Warriors: A Dangerous Path - Book Five (Completed)

Chapter Twenty Two

Shadowpaw awoke to Sandstorm poking him with her muzzle. He looked up at her with confusion then quickly scrambled to his paws once he saw urgency in her expression. "What's up?" 

"Follow me. We're going to a meeting." She quickly mewed then padded out into the clearing. Shadowpaw followed her and scanned the clearing. It was still dark outside and the moon was high in the sky. Cloudpaw and Swiftpaw sat at the edge, along with Whitestorm, Fireheart, Dustpelt, and Brackenfur. 

Bluestar flicked her tail, and she led them up the ravine and through the gorse tunnel. Fireheart padded just a tail-length behind her while the others were scattered behind him. Bluestar paused at the top of the slope. As the other warriors caught up with her, starlight cast a faint sheen on their fur, touching their pricked ears and reflecting from their wide eyes.

Shadowpaw looked across the border into WindClan territory, he thought at first that the sweep of moorland was empty, stretching up to the night sky. Wind swept across it and rustled the oak trees in the hollow behind him. Then he caught sight of movement up ahead, and he realized that a line of cats was standing there, with Tallstar at their center. 

"What's that?" Bluestar hissed, turning to glare into his eyes. "So many WindClan cats? I thought I was coming here to talk." Her eyes glared furiously at Fireheart, some sharpened instinct flooding her expression with understanding. "This looks more like an ambush than a meeting of leaders."

Fireheart laid back his ears. "It's not." He tried to reassure her.

At a flick of her tail, the ThunderClan warriors moved up in purposeful silence to form a tight line on either side of their leader, facing the WindClan cats. Shadowpaw followed suit and quickly lined beside Sandstorm, with his chest puffed out. 

If just one cat moved forward, battle could engulf them all. He saw Dustpelt exchange a tense glance with Brindleface, as if both cats were thinking the same as he was. Next to him, Sandstorm kept her gaze fixed on the WindClan cats, her ears flat to her head. Swiftpaw stared nervously at his leader, but he held his place in the line. 

A few fox-lengths away, Tallstar stood a pace or two ahead of his own warriors. As the first pale light of dawn crept into the sky. Shadowpaw could now see the skinny WindClan leader. His black-and-white fur was fluffed up, making him seem less small and his tail held erect. Behind him was Onewhisker, Morningflower, and the young apprentice Gorsepaw.

Looking directly at Bluestar, Tallstar dipped his head. "No battle will be fought here today. I said that I would come here to talk, and that's what I intend to do."

Bluestar did not respond. She crouched on the ground, her fur bristling and her teeth bared in a snarl of defiance. Shadowpaw tensed, thinking maybe there wasn't going to be a meeting after all.

"We have lost prey too." Tallstar continued. "It may be dogs, or rogues. It is not cats from WindClan."

"So you say." Meowed Bluestar. She sounded uncertain now. 

Shadowpaw looked over at Fireheart and saw him tense his haunches. "Bluestar," Fireheart mewed urgently, "a noble leader doesn't take her warriors into battle without need. If there's the least doubt that—"

"Do you think you know more than I do about how to lead a Clan?" Bluestar interrupted. Her fur had bristled again, but this time it was Fireheart who was the target of her anger. Shadowpaw widened his eyes. Was she turning on her own Clan?

"Young cats think they know everything," Tallstar meowed. There was a hint of sympathetic humor in his voice. He paused for a few short moments then continued. "But sometimes we have to listen to them. There is no need for this battle."

Bluestar kept her eyes narrowed, and twitched her ears irritably. "Very well." She mewed reluctantly. "I accept your word—for now. But if my patrols scent WindClan one tail-length over our border..." She whipped around and called to the ThunderClan cats. "Back to camp!" She ordered, leaping ahead of them.

Shadowpaw sighed with relief. He did not want to go into battle so early. The sun was just beginning to creep up through the trees and Shadowpaw still felt exhausted. He padded back into camp and watched as Bluestar trekked back up into her den. She then looked back and glared at Fireheart. "You." She hissed. "Come with me. I must speak with you." 

Shadowpaw's eyes watched as Fireheart obeyed her. Her voice was harsh and she sounded mad. He wanted to know why she brought him up there, but he wasn't allowed unless called to go up.

***

 About half a moon after the confrontation with WindClan, Bluestar came padding from her den. "I'll lead the patrol this morning." She meowed, and went to wait by the entrance to the camp.

Shadowpaw exchanged confused glances with Fireheart. Fireheart was just as confused as he was. Sandstorm padded to his side. "I guess she's feeling better." She whispered in Fireheart's ear.

Bluestar led a small patrol with Whitestorm, Fireheart and Cloudpaw following. Sandstorm flicked her tail and bounded off after them. Shadowpaw followed closely behind. Bluestar guided the patrol along the WindClan border, marking it with her scent as a clear message to any intruders.

 "WindClan is staying within their borders." Mewed Bluestar, softly and opening her jaws to taste the air.

Shadowpaw pricked his ears and lifted his muzzle. He couldn't pick up any scents of WindClan crossing their border markers. Then Shadowpaw remembered how hostile she was in the meeting they had with Tallstar. Would Bluestar really attack WindClan at a time like this?