A/N: Well here's Chapter 10! You don't have a battle in this chapter, but somethin mysterious does happen! Thanks everyone who reviewed, helped me write this chapter. Only 2 more chapters left until the end! And I have finally decided on a name for the second book, along with the outline. It will be titled "Voices", and the synopsis will come up as soon the final chapter is posted! Please review everyone, can I get 8 reviews? I think I can! :)

~Leo~

CHAPTER 10

Jadepaw panted heavily through the open forest, her weight trembling from the pain in her right paw. The rock ledge was only fox-lengths ahead of the gray apprentice, but it seemed like forever with the tremendous pain pulsing through her body.

How could Irispaw do such a thing to her own sister? It was like she became possessed by evil, it wasn't the sister Jadepaw once knew.

Soon a pelt came into view, it was the dark gray dappled Ferncloud who was standing guard.

"Get Firestar!" Jadepaw called to the former queen, limping as fast ash she could.

"What's wrong?" Ferncloud echoed, her fur standing on end.

Jadepaw panted, "It's Sootfur, he lead a patrol to attack ShadowClan. We need to stop it before they do any damage." Shock filled the gray warriors face, but as Ferncloud realized the extent of the situation, she raced off towards Firestar's den.

"At least someone listened to me" Jadepaw sighed, as she limped through the thorn tunnel. Cats began to file out of their dens, as a loud yowl sounded from the High Rock. Apparently Ferncloud wasted no time in getting to Firestar, he was already calling a clan meeting.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey" the flame furred tom called out, "Gather here beneath the High Rock for a clan meeting."

The apprentice noticed Rainwhisker following Swiftfoot and Squirrelflight out of the warriors den, along with Dustpelt and Brightheart. Plopping down onto a soft piece of moss, Jadepaw felt more fatigued than a recently kitted queen.

"She's over here" the voice of Ferncloud came from a few fox-lengths ahead.

The senior warrior was guiding Larchfern and Ferncloud to the gray apprentice, who was never this happy to see a Medicine Cat in her life.

"Are you hurt?" the tabby striped she-cat asked, sitting down next to Jadepaw.

"Oh my poor kit!" Whitewing wailed, "Who in the name of StarClan did this to you?".

Her daughter exchanged a glance with Larchfern, then sneered, "Irispaw did" Jadepaw meowed, wishing she didn't say it as a shocked expression filled Whitewing's face.

"But...But why? Why would your sister do such a thing on purpose?".

Because she's loony! Thats why! It was the truth, Jadepaw was crazier than Cinderpelt on a bad day!

"She was trying to impress Sablepaw, and I was going to tell Firestar that they were leaving to attack ShadowClan. We fought and she pinned me down and my paw snapped." That was about as truthful as Jadepaw could say it, though it probably wouldn't have helped Whitewing if she lied.

"Can you make it to my den?" Larchfern asked with concern in her eyes, "We need to get this set before the bone heals badly."

"I think so" Jadepaw tested it on the ground and winced, pain shot through her whole body.

Getting up, the she-cat leaned on Larchfern and her mother, trying to cross the clearing as quick as possible. But Jadepaw could just hear some of the meeting Firestar had called, it was loud enough after all.

"Are we going to do anything about it?" Runningwind hissed, perched on a rock next to his sister and Goldenflower.

All eyes focused on the flame-furred leader, who was looking down on his clan with great worry.

"I will gather a patrol of my own" his voice echoed across the clearing, "We have to leave as quickly as possible. If Sootfur starts a battle then we'll have broken the spirits rule. And we can't let that happen."

"But what if the battles already begun?" Hazeltail asked worriedly, trying to hush her three mewling kits.

Cats nodded in agreement, the same deep worry hidden in their shining eyes. Jadepaw stopped a moment to hear Firestar's response, what would the leader say?

"If that is the case" Firestar meowed, "Then may StarClan have mercy on all of our souls."

Silenced filled the empty Medicine Cat den, as Jadepaw lay in her moss nest. Firestar had ordered her to stay behind with Larchfern and Cinderpelt because of her paw. But Jadepaw would have much preferred to go with the leader's patrol, it would have been her first battle!

But they can't let it get to a battle! If that happened than what will Thunder and the others think? The clans will have broken their rule!

"How's the paw?" Jadepaw turned her green gaze to see Cinderpelt entering through the hanging lichen, Larchfern not far behind. Holding the crooked paw up, Jadepaw thought about it.

"It still hurts a little, but much better than before" the pain was faintly numb, but not numb enough to allow the apprentice some sleep.

"Well the stick should keep it in place until it grows properly" Larchfern flicked her tail to the mouse-length long stick that was stuck with honey and cobwebs to her paw.

It was about as uncomfortable as the night Finchpaw ate that bad Magpie and couldn't make it to the dirt-place in time. And that was pretty awful.

"Who did Firestar bring?" she asked Whitewing, laying her head on the soft moss. Her mother laid down beside Jadepaw, curling her tail around her daughter.

"Pretty much the whole clan I'd say" the queen meowed, "All except Snowfall, Dustpelt and Foxleap to guard the camp. And not to mention the queens and elders."

Jadepaw nodded, the queens and elders had combined into the queens den incase of an attack, luckily Goldenflower and Runningwind still had enough strength to fight. And of course Hazeltail would do anything to protect her three kits, though it didn't help that Splashkit tried to sneak away every chance he got.

"So do you think they'll make it time?" Larchfern asked Whitewing and her mentor, "I mean what if Sootfur already ordered an attack?".

Jadepaw was about to answer, when a wail came from a fox-length away. Instantly rising to her paws, the apprentice looked in horror as Cinderpelt sat at the entrance, her eyes a pitch-black shade.

"I see blood" she meowed, as Larchfern came to her side. "Countless lives have been taken, and blood has been shed" the old gray Medicine Cat growled.

Jadepaw froze to the ground, this was terrible! How could her uncle do such a thing? Not to mention going behind his own leaders back!

"StarClan is telling me something" Cinderpelt hissed, glancing from side to side as if to interpret what they were saying.

"What?" Larchfern meowed anxiously, "What are they saying?".

It was a few moments until Cinderpelt moved a mouse-length, she had been frozen like a rock for a short while.

"Bones will break like twigs" her eery voice spoke, "And terrors of the darkness will be unleashed. Not even the stones can save the clans from the tempest rising, only the chosen three."