Warrior Cats Fanfiction: The Changed Clan #1: The Dark Leadership

Chapter Twelve

    Crookedstar couldn’t forget about the following day when Tigerstar had come to his Clan, demanding RiverClan formed an alliance with TigerClan otherwise lives would be lost. Before he had heard Tigerstar say RiverClan would pay, he had declined the alliance, stating RiverClan was as strong as it is.

   “Maybe we should have joined Tigerstar,” Leopardfur insisted. Crookedstar let out a heavy sigh. Leopardfur’s pestering bugged him a lot. It was as if she was desperate to join TigerClan.

    “No, Leopardfur,” Crookedstar told his deputy. “We don’t need to join an alliance with TigerClan. We can thrive without them.”

   “Are you saying RiverClan should be too independent to accept a simple alliance?” Leopardfur questioned. “We should accept it. Think about all the benefits it could bring to us – more prey, territory and less battles!”

      “No,” Crookedstar repeated more sternly. “Stop bugging me about it. I’ve made my mind up already and I’m sticking with it.” The RiverClan deputy let out a growl of anger and was about to leave the leader’s den.

    “You should be less stubborn and think about your Clan, not yourself,” she said and then left. Crookedstar let out another sigh. Leopardfur had been different ever since Whiteclaw’s death when he had fallen over the gorge moons ago. They were mates, Crookedstar thought as he couldn’t blame Leopardfur. I felt the same way she did when Willowbreeze.

    Willowbreeze. She had been the only cat besides Shellheart and Oakheart who had treated him nicely when he had broken his jaw as a young cat. He felt as if he had no place in his Clan and he’d never become a warrior, only bringing shame onto RiverClan.

    Crookedstar walked out of his den, breathing in fresh air. Mistyfoot and Blackclaw were tending to several reeds while the newly-named Reedpaw, Pikepaw and Primrosepaw played as if they were still kits. Crookedstar began to recall on how he and Oakheart used to play as kits all the time until Crookedstar’s accident.

    “Hi, Crookedstar,” Stonefur greeted. Crookedstar returned the greeting with a flick of his tabby-striped tail. “You made the right choice to decline Tigerstar. There was something. . . different that I sensed around him.”

   “Thanks, Stonefur,” Crookedstar replied. “Leopardfur’s bugging me non-stop about Tigerstar’s offer.”

“Don’t let her get to you,” Stonefur began. “She just wants what’s right for RiverClan like any other cat.”

        “Of course,” Crookedstar answered. “And with the Gathering later we’ll have be ready to hear what Tigerstar has to say.” Stonefur nodded, something beginning to cloud up in his eyes. Crookedstar couldn’t read what it was but thought nothing more about it.

    The moon and stars of Silverpelt lit up the dark sky. Silhouetted cats were gathered below the Great Rock in Fourtrees, waiting to hear what the leaders had to report. Crookedstar watched as Tigerstar trotted to the edge of the rock, staring down at the crowding cats below.