The Order

''This is the ninth episode of Vale, season 4. Written by Rainy. Read, enjoy, & comment!''



The Order
I stood with Goldenburst and Ivyrose at the edge of the Dark City, our flanks pressed together, nostrils flared against the foul stench that rose off the pavement and seemed to settle itself into my very bloodstream.

Out of the morning smog, a thin shape emerged. Thompkins, an elderly gray tom who'd promised to help Daisyheart before, when she plead with him about her mother's sickness.

"Hello," Goldenburst mewed, dipping his head at the stray.

"Ren told me about your daughter," Thompkins said.

Ren. Him and Saori had returned to Twolegplace last night. This morning, Quailstar had begrudgingly allowed Chamomile and Fire to move their camp back into the SpringClan one, since they were the only two non-Clan cats left with us. The leader wasn't particularly happy about it, but Specklenose was elated; after Cammy's littermates had left, he had been worried sick about her, to the point where he'd threatened to go sleep outside the camp with her, and had to be dragged back by Quailstar and Dewfrost. Quailstar had finally given in, but I doubted she was done with her mission on getting rid of all the non-Clan cats staying with SpringClan.

"It is the worst pain, losing a cat like her," Thompkins said sadly. He didn't say, I'm sorry. Instead he said, "And I don't think it ever goes away, really."

"Does it get bearable?" asked Goldenburst, the broad-shouldered ginger tom sounding smaller than I'd ever heard him.

Thompkins fixed his watery eyes on him. "I lost my two little daughters as kits. They were hit by a car. And it still, to this day, hurts. But... yes. It does get bearable."

Goldenburst nodded. Then he said, "Will you take care of her?"

"Like my own kin," Thompkins said solemnly. "I've finally moved in with a pair of old Twolegs. They specialize in rehabilitating cats. They will get her the treatment she needs."

Shakily, Goldenburst turned to face Ivyrose. "I love you," he whispered. "Even if we never see each other again, I will never stop loving you."

"Nor I you," she said, touching her nose to his.

As I stood, watching my adoptive mother, I took in the washed-out look in her eyes. Losing Daisyheart had sapped her last bit of fight. I wanted so desperately to believe that sending her to live with Twolegs was the best option for her survival, but...

"Good bye, Breezeflight. I love you so much, and a piece of Daisyheart lives on in you. Thank you for being my daughter," Ivyrose said, licking my forehead.

I buried my nose in her soft, silky fur, breathing in her scent and recalling days spent in the nursery with Daisyheart, back when we were kits. "Thank you for being my mother. I love you."

She joined Thompkins, and Goldenburst and I stood side-by-side, watching the two of them disappear into the thick air of Twolegplace.

Just like that, it was over. We'd lost her.

Goldenburst sort of collapsed against me, and even though he was the heavier cat, I was the one supporting him the entire way back to camp.

That evening, Dewfrost cornered me. He looked a little angry, and also quite worn-out. "Ivyrose is missing. I don't suppose you know where she is."

"No," I said evenly, meeting his gaze.

"You're lying," he snapped.

"Dewfrost, why are you doing this?" I hissed, getting to my paws. "You know how the last few days have gone for me."

"I am deputy of this Clan, Breezeflight. I have bigger problems to worry about."

Shocked, I reeled backwards. "What are you..."

His gaze softened a bit. "I--I'm sorry, Breezeflight. That was uncalled for. But we need all our warriors around us, and-"

"Ivyrose wouldn't have helped," Fire said, approaching us. "She was dying. You know that, Dewfrost."

My old mentor hesitated, conflict burning in his eyes. "The warrior code cannot save us all. You did what you had to. Don't blame me for doing the same." Then, with one last resentful glance, he headed back to the leader's den.

What was that about?

I glanced up. "Thanks," I said to Fire.

She ignored me, her eyes fastened on the leader's den, where Quailstar and Dewfrost were now conversing. "Something is going on with the leadership of this Clan. You've realized this, of course."

"Yes," I said blankly. I hadn't, not at all. At least, not until now, looking in my mentor's eyes and being unable to find the traits I used to recognize so easily.

"They're getting desperate. Quailstar's desperate to enforce her values on the Clan, but she hasn't had the chance so far. She's barely been holding us together."

Dully, I said, "She fought well and selflessly in the battle against the rabid dog."

"I am not denying that she is brave. But bravery can be used in the worst of ways. To be a leader, you need to have the spirit of a leader. Somehow, looking at Quailstar, I fear she doesn't possess this. Maybe she did when Oakstar selected her as deputy, but she's lost it."

Oakstar. Would he be doing a better job of leading this Clan? A pang shot through my heart. No matter what happened, I loved Dewfrost; he had taught me how to be a warrior, and it was a debt I could never repay. But was it true that he and Quailstar were faltering in their leadership?

Desperate leaders made for desperate times, and SpringClan couldn't afford that.

I looked at Fire. "What's your point? We need a new leader? You saw Dewfrost. He isn't in any position to take the leadership. And in any case, that's not how a Clan works. Quailstar has lives left, and she is leader until she loses the last one."

Fire lashed her tail angrily. "Your code will be the death of you."

I sprang up to face her, nose-to-nose. "You're wrong," I snarled. "There is no us without the warrior code."

"Look at you, Breezeflight. You preach the code and yet you're willing to break it in the blink of an eye. You make pacts with non-Clan cats like me and you happily escort the Clan's warriors away to be kittypets when it suits your fancy."

I blinked. "How did you-"

"I followed you."

"Fire! You can't just follow me. I may have made a pact with you once, but do you know why I did it? To save my Clan. Not to invite you into my life," I snapped.

"Oh, yes." She wove her tail into the air, a sardonic smile spreading across her face. "To save your Clan. I forgot: I'm not in your Clan, am I? I'm just a piece in the game you play to make sure everything turns out well for you."

My throat closed up. "I--I'm sorry. About Ariel."

Her face hardened.

"And Aldereyes."

"Abel? The cat who was once my father? What do you know of him?"

"Ryan and I met him once. When we encountered the GreenClan cats on our border. He wanted to give us advice on how to use the powers of legend-"

"Oh. So you listened to him because you thought it'd help Ryan of course, not me. Even when you help out non-Clan cats, it's only those you prefer. And where is Ryan now?"

I took a deep breath as I tried to convince myself that ripping off Fire's head would not be in anyone's best interest. "I'm not... I can't talk to you any longer."

"Talk? Anyone can talk, even to me. You mean you can't listen. The truth is, you won't."

No telling what I would've done next, but Brightpaw interrupted us. "Breezeflight?" she whispered. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"I'm supposed to get a new mentor, since, you know... Daisyheart's gone. And I was wondering if you'd do it."

I was not expecting that. Sure, I'd secretly dreamed of being a mentor someday, but not like this. Never like this.

Careful what you wish for.

For once in her life, Brightpaw's eyes were dull and spiritless. I knew that she had nothing against me and that in another time, she might've actually been really happy to have me as a mentor. But I also knew that now, our training would always be haunted by the ghost of her old mentor. Things would never be quite right.

But what was she supposed to do? Go mentorless?

"Of course. I'll be your mentor."

"Thank you," she murmured, eyes downcast. "If you don't mind, I asked Quailstar not to hold a ceremony."

"No. I wouldn't want one either." I touched my nose to hers. "I won't let you down."

Gratitude shone in her face. "Thanks," she said hurriedly, then darted away to join Flowerpaw and Sleepypaw.

"Ah yes. Training new warriors in the importance of the code," Fire said in a cynical tone.

I'd forgotten she was there, and I wished she hadn't reminded me. "Shut up. Just shut up. I'm running out of patience. If you hate us so much, why are you still here?"

"I never said I hated you. This isn't personal, Breezeflight. Hardly anything ever is."

"Maybe in your world, you heartless-"

"Clearly you're incapable of separating mind and heart." Fire shook her head, and for the slightest second, some of the scorn in her eyes was replaced by pity. "You won't survive like that. Think of what you've already lost.  You can't go through that again without breaking."

"You don't know me."

"Every cat will fall, Breezeflight. But you can't afford to fall any sooner than you have to. Don't let loss make you crumble."

Our conversation faded then, because Fire suddenly flinched involuntarily. I regarded her warily. "You okay?"

"Fine," she hissed through gritted teeth. "Some cat's probably sick. I should go see Lionpatch."

A stab of pity went through me. No wonder she was always so on edge. How could any cat bear the pain of the entire Clan?

"Breezeflight," Fire said quietly. The edge had disappeared from her tone. "There's something else I have to tell you. My gift has... grown."

"More pain?" I arched an eyebrow.

She shook her head. "This is different. The reverse. I can... Well, using my own strength, I can heal cats."

Immediately, I blurted, "Daisyheart?"

She sighed. "Afraid not. I don't have the strength or life-force for that. But I can work to temporarily ease the pain of very ill cats, or heal more minor injuries. Obviously I can't do it very often or very fast, because it drains me. But I've been practicing with Blossomleaf and Lionpatch, and I'm getting better at it."

Though I'd heard Aldereyes say that the three cats who'd inherited the power of legend would grow immensely powerful, I couldn't believe what Fire was telling me. The power to heal cats?

"Well." I blinked. "It's certainly better than just bearing their pain and not being able to do anything about it."

"Agreed." Fire gave a small grunt. "But it also makes me valuable to the Clan, which means Quailstar can't get rid of me, which means she'll secretly hate me all my life unless I decide to leave."

"You can't leave," I said hurriedly. "We need your power. We don't even know who the third cat is yet. And we're already missing one of you three." It was hard to mention Ryan's departure so flippantly, but I forced myself to ignore the pinpricks of pain in my heart.

She scowled. "Well, you can bet anything that I'm not becoming Firefur or Fireclaw," she scoffed.

"Why? You'll stay with the Clan but you won't join us?"

"Two of the cats with the powers of legend are non-SpringClan. Maybe all three are. And maybe that means something," said Fire darkly.

"What could it mean?" I was getting defensive again. "What's wrong with SpringClan?"

There was a shout from the camp entrance. "Intruders!" yowled Cranelegs. "GreenClan intruders!"

Warriors came racing out of their den, fur bristling and eyes glowing. "Assemble a patrol!" called Nighthawk.

"No! Everyone stay where you are!" Quailstar ordered, her voice swelling in power as she leaped onto high-rock. Dewfrost took his place beneath her, his green eyes unreadable. "All cats gather below high-rock! No one attack!" said Quailstar.

"Dewfrost, what's going on?" I demanded.

My old mentor simply hissed, "Take your place with the Clan, Breezeflight."

Rage built inside me as I watched GreenClan cats pour into the camp. I recognized a russet she-cat who had attacked my friends and I the day we'd met Aldereyes. And then I saw the devil himself, Viperstar. He strutted into the camp like he owned the place.

To everyone's utter shock, he walked up to high-rock and gathered his haunches, jumping up beside Quailstar.

"What on earth do you think you're doing up there?" snarled Hawkeye furiously.

"Cats of SpringClan, cats of GreenClan. We, your leaders, are here to usher in a new era of warriorhood."

My Clanmates and I stared at Quailstar in disbelief. The GreenClan cats looked smug, like they knew exactly what was about to happen and couldn't wait.

"Viperstar has offered me an alliance I cannot refuse. GreenClan and SpringClan are forming a coalition called The Order of the Clans. We will rule separately, but we will fight and make decisions together. We will expand your camp, so that GreenClan cats can live here too."

This was so absurd that all of SpringClan was struck dumb. I stared at Dewfrost, but he avoided my gaze, glancing over at the GreenClan deputy, a sleek cream she-cat who looked as disgusted as I felt with the whole Order proposal.

"What about prey? You're going to eat our prey?" demanded Eveningfall angrily, pressing against Cranelegs, who licked his mate on the ear, obviously trying to quiet her before she got into trouble.

"Of course we'll help hunt," said Viperstar, like she'd asked the stupidest question he'd ever heard. "And with more cats, we can expand our territory more."

"Expand where? The vale is our home," snapped Cloverflower, standing over Petalkit and Poolkit. "We've already tried living on the plains beyond High-Rock, and it didn't work out well. SpringClan is content with our home. We don't need you!"

"Silence!" hissed Quailstar. "GreenClan's home used to be fairly grassy. They can teach us how to hunt on the plains if we wish to expand thataway."

Across the camp, I saw Specklenose supporting Chamomile, who looked like she was going to be sick. In a sudden rush of thought, I wondered if Ryan had foreseen this happening. Was that why he and Lily left? But why would Cammy stay, then? And why was she acting so surprised, like Ryan hadn't mentioned it to her? No, Ryan had to have left for a different reason-

"The Order is essential to the survival of the Clans," said Viperstar.

"What in the name of StarClan? No it's not," whispered Minkears, ears flattened in defiance. "This is the dumbest thing-"

"And as such, the penalty for those who refuse to join, therefore threatening our survival, must be great. All those who refuse to join will be banished, and any who outright oppose the Order will be suitably disciplined."

"I refuse to join," declared a she-cat.

Many GreenClan cats murmured in shock as their deputy, the cream she-cat seated beside Dewfrost, stood in rebellion. Her eyes were narrow slits of green, her teeth bared in anger.

A cruel look came onto Viperstar's face. "Excuse me." He dipped his head at Quailstar and then hopped off high-rock, stopping in front of his deputy. Though his eyes were fixed on her, he spoke to the rest of us. "Those who agree to join the Order, move to the right side of the camp."

Almost every GreenClan cat moved immediately. Not a single SpringClan cat did.

The corners of Viperstar's lips twitched upwards. "Hollystrike," he said. "Join your Clanmates."

"Never," hissed the cream she-cat, Hollystrike. "This is absurd and an abomination to the code. Warriors don't live with another Clan's cats. GreenClan doesn't belong here. We should find our own-"

It happened so quickly that I almost missed it. Viperstar's claws sliced through the air, and the next instant, Hollystrike was on the ground.

At first, I was sure she was dead. But I realized she wasn't--only badly injured. Blood was pouring out of the sizable tear in her face, over her left eye, so that the entire left side of her face was red in a matter of heartbeats.

I could feel the charge of shock pulse through the gathering. Even Quailstar recoiled. Dewfrost looked like he would be sick.

Hollystrike staggered to her paws, but Viperstar lunged for her again, knocking her down. "You have not suffered enough for your disloyalty!"

"Wait! Viperstar, don't!" A slim dark brown she-cat darted out of GreenClan's ranks. I noted that her eyes were the same green as Hollystrike's. "She's my sister!"

To my shock, Viperstar listened to her. He yanked Hollystrike up and hissed in her face, "Get out. Never come back, if you want to live."

The she-cat took off running. She missed the camp exit and slammed into a bush, because of her now limited vision, and probably terror-induced franticness as well. A few GreenClan cats roared with laughter. Viperstar didn't. He only stood, watching her as she finally limped out of the SpringClan camp, with a hard look on his face. Then he turned to Hollystrike's sister, the dark brown she-cat. "Get back to the ranks," he snarled, and she hurriedly obeyed.

In all my life, I could never have seen this coming. I was so sure that our next threat would be a regenerated League, led by some of Claron's more passionate followers. I could never have dreamed that the Clan would break down under the paw of our own leader.

Slowly, all of SpringClan moved to the right side of the camp. I wanted to break away, but then I saw Minkears struggling to do exactly that, with Bluebird trying desperately to hold her back.

I joined him, dragging Minkears back. "You guys are crazy if you think I'm staying," she hissed.

"Please, shut up," begged Bluebird.

"They'll hurt you," I told her.

She growled but stopped squirming. Bluebird looked ready to collapse from relief.

Above our heads, Quailstar and Viperstar were wearing identical grins. "Great. I'm glad my Clan has come around," said Quailstar in a sickeningly condescending tone.

I couldn't believe she was the same she-cat who had stood by Oakstar when the League had driven us out of our camp and fought with us against the rabid dog and the Twoleg with his firestick. What was wrong with her? There was no way she could think this was the right decision for SpringClan.

Viperstar raised his chin. "Wonderful. This is the dawn of a beautiful new era for both Clans. GreenClan has been through a lot, and I know the same can be said for SpringClan. Welcome to the Order."