Sandclan's Destiny Book 3: Blackout

Chapter 20: Setting things Straight

It was a new age for both SandClan and BirdClan. Bigstar and Featherstar would hold their own tiny meetings, just the two of them, in each other's dens when visiting. They would not dare hold a gathering between the two clans in each other's camps, for safety reasons. If the two were to raise up a big enough clamor while traveling back and forth to one another's camps, an enemy clan would certainly come to realize. Plus if an ambush were to happen, and an entire camp was empty... the choice was obvious. But Featherstar and Bigstar alone practiced their traveling back and forth often.They had eventually devised a plan that would come into act that very day. Every cat in both Clans were overjoyed.

"It's like VenomClan, OakClan, and GreenClan's alliance! But the opposite!" Midnightpaw exclaimed to Ashpaw. The two were much too friendly to one another, Rockshade realized. 

Brackenshade corrected her, purring, "You mean the opposition? We're the heroes. All we need is RockClan joining us, and we'll be unstoppable! Hopefully, they will join us soon."

"Yeah!" Midnightpaw looked  behind her to Rockshade with nervous eyes. He could admit she was quite cute when she was frightened, which came off as a bit odd, but it gave him the want to comfort her and give her solace. He padded up next to her, purring, "It's fine. You're a good fighter!"

"What if Whitepaw gets hurt? Or dies?" She whispered.

"We won't really be battling." Brackenshade lashed her tail, "That's not what Featherstar or Bigstar told us. There's so much of us, there's no need."

Smokepaw flicked an ear, "I think we'll be in the back anyway."
Rockshade flicked his tail in irritation at the apprentice's words for some reason, and wished he could just usher the tom away from his apprentice. But he let the tom continue, seeing how Midnightpaw and Brackenshade were nodding and concurring with what he was saying. Soon Slashingclaw joined into the conversation and Rockshade calmed back down, tuning in. 

"'Tigerstar...' I cannot believe that ignorant cat thought he could become leader." Brackenshade snorted.

"I saw him at a gathering once, trying to impress she-cats with his muscular TAIL." Smokepaw laughed.

"Once he was trying to cut off his whiskers with a stone." Slashingclaw added.

They all snickered.
Suddenly a yowl sounded from behind them interrupting their merriment. They all whipped their heads around to see their mighty leader, a tall oak rising from the camp, glaring at them all with hard green eyes.
Rockshade padded over and sat down between Swiftfoot and Rainfoot. The rest of the warriors padded over in their own time, eagerness clouding their gazes as they awaited their leader's order.

"You know the plan already." Bigstar told them. Some cats yipped out. Cougarfang, stood beneath Bigstar's perch, quieted them with a glance.

Midnightpaw shimmied her way up to Rockshade and pressed against his thick pelt and whispered, "This is it. We're gonna be heroes."

"We're going to RockClan's camp, alongside BirdClan. RockClan cannot even ATTEMPT to fight us." Bigstar continued, her thick tail lashing like a flag above her head.
Rockshade looked around. Every cat seemed apprehensive for the event- in the best way possible, but he also saw nervous glances peeking out from the nursery, including Blackeye staring at her brother beneath Bigstar with a glimmer of concern in her remaining dark bead of an eye. 

"There we will confront Tigerleap and his deputy, force him out of leadership, and give Goldenfern the title she deserves." She looked to Cougarfang.

He nodded, "And Tigerstar and his deputy'll be kept prisoner in that camp. And hopefully we will ally with RockClan then." He looked to Goldenfern who ducked her head shyly and refused to speak.