Prologue
This chapter starts out with our favorite leader, Firestar, hunting among starclan.
He catches the scent of a squirrel rushing up a tree and decides to try out his tree climbing skills, as he does he begins to remember his old clan. How Lionblaze used to hate climbing, and Ciderheart ready to jump and sleep in a birds nest once she tried.
Former Thunderclan leader,
Bluestar, calls him down
"Firestar! Firestar!
Sorry to disturb you, Firestar." she meowed.
Her eyes glinted. "I see you haven't lost any of your hunting skill. You look pretty comfortable up there...but im happy leaving tree climbing to others. Walk with me."
Firestar and Bluestar go for a walk and talk unionabout the difficulties in Thunderclan right now, after they great battle they had an outbreak of green cough, cats scarcely healed from the great battle, and the clans camp had not yet been repaired.
Brightheart and Cloudtails kits became apprentices , and Bramblestar is a fair and confident leader.
Bluestar ask if Firestar has walked in Bramblestars dreams, Firestar tells her he can trust him and doesn't need to.
Over the span over his death, Firestar always feels he could of served his clan longer and wished he were still there to help with the camp, healing cats, and greencough.
Bluestar tells him he has given 9 good lives to Thunderclan and they couldn't ask for more.
Firestar responds.
"I know." Firestar meowed. "But I never realized how far I would be from my clan. And I-I always thought Spottedleaf would be here to guide me." He pictured the beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat.
She had given up her existence in Starclan in the great battle.
"Spottedleaf will be much missed." Bluestar agreed, a slight edge to her tone. "But one day Sandstorm will come here to be with you."
Firestar is still madly in love with Spottedleaf and becomes a bit embaressed as he thought of his mate, wondering how long shed have to wait for her.
Firestar sleeps in a hollow tree , surrounded by other various Starclan cats.
Cloudstar wakes him up in his sleep, allowed to visit him from far skies, and thanks him again for rebuilding Skyclan.
Skyclan was spared the vengeance of the darkforest.
Cloudstar brings a prophecy to deliver to Bramblestar.
When water meets blood, blood with rise.
Chapter 1
Here we are back in the old clan. Thunderclan had a long harsh leaf-bare, and even fewer cats to hunt after the greencough took place (and ended thanks to the medicine cats)
Berrynose, older now and much more mature, when he used to be a pain in the tail, now leads border patrols, and doesn't pick fights (as often) he ask Bramble, who is in the clearing, if hed like to go on one by the Windclan border.
Amberpaw, one of the newest apprentices , bounces around asking all these questions on where their going or what there going to do, if they can train afterward.
Berrynose is overwhelmed , but Spiderleg, Amberpaws mentor, comes up from the rear and tells her to stop twittering like a blackbird , then she might learn something.
The words are stern but not harsh. Amberpaw is not at all intimidated by Spiderleg, this makes for an incredibly interesting duo.
On patrol Bramble notices the cats are thin, ribs showing, but their alertness showed in every twitch of their ears, and muscles bunched in their scrawny haunches as they moved.
Amberpaw is running in zig-zags as the patrol walks, running back towards her mentor Spiderleg stops her and tells her that shell run out of energy if she keeps that up and the Windclan patrol will hear her from here.
Spiderleg seems to know how to deal with little ones and distracts her into obeying by asking her to show him how quietly she can walk, like shes stalking a mouse. The little ginger she-cat does this almost perfectly.
"Not bad." Spiderleg commented. "Keep it up."
From Spiderleg, that was a considerable compliment and Amberpaw shows her pride.
Bramblestar laughs to himself that it was a good idea to put them together. And that all three apprentices were doing well.
Dewpaw by Whitewing, and Snowpaw by Ivypool.
The medicine cats are known to be doing well and planting plenty of catmint. A valuable herb. Jayfeather is making new herbs to help briarlight and finds a combination to clear her chest and help her recover.
Briarlight still remains in the medicine den, her back legs no longer useful.
It is revealed that the past greencough took three lives.
Toadstep.
Icecloud.
And Hazeltail.
Leafpool waves to the patrol and Bramblestar expresses his thankfulness for her, that she is their medicine cat once more.
It is finally warming up as they reach the Windclan border , fresh border marks show that they are strongly enforcing boundaries.
Amberpaw ask if she can be a scent marker and shoves Spiderleg into saying yes, then darts over by the stream.
As she starts to show she knows how to mark but the grass beneath her paws gave way and she falls into the stream.
Everycat rushed towards the edge but before they could do anything or say anything more Spiderleg plunged in and manages to get Amberpaw on his shoulders , the current drags on both the cats but Spiderleg manages to keep her on his back and face the current.
"Its cold!" she gasped.
"Serves you right for being so idiotic." Spiderleg meowed , though Bramblestar notices he comforts the young cat by touching his nose to her ear.
"Come on, climb onto my shoulders and Bramblestar will help you out."
A Windclan patrol arrives and demands why Thunderclan is in their stream. While Spiderleg gets Amberpaw to the ledge he hisses they never crossed the border and this wasnt their stream.
Weaselfur, the Windclan patrol leader growls and tells them that they know Thunderclan thinks about borders.
Bramblestar pulls Amberpaw out off of Spiderleg and before he can respond Rosepetal jumps across the border to come nose to nose to Weaselfur.
"How dare you! Name one time Thunderclan invaded your territory!"
Nightcloud was on the patrol and takes a chance of clawing Rosepetals ear.
"Invading our territory? How about now?" Nightcloud mewed pointedly. She flicked a tail. "Get back to your own side of the stream."
Bramblestar calls Rosepetal back and Rosepetal tells him shes sorry for losing her temper but they started it.
Bramblestar apologizes and explains Spiderleg, who is working his way out of the stream, was pulling Amberpaw out.
Weaselfur snaps that she should watch where she is putting her paws.
Berrynose steps in and snaps that it was an accident.
Bramblestar ask about the prey in Windclan, which is told to be great, plenty of rabbits, Onestar is great and Sedgewhisker is expecting Emberfoots kits.
As they leave and Bramblestar calls a goodbye ,
"You lot should try going for a swim!" Amberpaw added cheekily over her shoulder "You need cooling down!"
Spiderleg instantly bounded by her side and gave her a cuff over the ear.
"Mouse brain! That was a lucky escape back there!."
Berrynose sides Bramblestar and sighs that they've lost so many She-cats, and now its newleaf and no survivors are expecting kits.
"We need to think about replacing the fallen warriors." Berrynose pointed out. "If we don't well be weaker then the other clans. We've just heard kits are due in Windclan. We need to heal from the wounds of the Great Battle and make our self's stronger but how can we do that if we have fewer cats then the other clans?"
And that's true, if you look at Allegiances , each clan has at least 2 or more cats expecting or nursing , while Thunderclan has none.
Chapter 2
Bramblestar and the rest of the patrol arrive back at camp, you can still see traces of the terrible conflict when the dark forest warriors attacked.
Fresh brambles entwine the walls of the nursery, broken branches screen the elders den.
Bramblestar closes his eyes, it was too to easy to be plunged back into the storm of fighting and blood, with both alive and dead attacking from all sides.
It had taken the strength of Starclan and the strength of living cats, to beat the Dark forest back.
When the battle was over, Jayfeather had propped a bark- stripped branch against the cliff below the highledge.
He had scored claw marks across it, one for each life taken by the Dark forest.
"It will remind us of the debts that we owe to our former clanmates." he had explained.
Whitewing along with Dewpaw, Seedpaw, Lilypaw, and their mentors sit in front of the branch. Whitewing asks the apprentices to remember the names.
Dewpaw narrowed his eyes in concentration.
"This one is for.. Mousefur. . She was an elder, but she fought so bravely ! And this one is for Hollyleaf. She had been away for a while, but she came back in time to help us when the Dark forest attacked. And this is for Foxleap, who died of his wounds afterward.."
"This one is for Ferncloud, " Dewpaw continued, "She was killed by Brokenstar when she was defending her kits in the nursery. And this is Sorreltail. She hid her wounds because she wanted to take care of her kits, but she died just when we thought we had won. She was the bravest of all."
"And that big mark on the top?" Whitewing prompted.
"Do you know who that stands for?"
"That's our leader, Firestar. He was the bravest of all and the best cat in the whole forest! And he gave up his last life to save us!"
Bramblestar felt a familiar stab of grief.
Jayfeather sits beside him,
"I miss Firestar, too."
Jayfeather had appeared at his side, the medicine cats eyes fixed on him so intensely that it was hard to believe he was blind.
"I didn't think you could tell whats on my mind anymore." Bramblestar mewed, surprised.
"No, those days are in the past." Jayfeather admitted. "But it wasnt hard to figure out that you were thinking of Firestar. I heard Dewpaw run his paw over Firestar's mark then you sighed."
Jayfeather gives Bramblestar a brief comforting by pressing against him.
Jayfeather ask if Firestar has walked in Bramblestars dreams, to which he has not, but Jayfeather mentions he has received enough warnings (in past books) to last nine lifetimes.
Most of the apprentices go out for a lesson of battle training, except Amberpaw, who is stopped from racing across the camp by Spiderleg.
He tells her that she took dawn patrol and needs to rest after her fall and gives her a friendly flick with his tail.
She complains that if she doesn't go shell get behind and never become a warrior.
Spiderleg promises her that once shes rested, he'll promise to take her out and practice the move by them self.
Poppyfrost and Bumblestripe take Seedpaw and Lilypaw to go hunting for mice , they go at it as they leave the camp,on who can catch the most prey.
Amberpaw complains to Spiderleg that she never gets to do anything,
Spiderleg responds with an "I told you! You did the dawn patrol, now you rest."
But he gives in and lets her go fetch moss for purdys den, the story telling cat of the clan, to which she darts across the camp to do, Bramble laughs and wonders if he ever Had that much energy.
Sandstorm joins him from cleaning out the nursery with Daisy, and tells him that he still is, and its great to see the clan so lively.
Her eyes cloud and Bramblestar wonders if she's thinking of Firestar, her former mate.
"Daisy and I are clearing out the nursery. " She announced , giving a ball of moss a prod with one paw.
"There might not be any kits now, but surely some of our young she-cats will be expecting soon.
Bramblestar hopes so, remembering what Berrynose told him earlier.
He then remembers Sandstorms old age and offers to find another cat to help Daisy,
Sandstorm laughs in amusement at Bramblestar trying to pack her to the elders den and tells him she has plenty of life in her paws, then leaves to help Daisy, who is wrestling with a huge clump of moss.
Squrrielflight pads over to Bramblestar and offers to start a hunting patrol near the Shadowclan border with Brightheart Millie Dovewing and Mousewhisker.
As they leave Bramble sees Amberpaw taking moss to purdy teats dripping wet, Squrrielflight tells her she cant let Purdy sleep on that moss or his bones with ache.
Purdy comes out of the den , with his fur looking like hed been through a bager attack.
"Theres nothing wrong with my bones , or ears"
He snorts.
"What about your pelt?" Amberpaw sasses. Adding to Brambles laughter.
They pass Lionblaze talking with Ciderheart, he pads over to talk to Bramblestar at his beckoning.
Bramblestar cheekily says "Now that your here, you can tell me how things are going. It looks as if we might have some new kits soon," he meowed, giving an affectionate nudge.
"Great Starclan!!" Lionblaze gives his chest a few embarrassed licks. "No pressure, then?"
Bramblestar gets on a more serious note after that little hinting and points out wounds on Lionblaze that he got from tripping over some stupid brambles.
He limps back to his mate and Bramblestar notices Dustpelt returning from a hunting patrol.
Dustpelt looks exhausted.
It is told that Dustpelt is still haunted by the death of his mate, Ferncloud, in the Great battle.
Squrrielflight had told him that Dustpelt often wakes up yowling in the warriors den, thrashing in his nest.
In his dreams he tried to save Ferncloud from the claws of Brokenstar, each time he had to watch her die again.
A moon ago Bramble had suggested he retire.
"Anything but that." Dustpelt had growled "Let me keep busy. I need something to distract me, or the memories hurt too much."
"You'll meet Ferncloud again one day, in Starclan "
Bramblestar meowed, trying to comfort the warrior.
Dustpelt shook his head, "Sometimes I wonder if thats true" his voice shaking he added, "I kept some of the moss from her nest, but I cant even smell her scent on it anymore."
Since then Bramblestar does what he can to keep Dustpelt busy.
Before the patrol leaves the camp one of the earlier parties comes back saying they picked up Shadowclan scent all well in Thunderclan territory.
All other cats hear and argue, yelling that Thunderclan should attack, Bramble notices Dovewing remaining silent as she now feels blind and deaf.
Bramblestar warns that no clan shall attack another, pauses, then adds that he will visit Blackstar and confront him about the invading warriors.
Most cats, especially Squrrielflight, call for battle.
~
I loved this chapter, I think Spiderleg and Amberpaw are one of the best mentoring duos ive seen, especially Amberpaws spazzy and sassy ways~
Bramblestar has always been one of my favorite cats and I loved the scene of him messing with Lionblaze about new kits.
I really liked the idea of the memorial wood, I had forgotten some of the warriors that had died and reading and remembering what happened to them or who is suffering because of those deaths gave me a sad feeling as some were among my favorites.
What Dewpaw says about Sorreltail, and how she was the bravest warrior really hits the heart, she died of her wounds after hiding them to be with her newborns, because she knew that she ultimately would die, and if she was going to perish she wanted to spend those last few moments with her babies and not being treated away from them.
Dustpelt, being one of my favorite Thunderclan cats of all time, reading what he has been going through really touched me.
Squrrielflight is a hot head as ever and still a pretty bad choice at a deputy, I think Bramble choose her only to show he forgave her.
Overall, it really feels like you're doing something you love again reading this book.
Chapter 3
Bramblestar takes Brackenfur, Squrrielflight, and Cinderheart to Shadowclan territory,
While they are walking Bramblestar takes this opportunity to learn about Brackenfur, now deceased Sorreltails mate.
Bramblestar ask how hes doing and attempts to comfort him, Brackenfur gets a bit distant, murmuring that he can't bear she died when it would have been so easy to treat her wounds, and that by taking care of their kits, it was too late.
Bramblestar comforts him, saying she was an amazing mother and great warrior, and that no cat would forget her.
Brackenfur softly continues, every grass blade and leaf reminds him of her, he knows she's watching their kits and himself from Starclan, he would wait forever to see her once more.
Bramblestar becomes too full of emotion to speak, and leaves him to his memories.
The patrol enters Shadowclan territory and notices soil is still scattered from the battle and you can see the paw prints of cats defending themselves.
They are found by a patrol, lead by Tawnypelt, Bramblestars sister,and are taken back to camp as requested .
The Shadowclan patrol surrounds the Thunderclan cats as they walk, growling and hissing, Thunderclan draws closer together.
They enter, Blackstar is sitting in the middle of camp, with his deputy, Rowanclaw, at his side.
Blackstar looks incredibly frail and weak, he is one of the oldest cats in the forest.
Bramblestar confronts Blackstar about the cats within is territory , Blackstars astonishment looks feigned . He tells the cats they must be dreaming, that his clan should strengthen scent markers, it is not their fault if they stray by a few paw steps.
Squrrielflight challenges Blackstar over and over again, spatting that the cats were well inside their territory.
Bramblestar silences her.
As he tries to talk again, Ratscar, one of the cats that trained in the Dark Forest, now an elder, threatens Bramblestar, and orders him out of camp.
We learn those who trained in the forest are no longer respected, and are rarely trusted, but all clans gave them another chance to prove their loyalty, as most cats fought for their clans when they saw their clanmates falling.
Cats shoulder into Thunderclan hissing and threatening, Rowanclaw ends it all, and says both clans should mark borders more often so no patrol will accidentally stray.
Bramblestar agrees to this and says Thunderclan will keep an eye on borders.
Likewise to Blackstar, he tells the cats it's time for them to go, and offers an escort.
Squrrielflight responds they don't need one , as if they'd want to stay in maggot ridden territory any longer.
Bramblestar silences her again and turns to leave from the responding yowls and hisses.
Squrrielflight tells him they cant attack as of now, the clan is too weak, Bramblestar halts, whispering they may have too, their are no more alliances .
Chapter 4
Bramblestars patrol returns, immediately cats call for a report of what happened and how strong the clan looks.
He tells the clan that Shadowclan territory is still very damaged, and the cats look very thin, but the camp is more or less back to normal.
Then, as he answers the question of Blackstars response, the clan starts in a chorus of indignation.
Once again, cats call for battle. Bramblestar refuses.
Squrrielflight will organize patrols to mark borders more often.
Cats clamor, he just turns and leaves. Ignoring it all.
He visits medicine cat den, arriving as Jayfeather and Brairlight exit, Brairlight looks very weak.
Upon coming out of the den, Snowpaw fixes her nest up with soft feathers, purdy offers a mouse, and Millie praises her for her strength.
Brairlight sighs once all cats leave her sight, uninterested in prey.
Bramblestar pads over
"Is something up?" "Can I help? "
She lifts her head up and looks at bramble with weak sky colored eyes.
"I doubt it."
"I'm fed up with being treated as if I'm special !" she confessed. "I just want to be like every other cat."
"What?" Bramblestar tried to sound amused. "You want to be like Purdy? Are you going to tell me a story? Or maybe you want to be like Spiderleg, too shy to speak to Daisy even though she's been the mother of his kits? Or perhaps you want to be like Dewpaw, and live in the apprentice den smelling of mouse bile?
Were all different. "
Brairlight laughs, a short lived moment,
Sometimes, its really difficult being Brairlight.
Bramblestar feels helpless to do anything for her, but Purdy steps in and winks at Bramblestar. She reminds Brairlight that she needs to help him finish his mouse, and starts telling a story, which gets Brairlight so staryeyed she forgets her mouth is full of food.
Its gathering night, Bramblestar takes his deputy, Cloudtail, Cherryfall, Cinderheart, all five apprentices, Jayfeather, Daisy, Brackenfur, Lionblaze, Thornclaw and Ivypool .
On the way the apprentices do everything they can to trip on the smallest pebble or fall into water.
When Snowpaw does this, he brings attention to the cats that the lake has largely risen from the rain.
They cross Windclan territory and met up with Onestars group, while Bramblestar greets him his cats jostle his Clanmates, pushing a few near the water.
Bramblestar offers Onestar to take his cats ahead to avoid accidents, Windclan goes on ahead, Thunderclan mutters protest and Thornclaw challenges for a fight.
Bramblestar remembers Thornclaw and Blossomfall, are much less trusted by their clanmates after they trained in the Dark forest.
On the way to the gathering they pass the barn daisy came from, she sees her old friends look at her then duck back into the barn. They didn't seem to want to talk to her, she's disappointed .
At the gathering Riverclan looks incredibly nervous, many of them limping, with torn claws or favoring paws.
All leaders come to the tree, Blackstar starts out with something we learn hes been doing for a long time now, reciting the names of the cats that died in the great battle, that seemed appropriate in the gatherings shortly after, but now, the leaders feel they should be the ones to remember their own.
Mistystar states that they all have their own way of remembering their fallen and since when did he speak for them?.
Chapter 5
Blackstar looks at Mistystar with horror.
"These cats are still with us, watching the Clanmates they died to save!" Blackstar protested. "We need to honor their memory!"
"But Blackstar," Mistystar mewed more gently, "life moves on, just like seasons. We don't list every piece of prey we've eaten, or every fallen leaf"
Blackstar looked even more outraged. "Our clan mates are not prey and fallen leaves !"
Mistystar tries to explain herself but the gathering turns into a growing clamor. From shadowclan mostly.
Bramblestar interrupts, agreeing with Mistystar, that each clan should remember in their own way.
Blackstar hisses that they all fought as one clan, Rowanclaw calms him down, saying that no cat has shown disrespect, things are just changing and showing challenges .
The gathering goes on, in Riverclan the water has moved so high they had to abandon camp, they live a little higher, explaining why a lot of cats were ruffled.
Petalfur gave birth to three kits. Mallownose is the father.
Shadowclan had 3 new kits, Snowbirds three she-cats, the father, Scorchfur, looked smug.
Windclan is expecting kits.
All apprentices in Thunderclan get recognized.
A sudden large storm blows through and covers the clouds.
All cats gather to leave, Squirrelflight watches Ratscar and Tigerheart talk, spitting shell never trust Dark forest cats.
Tawnypelt pads up to Bramblestar, he mentions how wonderfully Rowanclaw calmed Blackstar. Then says he'll make a great leader, it shouldn't be long before he takes over.
"Are you suggesting that Blackstar is too old to lead us?? Because your wrong! Blackstar is fine!"
"Okay, okay!" Bramblestar took a step back. "Keep your pelt on!"
Tawnypelt leaves.
We see Tigerheart asking Ivypool where Dovewing is, Ivypool gives a guarded look and just distantly mess shes in camp.
"With Bumblestripe? " Tigerheart glances around looking for him.
Squirrelflight does a great job rounding up clanmates.
They get back to camp, Daisy tells Bramblestar that she wants to go back to the horseplace and talk to Smoky and Floss to make sure everything is ok.
As they leave, suddenly Amberpaw and Dewpaw explode out of a bush and hurl themselves on Daisy. Bramblestar growls and hauls them off.
All three mentors come out of the bushes, Snowpaw looked relieved that he isn't the one in trouble.
Ivypool, Spiderleg and Whitewing cuff and snap at the apprentices and check on Daisy,
The Dew and Amber looked dismayed, Daisy helps raise every kit, like a godmother to each, she helped raise all the apprentices, shes the last cat they'd want to hurt.
The apologize and promise a vole and thrush feathers for a new nest.
"Its ok." she mewed "I know you were just practicing. Ill look forward to the vole and feathers though!" she gives them comforting licks. "Apprentices get it wrong sometimes, I know you didn't mean to scare me, and it was a pretty good attack move!"
Bramblestar remembers what Ferncloud told him when he received his nine lifes.
Never underestimate the cats that provide and help raise the clans new members.
Bramblestar and Daisy reach the horseplace, they see Smoky, he somberly reveals Floss is dead, this random new cat, called Coriander struts herself in the barn.
"This is Coriander! She replaced Floss! Shes a great mouser!" mewed Smoky.
"Replaced Floss? How can any cat replace Floss?" Daisy gets really upset and gives a blank greeting to her.
The cat didn't return the gesture and tells her she looks like a weird cat from the woods, and ask why shed be here.
Smoky tells Daisy he was showing her the cats walking past the barn earlier, but didn't want to interrupt.
Daisy saggs, Miss- let me strut myself in here tells Daisy that she changed a few places they used to sleep in, removing old nest they used to remember old friends.
Daisy has had enough and says its time to leave.
Smoky says his goodbye like an excited child seeing someone leave he doesn't like.
Miss struter mutters to be careful.
On the way back Daisy halts and whimpers her misery, so much had changed, Smoky loved Floss, know he seemed to have forgotten about her.
Bramblestar has flashback of him watching Squirrelflight with the kits, ungroomed and exhausted.
He had never loved her more.
He tells Daisy she's a great mother, and they'll know that one day.
"Nothing stays the same.,"
How ever much you want it to.
Chapter 6
Shadowclan hasn't trespassed since Thunderclan marked its borders more often.
Bramblestar leds a patrol past the pelt-den clearing.
Sandstorm suggest to enjoy the peace while it last.
The heads down the stream until the patrol emerges from the trees on the lake shore.
Blossomfall runs ahead.
"The lake is rising!" She announced. "I've been scratching marks on his rock and-"
She breaks off with a yowl as a wave rose up and engulfed the rock, carrying her with it and plunging her into the lake.
Molewhisker wails and runs over, Bramblestar forces him back and sees Sandstorm wrestling a large tree branch out of the under growth.
"Help me get this free!" She panted.
The two cats race over and help, they dragged the branch and together they managed drag it across the pebbles and shove it into the waves.
The cats almost lose it in the mad waters.
Molewhisker and Sandstorm put their weight on one edge with their front paws.
Blossomfalls thick fur pulled her further below into the depths, her head barely peeks above the edge.
Sputtering and thrashing she was close to drowning, Bramblestar gets to the tip of the branch, barely holding on and holds out his tail for her to grab.
The she cats eyes bulge as she clamps down on his tail, Bramblestar holds back the pain.
Blood pours from the wound she makes on tail, and he carefully wrenches her back to shore.
Blossomfall thanks him greatly, Bramblestar shakes his pelt and tells the cats he is going to order every cat away from the lake until the water level goes down.
Molewhisker is completely on board.
Blossomfall refuses to be taken to Jayfeather.
Bramblestar leds the patrol to the Windclan border, they spot a patrol racing across the moor chasing a couple of bulky , HUGE, low flying white birds, one gets away , barely.
Bramblestar wonders why they'd bother trying to learn how to hunt in a new way.
The wind is blowing so fast its impossible to even smell the scent of the border they just marked.
They also notice the stream is much higher, and spots that were normally ground are over flowing.
The patrol breaks off with a sequel as one of the huge birds the wind patrol had been chasing flies into a bush, Molewhisker makes the easy kill.
An outraged Winclan patrol marches themselves over to the cats.
Little miss I hate everyone and everything, especially that piece of work Leafpool is there (nightcloud)
And demands for the prey, pointing out the wounds they inflicted and say they should keep it.
"It was alive when it entered Thunderclan territory, that makes it ours " Bramblestar points out.
This just makes the Windclan cats practically explode and crowfeathers ex-wife holds up her paws with feathers between them.
"This proves we wounded it, YOU would have never caught it if WE didn't wound it."
Her apprentice, Hootpaw, begs as the rabbits are scarce and they need it.
Nightcloud cuffs her.
Sandstorm softly says to Bramblestar that they should give them the prey, that's what Firestar would of done.
"Im not Firestar" he retorts. "We caught this fairly, so it belongs to us."
"Absolutely right, your not Firestar." Gorsetail mutters.
Bramblestar feels a huge flash of anger and picks up the bird, which is almost too heavy to carry, and stalks away. His clanmates follow.
Sandstorm tells him he made the right choice as clan leader.
"Whatever." he shrugged.
Molewhisker takes the prey he killed and struts himself into camp, all of Thunderclan circles him, mostly she-cats and gawk in amazement at his prey that could fed half the clan.
Everyone congratulates him.
Bramblestar smells the bird and motions for Squirrelflight, it takes her a second before she realizes why.
There's a salt-tasting tang on it's feathers, like the water from the sun drown place.
Bramblestar remembers Windclan saying at the gathering that birds from the sun drown place swamped their territory.
"The winds must be incredibly strong to blow these birds all the way here." Bramblestar realized.
The birds feeds the clan, the apprentices are amazed by it.
Jayfeather wakes Bramblestar up in the middle of the night.
"I went out before dawn because I was concerned about the new cat mint plants in the wind, and I found something.. Something awful. Please, come and see."
Bramblestar follows Jayfeather through the forest, Jayfeather is incredibly sure-pawed.
A fallen branch had destroyed the plants Jayfeather and Leafpool had tended so carefully to.
"Well, its bad, but it should be possible to repair it. Some of roots must have survived, ill send a patrol later today to help clear the mess and look for new plants in the forest. " Bramblestar meows.
"You dont understand, this is an omen, something terrible is going to happen. Darkness and destruction and tragedy are closing in on the clan once more." Jayfeather somberly replies.
"Not the Dark Forest again?.."
"No. Something different from the great battle. I dont know what it is but I can feel it coming on the wind."
Chapter 7
Dawn arrives, cats wake up to a wind so strong most warriors have to walk with claws dug into the ground with their fur blowing the wrong way.
"I don't like this." Squirrelflight muttered. "It reminds me too much of the time the tree fell, when Longtail died and Briarlight was injured. "
Dovewing is practically rooted into theh ground, helplessly trying to listen for fallen trees. Some warriors look terrified. Remembering the day Longtail died.
Lionblaze and Cinderpelt come back from a failed attempt at hunting.
"Its mousebrained trying to hunt in this!" he complained. "That branch from the beech tree whacked me right on the head!"
"Honestly Lionblaze," Cinderheart purred. "It was only. Twig! You have to get used to being injured! "
Blossomfall mutters that from all the noise through the forest, any clan could invade and no cat would know other wise.
Bumblestripe suggest that they hunt in the old abandon twoleg house, since prey will shelter there.
Bramblestar sets up four patrols, Squirrelflight and Bumblestripe to take a few cats to hunt. Ivypool to check the Windclan border and Dustpelt to the Shadowclan border. He goes with Bumblestripes patrol, he includes Mousewhisker and Cherryfall.
Seedpaw bounds up and begs to be included.
Bumblestripe shook his head. "Its too dangerous out there for apprentices."
"But-"
"No buts ." Bramblestar interrupted. "You and the others can help by clearing up any debris that gets blown into the camp, tell your denmates i said so. You are responsible for keeping the camp tidy and safe, okay?"
Seedpaw lifted her head proudly. "We can do that, Bramblestar. "
The patrol leaves and heads to the old den, trees were thrashing in the wind and cracked the branches as the cats passed by. It was impossible to read scents.
Every paw step was massive effort. As if the wind was trying to pluck them up and send them crashing into the trees.
Once arrived at the den Cherryfall spots a mouse on the roof and climbs on old wooden slacks.
Bramblestar warns her to be careful. As he does a huge gust of wind slices her paws and sends her and the slacks flying off the roof.
Bramblestar attempts to dart forward and stop her fall but as she screeches and slams into him.
Bramblestar is knocked temporary unconscious.
He begins to think he is losing a life but his vision slowly comes back.
Ivypool looks incredibly worried and forces the two cats to walk back to Jayfeather. Bramblestar is unable to stand straight and Cherryfall has a rippled claw.
Bramblestar agrees but orders the rest to stay and catch that mouse.
At the medicine den its impossible to sort herbs as they all blow away. Once Bramblestar pops into the den we get the true Jayfeather showing his colors again.
"What do YOU want? Another skirmish with Windclan? " Jayfeather snorts.
"No." Bramblestar replied. "Cherryfall has a ripped claw. I sent her to rest in the warriors den. Leafpool I thought you could take a look at her."
Jayfeathers eyes narrowed. "Are you the Thunderclan medicine cat, Bramblestar, or am I? " He sighed.
Jayfeather treats Bramblestars wounds and offers poppy seeds . Bramblestar rejects it and returns to the middle of camp.
Both hunting patrols return empty handed .
"Its hopeless!" Squirrelflight declared, her fur bristling. "I think the wind has blown the prey out of the forest!"
Bramblestar looks over to see the apprentices braving the storm and wind proofing dens for the clan. Bramblestar purrs but is interrupted by Daisy coming out of the nursery.