A black tabby tom crept through the darkness and through the fern tunnel. The FlameClan camp surrounded him. No cat knew he was there. They had chased him off one moon ago. His former mate had then had a kit which is what had made him come back. He had also heard that his brother had two kits. He wanted his kit. Willow had agreed to take care of his kit and any other kit he brought back with him. Silently he padded through the shadows, being careful not to let Blizzardfrost know he was there. His brother's amber eyes gleamed in the moonlight. He seemed to want to prove his loyalty after what his brother had done. The black tom smiled, slyly. After today, his brother would be hurt to find a kit missing. The tom slid into the nursery.

It was dark inside but the tom's eyes soon adjusted to the darkness and he could see the shapes of sleeping cats lying all around him. He saw his former mate Littlemist lying in a nest closest with a brown kit lying curled up next to her belly. The tom quietly picked up the kit then looked around for Blizzardfrost's mate, Rosepetal. He found her lying not far from Littlemist. He padded up to where she was sleeping and gazed at her kits. One was a red she-kit like her mother and the other was a flame colored tom. The black tom knelt down and picked up the red kit and then slipped quietly out of the nursery. Just as it seemed like the tom would make it out of the camp without being spotted one of the kits wailed.

Blizzardfrost turned his gaze to the black tom and let out a hiss of hatred. "Nightclaw!" he growled. "Leave Cherrykit and Frostkit alone! You're not welcome here!"

Nightclaw unsheathed his claws. "I'll leave," he growled. "I've got what I came for, brother!" Cats were beginning to stir in their dens. Nightclaw dashed for the fern tunnel. Blizzardfrost pelted after him.

"Cherrykit!" he wailed. "Frostkit!" Nightclaw dug his claws into the earth to propel himself. He let out a sigh when he burst out of the camp and into the forest. Blizzardfrost was just about to follow his brother when he heard a yowl and he saw Rockstar coming over from his den on the other side of camp.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Why do I smell Nightclaw?"

"Nightclaw stole Cherrykit and Frostkit!" Blizzardfrost growled. "We have to get them back!"

Rockstar nodded his agreement and signaled to his deputy, a black tom with amber eyes. As the deputy neared Rockstar also signaled to a blue-gray she-cat and a golden colored tabby. Their blue eyes blazed with anger as they heard what had happened. "Nightpelt," Rockstar continued to his deputy. "You're in charge of camp. Bluestorm and Bronzepaw will come with me." They dashed out of camp following Nightclaw's scent. The black pelted warrior came into sight not to long after they had left camp. Bluestorm had done a great job tracking him. Nightclaw had the kits with him. He held them gently by their scruffs.

"Let them go!" Rockstar yowled. Nightclaw dashed off as soon as he saw them. The patrol was hard on his paws. Nightclaw was heading for the border! Rockstar could tell that Bluestorm and Brozepaw knew it as well. The patrol skidded to a halt at the border, panting. Nightclaw stood on the other side with the kits.

"Your Clan will pay for what they did to me!" Nightclaw growled. "My brother betrayed me so he'll pay more than anyone!"

"Your brother was hurt enough when you betrayed the Clan and now you steal his kit? You're lower than I thought, Nightclaw!" Rockstar growled.

"I'm going to raise these kits as my own," Nightclaw spat. "They'll turn against FlameClan and help me to become the leader and then one of them will become my deputy!"

"What about the other one? Are you going to just leave it out?" Bluestorm hissed.

"No!" Nightclaw hissed. "You'll just have to wait and see!" He raced off into the darkness without another word. Rockstar wanted to follow him but knew he had to get back to the Clan and calm them down. He flicked his tail.

"We have to go and tell the Clan that we couldn't get the kits back," he meowed.

"If Nightclaw thinks this is over, he's wrong," Bluestorm growled. Bronzepaw nodded his agreement. He scrapped his claws against the earth. Bronzepaw was the oldest of the apprentices and he was close to getting his warrior name. Rockstar wondered if he was mad because one of those kits might have been his first apprentice. He knew how much Brozepaw wanted to be a warrior and get an apprentice of his own. He would make a great mentor, Rockstar thought as he led his patrol back to camp.

As he emerged in the clearing, he noticed every cat out of their dens. Rockstar raced up to the Talltree out side his den and leaped up to the lowest branch. There was no need to call the Clan together. They were already gathering at the bottom of the tree. He couldn't imagine how Rosepetal and Littlemist were going to feel, but he had to tell them. It was his duty as a Clan leader. He took a deep breath.

"Cats of FlameClan," Rockstar began. "I'm sure you all heard that Nightclaw invaded our camp and stole Frostkit and Cherrykit. I took Bluestorm and Bronzepaw to try and get them back but Nightclaw crossed the border and took them away." He heard an anguished wail come from Littlemist and Rosepetal. Blizzardfrost ran over to comfort the two queens even though he was a upset as they were. Cherrykit was his after all. Dewmist padded over to help calm the she-cats so Rockstar could continue. "We will continue to search for them," he went on. "If we do find the kits then we will bring them back here where they belong. Nightclaw will never own a hair on their pelt."

Yowls of agreement burst up from the cats. Rockstar silently thanked StarClan that his words had changed their fear to determination to bring the kits home. "We will post two warriors to guard the nursery," he went on. "We don't want Nightclaw taking anymore kits. Nightpelt, I trust you to see to that."

His deputy nodded. "It shall be done Rockstar. Nightclaw won't see a single hair on their pelt," he replied. Rockstar gave him a nod of approval and then leaped down from the tree. Thornbush came running up to him. She pressed her muzzle to his.

"Nightclaw better not try and take our kits," she mewed. "I'd claw his ears off."

"I know you would," Rockstar replied, giving her ears a gentle lick. "If Nightclaw knows what's good for him he'll stay as far away as possible."

Thornbush flicked his ear with the tip of her tail. "I wanted to tell you," she went on. "Bramblekit opened his eyes tonight and saw what happened. He said he wanted to save Cherrykit and Frostkit but knew he would never win so he kept silent."

"He has the heart of a true warrior," Rockstar purred. "I'm sure that one day the two kits will return and Bramblekit will make them see that they truly belong here."

"I hope you're right," Thornbush mewed. She padded back to the nursery and guided Rosepetal and Littlemist back inside. Rockstar watched her go. What had happened tonight had reminded him of what Nightclaw had tried to do when he was FlameClan's deputy. The memory haunted Rockstar's every pawstep. Nightclaw had almost killed him one moon ago. He only had two lives left so Nightclaw must have figured it wouldn't be that hard. Nightclaw would have been leader by now if it hadn't been for Blizzardfrost. Despite the fact that they were brothers, Blizzardfrost had chosen loyalty over kinship and defended Rockstar from Nightclaw. If it wasn't for Blizzardfrost then Rockstar wouldn't be alive.

"He is a great warrior," Rockstar murmured.

"Who is?" Rockstar turned around to see Dewmist padding up to him.

"Blizzardfrost," Rockstar replied. "I was remembering the time when he saved my life."

"You know he is trustworthy," Dewmist mewed softly. "Now the Clan just needs to see that."

"They should know already. He fought his brother to save my life. What other proof do we need?"

"Maybe the Clan needs one of his kits to prove themselves before they can trust him again."

"Blazekit?" Rockstar asked.

"Or Cherrykit," Dewmist reminded him.

"But she was stolen," Rockstar protested. "What can she do now?"

Dewmist closed her eyes before continuing. "The reddest and hottest of fire will save the Clan from the darkest of nights." Rockstar's eyes widened. Dewmist was echoing a prophecy! But what did it mean? Before Rockstar could ask anymore Dewmist padded over to the nursery to check on the queens. Darkstorm and Sparkclaw were positioned outside, their ears pricked and their mouths open to taste the air. Rockstar let out a long breath, knowing he couldn't do much more. He padded over to his den to rest.