“That seems far more likely,” Tigerstar put in, his amber eyes gleaming. “Every cat knows that prey has been scarce on ThunderClan territory since the fire. Your Clan is hungry, Bluestar, and some of your warriors know WindClan territory very well.”
Fireheart felt the ShadowClan leader’s gaze rest on him, and knew Tigerstar meant him and Graystripe.
Bluestar whipped around to face the ShadowClan leader. “Silence!” she hissed. “Stay away from me and my Clan. This is no business of yours.”
“It is the business of every cat in the forest,” Tigerstar replied calmly. “The Gathering is supposed to be a time of peace. If StarClan are angered, we will all suffer.”
“StarClan!” Bluestar spat back at him. “StarClan have turned away from us, and I will fight them if I have to. I care only for feeding my Clan, and I will not stand by while other cats steal our prey.”
Her speech was almost drowned by the shocked gasps of the cats listening below. Fireheart couldn’t help glancing up to see if StarClan would show their fury by sending a cloud to cover the moon and end the Gathering, as they had done once before. But the sky remained clear. Did that mean StarClan had accepted Bluestar’s declaration of war?
Graystripe nudged him. “What’s the matter with Bluestar? Does she want to pick a fight with WindClan? And what’s all this about fighting StarClan?”
“I don’t know what she wants,” Fireheart muttered.
“I think she’s right about the rabbits, and who cares what a stupid old tradition says about keeping the peace at the Gatherings?” meowed Cloudpaw. “Let’s face it, StarClan was just thought up by some leader to scare the other cats into being obedient.”
Fireheart shot his apprentice a disapproving glance, but there was no time to discuss his attitude toward their warrior ancestors. His heart thudded as if he were about to leap into battle. There was no way of hiding Bluestar’s madness—and ThunderClan’s vulnerability—from the other Clans now. Tallstar bristled with fury. So far Leopardstar had not joined in the argument, but she wore the expression of a cat who was about to sink her teeth into a juicy piece of fresh-kill.
When the noise in the hollow had died down, Tallstar made himself heard. “Bluestar, I swear by StarClan that no cat from WindClan has hunted on your territory.” His tail lashed from side to side. “But if you insist on fighting with us, we will be ready.” He retreated from the edge of the rock and turned his back on Bluestar, a pointed refusal to defend himself any further.
Before Bluestar could retaliate, Leopardstar stepped forward. “The fire was a terrible misfortune,” she meowed. “Every cat in the forest knows that, but yours is not the only Clan to suffer recently. Your forest will grow back as rich in prey as it ever was. But Twolegs have invaded our territory and they show no signs of leaving. Last leaf-bare the river was poisoned and cats who ate the fish fell ill. Who can guarantee it won’t happen again? I cannot speak for WindClan’s needs, but RiverClan needs better hunting ground even more than ThunderClan.”
A few RiverClan cats yowled their agreement, and Fireheart’s fur bristled with apprehension. He shot a glance at Graystripe, remembering his friend’s warning about Sunningrocks. The new RiverClan leader meant to expand her territory, and the logical direction was across the river into ThunderClan land. The gorge cut her off from WindClan territory, and all her other borders were bounded by Twoleg farms.
But Bluestar had not understood the veiled threat. When the RiverClan leader fell silent she dipped her head graciously. “You’re right, Leopardstar,” she meowed. “RiverClan has endured hard times. Yet your cats are so strong and noble that I know you will survive.”
Leopardstar looked taken aback—as well she might, Fireheart thought. The old Bluestar would never have missed the ominous promise in Leopardstar’s words.
Tigerstar took a step toward the ThunderClan leader. “Think carefully before you threaten WindClan, Bluestar,” he warned. “There will never be peace in the forest if—”
Bluestar bared her teeth and snarled at him, her fur bristling with fury. “Don’t talk to me about peace!” she hissed. “I told you to keep out of this. Unless you’re allying yourself with that thief over there.”
Fireheart watched Tallstar stalk over to Bluestar, and he guessed that the WindClan leader was barely managing not to spring at her throat. “If you want a fight, you’ll have one, Bluestar,” he growled. Not waiting for a reply, he leaped down from the rock.
Tigerstar exchanged a glance with Leopardstar and both leaders followed, leaving Bluestar alone. Fireheart glanced at the sky again, hardly able to believe there was no sign from StarClan to show that they had seen the Gathering descend into hostility. Did that mean StarClan wanted a war between the Clans?
As Bluestar scrambled down from the rock, Fireheart looked around for the other ThunderClan warriors. “Cloudpaw,” he instructed urgently, “round up as many of our warriors as you can find and send them to the base of the Great Rock. Bluestar will need an escort.”
His apprentice nodded and slipped away into the crowd. Fireheart saw Stonefur thrusting his way through the crowd toward Graystripe.
“Are you ready?” the RiverClan deputy meowed. “Leopardstar wants to leave quickly.”
“On my way,” Graystripe mewed, springing to his paws. His voice shook as he added, “Good-bye, Fireheart.”
“Good-bye,” Fireheart replied. There was so much more he wanted to say, but once again he had to face the fact that his best friend belonged to another Clan, and the next time they met could be in battle.
Before the two RiverClan cats turned away, he sought desperately for the right words to speak to Stonefur. “Congratulations,” he stammered at last. “I was glad to hear Leopardstar chose you as deputy. ThunderClan don’t want trouble, you know.”
Stonefur met his eyes. “Nor do I,” he meowed. “But sometimes trouble comes anyway.”
Fireheart watched them as they headed for the edge of the clearing, and noticed with a jolt that another cat had his gaze fixed on the RiverClan deputy. It was Tigerstar!
Fireheart wondered what his thoughtful look meant. Was the ShadowClan leader sizing up a future ally? Or could he possibly suspect that the tom was one of the kits Graypool had told him of, the kits that came from ThunderClan? After all, it was common knowledge that Stonefur and Mistyfoot had been raised by Graypool. If so, it wouldn’t be long before Tigerstar realized who their real mother was. Both Stonefur and Mistyfoot looked very much like Bluestar.
Fireheart was so preoccupied that it was a few moments before he realized that the cat sitting in the shadows beside Tigerstar was Darkstripe. He told himself that it was only natural for Tigerstar’s oldest friend to seek him out at a Gathering, but Fireheart didn’t like it. He still wasn’t sure of Darkstripe’s loyalty.
Springing to his paws, he pushed through the cats toward them. As he approached, he heard Tigerstar meow to his companion, “Are my kits well?”
“Very well,” the ThunderClan warrior replied warmly. “Growing big and strong—especially young Bramblekit.”
“Darkstripe!” Fireheart interrupted him. “The Gathering’s over, or hadn’t you noticed? Bluestar will want to leave shortly.”
“Keep your fur on, Fireheart.” Darkstripe’s voice was an insolent drawl. “I’m coming.”
“Go on, Darkstripe; you mustn’t keep your deputy waiting,” meowed Tigerstar. He nodded to Fireheart; his amber gaze was carefully neutral.
Fireheart padded across the clearing to join Bluestar with Darkstripe just behind him. The rest of her warriors were clustered around her, shielding her from the hostile glares and mutterings of WindClan. Her blue eyes still glowed with defiance, and Fireheart realized with a sinking heart that war between the two Clans could not be far away.