Battle in Sunningrocks
About half a moon had passed since the gathering. It was the usual news of prey. Crookedstar had died two nights before the gathering and Leopardfur, now Leopardstar, had taken his place, with Stonefur as her deputy. Graypool, a Riverclan elder, had died. Bluestar had accused Windclan of stealing prey as Tallstar did the same with Thunderclan. The Thunderclan leader had snapped at Tigerstar and was friendly to Leopardstar. The gathering had ended with the cats wary of what may come. At one point, soon after the gathering, Bluestar had decided to attack Windclan for the loss of prey, though she called it off after Fireheart managed to persuade her not to.
The rain gave way to crisp, dry weather, but there was a thin rime of frost on the ground each morning and the remaining leaves dropped steadily from the trees. The brief recovery of the forest was over, and prey became scarce again. Fireheart did his best to set up a system of patrols that would give the Clan ample warning if Shadowclan or Riverclan decided to attack.
Nightfrost was about to head out with the other cats in the dawn patrol consisting his apprentice, Ravenwing, Fireheart and Cloudpaw, when Bluestar padded out of her den.
"I'll lead the patrol this morning," she meowed, and went to wait by the entrance to the camp.
"Bluestar leading a patrol?" muttered Cloudpaw. "That ought to go well. Watch out for flying hedgehogs!"
Fireheart aimed a cuff at the side of his head. "Show some respect," he ordered. "She's your leader, and she's been ill."
Nightfrost, noting the amount of cats, decided to back off. "Fireheart, I think I'll go on a hunting party instead. There's more than enough cats in this patrol."
Fireheart turned to the group and nodded in agreement with his brother.
"Alright. What about Swiftpaw?" Fireheart asked.
"He'll be with the patrol. He's more than ready to be warrior," Nightfrost mewed, his apprentice's eyes shown.
Fireheart nodded and Nightfrost padded off to the nursery.
Nightfrost padded out, ready to hunt. Whitestorm was cleaning his pelt, his apprentice and his friend's daughter, Brightpaw, waited eagerly. Sandstorm lay in the sun, warming herself, while her apprentice, Nightpaw groomed herself. All was peaceful until cries came from the tunnel.
"Help! Riverclan is attacking! They came to take back Sunningrocks" Ravenwing called out, panting.
Whitestorm quickly jump on his paws and nodded. "Nightfrost and I will go to Sunningrocks now. Ravenwing, get the other warriors up for the battle. Sandstorm, you go help him. Nightpaw, Brightpaw, both of you get the apprentices up. We need all the help we can get."
The two senior warriors rush off, not looking back to see the warriors and apprentices doing as ordered. The two warriors hurried though the forest, the plants turning to a burr.
Nightfrost burst though the bushes, face-to-face to Fireheart. Whitestorm had leaped onto the rocks, facing the Riverclan leader, Leopardstar. Nightfrost took a glance at his brother and threw himself on a Riverclan warrior's back that look just like him, except for size and the eyes, and shuck his claws in. Whiteclaw yowled out in pain and shook the smaller tom. Nightfrost keep clinging onto the intruder until he felt his opponent stop and slacken.
The small warrior jumped off just as his look-alike rolled back to his paws, snarling. Nightfrost hopped to the side, Whiteclaw's jaws snapping at where his neck was. Nightfrost lash out both of his front paws on the bigger tom's head and shoulder, bringing his jaws to the neck, biting it lightly. Nightfrost released his grip and Whiteclaw ran off, terrified. Nightfrost was then tackled from the side.
"You're so small, you're pathetic. I can't believe some cat like you bested Tigerstar," spat a tabby.
Nightfrost narrowed his eyes and was about to push himself before thinking better of it. He relaxed his muscles, making Heavystep blinked before narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, no. Don't even think that will trick me. I did that once and it almost cost me my own life."
Nightfrost growled and stared right into the Riverclan warrior, icy blue meeting the tom's eyes. Heavystep shuddered and stepped off, unable to control himself. Nightfrost grinned darkly, almost as if he was going to kill him.
"Scat."
Heavystep jumped a bit and rush off to the river. A chorus of yowling shook him out of it, making him to shaking his head, reminding himself. Nightfrost looked up to see who had yowled. Mousefur, Sandstorm, Dustpelt, Ravenwing, Brightpaw and Nightpaw were leading the other apprentices. The remaining Riverclan warriors fled, ending the battle.
Leopardstar was the last cat to retreat across the border. "Look there!" she snapped at her warriors, flicking her tail toward Graystripe, who was standing beside Fireheart. "If it weren't for that traitor, Sunningrocks would be ours again. He's no longer a member of RiverClan. If you catch him on our territory, kill him."
Without waiting for any response, she spun around and limped rapidly toward the river. Sandstorm padded to Fireheart and the two exchanged meows. Fireheart then looked around found what he was looking for. Bluestar limped off, confused of something and as Fireheart approach her, gave him a swift lick on his shoulder.
As the warrior started to head back to camp, Fireheart stepped forward with Graystripe. Some of the cats growled at Graystripe. Brackenpaw stared, surprised of Graystripe. Darkstripe shouldered his way forward.
"Get off our territory!" he spat at Graystripe, adding to Bluestar, "I'll drive him off, if you want."
"Wait," Bluestar ordered with a touch of her old authority. "Fireheart, explain what's going on."
"Graystripe had warned me about Leopardstar's attack and pulled her away when I was losing the fight. He brought me to help you when Mistyfoot and Stonefur were attacking you," he explained. "And I owe him my life. Bluestar, please let him come back into ThunderClan."
Graystripe looked at his former leader with a glimmer of hope in his amber eyes. But before Bluestar could reply, Darkstripe broke in roughly. "He left ThunderClan of his own free will. Why should we let him come crawling back now?"
"I'm not crawling to you or any cat," Graystripe retorted. He turned to face the gray she-cat again. "But I'd like to come back, if you'll have me, Bluestar."
"You can't take back a traitor!" Darkstripe spat. "He just betrayed his leader—how do you know he won't betray you the first chance he gets?"
"He did it for Fireheart!" Sandstorm protested. Darkstripe snorted contemptuously.
Bluestar fixed a cold look on him. "If Graystripe is a traitor," she meowed, with all the ice of leaf-bare in her voice, "then he's just the same as most of you. The Clan is full of traitors, so one more won't make any difference." She whirled on Fireheart, power and strength seeming to flow back into her body. "You should have let Mistyfoot and Stonefur kill me!" she spat. "Better a quick death at the claws of noble warriors than a life dragged out in a Clan I can't trust—a Clan doomed to destruction by StarClan!"
There were gasps from the other cats as she spoke as the clan realized how distrustful and despairing Bluestar had become. There was no point in trying to argue with her now. "Does that mean Graystripe can stay?" Fireheart asked.
"Stay or go, whatever he likes," Bluestar responded indifferently. Her flash of strength ebbed, leaving her looking more exhausted than ever. Slowly, not meeting the troubled gazes of any of her warriors, she padded away in the direction of the camp. As soon as they reached camp, a few cats gave out hostile looks towards Graystripe.
At sunset, both Swiftpaw and Cloudpaw were excited for their ceremony. Bluestar padded out of her den and sprang up onto the Highrock.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting," she called, almost without need.
Many of the cats were already in the clearing. News of Cloudpaw's and Swiftpaw's warrior ceremonies must have spread around the camp. Yellowfang appeared from her den and took her place near the base of the rock, while Goldenflower brought her two kits to sit at the front of the gathering crowd. Willowpelt's litter stayed with their mother near the entrance to the nursery.
"I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."
"Cloudpaw, Swiftpaw," Bluestar continued, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Cloudpaw meowed fervently.
"I do," Swiftpaw mewed, his eyes gleaming.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names," Bluestar went on, as each word dragged out of her like thorns, uneasy murmurs started to break out among the cats. "Cloudpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Cloudtail. StarClan honors your courage and your independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
She turned to Swiftpaw, though hesitant. "Swiftpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Swiftfoot. Starclan honors your bravery and speed, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."
She jumped down from the Highrock and rested her muzzle on Cloudtail, then Swiftfoot. Both warriors gave her a respectful lick and went to stand beside their mentors. The apprentices started chanting their names first, then slowly, the rest of the clan.