The air was a relief from the crow-food stench of the dark forest, the grass soft and dry beneath snow-white paws. Swanstar smiled in the shadow of the lightning oak, it's blackened branches stretching for the clouds and helping them scud along the sky. No longer a phantom and able to do her own thing, Swanstar stepped forward towards the camp of MoorClan which lay hidden somewhere over the hills and heard a yowl.
''You just came out of thin air!'' cried a plump orange molly, puffed up and waddling up to her with two younger cats in tow. ''How did you do that!?'' She yowled again, jaw-dropped and eyes-wide. Beside her were two equally as surprised cats, most likely apprentices, and they seemed just as curious to know just how Swanstar had done the trick. ''Oh, it was nothing.'' The white leader replied softly, tempted to inform that it'd only been the trouble of murder and war and nothing too complex. ''Just one of my many powers, you see, I've been sent by StarClan to save the clan over on the hills.''
It was the pale-white molly who replied, gawking at Swanstar and eyes full of reverence. ''I never thought I'd see a StarClan cat! Except on my death.'' She bowed her head politely. ''I'm Lilypaw and my clan was destroyed, may I help you?'' Her patched tail twitched nervously. ''I'd hate to see another clan destroyed!'' She gabbled, ignoring the obvious distaste shining in the Siamese's wide eyes. Although the white molly was grovelling and seemed to have good intentions, Swanstar could see a way to rot her heart and smiled in response.
''I'd love your help, Lilypaw.''
Lilypaw was ecstatic and Swanstar's smile dwindled to a thin imprint on her face, watching her almost look-alike sitting proudly by her paws. ''Thank you so much! I won't let you down!'' She promised, looking up at her as thought she were the leader of StarClan. She turned to her friend and tilted her head questioningly. ''Vervainpaw? Are you coming?'' Lilypaw mewed, staring at the handsome tom. ''You've always wanted to do something heroic!'' She pleaded, ignoring the Siamese's huffs and puffs.
''I told you to keep that hush hush.'' Vervainpaw grumbled, lashing his tail to and fro. ''And you say that like I haven't already been a hero! Saving your skin and all that.'' He glanced at the ginger molly, frowning solemnly. ''And you too! I saved you both and I get no thanks in return!'' He moaned and complained into a tangent, cursing the two. This irritated Swanstar, who loved to act in a timely fashion and with dusk falling quickly, she interrupted the tom.
''No reason why you can't be a hero again.'' Swanstar reasoned, eyeing up the lean Siamese. ''I won't pressure you, but I have to say it's a dreadfully lost oppurtinity if you're looking towards becoming a leader or something like that one day.'' Sighing wistfully, Swanstar began to turn towards the ginger molly. ''I haven't gotten your name? Who are you?'' She didn't see much hope for the plump she-cat, but Swanstar knew first appearances could be deceiving; she used that fact herself, fooling many others like the three before her.
''I'm Firepool an-'' ''I'll go!'' snapped Vervainpaw, standing tall before Swanstar and smiling proudly. ''I'm not gonna let her steal all the glory!'' He glanced angrily at Lilypaw, lashing his tail to and fro. ''I'm really fast...and really clever too, you'll need me!'' Swanstar didn't know about needing him but she quietly nodded, proud of his hasty and foolish acceptance. Lots of young toms were ambitious and craved power, she didn't know of any that didn't. ''And what about you, dear?'' Swanstar urged the interrupted molly to speak. ''What did you say your name was again?''
Fixing Vervainpaw a stern look, she resumed her introduction. ''I'm Firepool and I was training to be a healer, if you save the clan...maybe I could join?'' Her copper-brown eyes shone at the thought of not being alone again. ''I was in a clan prior but I don't think they liked me...not sure if they even knew me!'' Firepool chuckled weakly, flicking an ear nervously. ''I'd love to join you if that's okay.''
''Oh, it's okay!'' Swanstar grinned, regarding the little trio of cats with some pride at fooling their small brains into thinking that there was something truly grand for them in store; as if she'd share her power with the three strangers! Especially if they even survived the possible obstacles that lay in wait for them, such as Fritillarystar's anger and flailing claws! ''It's perfect.'' Perfect that her plan was falling into place, that her destiny was within tantalising reach, like a fox craving an apple that's just a little too high up.
Avocetblaze lay still in her nest, angry that Lightningstrike had gone and left, angry that Swift had gone and died, angry that Robinstorm's rebellion had ended in an anticlimactic fail. She curled up tighter at the sound of pawsteps, groaning and grumbling under her breath. ''Go away.'' She murmured, ignoring the tempting smell of freshly slaughtered rabbit. ''I'm not hungry.'' A scoff of disbelief and a gentle paw prodding at her belly. ''You're hungry, I haven't seen you eat for days.'' Ravenflower sighed, prodding the rabbit closer to her. ''Come on, I caught it myself.'' The patched molly sat beside the blind warrior. ''I'm sad too.''
''Why?'' Avocetblaze looked up, unable to see the holder of the voice but able to hear the gentle words in it. ''Not like you lost a brother and two friends! You haven't got anything to be sad about.'' She complained contemptuously, ignoring the quiet chuckle that followed. ''Go and annoy someone else, like Linnettail for example.''
Ravenflower was a patient molly after moons of healing aches and shunning many worries, many of which came from Sagestar before he died in some great and furious battle. ''I've lost my mate, my entire clan and my two friends.'' She murmured, recalling the rotting camp and the bodies that lay limp within it's tattered walls. ''And I'm sad, because I feel like something's wrong with this clan.'' She glanced at the ledge where Fritillarystar and Snailstep usually set. ''Snailstep, that shaggy tom, should've never been deputy.''
''You think?''
''There's blood on his paws and Robinstorm knew it.''
Avocetblaze smiled thinly and nodded, reaching for the rabbit. ''She certainly did, and now she's dead.'' She frowned, fire leaping in her milky-white eyes. ''And now it's Fritillarystar with the blood on her paws, talk about justice.'' Avocetblaze took a bite of the rabbit. ''This clan knows nothing about it! Except maybe for me and Lightningstrike, who ran away.'' She growled, prompting Harefoot to look up startled from his nap. ''Knows nothing about what?'' he yawned, stretching tired limbs. ''Justice? Yeah, I can see that.'' The short-tailed tom approached the two mollies. ''There's been something shifty about this clan since day one, I mean, why so many blind cats?''
Avocetblaze hissed. ''That's because Fritillarystar ordered her warriors to blind us all, you nit!'' Fur bristling furiously. ''We need to do something about that! Because we did nothing wrong, she's the one with blood on her paws and we're...innocent.'' The trio glanced at Fritillarystar's den, where the tortoiseshell was sitting within it's depths conversing with her deputy, unaware of the blood that stained her supposedly clean paws; Robinstorm's blood.
''What do you mean have kittens with you?'' Fritillarystar glared at Snailstep, lashing her tail to and fro. ''You know I don't like kittens! Why do you think I'm not mentoring an apprentice?'' The tortoiseshell pointed out. ''For a heir!'' Snailstep replied, exasperated by the leader's stubbornness. ''We can't trust anyone you know that...half of the clan is either guilty or incompetent and the other half...well, can we trust them?''
She shook her head. ''Not really, but I don't like kittens.'' Fritillarystar complained, curling her tail around her paws. ''Snailstep, that's a charming offer but...I just don't want kittens.'' She looked up at her deputy and saw that he offered no argument. ''Why do you want kittens so much?''
''Because I want a heir.'' Snailstep argued. ''And besides after they're born, we could always give them to either Oakfeather or Fogwhisker to look after.'' He grinned charmingly at her. ''And I feel it'd be good morale for the clan to see a happy family after the war, there are far too many broken families in this clan.''
Frititillarystar nodded. ''Alright, very well.'' She ignored his yowl of glee. ''But I'm not staying in the nursery, I will continue being leader! I don't want anyone thinking I'm incompetent just because my belly is swollen like a mouse after green-leaf.'' Snailstep smiled and nodded. ''I promise, Fritillarystar, and thank you so much! I've always wanted a family.'' He admitted, self-conscious of himself. ''It's been a dream of mine.''
''And it's coming true.''
Swanstar's marching towards MoorClan with Lilypaw, Vervainpaw and Firepool.
Fritillarystar and Snailstep try out for kittens; they are not mates however.
One moon till Fogwhisker gives birth.
Sparrowpaw and Bramblefur go on a patrol; can they find Goosepaw? (Lykoi advent cat)
Sparrowpaw, Elmpaw, Hazelpaw and Beechpaw are taken training.
