With just one look at these bedraggled cats, Silverstar could tell they needed help. "Why don't we eat first?" she suggested. While they were getting to know each other, she had sent Birdflight and Sandpelt to hunt. They each brought back mounds of prey, Birdflight especially.
Stormstar hesitated. Silverstar knew that he was battling with his pride. He did not want to accept HeatherClan's hospitality, but...he could tell his Clan needed it.
"Fine," he meowed grudgingly. "We are in your debt." The cats started sharing tongues with Birdflight, Sandpelt, and Greynose.
As they began to eat, Silverstar counted up the remaining cats.
She saw that they had lost nearly twenty cats. Ten had been killed by FearClan, fourteen if you counted the kits. But Dewkit's sister, Ivykit, had died of starvation. Crystalpaw had succumbed to sickness, even though Leafstream had tried her hardest to save her. Streamblaze's wounds had been too severe, and Flowerpaw could not find the proper herbs to help in time. Brightspirit, whose mate Firesoul was lost, looked like her pregnancy had gone badly. She was expecting in one moon now. And Snowpelt had been killed by rats. It was clear how WaveClan longed to avenge her death, but could not. Silverleaf, who was named after Silverstar, seemed to be living in the warriors tunnel. Her kits had become apprentices! Since Dewkit was an orphan, though, Silverleaf had taken to nursing her, with her leftover milk. Unfortunately, Nightshade and Flamepaw had run off to join FearClan, as Silverstar had feared.
Although WaveClan looked weak, Silverstar knew that they were strong at heart. She could see it in the way they held themselves, chin lifted, tail in the air. They knew how they looked, and were not afraid to show it. But they could scare off a few strong warriors even when they looked weak.
There were more than 20 cats left that could fight, including the elders when pushed. That, combined with HeatherClan, CloudClan, StormClan and the StarClan cats would be enough to match FearClan, NightClan, and the Dark Forest. Not to mention they were probably killing each other off as they 'practiced' every day.
Silverstar sat back, satisfied. They were ready to return WaveClan back to it's former glory.
The cats began the slow trudge back to the Clan territories. The strong helped the weak, and the visitors settled in among the HeatherClan cats. Safe at last.
Of course, there were complications. Stormstar insisted on helping build new dens, weak as he was, and would not listen when Silverstar tried to suggest feeding WaveClan. "We can fish," he insisted. "And we're good at it. You have helped us. Now we must pay off our debt."
Silverstar agreed that he had a point.
After explaining to HeatherClan about the situation, they gladly accepted the 'intruders' into their lives, helping out whenever possible. Their lives had fell into a routine, teetering on the brink of collapsing as they waited for the day where they would avenge the fallen.
