"Wait, let me help you with that."

Dovewing lifted her head to see the pale tabby fur of Bumblestripe. He hurried over and grabbed the branches she was hauling. "Thanks." She breathed, panting. He grabbed another end and began to haul it away. It had once been a protection for the Warriors den. The battle had ruined the camp to pieces.

"Brambleclaw." Dovewing heard Squirrelflight's voice. "You need to go to the moonpool today."

"There is work to be done in rebuilding the Clan." He argued. Dovewing frowned. She knew Brambleclaw was now being as desperate as possible to be a committed leader. He had insisted on staying with the Clans. He had gotten no rest from the battle.

"Listen to me. You need to go. I'll watch the Clan while your away."

"But Squirrelflight-"

"Jayfeather has helped all of your Clanmates, and now that he has a break, you need to go with him to the moonpool."

Brambleclaw flattened his ears. "But there are still cats missing out there. I need to find them." He argued, daring to cast a glance over the gorge.

"There were warriors sent into the forest. They are looking now." Squirrelflight replied tartly. "That's not your responsibility at the moment."

"Yes it is!" He rounded on her, baring his teeth.

Squirrelflight stared at him a few moments, blinking sadly. "The warriors in the forests will come back tonight." She replied quietly. "You should be back by tonight. We will sit vigil. You will attend, don't worry. I'll make sure we don't start without you."

"Your not leader yet, Squirrelflight." He grumbled, lashing his tail.

"But I am deputy, and I know what's best for you."

He hesitated, glaring at Squirrelflight, and then sulked to his den, defeated. Dovewing could see how tired he was from where she was working. She let her senses go into his den, where he flopped onto his nest. Dovewing became surprised at how quickly he fell asleep, but realized she shouldn't have been. He was exausted.

"Dovewing!" She turned her head to Bumblestripe, torn from her thoughts. "Earth to Dovewing! Get this branch off my paw!"

Dovewing gasped, and grabbed her end and hauled it away from him. He yanked his paw backwards and began to vigorously lick it. "I'm so sorry!" She gasped. It had scraped across it.

"This is why you don't work when your off in your little world." He grumbled, testing his paw. He winced when it touched the ground.

"Go see jayfeather." She mewed. "I'll get the branch out of here."

He looked at her, and then nodded, hurrying towards Jayfeather's den. Dovewing sighed irritably and grabbed the branch again, hauling it towards the broken thorn tunnel. Every other warrior had their paws full. Dovewing took it through the thorn tunnel and put it onto the ground outside of camp. She closed her eyes and let her senses wonder to her clan-mates. She was desperate to know what everyone was thinking.

"There's a lot of work to be done." She heard Sandstorm's voice. She was talking to Dustpelt and Graystripe as they were rebuilding nests in the Warriors den. "When the camp is cleaned up, we can ask to retire to the elder's den. I don't want to retire until I've helped rebuild without someone worrying about an elder."

Graystripe nodded. "I never thought I'd see the day when I would sleep in an elders den." He yawned. "But now, nothings looking better. What would I tell Millie?" He wondered.

Dustpelt forced a laugh. "She would probably think your nuts." He muttered.

Dovewing took her senses away, feeling a tug of sadness that the three warriors were planning on retiring. Though she understood. She drifted her senses again, to Jayfeather and Bumblestripe.

"You can't blame someone for zoning out during this. A lot happened yesterday." Jayfeather was aruging. He was wrapping cobwebs around his paw.

"She should be more focused." Bumblestripe hissed. "I know a lot happened, but nothing physically happened to her."

Jayfeather glared up at Bumblestripe. "How about realizing your sister is in the Dark Forest?" He hissed.

"Earth to Jayfeather, that happened to me too." He hissed back. Dovewing shook her head, knowing Jayfeather was lieing. She knew Ivypool had been in the Dark Forest for a long time. "And why can't you be like any good medicine cat and share sympathy?"

"If you want sympathy, go to the nursery." Jayfeather snapped, his blind blue gaze burning into Bumblestripe's eyes.

Dovewing wrinkled her nose. Bumblestripe was becoming such a jerk. She tore her senses away, now drifting her mind on Ivypool. She cased around until she found she didn't need to. Ivypool was close by, and approaching. "Dovewing!" Ivypool called when her sister saw her. "Thank goodness your here." Dovewing turned around and saw Ivypool with Applefur from ShadowClan. They were both carrying the body of... Hazeltail.

"What happened?" Dovewing gasped, leaping forward.

"She was fighting on WindClan territory yesterday. We just found her body. There are more dead bodies in the forest." Ivypool paused for a moment, flicking her ear sadly. "I found Toadstep's and Millie's bodies." Ivypool frowned.

"Their dead?" Dovewing blinked, eyes widening.

Ivypool nodded sollumnly, frowning.

"Do you know if Brackenfur and Cloudtail found any bodies?"

"No. They wen't near ShadowClan." Ivypool replied. "Besides, I really don't want to see any more dead bodies. Our Clan is short as it is." She lowered her gaze.

"Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Graystripe were considering moving to the elder's den." Dovewing said, replaying what they had said in her head. She glanced at the camp thorn tunnel and turned back to Ivypool.

Ivypool twitched her whiskers in surprise. "They're retiring?" Dovewing nodded. "Well, I can't say I blame them. But I need to talk to Graystripe." Ivypool frowned. "He needs to know."

"Someone closer to him should tell him."

"Like Bumblestripe?"

Dovewing scowled. "No. Not him. Maybe Blossomfall."

"She's already shooken up." Ivypool argued.

"She's going to find out anyway." Dovewing retorted.

Ivypool hesitated, nodding. "I guess your right. But how are we going to break the news to Daisy and Rosepetal about Toadstep?"

Dovewing frowned. "Spiderleg can tell them. He's their father for StarClan's sake, he should be more involved."

"And Hazeltail-"

"Hey guys." Applefur spoke up. Dovewing, feeling sheepish that she was totally ignoring the ShadowClan warrior, turned to her. "I should get back to my Clan soon." She said smally. "It's almost sunhigh." She casted a glance through the forest towards the direction home.

"I'll walk you home, Applefur. I don't want any ThunderClan warrior being sensitive about you being here." Dovewing replied, glancing at Ivypool, who nodded.

"But, the peace between the Clans, shouldn't they leave me alone?" Applefur mewed.

"We don't know for sure. Cloudtail and Brackenfur are pretty good, but I just want to be sure." Dovewing hid her real reason. She wanted to see Tigerheart. She glanced down the path towards ShadowClan, then glanced at her sister. "Tell the Clan I'll be gone a while." Dovewing mewed.

"Will do." Ivypool nodded, taking Hazeltail's scruff and dragging her into the thorn tunnel. Dovewing turned to Applefur, and then took off towards ShadowClan territory, casting her senses out to find the brown and black tabby warrior. She stretched far, trying to find his trace as she raced beside Applefur.

Where are you Tigerheart? Come and see me.


I hope you like it. It was okay to write, not my best. I just hope things start picking up more. If your reading this, and you read The Storm's Call for Unity, do not fear, for I am still working on it.

Please review

~Stormy:D