The First to Fight the Storm

Chapter 15

"All cats old enough to draw blood come to the highrock." Silverscreech called out.

That was a new one. Cats gathered around the highrock. Blackfang, Hazelwing, Rubyclaw, and Daisystorm pushed out of the medicine den, Hazelwing elbowing Sunnyfeather into Daisystorm, who shoved him over. Sunnyfeather hit the ground with a thud.

"My Clan-" Silverscreech started.

"Your clan?!" "What about Bloodstar?!" Crys came out from the audience of cats.

"Silence!" Silverscreech slammed her paw into the high rock with force. "Bloodstar has left us! I am now leader!"

The cats were silent for a moment and then one cat screeched out. "Silverstar! Silverstar!" Cats began to join in, some feeling as if they were forced to, and others whole-heartedly.

"You mouse-brains! StarClan isn't real! My name will continue to be Silverscreech. If anyone calls me Silverstar they will be exiled! I do not tolerate anything of the sort in my Clan!"

MountainClan was silent again. Midnightstorm rose up. "No."

"What did you just say?!" Silverscreech jabbed her head in Midnightstorms direction.

"I said no." Cats parted around Midnightstorm as the fluffy cream cat rose to her paws. "My kit, Mudkit, is dead. My Clan, MountainClan, isn't even a Clan. My kits," Midnightstorm was on the verge of falling down to the ground. Her eyes were filled with tears and her head was tilted to the side as if she didn't have enough energy to hold it up. "My kits cannot be warriors! Because we are not warriors! We are rogues! MountainClan is gone! Face the truth that has been left in the spilled blood from us! We are rogues!" Midnightstorm was screaming now at Silverscreech. Then she fell to her paws.

Silverscreech hopped off the highrock. "Look at me, Midnightstorm. We all have reasons for what we do." She put her paw under Midnightstorms paw, helping her up. "Sometimes we wish we could go back, but what we have done has to keep going." She pushed Midnightstorm to the ground again.

"This meeting is over." Silverscreech turned back into her new den.

"Wait!" Willowmoon whipped her head around to Wolftail, who was looking up at the highrock.
She dashed over to him and tried to pull him back. "Wolftail! What are you doing?! Stop!"

He looked at her with a sad smile. "It's fine." He turned to Silverscreech. "What happened to Bloodstar?"

Silverscreech turned to him with a smirk. "I told you, he left."
"No, like,... why?"

"Cause he wanted to see Bumblestone."

Willowmoon remembered the night in the moonstone cave when Bumblestone had been mentioned.
"Bumblestone had meant more to him than this clan. They were brothers." Silverscreech jumped down from the highrock and padded over to Wolftail, claws out.

Willowmoon couldn't let Wolftail get hurt. Not when he had protected her so many times.

"No! The last things that Greenleaf said when she died-"
"That was moons ago you mouse-brained cat!" Silverscreech said, strong position, but fear and warning glinting in her blue eyes.

"Willowmoon is right." Sunnyfeather stalked over to them. Willowmoon had never seen the cheerful cat so angry. "I overlooked it at first. I shouldn't have though, and I have realized that. A sudden storm will kill the claws of the earth." Sunnyfeather took a deep breath as if he was praying to StarClan. "It wasn't just some words. It was a prophecy."

"Well obviously." Silverscreech rolled her eyes. "What did you think it was?"

The world seemed silent for a moment. "That's it." Silverscreech stalked back up to the highrock.
"ForestClan has been invading our borders." Silverscreech yowled to the cats. "We will fight them tonight!"

Some cats started cheering. Claws sliding out, ready to draw more blood. Others stood still, quiet. Willowmoon looked around. How was this happening? How could her clan want this?

Blackfang, Rubyclaw, Daisystorm, Sandpaw, and other cats were cheering. Cats whom she had trusted were betraying her.

Wolftail trudged away, head down.

"Wolftail-"
"Not right now, Willowmoon." Instead he went over to Carrotpaw and they both left camp.
"Willowmoon."
Willowmoon whipped around, expecting someone to be right there but no one was.

"Um, Willowmoon?"
"Yes Dreampaw?"

The little gray cat was standing in front of her eyes full of sadness.

"Sandpaw and Carrotpaw are having their warrior assessments. Can I...."
The apprentice trailed off.

"Of course you can! Come on, let's get going."

They walked into the forest to find Wolftail and Rubyclaw with their apprentices. Willowmoon was convinced that she would make this day perfect for Dreampaw.

"You three will have to bring back as much prey as you can before we tell you you're done. Go."
The three apprentices sprinted off in different directions. Dreampaw went towards Sunny Meadows while Sandpaw went to the Great rock. Carrotpaw waited for a moment then went off in the direction of the ForestClan border.

"Come on." Wolftail said, cheerfully. He was obviously feeling better.

Willowmoon smiled and they both followed their apprentices.
They reached the Sunny meadows just in time to watch Dreampaw catch a squirrel. The light gray apprentice buried it and trudged away with a happy smile.
"That was a great catch." Wolftail said, breaking the silence. "I'm going to go watch Carrotpaw."
Right as the tabby gray warrior was about to leave, a rustle in the bushes sounded.

A small head poked out. Black fur, glassy eyes.

In a flash it was gone.

Dreampaws dead and blind brother, Mudkit.