Prologue
Mudfur scowled, glaring around the clearing with her one good eye. Where was that apprentice? She was an elder; she shouldn't have to request a meager piece of fresh-kill. Grumbling, she tucked her head back into the den. Onetooth was asleep, mumbling softly.
As Mudfur stalked past him, to her nest, she flicked her tail against his ear harshly, waking him. She settled into the damp moss of her nest as he turned toward her.
"Why'd you wake me, Mudfur? I was dreaming that I had-" His sentence was interrupted as he yawned, his last canine flashing in the dim light.
"Where's an apprentice with our food?" Mudfur growled. Before Onetooth could reply a small black tom walked in, his pale green eyes shining.
"We have no fresh-kill to give to you, Mudfur." He explained calmly. A yowl sounded suddenly in the clearing and Mudfur froze while Shadepaw ducked back out.
"What do you think is going on?" Onetooth asked, standing and stretching. He brushed his tail against Mudfur's shoulder to get her attention.
"Well, let's go find out," Mudfur meowed, following the urging of Onetooth's tail. Out in the clearing, Shadepaw sat with his mentor, Darkcloud who'd gone to the gathering.
Nightstar had only taken two warriors, along with Stormpelt, leaving everyone else to protect the camp. Stormpelt looked angry, but his fur was at least lying flat, which Mudfur couldn't say about Darkcloud and Lizardfur.
Mudfur walked closer, leaving Onetooth by the entrance to the elder's den. Toadtail walked up to her side, the senior warrior walking with her to the four cats who had returned.
Pinefoot trotted up to Stormpelt's side and brushed her tail against his flank. Their kits, Graykit and Stripekit, peered at them from the nursery.
Nightstar moved out of the small circle of cats to the Highstone, a large boulder on the edge of the clearing, near the medicine cat's den. She didn't have to call for the Clan to come together, most of the cats had been brought out of their dens by Darkcloud's previous yowl.
Mudfur had settled herself, Toadtail on one side of her, when Cloverpelt sat roughly by her other flank. She couldn't help herself when she shied away slightly. Even Mudfur had to admit her old apprentice was sharp.
Nearby Fernpaw walked out of her den, eyes sleepy. "What's going on?" She asked around a yawn. Her mentor, Toadtail, shushed her and made her sit down.
"Before the gathering tonight," Nightstar began, "I had talked with my senior warriors and Stormpelt. We'd all agreed on a decision, no matter how risky, that might help to save us." Nightstar paused briefly, wrapping her tail around her paws. Mudfur twitched her whiskers; the she-cat loved drama. "We are in the midst of one of the harshest leaf-bares we've ever been through. We are starving. At the gathering, I saw sleek, fat RiverClan warriors. When I spoke, I suggested that Pebblestar have a few warriors teach some of us how to fish."
Another pause while she waited for the collective murmur that swept through the cats to die down. Stormpelt glared at the ground by his paws. "They said no," Nightstar meowed when she could. "WindClan and ThunderClan sided with them, saying we were pushing the boundaries set by the warrior code. It's best to prepare for a fight."
"What?" Pinefoot's cry rang out as she dashed across the clearing to sweep her kits back inside the nursery and out of the cold.
Lizardfur spoke up, stopping more protests, "I heard Streamfoot and Rockwing saying we needed to be put back in our place."
"It's almost a promise they're going to attack," Darkcloud hissed, her tail lashing.
"Let's attack them first!" Fernpaw shouted, earning a cuff over the ears from Toadtail.
"For now let's just send out a border patrol." Nightstar meowed before jumping down and going to her den.
Stormpelt stood up. "Cloverpelt, take Toadtail and Fernpaw on that border patrol with you. Go quickly."
Cloverpelt nodded and stood, her pelt brushing against Mudfur's. Before the gathering patrol could head off though, Onetooth stood. "I'll go with you, help stretch my legs," He spoke, following them out of camp.
Blackstorm and Specklepaw came in just as Stormpelt was arranging a small hunting patrol to try and find food. Blackstorm held a small rabbit.
"It was sleeping through leaf-bare in a hollow tree near the ThunderClan border." Specklepaw explained, her tail twitching proudly.
Blackstorm split the rabbit between the warriors still in the clearing, saving a little for the border patrol. There was a brief break in conversations and orders as the fresh-kill was eaten.
"Now that we're done," Stormpelt licked his muzzle, "Lizardfur, take Darkcloud and Shadepaw out to hunt."
Lizardfur nodded, taking the two cats to try and catch some small food. Blackstorm stretched out next to Mudfur, after being caught up on the gathering and the coming battle.
"I'll be joining you and Onetooth after this," he meowed before licking his chest.
"Specklepaw will be a warrior after this battle, won't she?"
"She should. So will Fernpaw and Shadepaw… Nightstar should be proud of her kits." Blackstorm stopped grooming and leaned against Mudfur's side, enjoying the peaceful moment.
A yowl outside camp shattered that peace. Both the hunting patrol and the border patrol bounded back in. Nightstar shot out of her den, running to the center of the clearing.
"They're coming!" Lizardfur panted, the cats of both patrols nodding along with her.
"Which Clans?" Nightstar asked.
At the same time Stormpelt meowed, "Whose leading them?"
Onetooth stepped forward, "Swiftstar, Oakstar, and Pebblestar. All three Clans are coming to attack us."
