Wait For It | ?? Tigerclaw

chapter 51

Bluestar bounded out of her den. All eyes turned from Onewhisker to her. "I heard," she meowed. Without mounting the Highrock, the ThunderClan leader gave the yowl she used to call the Clan together. Onewhisker's fear-scent filled the clearing as he watched the cats emerge into the morning light.

As soon as the Clan had gathered, Bluestar began. "There's no time to waste. It's as we feared – ShadowClan and RiverClan have joined together, and now they're attacking the WindClan camp. We must help them." She paused and looked around at the faces staring back at her in dismay. Onewhisker stood beside her, listening silently with wide, hopeful eyes.

Whiterose was appalled. After the rogue cats had been discovered, she'd thought Nightstar could be trusted. Now it seemed the ShadowClan leader had broken the warrior code after all by uniting with RiverClan to drive WindClan from their home yet again.

"But we are leaf-bare-weak!" protested Patchpelt. "We've taken a risk for WindClan once before. Let them take care of themselves this time."

A few murmurs of agreement rose from the elders and queens. To Whiterose's displeasure Brindleface also quietly murmurs her agreement, but Fireheart kept quiet on his own opinion, his sister noticed. He must agree like Whiterose that they should help them.

It was Tigerclaw who answered him, stepping forward to stand beside Bluestar. "You're right to be cautious, Patchpelt. But if ShadowClan and RiverClan have united, it is only a matter of time before they turn on us. It's better we fight now, with WindClan, than later, alone!"

Bluestar looked at Patchpelt, who closed his eyes and lifted his tail, accepting Tigerclaw's words.

Yellowfang pushed her way forward, Redstream hanging back. Allowing the older medicine cat to speak quietly to the leader. "I think you should remain behind in camp, Bluestar. The fever from the Greencough may have gone, but you'll still be weak."

The two cats exchanged a look that Whiterose understood in a jolt. Bluestar was on her ninth and final life. For the sake of the Clan, she could not afford to risk it in battle.

Bluestar nodded briskly. "Tigerclaw, I want you to organize two parties, one to head the attack, one to back it up. We need to get there as fast as we can!"

"Yes, Bluestar." Tigerclaw turned to the warriors. "Whitestorm, you'll head the second party; I'll head the first. I'll take Darkstripe, Mousefur, Longtail, Dustpelt, Whiterose and Fireheart." Whiterose lifted her head as Tigerclaw called her name, feeling a thrill run through her. She was to join the lead party! And with a quick sideways look from Tigerclaw, she realized with a jolt, that he looked at her like there was no cat he would trust more than her.

"Whiterose!" Whiterose barely heard Brindleface's trying to get her attention, all her focus was on the coming battle.

"You!" Tigerclaw called to Onewhisker. "What's your name?" The WindClan warrior looked startled by Tigerclaw's tone.

Fireheart answered for him. "Onewhisker," he meowed, coming to stand with them. Tigerclaw nodded, barely pausing to look at Fireheart again.

"Onewhisker, you'll be in my party. The rest of the ThunderClan warriors will join Whitestorm. You can come with us, Cinderpaw." Said gray she-cat leaped to her paws, and came bounding up beside Fireheart.

"Are we all ready?" called Tigerclaw. The warriors raised their heads and let out a battle cry.

Tigerclaw charged for the gorse tunnel and they raced after him. In her excitement rush, Whiterose didn't hear Brindleface's desperate cry for her attention.

Up the ravine they climbed, into the forest. They were heading for Fourtrees and the uplands beyond. Whiterose glanced over her shoulder as she ran through the trees. Graystripe was near the back, his face grim, his eyes staring blankly ahead.