DISCLAIMER: I don't own The 39 Clues or Warriors.

Chapter 3

The Lake

Dan was tired, even after the knockout the pool caused. Saladin was walking at a steady pace, leaving Dan, Amy, Natalie, and Ian a few feet away. Dan wasn't as slow as everyone else, so he picked up speed and caught up with Saladin. "So where is this horse stable?" Dan asked.

It's just around this part of the lake." Saladin replied.

Dan slowed down and let the others catch up.

"I'm tired! When are we getting there?" Natalie complained. Dan saw Amy roll her eyes and Ian flick his tail in annoyance.

Everyone stumbled when they realized Saladin had stopped. His mouth was partially open and he lifted his muzzle into the air. He stood like that for a few heartbeats then turned around to face the others. "Get into the lake! Now!" he hissed.

Ian and Dan ran in to the ice-cold water. Amy hesitated then ran in after them. Natalie stopped and stared at the water in horror. "Go in there?" she asked. Saladin twitched his tail and bit down on Natalie's neck fur. Natalie let out a little squeal as Saladin pulled into the lake.

Just as Natalie splashed into the lake, a group of four cats walked right where Dan, Amy, Natalie, Ian, and Saladin where a few seconds ago.

"I'm serious, Cottonflower! I did scent rouges here!" a small ginger female cat said. One of the larger cats looked at the small cat. "I do believe you, Sunpaw. Let's try to find them." Sunpaw smiled and sniffed the ground. Dan held his breath as Sunpaw sniffed closer to the lake. Dan walked backwards into a deeper part of the lake so he would be more covered. Saladin saw him move deeper into the lake and followed suit. Amy followed next. Ian looked at her and went a little backwards. Dan was glad it was night and it hid everyone in the dark lake water. Ian was the second closest to the shore. He didn't have to hide in the lake because his dark fur hid him enough for him to be on the shore. Natalie was equally as dark but was a few feet away from the shore. At least she was smart enough to lean down so only the top of her head showed.

The group of cats were closer and Sunpaw was getting closer every second. Dan held his breath. Please don't see us! Dan felt Amy tense next to him. Dan stepped closer to Amy. The suspense made him forget how cold he was. Amy seemed to know what he was thinking and met him halfway. Their fur pressed together. Amy's fur was as cold as Dan's, but he felt more secure next to his sister. Natalie was shaking as the small cat crept closer.

The cat reached the shore and looked up to see the dark water. Oh no! We're caught! To Dan's relief, another cat that wasn't part of the group appeared behind a boulder. The strange cat yowled to get the group's attention. Dan held his breath. Please let them follow him! Dan felt his heart relax when the cats ran toward the loner.

Saladin made sure they had left before wading towards the shore. Amy and Dan followed, side by side. Ian followed right behind Amy like a lovesick puppy. Ugh! Dan thought. Just because he likes her doesn't mean he should make it obvious!

Natalie ran out of the lake. Saladin shook himself dry and looked at everyone. "We should go before they come back."

Dan walked next to Saladin. Everyone was more anxious so they kept pace with Saladin. "Who were those cats?" Amy asked, looking over her shoulder once in a while.

Saladin was looking around, too. "Those cats were from WindClan. I'm guessing they were on a dawn patrol."

Dan, Amy, Natalie, and Ian stared at him blankly. "Ok, I didn't get ANY of that!" Dan said.

Saladin rolled his eyes. "WindClan is one of the Clans you will be staying with. A dawn patrol is a patrol that inspects the border."

Natalie and Dan still stared at Saladin blankly. Amy and Ian seemed to understand what Saladin meant.

A second later, Saladin's eyes glowed with happiness and he ran to a horse stable. Amy and Ian followed, but Dan and Natalie stayed behind. "Cool! Look!" Dan said. Natalie was silent. Dan looked at her. "What's wrong?" She looked up at him. "No one cares that I'm feeling uncomfortable." she replied. "We are going to have to live this. No one is feeling comfortable." Dan replied. He started to run towards the horse stable. Natalie followed him slowly. Dan found a crack in the wall and squeezed through. The crack led to a area with a bunch of hay on the wall.

Dan saw Saladin talking to three cats near the biggest stack of hay. He rushed over to where Amy and Ian were standing. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Saladin's talking to the cats who live here." Ian replied. Dan listened in to Saladin's conversation.

"So this is what we were kicked out for? These four?" a ginger tabby female asked angrily.

"These cats are here for a reason, Spark!" Saladin argued.

"Our Clans believe we are traitors for this contest!" another cat, a dark ginger tom, replied.

"Just listen!" Saladin said as another cat entered through the crack.

"Spark, Malachai, I agree with Saladin. We were chosen to leave the Clans. These cats are supposed to be here." Said the cat. Dan looked closer. She was completely black.

Saladin nodded his head to show his thanks. He looked at Spark and Malachai again. "We still need to escort these cats to the Clans." he said.

"Oh, and sorry I'm late. It took a while to get rid of the patrol." the new arrival said.

Amy stared at her. "So you were the one that got rid of that group of cats?" she asked.

"Yup, Succubus here outran that patrol. She was always the fastest." Saladin answered, "I'm glad to see your still the fastest, Succubus."

"So are we going to get these cats to their temporary Clans or not?" Malachai asked.

"Yeah but we need to find out what Clan they're going to. Who will go to WindClan?" asked Succubus. "Ok, who is the fastest?" she added, when everyone stared blankly.

Everyone looked at Dan. "I am." Dan said.

"Ok, I'll take you to WindClan." Succubus said.

Malachai looked at Ian. "I'll take you to ShadowClan. You're the darkest."

Saladin looked at Amy. "Amy, I know you. You don't like crowds. ThunderClan would be perfect for you. You'll be hunting and patrolling through the underbrush all day. You'll be hidden most of the time." Amy nodded.

Spark stepped up. "So you'll be in RiverClan." she said, looking at Natalie.

Saladin stood up. "So we have our Clans! Lets go!"

I'm going to be really busy over the next week. I won't be posting for a while. Please read & review.