Warriors: The Will Of Hope

Prologue

A dark ginger cat with one white paw pelted through the forest, followed by cats of her own Clan as well. One with a pale brown tabby pelt, another with a golden-brown, one with a long-haired white pelt and the last one was a white with ginger patches. They rushed through the forest as the dark ginger she-cat glanced back and gave a yowl. "They're still on our tails!" She cried to her warriors as they looked back as well, so they picked up the pace as the cats in pursuit had different scents. They were led by a dark ginger tom, a dark brown tabby tom, a beige tom, a yellow tabby she-cat, a silver pelt with a white chest and a white tom. "Chase them out! ThunderClan's territory belongs to us now!" The dark ginger tom yowled as his green eyes flared with triumph. The ThunderClan cats fled past the border and into WindClan territory as their Clan was there waiting. "What happened?" A golden tabby tom asked the moment they came across the stream. "Rowanstar chased us out. He said that ThunderClan's territory belonged to them now." The dark ginger she-cat said once they reached them, the ThunderClan cats who had been with her were panting in effort as they gasped for breaths. "ShadowClan cannot do this." The Clan leader growled as she lashed her fluffy tail which looked like a squirrel's. "ThunderClan cannot do this alone." The cats turned their heads as a gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes stepped forward. "Jayfeather, what do you mean?" The dark ginger she-cat asked with a tilt of her head. "What I mean is that ThunderClan is too weakened from Bramblestar's death and the battle with ShadowClan and WindClan." Jayfeather hissed as he lashed his tail. "Yes, we know but we've already recovered. It's been three moons since the battle and a whole six moons since Bramblestar's death." She meowed. "Well then you aren't thinking straight, Squirrelstar!" Jayfeather snapped as Squirrelstar flattened her ears but didn't say anything. "Who is thinking straight then?!" A dark brown tabby tom snarled, lashing his tail. "Calm down, Talonswipe. We need to think this carefully." The long-haired white tom meowed as the white she-cat with ginger patches sat beside him. "Shut up Cloudtail! You of all cats is the one to betray us, kittypet!" Talonswipe snarled once more as he unsheathed his claws and challenged Cloudtail by stepping forward. "Shut your—" Cloudtail stepped forward where the two toms stood nose to nose as Squirrelstar growled and snapped furiously. "Enough!" Her furious yowl made her cats turn to her. She had been more hostile ever since her mate Bramblestar died but her leadership and loyalty has not changed since she was  kit. "Stop this nonsense. We must figure this out together, not fight each other because of our blood." Squirrelstar hissed as Talonswipe challenged her as well. "He's a kittypet though! We should throw him out for the foxes!" The dark brown tabby tom hissed as Brightheart stood and defended her mate. "He may have kittypet blood in him, but that doesn't give you, a younger, inexperienced cat, the right to call a warrior whose been with us since we lived in the forest." Brightheart snapped as Talonswipe only snorted. "If you think that way then you're a kittypet as well." Cloudtail and Brightheart snarled and stepped forward once more. But before either one could say anything, the Clan leader snapped once more. "Shut up, all of you! I will not accept this kind of actions." Squirrelstar snarled as she dug her claws into the earth. "Cloudtail and Brightheart are loyal warriors. Don't make me think twice about this before I make you do apprentices work and have you go back to your kit name." Squirrelstar hissed to Talonswipe. "You good for nothing—!" Talonswipe growled but before he could finish his line, Squirrelstar pelted up to him and stood face to face, her brilliant green eyes burned in his amber eyes as he flattened his ears. "Go and sit with the apprentices. I'll deal with you later." Squirrelstar growled to him as he simply nodded and slunk over to the apprentices. Squirrelstar turned to Cloudtail and Brightheart. "I hope you won't feel discouraged from that, Cloudtail, Brightheart." She meowed to them with worry in her voice as she had always liked the two, they were close and friendly. Cloudtail and Brightheart simply nodded as Squirrelstar faced her Clan. But before she could speak, a furious yowl came from the top of the slope. "ThunderClan invasion!" A pale brown tabby tom said as he charged down the slope with more cats following. "Ugh, it's Oatclaw." Jayfeather sighed in irritation as Squirrelstar noticed WindClan's leader and deputy following Oatclaw, Featherstar and Hootwhisker. "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourselves! Now! Or I'll shred every fur off your pelts! Explain!" Oatclaw rushed onwards as he faced nose to nose with Squirrelstar. "Oatclaw, step down." The gray tabby she-cat meowed as her bright blue eyes turned sharply to her warrior. Oatclaw growled but obeyed and stepped back to the rank of WindClan warriors. "What is this Squirrelstar?" Featherstar asked calmly as Oatclaw snarled. "An invasion!" He said only to be silenced by Hootwhisker with a hiss. "Not an invasion for surely." Squirrelstar meowed as she greeted Featherstar with a dip of her head, Featherstar did the same. But the leader scanned the ThunderClan cats and nodded her approval. "Did something happen?" She asked the dark ginger she-cat as she nodded. "ShadowClan has taken our territory and claimed it as their own." Squirrelstar explained as WindClan cats gave snickers and taunts, one in particular to Squirrelstar, Leafpool and Sandstorm. "Was Firestar your only hope? Are you kitties too pathetic without him?" One taunted though Featherstar lashed her tail for immediate silence to her Clan. Squirrelstar noticed that the voice was Breezepelt's, she didn't expect him not to make a comment. "I thought ThunderClan could defend their own territory?" Featherstar questioned but only to get a growl from her own Clanmates but her ears twitched and silence fell back upon them. "Yes but we are still recovering from Bramblestar's death and Onestar's attack. He took many of our great cats down and we are low on cats. ShadowClan has also been stealing prey as we've tried to fight back only to weaken our warriors more." Squirrelstar said with a sad look upon her face. Her father's legacy was ruined. "Do not worry my dear friend. WindClan will shelter you until your cats are fit enough to take back your own territory." Featherstar meowed as WindClan burst into outrage. "This is WindClan land only! No ThunderClan cat is to set a whisker on our territory. Onestar said as the warrior code!" Oatclaw hissed but Hootwhisker snorted. "Onestar may have been a loyal and great leader back then but his decisions before he died were mouse-brained. Featherstar is leader and no car can make a code without the approval of all four Clans and StarClan. Nor can they direct it to one specific Clan." Ryeheart said with a lash of her tail. "So? Onestar was leader and we have to listen to him." Oatclaw retorted. "Featherstar's leader now, will you rather listen to your current leader who is not a mouse-brain or listen to one who's already dead and is a mouse-brain?" Ryeheart snarled as she challenged her Clanmate. Oatclaw stayed silent for a moment before lowering his head. "Thank you, Featherstar, we owe you and WindClan one." Squirrelstar meowed as she dipped her head respectfully. "You don't have to, besides, it was great Firestar and Graystripe who brought WindClan back from being chased out by Brokenstar." She meowed as she flicked her tail and turned to her cats. Squirrelstar thought about the story Longtail had told her about the two saving Tallstar and WindClan who were chased out of their territory by Brokenstar back in the forest. Memories started flowing in but she wiped them away as she nodded. "WindClan, we are to help ThunderClan to our camp. Help the elders, queens and kits. And I don't want to hear one more complaint from any cat." Featherstar meowed as she glanced at Oatclaw specifically. "Hootwhisker, would you mind if you go back to camp and tell the Clan of this. Also tell them to start making new beddings and dens." The dark gray tom nodded before dashing off towards camp and up the hill they came from. Squirrelstar flicked her tail to her Clan as Featherstar led the way back towards their own camp.