Squirrelflight leaped up onto the tree bridge, her claws gripping the bark of the old tree. Leafpool was ahead of her, and Cloudtail balanced behind her. The moon glimmered in the sky, and the stars of Silverpelt were scattered like diamonds across the night.

The trunk bounced slightly as she hopped onto it, but she was confident here now, and trotted across as if she was on solid ground. Bounding down onto the island, she glanced around. The cats from WindClan were already here, and she could see RiverClan making their way down the slope with ShadowClan just behind them.

Squirrelflight noticed a familiar gray-black tomcat sitting on his own by the lakeshore, and padded over to join him. "Hey, Crowfeather!"

Crowfeather looked up, his blue eyes hopeful. "Oh." He looked down again. "Hi, Squirrelflight."

She sat down beside him, looking down at the stars reflected in the lake. Eventually, when neither one of them had spoken she asked, "So, how're things in WindClan?"

"Fine," replied Crowfeather sharply. "Why shouldn't they be?"

Squirrelflight sighed, muttering, "Just asking..." She remembered the dark warrior's loyalty to his Clan. "Look, the leaders are about to speak."

She prowled over to sit between Leafpool and Brambleclaw, looking up at the Great Oak. Firestar and Onestar were looking down on the Clans, and Leopardstar and Blackstar scrambled up to join them. After a brief discussion, Leopardstar yowled out for silence and Onestar stepped forwards. "WindClan has had a good moon. Prey is rich and plentiful, and the twolegs are not bothering us. Only one thing... one of our warriors, Webfoot, has gone missing."

Squirrelflight's eyes widened in shock, and she glanced at Leafpool in surprise. She stared back, looking just as incredulous.

Then Leopardstar walked forward. "As you will probably know, our warrior Hawkfrost was discovered to be a traitor and killed recently. As well as this, one of our warriors, Blackclaw, has disappeared."

This time Squirrelflight leaped to her paws. The other cats stared at her in surprise, but she shook her head and sat down. Firestar could tell the Clans.
Blackstar's news was unremarkable - no missing cats, just a fox that had been driven out.

Finally, Firestar got up. "ThunderClan also has good news and bad news. For the good, one of our apprentices has been made a warrior. Whiteflower joins us now."

Whiteflower flicked her ears shyly as the Clans congratulated her.
"And for the bad - we too have lost cats. Ashfur and Birchpaw went missing sometime last night."

Cats in the clearing below yowled their outrage, and some snarled, "What is happening?!"

Firestar called out for silence. "As we know, in the old territories twolegs kidnapped cats."

Leopardstar interrupted, "But the twolegs are not building a Thunderpath here!"
Blackstar nodded. "None of our warriors are missing, but I will inform you if any of my cats see or scent anything strange."

Onestar nodded appreciatively. "You have WindClan's thanks."
Squirrelflight wrinkled her nose. Cats disappearing... what is going on?

Firestar opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything a cat near the lakeshore called out, "What's that? Something is floating on the lake!" Every cat spun round. Squirrelflight craned her neck, and saw it too - a limp, dark shape, lying on a piece of wood.

She raced over, noticing Whiteflower sprinting beside her, and got to the pebbly lakeshore. A cat from RiverClan - Squirrelflight recognised their deputy, Mistyfoot, yowled, "It's a cat!"

At this, every cat in the Gathering screeched loudly. Mistyfoot launched herself into the lakewater and began paddling, paws churining strongly, towards the limp body. She dragged it towards the shore, pushing it and the piece of wood it lay on onto the shore.

The cat had dark gray fur, and it's flank was - barely - rising. The medicine cats; Leafpool, Mothwing, Barkface and Littlecloud sprinted over, Littlecloud clutching herbs. Firestar and the other leaders pushed through the crowd.

All of them looked shocked, but as Firestar came closer to the soaked bundle, his face contorted with disbelief, shock, hope and fear. His voice was hoarse as he croaked out one word.

"Graystripe!"