[TB] STARLIGHT -- Chapter 8 (Patreon)

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“Cats of all Clans, hear us!”

Crowflight lifted his muzzle. Beside him, Ashfoot shifted, her eyes opening and catching the orange light of evening. All around him his Clanmates were stirred from their vigil, moving sluggishly on their paws as their gazes turned towards the tree stump, where Tinystar, Russetstar, Leopardstar, and now Onewhisker, were standing, their pelts turned to flame in the sunset.

Tallstar’s vigil was over. Crowflight rose to his paws, his gut roiling. In WindClan, if things were as they should be, a vigil for a leader like Tallstar would’ve lasted nine nights, each to celebrate one of his lives. Here, however, there would simply be no time for it. Crowflight hoped that what they had been able to give their lost leader would be enough to see him to StarClan.

Slowly, every cat began to move towards the stump. WindClan gathered last, clumping at the back of the crowd, huddling together like young chicks too afraid to leave their mother. Crowflight glanced over his shoulder. Tallstar’s body lay in the grass, unmoving and still, the faint scent of lavender drifting in the air.

Crowflight glanced at his Clanmates and saw their eyes shimmering with grief and loss, and he wished he knew what to do for them. He leaned against Ashfoot, who seemed happy to support him in that silent way. Perhaps that was all he could do.

“Turning your back on the dead!” huffed a ShadowClan warrior. It sounded like Cedarheart. “What have we come to where such disrespect is allowed?”

“Hush,” his mate, Finchsong, hissed. “It’s not the same for them as it is for us...”

Crowflight flattened his ears, and flexed his claws in the grass. Emberstep hissed under her breath, looking as if she might confront the ShadowClan warrior – thankfully, Webfoot held her back. Crowflight wanted to claw Cedarheart’s ear for saying something rabbit-brained like that. He focused instead on the leaders ahead, who were taking their places on the stump.

Russetstar and Leopardstar were firmly planted in their spots, but as Tinystar and Onewhisker both tried to clamber on at once, they found that the stump sat only three. Onewhisker slithered down to the roots rather ungracefully, his tail flicking to and fro.

Crowflight winced, pelt crawling with secondhand embarrassment. Onewhisker settled himself down at the bottom, licking his chest fur to cover his blunder; but it only made Mistyfoot’s earlier confession turn its claws sharply in Crowflight’s chest. Onewhisker wasn’t even willing to fight for a spot on the stump, like Mudclaw would’ve done – was he really fit to be WindClan’s leader?

He glanced around at his Clanmates. If they noticed or cared, he couldn’t tell. Only Mudclaw, who had dragged himself from the lakeshore and settled so far from the WindClan cats he was in the middle of the RiverClan crowd, looked somewhat pleased at Onewhisker’s foolishness. Crowflight felt uneasy at the sight of that, but wasn’t it to be expected in this sort of situation, especially from a cat like Mudclaw?

When the leaders were settled, it was Leopardstar who spoke: “It is time we move to our new territories. Tallstar will be missed by every Clan, but we cannot allow his death to delay us any further.”

A ripple of unease spread through the WindClan cats. “Of course she’d want to rush!” hissed Poppyfoot to Bramblefur. “Leopardstar only cares about RiverClan!”

“Exactly!” Bramblefur agreed, nodding her striped head.

Crowflight didn’t disagree. Leopardstar was a famously single-minded cat, and why shouldn’t she think of RiverClan above all others? It was her Clan.

And we’re coming apart now, Crowflight thought on. He glanced throughout the crowd - they had all already separated themselves into their respective Clans, barring a cat or two who couldn’t help but stick out awkwardly among them. It only makes sense that no other Clan matters to her, or to anyone for that matter.

Crowflight’s gaze met Shadepaw’s. She was sitting beside Mothwing and her mentor, Brackenfur, close to the roots of the stump. An uncomfortable feeling crawled up Crowflight’s pelt at the look in the young she-cat's eye, and he broke the connection.

“We have decided to camp in the spots found by our scouting patrol,” Leopardstar meowed on, her voice high and clear and completely ignoring any annoyed looks she got from the other cats. “We’ve discussed them all at length with our deputies and senior warriors, and we’ve concluded that, for the time being, they will be suitable homes for our Clans.”

“What about the island?” Falcontail’s voice piped up from the RiverClan group.

Crowflight blinked at the gray tom. He wondered for a moment why the island would matter to Falcontail, then recalled that he’d spotted the RiverClan cat swimming to it on the patrol’s first day around the lake.

“Tawnypelt and I are in agreement about the island,” Leopardstar meowed to her son, her tone precise. Below her, Tawnypelt’s gaze was even. “While it would be a very defensible position, it would leave us open to far too many vulnerabilities for it to be a viable option for a camp.”

“We did discuss the island, some,” Russetstar added. The dark ginger she-cat was a gout of flame in the evening light. “If there were an easy way to access it, it would make a good spot for Gatherings – but as of right now, the island is in no way useful to any one Clan.”

“So where are we holding Gatherings?” asked Sootfur. The young ThunderClan warrior looked expectantly at his leader. Beside him, Sun and Sorreltail were in quiet conversation, and Crowflight guessed the former Tribe she-cat was wondering what Gatherings even were.

Tinystar answered his warrior: “For now, we will hold Gatherings here at the Arrival. It’s not ideal, but there’s currently no other neutral area for us to gather as one.”

Crowflight frowned. He wasn’t sure he liked that, and he could tell other cats felt the same unease. Fourtrees had been sacred and special, a representation of the four Clan’s claim on the forest territories. Every cat had felt safe there. Here, though, the Arrival was exposed, with little shelter from predators. Nothing about the area seemed purposeful – even the stump couldn’t hold four leaders at once.

I wonder if the island still wouldn’t be better, Crowflight thought, glancing at the clump of trees in the lake. He shivered. But how would we all get there? I’m not getting my pelt wet every moon for a Gathering!

“Coming off of that, we’ve decided where our boundaries might lay,” Tinystar meowed on. “These are guidelines for now, as we’ve had no time yet to explore our territories in depth – at the next Gathering, we’ll create more permanent boundaries.”

“RiverClan will take the river as its boundary with the Arrival, and our ShadowClan boundary will follow the treeline of the woods down to the lake,” Leopardstar announced sharply, glancing at Russetstar.

The ShadowClan leader did not dispute: “ShadowClan will take the pine woods, until the stream that parts it from the oak forest. Our boundary will follow that stream until it dips further into our territory, where it will cut through the trees as straight as it can.”

Crowflight tried to wrap his head around that. That means the greenleaf Twolegplace we found will be in ShadowClan’s territory, he realized. That den of kittypets, too! He had to question Russetstar’s judgment, just a little. Was all that land really worth it?

Tinystar was nodding along. “Keeping it simple, then, our border with WindClan will be the river between the moor and the forest. The river doesn’t wind too far into either territory that we know of, so that ought to be good for the both of us, no?”

Down below, Onewhisker nodded. “Y-Yes,” he said. “From there, WindClan has the moor, a-and we’ll make our border with the Arrival at the Horseplace fence.”

Crowflight breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know how much negotiating Onewhisker had actually been able to do in his brief time as WindClan’s leader; at least Mudclaw seemed to have fought for a large hunk of land for WindClan. Crowflight guessed they might have the biggest territory around the lake, if these borders were to be set in stone.

“As these territories are still new, we ask that patience be afforded to patrols from other Clans,” Tinystar offered. “Obviously, mistakes will be made in these coming days as we all adjust to our new homes.”

“The leniency is within reason, of course,” Russetstar amended, her tone sharp. “Straying over a border is one thing – lingering and stealing prey is another, and repeat offenses will not be tolerated.”

“Sounds like a job for deputies,” Mudclaw meowed, drawing a paw idly over his ear. “They’d be best suited for making sure the patrols are kept in line...”

Crowflight felt Ashfoot stiffen beside him. A day ago, that comment might’ve been a jab at Tinystar, who still had not appointed a deputy for ThunderClan – now, though it was still likely a jab at ThunderClan, those words seemed very pointedly thrown at Ashfoot, too. A challenge, daring her to do as good a job as he would’ve done.

“However it’s being handled,” Onewhisker mewed, raising his voice, “is each Clan’s own responsibility.” His pale eyes took in the crowd, and Crowflight saw him swallow. “We... We came here as one, and the chosen cats proved that no one Clan could’ve made it here without the others. We may be parting ways, but we oughtn’t forget that. Tallstar would not have wanted us to.”

If his words stirred any hearts, Crowflight couldn’t tell. If they had come from Tallstar, perhaps there would’ve been more of a response – but Onewhisker’s delivery just seemed clumsier in comparison, and there was little confidence in his mew.

Crowflight thought again to Mistyfoot’s confession, to the fact that Tallstar hadn’t used the right words to change deputies – if Onewhisker couldn’t pull himself up by the tail and settle in to his position, and soon, then Shadepaw’s nightmare of a shattered moorland might really be a prophecy.

“He’ll get used to it,” Ashfoot murmured. Her nose touched Crowflight’s ear, and he guessed his unease had been caught by his mother. The gray she-cat took a deep breath, and offered, “Speaking out so was never Onewhisker’s best talent. You know that. It takes time to acclimate to a new role.”

Crowflight swallowed, feeling guilty. Did he really need to be fretting about Onewhisker’s viability as leader when Onewhisker himself was probably doing the same already? Isn’t that a right I have, though, as a WindClan warrior?

Leoaprdstar was definitely unimpressed. She cleared her throat and grumbled, “If that is all... we should set out.”

Russetstar nodded along. “If we’re to reach our camps by moonhigh, then we need to leave straightaway.”

“Agreed,” Tinystar meowed. “RiverClan and ShadowClan will travel together, and ThunderClan will travel with WindClan. That ought to shorten the time it takes to get to our camps.”

“Tawnypelt, gather RiverClan!” Leopardstar yowled sharply.

Russetstar raised her voice: “Stoneheart! You will lead the way for ShadowClan!”

“Mistyfoot, Nightfrost!” Tinystar added, “You will guide ThunderClan.”

“Crowflight,” Onewhisker mewed over the crowd, “You will take WindClan home.”

Crowflight swallowed. His paws felt rooted to the earth as the Clans began to separate fully, RiverClan and ShadowClan to one side and ThunderClan and WindClan to the other. This is my last act as a chosen cat, he thought, feeling like the earth was spinning. After this, I’m just... ordinary.

I’m no one.

I’m alone.

A sharp mew brought him out of his spiraling thoughts. “Are you going to sit there until you turn to stone?” Duskwhisker wondered. “Come on, already. I want to see this camp of yours that you found...”

Crowflight swallowed around a lump in his throat. Duskwhisker was looking at him like he was a kit, too afraid to step out of the nursery, her dark pelt a shadow in the evening light. Frustration lit his pelt – was it really so obvious that he was upset? He got to his paws.

As he rejoined his Clan, he spotted Ferncloud and Snowstep ushering Larchkit away from a pair of ShadowClan kits – Willowkit and Rushkit, Finchsong and Cedarheart’s kits.

“I don’t want to leave ‘em!” wailed Larchkit. His mewls were a miserable mix of pawspeak and speech. “They’re my friends!”

“You’ll see one another at Gatherings,” Finchsong soothed, pulling her own kits closer to her. Willowkit and Rushkit were protesting, their eyes huge and watery. “When you’re all apprentices...”

Crowflight saw Larchkit’s little claws dig into the earth as Snowstep hauled him off the ground by the scruff of his neck. The white tom’s gaze was full of sorrow as he shared a look with Ferncloud, and the pair headed back to rejoin their Clanmates.

Finchsong and Cedarheart, meanwhile, each grasped their own struggling kits firmly by their scruffs. The two brothers wiggled and wiggled until Larchkit was out of sight, then they both went limp. Cedarheart and Finchsong went to join Stoneheart and Rowanclaw, who were gathering up ShadowClan in a hurry.

Crowflight felt badly for the kits. They weren’t the only cats to make friends on the Great Journey, either – he spotted several cats from ThunderClan and WindClan looking to RiverClan and ShadowClan with some form of sadness in their eyes. Crowflight pushed through them, past their hurt gazes.

You’re warriors! He thought stubbornly. Act like it!

He reached the head of the WindClan crowd and turned, counting his Clanmates. All seemed to be accounted for, even Mudclaw, who was a dark shadow at the very back of the group. His amber eyes smoldered like two small suns in the growing shadows, and Crowflight felt like, for some reason, Mudclaw was glaring at him.

Crowflight turned away from the gaze and looked ahead, instead. The moorland stretched out endlessly before his paws, and that was all that mattered right now. He would lead his Clanmates to their new home and everything would be fine.

“Hey,” Shadepaw mewed. He felt the medicine cat apprentice at his side, her gaze bright in the dark in a way Mudclaw’s could never be. She nudged Crowflight gently. “We’ll be together, for the last little while. Isn’t that nice?”

Crowflight nodded.

With a yowl, ShadowClan and RiverClan was moving off. Crowflight shivered – he hadn’t even said good-bye to Stoneheart. Was he a bad friend for that? Stoneheart would understand, wouldn’t he? How hard it is?

Mistyfoot took the lead at the head of the ThunderClan patrol. Nightfrost pulled up to her side, his ice-blue eyes bright. Crowflight glanced at Mistyfoot, and she gave a nod. ThunderClan was ready.

Crowflight looked back at his Clan, again. Onewhisker and Ashfoot were just behind him, and Onewhisker nodded at Crowflight. WindClan was ready to go, too.

“No time to lose, then,” Crowflight decided. Raising his voice to a yowl, and praying to StarClan it didn’t crack, he called, “Let’s move out!”

———————————————————

The two Clans walked as one for the last time, trotting across the open moorland. They passed the Horseplace, whose windows had turned into bright, glowing eyes as the sun began to creep towards the horizon. Crowflight and Mistyfoot kept both groups close to the lake, the sound of the water lapping against the shore filling the quiet leafbare air.

“Do you think any cat will struggle to cross the river?” asked Nightfrost. “I’m worried about Longtail...”

“I think he’ll handle it fine,” Mistyfoot mewed. “He managed very well in the mountains, and the terrain was far worse there...”

Crowflight’s ears twitched. They weren’t talking to him, and he felt like he oughtn’t listen anyway. It wasn’t his business whether or not ThunderClan cats could cross the river, he wasn’t ThunderClan. All he had to do was count the hills until he spotted WindClan’s camp.

He glanced behind him. Tallstar’s body was being carried between Softbreeze and Smokewillow, his long tail dragging in the tall grasses. Crowflight felt his heart ache – they couldn’t bury him at the Arrival, that wasn’t what he deserved. Tallstar needed to be buried on the moors, in WindClan’s camp, so that he knew for certain his Clan had made it home.

“Look at all that water!” gasped Whitetail. “Onewhisker, do you think we’ll be able to fish?”

“Probably,” Onewhisker offered. “If cats want to, that is...”

“What WindClan cat would want to eat fish?” grumbled Duskwhisker.

Crowflight felt his shoulder fur stiffen. “Fish isn’t that bad,” he defended. “Just takes some getting used to.”

“Oh, are you gonna teach us?” Duskwhisker wondered, her eyes brightening mischievously. She nudged Emberstep, who walked beside her. “You want to learn how to fish?”

Emberstep curled her lip. “No way,” she grunted. “Leave those slimy things for RiverClan...”

Amusement rippled through the WindClan crowd. Crowflight rolled his eyes, feeling his shoulders burn. Why shouldn’t they want to know how to fish? Crowflight wasn’t the best at it, but it was a resource all the Clans had access to now. He glanced at the ThunderClan cats, curious.

The conversation seemed to have rippled into them. Spiderpaw was badgering Silverstream, asking her if she would teach her how to fish in the lake. Sun, too, seemed interested, as did Swiftfoot. The black-and-white tom nudged Cloudtail, as if trying to get his mate’s input.

The ginger-and-white she-cat fluffed up her fur and scoffed, “Have you seen me, Swift? If I get even a little bit wet, I’ll sink like a stone!”

That sent a ripple of amusement through the ThunderClan cats. Crowflight wanted to chuckle along, but the fact that WindClan had stayed silent weighed on his mind. It wouldn’t be appropriate – the boundaries were already set, even as they walked side by side. He focused on the hills ahead.

Soon enough, he spotted the crest of a familiar rise. He lifted his tail to signal for WindClan to halt. ThunderClan stopped alongside them, Tinystar and Mistyfoot meeting Onewhisker between the two Clans.

“It’s time, then?” Tinystar guessed.

Onewhisker nodded. “It is. Thank you, Tinystar. For everything.”

They touched muzzles, a brief and respectful gesture between the two old friends. Crowflight wondered if they would stay friends, after all this, like Tinystar and Tallstar had. Would that be the best thing for both their Clans? His gaze traveled to Mistyfoot, Nightfrost, and to Shadepaw who, against Brackenfur’s protests, had pushed her way to the fore of the ThunderClan cats.

Would they be friends, still?

Crowflight, feeling stiff and awkward, approached the three. Mistyfoot didn’t seem bothered by his attitude, and laid her muzzle on his head. Crowflight breathed in her scent. For many moons that smell had been so comforting, and now it seemed so alien, so far away...

“It’s been such an honor to know you, Crowflight,” Mistyfoot murmured as they parted. Her eyes were shimmering like the lake behind her. “I’m so glad I got to watch you become a warrior.”

“And I’m glad we were made warriors together,” Nightfrost chimed, pushing forward. Ignoring any pretense of what might be proper, the small black tom thrust his muzzle into Crowflight’s neck fur. “I never had a brother, growing up,” he murmured. “But you feel like one.”

Crowflight almost felt his legs buckle. He was so aware of his Clanmate’s gazes on his back, but he wrapped a paw around Nightfrost regardless, wishing he could squeeze the young tom as close as he wanted. Emotion swelled in his throat and choked his words – how could he ever hope to express that he felt like Nightfrost was like a littermate to him, too?

Nightfrost didn’t seem to need words. The young tom backed away, sitting beside Mistyfoot – and then it was Shadepaw’s turn.

The tortoiseshell she-cat touched her nose to Crowflight’s, dainty and affectionate, and Crowflight drank in her scent. It was a different kind of comfort than Mistyfoot’s - Shadepaw made his heart feel quiet, cool, and still, instead of being filled with its usual heat and bitterness and frustration. The thought of going back to that cat he’d been before he’d met any of the chosen cats at Fourtrees... he wanted to take Shadepaw with him, so badly.

Oh, Pa, he thought miserably, why did you choose me?

“Please, take care,” Shadepaw mewed, her voice soft.

Crowflight blinked at her. Did she feel the same way he did about her? Did she know how important she was to him? How hard this was? It felt like claws were tearing apart his heart!

“You, too,” was all he could manage.

And then ThunderClan was gone. Tinystar and Mistyfoot were leading the way along the shoreline, ThunderClan cats mewing good-bye to the WindClan cats as they passed. The last good-bye hung in the air like a firefly before it blinked out, and they were out of earshot.

Crowflight swallowed, and found it difficult. Everything seemed so quiet now, so uncomfortable. It was a feeling he hadn’t even had when he’d returned to WindClan in the forest – perhaps that was because he knew his goal was to bring them together with the others in the end.

Now that was over. It was done.

He looked at his Clanmates, and found that they were looking back at him with an expectant gaze. Crowflight’s instinct then was to snap at them, to demand what they were looking at – and, perhaps, the old him would have done that - until he recognized that that was unfair. They had no idea where to go from here, and they were looking at him to lead them, one last time.

Crowflight shook out his pelt and trotted ahead, flicking his tail for them to follow. “Come on,” he said stiffly. “It’s not far.”