IslandGamer: Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it! I really appreciate the kit name suggestions, would you mind clarifying which queen you'd like to have them? Thanks again, I hope you continue to read and enjoy! You're a hero!
To everyone else reading and enjoying that hasn't had the time to review, thanks for continuing to read! I am still open for kit suggestions, but not for much longer! Anyways, here's chapter 28-I apologize for how skimpy it is, I'm not particularly proud of it but it is what it is, I suppose. Enjoy!
Chapter 28
Though there had been no battle, Stormfur felt weary and defeated as he followed Firestar back to camp. The ShadowClan warriors trailed behind them, their eyes glinting defiantly despite the situation. Their time as part of TigerClan had done them no favors—they would have to work especially hard to stand strong beside the other Clans in battle.
Pushing his way through the thorn tunnel, Stormfur noticed the cats left behind were already crawling out of their dens. Runningwind jumped to his paws at the center of the camp, his hackles bristling as he saw the ShadowClan warriors.
"Are they prisoners?" The tabby warrior hissed.
Firestar shook his head. "No. Gather around, all of you, there's something I've got to tell you."
The Clan gathered curiously, even ShadowClan, though they hung back around the very edge of the clowder. Firestar spoke in a quiet, authoritative voice, telling his Clan of what had happened. They listened in silence, their eyes shining with horror, and then determination.
"We have three days to prepare," their leader finally meowed. "I want you all to eat well and sharpen up your battle skills. Include a ShadowClan warrior on every patrol, they will fight alongside us, and until the forest is safe again, they will be treated as allies." He waited until every warrior had shown some form of agreement before continuing, "I want Graystripe to be in charge of all of the patrols. Dustpelt, organize a training schedule. Brightheart and Sandstorm, ShadowClan's queens and elders will be fleeing here soon. I want the two of you to teach all of the kits basic defensive moves. If things go poorly, there's a chance BloodClan will attack the camp. We need to be ready if that happens. Let's get started everyone."
Stormfur shook himself thoroughly, forcing optimism into his paws as he approached Dustpelt and Graystripe, who were standing side by side near the fresh-kill pile.
"I'll take a small group of warriors and elders now," Dustpelt was meowing. "There's still plenty of sunlight."
Graystripe nodded. "Take whoever you need. Every other cat gather 'round me."
Dustpelt called to Brambleclaw, Runningwind, Silverstream, and two of the ShadowClan warriors—Stormfur thought he recognized Russetfur and Boulder. Gathering the elders, the large patrol set off towards the sandy hollow. Stormfur scooted closer to his father.
"Alright," the big gray tom scanned the group carefully. "I want Mousefur, Cindercloud, Brackenfur, and Thistlepaw to take a border patrol—go around the entire territory and make sure none of those BloodClan flea-bags are sulking around. The rest of you, split into hunting patrols—take at least one ShadowClan cat each, two if you can manage. The patrol leaders will be Swiftstep, Tawnypelt, and Foxtail."
Stormfur instinctively turned to Foxtail. The red-furred warrior beckoned him with a flick of his tail.
"Who else will join us?" The dark gray warrior meowed curiously as he stood beside Foxtail.
"Cedarheart," he flicked his ears to a dark gray ShadowClan warrior with tufty white fur along his chest, like a crescent moon that opened towards his throat. The warrior met Foxtail's gaze evenly, his eyes strikingly pale. Stormfur wondered if the thin ShadowClan warrior would object, but he only called softly to a small, mottled silver-and-black apprentice and padded towards the two ThunderClan warriors.
"You must be Foxtail," Cedarheart observed as he approached. "And Stormfur." He didn't wait for a response, but flicked his tail towards the small tom beside him. "This is my apprentice, Smokepaw."
"Nice to meet you both," Stormfur forced any lingering hostility from his voice. They were allies now, not enemies.
"Foxtail wait! I'll come too!"
Stormfur spun to see Feathertail hurrying towards their patrol. Cedarheart's ear pricked, his pale eyes flashing as he saw her. But Foxtail stepped between them, and Stormfur realized he must have been imagining things. A ShadowClan warrior would never show so much concern for a ThunderClan warrior.
"Your wounds aren't healed yet," Foxtail was meowing gently. "Besides, four is plenty for our patrol. Why don't you see if Swiftstep or Tawnypelt have room?"
Feathertail's blue eyes blazed in defiance for a moment, before she lashed her tail once and shouldered past Foxtail to speak with Tawnypelt.
"Now that that's handled," the red-furred tom shook his head. He motioned for them to follow with a sweep of his tail and led the way through the thorn tunnel and up the ravine. It wasn't long before they split up, meeting back at the ravine at sunset. Though the chill of leaf-fall was beginning to set in, there was plenty of prey to be caught—even the ShadowClan cats performed well, despite the unfamiliar territory. Dustpelt's training party was just ahead of them, looking tired and dusty but meowing excitedly to each other as they scrambled down the ravine.
The sun was nearly gone as cats of ThunderClan and ShadowClan alike took fresh-kill and settled down to eat. There was a quiet tension buzzing in the clearing. No cat would speak of it, but they all knew that in three days' time, they would have to ready to lose everything to save everything. Stormfur shivered and fluffed his pelt out against the chilled evening air. StarClan help us save our Clans!
"Stormfur, wake up, Firestar's called a meeting!"
Foxtail's soft hiss stirred the dark gray warrior, and he pulled himself to his paws. How many days have we got left now? Dread chilled his paws as he emerged from the warriors' den to see the grim, determined faces of his Clan-mates. Where did the days go? Stormfur had expected their three days of preparation to drag by, but there was no way he was mistaken; today they would go to Fourtrees to fight BloodClan. The broad-shouldered warrior shook his head and forced himself to lift his chin as he joined the gathering cats around the Highrock.
"Cats of ThunderClan and ShadowClan," Firestar's meow rang strongly through the camp. "Today, we travel to drive the evil that is BloodClan out of the forest. But we are not alone—RiverClan and WindClan will stand beside us. As well as each and every warrior of StarClan."
Encouraging yowls rippled through their ranks. Claws glinted in the pale leaf-fall sun, and Stormfur felt hope warming his bones as Firestar's pelt caught flame in the sunlight.
"Eat now," he continued. "We'll leave when the sun is a mouse-length from its peak." With that, Firestar leapt down from the Highrock. He shared a few words with Graystripe and Yellowfang, then urged the two cats to eat. Stormfur took a vole from the pile and carried it to the nettle patch. Yellowfang joined Firestar and Cindercloud beneath the Highrock, and Graystripe settled down with Silverstream. Sootfur and Tawnypelt joined Stormfur as he watched their Clan eat what might be their last meal together.
"Everyone is trying so hard to seem strong," Tawnypelt murmured, her green eyes dark with concern. "It's not like we don't all know that every cat is terrified."
Sootfur pressed his muzzle comfortingly against her shoulder, but couldn't seem to find words to soothe her.
"We're not trying to seem strong," Stormfur offered quietly. "We are strong, because we have each other, and we have StarClan."
The two older warriors blinked gratefully at him, and they continued eating in a more comfortable silence. Foxtail, Stormfur noticed, waited until last to pick out two plump mice and take them to the medicine den. Probably to share with Hailfall. As he finished his meal, Stormfur have Sootfur and Tawnypelt each a lick on the shoulder before mewing a farewell and padding towards the medicine den to be with Hailfall and Foxtail before the battle. He wasn't surprised to scent Feathertail as he approached the fern tunnel, but he was surprised to scent ShadowClan. He grew more cautious, slipping carefully through the ferns until he could hear hushed voices.
"You can't participate in this battle!" Hailfall sounded desperate.
"The medicine cat is right," Stormfur recognized the quiet growl—it had to be Cedarheart! "It doesn't matter how far along you are, I won't let you put yourself in danger. Especially not now!"
Stormfur heard his sister hiss in quiet frustration. "Are you just saying that because of the kits?"
"No! I'm saying that because I love you, Feathertail. I'll yowl it to your entire Clan if that's what it takes; Foxtail and Hailfall already know, what's a pawful more?"
Rage pierced Stormfur's heart like a leopard's claw. Kits? Love? He stalked out of the fern tunnel, his legs stiff and his tail bristling. "What exactly is going on here?"
"Stormfur," Feathertail looked relieved. She pressed against his flank and twined her tail with his, facing the other cats in the medicine den alongside him. "Tell them I'm fit to fight alongside you!"
Foxtail lashed his fluffy tail. "Hailfall," he meowed desperately. The pale silver tabby shook his head.
"Stormfur, Feathertail is expecting kits. She's not very far along, but as a medicine cat, and as a brother, I think it's best that she sits this one out."
"Whose are they?" Stormfur felt he didn't really have to ask, but he narrowed his eyes into a challenging glare as Cedarheart lifted his head defiantly.
"They're mine," the ShadowClan warrior snarled. His claws scraped against the packed ground of the medicine clearing. "Scold us both when this is all over with, I don't care what you have to say about it, but tell her that it's mouse-brained to go to this battle!"
Stormfur took a deep breath, trying to quell his fury and think rationally, if nothing else, then for Feathertail's sake.
"It would raise suspicion," he finally muttered. "If she weren't to participate now that her wounds are healing. She's a brilliant warrior, and ThunderClan may need her skills." Foxtail's eyes widened in dismay, but Stormfur continued carefully, "Yellowfang will be staying in camp. I think it would be wise to ask Firestar if Feathertail can help Hailfall with his herbs." Tension crackled between the five cats, before Hailfall finally nodded.
"Good idea, Stormfur." The medicine cat looked aged beyond his moons, and Stormfur felt a flash of sympathy. Yellowfang wasn't as young as she used to be, it was clear that Hailfall had taken most of the responsibility in the medicine den.
A caterwaul in the clearing signaled that it was nearly time to leave. Feathertail licked Stormfur's shoulder, then touched noses with Foxtail and Hailfall in turn. She met Cedarheart's gaze for a long moment, before the two warriors slipped from the medicine den together.
"This is it," Foxtail murmured. He rasped his tongue across Hailfall's ear, and pressed his muzzle to Stormfur's. "May StarClan save us."
Stormfur felt his stomach churning as he followed Firestar into the forest. ThunderClan and ShadowClan streamed behind him, silent and determined. They met RiverClan along the way, and the three Clans travelled together to Fourtrees, where Tallstar was already waiting with WindClan. The three leaders, as well as Russetfur, exchanged a few muted words. Stormfur's tail flicked restlessly.
"Look!" Brambleclaw's hiss drew every cat's attention as Scourge slunk from the shadow of the Great Rock. BloodClan seeped from the darkness behind him, their ranks just as intimidating as they had been three days prior.
"I know you're there," he called, his cold voice as smooth as silk. "Have you agreed to abandon this place, or do you dare defy BloodClan?"
Firestar padded forward with his chin high. "We will never let you rule the forest, Scourge. We have come to fight—and we will win."
Scourge blinked slowly. When his eyes opened again, they glittered with amusement. "Very well," he purred softly. He leapt to his paws. "BloodClan!" He screeched. "Kill them all!"
"LionClan," Firestar called proudly as the mass of vicious cats surged towards him. "Attack!"