The Beginning Prophecy: Firestarter

Chapter Eighteen

"Drive her out!"

"Kill her!"

The angry cats yowled as they stormed nearer to the camp, the scent of aggression heavy. The undergrowth rustled just outside the entrance to ThunderClan's camp as cats came through the gorse, led by Bluestar. Lionheart, Whitestorm, and Spottedleaf accompanied the leader. Speckletail and Willowpelt followed directly behind.

Speckletail immediately raced away from the group and toward the nursery, the fur of her tail bristling in alarm. Tigerclaw and Darkstripe grimly strode into the center of camp, shoulder to shoulder. The others trailed after, with the apprentices at the rear. Spottedleaf watched Firepaw creep silently from the shadows to join his friends.

He ran back to camp ahead of us to warn Yellowfang. Spottedleaf guessed. Noble, but criminal.

The cats who had stayed behind began to stir around the camp. They came running into the clearing with their tails high, having been drawn out by the scent of aggression and the sound of tension in the returning cats' voices.

"What happened?" Called a blue-gray she-cat named Mistyflower, rushing forward to sniff nervously at her mother's pelt.

"Brokenstar demanded hunting rights in the territories of all remaining Clans. RiverClan has already agreed to this." Bluestar replied evenly.

"He spoke despite StarClan sending clouds to cover the moon." Willowpelt added. "And warned us of a ShadowClan cat turned rogue who will harm our young. He must have been referring to Yellowfang!"

Howls of distress and anger rose from the crowd.

"Silence!" Bellowed Lionheart as Bluestar leapt onto Highrock. The cats instinctively settled in front of her.

A loud screech from the fallen tree where the elders slept made every cat turn their head. Tigerclaw and Darkstripe were roughly dragging Yellowfang from her nest. She furiously shrieked as she was hauled into into clearing and dumped in front of Highrock.

"What are you doing?" Bluestar demanded, jumping down from Highrock to glare at her warriors. "I have given no order to attack our prisoner."

The tabby toms let go of Yellowfang instantly. She crouched down in the dust, spitting and hissing threats.

Speckletail appeared from the nursery, pushing her way to the front of the Clan. "We got back before any harm was done." She gasped. "Our young are safe."

"Of course they are!" Bluestar snapped.

Speckletail looked taken aback. "But...you're going to chase Yellowfang away, yes?" She meowed, amber eyes wide.

Darkstripe unsheathed his claws and spat, "Chase her away? I say we kill her here!"

Bluestar fixed Darkstripe's angry face with a piercing blue look. "What has she done to warrant exile or death?" She questioned with an icy sense of calm.

All of ThunderClan held their breath.

"You heard what Brokenstar said! He claimed she-" began Darkstripe.

"Brokenstar only claimed a rogue from ShadowClan was somewhere. Even he could not confirm that said rogue was still in Clan territory." Bluestar meowed, voice menacingly quiet. "He did not mention the name of this cat. Our kits are safe. For as long as Yellowfang is in ThunderClan, she will not be harmed."