Firestar’s Quest

A young black-and-silver she-cat rose to her paws in the clearing below. “Swiftstar,” she called, “as your medicine cat, I can tell you that StarClan won’t be pleased if the rest of us drive out SkyClan. There have always been five Clans in the forest.”

Swiftstar looked down at his medicine cat. “You say you know the will of StarClan, Larkwing, but can you tell me why the moon is still shining? If StarClan didn’t agree that SkyClan should leave the forest, they would send clouds to cover the sky.”

Larkwing shook her head, unable to answer her leader’s question.

Cloudstar’s eyes stretched wide with disbelief. “Five Clans have lived in this forest for longer than any cat can remember. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

“Things change,” Redstar replied. “Is it possible that the will of StarClan has changed also? StarClan gave each Clan the skills they need to survive in their own territory. RiverClan cats swim well. ThunderClan are good at stalking prey in the undergrowth. SkyClan cats can leap into trees because there’s not much cover in their territory. Doesn’t this mean that each Clan couldn’t live in another Clan’s territory?”

A thin tomcat with rumpled black fur rose from where he sat at the base of the Great Rock. “You keep saying that StarClan wants five Clans in the forest, but are you sure that’s true? There are four oaks here at Fourtrees. That could be a sign that there should be only four Clans.”

“SkyClan don’t belong here,” hissed a silver tabby beside him. “Let’s drive them out now.”

The SkyClan warriors bristled as one, unsheathing long, curved claws.

“Stop!” Cloudstar called. “Warriors of SkyClan, we are not cowards, but this is a battle we cannot win. We have seen tonight what the warrior code is worth. From now on we will be alone, and we will depend on no cat but ourselves.”

He leaped down from the Great Rock and shouldered a path through his warriors until he came face-to-face with a beautiful light brown tabby. Two tiny kits were mewling pitifully at her paws.

“Cloudstar.” The she-cat’s voice was a murmur of distress.

“Our kits are too small to make a long journey. I’ll stay here with them, if any Clan will have us.”

Kestrelwing, the ThunderClan medicine cat, pushed his way between two SkyClan warriors, ignoring their snarls, and bent his head to sniff the kits. “You will all be welcome in ThunderClan.”

“Are you sure?” Cloudstar challenged him. “After what your leader said to us today?”

“I believe my leader was wrong,” Kestrelwing meowed.

“But he won’t condemn helpless kits to die. They will have a future in ThunderClan, and so will you, Birdflight.”

The light brown cat dipped her head. “Thank you.” She turned to Cloudstar, sorrow brimming in her amber eyes.

“Then this is good-bye.”

“Birdflight, no.” The SkyClan leader looked horrified.

“How can I leave you?”

“You must.” Birdflight’s voice quavered. “Our Clan needs you, but our kits need me just now.”

Cloudstar bowed his head. “I’ll wait for you,” he whispered. “I’ll wait for you forever.” He pressed his muzzle against Birdflight’s side. “Stay with Kestrelwing. He’ll find warriors to help carry the kits back to ThunderClan’s camp.”

To the ThunderClan medicine cat, he added, “Take care of them.”

Kestrelwing nodded. “Of course.”

With a last anguished look at his mate, Cloudstar signaled with his tail to the rest of his Clan. “Follow me.”

He led the way toward the slope, but before he could plunge into the bushes Redstar called from the top of the Great Rock, “May StarClan go with you!”

Cloudstar turned and fixed a cold gaze on the cat he had once called friend. “StarClan may go where they please,” he hissed. “They have betrayed SkyClan. From this day on, I will have nothing more to do with our warrior ancestors.” He ignored the gasps of shock around him, some from his own Clan. “StarClan allowed the Twolegs to destroy our home.

They look down on us now, and let the moon go on shining while you drive us out. They said there would always be five Clans in the forest, but they lied. SkyClan will never look to the stars again.”

With a last flick of his tail he vanished into the bushes, and the rest of his Clan followed.

Chapter 1

Firestar slid around the edge of a hazel thicket and paused to taste the air. The moon was nearly full, and he could see that he was close to where the stream followed the border with ShadowClan. He could hear its faint gurgling, and picked up traces of the ShadowClan scent markers.

The flame-colored tomcat allowed himself a soft purr of satisfaction. He had been leader of ThunderClan for three seasons, and he felt as if he knew every tree, every bramble bush, every tiny path left by mice and voles throughout his territory. Since the fearsome battle when the forest Clans had joined together to drive out BloodClan and their murderous leader, Scourge, there had been peace, and the long days of newleaf and greenleaf had brought plentiful prey.