Chapter Ten

When Silverstar woke up, Snowlion's nest was empty and Ryekit was just following his siblings outside.

"Where are you going?" Silverstar asked around a yawn.

"Snowlion said we could play out in the camp." Ryekit answered. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah." Silverstar stood and stretched. "Yeah, that's fine." Silverstar joined him at the den exit and let him leave before her. The majority of her litter was already playing with Quailkit and Owlkit. Gingerkit was sitting to the side, talking with Kestrelkit. Tigerkit was watching Snowlion and Snaketail speak from a distance.

"Lavenderpaw!" Silverstar called as the young gray she-cat returned to camp, holding a shrew. She set it on the prey pile and came to stand near Silverstar.

"What'd you need?"

"Have any patrols gone out yet?"

"No. Shiningheart said you'd want to talk to us. She said to only hunt in the area close to camp."

"Okay, good." Silverstar jumped up onto the stone-pile. "Let all members of Winterclan gather beneath the stone-pile for a clan meeting!"

Spruceheart, Tornadoclaw, and Moonleap came into the camp from outside as the rest of their clanmates left their dens.

"I expect many of you heard from your clanmates that all the clans are preparing for battle from the Dark Forest. For this reason, each clan will be sending two or three cats to our camp and we'll be sending one warrior to each of theirs. Tornadoclaw, I want you to go to Windclan. Pebblefur can go to Shadowclan. Wolffang will go to Thunderclan, Eaglewing to Riverclan, and Moonleap to Fireclan. Every clan will also choose two of their cats to act as messengers. Lavenderpaw and Meadowpaw, I'd like you to be our form of communication to the other clans. You'll have to be careful to not get drawn into any fights. It's up to the messengers from each clan to know where reinforcements are needed and make sure that those reinforcements are sent."

Lavenderpaw and her sister nodded solemnly to show that they understood.

"Now then, the five cats I listed should go right away to the clans I assigned." Silverstar instructed. Tornadoclaw and Wolffang set out together and Pebblefur, Eaglewing, and Moonleap left camp together.

The Windclan cats found Winterclan's camp soon after and Nightcloud led the other two cats to speak with Silverstar.

"Did Tornadoclaw find your camp okay?" Silverstar asked.

"I believe so. We passed her on our way out and gave her directions."

"Thank you."

"It was no trouble. Oh, and I wanted to introduce you to my son: Breezepelt." Nightcloud waved her tail at the slender black tomcat standing at her right.

"We've met before." Breezepelt said absently, barely giving Silverstar a glance before continuing to examine the camp

"When was that?" Nightcloud asked curiously.

"I came across him along the border a while back while looking for my kits."

The arrival of the Riverclan patrol cut their conversation short and Duskmist and Sandpelt of Fireclan came in a little later. Duskmist nodded at Silverstar in greeting before going to speak to Frostpelt. Sandpelt waved his tail at Silverstar but sat back to let the less familiar cats talk to her.

Nightcloud quickly introduced the last cat in her patrol; Thistletail, before stepping back so Silverstar could address the Riverclan warriors.

"Silverstar." The white she-cat greeted her respectfully. "I am Icewing. My clanmate is Rushtail." Icewing used her tail to gesture to the light brown tabby she-cat standing beside her. "Mistystar expected to send Beetlewhisker with us but he was murdered last night in his nest. We suspect he was training in the Dark Forest and made a wrong move."

"I'm so sorry for your loss!" Silverstar exclaimed. Icewing dipped her head in acknowledgement, a flash of pain dulling her eyes for a moment.

"Thank you for your condolences. If you have anything you need our help with, just tell us what we can do."

"Well, Shiningheart is setting up patrols. You could join one of them." Silverstar welcomed them, flicking an ear in Shiningheart's direction.

"Thank you. We'll do that." The Shadowclan patrol followed three Thunderclan cats in as Icewing led Rushtail to the group standing around Shiningheart. Silverstar, bored of being the one approached, stood and walked over to the two newer patrols to welcome them.

"Welcome to our camp." She greeted them.

"Thank you." The golden-brown Thunderclan tom responded. "My name's Brackenfur. This is Foxleap-" He gestured to the ginger tabby tom. "And Mousewhisker." Mousewhisker was a small gray and white tomcat.

"I'm Starlingwing." The ginger Shadowclan tabby added. "My clanmates are Dawnpelt and Toadfoot." Dawnpelt was the cream-furred she-cat who had been hanging around the medicine cats last night and Toadfoot was a dark brown tom.

"It's nice to meet all of you. If you want to join a patrol, Shiningheart is setting them up now." Silverstar led them over to the dark tabby as she spoke.

"I need another cat to join Spruceheart and Dawnpelt in battle training." Shiningheart told them as they neared her.

"I'd like to train." Brackenfur volunteered

"It would be a good idea for all of us to train together. To know as much as our enemies do." Toadfoot commented.

"Everyone will get a turn in the training area within the next couple days. I planned on having two training groups each day. Today Spruceheart and I will each be leading one."

"Do your elders often join the patrols?" Rushtail questioned.

"As long as we remain able, I don't see why we wouldn't." Spruceheart answered in his quiet voice.

"I suppose that makes sense." Mousewhisker said doubtfully. Foxleap leaned over to whisper something in his ear and Mousewhisker nodded. "Oh, that actually does make sense." The gray and white tom responded, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Silverstar, will you lead a hunting party?" Shiningheart asked her.

"Sure." Silverstar agreed

"I'll go with her." Nightcloud volunteered.

"So'll I." Rushtail decided.

"Okay. Thank you. Frostpelt, please bring some cats to check for more Dark Forest scents."

Silverstar brought Nightcloud and Rushtail away from camp toward her favorite hunting spot in the swampland near the Riverclan border. Nightcloud made a good attempt at hunting on the soft, wet ground but by the time the sun set Rushtail held distinctly more than either of the other two.

Nightcloud had managed to catch a water vole; Silverstar had two frogs and a starling; and Rushtail had a good-sized fish, three mice, a sparrow, and a lizard.