#final chapter guys

Several of her cats still bore scars of their fight with Jaggedtooth’s rogues – other warriors commented on it, but ShadowClan kept their mouths shut, just as Russetstar had ordered. There was no need to betray a situation that affected none of them and, beyond that, was resolutely resolved.

Russetstar saw the other leaders already on the Great Rock and noted she was late. She trotted through the crowd and leaped onto the smooth boulder, quickly making her way up to stand with the other leaders. Thankfully, she wasn’t panting.

Tallstar’s voice called an end to the chatter, and his announcement began with sorrowful eyes: “WindClan has little to report – sadly, two of Ashfoot’s kits died in a bout of whitecough that circled our camp. Thankfully it was routed before it became greencough.”

Russetstar felt a prick of sadness for the lost kits. Any Clan losing kits is a sad thing, she thought. Especially those of a lost deputy.

Leopardstar dipped her head. “We, too, lost a Clanmate to greencough,” she announced. “Mistlepaw, regrettably, did not make it.” She turned her dappled head to Tallstar and meowed, “RiverClan thanks you for Barkface’s aid nonetheless – without his herbs we would have lost many more.”

Tallstar meowed, “It was no trouble – no cat deserves to die of sickness when others can help.”

Russetstar frowned at Leopardstar, wondering if there was more to that story. Leopardstar was so proud that asking for help from another Clan seemed like the last thought on her mind. She must have been very desperate, Russetstar decided.

“A great display of camaraderie,” Tinystar agreed, flicking his tail. His icy eyes flicked between the three other leaders. Russetstar did not flinch when they rested on her. “ThunderClan has little to announce but I’m afraid I must ask – have you and your Clans given thought to my proposal?”

Below the Clans shifted nervously. Leopardstar shut her jaws, looking away from Tinystar. Tallstar’s tail curled around his paws. Russetstar looked down at her Clanmates, towards a knot of apprentices. She spotted Finchpaw’s pale fluff among them, with Stonepaw and Rowanpaw. The young she-cat looked excited to be around so many new cats, and when Rowanpaw whispered something into her ear Russetstar could not miss her wowed gasp.

Russetstar raised her head and meowed, “I have thought long about Tinystar’s proposal, and I offer a proposal of my own – that kittypets, loners, and rogues looking to join the Clans must first prove themselves – to the Clans and to StarClan – before they are accepted.”

Tallstar nodded his head. “I had a similar thought,” he admitted. “Outsiders should train like apprentices, and go to the Moonstone. They must understand what sort of life we live, and whether or not they want to live it themselves.”

“But is it worth training outsiders if they might leave?” asked a cat from the crowd. Russetstar leaned over the Great Rock and guessed it was a RiverClan cat.

“Hopefully such training would show them whether or not Clan life is worth it long before they become a drain on our resources,” Tinystar pointed out. “If nothing else, screening them so would be better than letting in just anyone. We don’t want warriors who don’t want to be here.”

Russetstar nodded in agreement, and Tallstar gave an amiable grunt. That only left…

“Leopardstar?” Tinystar’s mew was encouraging. “What do you think?”

Russetstar felt her heart stop. If Leopardstar refused… it could cause a war between all the Clans, especially since WindClan, ShadowClan and ThunderClan were all on board with the idea. She would be outnumbered if we tried to enforce it without a full decision.

Leopardstar’s chin rose. “RiverClan accepts this new code,” she decided stiffly. Her amber eyes burned into Tinystar.

Tinystar’s tail flicked excitedly. “Wonderful!” he mewed. “I promise, Clans – this will bring about a new era for all of us.”

Tallstar raised his voice: “Hear us, Clans! Hear us, StarClan! An addition to the warrior code has been made: That all Clans may accept kittypets, loners, and rogues into their ranks, so long as they train as apprentices do, prove their loyalty, and seek guidance at the Moonstone before they are made warriors. Let it stand for all time!”

“Let it stand for all time!” called the cats below.

Let it stand for all time, Russetstar thought, looking down at her Clan. She felt proud and strong, the wind tugging at her fur as she realized that she had helped make this happen.

She looked up at the stars. Let it stand for all time, she repeated, and let it be known: