Authors Note: Thank you Rammba, Cedarheart, Shadowwing, yuki-neechan, and Nightflame-or-Rainclan for reviewing! a Also award Rammba and Nightflame-of-Rainclan with a Tigerstar plushie!

Note: I'm telling you now, this is a short chapter and kind of boring, but the first part is essential to the next few chapters.

Chapter Thirteen: Allies

"Krestlestar, we have news." mewed Owlwhisker as he came padding up towards the leader, with Mistpaw at his side. He said they were going on a border patrol, but Sparrowtail hated think about what was really going on. Biting into her fish Sparrowtail watched.

"What is it, Owlwhisker?" he mewed. Redfeather padded up beside him.

"We were by the Shadowclan border-" Sparrowtail winced, the clearing was over there. "-and we saw a Shadowclan patrol coming over out border markings. I think they need to talk to you."

"How do we know they aren't going to attack?" asked Littlestep, coming forward. As odd as it, Littlestep had become one of the more respected warrior in the clan.

Owlwhisker shook his head. "No, they were too small to attack us."

Krestlestar nodded his head. Turning to Redfeather "Get a patrol going, I want you go catch up with the Shadowclan patrol and led them here, don't let them out of your sight." Then to Littlestep, "Tell the rest of the warriors that Shadowclan is coming, and to set up posts around the camp."

Both cats nodded and padded away. Stormstrike padded up her. "Hey I saw Redfeather leading a patrol out of camp, they seemed in a hurry, what's happening?"

"Shadowclan is coming, but we aren't sure why. It seems to have worried a few cat in the clan."

Stormstrike nodded, "Well, I guess we'll find out." he flicked his tail towards the camp entrance.

Turning her head, Sparrowtail saw Redfeather and her patrol leading a group of four Shadowclan cats into the camp clearing.

"What are they doing here?" hissed Snakepaw.

Frostpaw walked up beside her brother. "Let's shred them!" Littlestep gave his apprentice a side-ways glance and Frostpaw backed away.

The leader, Spiderstar, stood in front with Eaglewing, Volefeet, and much to Sparrowtail's horror, Falconclaw. Thoughts about Gorsetail's kits rushed into her head. She wondered what they would like...thinking they could of been her kits instead.

Spiderstar stepped forward. "We have news from Windclan." he mewed.

Krestelstar turned his head to the side. "What? Windclan has nothing to do with you."

Spiderstar laughed. "But it does, we have come to tell you Windclan has told us of your predicament, and that we will siding with them. it is not far you get food from the river and land, while we are stuck with only we know how to catch."

"You can't do this." Stormstrike growled next to Sparrowtail. She placed a tail on his shoulder and looked over at Shadowclan.

Sparrowtail's eyes widened in shock, seeing Falconclaw glaring at her, his fur bristling. She looked over at her tail on Stormstrike's shoulder and quickly took it off. Falconclaw's lat words still rang in her ears; "This isn't over, Sparrowtail. I will get revenge on you!"

"We can, and we have. When Windclan attacks, we will be there right beside them. Riverclan will fall." Spiderstar mewed to Krestlestar, before turning around and leading his clan out of the camp.

"Shouldn't we go chase them, Krestlestar?" Littlestep growled, yowls of agreement rose with him.

The leader shook his head. "No, let them leave. We must prepare for a battle." he whispered, he seemed almost in shock by the news. He seemed to shake if off though, for her turned to Redfeather and started giving orders.

"Shadowclan can't do this, they have never liked Windclan and now they are suddenly together, wanting to take us down?!" Stormstrike growled. Sparrowtail glanced worriedly at him, her mind still swimming in Falconclaw-land.

"Sparrowtail, hello!"

Looking into Stormstrike's eyes she blinked. "Sorry, I have a lot on my mind."

"It's Falconclaw, isn't it?"

Sparrowtail inwardly cursed herself, sometimes she swore Stormstrike was reading her mind.

"Yes."

"Why does he bother you so much? I understand you too..had something..but he can't keep you down from being loyal to your clan."

"But he does. It's just..the things he said, worry me."

"Sparrowtail, listen to me." he turned to her. "He is a piece of crow-food for what he did to you, okay? Forget about him."

Stormstrike stalked off. Sparrowtail sigh, turning tail and walked off. She could tell she upset Stormstrike, but it was harder to forget Falconclaw than he made it sound.

-x-

"Snakepaw, please come back!" yelled Nightpaw, racing after Sparrowtail's brother.

Sparrowtail looked at Nightpaw's distressed face and stood up, walking up to the apprentice. "I'll go talk to him and see what's wrong, okay?"

Nightpaw, sniffling, nodded and padded toward her den. Sparrowtail had never been part of her younger sibling's lives before, seeing how they caused the death of her mother, she figured she might as well start now.

-x-

"Snakepaw?" Sparrowtail mewed, walking through the tell river reeds for her brother, finding his scent, she trailed it over near the horseplace. Seeing his tail weaving through the reeds, Sparrowtail paced faster, soon catching up to him.

"Snakepaw?"

"What! Oh, Sparrowtail..hi." Snakepaw mewed, looking away.

"I saw you and Nightpaw, want to talk about it?"

He started are, and blinked. "What?"

She didn't anything, only nodded, waiting.

The apprentice sighed, wrapping his tail around his paws- something Sparrowtail's and his mother did. "I was coming back from a hunting test, to be a warrior. Frostpaw had taken it too. And, she caught more prey than I did. A lot more..I've never been good at hunting.." he shuffled his feet. Sparrowtail figured this was probably awkward to him. It was just as unfamiliar to her too.

"And?" she prodded.

"Well...I walked into the apprentices den, and I heard Nightpaw and Brackenpaw talking to Frostpaw. Brackenpaw was making fun of me, saying I couldn't never become a warrior because I couldn't hunt, and Nightpaw s-she said 'Yeah, he'll probably be a apprentice when we're all elders.' and they all laughed with her."

For an odd reason, he felt like tearing out Nightpaw's throat out, but she remember joking around with Stormstrike about Littlestep.

Snakepaw looked up at her. "I'll become a warrior, won't I?"

Sparrowtail smiled, "Of course you will, Snakepaw. Everyone cat has something they aren't perfect at. I don't think Nightpaw meant it, you might want to hear her side of the story before you get mad. "

Snakepaw purred. "Thank you, Sparrowtail"!