PROLOUGE xx
Whispers swirled around the camp of ThunderClan. The returning cats from the gathering were all gathered beneath the Highrock, knowing that there had been something important needed to share with the remaining cats and that their faithful leader, Goosestar, would announce it soon. As accordingly planned, the grey and white tom leaped onto the rock and gazed down at his clanmates with large, gooseberry green eyes.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Was that a hint of worry in his tone? No one could be sure, but all the cats gathered beneath the sacred rock, anxious to hear what their leader had to say. "As some of you may know, ShadowClan has been causing problems for the Clans once again." Some rolled their eyes, as if to say, what else is new?, but the ones who had been at the Gathering all had blank expressions.
"Vain Shardstar, as you know, always has been wanting the best for her Clan now matter how brutal her ways to get it are – some of you have witnessed this from their prey-stealing seasons ago – and now she is demanding more... only it's not prey. She says that ShadowClan has not had new litters for two seasons, and although a few queens are expecting, their apprentice den is near-empty and all the queens are due in at least another season." He sighed before continuing. "Shardstar is demanding that all Clans give ShadowClan at least three kits each, and if they don't deliver by next moon, ShadowClan will launch an attack."
Gasps spiraled up from the crowd. Angry voices cried out in disbelief – "Give them our kits? She must be mousebrained!" and "Who would actually give up their kits?" and "Oh, StarClan, help us and protect our kits!" and "But what will we do?" Goosestar silenced the cats with a flick of his long tail. Once again he let his voice ring out from the tall stone to circle the ears of all the cats' presence. "WindClan compromised with ShadowClan that they will give them three kits in exchange for three pieces of prey. This tells us that WindClan are so weak they do not want a fight and need all the prey they can get... Though foolishly everyone knows they can't bargain with ShadowClan." He sighed.
ThunderClan rose into a caterwaul of disapproval and outrage. Goosestar could hardly raise his voice high enough to settle the cats down once more. "RiverClan and ThunderClan have told Shardstar that if it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get. Songstar also promised an alliance with ThunderClan, should ShadowClan choose to go through with their mouse-brained promise and attack us." Yowls of approval rose from the cats below, but worried expressions were still plastered hard to most's faces as they padded away to their dens... Their warning of the attack made the attack seem even more scary than if it were a surprise attack... They had a moon to wait, and then..