A loud wailing comes from the camp entrance. The cats still in the clearing are staring at the entrance from the gorse tunnel. Graystar can not see what has alarmed them, but he catches the tang of blood in the air, and unfamiliar cat scent. Thrusting his way through his warriors, Graystar reaches the entrance.
Limping out of the tunnel is a cat that is almost wounded beyond recognition. Blood drips from a long gash in his flank. His fur is matted with sand and dust, and one eye is closed.
Then Graystar makes out the mottled dark pelt under the dirt and manages to distinguish the scent of Windclan. The newcomer is Mudclaw, barely able to stand from pain and exhaustion.
"Mudclaw!" Graystar exclaims. "What happened?"
Mudclaw staggers toward him. "
You've got to help us, Graystar!" he rasps. "Shadowcllan is attacking our camp!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Graystar leaps up the slope leading into Windclan territory from Fourtrees. Behind him streams a patrol of his warriors: Brackenfur, Sandstorm, Cloudtail, Whitestorm and Dustpelt with his apprentice, Ashpaw.
He had not dared bring more cats to Windclan's aid; he had left Longtail in charge of the Thunderclan camp with every other warrior on watch, in case Tigerstar plans to attack them as well.
His paws skim the springy moorland turf as his legs drive him toward the Windclan camp. A cold wind flattens his fur, carrying the distant scent of Shadowclan. Although Graystar knows he is still too far away, he imagines he can hear the screeches of battle as Tigerstar's warriors fall on the unsuspecting Windclan.
"We'll be too late," pants Brackenfur at his shoulder. "How long did it take Mudclaw to reach us, wounded like that?"
Graystar does not waste breath in replying. He knows Brackecnfur is right. This is not the first time that Thunderclan has raced to help Windclan against Shadowclan. But that time they had been given more warning and they had managed to drive the attacking warriors away.
Now, by the time they reach the Windclan camp, the battle could be over, and yet Graystar knows that they have to try. The warrior code, his own friendships within Windclan, and the urgency of joining together to resist Shadowclan from making them form Tigerclan, all forces him to lead his warriors to the rescue as quickly as he can.
As they drew nearer, the scent of Shadowclan is overwhelming among the Windclan scent. They are near enough that he expects to hear the yowls of fighting cats, and the silence grips his heart like cold claws. The battle must be over.
Graystar slows his pace as he and his patrol climb the last slope toward the camp, his belly filling with dread at the thought of what they might find. He slips quietly up to the ridge where he can look down over the camp. There is a strong scent of Windclan in the air, along with the tang of blood and fear.
A single eerie wail breaks the silence as Graystar breasts the rise and sees what Tigerstar has done. The hollow where the Windclan cats have their camp is lined with gorse bushes. A few yellow flowers still show on the spiny branches.
Beyond, in the center of the camp, Graystar can see cats huddled together, scarcely moving. As he watches, a tortoiseshell queen raises her head and lets out another chilling wail.
"Morningflower!" Graystar exclaims.
Flicking his tail for his warriors to follow him, he races down through the bushes and into the camp. Bursting out into the open, he is confronted by the Windclan leader, Tallstar.
The black-and-white tom's fur is torn and covered in dust, and his long tail droops with exhaustion.
"Graystar!" His voice is rough with pain. "I knew you would come."
"Not soon enough. I'm sorry."
The Windclan leader shakes his head helplessly.
"You did your best."
He turns toward the cats who crouch on the floor of the clearing, too shocked or injured to move.
"You can see what Tigerstar has done."
"Tell us what happened," urges Brackenfur.
Tallstar twitches his ears.
"You can see. Tigerstar and his warriors crept up on us…we had no warning, and in any case there were too many for us to fight."
Graytar pads forward, feeling his stomach turn over. None of the WindClan warriors have escaped without wounds. Deadfoot, the WindClan deputy, is lying very still with blood trickling from a gash on his flank; next to him lies Runningbrook, a she-cat whose pale gray fur is hanging off her shoulder in clumps. Their eyes stare at nothing, as if they can't believe what has happened. Graystar can scarcely believe it either.
This had been a completely unprovoked attack. There had been no warning at the last Gathering. Tigerstar has gained no extra territory for his clan. The purpose of this attack has been nothing more than to bring fear to the Windclan cats.
"Hey, Graystar!"
A weak voice makes Graystar turn to see his old friend Onewhisker. The brown tabby warrior is lying on his side with deep wounds to his throat and shoulder. Barkface, the Windclan Medicine cat, is pressing cobwebs to them, but the blood still oozes out sluggishly.
"Onewhisker…" Graystar trails off, not knowing what to say.
Onewhisker's eyes are bright with pain.
"It's not as bad as it looks." He grunts. "You should have seen the other cat."
"I wish we'd come in time," Graystar meows to his friend.
"I wish you had, too. Look over there."
Onewhisker turns his head, and Barkface snaps, "Keep still!"
Graystar follows the injured warrior's gaze.
Morningflower, the tortoiseshell queen who has been wailing aloud, is crouched over the motionless body of another cat. A small body, with torn gingerand-white fur.
"No…" Graystar's throat closes so he has to choke out the words. "Not Gorsepaw."
"Tigerstar killed him." Onewhisker's voice is tight with rage. "He pinned him down in the center of the clearing, with his warriors around him so none of us could get close enough to stop him. He…he said he was going to kill him to show the rest of us and the other clans what we could expect if we refused to join him."
Graystar closes his eyes, unable to bear the bloodstained scene in front of him, yet all he can see is an image of the massive leader of Shadowclan, paws holding down the helpless apprentice while he challenges the Windclan warriors.
A shiver runs through him. He thinks back to the time that he and Fireheart had traveled to find WindClan and bring them home after Shadowclan had driven them into exile. Graystar had carried Gorsepaw, then a tiny kit,along with Fireheart back across the Thunderpath.
All of that is wasted now, thanks to Tigerstar. Graystar can not help wondering if Tigerstar had deliberately chosen Gorsepaw because he knew of Graystar's bond with the young apprentice. Opening his eyes, Graystar leaves Onewhisker and pads softly over to Morningflower, touching her shoulder with his nose to draw her attention. She looks up, her beautiful eyes dulled with grief.
"Graystar," she whispers. "I didn't ever think you'd saved my son for this. What has Starclan done to us?"
Graystar crouches down beside Morningflower, pressing himself against her side to comfort her, touching his nose to Gorsepaw's fur.
"He was growing into a fine warrior," he murmurs. The sound of another cat rouses him; he looks up to see Brackenfur. His former apprentice bows his head, too, and touches Gorsepaw's fur, mewing a few words of comfort to Morningflower.
"Graystar, what do you want us to do?" he asks, raising his head again. "We can't just leave them like this."
With a last gentle lick of Morningflower's ear, Graystar stands up and moves away with his former apprentice.
"Take two or three cats on a patrol," he orders. "One or two of Windclan, too, if any of them are fit. They'll know their boundaries better than us. Check to make sure that there are no Shadowlan warriors still lurking around. If you find any, you know what to do—chase them off, or kill them if you have to. And bring back as much fresh-kill as you can. Windclan needs to eat, and they're not capable of hunting for themselves."
"Right," meows Brackenfur. He calls Sandstorm, Cloudtail, and Dustpelt, and checks with Tallstar for permission to patrol in his territory. Tallstar agrees gratefully, and orders Webfoot, who has escaped with torn fur and scratches, to go with them and show them the best places for prey.
"We need to talk," the Windclan leader mews to Graystar as he watches the patrol leave. "Tigerstar left a message for you."
Graystar pricks his ears.
"A message?"
"He wants both of us to meet him tomorrow at Fourtrees, at sunhigh along with Riverclan," Tallstar replies. "He says he's tired of waiting. He wants our decision about whether we'll form TigerClan or not…and he's shown us what he'll do if we refuse."
He flicks his tail toward the wounded warriors and the limp body of the dead apprentice, all his grief contained in the simple gesture. Graystar meets his gaze, and the two leaders share a long look of understanding.
"I'd rather die than join Tigerstar's clan," Graystar declares at last.
"So would I," agrees Tallstar. "And I'm glad to hear you say that. Bluestar was right about you all along. Many cats thought you were too young and inexperienced when she made you her deputy, but you're showing your quality now. The forest needs cats like you."
Graystar bows his head, humbled by the unexpected praise.
"So—we'll meet tomorrow at Fourtrees," he meows.
Tallstar nods gravely.
"Take my advice, Graystar, and bring some of your warriors with you. When we refuse to join Tigerstar, I don't imagine he'll let us walk away without a fight."
Graystar feels chilled to the tip of his tail. He can see that the older cat is right.
"Then if we have to, we'll fight together?"
"Together," Tallstar promises. "Our clans along with Riverclan will join together like a lion to fight the tiger who prowls our forest."
Graystar stares at him in amazement. Tallstar can not know of Bluestar's prophecy, nor of his vision by the stream. And yet he has echoed the words of the prophecy. Three will become one; lion, shadow and blood will join in battle.
Has Starclan spoken to him as well? Graystar knows that the Windclan leader will not say—what passes between a clan leader and the spirits of their warrior ancestors is for no other ears.
But this echo reminds Graystar that they are leaders together, with the power of three mighty clans behind them.
Gazing steadily at the noble black-and-white cat, Graystar meowed, "I swear by Starclan that my clan will be the friend of yours and Leopardstar's clan, to fight this evil side by side."
"I swear it too," Tallstar replies solemnly. Graystar raises his head, tasting the air, which still carries a faint trace of the raiding cats. He knows that this vow will run through their blood like cold fire until Tigerstar has been driven from the forest—or until they lost their ninth lives trying.
Author's Note: Yep another few chapters skip because again they involve Tigerclan which is not a thing in this AU. Also the reason Riverclan didn't show up is because Blackfoot took them a message for Tigerstar since I can see Tigerstar being hesitant to try and attack the Riverclan camp because of ice that can crack in an instant making Shadowclan cats drown in the river surrounding their camp. Also Windclan trusts Thunderclan more because of what they've done positively for them then Riverclan.
~Leafbranch