The sun shimmered brightly in the sky, casting down pools of light around camp. Five moons had passed. The rogues hadn't attacked any other Clan so far, and prey was running good.
Sharptalon lay beside Stormgaze. She'd earned her warrior name four moons ago along with her siblings, Stalkfire and Monarchwing.
But now ThunderClan was short on apprentices. They only had two at the moment: Beechpaw and Rookpaw, the sons of Palewhisker and Breezestorm. Ambertuft had given birth to Ripplewind's kits, and Phoenixwing had moved to the nursery.
"Tonight is the gathering," Stormgaze breathed, leaning closer to Sharptalon.
"I hope we are both chosen," Sharptalon purred. "Squirrelstar has a lot to announce."
Lighttail padded over suddenly, his eyes shimmering brightly. Monarchwing padded by his side, her eyes warm.
"Sharptalon!" Lighttail purred, swishing his tail.
"Yes?" Sharptalon prompted, confused. Why was his brother so happy?
"Monarchwing is expecting my kits," He purred. He nuzzled his mate's shoulder with affection.
"Great StarClan, already, Lighttail?" Sharptalon asked. "Well either way, I'm happy for you. Congratulations."
"Thank you," Lighttail purred. He looked at Monarchwing. "Can you please move into the nursery? I'm worried you'll get hurt," he admitted.
"What? Don't worry, Lighttail. Patrolling borders and hunting isn't even going to hurt me!" Monarchwing meowed, playfully nudging Lighttail's shoulder.
Worry clouded Stormgaze's gaze. "What about Stalkfire? I want him to be happy with a mate too."
Sharptalon turned to her, blinking. "Don't worry. Your brother will be fine."
Stormgaze glanced at him, saying nothing. She sat up, curling her tail around her paws.
Squirrelstar padded from her den on High-Ledge. "Ivypool!" She called.
Sharptalon glanced up, his whiskers twitching.
Ivypool hurried from where she was standing by the camp entrance, and ran up to Squirrelstar.
"Yes?" She asked.
"We need to start sending more patrols out by the rogue's border," Squirrelstar meowed. She caught Sharptalon's eye. "Sharptalon!" She called.
Sharptalon sat up, pricking his ears.
"I need you to patrol ShadowClan's border with Stormgaze and Lighttail," she meowed. "Monarchwing, go with Ivypool to find some of our other Clanmates."
Sharptalon glanced at Stormgaze and Lighttail. "At least we have something to do."
Sharptalon marked the ThunderClan border and parted his jaws, tasting a strange scent he'd never smelt before. He heard hushed voices on the other side of the grass where the gathering place was. The quiet gurgle of the stream hummed in his ears.
Sharptalon padded forward, but before he could, two cats padded out, both of them looking half-starved. A brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes and a white chest with white paws was standing next to a light brown tabby tom with amber eyes.
"Who are you?" The light brown tabby tom bristled, glaring at Sharptalon.
"I've got the same question," Sharptalon growled, flattening his ears.
Stormgaze and Lighttail came running over, bristling. "Who are they?" Lighttail hissed, narrowing his eyes.
"I am Leafpool," the brown tabby she-cat meowed. She dipped her head. "And this is Birchfall. I'm sorry for... intruding. But I thought I smelled ThunderClan."
Sharptalon narrowed his eyes. "Well darn right you smelled ThunderClan, and you are intruding."
Birchfall stepped closer to Leafpool protectively. "Don't attack her, she's a medicine cat!" He hissed. He looked down with uneasiness. "But she's also expecting."
"I'm sorry for Sharptalon's rudeness, Birchfall, Leafpool. We are ThunderClan. Are you missing warriors or something?" Lighttail asked.
Sharptalon sighed. "Stormgaze, go to camp and get Squirrelstar, we should-"
Leafpool suddenly gasped. "Squirrelstar!?"
"Was she Squirrelflight before?" Birchfall asked.
"Yes," Lighttail meowed. "I was born when she was still leader, but I know her warrior name. Why, is she important to you?"
"Squirrelflight-- no, Squirrelstar-- is my sister!" Leafpool gasped. "Oh StarClan! Is she ok? What about Alderheart? Are they ok?" She asked.
Sharptalon blinked at her. "Alderheart's dead. I'm not sure what he was like, but my mother told me and my siblings of how he died protecting Ashstar."
"Oh no, I'm sorry," Leafpool murmured. She blinked at them.
"What about Ivypool and Whitewing?" Birchfall gasped. "Are they ok?"
"Ivypool is deputy and Whitewing is doing fine," Lighttail meowed.
"Thank StarClan! I'm so glad to hear!" Birchfall purred. "I'm Ivypool's father by the way, and Whitewing is my mate. But how are Firekit and Fluffykit doing?"
"You mean Fluffypelt and Firestorm?" Lighttail's mew cracked.
Birchfall's eyes flashed with concern. "Are those their warrior names? That's great. How is Fluffypelt? How is Firestorm?"
"Well um Fluffypelt is..." Sharpton trailed off.
"Is our mother," Lighttail finished.
Birchfall's eyes lit up with joy. "Oh it's so nice to know I have more kin!" He purred.
"But.... Fluffypelt is dead. She died protecting me from rogues," Sharptalon sighed with grief. He wanted to change the subject.
"Oh no... no... I'm... so sorry," Birchfall murmured. "I only knew her as a kit, but I miss her even more now."
"I'm sorry, but it happens," Leafpool meowed, flashing a sympathetic look at Sharptalon.
The bushes rustled behind them. Stormgaze and Squirrelstar padded from the undergrowth. Squirrelstar then gasped as she saw Leafpool. She rushed forward and Sharptalon could hear her loud purring. Squirrelstar shoved her muzzle in her sister's neck fur, holding her close. "Oh sister, it's so good to see you again!"
Leafpool winded around her sister, purring loudly.
"I thought you were dead! I thought Ashstar killed you!" Squirrelstar whimpered.
"He didn't. After he killed Firestar, I knew I had to run away. I'm sorry I left you behind, Squirrelstar, I really am. But I'm with a group. Sparkpelt is here too," Leafpool purred.
"Sparkpelt? My daughter!" Squirrelstar gasped. "I thought Ashstar killed her."
"I found her while I was trying to survive. I raised her good. She's back at our temporary camp," Leafpool purred.
Squirrelstar purred with joy. "Thank you. You're the best sister anyone could have." Then she looked down. "Are you.... expecting?"
"I'm sorry, but yes. They're Crowfeather's... again," Leafpool meowed guiltily.
Squirrelstar's whiskers twitched. "Leafpool, why... what?" She murmured. "But you're a medicine cat!"
"I know. I'm sorry. But being with this group... SunClan... Oh Squirrelstar, there are so many real Clan cats there. WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan cats. They're alive," Leafpool meowed.
Squirrelstar twitched her whiskers. "Then take me to your camp, wherever it is."
Sharptalon padded beside Stormgaze as they padded past the reeds and rushes. Apparently these cats had set up their camp in the gathering place three days ago.
A flame-colored tom raced up to them, his bright blue eyes shining. He bristled as he saw Sharptalon, Stormgaze, and Lighttail.
"Leafpool, what did you bring back, exactly?" The tom asked. He widened his eyes as he saw Squirrelstar. "Squirrelflight!" He gasped. "It's good to see a familiar face."
Squirrelstar dipped her head. "I am Squirrelstar now. Flamepaw, it's nice to see you. Although I thought you were dead."
"I'm Flametail now," The flame-colored tom corrected. "I really want to know how the Clans are doing, but right now, I need to wait for every patrol to get back. They'll want to know about this," Flametail meowed.
A tortoiseshell she-cat with a dull white chest padded from nest of reeds. "Flametail?" She asked.
"Wait, Turtlepaw," Flametail meowed.
"Um well, by the way. You made your camp on the gathering place. That big blossom tree is where the leaders sit at our gatherings," Squirrelstar meowed awkwardly.
Flametail dipped his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
The reeds rustled behind them. Sharptalon turned, seeing a russet-brown tom with green eyes lead a dark smoky, almost black tom with blue eyes into camp. They leaped the stream. A dark brown tabby tom followed them along with a large brown tabby tom.
Leafpool rushed forward, rubbing her muzzle along the dark-smoky tom's shoulder. "Crowfeather! My sister is here!" She gasped.
Sharptalon blinked. So that was Crowfeather. Who were the other cats with him?
Squirrelstar turned. "It's good to see you Crowfeather," she purred, dipping her head kindly. She glanced past him, gasping as she saw the russet-brown tom. The tom's green eyes lit up.
"Foxleap!" Squirrelstar purred. "I thought you were dead, but it's good to see you. Who is with you?" She asked.
Foxleap flicked his tail to the large brown tabby tom. "That's Sparrowtail. He's from ShadowClan." He then pointed to the dark brown tabby tom. "And that's Hollowflight from RiverClan."
Flametail padded forward. "Cats of SunClan!" He yowled. "I have an important announcement to make! We have found ThunderClan!" He meowed proudly.
Every cat exchanged happy glances. They yowled with delight.
Sharptalon felt the gaze of a flame-colored tabby she-cat burning his pelt. He turned to see her. Squirrelstar then raced forward. "Sparkpelt!" She gasped.
"Squirrelflight!" The she-cat cried. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"I'm Squirrelstar now," Squirrelstar purred. "I'm so glad you're alive!"
Suddenly, the reeds parted and Juniperclaw, Strikestone, and Ebonyfur leaped over the stream, bristling. "What's going on here? What's with all the yowling?!"
Squirrelstar padded forward towards them, her tail high. "We've found... everyone."