Moon of the Scented Hills, 25th Sun

"What's going on?" Burningfur demanded as soon as they reached camp.
Rapidstar turned his head slowly to face them, his amber eyes dark and grim. "Kits have been stolen from both RainClan and BrokenClan."
"How do you know for certain that it was Clawstar?" the deputy said harshly.
A tabby-and-white she-cat with the scent of pine needles heavy in her fur answered the question. "A HollowClan scent marker was found in our nursery, right in the kits' nest. We tracked the trail directly to the border between BrokenClan and HollowClan. Venomfang awaited us there, and told us that if we ever hoped to see our kits again we would support HollowClan's claim for the territory of SnowClan."

"Who's Venomfang?" Twilightpaw whispered to no-one in particular. Valiantpaw drew alongside her, his mahogany fur bristling with excitement. "HollowClan deputy."
"It was the same with RainClan." The ginger speaker's voice was calm, but Twilightpaw could scent his fear. "We never saw them. Our camp is ringed with thick brambles, our nursery especially so. A HollowClan warrior destroyed the back of our nursery—removed the brambles—and took three kits. I hope he dies of infection from his cuts." His lip curled with vehemence. "Clawstar was at the end of our trail, and informed Shadowstar that he would make a claim for the territory of SnowClan tomorrow in a Daylight Gathering that he would call, and that if we wanted our kits home safe we would not voice any objection. No doubt your isolation is the only thing that defended your nursery," he added to Rapidstar, who nodded slowly.

"Flyingfeather," Moonpelt asked the tabby BrokenClan deputy, who flicked her ears towards the medicine cat, "how did HollowClan break into your nursery?"
"That…is not important." Flyingfeather spoke with hesitation.
"But I can guess," Burningfur said. "It is common knowledge that your territory is prey-poor at this time of year. Did Hawkstar send out all the warriors to hunt, and neglected to guard the camp?"
Twilightpaw expected Flyingfeather to spit at her mentor, but the she-cat merely bowed her head, betraying the depths of her guilt and shame. "Our Clan is hungry, Burningfur, and our numbers are not great," she said in weak defence of her leader.
Rapidstar spoke. "What would you have us do?"

The ginger tom, the RainClan deputy, straightened up. "My leader asked me to make a formal proposition on her behalf. A warrior mission, as it were. She wishes to ally RainClan and LightningClan and march on HollowClan to rescue our kits."
"But not BrokenClan, Risingsun?" Flyingfeather said bitterly.
"If we had known your kits were stolen, we would have asked you, too," he said gently. He turned back to Rapidstar. "If BrokenClan joins us, so much the better."
Rapidstar's eyes glimmered. "Why should we trust RainClan? You wanted the Forsaken Clan's territory for yourself, and you didn't get it. Are you perhaps looking for other ways to expand your land?"

Risingsun choked back on a hiss. "If it weren't for the fact that I come in peace, I would tear out your tongue for such an insult," he said proudly. "RainClan does not deal in trickery. We have no need to. Our strength comes from our ancestral memories, that stretch back to the settlement of the Clans when the starving knights came from the mountains following a dream and the words of Mitternacht." He was met with blank stares. "I don't expect you to understand. Know this, then—if you accept our offer, that makes us allies and brothers in war. Any treachery would be seen as the ultimate crime under the eyes of StarClan."

Risingsun was clever, Twilightpaw thought mildly. He knew that appealing to Rapidstar's zealotry would get him further than any other approach. Or had the idea come from Shadowstar?
RainClan had long been known as the Keepers of the Past. Unlike other cats, they had unusually long and powerful memories, and seemed to remember things not just from their own lives but from that of their ancestors. Some dismissed this and claimed it was merely good storytelling from a Clan that usually had many elders, but others—Moonpelt and Valiantpaw among them—believed that there really was something different about the RainClan mind and that it had its origins in the brain of Rainstar who had once been Raincloud.
This struck her like a bolt of lightning. If their thought processes were truly different from other cats, if they truly recalled things from other lives, they would be certain to know if her own mind was a mutation or merely something that happened from time to time. All she'd have to do was find a RainClan cat who wouldn't ask too many questions.

Shiverpaw, she decided, and felt something settle in her stomach. The she-cat had been nice enough, if a little grim and taciturn, and she seemed intelligent. Silently she prayed to whoever might be listening above or below that Rapidstar would agree to the alliance.
At last Rapidstar nodded. "HollowClan has broken the warrior code. I can't stand back and let them hurt kits." He glanced at Flyingfeather. "Would BrokenClan stand with us?"
Flyingfeather swallowed. "I don't…don't have the authority to make that decision."
Burningfur's eyes narrowed. "Then why did Hawkstar send you? Surely not just to announce your weakness?"
The deputy looked down, and Twilightpaw said, "Hawkstar didn't send you, did he? You came without telling him. You thought we would get your kits back for you."

"You don't know what it's like with him!" Flyingfeather burst out. "He's so obsessed with looking strong in front of the other Clans that he's actually making us weak. Those kits were the final straw. He told Venomfang that BrokenClan wouldn't appear at the Daylight Gathering but that they agreed to his proposal. I…I couldn't let it happen. Hawkstar doesn't understand. Even if we do everything that Clawstar says, he'll still kill the kits. Two less warriors for us, after all."
"You went behind your Clan leader's back," Rapidstar said with the faintest hint of a growl. He shot a look at Burningfur, who merely twitched her tail.
Risingsun interjected, perhaps feeling embarrassed on the beleaguered deputy's behalf. "Two Clans should still be a match for HollowClan. We'll get your kits back, Flyingfeather, don't worry."
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction. Then Burningfur spoke. "What about DarkClan?"

"I doubt they've had kits stolen," Moonpelt said. "They don't share a border with HollowClan and their camp would be well-guarded."
"Would they join our cause?" Burningfur said. "Two Clans won't be enough. We would defeat HollowClan easily, but that isn't the aim of our mission. As soon as Clawstar sees an enemy warrior, those kits are dead. We could have one Clan lure them out of their camp and another try and save the kits before he slits their throats, but it would be risky for the Clan who fights HollowClan. They'll be outnumbered, because undoubtedly they would leave some warriors at home to guard the camp." Her eyes were veiled with cynicism.

"Why would DarkClan help us if their kits haven't been taken?" Rapidstar said coldly.
"Perhaps for the same reasons we're helping?" Moonpelt offered. "Honour, compassion, and loyalty to the code?"
I saw her, covered in blood and darkness. Cloakedpaw's words echoed through Twilightpaw's mind. She couldn't fit that image of Deathstar with honour and compassion.
"Deathstar is a rogue," Rapidstar growled. "Unlikely to hold the same values as us."
"It's worth a try," Burningfur said. "Even if they don't care about missing kits, they won't agree to giving HollowClan the territory of SnowClan. Deathstar was very clear on that point. DarkClan is a strong Clan, and they have no need to hide behind words." She did not look at Flyingfeather, but Twilightpaw saw the BrokenClan deputy's shadow turn away in embarrassment.

Risingsun cleared his throat. "I see no issues with at least asking DarkClan. If they refuse, we lose nothing. If they join us, we are certain of victory."
Twilightpaw suddenly felt a thrill in her gut, picturing a huge rush of warriors descending on HollowClan, who seemed small and terrified in her vision. She pictured herself, heroically defeating a powerful warrior through sheer talent alone. Perhaps she would save the life of a Clan deputy or even a leader. Maybe she would even save the kits! Rapidstar wouldn't mock her then.
The hare chuckled softly to itself. She shot it a glare.
"Very well, then," Rapidstar sighed. "Risingsun, Flyingfeather and I will go to DarkClan and speak to Deathstar. Burningfur, you are in charge while I am gone." He nodded to the other deputies, who followed him out of the camp entrance.

Longpaw paced up and down by the Lightningridge. "I don't see why we have to do all this talk. Why don't we just go in and get the kits now? We're running out of time!"
"Patience," Burningfur rumbled. "Clawstar won't lay a paw on those kits until he gets what he wants. We know he'll ask for a Daylight Gathering sometime tomorrow and he won't kill the kits until after that, so we do, in fact, have some time."
"Will HollowClan send a messenger?" Valiantpaw asked. Burningfur slowly turned her head to meet his gaze. "Probably. But I doubt they will mention the kits."
"So what do we do now while we wait? Twiddle our paws?" Twilightpaw asked.
Burningfur was already walking away, and glanced over her shoulder to reply. "If you're bored, you could go hunting. Take a few of your friends with you. A warrior would be even better."

"I'll go," Longpaw said at once. Valiantpaw demurred a few moments later. "I don't want to miss anything," he said.
"You won't. We'll hunt by the DarkClan border. Soon as they step back into our ground, we can find out before anyone else," Twilightpaw replied.
"Okay, then," he said. "Do we really have to bring a warrior with us? They'll breathe down our necks each time we stalk a rabbit."
Twilightpaw shuddered. "No, we do not. Come on."

Longpaw looked doubtful. "What if Clawstar wants leverage over LightningClan? He could kidnap us pretty easily if we're out here on our own."
"No, they couldn't. HollowClan cats are all dark-coloured to fit in with the shadows in their territory; they'd stand out against the heather and grass. We'd see them from ages away," Valiantpaw said impatiently. "But if you're too scared…" He left the dare hanging.
Longpaw stiffened. "No. Let's go."
He led them onto the moor and towards the DarkClan border, but before they'd gotten far they were intercepted by Crimsonpaw and Wolfpaw. Both of them shimmered with resentment, and Twilightpaw could vaguely understand why. They were supposed to have their warrior ceremonies at sunhigh, which was roughly now, but naturally enough it had been postponed due to current events. Anyone would be disappointed, but in her mind it didn't make sense to get so annoyed about it. By sunset tomorrow, one way or the other, this would all be solved. They wouldn't have to wait for more than a few suns.

But angry they were, and a younger, weaker, mutated apprentice who hadn't quite found her place in the Clan was an easy target for that.
"Where are you off to?" Crimsonpaw asked in an icily polite tone. As Twilightpaw was at the back of her friends' party, Wolfpaw walked behind her to close off her one way of escape.
"Hunting," Twilightpaw said as mildly as she could, internally surveying the odds of a fight. If it came to it, it would be a fairly even one; they were older, but Longpaw was just as good as them in battle training and he was bigger. Besides, on the eve of a real battle and their ceremonies, she doubted that they would risk getting into trouble and facing a Swallowing.
Feeling more secure, she added, "What about you?"
Wolfpaw leaned in close. "We're going to practise our battle moves with Burningfur. You know, so Rapidstar will be certain to pick us as the apprentices in the battle."

Twilightpaw rolled her eyes. "Idiot. They'll take all of us. None of us have any battle experience and that's vital for becoming a warrior."
"Sure, that's what you think," Wolfpaw purred. "But sometimes there can be apprentices who are...well, there's just no other way to say it…burdens on the cats around them. Mutants, in particular." Twilightpaw felt her rage build at his blatant hypocrisy. She noticed what she should have realized moons ago; that Wolfpaw rarely opened his mouth wide enough for another cat to see his teeth.
"Honestly, I can't see why I would be left behind. I've got all my claws…and teeth," she said sweetly. "I know how to fight well enough. Apprentices younger than me have fought in battles. Just ask your father about his infamous battle with DarkClan that no-one else can remember."

Valiantpaw and Longpaw said nothing, but their eyes were fixed on the two older apprentices. They wouldn't defend her verbally; she didn't want them to try. But if it came to blows, they would help her in an instant.
Crimsonpaw attacked with different tactics. "Do you know where Burningfur is?" It might have been a normal question but she was still speaking in that cold, frosty tone.
"No. In camp—"
"What about Moonpelt?"
"No, but—"
"Any of the senior warriors?"
"Scattered somewhere. Why—"
"What, exactly, is your purpose here?"

"You know, that's never really been made clear to me. Do you mind? We've got kits and elders to feed while you stand there with your idiot brother and feel sorry for yourselves because you might have to wait two freaking suns to become a warrior. Go suck up to Burningfur if you want. She'll see through it, though, so I don't think you'll get far. You know, maybe if you were just better apprentices, you might have been warriors long—" she closed her mouth hurriedly, knowing at once that she'd gone too far.
Crimsonpaw and Wolfpaw unsheathed their claws and advanced on her, but as they did so both Longpaw and Valiantpaw let out long, rumbling snarls and stepped forwards. The older cats stopped and exchanged glances.

"C'mon," Wolfpaw muttered. "This isn't worth it. Not over a runt." He started walking away; Crimsonpaw followed.
"Cowards," Twilightpaw said, but quietly. She didn't really want a fight, either.
Once they were out of sight, Longpaw let out a big sigh. "For StarClan's sake, Twilightpaw, you've got a bigger mouth on you than a wolverine! Why couldn't you have just ignored them?"
"Because it doesn't work," she snapped, stung.
"But why did you have to tell them that they were bad apprentices? If we weren't there, they would have torn you to pieces!"

"But it's true. They are bad. Most cats their age would have been warriors a moon ago. Even Greenpaw at the Gathering said so."
"Yes, well, right or wrong, there are things that you think and things that you say, and you have a tendency to mix them up a lot." He flashed that to her behind narrow eyes, and she knew that he wasn't just talking about insulting Crimsonpaw and Wolfpaw.
Valiantpaw interjected. "Calm down, there's no harm done. Once Crimsonpaw and Wolfpaw are warriors they'll forget about this completely."
Twilightpaw drew a line in the dirt with her claw. "I get that crap from Wolfpaw all the time and I've said worse things to him without anything happening. But I never thought that Crimsonpaw would start. I mean, she's said things, but she's never really meant them."

Valiantpaw shrugged. "She's angry about missing her ceremony and jealous of her mother. I think this would be a one-time thing."
"Jealous of her mother? Lilacbreeze? Why?"
"Well, you know how Crimsonpaw's had a crush on Runningflash, like, forever?"
Twilightpaw hadn't, actually, but Longpaw nodded.
"Well, I have it on very good authority that Lilacbreeze is carrying his kits." He said that with a grin, enjoying the scandal.
Longpaw exhaled sharply. "No wonder she's pissed. Imagine competing for a tom with your own mother."

Twilightpaw, who had very little patience for gossip and even less for finding out what made other cats work, had another question. "Very good authority? Whose, exactly?"
Valiantpaw eyed her.
"It wouldn't happen to be Burningfur, would it?"
He kept his face blank. "No."
Longpaw had missed the significance of this exchange. "Hey, are we going to the border or not? Rapidstar will definitely be in DarkClan by now. He could come out at any time."
Twilightpaw nodded reluctantly and began to follow Longpaw again.
Despite their eagerness to get to the DarkClan border, they did do some hunting. Twilightpaw caught a leveret that had been separated from its mother while Longpaw's height served him well when he caught two of the small moor sparrows that tended to flit around areas of high insect activity. Valiantpaw dug up a mouse nest and returned to them with two small bodies hanging from his jaws.

They picked up Rapidstar's scent trail when they neared the scraggly trees that marked the border. Cats were creatures of habit, so they knew that he was likely to return to the same place he came out of. Longpaw cast a critical eye over their catch. "That won't feed more than two cats."
"We can catch more on the way back," Twilightpaw pointed out. She was quite proud of her leveret, for while it didn't have the speed and cunning of an adult hare, it had been hard to track and catch nonetheless.
"Or we could catch more now, and one of us could wait here and call to the others once they show up," Valiantpaw suggested, rubbing his nose with his paw.

"I'll hunt," Twilightpaw suggested instantly. Although she wanted to be the first to hear the news, keeping still for any period of time did not appeal to her. Only DarkClan and HollowClan cats remained motionless when hunting.
"So will I," Valiantpaw said, more mildly.
Longpaw settled down in the dirt. "Don't come back until either I've called you or you've got too much prey to carry," he said.
"Yes, Clan leader," Twilightpaw replied mockingly and pushed her way through a clump of long grass to return to the moor. She didn't realise that Valiantpaw had followed her until she noticed his shadow. Like Burningfur's, it had little of the energy that a shadow usually had, and seemed content to plod alongside its master.
"I wish you would talk to me," Twilightpaw said without turning her head. "I'm your sister. I can keep secrets."
"You've never kept a secret before."
"Not true. I never told anyone about that fur you stole from the warriors' den. I keep my friends' secrets."
"And I've never told anyone about your fits, either."

Twilightpaw snorted bitterly. "That's hardly a secret anymore. I'd be surprised if there was a cat in the Clan who didn't know about that, the way Dreamcloud spreads rumours."
Valiantpaw was quiet for a few moments before speaking. "Remember when we were kits, and I went to steal that furball, but I didn't tell you about it right away?"
"Of course."
"It's like that. It doesn't affect you, and I'll explain it to you eventually. Just maybe not for a while. Not until it's done."
Twilightpaw flicked his ear affectionately. "You promise?"
"I promise," he said. But there was nothing of the serious solemnity that Cloakedpaw had put into his words, as though he had been accepting a sacred trust. Valiantpaw said it quite casually, and she knew that if it didn't suit him he wouldn't keep it. She was the same way. She had thought of Cloakedpaw as dark, naïve, and somewhat unstable, but there was probably more good in him than she and her brother put together.
"We aren't nice cats, are we, Valiantpaw?" she mused, thinking aloud. "I don't even think I could be kind if I tried."

"Oh, you're good enough, Twilightpaw. You're just too suspicious. You see the drop of venom behind every sweet word. It comes with the territory of growing up with Silvertail as a parent and Burningfur as mentor." He paused for a few moments, and then said, "Do you ever find yourself disliking a cat as soon as you met them so that you never mind when they don't like you?"
"Well, of course," she replied. "When I dislike a cat I stop caring about what they say. Thus it's easier to dislike everyone on first sight." She sighed. "But I liked Crimsonpaw. And Moonpelt."
"Hmmph, Moonpelt. Funny bird, that she-cat. I see her watching me, sometimes, and it creeps me out. I wish I knew why she was so fascinated by me. It's not like she's attracted to me or anything…it's like she's trying to figure me out." Valiantpaw flicked a fly off Twilightpaw's shoulder with his tail.
Twilightpaw did not want to talk about Moonpelt at all, and regretted bringing up the subject. "Maybe medicine cats do that to everyone and you're just smart enough to catch her. But are we getting some hunting done or not?"

Before he could respond Longpaw called out. "They're coming back!"
Valiantpaw grumbled good-naturedly about the pointlessness of their exercise as they quickly trotted back to the border.
"It appears we have a welcoming committee," Rapidstar said, Flyingfeather a few paces behind him. Risingsun had gone, probably to his own territory. Her leader wasn't smiling, but Twilightpaw didn't sense any anger from his shadow, so she asked, "Is DarkClan going to help us?"
He appeared to consider holding out on telling them, but he relented. "Yes," he said briefly. "They will. But I hate repeating myself, so I'm not saying everything until we're back in camp. Which I hope you didn't sneak out of."

All three apprentices shook their heads. "We were hunting," Longpaw said, hastily scooping up the leveret to prove it. "Burningfur told us to."
Rapidstar looked down at them. "You'd better come with me, then," he relented. "Take your prey and let's go."
Twilightpaw fell in beside Flyingfeather, who was showing signs of weariness. She'd probably been walking all morning and still had quite a stretch to go before she reached her own territory. What kind of retribution would she invite when she did return to her Clan? She'd disobeyed her leader and gone behind his back to make deals with another Clan. Deputies had been stripped of their rank for less. She hoped that Hawkstar would see that Flyingfeather had only done what she'd thought was best, but in her heart Twilightpaw knew he wouldn't. Most warriors didn't believe that the end justified the means.

When they finally arrived at camp, they found practically every cat in the Clan clustered around the entrance, waiting for their return. Rapidstar pushed them away with his shoulders. "Burningfur, come into my den," he ordered, ignoring the senior warriors' questions. The ginger she-cat nodded and followed him into the tangle of bramble and heather that marked the leader's den.
Flyingfeather seemed unsure of what she was supposed to do, so Twilightpaw helpfully said, "You should probably leave now. You'll be in enough trouble with your Clan already."
The tabby sighed. "I suppose a thank-you was too much to expect from LightningClan," she muttered before relenting and pushing her way through the bramble entrance of their camp.
"Why should we have thanked her?" Twilightpaw grumbled as she rejoined her friends. "We didn't ask her to betray her Clan."

"It's hardly betrayal," Longpaw said, grooming a clump of fur on his shoulder.
"I doubt Hawkstar will see it that way," Valiantpaw drawled.
A furball bumped up against Twilightpaw's leg. She casually pushed Cloudkit away. "Go bother your mother."
"We want to find out what DarkClan said. We know that's where you went," he replied. Twilightpaw glanced down at him, as surprised by his intelligence as she was by his size. She hadn't paid much attention to the kits in recent moons—Dreamcloud didn't like it when she was around them—so she had not noticed his sudden growth spurt. He was nearly level with her shoulder.
"Hey," she said, "when are you two going to be apprentices?" She addressed that question to Skykit, who, as always, was slightly hidden behind her more boisterous brother. She had grown, too, but it was apparent that she would always be a small cat. Moonpelt had confirmed that the she-kit was indeed short-sighted—bad news for a prospective warrior.
"It may not be a mutation, though," she'd quickly assured the outraged mother. "It's a common enough problem."

"DarkClan said that they'll help us. But we don't know the full story," she replied to Cloudkit. "Hey, you two are six moons, right? When are you going to have your ceremony?"
A shadow flitted across Cloudkit's face. "It was supposed to be today," he said at last. "After Crimsonpaw and Wolfpaw's warrior naming. But I guess that's been forgotten about now."
"Rapidstar will hold the ceremony in a day or two. StarClan knows we'll probably need all the claws we can get over the next few moons," she assured him.
"But then why doesn't he name us now?" Cloudkit protested. "I can fight, and I want to help save the kits!"
Twilightpaw remembered with a sudden sting of apprehension how easily Wolfpaw had managed to defeat her. "You'd be torn to pieces, I'm afraid," she said. "If Clawstar didn't just kidnap you. But something tells me that there'll be more battles to come. You'll get your chance."

"I don't mind waiting," Skykit said, drawing her tail around herself.
"That's because you're practically already Moonpelt's apprentice," Cloudkit replied. "The only thing that'll change for you is your name."
Twilightpaw touched the small kit's ear with her tail. "You're going to become a medicine cat? Congratulations."
"Yeah, kudos," Longpaw said. "Tough job. You know Moonpelt almost never leaves camp except to gather herbs once a week."
"I know," she replied softly. "I hate fighting but I still want to serve my Clan, and this is the only way that I can get around that." She looked down. "I'm not entirely sure if I want to be a medicine cat. I hate the smells of blood and vomit and I don't like hurting cats, even if it helps them."
Twilightpaw's heart went out to the little one. "Well, when you get your full name you can join RainClan," she said. "There you could be a Child of the Dark and never have to look at an injured cat."

Skykit shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe," was all she said.
"Cats of LightningClan!" Rapidstar's powerful voice echoed through the camp. "Gather under the Lightningridge, if you will."
"If you will?" Valiantpaw mocked, and Twilightpaw held back a giggle. All of them settled underneath the Ridge and waited for their leader's pronouncement.
"Cats of LightningClan, I'm sure there aren't any among you who are unaware of our predicament. Kits from two Clans have been stolen in gross violation of the code and it is our duty as sworn warriors to fight for their safe return. To do that, we must set aside old grievances and join forces with RainClan and DarkClan."

"What about BrokenClan?" a warrior called out.
Rapidstar swept his gaze across them. "It is unlikely that BrokenClan will join us," he said. "There will be a reckoning for his failure to act, also, but it will be without bloodshed and of no concern to warriors. Regardless of BrokenClan's misdeeds, their kits are innocent, so we shall return them as well.
"Now, I am expecting a HollowClan cat sometime in the afternoon, probably to give us an edited and untruthful version of what we all know. In short, we will be told to meet at a Daylight Gathering at sunhigh tomorrow. If Clawstar's demands are not agreed to, the kits die. I won't let that happen." There were growls of assent.
Get on with it, Twilightpaw thought.

"So in terms of the actual rescue. The three Clans will combine and split into two groups. One will appear at the Gathering and keep Clawstar and his warriors occupied. Remember it is of utmost importance that not a single HollowClan warrior escapes from your grasp and makes it back to their camp. The kits' lives are forfeit if that occurs.
"The second group will be the actual saviours of the kits. They will enter HollowClan's territory by stealth, disarm the guards, and take the kits. They will then run as though the demons of the Dark Forest themselves were after them, split into two, and return the kits safely to their respective Clans. They will remain with the Clan until HollowClan has been weakened enough for the threat to recede. Which, given that we should outnumber them, will hopefully not be too long." He looked up to the newleaf sky above them before flexing his claws. "Regardless of whatever group you are in, there will be fighting. You will be tested. Do not run from your fights unless you feel that your life is threatened. I mean that. There is no place for cowards or the weak of heart in this Clan."
"Ah, but that claw cuts both ways," the hare murmured. "What is courage? Admitting that an opponent is stronger and saving your strength for another battle, or is it fighting until the bitter end, even if it means your own destruction?"

"Before I announce the members of each group, are there any questions?"
Dreamcloud stood up. "Who will guard the camp while we're gone? If it's true that BrokenClan will remain cosily in their part of the forest, then they could launch their own invasion."
Rapidstar shook his head. "They would not, not if they have any sense left in their minds. If we return to find BrokenClan on our land, then their kits will become our own hostages. You and your kits will remain, along with the elders and Moonpelt. If there is trouble of any sort, fetch us." He looked back to the Clan. "Anything else?"

There was silence. Rapidstar nodded. "Good. Then, in the patrol that will go to the Daylight Gathering, there will be myself, Silvertail, Fernleaf, Lilacbreeze, Runningflash, and all the apprentices. Burningfur will take Stormheart, Phantomfall, Flywing, and Whisperhunt as part of the rescue patrol. You will need to discuss tactics with Burningfur this afternoon; I leave that meeting in her paws. For the rest—sharpen your battle skills and do as much hunting as you can this afternoon as I doubt we will be in any state to do so tomorrow."
"I'll need a few apprentices to help me organize supplies," Moonpelt said quietly.
"Crimsonpaw and Wolfpaw, then," Rapidstar said. Twilightpaw tried not to snicker at the horrified expressions on their faces.