The clouds piled heavily over the night sky. The stars of Silverpelt were almost completely hidden. The river flew freely, splashing up water against the grass beside it. Three piles of fluff shuffled underneath the reeds. The first of the cats, a gray muscular tomcat with a dark blue spot around his eye, raised his head and looked around the clearing. "It's all clear. Let's move." His gleaming blue eyes sparkled with one beside him, a she-cat with a bright white pelt, huddled beside the tom. "Splashclaw, aren't you the slightest bit nervous? We're invading WindClan!" She whispered. Splashclaw leaned down to lick her behind the ear. "It's fine, Hawktalon. Of course I'm nervous, but my Clan always comes first. If I'm killed, it will be for the good of RiverClan. Those filthy Rabbit-Eaters have been stealing our fish, and that can't be forgiven!" His mate glared up at him with beautiful amber eyes, worried, but she nodded, understanding she couldn't change his mind. Splashclaw paused a moment longer, then flicked his tail, and Hawktalon and the third cat, Shadowfur, who was a slim, black-furred tom with shiny green eyes, followed Splashclaw as he leaped from the reeds and charges over the border into the vast moorlands that signaled WindClan's territory. As they stroked across the flatlands, fierce yowling sounded, and four cats charged over the hills towards the group. As they approached, Splashclaw and the other two halted to meet with the WindClan patrol, and the other cats did the same. They were awfully skinny. Their rubs could be seen under their fur, as if they hasn't eaten in moons. "State your buisness!" The Tom at the front stamped his paw on the ground to assert himself. Splashclaw recognized him as the Deputy, Mudclaw. They had met once at a Clan Gathering. "You have been catching prey from our lake." Splashstar puffed his chest out to stand tall to the large tom, without breaking eye contact. The cat behind Mudclaw, a small apprentice, gasped in shock. "You think WE'VE been eating those disgusting fish? As if!" He stomped forward to look up at Splashclaw. "Shush, Harepaw." Silenced Webfoot, a dark gray tabby tom. Splashclaw stepped forward slightly. "We have found WindClan scent near the rivers where the fish are richest. You cannot deny it, Mudclaw." Mudclaw grinded his teeth in annoyance and flexed his claws. Harepaw leaped forward, claws outstretched, towards Shadowfur and hooked him behind the ears with his claws and forced him to the ground. Harepaw was surprisingly large for an apprentice. The instant Harepaw leaped, the cats exploded in battle. Splashclaw instinctively went for Mudclaw, and leaped under him to swipe him off his feet, taking advantage of the brown tom's large size. But Mudclaw dropped down and landed his full weight on top of Splashclaw, knocking the breathe out of him. Mudclaw snarled in his ear an raised his paw to bring it down on his head for the killing blow. But before Mudclaw could land, Hawktalon leaped off of Webfoot and tackled Mudclaw off of Splashclaw. Splashclaw stood up and shook the dust off of him. Hawkfrost smiled at him for an instant, then growled viciously and reached an outstretched claw to slash Mudclaw on the side of the stomach, then she leaped on top of him to claw his chest fur. Splashclaw swelled with pride as he watched his mate fight, then he turned around to see Webfoot leaping at him. He ducked to dodge the attacker, then scratched him over the ear. He stood up, but Splashclaw jumped on top of him and hooked his ears. He yowled in submission and shut his eyes tight. Splashclaw let him go and he ran off over the hills, back to his camp. Harepaw ran away from Shadowfur with scratches over him and a patch of fur missing. Mudclaw pushed away from Hawktalon, blood trickling down his ear and one eye shut tightly. "RiverClan will rue this day!" He yowled over his shoulder as he ran after his clanmates, limping on three legs. Splashclaw stood, the wind blowing his fur, as he watched his foes flee in triumph.