Chapter 24

                Crazystar hurried back to camp as quickly as she could, but it was still well past sunhigh when she arrived at camp. She was instantly greeted by Brightpaw. “Hi, Crazyflame…I mean, sorry, Crazystar! Was it fun?” her apprentice asked eagerly, but then rushed on before she could answer. “I can’t believe my mentor is the leader of ThunderClan! Hey, can I be your next deputy?”

                Crazystar laughed. She could hardly believe this was the same nervous kit she’d seen on the same day Splashheart became deputy.

                Cloudheart dashed over and guided Brightpaw away from her. “Sorry, Crazystar,” she apologized. “Brightpaw, you shouldn’t be bothering poor Crazystar! She must be tired from visiting the Moonpool. Now…”

                “It’s fine,” Crazystar meowed before climbing the Highledge and entering her new den.

                The den smelled like Cloudstar, and she couldn’t help but feel like she was an intruder and was just stealing his den. It seemed unreal that the white-furred tom was dead, Splashheart was a traitor who was gathering some cats to attack, and she, the cat who hadn’t even been a warrior for four seasons, was leader. Her first apprentice, Brightpaw, wasn’t even a warrior yet!

                She settled down on the mossy bedding in her den and quickly fell asleep.

***

                It was just past moonrise when she woke up. Cloudheart was guarding the camp. “I’ll be right back,” she told the she-cat. “I’m just going to go hunting.”

                As soon as she was out of sight, she ran towards the WindClan border. She was dreading the words she’d have to tell Stonestream. I can’t meet you here anymore…

                Stonestream was pacing back and forth anxiously as she showed up, and he looked relieved when he saw her. He ran towards her. “Crazyflame!” he shouted excitedly.

                Crazystar backed away. “Stonestream, please, no,” she meowed.

                He skidded to a halt, looking confused. “What’s wrong, Crazyflame?” he asked, his gentle, caring voice tearing her heart to shreds.

                “It’s not Crazyflame, it’s Crazystar,” she responded finally.

                “Congratulations! That’s great!” he exclaimed. “I mean, it’s not great that Cloudstar is dead but…”

                “Stonestream,” she interrupted. “I love you with all of my heart. But my responsibilities as leader mean I can no longer come here anymore.”

                Stonestream took a deep breath. “Fine,” he sighed. “I could never leave you. I’ll join ThunderClan. I’ll come onto your territory just after sunhigh and wait for a patrol. Then I’ll ask to be taken to camp.”

                “Oh, Stonestream, that’s so sweet,” she meowed. “But you know I’ll have to pretend like you’re just any old intruder. And you have to act like you don’t know I’m leader.”

                “Of course,” he replied. “I’d do anything for you.”

***

                Crazystar woke up again just before sunhigh. She walked out to the Highledge. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!” she called.

                “Honeywhisker, please bring Mousepaw out,” she added. “I think Cloudstar forgot to give a certain cat their warrior name.”

                Mousepaw limped out to the Highledge. “If you name me Mousebrain, I’ll kill you,” she growled quietly.

                “I don’t think that’d be proper behavior for a warrior,” Crazystar whispered.

                “I, Crazystar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” she began. “She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Mousepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?”

                “I do,” Mousepaw snarled, still glaring at Crazystar.

                “Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name,” she continued. “From this moment on, you will be known as Mousestorm. StarClan honors your determination and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior to our Clan.”

                The fury slowly faded from Mousestorm’s eyes, replaced by surprise. As the Clan chanted her name, the new warrior whispered curiously, “Why didn’t you name me Mousebrain? After all, you could’ve.”

                Crazystar smiled. “A certain StarClan cat once told me about the pointlessness of revenge and the power of forgiveness.”

***

                It was sundown as the sunhigh patrol burst into camp, forcing Stonestream to walk ahead of them. “Crazystar!” Liontail’s voice carried into her den, and she knew instantly what it was. “We found this cat on our territory!”

                She put on a fake scowl and walked rapidly out of her den. In a giant leap, she was on the ground. “What were you doing on ThunderClan territory?” she demanded, mustering up as much false hostility as she possibly could.

                “My father, Smokewhisker, wants to kill me because I won’t help him destroy the other Clans,” Stonestream meowed, and if she didn’t know he was lying, she would’ve believed him. “I had no choice but to leave WindClan.”

                “Why should I trust you?” Crazystar snarled, narrowing her eyes even more and taking a step forward.

                “Yeah, Crazystar!” Morningblaze shouted encouragingly from the crowd.

                “Don’t trust him!” Liontail stepped in. “His father is Smokewhisker! He could be a spy!”

                “Let me hear his answer!” Crazystar snapped.

                “Because I’m telling the truth,” he responded.

                “Pathetic answer!” some cat shouted.

                “And how would we be certain of that statement?” she growled.

                “Because you know what Smokewhisker is like,” he answered.

                “Why did you come to our Clan?” she continued. “After all, there are four Clans around the lake!”          

                “I don’t trust ShadowClan, and I can’t swim plus I hate fish,” he replied. “Please believe me.”

                “So you wish to join our Clan. Fine!” she meowed.

                Yowls of protest came from her Clan until she added, “But, you’ll be watched constantly. I expect every cat to watch…um, Stonestorm?”

                Stonestream shook his head. “It’s Stonestream,” he corrected her.

                “Stonestream, we’ll be keeping an eye on you. I expect you to help carry out apprentice duties for the next moon, but you’ll be allowed to sleep in the warriors den,” she concluded. “This is your last chance to leave. We’ll let you escape without any punishment. What’s your decision?”

                Most of the ThunderClan cats looked like they were hoping he’d say no. They obviously didn’t think he’d say yes after Crazystar had added the constantly being watched and the apprentice duties part. Stonestream faked hesitation, as if he were considering it. “I’ll stay,” he answered finally.

                Sighs of disappointment came from the Clan. “Well, Liontail, I think Stonestream here can go with the moonhigh patrol to the WINDCLAN border, right?” she called to her deputy.

                Liontail looked amused. “Yes, of course,” he replied.

                Crazystar shot one last suspicious look at Stonestream for the audience before retreating to her den. And she was sure he knew she was secretly overjoyed that he was there, in her Clan.

A/N: Stonestream is a member of ThunderClan!

Plus I love this line Crazystar says, “A certain StarClan cat once told me about the pointlessness of revenge and the power of forgiveness.”

It's my favorite line in the whole book so far! :D