Silent greetings and hushed mews of welcome were heard whipped through the Fourtrees. Bluestar flicked her tail and the whole of Thunderclan's gathering group came padding over the ridge in one formation, taking their place in the hollow, and mingled with Windclan and Riverclan. It appeared that Shadowclan had not yet arrived. Foxdung! If those Fleabitten frogbreaths know what's good for them, they'll stay away. Fireheart searched for Onewhisker of Windclan. He was seated next to Mudfur, his gaze darting through the crowd of cats gathered in the hollow. When his eyes landed on Fireheart, they lit up with relief and he got up and headed over. The ThunderClan warrior met him halfway, and Mudfur brought up his rear.
"I see you decided to come. Despite everything" he meowed. To that, Fireheart hissed.
"Starclan knows I wouldn't miss this gathering for a moon of free fresh kill."
"If those mangepelts know their place. They'll keep away" he jeered.
"Funny you should say that. I was just-" he was cut off by the patter of paw steps. Pawsteps that put him in a really bad mood. Brought with it was an insulting stench. Nightstar appeared over the edge of the pine forest, followed by a small group of cats. There were so few of them here.
When they began to move down to the clearing, Thunderclan and Windclan became silent. The Riverclan warriors were visibly confused and disconcerted by the bloating tension.
"Tsk. I bet they're still licking their wounds from half a moon ago" Fireheart jeered spitefully. Mudfur snickered along with some close-surrounding hotter-headed warriors, while Onewhisker just looked on, hatred burning in his eyes.
"I hope a monster takes a few out on their way back to camp." He whispered. Fireheart was shocked by this, but he knew not the level of damage to Windclan's camp, so he didn't protest.
The leaders leaped to the top of the great rock, Bluestar's vicious gaze burning into Nightstar as he struggled up to his place. It looked as if she was contemplating pushing him off the Great Rock. Tallstar wasn't much better, but he seemed less outwardly hostile and more miserable than anything. Crookedstar's gaze shifted hazily between the three. After what seemed like a pathetic moon, old bag of bones managed to scramble to the top.
"Alright everyone, quiet! No pleasantries tonight! Let's just get right down into the meat of what everyone's thinking! Nightstar. Explain yourself." Bluestar yowled. The Shadowclan leader just stared straight ahead, so she continued. "For those unaware, Riverclan. Shadowclan made an on both ThunderClan and Windclan on two consecutive days. Normally, ThunderClan would overlook such a feeble attempt at a power grab, but you see, however, that little stunt was not without victims. Speckletail was found mangled behind the nursery. She barely had a face to say goodbye to." Bluestar continued, her voice heavy with emotion. Whispers spread quickly through the gathered cats, and Bluestar continued.
"What's worse, She was not a warrior. She was a queen, a nursing queen at that. On her way to the elders den. Her kit, a strong and healthy Tom is now being suckled by Goldenflower, his own older sister! You Nightstar, truly are a disgrace." At this, some Shadowclan cats seemed uneasy. But not all.
Tallstar stepped forward, ushering in another silence.
"Ay, I am sorry for your loss, Bluestar. We, too, have mourning to attend. Mourning for an elder, and a newborn kit. Both shamelessly torn apart by Shadowclan onslaught." He huffed, his piercing voice echoing through the clearing, and bouncing through the forest.
A kit? Silence ensued before growls of disgust and hatred spread through the clearing, i insults were hurled in every direction.
Fireheart felt violently sick at the thought, as he hunched over, almost throwing up on the spot. To think that kit could have been his own. Mudfur rubbed his arched back with his tail.
"You and your clan are a disgrace" the brown warrior growled at the ShadowClan leader.
"StarClan-foresaken!" Called another, "crow-food!" Another, "mangepelt would understate it!" The insults soon filled the air, before quieting down at Tallstar's silent command.
"So Nightstar. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" The leader meowed, his eyes clouded.
The Shadowclan leader stood from his place.
"We attacked you because you are weak. Brokentail helped me see that. Suddenly it's clear to me that ShadowClan has spent far too long in the dark. we are simply coming forth to claim what we deserve." Meowed simply.
Bluestar spat, her eyes icy and sharp,
"No. It is you that is weak. Furthermore foolish." Crookedstar rebutted.
Bluestar stepped forward, hissing,
"It would've been an easy endeavor to have killed your raiding party, but we didn't, because we respect life. Something your band of rogues clearly do not." A pocket of ShadowClan hissed at being called rogues. Tallstar opened his mouth once more,
"Nightstar. Your clan has proven its-self unfit to lead by the warrior code, and therefore I request that you leave the forest, and don't return. Ever." He hissed, his voice now contrast to the passion he showed just a couple moments ago, was cold and hard. Emotionless.
"And what if we don't? What if we regard you as the crowfood eating backdrops you are?" Nightstar demanded impatiently.
"Then you have war." Bluestar meowed lowly, her voice dark with foreboding.
Every cat was in shock. Bluestar had just declared war on ShadowClan.
She then looked over to the cats situated around the Great rock.
"This gathering is over!" She yowled, leaping off the rock. With a flick of her tail, she summoned her clan, and they funneled through the foliage, Angry hisses at Shadowclan prevalent, which the dark clan took without rebuttal, From every clan as they departed.
"Thunderclan, let's hurry back to camp. I have a bad feeling. Whitestorm, Darkstripe. Please lead the elders home at their pace." She ordered. Fireheart dashed back at her side, others following close behind. His heart racing in his chest. Maybe he shouldn't have left Graystripe and his kits behind. Not that he could've done much if his fight with Darkflower was any hint.
They slowed and paced themselves as they neared the camp, and listened. There was nothing. He turned to Bluestar and shook his head, and they continued to head back to the camp quietly. Gingerly, they reached to camp entrance, pushing through the gorse tunnel, and all was peaceful. Graystripe was on vigil as expected. He hurried over and traded licks with his love. "Did everything go well?" He asked. Fireheart opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again, dropping his gaze, not knowing how to answer, where to even begin, and instead dropped his head defeatedly.
"That bad huh? I should've known those slimy snakehearts wouldn't be reasoned with. Brokenstar or no Brokenstar, they never change." he growled. Fireheart didn't want to talk. Instead, moving off to the nursery, suddenly wishing that his kits were old enough to defend themselves. And yet, at four and a half moons, he still wished that they never needed to defend themselves. On that thought, he glanced around the clearing, and Tigerclaw was stalking toward the warriors' den. He turned to look back at the fiery tom, with a stoic, yet surprisingly solemn look, sharing a silent message that he understood perfectly. After this gathering, things were changing forever. Fireheart guessed even Tigerclaw recognized that the gravity of the situation superseded petty squabbles. ShadowClan managed to unite the clans against a common enemy, and in doing so, had made an enemy that they would not survive.
Tension sat in the air for those who attended the gathering, though, save for the pulsing heartbeat in their ears in anticipation of ShadowClan making a rash move, the night remained silent and sleeping, occasionally disturbed by the groan or shuffling of uncomfortable elders, their bones feeling the early leafbare chill. Similar to the kits of the nursery, who snored blissfully ignorant and completely unaware. Fireheart almost resented it if not for the account that they will have many moons of hardship to come. A thought not much better than the former, for even under the light of resentment, it holds fast not to scrutiny under the woeful gaze of compassion, for their day will come. This much is sure. And this much alone was humbling. There was no room for loathing of self or another in this forest of secrets and tricks, and so under this guise, Fireheart lay his head down, weary and heavy.
Though through the night, Fireheart felt uneasy. In his time in the nursery, his body may have fallen out practice, but his mind was sharper than it has ever been, forged by a daily routine of detecting lying little kits, and had grown accustomed to picking up on unhappiness and anger, even when they try to hide it, as well as the raw microexpressions that reveal emotion before it is hidden behind a mask of indifference. Being a parent had taught him all of this, and pain of sitting through many tantrums and brother-sister squabbles had given him a knack for problem-solving and logical thinking, and upon remembrance of the faces of the cats at that gathering, something didn't sit right with him. The dark clan seemed particularly docile, save for their leader. Tyranny maybe? Nightstar could simply be following in the paw steps of Brokentail as he exclaimed, the estranged ruler of ShadowClan, who led the clan like a killing force throughout the forest, the same one that now, ironically resides as a hostage in the ThunderClan medicine den, blind and useless, like a dead fish. But it didn't make any sense. If Nightstar is even half-sane enough to be a leader, then he must've known that he didn't stand a chance. Surely he isn't ignorant enough to not notice how severe a tactical error making an enemy of two clans who are already closely united would be. He refused to believe that StarClan would give nine lives to an imbecile, and as such, there was still so much that they didn't know, so while Fireheart felt a burning rage for poor Speckletail, he didn't feel like it was aimed in the right direction.
But regardless of his feelings toward this matter, he had to sleep. He had his first day of training with Tigerclaw tomorrow, and as much as they disliked each other, he needed to make a good impression if the tabby deputy was to take him seriously, because united by the clan banner or not, Fireheart couldn't dictate Tigerclaw's personal feelings, no matter how logical it may seem to try. So regardless of his disdain for him for what he did to Ravenpaw, his time will come. Tigerclaw will have retribution for his crimes against the warrior code.
For now, though, he needed the deputy's skill and combat experience. So for the time being, he will use him to better his own skills, and just hope that Graystripe doesn't mind, even though the first prize would be him not finding out at all.
END OF CHAPTER ________________________________________________________________