Bluestar's Prophecy

“You always tell me only cowards turn away from a fight,” Thistlepaw objected.

Adderfang glared at him. “I didn’t say you shouldn’t have fought him. Just not at a Gathering. You’re too impulsive.”

“But he said I looked like a kit!” Thistlepaw retorted.

“You don’t look like a kit this moon,” Snowpaw mewed softly.

Bluepaw dug her claws hard into the snow.

“We’d better go down,” Sunfall advised.

Eyes flashed from the clearing below as expectant faces turned to watch ThunderClan arrive.

Pinestar nodded and, flicking his tail, charged down the slope. Heart quickening, Bluepaw bounded forward. Her pelt brushed Sunfall’s as she raced to keep up. Her paws skidded on the snow, and she found herself running faster and faster as she tried to keep her balance. She blinked against the flurries of snow kicked up by her Clanmates as they struggled to hold their course on the slippery slope and thundered too fast into the clearing, scattering WindClan and ShadowClan like a breeze shooing leaves.

“Watch out!” A WindClan warrior leaped out of the way.

“This is a Gathering, not a battle!” yowled a ShadowClan tabby, eyes like slits.

Two elders scrambled away from where they’d been sharing tongues, spitting crossly.

Bluepaw felt Snowpaw barge into her as she slid to an unceremonious halt, tumbling against Sunfall.

“Watch out.” A WindClan sneer made her spin around. “It’s icy, in case you haven’t noticed.”

She recognized Hawkheart at once. His whiskers twitched as he watched the ThunderClan cats’ undignified stumbling. It was the first time she’d seen the WindClan medicine cat since he’d killed Moonflower, and the blood roared in Bluepaw’s ears. She didn’t hear Sunfall beside her until his breath stirred her ear fur.

“StarClan will judge him,” the ThunderClan deputy murmured.

But if we were wrong to attack, perhaps they’ll forgive him…

Bluepaw lifted her chin and stared at Hawkheart, refusing to flinch even when his gaze met hers.

“Well, if it isn’t the kit-warrior,” Hawkheart meowed in recognition. “Are you an apprentice at last?”

Before Bluepaw could answer, Heatherstar padded between them. She glanced at the mottled medicine cat. “Wait beside the Great Rock.”

Hawkheart dipped his head slowly, then padded away.

“Pinestar.” Heatherstar greeted the ThunderClan leader coldly.

Pinestar nodded. “Heatherstar.”

Heatherstar’s blue eyes flashed, and she padded away to join her Clanmates.

“That’s Talltail.” Snowpaw nodded toward a black-and-white tom whispering in Heatherstar’s ear. “Sparrowpelt thinks he’ll be WindClan leader one day.”

“Why?” Bluepaw gazed at the WindClan tom. He was small like his Clanmates, but his tail stretched toward the stars, longer than any she’d seen.

“He’s a good warrior, and smart,” Snowpaw answered.

Talltail’s eyes flashed toward the ThunderClan cats, gleaming with accusation.

Bluepaw’s claws itched with unease. “Anyone would think the battle was only a sunrise ago, the way they’re staring.”

Snowpaw pressed against her. “Don’t let them get to you,” she soothed.

“Is it always like this?” Goldenpaw’s eyes were round with worry.

Lionpaw flicked his tail. “What’s the point of a truce if everyone’s so grumpy? We may as well fight.” He unsheathed his claws.

“Perhaps RiverClan will be friendlier,” Goldenpaw ventured.

“If they get here.” Snowpaw scanned the snow-bright slopes.

Bluepaw shivered. “Maybe they couldn’t make it through the snow.”

Claws scraped stone and Bluepaw turned to see Cedarstar, ShadowClan’s gray leader, scrabble to the top of the Great Rock.

“Let the Clans gather,” he yowled.

“Who put him in charge?” came Adderfang’s angry whisper from the knot of ThunderClan warriors.

ShadowClan and WindClan moved toward the rock.

“Come on.” Pinestar led his Clan forward. Adderfang’s paws kicked up snow as he followed his leader.

Bluepaw was grateful for the warmth of her Clanmates as they clustered in the shadow of the Great Rock, their breath rising like steam from a sun-warmed stream.

Goldenpaw stared up at the huge stone, glittering with frost. “How do they climb up there?”

Cedarstar’s dark gray pelt glowed like polished rock as Pinestar leaped up beside him. Heatherstar followed, sitting a short distance from the ThunderClan leader; her pelt was spiky, and her muzzle wrinkled as though a bad smell offended her.

Windflight pushed to the head of the ThunderClan cats. “We can’t start without RiverClan,” he called.

“Should we sit here and freeze to death waiting?” a ShadowClan warrior cried back, green eyes glinting from a jet-black pelt.

Heatherstar leaned forward. “Let’s begin.”

Murmurs of agreement rose from the other Clans.

“At least we can go home sooner,” Snowpaw whispered in Bluepaw’s ear.

As Cedarstar stood up, a yowl sounded from the hillside beyond the oaks.

“Wait!” Dappletail called, stretching up on her hind legs. “Here comes RiverClan!”