Tallstar’s Revenge

Lilywhisker, Flailfoot, and Flamepelt padded from the elders’ den, eyes sparking with curiosity, while Hawkheart ducked out of the medicine den.

“Do you know what this is about?” he asked Barkface, who was just behind him. Barkface looked at his paws.

Dawnstripe nosed past her Clanmates. “Talltail? What’s happening?”

Talltail forced himself to take a deep breath, trying not to be alarmed by the faces staring expectantly at him. Did his Clanmates care about him after all? “I’m leaving WindClan,” he announced.

“Leaving?” Dawnstripe’s eyes stretched wide. “You can’t!”

“I have to.” Talltail dipped his head. “I’m sorry, Dawnstripe. I know you hoped I’d be a great warrior one day, but my destiny lies somewhere beyond the Clan.”

“Don’t be such a rabbit-brain.” Woollytail stared at him, ears twitching. “This is your home.”

Talltail didn’t want to get caught up in an argument. He pressed on. “Look after my mother, Woollytail.” He glanced at Palebird. She’d turned her attention to Wrenkit and was washing her with brisk laps of her tongue. Meadowslip nudged her and she looked up.

“What?”

“Talltail’s leaving WindClan,” Meadowslip told her.

Palebird’s gaze sharpened with surprise. “Leaving? But why?”

Talltail glanced at Heatherstar. “Lots of reasons,” he mewed.

Heatherstar took a step forward. “None of us is a prisoner here. I would rather Talltail stayed, just as you all would, but I will not force him against his will. Our hearts and thoughts will travel with him.”

The cats stared at their leader in astonishment. Talltail realized they couldn’t believe Heatherstar wasn’t trying to stop him, reminding him of his loyalty to the Clan and the warrior code, the moons of training he had gone through to become a warrior, the importance of strong, young cats to catch prey and patrol borders on behalf of their Clanmates. Talltail narrowed his eyes. Did Heatherstar want him to leave?

Hareflight leaned forward and rested his muzzle against the top of Talltail’s head. “In that case, go well, and may StarClan light your path.” He sounded baffled, as if he expected Talltail to blurt out that it was all a joke.

“May StarClan light your path,” murmured Cloudrunner and Ryestalk.

“Don’t go!” Wrenkit dashed forward and ducked under Talltail’s belly. Weaving in and out of his legs, she mewed, “You can’t go. Who will play with us?”

He nosed her toward Palebird. “You’ve plenty of denmates to play with.”

“But they can’t give us badger rides!” Wrenkit wailed.

“Don’t worry, dear.” Palebird began washing her again. “He won’t be gone long.”

Talltail scanned the stunned faces of his Clanmates. “I’m going for good,” he told them. “I’ve made up my mind. I’ve spent long enough looking at distant lands from Outlook Rock. I want to see them up close. I want to explore places that no Clan cat has ever been.”

“Heatherstar?” Dawnstripe stared at the WindClan leader. “Are you really going to let him do this?”

“It’s his choice,” Heatherstar answered.

Before anyone else could argue, Talltail padded forward, pushing past his Clanmates.

“Talltail!” Doespring gasped as he passed. “I’ll miss you.”

“Me too,” Stagleap called.

“I don’t understand.” Shrewclaw blinked as Talltail reached him. “How can you leave? We trained together. I thought I’d always have you to hunt alongside.”

Talltail shrugged. “Hunt with someone else.” He met Shrewclaw’s gaze, surprised to find it darkening with sadness. “I thought you’d be glad to see the wormcat leave.”

“I’m sorry.” Shrewclaw’s ear twitched. “I was only ever teasing.”

“It’s more fun teasing than being teased,” Talltail commented. He pushed away his bitterness and lifted his chin. “But that’s not why I’m leaving. There’s something I have to do, and I can’t do it here.”

“Good luck.” Lilywhisker’s rasping mew sounded in his ear. She touched his muzzle to his cheek, and he paused for a moment to breathe in her warm, familiar scent.

“Thank you, Lilywhisker.” Flicking his tail, he marched for the camp entrance, refusing to look back. He pushed through the heather, his mind whirling. I’m actually leaving. After dreaming about what lay beyond the Clan borders for so long, he was going to find out. Fear and excitement surged beneath his pelt.

“Talltail!” Barkface was following him across the grass clearing. “Can I walk with you to the edge of the moor?”

Talltail slowed. “Yes, of course.”

Barkface fell in beside him as they skirted the heather and began to climb the slope to the moor-top.

“You weren’t unhappy all the time, were you?” Barkface mewed as they neared the ridge.

“No.” Talltail’s heart swelled as he remembered his first day’s training when he nearly outran Stagpaw. And all the times he’d skimmed the grass, fast as a bird, the wind streaming through his pelt. His first catch, his first Gathering, his first sight of the Moonstone. “But I’ll only find peace when I’ve made Sparrow pay for killing Sandgorse.”

Barkface’s pelt brushed his flank. “Do you really think that will change anything?”