Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 3. (A Dead Star)

~A Dead Star: Chapter 11~

"Wake up," she whispered to Flameclaw, poking his shoulder with her nose.
"Hm?" Flameclaw lifted his head and parted his jaws in a large yawn, then blinked slowly at Whitestripe before looking around. "It's still dark."
"Good," Whitestripe muttered. "Come with me," she said to Flameclaw, leading him out of the den and away from camp.
"Where are we going?" Flameclaw asked curiously.
"We need to go to RiverClan."
"What for?"
"I'll explain it to you once we find who we need," Whitestripe promised. "Come with me, quick!"

Whitestripe and Flameclaw quickly made it to RiverClan's camp. Whitestripe had explained what she'd apparently overheard and told him that Pebblesoot was bound to meet them here at some point.
Sure enough, not long after she'd finished explaining, they heard pawsteps from behind a nearby shrub that was slowly regrowing its leaves.
"You two," she heard Pebblesoot whisper. Whitestripe led Flameclaw over to the small bush and crouched, facing Pebblesoot.
"I was going to come and meet you outside your camp," Pebblesoot said. "Why are you here?"
"You spoke with Frozenwind," Whitestripe said. Pebblesoot looked both surprised and confused as she explained what she could about her dream.
"Well, yes, I did talk to Frozenwind shortly before," Pebblesoot started. "I do not know how she got the information, but if what you say is true, I'll have to take your word for it I suppose."
"Can you tell us where they are?" Flameclaw interrupted abruptly.
"Depends," Pebblesoot whispered simply. "Were you followed?"
Whitestripe and Flameclaw looked at each other uncertainly.
"Did you check?" Pebblesoot asked.
"No, they didn't," interrupted another voice. Whitestripe spun around, unsheathing her claws, but sighed in relief at the sight of Tigerfur. "You should've at least masked your scents," whispered the brown tabby warrior. "It's unsafe now. We have to take precautions, even if they may seem meaningless to many."
"You won't tell the rest of the Clan, will you?" Whitestripe said.
"My main concern right now is the Clan," Tigerfur stated. "I cannot keep secrets from them if those secrets will aid us in our search for our companions of the other Clans."
Pebblesoot crawled out of the shrub and stood facing Tigerfur in the clearing. "Were you followed?" he asked immediately as the large warrior looked down at him.
"I believe not," Tigerfur said. "Though I can make no promises. There are cats in the Lake older than I who know more than I could learn about hiding."
After a long moment of hesitation, Pebblesoot looked up at Tigerfur while Whitestripe and Flameclaw listened from the shrub.
"The remaining members of RiverClan and WindClan are hiding just outside this territory, behind a small, yet vast, range of mountains. They have made a makeshift camp with all sorts of large dens over the past few moons.
"Very recently, Dawnstar and Ferngaze have been speaking of-"
"Ferngaze isn't a leader yet?" Tigerfur interrupted.
If they're in a situation similar to ThunderClan's, Whitestripe thought, with, technically, no leader and no deputy... What's going to happen?
"He hasn't been able to go," Pebblesoot said. "We went patrolling around the Moonpool a short while after Runningstar died. Ferngaze was with us and he looked worse than all the dead cats in both massacres just from the horrid stench that was coming from the inner cave."
"So something's keeping him away," Tigerfur muttered. "And Dawnstar has earned her lives?"
Pebblesoot nodded.
"What happened to Woodstar?"
"He died not long after we started making the camp. He and Nightfire, one of our RiverClan elders, tried clearing out some moss and brambles from beneath a rock, but Woodstar pushed Nightfire away and was taken instead."
"He didn't come back?"
"He did not."
Tigerfur nodded slowly, allowing the RiverClan warrior to continue.
"There were few deaths once we began making the camp to hold us all," Pebblesoot went on. "Some kits and elders died during the passing leaf-bare, but only a few. Since the beginning of Newleaf is not far away, the elders and kits have grown stronger and the mothers of those kits will soon be returning to their warrior duties."
"Thank you for the information," Tigerfur said with a thoughtful flick of his tail. "I shall return to Fernstar."
"What happened to Stonestar?" Pebblesoot asked.
"He is dead," Tigerfur replied darkly. "Fernstar has earned her lives, but we haven't a deputy yet."
"But it's night!"
"Moonhigh, indeed," Tigerfur said with a brief glance at the sky. "I best be on my way."
"You're going to ignore StarClan's anger?"
"I doubt the absence of a proper deputy is much of their concern at this time," Tigerfur pointed out, turning to leave. "For now, we must prepare for any attacks and get ready to depart with RiverClan and WindClan as soon as possible."
Whitestripe heard a rustle coming from just outside the camp barrier and thought she saw a shadow dart away, which made her fur stand on end.
"Come, both of you," Tigerfur said, looking back at them.
"I wish you all luck," Pebblesoot said, jumping up to stand beside the bush.
"We'll need more than luck to survive the Newleaf," Whitestripe muttered, following Flameclaw and Tigerfur back to camp.