Warriors: High Tides

Epilogue

Bramblestar trotted through the woods with five Warriors at her heels; Thistlepaw, now Thistlenose, was walking beside her. The young she-cat had fleshed out since they'd arrived in the Southern Territories, and was now two years old.

Walking along the no-man's-land between FieldClan and FenceClan's borders, Bramblestar looked at her deputy and smiled. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Thistlenose purred excitedly.

Bramblestar pushed through the bracken and walked into the Tiny Forest. Within, the other three Clans were sitting in their place. Inside a small ring of trees sat a well-protected, impregnable clearing. It had a clear view of the moon, but the weather couldn't break through the grove's defensive growths.

"Late, Bramblestar?" Gorsestar growled in bemusement. Bramblestar narrowed her eyes at her enemy as she clambered onto the bent fenceposts that was the Leaders' mount.

"No later than you," Bramblestar retorted.

Thistlefoot sat beside two of her fellow deputies; Icewhisker, of AlleyClan: and Cloudpelt of FenceClan. Briarheart was left on the outside, as was his desire, grumbling self-importantly.

"Are we all here?" Ivystar meowed, glancing around.

"Indeed." Rookstar purred with a slight nod and a smile.

"Then let the Gathering BEGIN!"Ivystar called out.

All mouths shut immediately, and all eyes were on them. Bramblestar recognized certain faces better than others: they had sent a patrol to the Lake Territories soon after the First Gathering, and done exactly what StarClan had asked - split the Lake Clans and taken half back to the South.

Others were strangers. Loners had added to their ranks, fleshing them out. Bramblestar found her own Clan the least numerous; she'd founded a Clan of chaste Medicine Cats, and she felt this type of group was entirely needed, especially given the fact that Gorsestar had abolished the rank of Medicine Cat in ThriftClan.

"I will go first," Ivystar meowed, her tail raising high into the air.

"AlleyClan has been settling well. Twoleg problems have gone down, since it's growing colder and Leaf-Fall is approaching. New kits have been born to the Clan: Juniperkit and Ratkit."

"Congratulations to AlleyClan!" The Gathering-goers cheered.

"Whose are they?" An older tom calles from the back enthusiastically.

Ivystar drew herself up. "My own, fathered by Icewhisker."

Immediately Thistlefoot and Cloudfur congratulated the new father, and the leaders mutually congratulated Ivystar.

"Gorsestar," Ivystar offered, "Would you like to go next?"

"Hm." The pale brown tom nodded and stood as Ivystar sat.

"ThriftClan has survived well enough in the passing seasons. Many litters have been born to us, and the forest is thick with prey." He glanced nervously at the moon, then growled, "We feed on freshkill that we hunt and kill ourselves, rather than steal from another creature." He shot a pointed look at Ivystar, who scoffed.

"I'll go next." Rookstar raised a paw and stood up, grunting as Gorsestar growled lowly.

"FenceClan has prospered well in the last moons. We have a new Medicine Cat - Ravenleaf - who is sure to serve the Clan and StarClan well."

Everyone turned to look at Ravenleaf, a shiny black shecat with deep green eyes. She smiled nervously at everyone.

"We have, however, been encountering Twoleg disruptions. I advise all the Clans to take extra care around particularly busy Thunderpaths." He meowed.

Everyone nodded, for almost every Clan bordered a Thunderpath somehow.

"Shall I go, now?" Bramblestar meowed softly, inching into a standing position.

"Yes," Rookstar purred with a grin.

She nodded. "FieldClan has prospered as well. The herbs are growing in well," at this Gorsewhisker scoffed, "And cats are joining more commonly than before. No cat should be afraid to come forward if they want assistance or training from our numbers."

"Useless Medicine Cats," Gorsestar growled.

"Don't be so disrespectful," Cloudfur said with a grunt.

"Medicine Cats keep the Clans alive."

"Your sister was a Medicine Cat."

Silent horror overtook the crowd as Waspwhisker stepped forward. Nobody had mentioned Ternpaw since she'd been buried. It had been widely accepted that she never be mentioned aloud.

"What did you say?" Gorsestar snarled, visibly teetering on the edge of emotional sanity.

"If Medicine Cats are so useless, why did your sister choose to become one?" Waspwhisker demanded.

"Things were different back then," Gorsestar meowed.

"How so? She was born after the Great Famine took hold," Waspwhisker reasoned, "So everyone was already struggling."

Gorsestar sputtered for a response when a great ka-pow! sounded off in the distance. It echoed off fenceposts, trees, hillsides, houses. It sounded like it was coming from all around them.

"It's a sign," Gorsestar cried, "We must go! ThriftClan, to me!" He yowled. He hurried through the lichen and brambles, and dissapeared with his Clan in tow.

Bramblestar sighed, long and slow, and realized she was going to spend 9 lives fighting Gorsestar.