wandered away from the Twolegplace and that's how I found myself here."

A poor, little lost orphan that didn't have anyone to look up too. A perfect sob-story to catch their attention. Just as expected, the cats stirred and murmured, a few of them casting sympathetic glances at me. Dovewing brushed her tail across my shoulder and mewed sadly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

I nodded and looked away. I felt guilty for lying to all of them, but I had no choice. Spiderleg narrowed his eyes and meowed, "That still doesn't prove anything. She's still weak."

Feeling a surge of anger course through me, I unsheathed my claws and towered over him from the boulder I was perched upon. I was tired of being looked down upon. I was tired of always being the loner and the anti-social one in my school. I knew for a fact that I wasn't weak. I was just as good of a warrior as all the rest of them.

I tried to muster all of the fury and passion stored inside me and meowed coldly, "I'm not a rogue anymore. I am a warrior of ThunderClan, one of your Clanmates. I promise you, if you just give me a chance, I can help you win this fight. You can call me weak if you want, but isn't it a warrior's duty to stand up for those who are lower than them and defend the tiny and innocent? I've heard stories about the Clans, back at the Twolegplace. They call you the protectors of the good-willed and the banisher of evil, stopping at nothing to protect your code and never backing down no matter what. If you really are as noble and true as they say, then let me stand next to you and be called one of your Clanmates too!"

The cats looked uncertainly at each other. Spiderleg's anger slowly ebbed away until his fur stopped bristling and he sat back down again. The fire of his glare still scorched into me even when it had long sizzled down.

Bramblestar dipped his head at me and mewed, "I will allow you to lead my Clan through the battle. Tell us what we need to do." I suddenly stiffened, my eyes wide. The fury quickly drained away. I had to lead ThunderClan myself? I shook my head and steadied myself. I was their only hope. It was my duty.

I stood up taller and tried to look important. "Alright then, uh, let's get started. First of all, the Darklings are extremely dangerous and will kill you as soon as they look at you. Kits cannot wander away from the camp and all apprentices must be accompanied by at least three warriors..."

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This was easy, I soon realized. I knew exactly what to do, as if I really was meant to be a leader. I leaped off of the boulder and crouched down, sketching a crude picture into the dirt with my claw. The cats crowded around me, straining to see.

I pointed to various parts of the picture. "This is the ThunderClan camp. As you know, we have an entrance in the front and another one in the back, both securely protected by thorns and gorse. Three warriors must always be on guard in each and must report any suspicious activity, no matter how insignificant it may seem. We'll make a secret exit in the back of the nursery and elder's den so that they can escape unnoticed. When the battle starts, everyone has to hide and make it seem that the camp is deserted. The warriors and apprentices will be perched on top of the cliffs so that they can leap down and attack the intruders at my signal." A shiver of anticipation ran down my spine. I was actually a warrior, commanding the whole of ThunderClan. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a scene happening in a storybook. This was real. And this war between the Clans and the Darklings was real too. I could die out there. I closed my eyes and opened them again, trying to ignore the feeling of panic that was growing inside me.

I continued, "When the battle starts, the elders and queens will sneak out of their dens and hide in the abandoned Twoleg house. The Darklings will be so absorbed in fighting the warriors that they won't bother looking for you there. Apprentices must fight in pairs and must always have a warrior by their side. If you ever get cornered, climb a tree or play dead."

Petalpaw asked nervously, "But isn't there a way to keep the Darklings out of our camp?"

"Yes. We need to make a small fire in the middle of the clearing. In order to do that, I need flint. Cherryblossom, take a patrol of ten cats with you and scour the territory from head to toe. The fire is crucial. I'm not exactly sure what flint looks like, but it sparks when you hit it, so don't give up until you find it."

Cherryblossom nodded firmly and darted away. I continued, "Now, let me explain the escape routes. If I give you the signal to retreat and both of the entrances are blocked, climb the Highledge. There is a small pathway up there that leads to the cliff walls. By following that path, we can exit the camp if we're careful. It's a long way down, so don't fall."

After explaining some more things and making sure that every cat understood, the group dispersed. Petalpaw stayed behind, her blue eyes wide and trembling.

"What is it?" I asked gently. She wrapped her tail around herself and looked away, murmuring, "What if we don't win?"

I licked her forehead softly. "Of course we'll win. We're ThunderClan, aren't we?"

She sighed and I watched her trudge away, her shoulders bent and low. I had the same doubts too. I still remembered the scene from when I had walked with the Ancients.

Blood was splattered everywhere, all over the dens and ground. It coated the ground thickly like a scarlet syrup. Cats with lifeless bodies and soulless eyes stared sightlessly from where they had fallen, their pelts torn open and fur matted with blood. Screams and wails erupted from scared queens and kits as they cowered from their attackers, helpless and defenseless as they watched their life flash before them. The night was solemn and overpowering. Dark forms from otherworldly places trudged through the tainted destruction, picking their victims apart with their long, slender claws. So much bloodshed, so much gore...

I was lightly jolted out of my flashback and was relieved to find that the camp was still intact. We only had seven days to prepare. Only seven days until the moon turned full and round.

The Wolf Moon signaled the start of the battle between the Clans and the Darklings. The fate of the Clans were resting on my shoulders, and it was up to me to save them all.

I didn't know if I could do it. Oh, StarClan, I thought, staring up at the blue sky. Please lend me the power and the strength to protect all five of the Clans. I didn't know if they heard me or not. They were probably hiding under the rocks and crevices, fearing for the safety of their lives and the future of the Clans that they tried so desperately to save. In my mind, I remembered Feathertail's haunting look, so full of pain and terror. Don't worry, I thought. We'll pull through this somehow.

In the meantime, I also had to pay a visit to ThunderClan's 'friendly' neighbors. Blackstar, Onestar, and Mistystar probably didn't know of the danger yet. I had to make sure that they did.