Chapter 4 - Chapter 3: Fourtrees

Chapter 4: Fourtrees





As the ThunderClan cats assembled for the Gathering at Fourtrees, Glorypaw and Gorsepaw both ran to Glasspaw quickly to cheer her up, “Don't worry, Glasspaw, we'll bring you news about what ShadowClan has to say for themselves. Or maybe the happenings will be a great story for us t tell.” Gorsepaw mewed.

Glorypaw glowered and rasped, “Oh, if ShadowClan had anything to do with Ringpelt, I'll tear the live out of them. If Ringpelt ever comes groveling back to us, I'll be the one to tear his gut… Err, yes, Glasspaw, we'll bring word back to you.” Leaping up on golden paws, Glorypaw's roan fur shone in the golden light of the sun as both she and Gorsepaw went to follow the departing cats.

“Our first Gathering, Gorsepaw!” Glorypaw giggled.

Gorsepaw yowled happily, “I know! The perfect time for it as well! Twostar couldn't ha—“

But Twostar cut him off, “Chosen cats of ThunderClan, let us go to Fourtrees! May this one be peaceful as the last!” Swishing her ebony tail, she leaped through the gorse entrance, disappearing. Tenorvoice and Bloodclaw leaped after her, following Gorsepaw who had run after their leader. Stopping, Glorypaw looked sympathetically at her friend, Glasspaw, when Downypelt's yowl urged her on.

Matching her stride for stride, Downypelt spat, “Glorypaw, you know that if you are to be going somewhere, you must come unless you wish to stay from the happenings. I will not let that happen, however, especially not at a Gathering!” “Alright, Downypelt!” she agreed.

As they bounded past the small rise and skipped through the small stream, the ThunderClan cats made it to the top of the steep valley, awaiting Twostar's allowance to race down into the crowd of cats below. Twostar sensed something, than gave a deep, angry rumble in her throat that called her cats closer. Raising her head a touch to look about them, she spoke softly, but angrily, “Fallingstar is not among the WindClan cats. I have a terrible feeling.”

“But Twostar,” Tenorvoice's deep baritones swelled in, “it could very well be that Fallingstar is sick.”

Considering this, the tension was released from the cats, but Twostar's hackles were still raised. “Maybe, but that ShadowClan, they are not trustworthy. Something may have happened. Let us go.” With a signal from her tail, they plunged down to the waves of cats, meeting with old friends.

As they entered the roomy valley between the four gigantic oaks, Ragingstar, ShadowClan's massive rusty coloured tom, was standing atop the Great Rock already, the sixth claw on each paw tapping the ground from its place along the leg. Beside him was Flashstar, RverClan's sleek white she-cat leader. She was grimacing and looking worried at the same time.

When Twostar leaped atop Great Rock, Flashstar looked slightly relieved, but still looked about nervously. Maybe she's thinking about Fallingstar, like Twostar is… Glorypaw thought. It only makes sense.

At the yowl from the three leaders, all fell silent.

Paying their homage to Twostar, and Twostar to Flashstar and Ragingstar, she stepped forward. The black patches of fur bristled with the white on Twostar's body as she relayed the events from ThunderClan, “Ringpelt, one of our senior warriors is gone. He left only today, early at dawn, and we cannot find him. We tracked his scent all the way to the Thunderpath-towards ShadowClan territory.” She yowled in contempt.

Angry meows and yowls of agreement raged from the ThunderClan cats, the ShadowClan cats shifting nervously. Twostar continued, “We also notice that Fallingstar is missing, and we know that his deputy is to take his place to speak on Great Rock for now-unless, something…Happened.” She mewed, quieter.

Standing up, a large, black tom mounted the Great Rock.

“I am Tiptail, new Deputy of WindClan,” he began, looking over the sorrowful faces of the leaders, and then to his clan mates, whose heads were down with rage and sadness.

“We lost Flamepelt and Lionmane to an attack on our own territory,” yowls of disbelief and shock sounded from the cats below, “The attackers were unusual. We smelt ThunderClan, for sure, the other was indecipherable.”

Angry glares and frosty spits and hisses raged from ShadowClan, RiverClan and WindClan, all towards ThunderClan.

ThunderClan immediately stood, their hackles rising as the other three clans threatened them.

“Stop this At Once!” Twostar hissed with outrage. Every cat fell silent, though many still glance at one another angrily. “Now, we may be coming fast to a conclusion. The ThunderClan cat you have smelt is undeniably Ringpelt. However, we may have another one or two cats suspect to this. RiverClan, ShadowClan or traitors of WindClan.”

Flashstar immediately could not bear it anymore, and stepped up, meowing, “It is most definitely not RiverClan-you have forgotten the fast waters and dangerous forest animals we cannot cope with. None of us could have done it. And, Tiptail, who is your new leader? Should you not have appointed one yet?”

WindClan meowed agreement, turning and backing away to reveal the cat they had chosen as leader—Azurepelt.

Leaping atop the rock, he meowed with new authority and arrogance, “I take this leadership with all my heart, and plan to serve every clan well, on my lives. As for new leader, you will now address me as Azurestar.”

The blue-gray leader swept emerald eyes over the bewildered cats, and then spoke, “WindCLan finds it very suspicious, and we also happened to find…Ringpelt's body. He was lying on his side, his throat nearly eaten through. We think a ferocious cat had torn out his throat and let him die. Fallingstar's body had a tear from throat to gut. It was…Horrible.” He said, sounding anything but sad for his leader's death.

ThunderClan cats were angry and completely confused, but were glad for their traitor's death. As a flash of lightning glinted, Azurestar leaped off the rock and dashed into the night, the WindClan cats following suit. As RiverClan and the rest departed, Glorypaw whispered to Gorsepaw, “Boy will we have a story to tell Glasspaw.”…

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