Ch.6: Sasha’s Trilogy: The Strife
I walk in the forest. I’m a loner. I’ve been thinking of becoming a Thunderclan cat. I’ve already become friends with Thunderclan. I’ve also become familiar with Thunderclan territory. I’ve walked in it time and time again.
I stop. I smell a cat. It’s Thunderclan thankfully.
I go to Graystripe.
“Hi, Graystripe.”
“Hi, Sasha. What are you doing here?”
“I want to talk to Firestar about joining the clan.”
“Okay; come with me.”
With that, he leads me to the camp and then to Firestar’s den.
“Firestar, Sasha would like to talk to you,” he addresses his old friend.
“Come in, Sasha.”
I obey and the old deputy leaves.
“Sasha, what is this about joining the clan? Do you realize everything you’ll miss? Clan cats don’t have as much freedom as you think. We have jobs to do. But you probably already know that.”
“I know. I want to join, though.”
“Alright, you may. Follow me.”
We go out onto the high ledge and he announces to the clan that I’m going to join.
“But she was once Tigerstar’s mate. How can we trust her?” Mousefur says.
“Yeah; I agree,” Frostfur protests. “Sasha isn’t cut out to be a clan cat. I don’t mean anything,” she adds, apparently seeing him lashing his tail and the hurt in his eyes. I guess he must be thinking that she’s talking about him when he was a kittypet.
“Silence!” It’s Graystripe who gives the order. “All of you!” He goes to stand in front of the high ledge. “Why do you say that Frostfur? Firestar is an example that any cat can live in a clan. Sasha may not be such a cat now, but I think someday, she’ll be a mighty warrior. And Mousefur, Brambleclaw here is an example that every relation to Tigerstar isn’t bad.”
“Thanks, Graystripe,” Firestar thanks his longtime friend.
Firestar soon gives me a ceremony, but keeps my name as is. He then has my mentor be Sandstorm. I learn how to hunt and fight as a warrior, harder than the apprentices. My warrior training goes on for a moon or so, until I finally have my warrior ceremony. I am now Sasha the warrior.
One moon later, I’m patrolling with other cats, when suddenly, Tawnypelt with her kits are spotted.
“Everything’s wrong,” she says to me. It’s muffled by Dawnkit’s scruff.
“It’s okay. Just tell me what’s wrong,” I say, trying to soothe her.
“Shadowclan doesn’t like Blackstar and now, they’re slowly leaving the clan. The clan, I’m afraid, will separate into rogues, loners, and kittypets. I don’t want to be part of a clan like that.”
“Okay; let’s get you to the camp,” I say.
“I don’t think so. She’s still Shadowclan,” disagreed Dustpelt.
“But she’s Brambleclaw’s sister and my daughter, and you know you can trust me.”
“Fine,” he says disapprovingly.
My daughter picks up Dawnkit, I pick up Flamekit, and Tigerkit follows.
“Tawnypelt!” Brambleclaw and Firestar greet.
They come over to us and I tell them the situation.
Firestar says to her, “You may stay as long as you’d like.”
“Thanks, Firestar.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How much longer are you going to do this? Bring in cats?” says Dustpelt.
“Thunderclan has always brought in cants,” Firestar says. “Not only that, but we have also helped cats in need.”
“He’s right,” Longtail agrees. “Bluestar brought him in, Firestar brought in Cloudpaw and Sasha, and now he’s helping a friend in need. Let’s just drop it, alright? Leave this whole thing alone and make her feel welcome.”
“Well said,” Sandstorm comments.
He turns his sightless eyes to her.
“Thanks, Sandstorm.”
Firestar watches, as Longtail goes to the elder’s den.
“They don’t want us,” Flamekit says.
“We’re not welcome here,” Dawnkit puts in.
“It’s okay. They’ll soon get used to you,” I soothe my grand kits. Then I look at my leader. I can see he’s somewhere else. I have a lucky guess where. He’s probably thinking about when he first came into the clan or about his kittypet life.
“Come. Let’s make you welcome,” I say.
I lead them to the nursery.
Tawnypelt’s kits are welcomed by all the other kits.
I leave the nursery and almost run into Sorrelpaw and Cloudpaw.
“Watch where you’re going,” I scold them. “You’re going to trip a cat someday.”
“Sorry,” they apologize and scamper off to annoy some other cat. That’s my guess anyway.
The next day, I’m on the hunting patrol.
Suddenly, I see a kittypet I know.
“Princess!” I greet, and pad up to her.
“Sasha, I heard you’re a Thunderclan cat. Could you take me to Firestar?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“It’s my two legs. They’re moving, but I don’t want ot leave.”
“Okay then,” I say.
I lead her to him and he’s happy to see his sister.
After she decides to be in the clan, he has a ceremony for her and keeps her name.
At the Gathering, she is able to attend, but Shadowclan doesn’t show at all.
Before the leaders can say anything about their clans, Boulder and his cats fight us. According to Firestar, they’re what’s left of Bloodclan that my mate made when he was alive.
I look for Princess. She was taught how to fight as a warrior by Firestar, but this is her very first battle, and my second or third. So therefore, I’m worried about her.
I help her fight a few cats and then leave her to fight her own battle.
I throw Boulder off Firestar and bite his tail, making him run away hurt.
“Thanks, Sasha.”
“You’re welcome.”
Suddenly, I feel pain surge through me. I turn and see a dark tabby.
“Tigertail,” I growl.
I feel terrified, but I try my best to fight Tigerstar’s father.
We roll in a ball of furry.
I get pinned down.
Just then, Brambleclaw rakes his claws down his pelt. He turns on my son, but my son pins him down.
I get to my paws very slowly. I’m wounded. Tigertail hurt one of my fore paws. It hurts, but I got back into battle.
I battle Bone, who’s the leader.
He claws my pelt and a hind leg.
I yowl in pain.
Apparently, I’m heard.
As he bites my shoulder and inches to my neck, I see a gray tom. Then he pins Bone down and finishes him off. It’s Crowfeather that saved me.
He pads up to me and starts licking my wounds.
“Are you okay? You know, Sasha, you shouldn’t have fought him by yourself. You could’ve been killed,” he says between licks. He then stops and asks, “Does that feel better?”
“Yeah; it does. Thanks so much, Crowfeather.”
“Let’s see if you can get up, Sasha.”
“No!” yowls a familiar cat. It’s Lionblaze. “Hollyleaf!”
I try to see through all the cats of what’s wrong. Then I see. Hollyleaf is on the ground, Ashfur looming over her. I want to see if I can help.
“Help me up,” I tell Crowfeather.
He does and I lean on him for support, all the while limping from the pain in my paw.
“Hollyleaf!” I yowl, wishing I can run to her as fast as I can, but I can’t.
Lionblaze is already there by the time we get there.
“Ashfur, step away from her,” I growl.
He doesn’t say anything. He just snarls at me.
Suddenly, a silver-looking cat plows him over.
“Leave her alone,” the she-cat growls. I realize what she’s doing and I seize my chance. I rush as much as I can, to Hollyleaf’s side.
“Hollyleaf,” I say.
“Sasha. Help me.”
“I will. Hold on.”
I look at Lionblaze.
“Where are Cinderpelt, Yellowfang, and Leafpool?”
“Don’t worry. Jayfeather is hidden in the undergrowth and Yellowfang and Leafpool are fighting. Cinderpelt is still at camp.”
“Okay; Crowfeather, go find Yellowfang and Leafpool.”
He looks like he doesn’t want to leave me, so I tell him, “Don’t worry. I can lean on Lionblaze if I have to. Now go. Please.”
He does as he’s told, racing away to go find them.
I feel my strength start to ebb away and I stumble. Lionblaze then catches me by the scruff.
“Take it easy. Just lean on me, okay?”
I obey.
Silverstream takes her paw away from Ashfur’s neck and steps away from the senior warrior, letting him get to his paws. She doesn’t once let her eyes leave him. She must think that he’d take a leap at her. I know thought that If he does, Graystripe would do something about it. Yeah; sure. He couldn’t kill the warrior, but he sure could attack him if he laid a claw on her. But he’d have to attack the deputy, in order for the deputy to attack Ashfur.
A few minutes later, Crowfeather races back with the Medicine cats Yellowfang, Leafpool, and Jayfeather.
Leafpool tends to Hollyleaf, while Jayfeather tends to me. Just to be easier on him, Lionblaze helps me lay down.
A few minutes later, we’re ourselves again.
Suddenly, the senior warrior attacks Graystripe’s mate, Silverstream.
Yellowfang pulls him off her. I’m thankful that she’s okay.
Battle is soon over.
A few moons later, all cats are well again. Also, when Firestar hears what happened, he exiles Ashfur. So there you have it. The clan is well.
ns 15.158.61.40da2
