Chapter 4

The cats marched on in a seemingly endless walk to nowhere. They traveled almost non stop, pausing for two brief moments so that cats could rest, hunt, and make dirt. Most of their surroundings were bare, some areas cruelly dug up by Twoleg things and wrecked beyond repair. Trees laid dead on the floor and deep, irreversible brown gouges were made in the dirt, forming both hills and valleys that made their path infinitely harder to traverse.

Frostfire watched her surroundings with treadaptation. She was uncomfortable with what they were passing. If there truly were cats waiting for them, this certainly wasn't the area. Nor was the area close, she realized as she scanned the horizon. Everything was... brown. So annoyingly brown. Even the RockClan cats were irritated; the dead land was not the cool rock that they loved.

The white she-cat bounded to the group of cats near the front of the pack. The other three Rebel leaders looked surprisingly unconcerned.

"How long do you think this is going to take? Should we stop to rest soon?" Frostfire questioned. Lightwatcher shook her head.

"We need to keep going if we want to make good time. We'll get there eventually." The she-cat sighed when Frostfire continued to look unconvinced. "Do you smell that?" Lightwatcher asked. Frostfire scented the air, but nothing stood out.

"Nothing but dirt." She replied. Lightwatcher nudged her friend to the side, pulling her up one of the Twoleg-made dirt mounds.

"Do you smell it now?" Lightwatcher prodded. Frostfire grumbled but scented the air once more. From this new vantage point she was able to barely perceive the faint smell of grass and tree. From this height, she could also see the barest forms of green beyond the hills they were traversing.

"How did you..."

"I'm a SwiftClan cat. We live with the wind and off of the wind. Any SwiftClan cat knows how to use scents to their advantage. How do you think we find prey on our territory? It's all grass, rock, and marsh! No trees to hide behind, and so much wind that the scents carry everywhere!" Lightwatcher said.

Frostfire listened interestedly as her friend broke into a lecture about her Clan more suited for a new apprentice than someone like her. In any case, it was a lot of information that she hadn't known, and she was very curious to find out more.

Somehow, between all the training and talks with her inter-Clan friends, she hadn't learned much about the inner workings of the Clan, or how the other Clans lived on their special territories. They had focused more on survival and teaching younger cats special fighting moves.

Frostfire padded up the next hill, muscles straining from the effort. It was extremely steep and the dirt was loose in many places from where the rain and other elements had weathered down the pile. The result was many opportunities to slip and get injured.

"Pineleg, stay down there and help any apprentices and mothers up the hill. I'll go on the other side and help them slide down." Frostfire called out. She carefully slid down the hill and turned to help the cat behind her. She noticed that Lightwatcher had stationed herself at the top of the hill without needing any prompting. The white she-cat was directing cats to the safest part of the hill to slide down.

Soon every cat was over and Pineleg slid his way down, spraying an already filthy Frostfire with dirt. She shot him an empty glare and ignored Lightwatcher's giggles as she turned to continue walking. That hill had been the largests by far, and now every cat could clearly see the wide expanses of untouched forest that lay in front of them.

"Frostfire, look!" One of the ThornClan cats, Gorsepaw, yowled. "I see a bunch of cats!"

Now that they were actually close to the tree covered area, she could see the shapes of cats weaving through the pines and oaks. They seemed to be waiting for them to come closer.

"They seem prepared for us. Or at least ready for confrontation." Lightwatcher pointed out, gesturing with her tail at their postures. Most of the cats seemed cautiously hostile. As Frostfire walked forward she noticed how their tails drooped and their fur sagged. These cats were fed up and exhausted.

"Stop!" One of their cats called out. Their group halted sloppily, the cats stopping in a rather comedic ripple effect. The cats in the back of the group had no idea what was actually happening.

The area was silent for a few moments with only the sound of mewling kits and playing apprentices filling the air.

"What are you doing here?" One of the cats, a light brown tabby tom, asked. His cats shifted behind him, and Frostfire couldn't tell if it was from nerves or anger.

Frostfire stepped up after a few moments when the other cats in the front were hesitating, unknowingly presenting herself as the leader of their group.

"We have no conflict with you, and are not here to fight or harm you. We'd like to speak to your leader about a potential arrangement for our cats. I promise it will be mutually beneficial." She said honestly. Frostfire earnestly stared at the other cats. She had nothing to hide from them or their leader. She watched as they looked the Clan cats over with a critical eye.

"If you wanted to simply speak with us, why did you bring your kits?" The tom challenged. Frostfire looked behind her momentarily, watching the queens tending to their squirming kits.

"That is something I would like to discuss with your leader. We have our own territory, I promise. We are just... visiting right now. If you must know, It, ah, it wasn't safe for us to leave any of our cats alone at the place that we are residing." Frostfire said. She made brief eye contact with Pineleg and felt reassured by his approving nod.

The brown cat speaking still looked conflicted, and opened his mouth to argue again. From the bush beside him came suddenly a red-pelted cat. She shook her pelt, removing the stray leaves, before whispering in his ear. The tom sighed before nodding and backing away. She padded forward until she was a tail-length away from Frostfire, and gently nodded her head.

"Come with me. I'll take you to our leader. She will be interested in hearing what you say." Frostfire's ears perked. She was surprised that these seemingly hostile cats would let them into their territory. She knew personally that had it been the other way around, cats would already be lying dead on the forest floor.

Frostfire took a step forward to follow the ginger she-cat when she turned suddenly and stuck her face next to hers. Frostfire's green eyes locked onto her own and their noses were a hair's breadth away.

"If this is any sort of trick or if you mean harm to anyone currently in this forest, know that I will personally claw your throat out. Our leader does not take kindly to misconceptions. Do you understand what I am saying?" If the she-cat thought that Frostfire would be intimidated, then she was in for some dissapointment.

"It's crystal clear. Know that the same applies to you. If any of your cats harm mine, I won't hesitate to kill them and neither will my Clan mates." They stared at each other for a few more moments, lips curled into snarls. Finally the she-cat dropped her lip and moved back, eyes much lighter then they had been.

"Great! Now that we've established that, come on!" The she-cat skipped away into the forest. Frostfire wondered for the second time that day if StarClan was right in sending them away from the Clan and into this unknown where crazy ginger she-cats lived. She turned around again for Lightwatcher's approval. The gray she-cat rolled her eyes and started walking forward, gesturing for Frostfire to follow.

They went after the she-cat and into the welcome depths of the forest. Frostfire felt oddly comfortable here, though it was enemy territory. Somehow, being away from the tension of the other Clans and the endless wars left her feeling unburdened. She knew there would be no cat ready in the shadows to pounce on her to injure or murder her. Somehow this foreign woodland with these foreign cats felt safer to her than her own Clan land ever would.

"She will see you now." The she-cat mewed as they approached a thicker area of the forest. From the nearby tunnel, she could smell the strong scent of many cats, as well as prey and the basic scents she recognized from groups of cats living together in a small enclosed area. This was obviously the camp.

They walked through the entrance in a single line, Frostfire leading the group. The tunnel opened up to a sizeable clearing reminiscent of her own territory that was filled with trees, thick undergrowth, little holes and pockets made for cats to sleep in, and even a little prey pile obscured by some bracken.

The red she-cat gestured to a small obscured den in the corner of the camp.

"That is where my leader rests. Give me a moment, please." She slipped through the entrance of the leader's den and left the Clan cats alone in the center of the territory. The rogue cats may not have been Clan cats, but they were obviously organized enough to properly function in their own way. One of the other female rogues approached Pineleg and spoke to him briefly before they both nodded and the she-cat approached the center of the group. She emerged with the queens and their kits, who were more than happy to get some rest in what must have been a den for nursing queens.

The red she-cat finally returned to the Clan cats. "She is willing to speak with you about why you are here." She said. Frostfire, Lightwatcher and the other Rebel leaders stepped up to the den, but then the red she-cat darted in front of them.

"My leader only wishes to speak with the cat you have designated as your leader at the moment. Any others may stay here, rest, and eat." Frostfire turned to the other Clan leaders awkwardly. Apparently, the foreign cats still thought she was the head of their group. Frostfire didn't want to identify what that meant for her. She watched as the others exchanged quick glances, speaking silently to each other with their eyes.

The white she-cat was surprised a moment later when the other cats gestured her on with waved tails and light smiles.

"We trust you to do right for all of our Clans. You can be our named leader for now. It's better for our group as a whole anyway to present order and a solid heirarchy." Lightwatcher said. Frostfire felt overwhelmed.

"I didn't know you thought so highly of me. Thank you!" She stammered. Lightwatcher waved it off.

"It wasn't a hard decision to make. Most of us don't want the stress of being a leader anyway. We only stepped up back in the Clans because we wanted things to get done. You can bear our political burdens. We'll all work as your deputies for now." Lightwatcher said. The others nodded in agreement.

Frostfire was still shocked, but she felt her body losing some of it's previous tension. "I'll tell you what we discuss as soon as the meeting is over." She reassured. Lightwatcher flicked her tail in dismissal.

"Of course. We'll help the Clan settle down in the meantime. Now go! We've been keeping you." She said. Frostfire turned to see the red she-cat waiting with little patience at the entrance of the leader's den.

It was surprisingly bright inside the den. Frostfire noticed strategic little gaps in the top of the den that allowed sunlight in but would prevent rain from dripping or collecting inside of the den. The sunlight illuminated the black and white she-cat lying on the mossy nest in the depths of the den. The she-cat stood and nodded at Frostfire.

"Welcome." Her deep voice meowed courteously. Frostfire bent her head slightly in respect, waiting for her to sit down before following suit.

"Thank you for allowing me an audience. I am Frostfire, leader of the Rebel Clans." Her words sparked recognition in the black she-cat's eyes.

" My name is Bast. Would you like something to eat? I know you have traveled all day." She said politely. Frostfire accepted the offered mouse and finished it off quickly. She hoped that having food in her belly would make her more alert, and prevent her from messing anything up.

As she began eating, Bast began to speak.

"I have invited you here mostly because I was interested to hear what you will say. My cats have heard many tales of your Clans-" Here her eyes narrowed and her ears stood to attention. "-and their endless fights. I was curious as to what caused them, and what your Clan's intentions currently are. Please, enlighten me." Frostfire found it hard to understand her. She had a strange accent, with a much thicker tone than the clear Clan dialect that she was used to. Now that Frostfire thought about it, she realized that the red-furred she-cat spoke with a thicker voice as well.

Frostfire knew that this moment, this discussion, would be very dangerous. If Bast thought their group threatening, or didn't want the help of cats that she only knew to be vicious murderers, then the new Clan could very well be sitting pretty in enemy camp with their queens and Warriors vulnerable and resting. Of course it would be a fierce battle because all of the Clan cats were used to possible fights at any moment, but she knew that every cat would rather avoid fighting if they could. So Frostfire would simply have to be honest, but careful.

With that in mind, Frostfire launched into a tale of their Clan's past, briefly explaining the Clan hierarchy and the nonsensical but alarmingly brutal conflicts that the Clan cats had with each other. She went on to explain their group and their resistance movement as rebels against the Clan's beliefs, and gave brief descriptions of how they were planning a final attack on them to destroy them and eradicate their unhealthy greedy ideals.

Then Frostfire spoke about how StarClan told them to come find their group. Strangely enough, that was the part of the story that Bast had the biggest problem with.

"So you have a Clan in the sky made up of your dead ancestors?" She asked, eyes narrowed.

"Yes. They guide us with their years of knowledge and help us resolve conflicts. However the fighting has been going on for so long that most of the newest StarClan cats are also of the same mindset. So instead of trying to stop the fighting many continue to encourage it from the grave. Not all of them, mind you. But most of them. It hasn't helped our efforts at all in real life." Frostfire said.

Bast took this in as she did with every new piece of information; she paused for a few moments and thought about it, undoubtedly storing the most important bits away for future reference before finally responding..

"But why would they tell you to come here? They are not our ancestors, how did they know to find us?" She questioned. Frostfire had spent much of the journey asking herself the same questions, and actually had an answer prepared. She took a moment to lap up water from a soaked piece of moss that the red furred she-cat had brought her.

"StarClan has the ability to cast their eyes all over our territory and the surrounding lands if they must. I believe that they were looking for a way to get my Rebel Clan out of the fighting, and when they saw you and your protected lands, they decided to help us all out and send us here. Which reminds me. What is the problem that we are supposed to assist you with?" Frostfire asked.

Bast chose not to answer the last question right away, still thinking about StarClan.

"Where do they get their powers from? Is there an official ruler of StarClan?"

"I'm not actually sure. They have had their powers and abilities since long before my great grandfather was alive and I don't know if it is from our faith or the elements around them. As far as I know, there is no ruler of StarClan. Cats in StarClan visit their own Clan and give them advice through their leaders or medicine cats in the form of dreams, visions, and signs."

Bast was quiet again for a long time. Frostfire could tell that she was dying to ask more questions about the Clan cat gods and Frostfire was loathe to mention The Dark Forest least they sit there all night. The rogue leader was sitting still with her eyes closed, silently contemplating for so long that Frostfire was afraid she was asleep. Then, she spoke.

"I'm assuming that your StarClan wants you to assist us with a problem we have with neighboring rogues and other small groups of cats that want our territory. My cats are not numerous enough nor strong enough to maintain large borders after being attacked so often, and we are losing prey on the fresh-kill pile rapidly. With your fighting prowess perhaps we could be rid of them or at least establish a real, stable boundary."

Frostfire nodded. Falconstar had told her as much in the vision.

"I will have to speak with my... advisors before I make any official decision but I am sure that we will agree to help you with your problem." Frostfire stated, eyes shining. She knew that they would all agree. The situation was much like one that they would have to face when they settled in a territory of their own, and she knew that they would welcome any help to organize themselves.

"Excellent. Perhaps you could go to them now and discuss this?" Bast said, but Frostfire was not listening. She was staring at the remains of her mouse, which were on the floor gently shaking. As she watched the bones vibrate, her vision tunneled and her eyes closed with a snap.

Frostfire opened them to find herself standing feet away from the four arguing leaders. All around herself was bloodshed, with cats of all four Clans battling viciously in attempts for victory. No, not victory, but simply for bloodshed, as Frostfire noticed a moment later as she watched a SwiftClan she-cat brutally ravage another SwiftClan warrior.

Her attention was jerked back to the leaders when she heard Yewstar's angry yowl. Hawkstar, her own leader, was snarling right back, but as Frostfire took a closer look she saw how unnaturally dull his eyes were. His body was going through the motions, but his usually light yellow eyes seemed a horrible puke-green.

The area around her turned black for another quick moment, and then it changed again. This time she was observing the leaders from a different angle, but when she tried to move her head she found that she couldn't. Then it moved, and her eyes found an ethereal figure of a golden she-cat with black spots. The she-cat beside her nodded, and she found herself nodding back a second before her vision turned black once more.

Color returned in the form of bright yellows and reds, and the sound of screams filled the air. Frostfire was able to move again, and looked around horrified at the cats screaming and running desperately from the molten fire and fire-covered rock that littered the ground. She turned to see a large wave coming straight at her, and opened her mouth to scream.

"Frostfire!" Lightwatcher called, and the white she-cat found herself back in the rogue leader's den. "Oh Frostfire, you've had another vision! Bast called me in here after you blacked out and refused to respond to her calls. What was it about? Is it because of that earthquake that just happened? Pineleg told me what an earthquake is."

Suddenly a loud boom sounded from way beyond the forest, and the earth trembled violently once more. Frostfire jumped as she heard another loud boom, and her mind flew directly to that mountain spewing fire throughout her territory in her vision.

"Frostfire! What happened? What did your vision tell you?" Lightwatcher questioned once more. Frostfire locked eyes with her and blinked once, softly. She was not surprised to find her body trembling, and her teeth were chattering against each other until she opened her mouth to speak.

"I think StarClan just destroyed the Clans."