ThunderClan's Despair: Chapter Sixteen

ThunderClan’s Despair
Chapter Sixteen

     Owlpaw had never run so fast in her life. Her entire body seemed to ache, every step sending agony to her wounds, but she kept pushing herself forward faster and faster. She had to reach the camp and get help. If she wasn’t fast enough, Chestnutpaw and Ravenfrost would die.

     She finally reached the edge of camp, hurling herself through the gorse tunnel and skidding gracelessly into the sandy ravine. There were cries of surprise at her entrance, cats hurrying over to her. She halted, legs trembling, and desperately trying to draw air back into her lungs. Through her haze of exhaustion and fear, she could hear her Clanmates crowding around her, crying in shock and fear at her exhausted, bloody appearance. Over the general cries of the crowd, Owlpaw felt a paw on her back, steadying her, and heard her father’s worried mew. “Owlpaw, what is it?” Leapingfish asked. “What’s wrong?”

     The she-cat shook her head, panting too hard to speak. The moment she could manage speech again, she gasped, “Danger!” Speaking made her throat burn even worse, but she forced herself to keep going. “Ravenfrost… and Chestnutpaw! They need help!”

     Somewhere nearby, Brindlerose gasped at the news of Chestnutpaw being in danger. “Where?” she demanded, pushing to the front of her crowd. The tortoiseshell warrior’s amber eyes were wide with terror.

     “Towards the sandy hollow,” Owlpaw panted. “In the clearing, with the redwood stump.” The she-cat took a few, deep breathes before explaining in more detail. “We were attacked, I didn’t see what attacked us, I just heard Ravenfrost tell me to run and get help.” She considered telling them the nature of the danger they were in, but decided against it. Something told her that her Clanmates wouldn’t believe their noble leader was a killer until they saw it with their own eyes.

     Even now, it seemed some of her Clanmates already didn’t believe her. Brightcloud and Hawkshade were glaring at her with suspicion, and a few other cats were glancing away, muttering uncertainly. Owlpaw felt a blaze of impatience. “Come on!” she hissed, glaring at her Clanmates. “What are you waiting for?”

     It was Eagleflight who finally spoke. “How do we know you’re not leading us into a trap?” the she-cat rasped. Owlpaw’s eyes widened at the accusation. Eagleflight didn’t look completely comfortable with accusing her Clanmate, but there was definitely suspicion in her expression, and fear. Looking around at the rest of her Clanmates, Owlpaw could see they shared the same fear. So many of their loved ones had been murdered, they were afraid of trusting anyone anymore, including Owlpaw.

     Leapingfish whirled on Eagleflight, hackles raised. “How dare you accuse me daughter of that!” he spat. “She’s loyal to ThunderClan!”

     “You can’t prove that!” Brightcloud hissed. She swept her tail protectively in front of her kits, spitting, “For all you know, Owlpaw is the killer, or is working for them.”

     Owlpaw felt a flash of impatience. “Do you think I clawed myself up like this for fun?” she snarked, glaring at the silver queen.

     Brightcloud glared back, but before she could retort, Hawkshade spoke up. “She’s right. How do we know this isn’t some kind of trap to leave the camp exposed to attack?” Owlpaw’s anger deflated. She could see the fear in her Clanmates’ eyes, and she understood that fear and suspicion, because she had been feeling it for the past two moons. She knew they had no reason to trust her, but she had to make them believe her. Otherwise, Ravenfrost and Chestnutpaw would die, and she would never be able to prove that Splinterstar and Fawnmist had done it.

     Leapingfish’s eyes blazed with fury. “My daughter is no killer! Owlpaw is a loyal cat of ThunderClan, and I’ll fight any cat who tries to hurt her for something she hasn’t done!” He stepped protectively in front of Owlpaw, back arched and fangs bared as he shielded his daughter from her suspicious Clanmates.

     Owlpaw stepped out from behind Leapingfish. He cast a fearful glance her way, but she ignored him, taking a step towards her Clanmates. She felt a brush of fear as her kin turned their suspicious glances her way, but forced herself to face them calmly. “I know you’re scared,” she started, trying to meet every cat’s gaze in turn. The cats who had raised her, who had been there for her in times of sadness and joy, some who she disliked, some she hated, some she loved, but all of whom were her Clan. “We’ve all lost cats we’ve loved, and we’re afraid of each other, because any of us could be the one who took those we loved from us.”

     The ginger she-cat stretched her muzzle forward, pleading with her Clanmates to listen to her. “I can’t prove that I’m not leading you into a trap. But I’m begging you. My best friend is in danger. If we don’t go to him soon, he’ll die, and it’ll be because I couldn’t save him. Please, believe me.”

     Some of her Clanmates still hesitated. But Brindlerose cast a glance towards Owlpaw, filled with both sympathy for the she-cat and fear for her son. Then, she turned to their Clanmates. “Please,” she rasped, tone heavy with fear. “Please. I’ve already lost my daughter. I can’t fail Chestnutpaw too. I can’t let him die.”

     As Brindlerose spoke, Owlpaw saw the suspicion fade from the few cats who hadn’t been convinced by the apprentice’s words. Even Brightcloud’s eyes had softened. She glanced at her kits, grief sharp in her gaze. Owlpaw guessed she was thinking of Mistkit. With a sigh, the silver queen looked back up at Brindlerose. “I’ll come,” she mewed, to Owlpaw’s surprise. “We can’t just stand by and let our kits be slaughtered.”

     “I’ll come too,” Hawkshade growled, anger lighting in his eyes. “If Owlpaw is telling the truth, it’s my sister out there.”

     “And my daughter,” Tawnyfeather croaked, stepping out from the crowd. “I’ll come too.”

     The other cats looked back at him in surprise. Hawkshade looked at his father, protesting, “But-”

     “I know I’m retired,” the skinny brown tom said calmly. “And I know I’m not as young and strong as I used to be. But it’s my daughter out there. It’s my Clan, my family that is being slaughtered. I made a vow, same as every cat here, and being an elder does not stop me from having a duty to serve and protect the cats of my Clan.”

     Owlpaw’s heart was warmed by the support of her Clanmates, but she was painfully aware of how long this was taking. “Please, we have to hurry,” she begged. “They don’t have much time.”

     Hawkshade lifted his chin, a determined gleam to his eyes. “Right,” he growled. “Let’s get a patrol ready to go.”

     The black-and-white tom quickly organized the Clan into a patrol. There were so few cats left alive, that by the time the patrol was assembled, only Sageflower and Tumbleberry were left to look after the kits in camp. Owlpaw could see the fear in Sageflower’s eyes as she started to herd the kits into the nursery, but there was no suspicion as she turned to look back at Owlpaw. “Hurry to help your Clanmates,” she told her apprentice. “May StarClan grant that you are not too late.” Owlpaw dipped her head to her mentor, watching as she and Tumbleberry led Brightcloud’s kits into the nursery.

     Once they were safe in the nursery, Hawkshade gathered the patrol by the camp’s entrance. His gaze fell upon Owlpaw, and he rumbled, “Lead the way.”

     “Right. Let’s hurry!” Owlpaw didn’t wait to see what he said in reply. She took off, pelting out of the camp and into the forest, her legs sending her forward as fast as her aching muscles could manage. Behind her, she heard the pounding of many paws, the sound of a Clan, united even in terror and doubt, rushing into battle.

     It didn’t take them long to reach the redwood stump. Owlpaw heard her Clanmates gasp at the sight that awaited them, and her own heart seized up when she saw what had become of the cats she’d left behind.

     Fawnmist was dead. That was immediately obvious. The pale tabby she-cat was splayed out on the ground, her head tilted at an odd angle, her pelt covered with the scars and blood of battle. Blood dripped from her still-snarling jaws, and her golden eyes glazed over in a final, hateful glare.

     Splinterstar had recovered from losing his life, and was up and fighting. Ravenfrost was giving it her all, matching the leader blow for blow, but she was holding one of front legs oddly, and she was bleeding heavily from a gash on her flank. Chestnutpaw was doing his best to help her, ducking in and out to give quick nips to Splinterstar and distract him from Ravenfrost’s attacks, but Owlpaw was alarmed to see how slowly he was moving. His injuries must have been weakening him greatly.

     “What in the name of StarClan?” she heard Hawkshade gasp behind her, but she didn’t pay him any attention. Her heart froze in fear as she saw Splinterstar whirl on Chestnutpaw, front paws raised, and his hooked claws ready to strike.

     “No!” Owlpaw hurtled herself forward, throwing herself at Splinterstar and slamming into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

     She tried to get up quickly, but Splinterstar was quicker, looming over her and poised to strike. But before he could bring his claws swiping down towards her, Leapingfish and Tawnyfeather yanked him off of her, allowing Owlpaw to scramble free. Splinterstar’s eyes burned with rage as Eagleflight and Brightcloud joined their Clanmates in blocking Splinterstar, blocking him from attacking Owlpaw again. The thick-pelted tom gazed wildly between the four cats, fury blazing in his eyes, but he knew this was a fight he couldn’t win. He let out a frustrated hiss.

     Now that Splinterstar was being watched, Owlpaw turned her attention away from him, looking behind her. She was surprised by the sight that awaited her. Brindlerose had hurried to her son’s side, the wounded tom leaning heavily against her as she nosed his pelt and licked his wounds soothingly. But she wasn’t the only one. She had missed it when she’d arrived, too focused on the fighting cats, but other cats were stirring.

     Owlpaw’s heart filled up with intense, dizzying relief. Oakpaw and Shrewpaw had moved from the motionless heaps they had been, when she had thought them to be dead. Volenose was fussing over Oakpaw, covering his head in a flurry of licks, while Hawkshade was helping Shrewpaw to her paws, allowing his daughter to lean against him as he sniffed at the blood on her head. His eyes were lit up with worry, and he murmured something to her, Shrewpaw giving a tiny shake of her head in reply.

     Legs suddenly weak with relief, Owlpaw hurried over to her friends. She went to Shrewpaw first, purring with all her might as she butted her head against Shrewpaw’s neck. Shrewpaw stumbled a bit under the enthusiasm of her greeting, but soon leaned into the embrace, her purring making her pelt tremble against Owlpaw’s cheek.

     “Thank StarClan,” Owlpaw breathed. “I thought you were dead.”

     Shrewpaw purred weakly, closing her eyes. “I would’ve died to save you,” she murmured. Owlpaw was purring to hard to reply.

     She heard faltering pawsteps nearby, and soon Oakpaw was there, pressing his muzzle against Owlpaw’s shoulder, and Chesnutpaw joined not long after, nuzzled between Owlpaw and Shrewpaw. Owlpaw was surrounded by her denmates, her friends, all of them purring so loudly with relief and love for each other that her ears were filled with nothing but the sound of their purrs. She closed her eyes, totally content, her wounds forgotten.

     The moment was interrupted by a nearby snarl. “Splinterstar?” All four apprentices looked up, drawn back into the immediate danger of the moment.

     Brindlerose was staring at Splinterstar, gazing at the wounded, snarling tom as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She gazed back at the apprentices, suddenly looking as lost as a kit. “Will someone please explain to met what’s going on? Why was Splinterstar attacking my son, and why is Fawnmist dead?” Brightcloud, Eagleflight, Leapingfish, and Tawnyfeather had stepped back from Splinterstar, but they were still facing against him, blocking him from the wounded apprentices and deputy. Volenose and Hawkshade, satisfied that their kits were safe, came up to join them, forming ranks with their Clanmates as they stood against their leader. They didn’t seem to understand what was going on, but they weren’t about to let Splinterstar harm the young cats of their Clan.

     Owlpaw padded towards her Clanmates, her denmates following behind. The apprentices came to stand in line with their Clanmates, glaring down Splinterstar. “It was him,” Shrewpaw growled. The white she-cat was unsteady on her paws, still woozy from her injuries, but Owlpaw supported her, and there was still strength in her glare as she growled, “Splinterstar was the killer all along.”

     Gasps came from the ThunderClan cats. Volenose and Leapingfish were looking at Splinterstar with expressions of hurt and betrayal, while the older cats like Tawnyfeather and Brindlerose were staring at Splinterstar as if their world was crumbling. “You… you killed Petalpaw?” Brindlerose breathed, amber eyes welling with tears. Splinterstar didn’t reply. He seemed to decided words weren’t his effort anymore, choosing instead to glare at his Clanmates in hateful, defiant silence.

     “And Seedspeckle, and Redbird, and Mistkit, and all of the rest,” Oakpaw growled, staring down the leader. “He’s been picking us all off, one by one.”

     “They’re right.” That came from Ravenfrost. The massive black she-cat limped forward, coming to stand beside Hawkshade. The littermates had never gotten along particularly well, but there was clear concern in Hawkshade’s eyes as he sniffed at Ravenfrost’s leg. Owlpaw felt a twinge of concern as she held it up gingerly - was it broken? “I found Splinterstar attacking the apprentices. Fawnmist was helping him.” She cast a careless glance at the body of the medicine cat. “They would have killed the young cats and me if Owlpaw had not brought you all here.”

     Owlpaw tipped her head, gazing curiously at the deputy. “How did you know where to find us?” she asked curiously. Ravenfrost had seemed to come out of nowhere to save her from Splinterstar.

     Ravenfrost gazed at the apprentices with something like amusement in her gaze. “I’m not a fool,” she grunted. “I didn’t know why Chestnutpaw had been following me that day, almost a moon ago.” Chestnutpaw flattened his ears in embarrassment. “At first, I wondered whether he was the killer, or one of the killers. But I realized it wasn’t likely, when I remembered Petalpaw was his sister. It took me a while to figure out you were all keeping an eye on me, but I started noticing there was an apprentice on all of my patrols, and even when I hunted alone, I started to be able to notice someone following me at all times. The four of you were shadowing me.”

     The apprentices all glanced away awkwardly, shuffling their paws, Shrewpaw clearing her throat. “Sorry,” Oakpaw mewed, embarrassed. “We, er, we thought you were the killer.”

     Amusement lit up in Ravenfrost’s ice-blue eyes. “I figured as much,” she said. “Once I figured out you were watching me, I decided to keep an eye on you. I figured you four mousebrains would get yourselves into trouble one way or another. When I realized none of you were in camp earlier, or keeping an eye on me, I realized something was wrong. I followed your scents out into the forest, and that’s when I found Splinterstar and Fawnmist attacking you.”

     Owlpaw blinked gratefully at the black she-cat. “I’m sorry we misjudged you,” she said sincerely. She had been far too eager to believe Ravenfrost was the murderer, because she had wanted so badly to know who had killed her mother. It had been wrong of her to jump to the conclusion so quickly. Beside her, Owlpaw’s denmates murmured in agreement.

     “It’s quite alright,” Ravenfrost grunted. “Every cat’s been suspecting each other for the last moon or so.”

     “But why?” Eagleflight asked, voice rising in pitch with desperation. “Why did he kill them all?” She gazed at Splinterstar, searching his expression for something, any answer, but only finding hatred.

     It was Shrewpaw who answered. “Because of Lucy,” she said grimly, taking a step towards the leader. Owlpaw and the other apprentices stepped forward with her, Owlpaw continuing to support the white she-cat. “Because of what you did to her.” Shrewpaw glanced back at her Clanmates, her gaze coming to rest on Brindlerose, Leapingfish, Eagleflight, and Brightcloud in turn. Her green gaze hardened. “You let her die.”

     Brindlerose’s expression was instantly one of pure horror. Leapingfish and Eagleflight’s eyes widened as they realized what she was talking about. Only Brightcloud looked unfazed. “Who?” she asked. Owlpaw was overcome with outrage as she realized Brightcloud didn’t even remember the Clanmate she had betrayed all those moons ago.

     Splinterstar finally broke his silence. His yellow eyes blazed with rage as he roared at Brightcloud, “My mate! She was the cat I loved more than anything, she was my everything, and you sat back and watched her die because of where she was born!” His jaws were foaming, and his eyes were glazed over with pure rage; he looked almost rabid in his fury.

     Brightcloud took a step back in fear, eyes wide. “What, that kittypet?” she mewed in surprise. “You… you killed my daughter over that twoleg pet?” The disgust was clear in her mew. Owlpaw fought the urge to rake her ears over the hateful queen’s ears.

     The leader’s eyes lit up with fury at the insult to his mate. “She was more noble than any of you foxhearts who call yourselves warriors!” he shrieked, every hair on his pelt bristling. “She was carrying my kits when she died. You took my kits away from me; why shouldn’t I take yours?” His gaze swept across all of the cats who had betrayed him. Cruel delight lit up in his eyes as he began mocking his warriors. “Why shouldn’t I take everything from you? You took everything from me! You’re all traitors, and now I’ve made feel the agony I felt when I watched Lucy die in front of me.”

     The cats of ThunderClan stared at Splinterstar with varying looks of guilt and horror. She saw Tawnyfeather shaking his head mournfully, murmuring something that Owlpaw couldn’t hear. Volenose was staring at nothing, misery bright in her eyes. But beside her, Hawkshade was glaring at Splinterstar, hatred for the tom who had nearly killed his daughter clear in his eyes. Ravenfrost’s expression was carefully neutral, but her ice-blue eyes betrayed a flicker of shame.

     Owlpaw glanced curiously at the cats who had watched Lucy be mauled. Brightcloud just stared at Splinterstar with wide eyes, unable to reply. Leapingfish had looked away, unable to meet Splinterstar’s accusing glare, and Eagleflight’s expression was full of shame. Brindlerose was the one whose expression Owlpaw couldn’t read.

     The tortoiseshell she-cat took a step towards the leader. “Splinterstar,” she rasped. “I am so, so sorry for what we did to Lucy. I can blame Brightcloud for talking me into it all I want, but the truth is, I didn’t think Lucy belonged in ThunderClan. I thought that kittypets were too soft, that they were somehow lesser than us. I didn’t want her to get hurt, but I wanted her to be scared away.” Her amber gaze met Splinterstar’s yellow gaze evenly. “What I did was wrong. I have no one to blame but myself. I let Lucy die, and I will always have her blood on my paws. She was my Clanmate. I should have protected her like any other Clanmate.”

     Her gaze hardened, a fierce hatred suddenly lighting up in her eyes. “But Petalpaw had nothing to do with that. She wasn’t born yet when Lucy died, she never did anything to you or your mate. If you had killed me, I could understand, sort of, but my daughter was innocent.” Tears welled in her eyes, her voice trembling with emotion, but her glare didn’t waver as she snapped at Splinterstar, “My little she-cat had so much life left to live, and you stole it from her because of what I did. I will never forgive you for that.”

     Splinterstar was completely unmoved by Brindlerose’s speech. He sneered at her, growling, “Do I look like I care? She carried your filthy blood. She deserved to die, and so did all of them. You’re all traitors!” His eyes narrowed, claws unsheathing as he snarled, “I should’ve killed you all when I had the chance! Go join your precious daughter, if you miss her so much!”

     Owlpaw saw the attack coming a heartbeat before it happened. Splinterstar threw himself at Brindlerose, claws outstretched and eyes blazing with the intention of tearing the tortoiseshell warrior to shreds.

     Brindlerose’s eyes widened. She started to move, but it was clear she wouldn’t be able to dodge in time to avoid the attack.

     “No!” The cry rang out from all four apprentices as they sprang forward. The rest of their Clanmates were too slow to act, but Owlpaw, Chestnutpaw, Shrewpaw, and Oakpaw leaped forward, throwing Splinterstar clear of Brindlerose. Owlpaw’s wounds were forgotten in the sudden rush of energy brought by seeing her Clanmate in danger, and Shrewpaw, Oakpaw, and Chestnutpaw were moving as if their injuries no longer bothered them.

     The apprentices tackled Splinterstar to the ground with their weight. Splinterstar snarled and screeched in rage, thrashing furiously to try and dislodge the apprentices. But four of them was simply too much for Splinterstar to handle. Owlpaw clung to his shoulders, hooking in her claws and biting down hard. Hatred burned in her blood, fierce enough to consume her. I will never let you hurt someone I love ever again! She could hear the snarls of her denmates as they bit and clawed and scratched the leader, doing everything in their power to harm him.

     Owlpaw could feel Splinterstar’s struggles growing weaker. His snarls quieted, his strong thrashing slowing to a weak kicking out of his paws as the four apprentices weighed him to the ground. Owlpaw kept biting and biting, only letting go as the last of the fight left Splinterstar’s body. She looked up, locking gazes with the dying leader. Somehow, without being told, she knew this was his last life. Owlpaw felt no remorse as she looked into the furious, terrified eyes of the dying tom. Remember Dawnbriar, she thought viciously, feeling a rush of glee at the terror in Splinterstar’s eyes. Remember her, and Petalpaw, and feel everything they felt when you killed them.

     The light died from Splinterstar’s eyes. His head flopped against the forest floor, his body stilling for the last time. Splinterstar was dead.

     Owlpaw released her hold, stepping back from the tom’s body. She stared down at the dead leader with a detached coldness. Vaguely, she wondered where the hateful tom’s spirit would go. Not StarClan, that was for sure. She didn’t know where a murderer and traitor like Splinterstar would go in death, but she hoped he would be made to pay for the pain and grief he had caused in ThunderClan, and all the lives he had taken.

     There was a long silence. The apprentices stood, panting, over the leader they had worked together to kill. Finally, Eagleflight’s small mew broke the silence. “Is… is it over?” Her voice shook, fear still clear in her mew. “Is he really dead?”

     “Yes.” Ravenfrost limped forward a step, her ice-blue gaze grim as it fell upon her leader’s body. “That was his final life.” She rasped her tongue across her foreleg, wincing at the touch. “He’s not coming back.”

     Owlpaw turned to look back at her Clanmates. She could see the relief in their eyes, but also a lingering fear. The murderer was gone, but half the Clan was dead, and they had lost their leader and medicine cat, with no apprentice to replace Fawnmist. It was going to take a lot of work to take this haunted, terrified shell of a Clan and build it back to the strength of the ThunderClan of old.

     But as Owlpaw watched her Clanmates, she began to feel that the future was brighter than any of them could imagine in that bleak moment. Eagleflight was leaning her head against Volenose’s, murmuring something in a low, comforting tone. Brindlerose had padded over to Ravenfrost, resting a gentle paw on the new leader’s foreleg and giving it a curious sniff, while Hawkshade watched with concern in his eyes. Her Clanmates were scared and grieving, but they still looked out for each other. Owlpaw felt a lightness in her heart that she hadn’t felt in moons. It was going to take a lot of work, but she knew that ThunderClan was going to be just fine.

     Shrewpaw came up to Owlpaw, sitting beside the ginger tabby and leaning against her shoulder. Chestnutpaw and Oakpaw came to sit nearby as well, also looking much more worn out. It seemed that now the battle was over, the apprentices’ new energy had faded, leaving them as exhausted as before. Owlpaw’s own wounds were stinging worse than ever.

     She twisted her head around to get a good look at her pelt. Scratches covered a good portion of her flanks and shoulders. The bite Fawnmist had given her on her neck burned like fury, and would probably scar, and the searing pain in Owlpaw’s ear told her that Splinterstar had managed to slice through the thin skin of her ear. She would carry the scars of this battle forever, but it was worth it, knowing that she had earned them ridding ThunderClan of a traitor and murderer.

     As she blinked, her vision suddenly went hazy. She squinted, looking at her Clanmates again, confused by what she was seeing. The clearing suddenly seemed filled with more cats, vague, half-visible forms brushing pelts with the cats in front of her.

     Owlpaw felt Shrewpaw stiffen beside her. She looked over to see her staring with wide eyes at the new cats, Chestnutpaw and Oakpaw also reacting with surprise. “Can you see them?” Owlpaw asked.

     The apprentices nodded, but her other Clanmates looked confused. “See what?” Ravenfrost asked, not seeming to notice the pale outline of a cat passing in front of her.

     Owlpaw didn’t answer. The forms were becoming clearer now, and with a terrible ache in her heart, she began to recognize them. Redbird was sitting beside Brightcloud, eyes full of love as he gazed upon his mate. Brackentooth was nearly unrecognizable, her pelt sleek and shiny, rather than the matted, white-speckled mass it had been when Owlpaw had known her. Seedspeckle sat between Volenose and Eagleflight, his mate and sister not so much as twitching a whisker as his tail brushed against their pelts. Mistkit scampered by Brightcloud’s paws, her joyful cries ringing bright and clear, while Redbird looked on adoringly.

     Owlpaw’s heart ached as she recognized the last two. A light gray tabby sat beside Leapingfish, eyes shining with adoration and love as she gazed on Owlpaw. Next to her, a young pale tortoiseshell stood, her blue eyes loving as she gazed at the apprentices. Owlpaw heard Chestnutpaw let out a half-strangled choking sound beside her. “Petalpaw,” he whimpered.

     The spirit of Petalpaw blinked at her brother, eyes shining with love. Beside her, Dawnbriar curled her tail, purring as she looked at her daughter. Owlpaw’s heart felt tight in her chest as she looked at the spirits of all the Clanmates and loved ones she had lost to Splinterstar’s hatred. But these cats weren’t bloody and mangled like the last time Owlpaw had seen them. Their pelts were smooth and shining with starlight, their eyes bright, their bodies strong and better-fed than they had been in their last moons. They all looked happier and healthier than Owlpaw had ever seen them in life.

     A feeling of peace came over Owlpaw as the StarClan spirits turned to look at her. Their gazes rested on all of the apprentices, a strange, soothing echo to their voices as they all spoke as one. “Thank you.”

     The spirits began to fade, like mist dissolving. As suddenly as they had arrived, they were gone. But Owlpaw could still feel their love in her heart, and it lent new strength to her, giving her a sense of joy that she hadn’t felt since these murders had begun.

     Shrewpaw blinked a couple times. “We set them free,” she murmured, awe in her tone.

     Owlpaw purred in agreement, leaning her cheek against Shrewpaw’s neck. StarClan and ThunderClan were both finally free from Splitnerstar’s reign of terror, and ThunderClan’s era of despair had come to an end.