Sandclan's Destiny Book 3: Blackout

Chapter 17: A New Team Joins the Army

"Fight for freedom?" Wolfstar grinned, "Why, your Clan's better off without you. You crawling back to RockClan and leading them against me... I promise you, I wouldn't hold back. I could destroy your Clan like my predecessors once did to SandClan. I could choose to chase you out of the Land and live as rogues, or kill every single warrior of yours that dare lift a claw against any of mine.  Why would you do that to them?"

Blizzardstar's long fur bristled, "My warriors are not only loyal to me, they're loyal to Rockstar. And his intentions are to keep peace. We may not have StarClan by our side at this moment, but we have the beliefs that Rockstar has instilled into the Clan, a--"

"They're not loyal to you or Rockstar. They're loyal to Tigerleap. Were you not paying attention when, well, your own warriors ripped you apart?" Wolfstar snapped, his tail flicking.

Bigstar observed that not even Wolfstar would dub the ruthless and disrespectful RockClan warrior Tigerleap by his self-assigned alias. 

"Tigerleap..." Blizzardstar began, "...well if I must exile him, I shall. My Clan is my Clan, given to me by StarClan, and it's all his fault my warriors betrayed me and sided with you. Him and his loud voice? I'll silence it. I can talk to him myself, try to quell him and show him the light, and if he dare try to betray me again, then he is gone."

"Ah. My way of thinking." Wolfstar sneered, "Although, when I mean silence, I usually mean claws to the throat. But I'm sure what you mean is boring exile. Ah, well. RockClanners always sugar-coat things. Even threats. 'Fight for your freedom'-- was that your way of saying you will kill me?" Wolfstar rose, hackles rising. His claws were unsheathed and was obviously meant to frighten anyone that glanced at them.

Bigstar's ears flitted back, and she mewed,"If Blizzardstar wants to fight for her freedom, then SandClan will act as her aides. Wolfstar, you'd better watch out. Soon it'll be three on three, and I bet we can sway GreenClan eventually, too." 

"Right?" Wolfstar chortled. "You barge into my camp to take back your precious friend? She's technically mine now. By trade. And I've been thinking of clever ways to kill her all this time, and I think I have an idea. It's a combination of what a BirdClanner would do, and what a warrior of your very own already has..."
Wolfstar neared to the edge of the Tangled Willow and leapt off, forelegs outstretched and claws bared like a tiger's. Growling, he came straight towards Blizzardstar who whirled on her paws and yowled.
His claws met her face.
He crushed her into the sand. His teeth sank into her throat, and a pool of red was drank by the sand.

"You- she- she's dead." Goldenfern muttered. Her eyes were wide. "You killed her! That couldn't have been her last life- she-" and the golden tabby lunged forward, but Bigstar's tail blocked her path- there was no way SandClan could win this fight.

*~*~*

How could I let this happen? She was glad she prevented more bloodshed, but maybe that was what she needed. She glanced outside her den and saw her warriors consoling Goldenfern. 

Curse Wolfstar. Two can play at this game. In fact, everyone can play at this game.  I will leave no clan out of it. GreenClan, OakClan, fine- join VenomClan's cause for your own selfish gain. But BirdClan needs our aid and we need theirs, and we aren't uniting without RockClan. That's what Blizzardstar would've wanted. Bigstar leapt onto the Slanted Rock and sat and she did not need to call a meeting. Her warriors gathered and stared at her expectantly.

"We won't sit by waiting for VenomClan to fall into whatever trap we might set. He's too smart for that. We need what Wolfstar has, which are strong allies. I'm not a fool- I can tell that OakClanners traverse into his territory by whatever secret path they take. I know GreenClanners and OakClanners visit each others' camps, and I know that GreenClan trains with VenomClan. We need the same, but with BirdClan. And when BirdClan becomes our close ally, perhaps RockClan will wake up and join suit.

"We must go tonight, to BirdClan's camp. Goldenfern may stay here with a few warriors until our return. When Featherstar hears of what happened to Blizzardstar, she will learn the importance of this alliance. And maybe she can help us convince RockClan to join the right side."

*~*~* 

Rockshade felt like a trespasser. When he Clan crossed the border, he felt wrong. This was what OakClan and GreenClan allegedly does into VenomClan territory? 
The dark canopy overhead and long ferns hid the patrol but caught their scent. Rockshade was curious about how Bigstar was so confident in her strides- how did she know where the camp was located? Rockshade remembered hearing once that BirdClan camp was one of the hardest camps to find.

Midnightpaw and Firesong padded up beside Rockshade. They were silent. Every warrior was silent because they did not know how to act, intruding in BirdClan territory but doing so as friends. 

"We're here." Bigstar mewed, lashing her tail so everyone could see. She slipped through some dark ferns and into an airy clearing, with tall trees circling the camp and their canopies filled with resting silhouettes. A set of eyes like gems in the black canopy rose and a strange bird's call awoke the camp.

"Featherstar!" someone yowled, and many eyes appeared in the trees and one cat descended onto the ground, running to a large boulder in the center of the camp. Suddenly a pair of bright, blue eyes emerged from behind the rock. Once she recognized Bigstar, Featherstar's eyes grew calm.

"Bigstar, why are you here? To scare my warriors half to death?" Featherstar asked, her voice kind. There was concern in her eyes.

"Blizzardstar is dead. Wolfstar killed her this sunset. She was on her last life."

BirdClan warriors that were gathered in the clearing began to speak to one another. Featherstar's ears fell back and her long tail drooped. "Truly? Her last life, already? Our poor friend... I cannot believe it. What are we going to do about RockClan? What kind of chaos reigns in their camp?"

"We have to unite, like VenomClan, OakClan, and GreenClan are united."
"How?" Featherstar mewed, her eyes glinting.

"We can transfer some of our warriors to each other's camps. For communication and defense purposes. It will bond us closer. I am sure VenomClan, OakClan, and GreenClan do similar things. We have to match them in strength. Are you willing to do this, Featherstar? What is your answer?"