I've changed my pen-name to SadisticUnicorn instead of ChickenDance, so don't get confused with that. I'm sorry that I didn't introduce all of your characters in this chapter, and I changed the Clans. They are now SandClan, NightClan, FlightClan, and StormClan.

The night air was crisp and the ground was cool and dry under his feet. Since the sun had set SandClan territory was full of the soft scuffling noises of creatures coming out from hiding from the glaring heat from the sun. It was a known fact by all SandClan hunters that nothing could be caught at sun high, so most cats hunted early in the morning or late at moon high. This was no exception for Flightclaw.

He pricked his ears and caught the soft yet pounding sound of a small creatures pulsing heart beat. He licked his chops and slowing dropped into a hunters crouch. A few tentative paw steps and he saw a fat hare hiding behind a rock fall. Flightclaw kept light on his paws so the hare wouldn't hear him with it's sensitive ears. When he was only a fox length away he leaped and bit the hare quickly.

"See? A rabbit will hear you before he smells you and a mouse will feel you before he hears you." Two small apprentices pounced from a crevice in the red-gray stone and stared at his catch in amazement. The smaller of the two, a sandy gray she-cat meowed. "I'm glad you're my mentor Flightclaw! Hazelpaw can have Sparrowjump!"

"Hey!" Hazelpaw meowed indignantly. "Sparrowjump is a great mentor!"

Flightclaw gazed at his apprentice in, what he hoped was a rebuking way."Owlpaw, Sparrowjump is one of SandClan's best hunters so you should do well to respect him." The sandy gray she-cat, however, looked unfazed. She bounced up to his side and purred. "I do respect him. I just like you more."

Why did she have to make things sound so simple?

Giving in, Flightclaw rolled his eyes before picking up his catch and strolling away. Owlpaw and Hazelpaw followed, their ears pricked and mouths open for any sounds and scents of prey. Flightclaw had been taking his apprentice out for some hunting practice when Sparrowjump had suddenly gotten a bellyache. Since the two were friends of sorts, Flightclaw had agreed to take Hazelpaw with him as well.

The light brown tabby tom had been a good student, as Flightclaw could tell so far. Hazelpaw didn't persistently talk like some apprentices and didn't ask about a million questions. He stayed by Owlpaw and went after prey only after seeing if it were okay with Flightclaw. The tom cat hadn't been any trouble at all. Unlike Owlpaw, who had make her presence and thoughts known to everyone.

He remembered briefly when Owlpaw had asked him if she could use a 'potty break' on NightClan's side of the border. Flightclaw had tried his best to look unamused and discouraging. She didn't have a single self-conscious or vain thought in her mind. Ever.

The baked earth became harder and the tall sandy red-gray stones that hid SandClan's camp touched the lip of the moon. Flightclaw took an abrupt turn to the right and both apprentices followed without question. He wasn't quite satisfied with their hunt yet.

"Hazelpaw, I want you to do a quick hunt by the stream. Are you fine with it?"

Hazelpaw dipped his head."Of course, it is my duty to hunt." Flightclaw grinned, he liked the tom's answer. Just like a warrior. He might make a good leader one day.

"What about me? Ooh can I hunt by FlightClan's border? Maybe a warrior will stray over and I'll sink my teeth into his skinny little-"

"Owlpaw!" Flightclaw scolded, scowling at his apprentice darkly. She just plopped down on her rear and wiggled her foot. He wanted to grit his teeth. He hated how nothing fazed her; at all. Rouges could be swarming all over her, spewing death threats and she would probably say Whatever, and go on her own merry way. Owlpaw both annoyed and unnerved him, yet he still felt a strange affection for the small she-cat.

"You are going to hunt right here. Nowhere else, just stay here and sniff out any prey. Once your done go back to camp." Olwpaw nodded, scratching absentmindedly at her ears before loping off. Hazelpaw darted off toward the opposite direction leaving Flightclaw all alone.

Dawnstar stifled a yawn as she laid sprawled out on her heated rock. Pepperpelt and Thorntongue were leaving camp to go hunting, Molewhisker was going to go and check on Jaysong to see how far along she was in her pregnancy, and Leafwind watched on, clearly excited about becoming a father. All these things though, were a common part of everyday clan life.

But there was something very uncommon going on in NightClan.

Tawnypaw and Mothpaw were whispering together, excitement and fear clear on their faces. The elders, Blindgaze, Marrowteeth, and Fernspots all looked disapproving, yet Dawnstar knew, that just like any other NightClan cat, all three were secretly relishing the very idea of what Dawnstar had cooked up. Shrewclaw paced expectantly across the mossy covered clearing, a dark gleam in his eye.

All of NightClan looked up expectantly as a white and brown patchy tom bounded into the clearing, flanked by Thorntongue and Pepperpelt. A fat rat hang limply from the tom's jaws and he placed it gently on the ground at the foot of the rock. "For you, Dawnstar."

She twitched her whiskers, suddenly wide awake. Thorntongue's eyes darted toward him suspiciously, looking as if he would have liked to question the tom. Instead the glossy black tom meowed." Dawnstar, we found him slipping over onto our borders, Pepperpelt and I made sure no other Clan's patrol saw him."

"Good." Purred Dawnstar."Now Flightclaw, what news have you brought us this time?"

Flightclaw cleared his throat." SandClan's suffering from sickness. Our kits and elders are more likely to catch it but a few of our warriors have caught it too." Flightclaw paused, as if his horrible sense of loyalty kicked in, but it only lasted a heartbeat.

"If Ivystar were poisoned, no cat would suspect it being intentional, just a stronger dose of the sickness. Ivystar is old after all, and the clan knows he won't live forever. No-one would suspect a thing."

Dawnstar's eyes gleamed. Flightclaw was a ruthless and heartless tom, that was for sure. He had no sense of Clan loyalty at all and that is what made him such a good yet dangerous ally. She was afraid he might turn on them, and expose her plan. The other three clans would be howling for her blood after that and it would be impossible to live in the forest ever again.

"Do you know how many lives Ivystar has left?" Dawnstar asked.

"Of course, I am a loyal warrior." Flightclaw let a large smug grin cross his muzzle."My clan suspects nothing."

Dawnstar let her gaze flicker over her clan, and saw most looked disgusted. Even though they were plotting against another clan and excepting help from Flightclaw, her warriors were having a hard time imaging ever becoming this disloyal. It really didn't matter to Dawnstar, just as long as he stayed loyal to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dawnstar saw a dark and disturbing look in Thorntongue's yellow eyes,and he was fixing that hard stare at the back of her head. Something made her ears burn and she made herself look back at Flightclaw.

"Molewhisker!" Dawnstar cried suddenly, turning her attention to the medicine cat. The mousy brown tom pricked his ears up.

"Yes?"

"Can we get away with poisoning Ivystar?" Molewhisker hesitated. Medicine cats were not suppose to be part of battles and clearly he didn't like the idea of poisoning a clan leader. He didn't voice his opinion however and merely shook his head.

"I'm afraid that, though Snaketail doesn't seem to take his duty seriously, he probably will know the difference between the sickness and poisoning." Molewhisker paused, then asked Flightclaw. "What are all the symptoms of the sickness?"

"Belly ache, vomiting, upset stomach, chills, and a few cats get a slight fever." Flightclaw meowed promptly.

Molewhisker made a thoughtful noise in his throat. "Maybe...maybe it might work." He muttered dubiously.

"What?" Dawnstar demanded."What are you planning?"

"I might be able to give you a small supply of holly berries and nightshade." Molewhisker murmured. "If you put at least two holly berries in a juicy piece of prey, and after awhile up the dose we can slowly kill him. It would appear like the normal sickness, but just get suddenly worse." Molewhisker's face was dark, and Dawnstar knew he didn't like what they were doing.

"Have another cat give him the freshkill, so if poisoning is suspected the blame can't be pinned on you." He added. Dawnstar leaped from her rock and landed gracefully on the mossy ground. She bent her head and took a careful bite of the rat Flightclaw had caught for her. Stringy.

"Thank you Flightclaw, for your service." Dawnstar meowed darkly. "But if you ever turn traitor on me, you'll be a dead cat." Flightclaw dipped his head respectfully, his eyes glittering.

"I'd expect nothing less from NightClan's leader."

Dawnstar said nothing, just swished her dark red tail. She watched as the brown and white tom padded over towards Molewhisker, and took a bundle of herbs in his mouth. She knew that Molewhisker wasn't the only cat that disapproved of her plans, but out of sheer loyalty he obeyed willingly. She hoped her clanmates strictly believed in loyalty also, for without it Dawnstar knew that she would be just as dead as FlightClaw would be when all of this was over.

Thorntongue's dark, dirty look still glared at her in her minds eye.

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