Bluefur's Choice

Changes

Newleaf brought more changes to ThunderClan. Adderfang and Stormtail retired to the elders' den, and at the end of newleaf, Willowpelt's kits were apprenticed to Tigerclaw and Redtail.

Not all the changes were good though. Larksong, Swiftbreeze, and Tawnyspots died shortly after Goosefeather. Featherwhisker had diagnosed the she-cats with greencough, and although the sickness took its toll on them, herbs were able to relieve some of their pain. They were never in the outright agony that Tawnyspots experienced before his death. Bluefur wouldn't wish the suffering of the former ThunderClan deputy on her worst enemy.

The face of ThunderClan was changing as new cats became apprentices and old ones became elders. But one change overshadowed the others.

It had been a normal morning for the most part. Bluefur had just returned from the dawn patrol, and was about to go hunting with Mosstail when a screech rang through the air.

A white shape shot out of the gorse tunnel. "Dog!" shrieked Frostfur, her blue eyes wide with terror.

Bluefur leaped to her paws and raced over to her former apprentice, but Thistleclaw got there first. "Where?" he demanded.

"By the training hollow!" Frostfur's breath came out in short gasps. "Sunstar was there; I don't know what happened to him!"

"You left Sunstar?" Thistleclaw snarled.

Frostfur seemed to shrink. "I couldn't fight them alone."

Thistleclaw glared at her for a moment, before whipping around and naming the cats standing closest to him: "Tigerclaw, Darkpaw, Mosstail, Thrushpelt, Bluefur, you're with me." He turned and bounded through the gorse tunnel.

Bluefur followed him, her Clanmates on her heels. It wasn't long before they made it to the training hollow, but Bluefur knew it was a bad sign when she couldn't hear barking. Either Sunstar had chased them off or... She shook her head, trying not to think of the terrible possibility.

But as the patrol rounded a tree, Bluefur spotted a ginger shape lying motionless. "No!" she yowled, dashing to her former mentor's side. She prodded him with her paws to wake him, but he didn't stir. Even at a full on sprint, they hadn't reached him in time.

Sunstar was dead.

-----------------------------------

"Oh StarClan no!" Wails rose into the air as the patrol dragged Sunstar's body to the center of the camp. Bluefur trailed behind the patrol as cats began to crowd around their dead leader. She still couldn't believe it; her paws were numb in spite of the newleaf warmth.

"What happened to him?" Smallear called out.

"Dogs," Bluefur answered dully, sitting down next to Thrushpelt. The sandy brown tom licked the top of her head; she barely noticed the kind gesture.

Thistleclaw leaped to the top of the Highrock, his expression unusually somber. The cats quieted down, waiting for him to speak. "Cats of ThunderClan, I have terrible news. Sunstar has lost his final life." Shocked meows rose up from several cats who were just emerging from their dens. "He was fending off a group of dogs, and he died bravely."

Bluefur lowered her head, a renewed sense of grief washing over her pelt. A hush fell over the gathered cats.

Adderfang broke the silence after several long heartbeats. "Sunstar was a good leader. ThunderClan will miss him for many moons."

"At least he died defending ThunderClan from an enemy," Stormtail meowed solemnly. "He would have wanted that." Murmurs spread through the camp as Adderfang nodded beside him.