Thank you to AtlierSky, Ezra, and really confused for the reviews.
"Will she live?" Thunder asked anxiously. Lightning Tail stood beside him in the medicine den.
Cloud Spots sighed. He and Acorn Fur had worked to fix up Brightpelt's injuries as best as they could overnight. Acorn Fur was currently curled up in her nest, taking a rest while Cloud Spots finished up.
"I don't know," Cloud Spots admitted. "I did the best I could. It's all up to StarClan now."
Lightning Tail grumbled something that sounded like "Why rely on them if they don't see us?"
"She's strong," Thunder meowed, trying to reassure himself and the others.
"Even if she recovers, she's lost her left eye and ear," Cloud Spots warned. "And until she wakes up, there's no telling how deep this damage might be."
Thunder nodded, feeling sick. "We really need to find a way to get rid of the dogs," he murmured.
Pawsteps sounded from behind them. Thunder turned to see Cloud Tail squeezing into the clearing.
"I thought I told you to rest," Cloud Spots meowed. The tom had spent the rest of the day beside Brightpelt, not sleeping even after he trekked through two other Clan territories to get here.
Thunder peeked out to see the two former ShadowClan cats, Rowanpaw and Rubblepaw outside the apprentices den. Birch and Alder had been happy to have new denmates. The last time the apprentices' den had been that crowded was when Thunder and Lightning Tail had been in there themselves.
And Morning Whisker… that kit is strong if she walked all the way from the moor alone without bumping into trouble. I'm just glad she found Cloud Tail and them before something else found her.
Skystar, of course, had sent a messenger to reassure WindClan that she was fine and had come on her own. Thunder was sure she hadn't told anyone before leaving.
Currently, the kit was skipping around the clearing with Thistle and Clover. They were the same age and would all be apprentices soon.
"I couldn't sleep." The young warrior walked over to settle beside Brightpelt's nest. "I wanted to make sure she's okay." He looked down at her and flexed his claws, angrily. "Stupid ThunderClan! If Thistlestar just acted like a leader and got rid of the dogs himself, none of this would be happening."
Outside, he heard soft pawsteps, and turned to see Skystar approaching. The Clan leader looked down at Brightpelt sadly.
"She's okay, right?"
"We'll find out soon enough," Cloud Spots said.
"She was brave," Lightning Tail meowed. "She and Swiftclaw tried to take on the dogs."
Cloud Tail looked up. "Swiftclaw? He's the one who dragged her into this? Is he alive?"
"Um, yes?" The black tom meowed, confused. "He went to get help and that's when Thunder and I made our move to get her away."
"Of course," Cloud Tail growled. "Always trying to show off."
"No offense, Cloud Tail," Skystar meowed. "But I'm sure you would have gone looking for dogs too if you were there."
"Yeah, but I wouldn't have put any of my clanmates in danger!"
"So you would have done it alone?" Cloud Spots' green eyes gleamed. "Even smarter!"
The white warrior glared at them all before he huffed and curled up around Brightpelt. Skystar studied her for a moment before he spoke.
"I think… I want to give her a new name… a tribe name that suits her. She deserves a better warrior name and I don't want a warrior with a name given by Thistlestar."
Thunder and Lightning Tail exchanged looks as Cloud Tail looked up, surprised.
"Spirits of StarClan, you know every cat by name. I ask you now to take away the name from the cat you see before you for it no longer stands for what she is. By my authority as leader, and approval of our ancestors, I give this cat a new name."
Thunder blinked at the unfamiliar words. He never knew there was a name-changing ceremony. That was nice.
"From this moment on she will be known as Bright Heart, for her spirit so much like her father's." Skystar paused to touch his nose to Bright Heart's head. "...and one of the only noble ThunderClan cats that passed too soon."
Cloud Tail looked at his leader, gratitude shining in his blue eyes. "That's a much better name! But either way she would have been beautiful no matter what."
Thunder smiled at the young tom. It always seemed like Cloud Tail would be snappy and rude, but he was loyal and caring all the same.
The touch from Thunder's father must have roused her, as Bright Heart woke with a gasp. "Pack, pack, kill, kill!"
Skystar stepped back and Thunder bristled. "What?"
But the young she-cat had sunk back into unconsciousness.
Skystar looked at Cloud Spots. "Do you know what she meant?"
"What else? The dog pack that attacked her… but I feel like I've heard that before…" a strange light entered the medicine cat's eyes. Then they widened. "Spottedleaf… she told me she had that dream at the last half-moon meeting!"
"So StarClan knew about the dogs? It wasn't just a coincidence that they settled in the forest?"
"As if StarClan would ever be useful," Lightning Tail muttered behind Thunder. The ginger tom was about to tell his friend to get out, but paused as they heard Quick Water's yowl.
"Skystar! Brindleface and Fernpaw are here!"
Cloud Spots turned back to his patient, looking relieved to not be pestered for more answers. Cloud Tail stayed behind, but Acorn Fur woke up.
Together, she, Thunder and Lightning Tail followed Skystar out of the den.
Brindleface was looking horrified. "The dogs attacked two of our warriors. And they're getting confident. They've been past Snakerocks where they live!"
"Brightpelt died!" Fernpaw added. "And Swiftclaw barely escaped alive."
Skystar glanced at Thunder, who stepped forward. "Actually…" The ginger tom beckoned them to follow.
They pushed into the medicine den again.
"For our ancestors sake!" Cloud Spots exclaimed. "Too many cats isn't helping!"
"Sorry Cloud Spots, but these visitors are only checking in," Thunder meowed and stepped aside to let the mother and daughter get a view of their supposed dead clanmate.
"Brightpelt!" Fernpaw squealed.
"But… how?" Brindleface gasped. "We came back and her body was nowhere to be found! Frostfur was devastated!"
Thunder and Lightning Tail once more exchanged looks, knowing the mother already knew Bright Heart was safe. The ginger tom just meowed, "Lightning Tail and I got her away before your patrol came."
"Oh!" Brindleface pressed her muzzle to Bright Heart's flank in relief. "Oh, but her eye and ear. Will you be able to fix it?" She glanced imploring at Cloud Spots.
"They might be damaged for good, but what's important is that she's alive, at all."
Brindleface nodded.
"Brightpelt, I'm so glad you're safe," Fernpaw whispered.
"Bright Heart is her name now," Cloud Tail corrected.
"It suits her," Brindleface purred.
"Should we tell Frostfur?" Fernpaw meowed.
"Of course. She deserves to know," Skystar meowed.
"Thank you for saving her," Brindleface meowed to Thunder and Lightning Tail.
"Always happy to help," Lightning Tail meowed, dipping his head.
Swiftclaw grumbled as Spottedleaf peeled off the old poultice from his side and foreleg before she started applying a fresh one.
"Hey, don't whine," she murmured in her gentle voice. "You're very lucky this is all you escaped with. It could have been worse."
Goldenflower stood in the entrance, looking anxious. "Are you okay?" She asked him. "It doesn't hurt too much?"
Swiftclaw rolled his eyes but meowed lightly, "it's fine, Mother. Honest." He guessed he understood her protectiveness of him. Even if he was a warrior, he had been the only kit in her first litter when his sibling had died from sickness. He didn't remember them much.
And he had been her only kit for a while until she had given birth to Bramblekit and Tawnykit. Swiftclaw smiled. He loved his little siblings. They had called him brave for fighting dogs even if he really only ran into them.
They'll be apprentices soon, he thought. I wonder who will mentor them.
After Spottedleaf finished, the black and white tom left the den, passing Whitestorm, Brindleface, Fernpaw, Graystripe and Cricketleaf.
He paused and swiveled his ears backwards to hear them when he caught a name. "...Bright Heart is alive. In SkyClan."
He blinked, heart pounding. Was it true? Was she safe, after all? He still felt horrible! He should have stayed with her… but she had been saved either way.
Once the group of cats dispersed, Swiftclaw made a beeline for Graystripe. He had grown closer with the older warrior, so they were pretty much friends. Or at least, Swiftclaw hoped so.
"Graystripe!" Swiftclaw hissed and the gray warrior stopped until he came up to his side.
"Hey, Swiftclaw," he meowed in a friendly manner.
"I wanna visit Brightpelt, or uh, Bright Heart is her name now, right?" Graystripe blinked at him in shock. "Sorry, I uh, overheard your conversation."
Graystripe shuffled his paws and looked around. "You promise not to tell anyone?" The young tom nodded. "Okay, well, we've been visiting SkyClan to try to find ways to get rid of the dogs."
Swiftclaw nodded. No wonder why the same cats went off in pairs everyday.
"Anyway, Thunder and Lightning Tail saved Brightpelt after you left, I believe. Fernpaw and Brindleface found out."
Swiftclaw nodded again. "So can we go see her?"
Graystripe hesitated once more before he looked at Tigerclaw, nearby organizing patrols. "Hang on." Swiftclaw watched him walk up to the deputy and meow something, gesturing back at Swiftclaw before he returned.
"What'd you say?"
"The ol' excuse of going hunting," Graystripe meowed, amber eyes gleaming. "Now let's go."
Swiftclaw bounded after him, grinning and ignoring the stinging from his foreleg. He was anxious to know of his friend's state…
And he wanted to apologize.
I'll never run in the future again. A warrior fights to the death if they have to! If Bright Heart had managed to get away with him then he would have run. After all, he knew there was no point in taking unnecessary risks.
Soon they were racing past SkyClan border markers. Swiftclaw followed Graystripe since he knew the way until they came upon a gap in long grass stalks that he assumed was the entrance.
A tortoiseshell she-cat and a light brown one were sitting on either side of the entrance, on guard. The brown she-cat glanced nervously at her companion, who narrowed her eyes warily at Swiftclaw.
They obviously already trust Graystripe to just let him stroll in… but they don't know me… or they think of me as one of Thistlestar's lackeys still.
He felt hurt at the unspoken presumption, but pushed it away. Soon he'd prove to everyone that he just wanted to be the best warrior and to protect his Clan. Not fight in needless battles and hurt innocent cats.
In the camp, the black and white cat gazed around, wide-eyed. It looked like a gorge with tan rocks everywhere and trees surrounding it like their own camp. There was a big yet flat rock with a hole in the side.
Like Highrock. That must be the leader's den. Cats lounged around peacefully chatting or playing and he felt envious. In ThunderClan everyone huddled in groups, tense.
It made it worse that they were paranoid because of the dogs. The hunters had become the hunted.
"Come on," Graystripe meowed, flicking him with his fluffy tail. "The medicine den is over here."
Swiftclaw followed, still glancing around. Some cats looked up at them, staring at him with narrowed eyes. He did a double-take when he spotted a young white tom.
Snowkit!
He knew of Cinder Flower, who was sitting with a group of other young cats including Thunder, watching him warily, and Raven Hope, who was curled up with Fire Heart in the sunlight. But he didn't know Snowkit was alright too.
Does Speckletail know? Come to think of it, the old queen had bounced back surprisingly quick after her kit's death the day they battled for Sunningrocks. He assumed someone had let her know. Someone who was against Thistlestar, of course.
Outside the medicine den, the young warrior Lightning Tail stood guard. He narrowed his green eyes suspiciously at Swiftclaw, but Graystripe gave him a nod and the black tom let them pass without protest.
Taking a deep breath, Swiftclaw ducked into the den after his clanmate.
Inside, Cloud Spots and Acorn Fur talked over a pile of herbs, completely ignoring the two ThunderClan cats. Swiftclaw didn't mind. The fewer witnesses the easier it would be.
In a nest nearby, was Bright Heart curled up. One side of her face was bandaged. Her eye, which was okay, was closed as Cloud Tail groomed her.
Swiftclaw gulped. Cloud Tail had been the very kit he had carried as he had helped to steal Turtle Tail's kits. He knew it was bad, but he had been sure everything would be okay. After all, Thistlestar had promised that no one would be hurt. They just wanted to warn SkyClan.
And what about the battle at Four Trees? When so many cats had been slaughtered. He remembered Thornpaw –Thornclaw– a denmate of his before he had become a warrior, who had been killed. He had died fighting for the wrong thing.
But I didn't kill anyone! His heart whined. He had made sure. Because even if it was a fierce battle he still remembered the code and hadn't hurt any cat too badly.
He shook his head when he realized Graystripe was staring at him, waiting for him to say something.
He inhaled and then exhaled deeply again before he squared his shoulders and stepped closer to the young warriors, ignoring Cloud Tail's hostile glare.
"Hey, Bright Heart," he meowed and she opened her eyes. He was pleased to see her one blue eye didn't hold any anger, but had actually brightened at the sight of him. "I'm glad to know you're okay."
"Thanks," she purred weakly. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Who me? Of course, I'm fine." He ducked his head. "I shouldn't have left you. I should have stayed and fought to protect you."
Bright Heart smiled weakly. "It's okay. I know you were going to get help. And I'm glad you did. You could have died too."
Swiftclaw ducked his head, shaking it as he felt tears blur his vision. He shut his eyes against them. "A clanmate shouldn't leave someone alone… I shoulda stayed."
"Swiftclaw." He looked up at her and she leaned forward to nuzzle his ear. "I'm here and I'm alive. I forgive you. You were just keeping safe. Don't blame yourself. You're a good warrior."
Swiftclaw nodded, still feeling horrible.
Cloud Tail licked her ear. "You were very brave." He purred proudly, love glowing in his eyes.
So that's why she's been looking at the pine forest so much. It wasn't ShadowClan she was interested in, but a cat who was a part of them.
Swiftclaw got to his paws, knowing she was happy and that Cloud Tail would keep her that way. "Goodbye, Bright Heart."
"Goodbye. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon though," she purred.
Swiftclaw purred back. He nodded at Cloud Tail who returned the nod after a moment. Then he turned to follow Graystripe out of the den.
He guessed he could say he finally felt content.