Graystripe's Vow/Chapter 2

==Chapter description==
:Graystripe is walking through the forest when he thinks he sees Firestar, the former ThunderClan leader, walking beside him. He tries to talk to him, but Firestar keeps walking. Graystripe thinks he is trying to show him something when Firestar points to the sky, but Graystripe can't see anything. He feels icy claws of terror grip his pelt. The dark-gray tom awakes from his dreams in the elder's den, struggling with panic. He emerges into camp, then bounds through the thorn tunnel into the forest. He growls to himself that he doesn't need to be afraid of Firestar. The tom thinks that Firestar was trying to tell him to leave ThunderClan, but realizes that he'd break his promise to Squirrelflight, ThunderClan's acting leader, if he left. He wishes that Millie was with him. Graystripe dreams that Millie is with him, her silver tabby fur shining, her eyes gazing up at him, full of love. He tucks his paws under a soft cushion of moss, imagining himself talking to the StarClan tabby. 
:He asks Millie for advice on what to do, and the former imagines her telling him that there might be an important task for Graystripe to carry out, but Graystripe protests that he is an elder and elders don't carry out important tasks. He imagines Millie telling him to see what other cats think about it, but Graystripe disregards her, telling the she-cat that she's talking like a medicine cat. Millie reminds him that warriors look for signs all the time, and Graystripe concedes that she is speaking the truth, but the matter at hand is more complicated than a simple warrior duty, such scenting for prey. 
:Brackenfur's scent wakes him up from his dream when Graystripe smells the prey hanging in the former's jaws. Graystripe asks his former apprentice to remember when Firestar first became leader of the Clan, and he asks him if ThunderClan is the same Clan it was then. Brackenfur assures Graystripe that it is, and that he should not let temporary problems worry him. Graystripe tells Brackenfur that he is thinking about leaving ThunderClan, and Brackenfur is shocked, reminding him that the Clan needs him. 
:Graystripe is interrupted from his conversation when Plumstone and Thriftear start arguing once they come into camp. Graystripe asks them what the problem is. They both refuse to tell Graystripe, but after Graystripe threatens to bring Squirrelflight into the conversation, Thriftear mumbles that Plumstone ate her mouse. Plumstone protests that it wasn't Thriftear's mouse, and that she picked it off the fresh-kill pile, not Thriftear. Graystripe is aggravated, asking them to remember what Firestar would've said if he heard about this. Thriftear retorts that that was when ThunderClan had a real leader, and Plumstone immediately tells her that Squirrelflight is a real leader. Graystripe is about to began talking about the time when Firestar was leader, but Plumstone interrupts him, telling him that the problem with elders is that they're always stuck in the past. Thriftear adds that it's the warriors that make the decisions, not the elders, and the two she-cats walk off. Graystripe thinks to himself sarcastically that he at least solved their argument. 
:The next day, Graystripe wakes up to see Lionblaze and Thornclaw facing each other, with others like Bristlefrost, Sorrelstripe, Flipclaw, and Snaptooth surrounding them. The two toms argue about how ThunderClan doesn't have a proper leader, and Lionblaze points out to Thornclaw that they have Squirrelflight. Thornclaw tells Lionblaze that Squirrelflight is the deputy, and Lionblaze angrily tells him that he is ThunderClan's deputy for now. Graystripe thinks to himself that even if Thornclaw is grieving for Stemleaf, his son, he's behaving as if he's gone crazy. As Graystripe pads into the crowd of cats, Thornclaw states that the only reason he is taking orders from Lionblaze is because he is Squirrelflight's kin. Lionblaze tells Thornclaw to stop bringing up old quarrels and focus on their current problems. Thornclaw points out that the only reason they got into this trouble in the first place was because ThunderClan had too much faith in their leader, while Squirrelflight enters the clearing and immediately drops her prey onto the fresh-kill pile.
:Squirrelflight asks her Clanmates what is going on. Lionblaze tells her that Thornclaw is questioning ThunderClan's leadership. Thornclaw accuses the leader of abandoning her Clan, and Squirrelflight defends herself, telling him that she had to leave. Graystripe notes that Bramblestar is stuck between worlds and that no one knows where he is. Twigbranch suggests asking StarClan, and Jayfeather sarcastically asks her if they should go up to the stars and pull down their tails. Snaptooth asks why ancestors are so important if they only turns up if they want to. More ThunderClan warriors chime in on the argument. Flipclaw asks why they should follow StarClan-set traditions if they have abandoned the Clans. Lilyheart asks if he really thinks they have to give up the warrior code. Graystripe is stunned that other cats are agreeing with Flipclaw. The young warrior suggests that he needs to go for a wander, and leave the Clans for some time. Bristlefrost is very surprised, but Snaptooth agrees that he needs to leave too. Flywhisker and Thornclaw decide to leave as well. Graystripe tells Squirrelflight that he would like to leave as well. Murmurs of shock come from their surrounding Clanmates, and Squirrelflight gives him one moon to return to ThunderClan.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Other===
*Graystripe, Flipclaw, Snaptooth, Flywhisker, and Thornclaw leave ThunderClan for a moon.
==Trivia==
*This chapter aligns with chapter four of Darkness Within.
==Notes and references==
Category:Super Edition arc
Category:Graystripe's Vow
Category:Chapter subpages