Chapter 12 - Chapter 11: Coming Home a Leader

Allegiances

ThunderClan:

Leader: Downystar: a handsome black-and-white tom

Deputy: Eagleheart: a ginger warrior with black paws, and a strong and sturdy young cat who lives up to his name

Crimsonpaw- Eagleheart's apprentice; a deep orange tom

Medicine Cat: Embersnout-a once-handsome, old but experienced ginger tom

Bladepaw- a young golden tom

Warriors:

Cattail- wise and young she-cat tortoiseshell with a dark brown colour on the end of her tail

Crowdance-a large, sleek, shiny black tom whose fur glows like a crow's

Gorsepelt- young black tom; sturdy and thickset

Bloodclaw- A wise young warrior. Short ginger fur goes to legs; paws are deep roan.

Gloryheart- A pretty roan she-cat, white paws.

Tenorvoice- A large and sturdy white tom with equally white eyes.

Glasseyes-A small and adventurous she-cat; black and brown

Manglepelt-a gray and blue mottled furred she-cat; her body is permanently cracked to one side

Queens:

Crippledjaw-a white, strained she-cat whose back has a cripple, only Crippledjaw also suffers from a permanently dislocated jaw.

Elders-

ShadowClan

Leader: Ragingstar-rusty coloured tom with a sixth claw on each paw

Deputy: Boldstripe- A she-cat on the edge of retirement to the Elders; completely black pelt with one white, splotchy stripe going down her back

Danglepaw-Boldstripe's apprentice; a large gray pelted tom

Medicine Cat: Taintedheart-a tortoiseshell she-cat with a large scar across her belly. Long scars go from her temple to shoulders

Warriors-

Soilear-a pale nutmeg coloured she-cat with twin tabby ears

Frisklegs- a black cat with white ears and white on the tail

Redpaw-Friskleg's apprentice; a small, bright roan tom with yellow paws

Smallear- a ginger, tom with long dangerous claws. Enormous paws on sturdy legs. Tiny eyes, hence the name

Pouncepelt- a sleek, brown tom with large hind legs

Whitefoot- a black senior warrior tom with completely white paws

Scringeclaw-a large tom with gnarled claws and a twisted leg

Apprentices:

Redpaw-a small, bright roan tom with yellow paws

Danglepaw-a large gray pelted tom

Queens:

Daisypelt-a beautiful she-cat with strong and muscular paws, nursing three kits

Elders:

Drowzytail-a black tom with a tail that seems broken

Gracelegs-a ginger she-cat with long, elegant legs, white face

Frownface-a white she-cat with blue eyes, she is deaf

WindClan-

Leader: Azurestar- a shiny, blue-gray pelted tomcat, with black ears

Deputy: Tiptail- a gaunt, black tom with part of his tail missing

Medicine Cat: Fuzzpelt- a golden she-cat

Warriors:

Ripclaw- a large tortoiseshell tom

Queens:

Gonetail- the eldest and only nursery Queen, with only a stump for a tail, nursing two kits

Elders:

Threelegs-a tortoiseshell she-cat with only three legs

RiverClan-

Leader: Flashstar-a sleek white she-cat

Deputy: Wildpelt-a wise and generous tom cat whose name is the opposite of his calmness

Medicine Cat:

Warriors:

Redspeck- a roan tom

Foresttail- a young orange tom

Queens:

Rabbitleaf- a quick-witted, old golden furred cat, forest green eyes

Elders:

Loners/kittypets:

Madclaw: an insane black lone cat

Scruffy- a young black and white kittypet

Rogues- a large band of rogue cats





Chapter 11: Coming Home a Leader



As Twostar came strutting up to Downypelt, he cried, “NO!!! How?” but she did not answer. Instead, her sightless, aquamarine eyes were full of glitter as she spoke, “With this life I give you valour and everlasting life. Use it well to conduct your clan. They need you.”

As she stood, flicking her tail in a signal for him to rise as well, she spoke, “I know you wish to know how. When you were coming here, to receive nine lives, I died. Exhaustion and lack of food and rest took over me. It was my last life. “ Suddenly acting as though nothing but the ritual had taken place, every single StarClan cat stood, heads high, tails erect, eyes gleaming, bodies still.

“I now hail you by your new name, Downystar. Defend your clan at the cost of your lives, protect the weak, stay to the truth, love those in need, influence the young and forever hold your link to us! Now, go to your clan anew, and become the leader you are inside!”

Suddenly, the StarClan cats, all of his life-givers with them, were gone. He looked up, watching them run gracefully, effortlessly, into the spiraling stars, which soon became still and quiet. He looked around, rather nervous and dumb struck, until a familiar voice rang at his side, “Now, close your eyes Downystar. Go to ThunderClan in this time of need.”

As he did as he was bidden, he dared to re-open them, surprised to see Moonstone, his nose pressed to the cold, still surface. He stood up rather shakily, and walked for the caverns. He continued down the black tunnels until he reached Mothermouth, and Embersnout.

“How did it go, Downystar?” Embersnout's brittle voice rasped. “Actually, it was…Scary. But, yes, I am Downystar. Err…Medicine Cats are allowed to hear what happened right?” Downystar asked uncertainly. “Yes, what is it you must tell me?”

“Well…I saw…I saw Twostar. She gave me my last life.”

Embersnout just walked in silence across WindClan borders. “It was so…Odd…When we left she was fine.”

“But she was starving and tired.”

“How do you know?”

“Because,” Embersnout looked depressingly at Downystar, “She wanted you, Downystar, you, to be leader. She sacrificed her last life to allow her beloved deputy take charge.”

Downystar looked bewildered, but a sudden calmness overwhelmed him. She destroyed herself for him? Unbelievable! Yet, so believable… hr thought.

As they silently trudged on across the WindClan territory, a yowl and furious spitting sounded ahead of them. Downystar tensed, as Embersnout did.

Out ran Ripclaw, a young red warrior just out of apprenticeship, Cattail, a tortoiseshell she-cat with long claws, and Crowdance, a wise warrior who seemed to be leader of the patrol. As Downystar tensed, ready to leap for battle, the snarls on their faces died off and they looked rather worried.

“Why are you on our land?” Cattail mewed, rather unsure of her place.

“We are here because we have just gone to Highstones-Downystar received his nine lives.” Embersnout replied calmly.

Crowdance was the only one who kept his face stern, neither angry nor content. “Err…Than, get along! Hurry up.”

Before Downystar and Embersnout could begin their descent down the steep rocks to their Clan boundaries, another hiss ripped out in the air. Azurestar leaped out, glaring wickedly at Downystar, then more mildly at Embersnout. “Oh, yes, get along! Now!”

As Embersnout passed the blue-gray leader, he brushed Downstar's nose with his tail, indicating him to follow.

Downystar was about to when a yowl resounded and he felt an overpowering thud in his stomach. Wind blew out of him and he was suddenly out in mid-air, falling from the heights in WindClan's borders. As he let out a squawk, he saw Embersnout running beneath him, trying to catch up with his flight. As he watched the ground plummet toward him, he took a big breath, then, as he landed his skull knocked a rock, and red buzzed around his eyes before everything was gone…

Embersnout watched in awe-struck silence as his leader convulsed again and again, snorting and scuffling. At once he became still. “Lost his first life already. Not good. Something to tell at the Gathering. Ho, no, not good…”

As he mumbled, Downystar stirred, his head aching like a hammer being thrown at him every 2 seconds.

Standing up, he stumbled forwards, but regained balance and growled, “Embersnout, let's go. You can heal me in my territory, where I won't get killed.”

“Did you see StarClan? Was it alright?”

“What?”

“Did you-“

“No, I didn't die. I… I must have been knocked out. Imagine falling-or lying, like that.”

As they continued forth, they heard the howls of insane laughter from Azurestar, and looked back to see the apologetic faces of the patrol. Suddenly, Crowdance leaped down, and Cattail followed. As they ran full speed to Downystar, who was now on his territory, they heard the sudden outraged snarls of Azurestar.

“Please, take us with you! Let us into ThunderClan!”

Downystar looked fairly suspicious at first, but nodded and replied, while walking, “My clan may not welcome you. Embersnout-you gie off info about these two as we go in. And, you won't sleep in the dens. You will lay in a small bush at the center of the camp, where we can see you both. I am sorry for this inconvenience, but if you are really telling the truth, you'll understand.”

Both cats nodded, looking fearfully behind them as they went through the gorse tunnel.

As they came out the other side, the first to see Downystar was Gloryheart. “Downystar! You're here!”

All the other cats ran around him, some drawing back and hissing at the WindClan cats.

As Gorsepelt and Glasseyes snarled, a voice, Tenorvoice's, piped out angrily, “What are they doing here?”…

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