Graystar stares, speechless with shock, as Scourge turns away and disappears through the lines of his own warriors. Silently the cats of Bloodclan fall in behind him and vanish into the bushes with scarcely a rustle.
He tracks their departure through the movement of branches up the side of the hollow, and then they are gone. Graystar looks down at the body of Tigerstar. The huge tabby's legs are splayed and his teeth bared in a last snarl of defiance at death. The amber eyes that have smoldered with savage ambition are blank and sightless.
Faced with the death of his enemy, Graystar knows he should feel triumphant. He has known for a long time now that the only hope for peace in the forest was the death of Tigerstar. But Graystar has always expected that he would be the cat that struck his enemy down, risking his own life in combat with the massive warrior.
Instead, now that Tigerstar lies at his paws, staining them with his blood, he finds himself struggling with the strangest feeling of all—grief.
Tigerstar had received from Starclan all the strength, skill, and intelligence to make himself truly great, a legend among cats. But he had misused his gifts, murdered and lied, and plotted revenge until his ambition brought him to this terrible end.
And nothing has been solved.
The fate of every clan still hangs in the balance, and the tide of blood still flows. We need your strength, Tigerstar, Graystar whispers in his mind. Just as we need every cat who can fight, to drive Bloodclan out of the forest.
He becomes aware that another cat is standing beside him, and he turns his head to see Sandstorm. The rest of the Thunderclan cats are still drawn up in their battle lines at the far side of the clearing, with Tallstar, Leopardstar, and the Windclan and Riverclan warriors beside them.
"Graystar?" Sandstorm's green eyes are huge with fear. "Are you okay?"
Graystar shakes himself.
"I will be. Don't worry, Sandstorm. Come on—I need to talk to Tallstar and Leopardstar."
As they turn away, Sandstorm glances down at the dead Shadowclan leader and a shudder passes through her.
"I never want to see anything like that again," she meows hoarsely.
"If we don't get rid of Scourge, you probably will," Graystar replies, with sympathy in his voice as he doesn't want to witness anything like that again too.
He paces slowly back toward the Windclan and Riverclan leaders, using the time it takes to cross the clearing to think. When he stands in front of both leaders, he sees his own shock reflected in the eyes of the older cats.
"I can't believe what I've just seen," the Windclan leader mews. "Nine lives gone—just like that."
Leopardstar mews, "Yes. It was horrid."
Graystar nods. "No cat would blame you if you took your clans and left the forest to find another place to live."
He does not doubt Tallstar's courage but feels unable to assume that he will stay to fight such a terrible enemy. Same with Leopardstar. Tallstar stiffens and his neck fur bristles.
"Windclan was driven from the forest once," he hisses. "Never again. Our territory is ours, and we'll fight for it. Is Thunderclan Riverclan with us?"
Even before Graystar replies he hears a murmuring from his own cats, defiance and determination mingled together along with Riverclan warriors murmuring the same.
"We'll fight," he promises. "And we'll be proud to stand side by side with Windclan."
The two leaders look into each other's eyes for a few heartbeats.
"So will Riverclan." mews Leopardstar.
"And Shadowclan," mew Blackfoot, padding up to them. "Scourge has taken our territory and killed our leader. It was wrong to bring Bloodclan in the forest and force you three to join together with us. There have always been four clans in the forest."
"You'll have a lot of making up to do."
"I know. And I'm sorry. I thought Brokenstar and Tigerstar were right in their actions. Now I see that Tigerstar has hurt many cats along with Brokenstar. I promise to do my best."
Darkstripe snaps, "You're not serious Blackfoot! They'll kill us all! You saw what Scourge did to Tigerstar!"
"And we cannot run away like cowards. Shadowclan used to be great, not for its evil deeds but for its strength. And now we have lost the respect we so desperately wanted from the other clan because of Brokenstar and Tigerstar. I admit I never regretted my actions until now, because I believed them to be right. And with this battle, we can redeem ourselves."
Darkstripe lashes his tail, "Then goodbye. I'm not going to waste my life fighting a battle we will lose."
Tallstar steps forward after Darkstripe stalks off.
"I know Shadowclan and Windclan haven't been on the best of terms. But why don't you stay with us to prepare for the battle? You need to get your nine lives now that you are the new leader of Shadowclan anyway."
Blackfoot dips his head, "Thank you Tallstar."
"We'll go now to prepare ourselves," Tallstar meows. "And we'll meet you all here again in three days, at dawn."
"At dawn," Graystar echoes. "And may Starclan be with us all."
He watches the Windclan along with the Shadowclan cats retreat up the slope toward Windclan territory before he turns to his own warriors.
They look subdued, eyes wide with apprehension, yet Graystar knows that none of them will flinch from the coming battle. They followed him to Fourtrees expecting to fight, and even though their enemies are more terrible than any cat could have imagined, they will still defy them to keep the forest that they love.
"I'm proud of you all," Graystar mews quietly. "If any cats can drive out Bloodclan, you can."
Sandstorm presses her muzzle against his shoulder.
"With you to lead us, we will do anything," she promises.
For a moment Graystar feels too overwhelmed to speak. Far from lifting his spirits, his warriors' expectations weigh on him heavily.
"Let's get back to camp," he manages to meow at last.
"We have got a lot to do. Brackenfur, Cloudtail, scout ahead. I wouldn't put it past Scourge to lay an ambush for us."
The two warriors bound away in the direction of the Thunderclan camp.
A few moments later Graystar leads the rest of his cats after them, putting Dustpelt at the rear to keep watch. As they head swiftly through the forest Graystar thinks that he can feel Scourge's cold, malignant eyes following their pawsteps.
Once before, when the dog pack was loose, Graystar had felt like prey in the forest, and now his enemy has a face all the more terrible for being one of his own kind. But if the Bloodclan leader is watching them he gives no sign of it, and the Thunderclan warriors reach the ravine unchallenged.
Graystar notices that Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw have begun to lag behind, their tails trailing on the ground with Stormpaw and Featherpaw on each side of them.
"What's wrong?" he asks gently.
Bramblepaw raises his eyes to his leader's, and Graystar is shocked by the depths of sick horror in his gaze.
"I thought I hated my father," he mews quietly. "I didn't want to join his clan. But I didn't want him to die like that."
Tawnypaw nods leaning on Bramblepaw for comfort with Featherpaw and Stormpaw doing the same on either side of the two apprentices.
"I know." Graystar news with understanding. "But it's over now, and you're both free of him."
Bramblepaw turns his head away.
"I don't think I'll ever be free of him," he murmurs. "Even now that he's dead, no cat will forget that I'm his son.
Featherpaw mews before he can reply, "That's not true. I don't see you as that fox-heart's son."
Stormpaw nods, "Neither do I. And our mentors don't either. The others might need a little more time, but you have plenty of cats who don't see you as that mangy traitor."
"That's right. Our clan leader and deputy don't. As well as our Medicine cat." Tawnypaw adds, brightening a little at her foster littermates' defense of her and her brother.
"I suppose that's true." Bramblepaw murmurs.
Graystripe mews, "It is true. I don't see him in you. You are Bramblepaw, Goldenflower's son, and my adopted son."
"Really?"
"Well you both called me your father at the Gathering when Tigerstar wanted to take you both. And you have been great foster littermates to my kits and I do see you as my own."
Both apprentices rush up to him and begin to cuddle into his fur. His two biological kits join in and it's one great embrace. Full of love and care for one another.
A few heartbeats go by and they break the embrace all purring. Heading into camp, he notices the cats who stayed behind have all gathered with the others that were there at the meeting.
Graystar leaps onto the Highrock and from it he can see from their horror-struck expressions that the news of Bloodclan's threat and Tigerstar's terrible death has already spread throughout the camp.
He knows that it was his duty to give them hope and courage, but he does not know if he can, when he has so little for himself. Even with the nice embrace he shared with his family.
The sun is going down, and the rock casts a long shadow across the sandy floor of the clearing. The scarlet rays of the dying sun make it too easy for Graystar to imagine that the camp is already washed in blood.
He wonders if it isn't a sign from Starclan, that all his friends, all his warriors, will be destroyed. After all, the warrior ancestors had shown no sign of anger when Scourge had ripped Tigerstar's nine lives out of him and let all his life's blood run into the sacred ground at Fourtrees.
No, Graystar tells himself, to think like that is to despair and do nothing. He has to go on believing that Bloodclan can be defeated.
Clearing his throat, he begins to speak. "Cats of Thunderclan, you have heard of the threat that faces us. Bloodclan has come from Twolegplace and laid claim to the forest. They want us to run away and let them take over without a fight. But three days from now, we will stand together with the three other clans and make Bloodclan fight for every mouse length of the forest."
In the clearing below, Cloudtail leaps to his paws and yowls in agreement. Several cats echo him, but Graystar can see that some glance doubtfully at one another, as if they are not sure they had a chance of surviving against Bloodclan and their fearsome leader.
"Longtail, I want you to order border patrols to look out for Scourge in case he decides to attack before the three days are up. I don't want to be caught napping if he does"
"I can do that Graystar."
"Next, every cat in the clan must be prepared to fight."
"Even the kits?" That is Sorrelkit, springing eagerly to her paws. "Can we be in the battle? Can we be apprentices?"
In spite of the danger they are in, Graystar suppresses a purr of amusement at Sorrelkit's eagerness.
"No, you're too young to be apprentices," he tells Sorrelkit gently. "And I can't take you into battle. But if Bloodclan wins, they'll come here, and you'll need to be able to defend yourselves. Sandstorm, will you be responsible for training the kits?"
"I will, Graystar." Sandstorm's green eyes flash with approval at Sorrelkit and her littermates, Sootkit and Rainkit, who have scrambled up to stand beside their sister.
"They'll be able to give Bloodclan a nasty surprise by the time I've finished with them."
"What about Brightspirit?" Cloudtail calls. "Her fighting moves are coming along well."
"I want to fight in the battle," Brightspirit mews determinedly. "Can I, Graystar?"
Graystar hesitates. Brightspirit is stronger now, and she has been training hard with Cloudtail.
"I'll think about it," he promises. "Are you ready for an assessment?"
Brightspirit nods. "Anytime, Graystar."
"And after I assess your battle prowess. I want you, and Cloudtail to teach the rest of the clan you're fighting moves. Bloodclan probably fights dirty, so your moves could come in handy if any cats are injured badly in the fight."
Brightspirit and Cloudtail nod.
"As for the rest of you"—Graystar's gaze sweeps the clearing—"warriors, apprentices, and elders, you have three days to prepare. Brackenfur, will you supervise a training program?"
His former apprentice's eyes light up and his ears prick.
"No problem, Graystar."
"Get a couple of the others to help you…and rotate the training sessions so Longtail has enough cats for his patrols, and for hunting."
Glancing around, he spots the Medicine cat sitting near the fern tunnel that leads to her den.
"Cinderpelt, are you ready to look after the wounded?" Privately, Graystar knows there is no need to ask; he has never known Cinderpelt not to be ready, but he knows it will reassure the other cats to hear her say so out loud. The look Cinderpelt gives him shows that she understands.
"Everything is prepared," she replies. "But there'll be a lot to do once the fighting starts. If you could let me have an apprentice to help, that would be great."
"Of course."
As Graystar wonders which apprentice to choose, his gaze rests on Fernpaw, and he remembers her gentleness and sensitivity to other cats' injuries.
"You can have Fernpaw," he announces and sees Dustpelt flash him a relieved look.
"Fernpaw, if that's okay with you?"
The gray she-cat dips her head in assent.
For a moment Graystar wonders if he has forgotten anything, but he can't think what else they could do to prepare for what lies ahead.
Gazing down at his clan, their shapes beginning to melt into the twilight, he takes a deep breath.
"Now eat well, and get a good sleep tonight," he orders, "Tomorrow we'll begin—and in three days we'll be ready to show Scourge and his clan that our forest will never be theirs for the taking."