The Clan was preparing for two things tonight. One was the Gathering that Cloudtail, Spiderleg, Dustpelt, Berrynose, Hazeltail, Brackenfur, Sorreltail, Sandstorm, Bumblestripe, Blossomfall, Birchfall, Dovepaw, and Ivypaw would be attending. The other was the battle that ThunderClan and WindClan would be having.

During the moon that they'd been preparing, a hunting patrol saw a small gray cat walking on the moorland with another gray cat. But only the apprentices saw it, so it was doubted that it was Sootkit.

But Bramblestar said that it was the only lead they had, so they were going to act upon it.

Every cat that wasn't going to the Gathering-except the elders, queens, and kits-were going to be in the battle. Hopefully, if they had planned it right, WindClan would bring most of their cats to the Gathering to warn us to leave them alone, and we'd have an easy battle. But if they planned it wrong, WindClan would leave many warriors at camp incase ThunderClan tried anything.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Bramblestar was on Highledge. Every cat turned to listen to what he had to say. "I'm very proud to have loyal warriors to stand behind me and protect this Clan and fight for it's honor."

The crowd yowled in approval.

"Whether you are going to the Gathering," he motioned to the cats grouped together that were going to the Gathering, "the battle," he motioned to the other cats, "or staying here, you are all loyal members of ThunderClan, and I'm very proud to lead such a noble Clan."

The clearing erupted in cheers.

"All right. Icecloud, since you'll blend in with the snow, you'll go with the cats to the Gathering and see if WindClan is there yet. If not, wait until they are and then leave. You need to report back to the raid party and tell us approximately how many WindClan cats are there." Icecloud nodded, accepting her job.

"Jayfeather, you will stay here. Everyone going to the Gathering will say that some cats are ill and Jayfeather couldn't come." Some cats in the clearing sounded confused, so Bramblestar cleared it up. "The other Clans will think we're too weak to attack, and then relax. That will make them less likely to strain to listen for any problems on their territories."

The previously confused cats nodded to show their understanding.

"All right. Let's move out. The raiding party will hide in the undergrowth near the WindClan border-but not so close that they will know we're there if they come by." Bramblestar led both groups out into the forest, and then split off towards the WindClan border, while Cloudtail led his group farther towards the shore before walking along the water's edge to the Gathering.

Jayfeather snuck along with the raiding party to watch the battle and to help cats who needed immediate treatment.

The cats sat eerily still while they waited for Icecloud to report. Then, she came slinking through the bushes. Jayfeather overheard her speaking to Bramblestar.

"WindClan is at the Gathering." Bramblestar looked hopeful.

"How many cats were there?"

"I'd say it was their normal group. About 16 cats, I'd say." Jayfeather saw Bramblestar nearly jump for joy. He turned to the raiding party.

"The job is not to get them to run away; it is to pin down every cat in the camp and demand to know where Sootkit is. The cats not occupied by restraining a cat will search the camp for Sootkit. Is anyone confused on the plan?" No cat spoke up.

"Okay then. Weaker cats, pair up with another cat, or you'll be overthrown." Some of the smaller, daintier cats paired up, including Leafpool; smart idea on her part.

Even though she'd been working for moons on becoming a warrior, she still wasn't a very good one.

"Ready?" Every cat nodded. "Three… Two… One… ATTACK!"

It looked like a dam had burst and water was surging down the hillside as the cats raced down toward the camp. The WindClan cats looked shocked to see them, and the few in camp were down to the ground easily.

Keeping them down was the hard part.

The WindClan cats fought back with such ferociousness that it frightened Jayfeather, who was staying on the hilltop. The valley writhed like the lake during a storm.

He noticed that the battle was raging on the opposite side of the camp that the nursery was on. His paws carried him down towards the nursery, but he was bowled over by Tornear, a senior warrior.

"Where do you think you're going?" His ear stung when a sharp claw sliced through it. "Off to steal a kit?" Tornear sneered at him.

"Leave me alone! I'm a medicine cat!" His left ear rung, drowning out the noises of battle in the clearing. He felt something warm and sticky ooze out of his ear and down the side of his head.

"Then why are you here and not at the Gathering?" Jayfeather wondered why no one was helping him.

Then he saw why. They were only doing as Bramblestar had said. Only one WindClan cat other than Tornear wasn't pinned down, and three ThunderClan warriors were chasing him.

"Thornclaw!" The ginger tom stopped chasing the other cat, which confused her long enough for the two ThunderClan cats to get her pinned down.

Thornclaw tackled Tornear and pinned him down easily.

"Don't you know not to attack a medicine cat?" He slammed his sheathed paw into the side of Tornear's head. Tornear hissed and writhed under the weight of the ginger ThunderClan tom, but he was unable to get free.

A soft, begging mew came from behind Jayfeather, and at first, all he saw was a black and white WindClan tom. But as he looked closer, he saw a small gray kit dangling from the tom's jaws. The terrifying thing was that the kit was hanging over a cliff, and Jayfeather nearly bowled the tom over the edge of the cliff in a fit of pure rage and insanity when he recognized the pleading kit's face.

"It's Sootkit!"