xx.The Moving of the Clans//

[Mysteryfaith]

Part One

Slowly, the flames travelled over the bare, cracked lands of the open moors. Any cats were long gone, but scents of them still lingered hauntingly in the air, reminding any fleeing travellers that once there had been a great civilization of the feline kind here.

Amongst the glows of the flames, a small, pitiful yowling came. It was quiet and hoarse, but it still echoed over the dusk, rising only slightly above the mad crackling of the flames.

A small tabby she-cat lay huddled around two kits. Her breath was short and smoky, and her eyes were half-closed, ready to glaze over as death crept closer towards her. Her kittens, wide-eyed and terrified, whipped their heads around, glancing in every direction for an escape. They were closely surrounded by a net of flames, unable to escape.

The she-cat yowled again, huddling closer around her kits as the blaze flickered dangerously close to them. Over the roar of the flames, a yowl of reply to the she-cat circled the helpless cats. The mother, almost jumping up but needing to protect her litter, sighed in relief - they were saved!

A blur of fire-red fur burst into the circle of flames, turning black as it bounded closer. Panting as he reached the small space, Firestar was charred with the fire. He silently gestured for the kits, and as the queen handed them over, he tossed them over the fire. They heard a grunt as another cat behind the wall of fire caught the kit, and set it down away from the flames.

The second kit was thrown, and Firestar used all of his weight to toss the queen once more over the lapping flames. Holding his breath, the ThunderClan leader sprinted through the flames again, and appeared, the stench of rotten flesh circling him, around the other side.

"Thank you!" the queen mewed breathlessly. She had landed clumsily on her pads, and was still a little dazed as she was led away from the fire, into the thick shrubery of the ThunderClan forest.

The grey tom who'd caught the two kits looked towards his leader. "What will we do? The fire will consume the whole forest - there'll be no escape, as the moors beyond WindClan's territory are all in flames and they show no sign of stopping. After the fire's crossed, the territory will all be burnt, and the prey will have disappeared..." He let the she-cat lean against him and gave the two kits to Firestar.

"We'll have to leave our second home, Greystripe." Firestar sighed, his words muffled by mouthfuls of the kits' fur. They were newborn and unable to speak, but their eyes were wide with terror, and it was apparent their fear of the strangers. They mewled for their mother, who was too tired to comfort them. The group had reached the small hole leading to the perilous drop down to the ThunderClan camp. Carefully avoiding it, they headed to the low entrance.

"Firestar!" a yowl came from inside. The rumble of many cats' low whispers died down into silence as the leader trotted in, his fur still black and charred. Young cats cowered in disgust at the smell of his burning flesh, warriors nodded their head in approval, elders purred with gratitude for saving their Clanmates. Slowly, the ThunderClan tom made his way to his announcing place, and grunted at Greystripe to take the kits to the nursery, even though they had little time.

"Cats of all Clans," the leader yowled to the large crowd in his camp. All four of the Clans were there, huddled together. It was an emergency gathering called by Onestar as his home burned - so they sat, crouched ready for the tom's words. "I have come to a conclusion. The forest will burn away, and so will the prey. We will die here if we do not find a third home."

"A third home!" Blackstar spat from the crowd. His black foot led him to the base of the rock, and the ShadowClan leader glared up at his equal. "We've only just moved to the lake. It's impossible to predict what might happen if we try to move again!"

"Yes," Onestar agreed sadly. "Too many cats died in the first Great Journey. And besides - the only clear way out is through our moors, where Crowfeather and Leafpool went when they left the Clans before the battle with the badgers. Those moors are up in flames!"

Leafpool growled quietly at the reference to herself, and glared at Onestar. "It is not the only way," she said curtly. "We could leave through these forests - they aren't 'up in flames' yet."

"I have a new idea," a ginger tom from WindClan yowled eagerly, his eyes set upon his leader. "The two-legs might be done with our old home. We could return!"

"Not enough prey, not true, and a stupid idea to begin with." Onestar spat cruelly. The tom's ears flattened in embaressment as he turned back to Firestar. His leader also looked to the fire-coloured ThunderClan leader. "You seem to know what's best, or think you do," the tom spat. "Tell us what to do."

"We must leave." Firestar decided, his eyes glinting in the sunlight with determination. The roar of the distant flames got a little louder, and the queens and elders grew tense in the dusty camp. "If we leave through RiverClan territory, the water might hold off the fire for a while."

"But we'd get away from the fire quickly if we left from ThunderClan territory." Leopardstar meowed to her fellow leader. Beside her sat an anxious Mistyfoot, paws shuffling with tense wait of the fire to reach them as they spent precious time discussing what could be a short meow. "And besides, leaving from our territory will take us closer to the old forest, where there is no longer a home for us." She shot a fierce, knowing glance towards the WindClan tom who'd spoken before. He ducked lower into the crowd.

"True," Firestar sighed. "It must be either Blackstar's or my territory then. Blackstar?" The ginger tom cast a glance towards the black-pawed tom, who shook his head firmly.

"We will get out quickly from ThunderClan territory, and we can flee with speed in the loose setting of trees." Blackstar meowed surely. "In our territory, we wouldn't be able to see the fire, and the trees are thick-knitted, so we'd be slower getting out of the forest area."

"Alright." Firestar sighed, looking to the sky. "It's dusk, but we have no time to waste. Leopardstar, Onestar, Blackstar, organize your Clans." The leader, a little grumpy that they were order around by their fellow leader, got to work, talking to their deputies and snapping at their warriors to huddle around the elders and the queens.

"Brambleclaw, Greystripe, over here." Firestar meowed. The brown tabby and grey toms trotted over to the base of the announcing place, and Firestar leapt down from the rocks to talk to them in private. Leafpool took it into her paws to order the cats further. It would be a long journey for the Clans - and she knew know that their second home was destroyed.

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[Mysteryfaith]

Part Two

Russet-coloured stretches of fur and claws met the Clan cats as their journey was on its way. Blackstar, Firestar and Leopardstar, now no longer having all nine lives remaining, were wary as they approached a dark, deep forest. They should have been more cautious with their Clans instead of themselves.

Fox after fox hurled themselves at the warriors. Though they put up their best fight, too many were killed by their endless supply. Millie's kits were swiftly disposed of, and she was next. She fought her hardest, but as Greystripe helplessly yowled her name, she was flung aside, dead.

The foxes left hardly any of them alive. Leopardstar was clinging on to her last life from fighting so viciously, and Onestar, being the youngest and weakest, was already gone. As Firestar and Blackstar trudged over, stumbling from all of their injuries, to send the WindClan leader off to StarClan properly, they looked to their remaining warriors.

"Looks like Jaypaw and Hollyleaf didn't make it," Firestar sighed, his glance cast across the bewildered Lionblaze, who was desperately looking at his siblings' bodies, not believing the fact they were on the same route as Onestar.

Greystripe padded over to gently sooth the ferocious warrior, and eventually the two slowly walked to the body of Brambleclaw, who had died protecting Squirrelflight. She stood cowered behind his body, licking his forehead gently.

"Squirrelflight..." Lionblaze murmured, pain filling his hues as he glanced at his mother. The ginger she-cat met her son's eyes, and rushed over to greet him. As she groomed him lovingly, her eyes flashed over the bloody battlefield to spot her other children.

"They're gone, Squirrelflight." Greystripe explained gently. Both of the ginger relatives in tears, the grey warrior padded away to stand beside Firestar, mourning Onestar.

"This can not be stood for. Will not be stood for." the ginger leader meowed dauntingly. "Greystripe, you are my new deputy. No ceremony is needed." Firestar got up from his crouch, the fire of determination still blazing in his eyes.

The grey tom nodded silently. He padded over to Leafpool, and gestured for them to move. She had brought a small supply of healing herbs, but all had been lost in the battle, and she had no apprentice to collect more for her. Sorrowfully, she picked up the marked stick that Jaypaw had insisted on bringing.

Together, Firestar, Blackstar and Leopardstar gathered the remainders of their Clans and led them on. The foxes had disappeared into the forest, only a few littered dead on the ground compared to the many dead warriors they left behind. But, as good measure to his lost siblings, Lionblaze took the stick from Leafpool and dragged the heavy item alongside him. He wanted to keep the memory of the dead alive, and so he dutifully dragged Rock's stick across the mud, his muscles bulging with the strain.

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[Mysteryfaith]

Part Three

"Moons of cats had disappeared in the battle with the foxes," Lionblaze meowed to the kittens sat before him, gazing at the elder with awe. "Including my siblings. There was Hollyleaf the brave she-cat who would do anything for her Clan, and Jaypaw the medicine cat apprentice who had a firey will." He glanced at the rotting stick beside him. "This stick was Jaypaw's."

"Wow!" one of the kits exclaimed. "You've kept it all this time? It's been seasons!" His brown tabby pelt was sleek in the sunlight, and a Greenleaf breeze ruffled his ears. "Does Raystar let you keep it in camp?"

Lionblaze laughed. "A moon after the battle with the foxes, whilst we were settling in this new home and I was a young warrior, Raykit and Shinekit were born. Their parents are long gone, but what are their names now?"

"Raystar and Shinetail!" another kit meowed proudly. "Shinetail is the medicine cat, and Raystar is the leader!" He puffed out his chest with pride as the other kits rolled their eyes. It was typical of their brother.

Lionblaze let out a hearty laugh as his eyes flicked across the kit. "That's right. Leafpool trained Shinetail after Jaypaw was gone."

"Leafpool, the legendary medicine cat?" the third kitten mewed in disbelief. He gave a smart glance towards the proud kit who'd spoken before. "See, Gorsekit, you don't know everything!"

"Oh, Azurekit, you think you're so smart!" Gorsekit replied. They tumbled around the elders' den whilst their sister looked on, giggling. Lionblaze purred, and the two rolled out of the den just as their mother arrived to take them out on a trip into the forest.

"Honestly, you three!" the mother scolded disapprovingly. She looked sympathetically at Lionblaze. "Sorry. They don't give you the respect you deserve - you were a warrior in the lake territory, after all!"

"Don't worry about it." the ginger elder meowed calmly. "Have a good trip, kittens!" He turned to his den, pulling Jaypaw's stick closely to him. He'd never understand his brother's interest for it, but still it was a token of respect to his lost siblings to keep it. As the sun splayed across his fur, he remembered the old days by the lake. They were long gone - as were most of his old friends. But, as life after life had passed into StarClan before him, he let his soul flow into the stream of souls that left the warrior world of the living...

Moons after Lionblaze's sudden death, the Clans are still in their new territory. But now it's up to you to make sure they live on...!

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