Leafpool and Jaypaw streaked across the moor, heading back to ThunderClan to report the upcoming battle. "Brambleclaw, Dustpelt!" Leafpool yowled, causing the two tabbies to leap to their paws. "WindClan is going to attack RiverClan! Gorsetail's kits are missing!"
Brambleclaw bristled and rasped, "We must tell Firestar! Come on, Dustpelt!" Leafpool raced after the toms, guiding Jaypaw with her tail.
Onestar stalked toward the RiverClan border, fur along his spine raised and tail lashing. Ashfoot and Tornear padded along beside him. Spotting a patrol of RiverClan cats, the brown tabby raised his head and yowled. Immediately, the cats swarmed over, led by the RiverClan deputy, Mistyfoot. "Give us back our kits!" Onestar snarled, baring his fangs and unsheathing his claws.
The cats bristled and Mistyfoot hissed, "We don't have your kits!"
"I saw you leave WindClan territory with blood!" Ashfoot spat.
A small cat slunk back and Mistyfoot growled, "An apprentice killed prey on your territory, yes. And she will be punished for it, but we have not seen your kits!"
Onestar blocked Breezepaw's way with his tail. "Do you have them?"
"No!" A mottled gray-blue tom spat. "RiverClan does not need your kits, not have we seen them!"
"Silence, Rainstorm," Mistyfoot snapped, "I swear on StarClan RiverClan does not have your kits, Onestar."
Baring his teeth, Onestar hissed, "If you do have them, you have until dawn to return our kits. If you don't, it means war." With a single lash of his tail, the WindClan leader turned and raced back to camp with his Clanmates.
Heatherpaw ducked into a clump of heather and hissed, "Breezepaw!" She crept back and watched as the heather rustled and a black form pushed through.
"What?" Breezepaw snapped, lashing his tail.
Heatherpaw took a deep breath and meowed, "I think I know where the kits are."
"Where?!"
"Remember when you sent me to hunt mice? Well, I found a tunnel. That night, I went to check it out and the kits followed me. But I sent them back."
Breezepaw's amber eyes glittered in determination. "Let's find them! Show me the tunnel."
WindClan was too busy worrying about the kits to notice Breezepaw ad Heatherpaw missing. "ThunderClan must have taken them," Webfoot growled to Tornear. "Those fox-hearts think they can control WindClan."
Tornear hissed in agreement. Onestar flicked his ear and padded over to the tabby toms. "Do you really think ThunderClan took them," the brown tabby growled, tail swishing.
"Of course," Webfoot retorted, eyes flashing with challenge.
Eyes gleaming, Onestar dipped his head to them and stalked across the clearing, leaping onto the Tallrock. Throwing his head back, Onestar yowled for his Clan to gather. "Who else believes ThunderClan stole Sedgekit, Thistlekit, and Swallowkit?"
Almost all of the cats yowled, including Crowfeather.
"Then we will attack!" Onestar screeched. "We will show them WindClan are not pushovers!"
Yowls of agreement rose in the air and the WindClan leader leapt down, racing out of the camp with his Clanmates close behind.
Heatherpaw darted across the moor land, Breezepaw close behind, and she led him to the rocky outcrop. Sniffing out the tunnel, the tabby she-cat plunged into the darkness, letting the sides of the tunnel brush against her fur and guide her by the whiskers. "Can you scent them?" She meowed to Breezepaw.
"A little," he growled, "just keep moving forward." Pressing her nose low, Heatherpaw realized he was right and pushed on.
Soon, she realized the scent trail was leading her to the cavern, and fear engulfed her heart like an icy shadow of talons, and she prayed Lionpaw wasn't there. Bursting out of the tunnel, she bit back a sigh of relief, pleased to see he wasn't there at all. Breezepaw shouldered past, sniffing the ground and following the scent trail, but stopped suddenly near the river. "I lost it," he hissed, tail lashing.
Glancing up, Heatherpaw's eyes widened when she spotted Lionpaw, Jaypaw, and Hollypaw padding out of the ThunderClan tunnel. "What are you doing here?" She echoed and felt Breezepaw bristle beside her.
Onestar stormed toward the ThunderClan border, feeling a gale picking up, carrying the scent of rain on the wind. But that bothered none of the cats, for they all were too intent on bringing home their kits. Nearing the border, fresh rage surged through the WindClan leader when he saw ThunderClan waiting, seeming as if they were prepared for battle. "Thieves," Onestar screeched, lashing his tail and baring his teeth.
"We don't have your kits," Firestar retorted calmly, but his claws were digging into the soil beneath his paws.
"Liar!" Crowfeather snarled, eyes gleaming in anger. "ThunderClan thinks that WindClan are their person kittypets, but we're not and we demand our kits back!"
Soon, the cats were hurling abuse at each other as the rain began to pour down from the thick, angry gray clouds above them.
"Return out kits!" Onestar bellowed and bunched his muscles to throw himself at the ThunderClan leader when a voice yowled for them to stop.
Whipping his head around, he watched in amazement as Breezepaw, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw padded forward, Heatherpaw following close behind and nudging the three missing WindClan kits along. "Where were you?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes, but inwardly he felt relief flood through him.
"They built themselves a camp on the beach," Jaypaw explained smoothly.
Onestar grunted and rumbled, "Next time, I hope you three stay in camp! Now I have to go and apologize to RiverClan for accusing them of stealing you!" The kits ducked their head and the WindClan cats start to head back after Onestar apologized to Firestar. The brown tabby picked up Sedgekit and carried her back to WindClan, Breezepaw carrying Thistlekit and Ashfoot carrying Swallowkit.
The brown tabby paused and glanced back, seeing Heatherpaw racing after them. Giving her a light nod, Onestar turned and raced back to camp, not looking forward to apologizing to those fish faces.