BraveClan's touching story/(3): Rediscovering Wonders from Darkness/17

## Part 17: Soon to be Dire Dangers

Same time as last chapter: Thunderflames, Tawnyclaw, Burntfur, Greenmoon, Leaffeather, Yarrowpaw, Sunpaw, Cloudflames and Specklewhisker all carried this unknown hurt cat who apparently saved the new warriors from a dog back to camp.

Tawnyclaw and Burntfur were still so shocked that a dog was about to kill them during their innocent talk. They also wondered who this cat was and if he heard them speak. They did spill some secret info, so they were worried. Fierylight had scolded her two kits as the unknown cat did for just gossiping on patrol without actually hunting or watching out for danger. The two humbly and submissively apologized to her.

Hopekit, their younger sister, and Heatherkit, their first cousin twice removed (their cousin Bravestar's granddaughter through Cloudflames), both watched the medicine cats and Emberheart work on the cat with intrigue. Hopekit asked Heatherkit if she was interested in medicine and she nodded, and Hopekit nodded, too. Hopekit also felt sympathy for her older siblings.

Sunpaw and Yarrowpaw barrelled Tawnyclaw and Burntfur with questions about what exactly happened, and the older two half-tried to deflect them, knowing they both thrived on gossip.

Cloudflames and Specklewhisker reported to Bravestar and Shadowcreek, and they were both surprised that it happened, so they decided to question him a little bit.

The hurt white-colored tom didn't volunteer his name or affiliations, but he simply said that he was a lost cat from another Clan who happened to encounter the two littermates, and the dog had suddenly pounced from a bush, so he rushed to protect them. The two littermates agreed with his story.

Shadowcreek and Greenmoon were a little worried that he might be a DarkClan cat, but the former's mate and kits (Legacy Prophecy cats) said that they didn't recall seeing him in the DarkClan battle during their previous life, except for Bravestar since it was his current life. Cloudflames also said that he was the one fighting on the frontlines as Skysoar along with his son, Snowpounce, and he saw no cat that looked like this one. Leaffeather also said he was fighting on the frontlines as Autumnthorn.

Of course, they only talked with the Legacy Prophecy cats and Shadowcreek and Greenmoon, so no one else heard, especially the unknown cat.

Fierylight, Destinyflower and Warmtail thought he looked familiar, especially the latter two, and they thought he may be the cat who smashed into the tree while chasing them, but they couldn't be sure as there were a ton of white-pelted cats in DarkClan and in the forest. Also, they didn't necessarily hang out with other Clanmates in DarkClan.

Hopekit told the unknown cat, "You must be a good cat if you saved my siblings!" The cat looked pleasantly surprised. She continued, "Can I try treating you? Don't tell anyone, though, because I am probably not allowed, but I think they were using Marigoldstar—I meant marigold."

The cat just shrugged and whispered humorously, "You look like a tiny medicine cat."

"I am too young to be one, but I could learn," replied Hopekit thoughtfully. "But you can call me a medicine kit." Heatherkit asked Hopekit and the hurt cat if she could do it, too, and they both agreed.

After Bravestar thought he was okay to leave the Clan, he asked the cat if he wanted to stay. The cat shook his head, as he said that he was worried his Clan would look for him. Bravestar didn't know in what nature that was, but he just nodded. Then he asked the cat how he would get back if he didn't know the way and the cat simply said that he would figure it out by himself. He also thanked the Clan for treating his wound. Bravestar just accepted the appreciation and let him go on his way.

Hopekit, Heatherkit, Tawnyclaw and Burntfur looked sad and longing to spend more time with him when he left. Shadowcreek and Greenmoon looked slightly relieved.

Bravestar had noticed Hopekit and Heatherkit's interest in medicine and told Leaffeather and Greenmoon, and they both agreed with him. Greenmoon said she would mentor them when they became six moons of age. This left Bravestar nine kits to become apprentices, which was pretty enigmatic for him as he had never had a time, or any leader, perhaps, where more than six kits (like his kits and Greenmoon's kits) were becoming apprentices or warriors within the same half-moon. But now there were eleven kits, two who wanted to become medicine cats.

### ~~Day after~~

A day after at nighttime, while he was sleeping in the leader's den with Shadowcreek, he heard a frightened yowl of a warrior. Both him and his mate woke up in a quick flash and wondered what had happened until a clawed-up Cloudflames ran inside. His muzzle and flanks had claw marks on them. A limping Specklewhisker also came in. Upon seeing this, Bravestar and Shadowcreek thought the worst had happened.

They alerted all of the warriors and apprentice who groggily went out of their dens, and they were shocked to see who the enemies were. Marigoldstar also woke up in the warriors' den (since she wasn't an actual leader of BraveClan, she didn't sleep inside the leader's den) and ordered all the warriors to fight.

The enemies were rogues, and there were a couple dozen of them. Emberheart and Cloudflames remembered those awful rogues that came at the last moment of the civil battle and they fearfully wondered if they were from the same group. Since they were hiding in the crevices of two different dens with their kits, they didn't see every rogue come, but a few came inside the den they were in, but not the crevice. The other cats told them exactly what happened, too.

They didn't mean to wake the queens and kits, but they heard the ear-piercing yowls, too, and woke up. When the queens figured out what was going on, they made sure to keep an eye on the kits and assure them everything was okay. The mates of the queens (and fathers of the kits) checked up on them to make sure they were safe. The queens decided that they should also try to fight, since they weren't nursing or expecting, except for Destinyflower and Rainingclaw.

Destinyflower lamented that she couldn't fight, but then she figured that her light prophecy power wasn't directly used in fighting, anyway. Marigoldstar and Warmtail made sure to touch everyone to make them confident and happy about winning this battle, and Fierylight was a good navigation in the dark, although rogues tended to pay attention to her, but she was a good warrior. And other cats could see her and help her if she was in trouble.

With Bravestar having nine lives and Marigoldstar eight, they went onto the front lines and fought the hardest. The legacy prophecy cats had good knowledge of what to do in battle, especially Leaffeather and Emberheart who had both medicine cat and warrior training throughout their three/two lives, but Greenmoon did, too, from being a warrior originally, so the medicine cats fought with the warriors as well. However, the three stopped whenever a cat got injured to treat them.

There were no casualties, but Bravestar and Marigoldstar lost two lives each. However, the rogues got major wounds, and BraveClan cats mostly minor. When they learned that they had won the battle due to the rogues retreating, they celebrated their strength and teamwork. The apprentices fought just as hard, so they also celebrated. Yarrowpaw and Sunpaw became warriors a half-moon early, to Sootmist and Tawnyclaw's delight. They were named Yarrowlight and Sunstrike.

Desertpaw asked Bravestar if he could be a warrior, too, but Bravestar said that while he did a good job, he still had a little more to learn. This disappointed the apprentice, but Bravestar cheered him up by giving him a free day off, which he was excited about. The other apprentices wanted this, too, so he gave them all a free day off, and all the apprentices were happy that they could spend time with each other and the kits. Minnowpaw's leg got scratched greatly, so she was happy that she could rest her leg.

Bravestar consulted the prophecy cats (including Destinyflower and Rainingclaw who went to the secret meeting place carefully to prevent any problems with their kits) and the deputy and his mate, Shadowcreek, and the eldest medicine cat, Greenmoon, the next day and shared his worries about how this would have happened.

Leaffeather said that he got a dream about very dark-glowing cats, who appeared to be sucking the light out, entering the camp, right before the battle. He was going to alert everyone when he woke up but the enemies were already here. He thought that they might be DarkClan, or the Dark Forest. Shadowcreek said she was very relieved that it wasn't either one, but just a rogue group. Leaffeather replied in a worried tone that he thought they might have something to do with them, however. Greenmoon agreed anxiously.

Fierylight suggested that they keep a stark lookout for any danger, and have more guards than just two cats. Warmtail agreed and added that they should have a cat guarding each den, especially the nursery. Destinyflower pointed out that the queens who weren't expecting could defend the nursery themselves, and alert the other warriors. Marigoldstar and Rainingclaw said that DarkClan went to the Dark Forest after they died, so they both technically counted as one group. They also said that the rogue group could be affiliated with the Dark Forest.

Emberheart and Cloudflames also talked about the rogues that attacked the Clan right after its civil battle in lieu of an opportunity to steal a camp for themselves, and shared their worries that the rogues who attacked could possibly be their descendants, or a reinstated version of that rogue group. The other two siblings agreed, but they didn't have as much to say about it as in their second lives, the time it happened, they were only young kits.

Bravestar was also worried about this, as he heard what happened from his grandparents and great-grandparents, especially his maternal grandmother Heatherfern, who got severely attacked by a rogue while she was pregnant, but thankfully her kits, Maizelight and Fierylight, didn't die as she wasn't attacked in that area. And Bluetail, too, who was Heatherfern's mother, so his great-grandmother. Since she sort of caused it, she expressed guilt about it to him and Shadowkit (who was also her great-granddaughter through Skysoar and Snowpounce), so he knew what it might have been like.

Greenmoon said that she wondered if DarkClan would come soon, and she was very scared if so. She also wondered if that unknown cat had something to do with DarkClan, and Shadowcreek agreed with her. They had a gut feeling. The three light prophecy cats expressed their concerns about that cat, and Destinyflower and her mate said that he looked familiar, but they couldn't be sure as they didn't really mingle a lot with their Clanmates in DarkClan. The cats anxiously wondered if they should have treated him, and if they should have been stronger and more protective and secure of themselves instead.

Emberheart also mentioned the rogue battle that killed Fallstar, Tansywood, Purefur and Leafgleam long ago. The only other cats who understood completely were Leaffeather and Cloudflames as they also fought in that battle (the former dying), and the other cats asked them to explain, including Bravestar and Rainingclaw since they were still dead at the time. Leaffeather solemnly nodded and remembered bleeding to death. Then he remembered joining StarClan and seeing the other three cats join StarClan. It was very hard to see his niece, Purefur, whom his sister, Ashthistle, gave her life for, join StarClan, but he knew that Purefur had tried to save Skysoar, her grandmother and Leoparddaisy.

Emberheart also remembered Purefur's death and how he was sad that she had died saving Skysoar, and he was angry at those rogues ever since. He had other things to keep his mind on, though, and he had almost completely gotten over her death until rogues came after that civil battle. But he tried to focus on the looming dangers at the time, such as DarkClan. But this battle they just had reminded him of those cats who died from rogues.

Cloudflames also remembered Purefur and was eternally grateful to her ever since, so that he could continue his legacy and reincarnate, since he didn't have Snowpounce at the time, thanks to her. But like Emberheart and Leaffeather, he was really sad about her and Fallstar's death.

Leaffeather said that he always wondered how Rainleaf died ever since that battle, but Rainingclaw simply said that she had tried to drink water from the lake, and then she fell in by accident and drowned. The other cats were a little suspicious of her quick description, since Rainleaf was an excellent warrior, especially Leaffeather, but they shook it off.

Then she said that she wanted to be reincarnated sooner so that she could get a new life, but she knew she was the deputy so she couldn't do that, but a rogue pushed her into the lake sooner than she wanted to die, and so Reedstorm, later Reedstar, became the new deputy. Rainingclaw then proceeded to blame herself for the civil battle and the near-fall of BraveClan, but the other cats discouraged her for thinking so, especially Leaffeather, as he remembered Bluetail's words.

Cloudflames said that he wondered if the rogues who killed Fallstar and the other three cats and the rogues who attacked right after the civil battle were the same as the rogues who attacked them now, and Emberheart agreed. Fierylight told everyone that she thought that they might have to get some information and guidance from StarClan on who these rogues exactly were, and those rogues who attacked BraveClan in the past, and everyone agreed.

Bravestar remembered that he had come to Bluetail while still being in StarClan and told her, "My girl, you have yet more to learn about the Clans. And the prophecy. It is where you will find the fifth cat from your descendant." He also remembered that he was finally reincarnated after several generations, even though the prophecy didn't work like that. But he thought that he may have been an exception, as he was destined to start the Clan again, as he did in his first life. He did remember the other StarClan cats holding him back for a long time before he came back as Bravestar.

From then on, they kept a close eye on all the dens. A few cats were chosen each night to guard the dens, and one non-expecting queen for the nursery. There were no strange or unexpected attacks for the next moon.

### ~~The next moon~~

The next moon, Bravestar looked at Desertpaw and Jumppaw. They were going to be warriors in a half-moon, and they were training so well with their mentors, Thunderflames and Diamondhare. Their mentors were also proud of them.

Since Bravestar and Shadowcreek still remembered that battle from last moon, they appointed Fierylight, Tawnyclaw, Sunstrike, Emberheart and Lynxdaisy to guard the leader, apprentice, warrior, medicine cat dens, and the nursery respectively, for the night.

Fierylight assured them that nothing bad would happen as she did every day. Glowing in the dark like a nightlight, she sat in front of the leader's den. The other four agreed with the senior warrior and silently hoped no attack happened like it did last moon.

The leader's den was the closest den to the entrance of the camp along with the warriors' den, so Fierylight and Sunstrike were paying special attention to the entrance.

Tawnyclaw secretly wished that that white cat could have joined the Clan, but he knew that would have been against the cat's wish, but he was eternally grateful. He wondered how he could make it up to him. Sunstrike was happy that she would be guarding her friends who were apprentices, but would later become warriors with her. Emberheart was thinking about Greenmoon and Leaffeather and running the herbs and their special properties in his mind over and over again as he prepared for injured cats, which he usually did in his second life, this life. Lynxdaisy was checking up on all the queens and kits, especially her kits, every few minutes or so. She also paid special attention to Hopekit who was with Diamondhare as her mother was far away from the nursery right now.

At midnight, when it was totally dark except for Fierylight's glow to guide them, the senior warrior and the young warrior guarding the two closest dens to the entrance heard a rustle from the bushes. It seemed like this unknown creature had walked onto Clan territory and was about to enter the camp. The two she-cats were alert and told the other three who were also alarmed by this.

Then the creature's silhouette came closer and closer, and it seemed to be following Fierylight's glow. The glowing warrior decided to yowl at the creature, saying, "Don't come any closer! We aren't *weak!"*

The creature stopped for a moment. Then it spoke. "Eh? Are you-you BraveClan?" It sounded like a she-cat.

None of the five cats recognized who it was, but Marigoldstar must have heard the yowl of Fierylight and that she-cat speak and exited the den. She still hadn't fallen asleep as she was too worried about DarkClan and the other SunClan cats.

Marigoldstar seemed to recognize the voice as she said, "Dewflower? You're *here?!"*

The other cats were confused, but Marigoldstar briefly explained that Dewflower was with Fenikfight and Firerain in their warrior ceremony.

Then Dewflower, the she-cat, gasped. "Marigoldstar! You entered *BraveClan?! I am so glad!"*

The SunClan leader nodded and touched noses with the young warrior, who must have been a full-grown cat by now. The other cats were relieved that it wasn't an enemy cat but a lost SunClan cat instead. Marigoldstar was, too, but she was the most relieved as another SunClan cat had found BraveClan. She secretly wished she would have found BraveClan before she had to disband the Clan, but she didn't know about it. But she thought that the SunClan cats who ran off in separate groups would have been with BraveClan, and they could have defeated DarkClan all together.

*Don't worry, my kit,* she thought she heard Pollenhaze say. *It's not your fault. It is simply destiny. And a dark one, too. But there will be surely only light straight ahead on your path. The path you choose next decides the situations you venture into. But a lot of things are not decided by you. Some are caused by the Dark Forest.*

She decided to listen to her mother as she was right. Then she noticed something next to Dewflower. She noticed from the glow of Fierylight a body of a cat with her. Then she looked at Dewflower questioningly and asked, "Who is this?"

Dewflower looked sad. "He got killed trying to save me from a dog."

Tawnyclaw did a sharp intake of air and asked in a flash, "Is it that white-pelted cat who saved me and Burntfur from another dog?!"

Dewflower was confused until Marigoldstar explained the basic details. Then Dewflower gasped again. "He told me about that! He is that cat! His name is Frozenbreeze!"

Fierylight had a flash of a memory of an apprentice named Frozenpaw training with his mentor, Streamtail... in DarkClan. "Is he a DarkClan cat by any chance?" she asked. The other five cats gave her a confused look, but Dewflower's eyes widened again. "Yes! He is!"

The younger she-cat gave them all the details of what he told her, and Marigoldstar understood. It was Frozenbreeze's destiny to die, and she thought he might go to StarClan for saving three cats from dogs.

Marigoldstar alerted all the warriors and medicine cats and the BraveClan leader about the newcomer, and told them what happened. The Clan was very surprised about it, but they agreed to bury the dead body and do a vigil for him. Tawnyclaw and Burntfur were both deeply saddened by his death so they both partook in it. The former cat and the other four were already guarding, anyway, so they did the vigil, too. Marigoldstar decided to partake in the vigil, too, along with Dewflower.

Tawnyclaw wondered gloomily why he had to die, but he secretly hoped that Frozenbreeze went to StarClan despite being a DarkClan cat. He whispered this to Sunstrike and Burntfur and they both agreed.

Bravestar allowed Dewflower to join the Clan, of course, and told her the basic details of what happened in BraveClan history, including the two prophecies. Dewflower was very shocked and confused, but she was also positive about it.

For some reason, Leaffeather got reminded of Hailey and Kitty Spots from seeing Frozenbreeze's dead body. *What would Minnowkit have done?* he wondered, as he still tried to think about it. He didn't have to do the vigil since he was a medicine cat, but he looked at the grave and wondered about Sparksoar, Hailey's littermate.

*But if you were wondering why I showed you this, then let me tell you a secret... they did have kits with other cats. Those kits... may have travelled far away from their Twoleghouse, and interacted with us. If it is true, then it is way, way more dire than we ever thought, even for StarClan,* he remembered Bluetail's words. *Is she a mother or grandmother of a DarkClan cat?* Rainingclaw had asked in shock. For a moment he wondered if Frozenbreeze descended from Minnowkit or Hazykit.

Emberheart had a dream the day before of a dark warrior jumping in front of a light warrior, and he got bit by a dog and died. But as he died light started filling up the darkness and the light rose up to the sky and to the stars. He wasn't sure what it meant at the time, but now he wondered if the dark-turned-light warrior was Frozenbreeze.

He looked up at the stars and remembered the civil battle and the DarkClan raid. He had never seen Frozenbreeze there, so he knew the dead cat was pure and went to his destiny up in the stars.