Spottedpath padded across the NightClan camp clearing, her pawsteps leading her straight to the medicine den. Once she reached it, she found herself hesitating; the warrior wasn't sure what drove her here in the first place, or if her presence would be welcome. The overhanging root cast a threatening shadow in the evening sun, and if she hadn't come with such a certain purpose, Spottedpath would have used it as an excuse to leave. With a final, decisive nod to herself, Spottedpath pushed past the curtain of lichen that hung from the entryway and entered the den.
Inside, the air smelled of sickness, and it made worry well up inside the golden warrior. She quickly pushed it aside though. For how few sunrises have passed since their rescue, Sunpaw's condition has vastly improved, she reminded herself firmly. Tigerflight even said that she may be able to leave the den unsupervised soon, if the progress keeps up. Once she reassured herself, Spottedpath remembered why she came to the den in the first place.
"Hi, Sunpaw," she mewed quietly when she located the sick apprentice. "How are you feeling today?"
Sunpaw sat upright in the makeshift nest Tigerflight had made for her, her dark tortoiseshell fur much less matted than the days before. "I feel much better today!" she chirped cheerily before breaking off into a tiny cough. "I'm grateful for all the help I've gotten from Tigerflight, Muddapple, and Brightpelt."
"That's great to hear," Spottedpath purred, sitting a small distance from the molly. She didn't care if she got sick, but she'd hate to spread it to the rest of the Clans. "Have any of the others visited you?"
"No, only you," Sunpaw mewed without skipping a beat. While her tone stayed as cheery as ever, Spottedpath felt a bit of pity for her. Silently, she scorned the other Gorge refugees for not visiting their campmate before speaking again.
"I'll make sure to pester Mudwing or Nightstream into stopping by, then," she purred jokingly. When Sunpaw let out a soft mixture of a cough and a laugh, she flicked her ears anxiously. "None of the medicine cats have been too rough with you, have they? I know they sometimes become rather callous with their work."
Sunpaw shook her head quickly. "Oh, goodness, no! They've all been very gentle with me, and sometimes they even stop to talk and spend time with me. They told me that they miss seeing Frozenleaf at the Starfalls, too." Spottedpath blinked in surprise at that, but didn't feel comfortable pressing for information on the subject. She heard someone calling for her from the clearing—even worse, it sounded like Brackenclaw. Considering the SwiftClan deputy was a cat that nobody wanted to keep waiting, Spottedpath dipped her head to Sunpaw in a farewell.
"Duty calls," she joked apologetically with a wave of her tail toward the clearing. "I'll be sure to poke my head in here again once I'm free, okay?"
"Sure!" Sunpaw chirped before stifling another weak cough. "Thanks, Spottedpath!"
With a final nod to the sick apprentice, Spottedpath turned and exited the medicine den. She quickly spotted Brackenclaw near the entrance of the camp and bounded to him without wasting a heartbeat; the broad-shouldered deputy was the last cat she'd ever want to cross.
Before Spottedpath had a chance to ask him why he called for her, Brackenclaw spoke, his eyes narrowed and his critical gaze trained on the younger warrior. "Despite my own objections to it, Fishstar wants you to be among the warriors he takes to the emergency Gathering—we'll be leaving shortly. Along with myself, you'll be accompanying Hollyheart, Muddapple, and Cottontuft, and no, attendance isn't optional."
Spottedpath bit her tongue to restrain herself from making any snide remarks to Brackenclaw's attitude toward her. Instead, she nodded her head obediently and turned away, searching for any of her friends. When she spotted Nightstream, she rushed to the pretty molly, letting out a sigh of annoyance when she was out of the deputy's earshot.
"Is that ugly brute giving you trouble?" Nightstream asked teasingly, surprising Spottedpath.
"Who, Brackenclaw?" she queried quickly. "No, he's always been like that. Fishstar chose me to attend the emergency Gathering, and I'm sure Brackenclaw just thinks a more experienced warrior should have been chosen. I can't say I blame him, really."
"You're probably wiser than half of these old crows already," Nightstream retorted affectionately, causing Spottedpath's ears to heat up in embarrassment. Nightstream's gaze suddenly shifted to something further away, and when Spottedpath turned to follow her gaze, she noticed Ironheart sitting with Longstep. The ginger she-cat looked happier than Spottedpath ever remembered her being.
"I've noticed it too," Spottedpath murmured softly and let her gaze travel back to Nightstream as she sat down. "Are you worried about your mother? She seems happy."
Nightstream shifted uncomfortably and dropped her gaze. "It's not that I'm worried," she started hesitantly as guilt flashed across her eyes. "It's just . . . I don't know."
"I won't pretend to understand," Spottedpsth murmured slowly, resting her tail across Nightstream's. Suddenly, she remembered Longstep's interest in who she'd assumed was Ironheart when she first joined SwiftClan. "Maybe he's—"
"Spottedpath, it's time," Fishstar called from the entrance of the camp. Both he and Harestar had collected their warriors while she'd been distracted with Nightstream. With an apologetic nod to her friend, Spottedpath hurried over to them, silently noting all of the cats who were attending the emergency Gathering. Along with Brackenclaw, Muddapple, Cottontuft, Hollyheart, and of course herself, she noticed Tigerflight, Petalheart, Lionpelt, Greythorn, Honeyheart, and Clovernose. They're all who I'd assume are Harestar's most trusted, Spottedpath told herself with a nod.
Without a word, the group of cats quickly filed through the camp entrance and through the thickly-forested territory. Spottedpath kept a steady pace with them, noticing how the trees sent long shadows along the pine needles that layered the forest floor. It didn't take them long to reach the Gathering clearing, but when they got there, they all gathered in a small alcove behind the Tallrock. There was no sign of the cats of RushClan or BlazeClan yet, so Fishstar and Harestar each sent one warrior to patrol within the hedges of the clearing.
Shortly after, Spottedpath picked up the scents of the missing two Clans. The arid scent of the BlazeClan cats mixed with the river-tinged RushClan scents, and soon, they appeared out of the shrubbery to greet the others. Spottedpath rose to her paws to greet them, and counted the cats she was able to recognize; from BlazeClan, she saw Yellowheart, Skyfeather, Jayleaf, Swallowclaw, and Talonstrike alongside Heatherstar. The black-furred leader looked particularly agitated, her bluish eyes wide with anger. She didn't recognize most of the RushClan cats—there was a pale yellow tabby next to Kinkstar that she assumed was the deputy, Bumbleflight, and next to him was the medicine cat that Spottedpath recognized as Moonlight. The rest of the cats though—a blue-grey tom with darker legs, a ginger tabby molly, and a darker grey tom with scruffy neck fur—were complete strangers to her.
As everyone quickly fell into place behind the Tallrock, Spottedpath found her way to Jayleaf and Swallowclaw. Once she reached them, she dipped her head in a greeting, only to be surprised when both warriors pulled her in with their forelegs for a brief embrace.
"Hey, Spottedpaw!" Jayleaf purred affectionately before adopting a more serious tone. "It's good to see you again, but it's a shame it had to be under these conditions."
"I actually got my warrior name, it's Spottedpath now," Spottedpath explained quickly, though her eyes remained trained on the four leaders; they held their heads together as they spoke in hushed tones. "Are you two okay? I heard that the Gorge hit BlazeClan pretty hard. I've never seen Heatherstar so distressed, either."
"We're okay," Swallowclaw spoke up this time, though his eyes seemed guarded. When Spottedpath took a closer look, she noticed that her friends were unusually tense. "Congratulations on earning your warrior name. Are you okay? The Gorge attacking SwiftClan could not have been good for you."
Spottedpath hesitated as she tried not to recall the battle at the SwiftClan camp. "I'm okay," she murmured after a moment and found herself hoping they didn't notice her fresh scars. "Oh, Swallowclaw, I um . . . I saw Hawkscar again, in StarClan, and he seemed . . . really happy, actually. I thought you should know."
Both Swallowclaw and Jayleaf blinked in surprise at her words. "I'm glad he made it to the lands of endless hunting," Swallowclaw mewed after a moment, a flash of happiness appearing in his gaze. To her relief, neither of them made a move to question how exactly she saw him.
Harestar cleared her throat deliberately, quieting the whispers that had spread throughout what few cats had joined them. Every warrior, deputy, and medicine cat turned their heads to face the four leaders. Each and every face held the same grim expressions, matching their leaders'.
"Deadeye launched an attack when we least expected it. One of our newest warriors, Fernwillow, was murdered. Our kits were kidnapped, and many of our warriors were gravely wounded," Fishstar started to speak slowly when none of the other leaders stepped forward. I nearly died, and you lost a life, Spottedpath thought as she remembered her own wounds from the battle. She didn't fail to notice how he kept his voice low, and let his gaze flit nervously back and forth, as if watching for an unseen enemy.
"Did he lose a life? He seems . . . off." she heard Jayleaf whisper aloud. Spottedpath cringed inwardly and heard her BlazeClan friend grunt when Swallowclaw gave him a harsh nudge. She knew it wasn't Jayleaf's fault—Fishstar's visible restlessness was all too telling about what had truly happened.
"However," Fishstar carried on as if he hadn't heard Jayleaf, "thanks to some of our warriors, namely the young Spottedpath, and a new addition seeking refuge from the Gorge, we swiftly rescued all five kits."
As if on cue, Bramblekit and Mousekit rushed out from behind Hollyheart. The two kits barreled toward Heatherstar, who turned her furious gaze on them.
"Auntie Heather!" Mousekit mewled happily as she ran straight into the fiery-eyed molly. Spottedpath blinked in surprise—even though she hadn't stayed with the BlazeClan cats for long, she'd quickly learned the family ties of most cats before she left. Even so, she never got the impression that Heatherstar was related to Spiderclaw or the kits.
Heatherstar's furious gaze softened as the kits huddled against her. "I thought I had prepared my Clan for an attack, but I was wrong. They launched their attack in the middle of a naming ceremony for our newest warriors, Canyonheart and Echobreeze. My sister, Spiderclaw, was gravely injured when trying to defend her kits. I thank StarClan that survived with only a scar to show it."
When Heatherstar paused, an uneasy air fell over the clearing. Spottedpath found herself holding her breath, preparing herself for some grave news. She didn't know what it could be—she knew one of the medicine cats had been injured, but the grave expression that had made its way onto Heatherstar's face suggested there was something far worse than another injury.
"Unfortunately, one of our medicine cats wasn't so lucky. Blueheart insisted on saving as many herbs as possible, and when he went back for a particularly rare bundle, he was attacked. This morning, he died from his wounds."
Spottedpath felt a shock tear through her body, and she resisted the urge to leap to her paws in anger. When I find out which of them killed Blueheart, I don't even know what I'll do, she thought furiously. Out of the corner of her eye, Spottedpath saw Jayleaf shift awkwardly in his spot. When she glanced at him she realized both he and Swallowclaw were watching her in apprehension, and she forced herself to calm down.
Among the leaders, Heatherstar's gaze dropped. "Somehow, the rest of the injuries were minor in comparison. Something needs to be done. The actions against SwiftClan and BlazeClan were atrocious, and Deadeye must accept the consequences of his actions at last."
"That won't be easy," Spottedpath found her voice acting on its own. She took a tiny pawstep forward, not even realizing her own actions as they happened.
"Did you ask to make an announcement?" Brackenclaw immediately spoke up from his spot near Fishstar. His eyes grew fiery with anger, and his tone was so painfully condescending that Spottedpath nearly flinched away from his words.
"Let her speak." Both Fishstar and Heatherstar spoke in unison. The two leaders had almost entirely discarded their previous stances and were now watching Spottedpath intently. Next to them, Kinkstar had a confused look resting on his scruffy face, while a look of realization had made its way onto Harestar's.
Spottedpath awkwardly sucked in a breath of air through her teeth and spoke. "When Nightstream and I were rescuing the stolen kits, we found out that Deadeye has started to recruit some rogues. There are only eight staying at the Gorge camp, but Nightstream said they think there's more—more than any of us could count."
"Rogues? From the Twolegplace east of the territories? I've been there once, many seasons ago. It's crawling with strays and rogues," Kinkstar spoke up for the first time, looking worried.
"That's not all," Spottedpath spoke again. She hesitated, not sure how to word what she was about to say. "Don't ask me how they've done it, because I can't even begin to understand myself, but somehow the rogues have taught Deadeye how to make fire. During the rescue mission, I saw that they had piled a bunch of sticks right in the middle of the cave, and they were burning. Nobody was afraid of it."
An ominous feeling settled over the group, and Harestar shifted her weight uneasily. "That's absurd," she mewed slowly.
"No, it's maniacal, and it aligns perfectly with Deadeye's actions." Heatherstar's interest had immediately sapped away, only to be replaced once more by fury. "He could burn the entire forest down, even at the start of leafbare."
"I don't think anyone would let him do that," Spottedpath chose her words carefully, hoping to calm the BlazeClan leader.
"What do you mean?" Fishstar asked curiously.
"Think about it. Four cats joined us during the rescue mission, all seeking refuge from Deadeye. When I was sneaking out with Bristlekit, I nearly got caught, but an elder created a distraction, and the healer went along with it, all so that I could get out." Spottedpath remembered the night clearly, and how terrified she'd been of getting caught. "On the way there, we had to hide from a passing patrol, and I overheard their conversation. Every single one of them sounded so conflicted of what Deadeye's been ordering them to do—what they've been raised to do. None of them want to lose their home, they just want the justice that Deadeye has manipulated them into seeking."
"Being raised to do the things they've done doesn't make it right," Heatherstar growled after a moment.
"I never said it did." Spottedpath held the leader's gaze with an unflinching confidence. "If we can somehow manage to reason with the cats of the Gorge—not Deadeye—we can survive without unnecessarily shedding blood."
Heatherstar returned the confident gaze, though hers was still mixed with anger. "Bah," she spat furiously, "they can't be reasoned with! They're—" Suddenly, she broke off, but a flash of hatred showed itself on her face.
"What are they?" Spottedpath snapped suddenly. She knew exactly what Heatherstar had been about to say, and she knew it was only in the heat of the moment, but it still infuriated her. "Are they savages, Heatherstar? Do you forget who I am? Are you so— so blinded by this rage you've manifested that you refuse to listen to reason?"
The space behind the Tallrock fell silent once more. Heatherstar's furious expression was replaced by one of guilt while the other three leaders looked shocked at Spottedpath's sudden cold words. Even Brackenclaw's glare of contempt had been replaced with a look of surprise.
"Okay, fine." Heatherstar's suddenly quiet tone demanded all attention. "Suppose these cats could change the tides of the battle that's undeniably drawing nearer with each passing heartbeat. How do you propose we talk to them? Should we just waltz into their camp and ask for a moment of their time?"
It was Spottedpath's turn to fall silent. She stared blankly at Heatherstar as she tried her best to think of some kind of plan.
"This entire idea is preposterous," Brackenclaw spoke up with a low, yet somewhat nervous laugh. "Trying to reason with those cats is like facing death head-on."
"Death?" Spottedpath echoed quietly as an idea dawned on her. "I've got it! When Muddapple went to Starfalls for advice, I tried to dream with StarClan as well—"
"You what?" Moonlight's voice sounded from her spot with the medicine cats. "You're just a warrior, that's silly."
"—and, while I didn't get advice from StarClan, I met Deadeye's healer, Frozenleaf. To this day, she tries to speak with StarClan, and every time I think she ends up in this secluded clearing. If I can just go to Starfalls—"
"Even if that works, we don't have time for these silly stargazing games," Kinkstar interjected casually. For the first time, Spottedpath noticed just how skinny he'd become. Next to the RushClan leader, Bumbleflight looked utterly shocked at his words. "I'm well aware my time as leader is nearing an end, and StarClan forbid I let my old age stop me from protecting this forest with my fellow leaders. We will fight for this land, and we must do it soon."
Spottedpath shut her mouth at his words. What am I even supposed to say to that? she thought as frustration filled her from her eartips to her tail. The other leaders glanced uneasily at one another, as though trying to come up with a single answer everyone could agree on. At the front of the crowd, Petalheart raised her tail hesitantly.
"I say we give Spottedpath's idea a shot," she murmured, and though her quiet voice was confident, her green eyes glittered with uncertainty. "One or two cats visiting Starfalls isn't going to put a dent in our preparations for war. We're four Clans, I mean, come on."
"She's right," Hollyheart spoke up, rising to her paws. Beside her, Cottontuft rose as well.
"Yeah, we're four Clans! How will we be slowed down by a visit to Starfalls?" he mewed confidently.
Murmurs of agreement rose from the few cats in the group. When Spottedpath glanced around, she saw that even the unfamiliar RushClan warriors agreed with the NightClan deputy. Before Kinkstar could object, Fishstar stepped forward, fixing Spottedpath with a warm gaze.
"It's settled, then." He swept his tail around, as if to tell the others he was finished here. "I'll send Spottedpath to Starfalls with a medicine cat once more, and maybe they can make some kind of headway with her idea. While they're taking care of that, the rest of us should be preparing for an all-out war with the cats of the Gorge and however many rogues they've recruited. They might very well outnumber us, so we must be careful."
This time, the murmurs of agreement were firm-sounding. Each leader cast a calling glance to their own warriors, and they all rose to their paws to return to the two camps they currently occupied. Spottedpath murmured a brief farewell to Swallowclaw and Jayleaf before turning to follow her own Clanmates into the forest. Right as she was about to vanish into the undergrowth behind Cottontuft, she saw Brackenclaw call Fishstar back quietly.
"I'd like a word with you, sir," he spoke in a hushed tone, though Spottedpath managed to pick up each word. "It'll only take a moment."
Everyone else had disappeared into the forest ahead of them. Spottedpath hesitated where she stood and dared a glance behind her, and when she did, she caught Brackenclaw's gaze. He narrowed his eyes at her briefly, an action that sent shivers down Spottedpath's spine before she rushed to catch up with her Clanmates.
She walked at the rear of the group, keeping quiet, even when the other cats made comments to her about how the emergency Gathering had gone.
"I could have never spoken to a leader like that!" Cottontuft whispered to her, his eyes drifting to Harestar. "That was intense!"
"I agree," Clovernose whispered as she fell into step with them. Her sleek black-and-white fur rippled as she walked through the forest. "I could never speak to Harestar so confidently!"
Spottedpath could only offer up an awkward, lopsided smile at their words. Lionpelt slowly fell back to them and turned his head to look over his thick-furred shoulder, an amused glint in his eyes.
"That's why you two will never become leaders," he mewed jokingly. "I might not be leader material, but I know when I see it. Spottedpath here has potential!"
The three warriors started chattering together, each of them catching up to the others as they did so. Soon enough they had arrived at the camp, and Spottedpath quickly grew worried over the absence of Brackenclaw and Fishstar. He said it would be quick, she fretted to herself, subconsciously pacing on her front paws. Why haven't they caught up yet? When she glanced around, she could tell by the warriors' lighthearted expressions that they paid no mind to the delay in the SwiftClan cats' return. However, Spottedpath noticed Harestar watching the treeline intently, and immediately knew that the NightClan leader was just as worried as she was.
After a few heartbeats of waiting, Harestar motioned for the warriors to enter the camp ahead of her. Spottedpath held her breath and moved to follow the silent order, and right when she did, she heard a violent rustling come from the undergrowth behind her. Moments later, Brackenclaw burst into view carrying Fishstar's limp body, his green eyes wild.
"What in the name of StarClan happened?" Harestar instantly demanded. All of the other warriors had turned around, and several let out shrieks and gasps of surprise. Meanwhile, Spottedpath found herself inspecting Brackenclaw's pelt. There's no blood on his fur, she thought suspiciously before quickly scolding herself. I shouldn't even be worried about that. Fishstar is dead!
"It was those mangy Gorge cats," Brackenclaw spat angrily after carefully resting Fishstar's body on the ground. "They waited for everyone to leave and jumped us. I tried to help, but they overpowered me."
Brackenclaw's body trembled with, presumably, rage as he spoke. Harestar quickly and wordlessly ushered everyone into the NightClan camp, and Brackenclaw picked up Fishstar's body once again to carry it into the camp. Once inside, Harestar watched, still speechless, as Brackenclaw rested Fishstar in the center of the camp. Cats immediately filed out of their dens; those from SwiftClan let out anguished cries while the NightClan cats watched quietly. Spottedpath slowly padded toward Fishstar's body, the shock of his sudden death finally sinking in.
"It's just like I told you," Brackenclaw growled as he rounded on Spottedpath. "Reasoning with those savages is pointless. They've murdered our leader in cold blood!" The young warrior found herself flinching back from him, the suddenness of his aggression taking her by surprise.
Instead of responding, Spottedpath crouched next to the dead leader's body and lowered her head in mourning. As if following her cue, the other cat of SwiftClan surrounded the body and one by one they crouched nearby. Spottedpath closed her eyes, letting the shock and dismay consume her for a few moments. We can't handle an aggressive leader like Brackenclaw right now, she told herself. Despite previously blaming her concerns on how traumatized she'd become by the past few moons, something about Brackenclaw still didn't sit right with her.