Chapter 66: A Gathering of Firsts
Another stroke of luck was on Darkstripe's side because the night of the Gathering was upon the clans. Being the cat that Tigerstar thought of as the most pliable pawn, Darkstripe was selected to come to the Gathering. It was one of the few times he'd be allowed to see his former clanmates again. Of course he still had to be cautious who he talked to, but this was the perfect time to pass information. Longtail or Bramblekit, probably Bramblepaw by now, would be his ideal targets. As much as it pained him, he could not be seen talking to Firestar or Sandstorm. It would give him away.
Making their way to Fourtrees, darkstripe noted the tense silence. The cats here moved like wraiths drifting from one shadow to the next. Darkstripe tried to emulate them using Blackfoot as an example. Tigerstar on the other paw seemed to be walking with the same poise reserved for Thunderclan's arrival. He certainly looked odd in comparison to the rest of Shadowclan. Darkstripe internally scowled. Tigerstar didn't know or care for the way of Shadowclan. It showed in the way he walked. It showed in the way he talked. He carried himself as Thunderclan, and those below would be forced to assimilate to his way or face his wrath.
By the time they reached Fourtrees, Darkstripe had the gist of Shadowclan movement. He could move himself from shadow to shadow as well as an apprentice halfway through Shadowclan training. Darkstripe found it strange how easy it was to adapt, but he wasn't the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. More pressing issues were available.
When Darkstripe entered the clearing, he slowed himself down. It would be all too easy to run to those he needed to interact with, but that would look suspicious. Instead, he strolled, giving short conversations with cats he had a history with. He went out of his way to avoid Thunderclan cats besides his targets. The others could blow his cover. He didn't find Bramblepaw, but he did see Longtail. Moving slowly, he approached his former apprentice.
"You know this Gathering is going to haunt me." He mewed catching Longtail off guard.
"Darkstripe!" Longtail's face lit up before Darkstripe's new scent registered. As soon as it did, that happiness turned to shock.
"Darkstripe, what happened? You smell like Tigerclaw."
Darkstripe uncomfortably shifted avoiding meeting Longtail's eyes. "Let's just say it was a way to keep Tigerstar thinking I am loyal. I'd rather not say anything else."
Longtail saw Darkstripe shudder at the thought.
"Are you ok? Are you sure you don't want to just call it off? It's not too late."
Darkstripe responded sharply. "No! No. I'm ok. This is necessary. I don't like it and frankly it makes my skin crawl, but I can put up with it. More importantly there's a cat in Shadowclan who has previous ties to Bloodclan. I've seen Tigerstar talking him up, so he's going to make a move towards them soon. If I have my way, this will be the grave Tigerstar dug for himself, but we must remain vigilant. Tigerstar's doing more than just contacting Bloodclan. I've caught a whiff, but he's been near the Riverclan border."
"Alright. I'll let Firestar know." Longtail mewed quietly.
"Quick! I see one of Tigerstar's trusted coming. I need to start arguing with me. Maybe call me a traitor."
As Tigerstar's minion approached, Longtail raised his voice. "I thought I could trust you Darkstripe! You were my mentor!"
Darkstripe didn't find his act all that convincing, but he could play off it. The poor acting was close enough to sounding like Longtail was hesitant.
"You and I both know a kittypet should never have become leader. Every heartbeat he was in camp, the clan changed to something unlike the Thunderclan of old. They became too open. I couldn't stay there any longer."
Several of Darkstripe's statements were true if not strung together. It was his classic reinforcement of a lie by speaking truths. Darkstripe's eye flicked to look at Tigerstar's faithful. The cat gave him an approving nod before turning off.
"Sorry. I can't stick around any longer. Please let Firestar and Sandstorm know I'm alright and think this'll be over sooner than I initially thought."
With that, Darkstripe padded off leaving Longtail behind. Longtail watched him go, wishing he could just tell him to stay, to stop his spy work, to come home, but he knew Darkstripe wouldn't stop. It wasn't in his nature to give up. He could only hope his mentor and friend would be alright. Faintly, he already knew Darkstripe wasn't alright. The way Tigerstar's scent clung to him was like Goldenflower before Tigerstar's betrayal. The way his fur didn't sit flat showed his ongoing stress. Darkstripe was a patient cat, but Longtail could see him constantly shifting and twitching like he had ants crawling on him. He didn't know how much longer Darkstripe could manage. He just hoped his friend wouldn't fall into the same state he did after Tigerstar's betrayal.
Darkstripe briefly checked in on the other dealers, letting them know Cloudtail was the Thunderclan dealer. He briefly spotted his son, but he made no moves to approach. Instead, he moved quietly into the midst of the rest of Shadowclan. Tallstar called the meeting to order. Tigerstar motioned to speak first.
"Shadowclan has been well this past moon. We've had some more recent good news. My daughter Tawnypaw and my former apprentice Darkstripe have decided to join Shadowclan. We accepted them willingly. In fact, Darkstripe is here tonight. Despite his defection, he's proven himself reliable and loyal."
Tigerstar was putting on a show. He wanted to rile up Thunderclan, so he could depict them as the aggressors. His eyes locked on Firestar. Firestar moved forward next.
"Thunderclan has had the tragic loss of Bluestar and Brindleface. They were both killed by dogs, but we managed to kill them all. Thunderclan is still strong."
Tigerstar spoke again. This time it was on a topic Darkstripe hadn't caught yet.
"Bluestar's loss is a tragedy, but it is also an opportunity. The forest is changing and we must change with it. I propose a unification of the clans into one Tigerclan. Leopardstar has already agreed to it. I hope you as the new leader of Thunderclan will see reason."
Longtail had already informed Firestar about Darkstripe's condition in Shadowclan. He was already ready to skin that awful tabby, but this just built on his rage. He couldn't keep himself composed.
"There has always been four clans! If you think for even a heartbeat, I'd let you touch a single one of my cats, I'll make sure even Starclan can't piece you together!"
Darkstripe could barely manage to hide his expression. To the outside world, he appeared unsurprised, but on the inside he was screaming with panic frantically trying to figure out some way to make this situation work. If Firestar had even the slightest slip of the tongue, Darkstripe would have found himself dead at Tigerstar's paws. Thankfully, Firestar had learned from his mistake all those moons ago and kept the secret under wraps. It took all of his willpower to do so, but he managed.
"Tallstar, what about you?" Asked Tigerstar cooly. Darkstripe could tell Tigerstar was fishing for justification for war. Tallstar gave it to him.
"I won't even give you a single blade of grass on our moor. You and your Tigerclan can rot!"
Tigerstar nodded with a slight malicious smirk. "Very well. I can't guarantee your clan's safety now. This meeting is over."
Tigerstar leapt down, not even giving Windclan or Riverclan the chance to announce their monthly news. It was very in character. No cat mattered to Tigerstar except Tigerstar. If only the rest of Shadowclan could see that. Darkstripe glanced at Blackfoot who looked just as shocked as the rest of the clans. His face changed to one of disapproval before he masked it into something neutral. Maybe they'd realize it soon.