SandClan's Destiny Book 1: A Flame is Lit

Chapter 15: They Want our Pelts

Bigstar sat on the Slanted Rock, Cougarfang stationed beneath her. "VenomClanners..." The deputy arched a spit into the air. "That gathering..." he shook his head, "It's still the talk of the clan, you know. I hear our warriors still gossiping about it even though it was a while ago by now. How can VenomClan have that big of an impact?" His tail lashed like a fly swatter, "Usually we wouldn't worry about such a threat."

Bigstar had to correct him, "It's the talk of all the clans, surely. And we must fear... at least a little bit. We must keep discussing things and preparing for anything. I'm glad I made my kits warriors, but I fear we must preform more..."

"You really think Midnightkit and Whitekit are ready to become apprentices?" He suddenly blurted.

"Oh, no no. They are only four moons. I meant something else."

"They are healthy though." Cougarfang's eyes shimmered with pride and his yellow eyes wandered over to his kits. They were playing moss-ball, and their reflexes were quite impressive. 

"Perhaps... soon." the leader concluded, holding back a purr as she saw Midnightkit leap at the oncoming moss-ball and trap it in her paws, squealing in delight and triumph. "But if Venomclan is really wanting a battle, then they would get one. They always get their way. I expect they'll come sometime in the night." She muttered gravely.

"Maybe we should spar?" Cougarfang suggested in a light tone, "As preparation?" 

Bigstar felt her breath catch in her throat. Spars? Cougarfang was a good fighter, and he seemed to enjoy the task of defending his clanmates with his own claws and teeth, but he was not inherently violent, only inherently strong. Bigstar remembered Morningstar's infatuation with Cougarfang as he was a young tom, and how he had always seemed to like fighting. It had worried the Clan for a while, but his loyalty has proven himself trustworthy, and that notion of him being dangerous had long since faded away.

Of course Cougarfang meant no claws, no teeth, and no harm in terms of the spar. Bigstar preferred safer, friendlier, and less VenomClan-esque methods of simple warrior-on-warrior training. None of that ceremonial stuff VenomClan had, where the winner takes on another winner until only one victor remained. It was too violent for Bigstar's gentle cautious heart. "No." She answered terse to her deputy's suggestion. "We will increase training, however."

"Without apprentices?"

"Warriors can train!" Her tail lashed near his face.

"I know." He sighed, "But I wish we had more apprentices." and his eyes again wandered over to his kits. "But I can wait. Don't think I'm impatient, alright?"

Bigstar snorted, "I will think about it, come another Gathering when they are 5 moons." Despite Cougarfang's now lonesome silence, Bigstar worried about him and his temper. She wondered if Cougarstar would fall to the same path as Thistlestar, the leader during Bigstar's youth. 

She looked back at Cougarfang, who's eyes were closed. "Want to begin training now?"

His eyes winked open. "What?"

"Want to begin battle training now?" She spoke louder, impatiently.

"Oh, no. Too many patrols are out. Perhaps when they're back." He dismissed in a sleepy tone, tucking his chin into his furry chest and shutting his eyelids again until his own rhythmic breath rocked him to sleep.

Bigstar felt much too nostalgic and in a deep trance to feel angry at his sudden objection to what he had before suggested they do. She only rolled her eyes, enjoying the warmth, and went back to envisioning the future with worry in her tummy. She imagined Venomclan marching straight into Sandclan camp in the night, wearing cloaks of darkness, snatching her kits and snapping their necks, and doing the same to her warriors until the camp was empty except for the-

"Bigstar?"

She swung her head before realizing the voice had come from below. Of course. Her deputy was finally awake, blinking tiredness from his eyelids that appeared heavy the way they kept drooping. She shook her head at him, "Whatever it is, I need a walk. I'm very claustrophobic here in the camp. Excuse me."

Venomclan isn't the problem, is it? It's certainly Oakclan. They hate Sandclanners, and they suddenly ally with Venomclan? A battle WILL happen. Sometime, sooner or later. She thought as she enjoyed the freshness of the open Sandclan grounds. She paced the empty fields with a feeling of pure isolation and comfort from the company of nothing but the grass beneath her and the clouds above. She even took to muttering things aloud, knowing no one would hear or judge, "Oakclan probably allied with Venomclan just to gain revenge... but Wolfstar isn't trustworthy to begin with. Agendas, agendas, we've all got our own agendas."

She heard pawsteps and quieted. Her tail swung idly and she turned, as if she had just been observing a tree his entire time instead of pacing, and met with a warrior. "Hello Rainfoot." She greeted the ruffled tom, his pelt even more ruffled in the warm wind, "Good hunt?"

Rainfoot took time to gently place his prey on the grass, "Oh, hello, Bigstar." he dipped his head, "What're you doing outside of camp?"

"Oh, just a walk."

"Good." Suddenly more cats joined Rainfoot. The grey warrior retrieved his catch, a fine, plump pigeon. Stormtail, Orangesun, Slashingclaw, and him went back to camp, jaws filled with plump delicious looking game. .

Bigstar stared at Stormtail as he made his way across the field, tail high like a flag raised above his head. She narrowed her eyes. Perhaps she could send him to a nearby clan to warn them just in case of a battle? No. If Venomclan or Oakclan or even both were to come in the night, she would not risk Stormtail running about after dark with enemies lurking in the territory. And she would not let one of her best fighters stay absent from the action. 

To clear her mind from her torrents of thoughts, she went to the gurgling pond and sat besides it, letting the lullaby of the heart of Sandclan's territory lull her into rest.

*~*~*

She awoke to a red landscape. It was not blood- thank Starclan- the sun was only beginning its own rest. Bigstar rose to her paws, shaking a little, and took a deep satisfying breath. 

She chuckled, thinking of Venomclan's threat to line the borders with blood and pelts. It could not possibly be true. Starclan would visit her in her dreams and it were true, and in her nap, she had dreamt of hunting and leading her clan with success! What a lovely omen to bless her once troubled mind. She lashed her tail as she made her way back to camp, not hurrying at all.

She arrived to a panicked camp. "And you did not call me from the territory or wake me at all?" Bigstar scolded them, worried for their worriment. 
But suddenly a flash of red came to her side, "I had only just come back!" She was panting.
"Firesong?"
"The patrol I sent out-" Cougarfang began, but Firesong interrupted him with quick, high-pitched words.
"To the Greenclan border. Screams. There was an apprentice at the border- Bigstar, Greenclan's being attacked! Venomclan- Venomclan's going to line their borders with Greenclan blood!"