The squall is soon over. Graystar leads his cats home through a forest where every twig and fern drips water under a clearing sky. Silverpelt glitters brightly, and Graystar raises his eyes to utter a silent prayer: Great StarClan, show me what to do.
He begins to worry about whether Tigerstar has sent warriors to attack the camp while he and the others were away. It would be one way to weaken Thunderclan so that Graystar has no choice but to ally his surviving cats with Tigerstar and make Tigerclan a reality.
Relief floods over him as he emerges from the gorse tunnel to see that everything is peaceful. Whitestorm gets up from sentry duty outside the warriors' den and pads over.
"You're back early. I wondered if those storm clouds would cover the moon."
"Yes, but it was worse than that," Graystar replies.
"Worse?" Whitestorm's eyes widen in astonishment as Graystar tells him what had happened at the Gathering just before thunder and lightning broke it up.
More cats join them, and Graystar is aware of shocked mews as his clan learns what Tigerstar is planning.
"When the storm broke," Graystar finished, "Tigerstar was interrupted. But he still held onto his point of view. And I'm worried he will try and force us to believe his ideology. Which makes it worse."
"So what are we going to do?" asks Mousefur. She is shifting from paw to paw as if she wants to race out of camp and confront her enemies right away.
"You're not thinking of joining this…Tigerclan, are you?"
"Never," Graystar assures her. "But we need time to think, and rest. And to prepare in case he tries to force us to see his point of view
He yawns and stretches.
"For now, we'll need extra patrols. Any volunteers to go out at dawn?"
"I will," Mousefur offers instantly.
"Thanks," meows Graystar. "Keep a lookout along the border with Shadowclan. And if you come across any of Tigerstar's warriors, you know what to do."
"Oh, yes." Cloudtail lashes his tail eagerly. "I'll come with you, Mousefur. I could do with some Shadowclan fur to line my nest."
Graystar doesn't bother to scorn the young warrior's hostility. They're going to need it to face off against Shadowclan and Tigerstar when the time comes. An a fierce and angery warrior often makes for a more deadly warrior.
Longtail names Brackenfur, Thornbranch and the newly made warrior Owlfur(an honor to Bluestar's previous prefix which he learned from One-eye) to join the patrol as well, and all five cats pad off to get some rest before dawn.
One by one, the other clan cats head for their dens. Graystar is aware of their shock, and the fear they do not quite succeed in hiding.
Eventually he is left alone with only Cinderpelt by his side. He lets out a long sigh.
"Will there ever be any end to this?" he murmurs, gazing up at the clearing night sky.
Cinderpelt presses her muzzle comfortingly against his.
"I don't know. It's in the paws of Starclan."
She narrows her eyes.
"But sometimes I don't believe there'll be any peace in the forest until Tigerstar is dead."
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"Right," Graystar meows. "Attack me."
A few foxlengths away, Tawnypaw crouches on the floor of the hollow. Graystar waits as the apprentice begins to creep toward him, her green eyes darting from side to side as if she is choosing the best place to strike.
A heartbeat later Tawnypaw launches herself into the air. But Graystar is ready for her.
Slipping rapidly to one side, he butts Tawnypaw in the flank as he comes down, and the young cat loses her balance and rolls over, her paws scuffing up dust.
"You'll have to be quicker than that," Graytar tells her. "Don't give your enemy time to think."
Tawnypaw scrambles up, spitting out sand, and immediately springs again. Her outstretched paws catches Graystar on the side of the head, thrusting the older cat sideways so that his paws slide out from under him.
Tawnypaw holds him down, her nose almost touching Graystar's.
"Like that?" she asks.
Graystar pushes her off.
"Let me up, you great lump!"
Shaking sand out of his pelt, he adds, "Yes, just like that. You're shaping up well, Tawnypaw."
The apprentice's eyes glow and Graystar purrs of satisfaction. Amid all the troubles that beset ThunderClan, it was a relief to escape for a short time for a training session with his apprentice. But Tawnypaw's next words remind him of his weightier responsibilities.
"Graystar, I wanted to ask you…why does every cat think it would be so bad to be part of Tigerclan?"
"Ashpaw told me what Tigerstar said. It's true that times are hard. Every cat's always complaining about the shortage of prey, and how there are more twolegs in the forest than ever before. Besides, Tigerclan will be the strongest clan in the forest if any clan joins them. Wouldn't it make sense to join them?"
Graystar takes a deep breath. He sits down beside Tawnypaw.
"It's not as simple as that," he meows. "For one thing, there have always been four clans in the forest. For another, it would mean the end of Thunderclan."
"I know, because that fox-heart won't allow any cat to lead, even if he said that's what he intends. I just don't understand why the clans have to live separately."
"Well it's tradition and it's been a long time since we were all one group. Starclan also decrees it, but there's also the fact that each clan is different. Windclan is lean and fast and are best suited for the moors, they are also more close to our warrior ancestors because nothing blocks Silverpelt from them and they are the closest to the Moonstone that resides in Highstones"
"Riverclan lives near the river and their own camp is protected by a river as well. They eat fish because that's their main food source, and because there's more water in their territory than the others. And because they live near the river they love shiny things and even have seashells that represent the different stages of a warrior's life. I learned that from Silverstream. And because they eat fish mainly, their coats are like a duck's in that water doesn't stay in their fur, not dragging them down like any other clan cat."
"Shadowclan is used to the darkness of the pine forest. Their territory is filled with little undergrowth, and soft pine needles lay all over their territory making it spongy. It also makes their territory more wet on land, so they mostly eat lizards, frogs, birds, and sometimes mice and rats. Because of that too they know the ways of the shadows and their attacks consist of mostly ambushes and sneaking up on enemy warriors. They are better at keeping still as they have no undergrowth to hide in and lie in wait in the shadows."
Tawnypaw looks up at him in wonder, "How, how do you know so much about Windclan and Shadowclan."
"My mentor Lionheart told me and some of the things I told you about are from some of the stories the elders tell. But that's basically what it boils down to. We each live in different niches suited for what we've adapted to. It's why we have borders, because we each live in different niches that are suited for us and no cat accidentally trespasses, making border skirmishes a lot more frequent and ugly. Because every cat is accusing the other of trespassing."
"And so living in one clan, and in one territory would be terrible because we're not used to that territory?"
Graystar nods, "Yeah. Our different hunting techniques, mainly our specific one, the hunter's crouch would only work in Riverclan territory as it has some undergrowth, but for Windclan and Shadowclan territory we would be as lost as a newborn kit."
"I see. I just wanted to understand why Tigerstar's idea is a bad one. Don't get me wrong he's still a fox-heart and a mangy traitor. His idea just didn't sound so bad."
"It isn't until you realize different cats from different clans are being put together into one clan. And most oppose half-clan relationships, so not every cat will be so keen as having everyone in the same clan when you also take that into account. But also each cat has pride for their clan, and you're stripping it away the moment they merge and some cats likely will say they are from one of the four clans when now there is one. And there is no distinction anymore."
"I get it. We're different and some cats have pride for being in a different clan. Like how I'm proud to be a Thunderclan cat."
"There you go."
"Thanks for taking the time to explain it to me."
"It's no problem Tawnypaw. I know I would have liked having Silverstream in Thunderclan or me in Riverclan when she was alive just to make our relationship easier. But now I have Sandstorm and the support of Thunderclan and that's more than enough."
"So you moved on?"
"Silverstream is dead, I can't change that. She gave me wonderful kits in Featherpaw and Stormpaw, but I've grown to care for Sandstorm ..."
"Right, she's your mate now."
"Yes. Cat's have had many loves. Legend has it that Rapidwind the wise of Windclan had many cats he was interested in, before having kits with his final mate before he died."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But those cats died before he could pursue a relationship with any of them, until his final mate."
"Do we know the names of those cats?"
Graystar shakes his head, "No, their names were lost to time. Only Rapidwind's name remains and his legacy. It's how we remember those she-cats, even if their names were lost."
"That's sad."
"Don't worry. Clan history has had plenty of female cats rise to the leader role and be remembered, or be deputy or be Medicine cats or be ordinary warriors or be apprentices. The clans have a lot of history, some lost to time, some still remembered."
"Like Mapleshade?"
His whiskers twitch in amusement, "Like Mapleshade."
"Anyways I believe it's time we begin training again." Graystar springs to his paws. "There's a move I think you might find useful…."
As he continues with the training session, he finds that he is glad he had the talk with Tawnypaw. He understands where the young she-cat is coming from and is glad to have provided her some clarity on the matter of why becoming one clan is bad.
When the training session is over, He sends Tawnypaw to hunt for the elders.
Graystar is about to return to camp when Cloudtail bounds over the top of the training hollow, closely followed by Brightspirt and Snowpaw.
"Graystar! We're going to practice Brightspirit's fighting moves. Do you want to see how she's coming on?"
"Yes, of course—go ahead."
Even though Brightspirit's wounds are healed, Graystar finds it hard to think of her as a fighting cat. He can't imagine she would ever be able to go into battle with her she looks happier and more confident now that her strength, and he wants to encourage her as much as he can. Besides he wants to give her and Snowpaw an equal chance, that every apprentice and warrior gets before his preconceived notions of a warrior determine their chance before they even get one.
Cloudtail and Brightheart run into the middle of the hollow. For a few heartbeats they prowl around each other; then Cloudtail darts in and gives Brightspirit a couple of blows with sheath paws on the blind side of her head.
Brightspirit rolls with the impact and Graystar tenses, imagining the damage an enemy cat might have done with his claws out and all his strength behind the blow. But instead of rolling away from Cloudtail, Brightspirit propels herself toward him, tangling her paws with his and throwing him off balance.
Graystar pricks his ears with interest as the two cats writhe together on the ground, and suddenly Brightspirit pins Cloudtail down with one paw on his neck.
"I've never seen that before," Graystar meows, padding over to join them as Brightspirit releases Cloudtail and the young white warrior jumps up and shakes sand out of his pelt.
"Brightspirit, try it on me."
Looking nervous, Brightspirit faces him. Graystar finds it harder than he has expected to come up on her blind side; the young she-cat keeps weaving back and forth so that he has to change his position.
When at last he leaps at her, she slides under his outstretched paws and trips him in the same way that she had surprised Cloudtail. For a few heartbeats they wrestle together until at last Graystar manages to hold her down.
"Harder than it looks, isn't it?" meows Cloudtail, strolling up beside them with a delighted expression.
"It certainly is. Well done, Brightspirit."
Graystar lets the she-cat get up; her uninjured eye is shining at his praise. Not for the first time he begins to wonder if she has a future as a warrior after all.
"Keep practicing," he tells her. "And let me watch you again soon. I think you might have something to teach the clan."
He adds, "How is Snowpaws training coming along?"
Cloudtail mews, looking at Snowpaw, "He's getting better. He understands signals and actions pretty well. We're working out on how to make him a better hunter, he's caught a few pieces of prey already. I think teaching him how to fight will be the hardest, since his hearing isn't too good."
"At least he's progressing. Keep up the good work."
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After the storm, the weather turns cold again. Every morning the grass and ferns are furred with frost, and there is another light fall of snow. Prey becomes scarcer still, and what the hunters manage to catch is thin and scrawny, scarcely a mouthful for a hungry cat.
"If I don't get a decent meal soon I'll fade away to a shadow," Sandstorm complains. She and Graystar are on patrol not far from Fourtrees, along with Longtail and Thornbranch.
Graystar has hoped they will find more prey farther from the camp, where the fire has never reached, but the catch is pitifully small.
"I'm going to try down by the stream," he meows to the patrol. He heads down the slope to where a thicker growth of fern and shrubs mark the line of the stream. When he pauses to taste the air the prey-scent is faint, and he can not hear any of the small sounds that will have alerted him to creatures scurrying through the grass.
With so little fresh-kill, the clan is growing weaker by the day. Just enduring leaf-bare will be hard enough, but on top of that there was the new threat from Shadowclan and the threat of them being forced to a shared clan they proposed, Tigerclan.
Would they be strong enough to defend themselves? Graystar wonders, though he is grateful Shadowclan has not yet acted.
His pawsteps lead him by instinct down toward the stream and he crouches down to drink, prodding the thin ice at the very edge and shaking icy drops off his paw when it gives way.
As Graystar bends his head to lap from the stream, the sun comes out behind him, striking through the leaves. Light dazzles on the water and surrounds Graystar's reflection with golden rays.
For a moment the image of his head disappears, to be replaced by that of a roaring lion. It is the beast Graystar has heard described in so many elders' tales, his gray-colored pelt blazing into a luxuriant mane, his eyes shining with unlimited strength and power.
Startled, Graystar leaps backward. He lets out a yowl as he collides with a tree and stumbles into the dead leaves among its roots. When he looks up, Fireheart is facing him from across the stream. His friend's eyes are brimming with amusement, and he lets out a little mrrow of laughter.
"Fireheart!" Graystar gasps.
He has never come to him before when he was awake, and he wonders what this might mean. He springs to his paws, ready to splash through the stream to Fireheart's side, but he signals with her tail for him to stay where he is.
"Take heed of what you have seen, Graystar," Fireheart tells him, his amusement vanishing like the frost at dawn. "Learn what you must be."
"What do you mean?" Graystar asks urgently.
But as Fireheart had finished speaking, he had begun to fade. His eyes rested on him, filled with warmth for his friend, and his body pales until Graystar can see the bank of the stream through it.
"Fireheart, don't leave me yet," he begs. "I need you."
But his green eyes shine for a heartbeat longer, and then he is gone.
"Graystar!"
It's Sandstorm's voice.
Graystar shakes his head to clear it and turns to face his mate as she comes padding down the bank.
"Are you okay?" Sandstorm asks. "You yowled loud enough to scare all the prey between here and Fourtrees!"
"I'm fine," Graytar replies. "I had a vision that startled me, that's all."
"A vision?"
"Yeah. I'm not sure what it means though."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"It has to do with a prophecy I received during my nine lives ceremony."
Sandstorm ears and tails droop, "So I guess that means you can't tell me."
"About the prophecy no, but about this vision yes."
He gestures to the stream, "I saw myself as a member of Lionclan, which startled me so much that I collided with a tree, and when I looked back to the stream Fireheart was there. He said to take heed of what I've seen and learn what I must be."
"Maybe you need to have the strength of Lionclan."
"Maybe…."
"Well while you think about it, come and see the rabbit Longtail caught—it's as big as a fox." Sandstorm mews, trying to brighten him up with some good news, as she retreats up the bank.
Graystar stays where he is, though. He is still trembling from the shock of his vision. He had seen himself like one of the Great warriors of old, a member of Lionclan. Bluestar's prophecy echoes in his head again: Three will become one. Lion, shadow and blood will meet in battle. Did this mean that a new clan—Lionclan—would arise to combat Shadowclan and whoever is the blood part? And did Starclan intend Graystar to lead it?