Chapter 20

Another soft sigh escaped Hailpaw's lips as he rolled over in his nest. His ice blue eyes shone with worry, and his tail-tip twitched anxiously, even as he tried to fall asleep. He heard Yellowfang echo his sigh from deeper within the medicine den, her breathy exhale layered with exasperation.

"I know you're concerned, Hailpaw," the old medicine cat rasped. "But there's nothing we can do right now."

Images flickered in the silver tabby's mind—images of ThunderClan being torn apart at the claws of an unknown enemy. I just can't… I can't just go to sleep when I know something terrible is about to happen… If only I knew when…

As his thoughts trailed away, Hailpaw's eyes slipped shut. Noticing he was on the verge of falling asleep, the medicine cat apprentice forcefully shook his head, standing up and opening his eyes. Much to his surprise, he was no longer in the medicine den, but in the starlit clearing he met his ancestors every half-moon. The same clearing that was washed in blood nearly every time the pale tabby fell asleep.

"Oakheart, are you here…?" Hailpaw called tentatively, scanning his surroundings carefully.

"I am." The small tom whipped around to see Oakheart strolling towards him, his amber eyes glowing with wisdom. There was something in his posture though—something that put Hailpaw on edge. "But Hailpaw, we mustn't talk for long. There's trouble coming to ThunderClan, and it's coming now."

"What kind of trouble?" Hailpaw felt his hackles bristling as the scent of blood reached his nose.

"The kind you must warn your Clan about immediately." Oakheart's image was already fading. "Bluestar and Fireheart are on their way now. Go, Hailpaw, prepare your Clan-mates for battle!"

Hailpaw woke with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. "Yellowfang!" He gasped, scrambling to his paws.

"What's wrong?" In a heartbeat, Foxtail was at his side.

"We have to get the Clan ready," the medicine cat apprentice explained quickly. "I have to tell them now." Without waiting for a response, the pale silver tabby bolted from the medicine den, letting out a yowl as he burst from the fern tunnel. "ThunderClan! We're in danger!"

The moon was just past its peak, and all but the two warriors on guard were bound to be asleep.

"Hailpaw?" Swiftstep turned from his post, his ears pricked.

"There's an attack coming, we must get ready!" Hailpaw raised his voice, and slowly, the cats of ThunderClan began gathering drowsily around him.

"What are you yowling about?" Dustpelt growled. "We're trying to sleep."

"I've received a dream from StarClan!" Hailpaw meowed desparately.

"About what?" Cindercloud pushed her way through the ring of warriors to address her son directly.

"A battle. We're all in grave danger." The young tom waited for scorn—for the criticism that he was only Yeloowfang's apprentice and not a full-fledged medicine cat, but it never came. Instead, Whitestorm stepped forward.

"Queens, kits, and elders are to go to the nursery. Runningwind, Swiftstep, pull the brambles across the entrance and stand guard there. Go now." Immediately, the two toms split from the group, the elders and queens following.

"I can fight!" Hailpaw heard Thistlekit object hotly. "We're old enough to be apprentices, why can't we fight?"

"Hush," Ferncloud murmured gently. "You have not been trained. And the elders and Brightheart's kits will need you to defend them if the enemy gets into the nursery."

"Oh…" Thistlekit nodded importantly, and then rushed to the nursery, Sagekit on her heels.

"Dustpelt, Longtail, go stand guard on the ravine, keep your eyes open and your claws unsheathed. Whatever it is that's attacking us, must be very dangerous for StarClan to warn us so directly." Whitestorm then turned to Mousefur. "Mousefur, Featherpaw, go warn the guards stationed near Fourtrees, and sned the evening patrol back to camp. Brackenfur is leading it, Silverstream and Sootfur should be with him."

Hailpaw felt a pang of fear as he watched Featherpaw bound after her mentor out of the camp. Please be careful, Featherpaw…

"Everyone else, stay alert, and stay in the camp. We must be ready for anything." With that, Whitestorm dismissed the gathered cats with a wave of his tail.

"Hailpaw, come, we must start preparing herbs for battle."

"Yes, Yellowfang." Hailpaw touched his nose to Cindercloud's briefly, before hurrying to the medicine den. Yellowfang didn't need to tell him what to do, the lithe tabby knew already. There was something about the steady, methodic way he and his mentor assembled the herb bundles that soothed the young tom's frazzled nerves, and his shoulders finally began to relax.

"I knew something was wrong," Yellowfang murmured as she worked. "Your connection with StarClan has always been extraordinary."

Hailpaw flicked his ears back, feeling his heart swell at the praise—which was hard to earn from his sharp-tongued mentor. "Oakheart came to me in a dream," he explained softly. "And he told me that I needed to tell the Clan, so I did. I'm not sure connections with StarClan had anything to do with it." He paused, grimacing slightly. "I still can't remember what it was I dreamt of when I was unconscious… or what I said to Bluestar…"

Yellowfang shook her head. "Don't worry about it right now, Hailpaw. Focus on the herbs."

The apprentice nodded, continuing his work. Maybe it's just a false alarm… Maybe Oakheart was wrong… As the moon began to set, Hailpaw felt a trickle of doubt creep through his mind. "Yellowfang?" He began, his voice layered with uncertainty. Before the old she-cat could answer, a yowl split the air.

"To me, ThunderClan!"

"That was Whitestorm," Hailpaw gasped, turning towards the fern tunnel. Almost instantly after his call, another vicious yowl echoed through the camp, followed by furious hisses and the sound of battle. The pale tabby slipped into the fern tunnel, peering cautiously out in to the clearing. Dread instantly flooded through his veins at the sheer number of enemy cats in ThunderClan's camp. He could barely see any ThunderClan warriors—only a flash of Brambleclaw's dark tabby pelt here, and a glimpse of Foxtail's red fur there. There has to be something I can to help!

As the thought crossed his mind, he caught sight of Sorreltail, pinned beneath an enemy tom more than twice her size, bleeding heavily from wounds that laced her shoulders. Without another thought, the medicine cat apprentice launched out of his hiding place, tearing across the clearing and tackling the huge tom, bowling him over. "Get to the medicine den!" He hissed at Sorreltail, nudging her roughly to her paws. "Hurry!"

As the tortoiseshell and white she-cat limped away, the enemy cat lunged at Hailpaw, the two beginning to roll over and over in a bloody fight. Hailpaw remembered every day he spent training Foxtail—all the times he should have been gathering herbs or tending to the elders' aching joints—and forced the tom off of him, pinning him down and scraping his hind claws across his belly. It was only as the tom tore himself away and ran screeching from their camp that Hailpaw realized he didn't recognize the scent these cats carried at all. It didn't belong to any other Clan in the forest. So why would they attack us?

He didn't have much time to think about it, as another enemy cat barreled into him, its claws digging into his flanks. "Get off of me, you piece of fox-dung!" The medicine cat spat harshly, retaliating by biting down hard on the other cat's ear. It let out a yowl of pain, pulling back only to crash into Stormpaw, who wasted no time in dragging it to the ground.

Shaking the blood from his pelt, Hailpaw looked around for any cat that may need medical attention, his gaze falling on the tattered heap of pale gray fur that he recognized as Willowpelt. "Oh no," he exhaled soflty, rushing to the queen's side. She was still breathing, though her wounds were very deep. "Come with me, Willowpelt." The medicine cat apprentice urged her, gently pressing his muzzle to her shoulder to help push her onto her paws.

Very carefully, he began to guide her around the outskirts of the camp, sticking to the shadows until they reached the medicine den. Sorreltail was just leaving, her shoulders swathed in cobwebs and her eyes burning with the fire of battle. "I've brought Willowpelt," Hailpaw announced, helping the she-cat lie down in the small clearing. "She's badly injured."

"Good job, Hailpaw," Yellowfang rasped, immediately getting to work on Willowpelt's wounds. The medicine cat apprentice slipped away again, keeping his eyes peeled for others that needed immediate care. We're never going to win this battle…! Fear struck the pale tabby's heart as he watch ThunderClan's warriors struggle feebly against the force of the rogue cats attacking their camp. They were severely outnumbered, and though he caught sight of Bluestar's blue-gray pelt in the thick of the fighting, Hailpaw could tell ThunderClan's morale was low.

"Bluestar, we can't keep fighting like this!" Hailpaw saw Fireheart fighting at their leader's side, feeling his heart constrict in his chest as the words left his father's mouth.

"We must," Bluestar answered, shaking the blood from her eyes. Eyes that Hailpaw noticed were startlingly clear. "We must hold them, for just a little while longer."

"Bluestar," Fireheart began to object, until another yowl, this one more familiar, cut through the fighting, followed shortly by Silverstream's shimmering pelt as she exploded through the gorse tunnel. Behind her was a stream of RiverClan warriors, their pelts glossy and wet from swimming across the river.

RiverClan has come to help us!

Relief crashed over Hailpaw as the RiverClan warriors fell into the battle—Leopardstar herself among them. The rogues were not quick to flee though, as they seemed to know that even with what seemed to be the whole of RiverClan there, the forest cats were still outnumbered.

Hailpaw reminded himself of his duties, scanning the camp for more warriors in need of help. It didn't take long for him to catch sight of Swiftstep, and the large claw marks running down his flank. The medicine cat apprentice darted out, weaving between the fighting cats until he reached the black-and-white warrior's side. "Let Yellowfang tend to your wounds," Hailpaw meowed softly, nudging the warrior towards the medicine den. "You can fight more once the bleeding has stopped."

He look ready to object, but Hailpaw pushed him along before he could do so. The warrior moved as slow—if not more slowly—than Willowpelt, and getting back through the thick of the fighting was more of a challenge than Hailpaw had originally thought. When they finally did reach the medicine den, Yellowfang was still hunched over Willowpelt, so Hailpaw sat Swiftstep down and grabbed another bundle of herbs.

"I should be fighting," Swiftstep mumbled, swaying even as he sat.

"You can return soon," Hailpaw assured him, beginning to lick the wounds clean. Once they were free of dirt, the silver tabby applied a marigold poultice, making sure some got into every part of the cuts. He finished with pressing cobwebs to the wound, only barely able to make them stick before the warrior was gone again, immediately launching back into the battle. Hailpaw followed more slowly, watching carefully from the fern tunnel for any more patients. As the sun fully broke the horizon, Hailpaw realized that the rogues were thinning out, running one by one to the tunnel—or simply tearing through the barrier around the camp—to get away from the battle. Finally, as one last tabby ran through the gorse tunnel, everything was still. There were no triumphant cries, no cheered yowls. What had just happened was not a victory.

"Bluestar!"

Fireheart's sudden exclamation seemed to break the spell over the camp, and the cats began to slowly gather around their leader, where she had collapsed under the Highrock.

"Give her some space!" Hailpaw objected, rushing across the camp and shouldering his way through the crowd to tend to their leader. "Someone get fetch Yellowfang, tell her to bring herbs." Hailpaw didn't look up to see who had gone, he knew the warriors wouldn't dare stall at a time like this.

"Stonefur…" Bluestar rasped softly. "And Mistyfoot… Are they here…?"

Leopardstar stepped forward, her deputy and his sister on her flanks. "They are." Even Leopardstar's fierce gaze seemed dulled by the sight of Bluestar's bloody form.

"I need to… speak… apologize…"

"Take it easy," Mistyfoot crouched beside Bluestar, Stonefur doing the same. Hailpaw noticed a knowing gleam beneath the pain in Fireheart's eyes, and wondered what exactly was going on.

"We should give them some time," the flame-pelted deputy mewed to Leopardstar. The RiverClan leader looked confused, but complied with a silent nod. At their deputy's orders, the ThunderClan cats moved away, as did the warriors of RiverClan that had come to help. Instinctively, Hailpaw began to make rounds, checking on every single cat—RiverClan warriors included—and sending those that needed urgent care to Yellowfang's den. It was a slow process tending to the many wounds, but one Hailpaw felt a sense of honor and peace performing. They had almost tended to all of the worse injuries when Mistyfoot and Stonefur moved away from Bluestar.

Immediately, Fireheart rushed to her side, speaking gently with his leader before bowing his head. No… Hailpaw knew it had been her last life, but he wasn't ready to lose her—not like this. ThunderClan can't take that right now… There were already too many lifeless bodies in the camp.

"Leopardstar," Fireheart moved to stand before the RiverClan leader. "ThunderClan is in your debt. If it weren't for your help, I'm not sure what would have happened."

The dappled golden she-cat bowed her head graciously, before meowing softly, "Bluestar, is she…?"

Fireheart gave a small nod in response. "Any of your warriors who are too injured to travel may stay here for medical care, but now, it is time for ThunderClan to grieve."

"Of course." With a wave of her tail, Leopardstar gathered her warriors, leading them out of ThunderClan's ruined camp.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Fireheart called, only raising his voice enough for every cat to hear. Slowly, the broken Clan circled around him, the queens and elders only just leaving the nursery. "You have all fought bravely, and because of that, we have protected our home. You all know that recently Bluestar had… changed. But she demanded I take her to the Moonstone, and once she shared dreams with our warrior ancestors, she seemed to wake up. Her mind was more clear than it had been in a long time… And she decided once she saw the battle that had begun in her camp that it was time for her to make up for the time she spent away. She saw you all fighting to protect each other and was reminded of the leader she was, and will always be remembered as. For Bluestar has given her last life for us today, and she will always be honored by StarClan for her courage and wisdom—and above all else, her compassion."

As soon as he finished speaking, distressed wails and mournful yowls began to ripple through the clan. "Tonight," he raised his tail for silence. "We will mourn her, and tomorrow I will go to the Moonstone to receive my name and nine lives. But for now, we must tend to the camp and to each other. And to do so, I feel we need as many warriors as possible."

Hailpaw felt his heart glow a little as he saw Featherpaw and Stormpaw both straighten up, despite their wounds. Silverstream gave them each a lick on the ear before pushing them forward, where they stood in front of Fireheart. They certainly look like warriors. Hailpaw thought fondly.

"I, Fireheart, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Stormpaw, Featherpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Stormpaw answered immediately, echoed by Featherpaw's softer, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Stormpaw, from this moment forward, you will be known as Stormfur. StarClan honors your strength and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full member of ThunderClan. Featherpaw, from this moment forward, you will be known as Feathertail. StarClan honors your spirit and compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Stormfur! Feathertail! Stormfur!" Foxtail immediately pushed forward, leading the Clan in the chant of the new warrior's names. Hailpaw was right behind him, touching his nose to each of his former den-mates' in turn.

Fireheart raised his tail for silence again, bringing the Clan's attention back to him. "And there are also two kits in need of mentors, if I've heard correctly."

"Yes!" Thistlekit bounded forward.

Fireheart purred softly, waiting for Sagekit to join his sister before continuing. "Sagekit, from this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sagepaw. Swiftstep, Longtail trained you well, and you are beyond ready for your first apprentice. I trust you will pass on all of your knowledge to young Sagepaw." The black and white warrior looked surprised, but limped forward with his chin high, touching Sagepaw's nose with his own and leading him back into the crowd. Thistlekit could barely sit still, nearly jumping up and down as she waited. "Thistlekit, from this moment on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Thistlepaw. Brackenfur, Graystripe was your mentor, and I know you will pass on everything you know to this young apprentice." Brackenfur's eyes gleamed, and he stepped forward to touch noses with his first apprentice.

He'll have his paws full with Thistlepaw! Hailpaw was relieved someone as level-headed as Brackenfur would be training the fiery apprentice.

"Now," Fireheart continued, "I need a hunting patrol and a border patrol, those who are left and not too injured will begin work on the camp walls."

Hailpaw took his opportunity to return to the medicine den, where cats would soon be returning to receive care. We survived… He thought quietly, preparing more poultices as warriors began to trickle into the den again. But at what cost…? The familiar rituals soothed their nerves for now, but there's no doubt that the devastation was severe… StarClan, what's going on…?

Weellll there's chapter 20! Also updated in a timely fashion! :D Sooo what did you think? If you're wondering, yes Bluestar did tell them about being their mother. I just didn't have the energy to type it all out and make it as dramatic as it was in the books. And also, I know Fireheart probably should have waited to give Stormfur and Feathertail their warrior names (and name the apprentices) but… I was soo tired of them being apprentices, guys, like… you don't even understand.

And to Lightclaw's shadow: Thank-you for the suggestion! I think I'll use it. And her mate is Runningwind (not sure why, just felt like he needed some love.)

Thanks again for reading everyone, I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter (or any of the other chapters) and if you have any preferences on cats that didn't survive this battle (I need at least three to die, but I'm open to devastating them a little more, if you want) let me know and I'll try to make it happen. See you next chapter!