Hey guys! Wow second semester of high school starts tomorrow…. Terrifying. Eh well what are you going to do? Hope you enjoy this!=)

Chapter Twenty

"Midnightstorm, wake up." I open my eyes and blink allowing the warriors den to come into focus. The soft early morning light just illuminates the cats sleeping and Bluemorning, who's watching me. "C'mon sis you can wake up faster than this!"

"I'm awake." I mew stretching and following her out. Brightheart's eating at the prey hole and I sit down next to her, choosing a small vole.

"Hey Midnightstorm, Bluemorning." She mews nodding to us. Bluemorning nods back and attacks her thrush with open enthusiasm.

"Brightheart, I'm going to take Lilacpaw night hunting, d'you want to take Goldenpaw?" I ask as I start to eat my vole with significantly more class than my sister.

"Sure, should we bring along any others?" Brightheart asks, stretching to get to more sun.

"I'd rather not; it's easier to learn with less cats." I reply and Brightheart nods in agreement.

"Okay, we'll go after dusk. We should probably let the sleep, huh?"

"Yeah probably, I'll tell them." I mew finishing the vole in a gulp. I walk over to the apprentice den and slip in to find Goldenpaw awake and shivering.

"Does Brightheart want me?" he asks when I enter.

"No, not till tonight. We're going night hunting, so try and get some rest today."

"Cool! I'll tell Lilacpaw when – if – she wakes up." he mews with a laugh.

"Thanks," I mew slipping back out of the den and trying to forget the memories pressing on me. I walk up to Highledge think of my second conversation with Lionstar, when he'd pressed me for every detail of my day. I'd given him as much as I could without betraying Ravenclaw, making it sound as though she had just happened upon us at the border. I figured he'd see through that but he didn't ask. I did have to include Ravenclaw's vision (omitting her scarred kits) and he was just as worried as I am about the prophecy. Not much of a shocker there.

"Lionstar?" I call standing in the entrance.

"Come in," he replies glancing up from the stale mouse he'd been eating with no enthusiasm.

"The patrols are out but none have come back, all was quiet last night, and we have enough prey to last until sunhigh, do you want me to send out hunting patrols?"

"No, bring the alliance patrol to me, then I want you to patrol the territory. Use your senses." he instructs looking solemn.

"Anything I'm looking for?" I ask.

"Breezepelt."

I nod and slip back to the warriors den. I wake Dustpelt, Spiderleg, Birchfall, Thornclaw, Brakenfur and Graystripe, and send them up to Lionstar's den. Then I trot out of camp, senses fanned out.

I know the danger of Breezepelt so I decide to spend the day out, crisscrossing over the territory so that I cover all of it.

It's late when I finally decide to head back to pick up Lilacpaw for night hunting. As I head back I sense a group of cats walking slowly through the territory. They're trying not to make noise but they seem to be getting caught on brambles. Not Clan cats and defiantly not the Dark Forest. Even loners or rouges know how to walk in a forest…. Must be kittypets. But what are they doing here?

I switch directions and race to meet them. I pause behind a tree and observe. The group is clustered around one cat.

"Where are we?" one whines.

"Are you sure about this?" another questions.

"I don't like this…."

"We should go home!"

"We don't have a home." The one in the center of the cluster answers.

I take a deep breath and puff my fur out as much as I can and let my claws slide out.

"Who are you?" I ask commandingly, sliding out from behind my tree. Several of the cats gasp, but the one they were clustered around (I take him to be the leader) steps forward.

"Please, we mean no harm." he mews earnestly, "Do You live here, with other cats?"

"Perhaps. Why are you here?"

"We want to join you," he mews sincerely.

"Why? How do you even know of us?" I question, feeling uneasy.

"My mother, she heard things and told my brother and me. My whole life I have been drawn to this place… please you must believe me." I catch a note of longing in his voice and I frown. Under his non-Clan scent there is a very familiar scent.

RiverClan.

"What is your name?" I ask.

"George." He mews, but I hear as if from a long way away, "I'm Oakpaw… My name's Oakheart…"

I stare at him for a moment…. Oakheart… a RiverClan cat… what is he doing, born into his next life as a rouge?

"All of you want to come?" I ask.

"Yes," they reply.

"We take loyalty very seriously in a Clan." I mew seriously hoping I can get them to leave, "There's no running back to where you came from if you get hungry or you're afraid in a battle –"

"Battle?" one of the she-cats yelps, "You have battles?"

"Yes… and perhaps it's best if you do not all come. You see we're in the middle of a war –" I pause, glancing at a big light brown tabby with an ugly scar. His thoughts are just as ugly as his scar and they make me shudder, "we're in the middle of a war, and the Clans aren't exactly as safe as they used to be."

"Well can't we just try it out and see if we like it?" a small light brown tortishell asks obnoxiously.

"That's not how it works." I mew as patiently as I can manage, "You either come and stay or you don't come at all."

"You'll protect us though won't you?" a she-cat with a cream-ish pink pelt and shockingly green eyes asks. She looks like a flower. Must be a former kittypet.

"We'll try – but our enemies… they're not normal."

"I don't understand." She says politely.

"No, born out of the Clans, you can't really." I mew and they frown slightly at me, looking at George. He does not seem to have changed his mind one jot.

"We'll be fine." He says.

They nod, though some uncertainly.

"All right," I say grudgingly. If it were just George, or Oak-whatever I'd be okay with it since he belongs in the Clans, but these cats obviously don't. We start off and George/Oak falls into step with me.

"I told you my wrong name," he mews apologetically.

"You have more than one?" I ask with a laugh. Perhaps he is a Clan cat.

"Only two, but it's been so long since the other one was used. The upwalkers call me George, but my mother, she named me Oak."

"What happened to her?" I ask.

"Dead." He mews quietly.

"You mentioned a brother –"

"Dead as well." he mews swiftly, and I can tell that he's trying hard not to become emotional.

"You might lose more cats coming here… we've already lost some." I warn, "Our deputy and our leader. And a very good warrior. We're not the only Clan to sustain losses."

"You don't understand. This is where I belong; I've always felt wrong there, in their world. I dream about this place… the wild. And just being in this forest…. I finally feel at home." He mews, and he does seem at home here, he walks lightly, silently, like I do and avoids the brambles with ease.

"I'm not saying you don't. But you need to understand that the others might not. We're going through hard times… and I don't know if they can cope. It'll be dangerous, very dangerous. And they don't really look like the danger type." I continue seriously.

"They'll be all right." As he speaks, another cat shrieks, we look over see they're tangled in branches.

"Can they even hunt?" I ask, trying to keep my voice form being scathing.

"I can." Oak replies proudly, "And so can Scar, Dusk, and Shadow."

"Fight?"

"I dunno…" he admits, flicking an uneasy ear, "I think Scar might…"

"Yeah well…" I mew my voice a slight scoff.

"Just trust me." Oak begs, but that does nothing to relieve my nerves.

"Normally I only trust cats in my Clan, and sometimes not even them." I mew sharply.

"Sounds like a lonely life." Oak replies, looking at me in surprise.

"Yeah, well it's a hard lesson. And you only learn it once. Come on I have an apprentice to train." And I break into a run, shaking my head as I hear the others pant behind me. Only Scar can keep up and I have his unpleasant thoughts for company.

The last thing I want, I can already tell, is this cat in my Clan. He's Dark Forest material if I ever saw one.

The alliance patrol are gathered around the fresh kill hole, eating. They stand as we come in.

"Watch them," I mew shortly.

"Midnightstorm, what is this?"

"Shut up Spiderleg," I mutter and say loudly, "I found them on our territory. They say they want to join us. I'm taking their leader," I nod at Oak, "to Lionstar. Blazefeather, Jaggedwind watch them as well."

They nod and join the group and I hiss, "C'mon," at Oak and race up to Highledge.

"Are you like leader?" he asks panting outside the den.

"Deputy." I reply shortly. Entering camp has only enforced my misgivings. I have a enormously bad feeling about this.

"What?" Oak asks, confusion dancing across his face.

I can't fight rolling my eyes so I turn my head away so he won't see. "It's right under leader, and when the leader dies then the deputy becomes leader."

"Oh," he replies softly.

I walk in and Lionstar looks over. He's talking to Cinderheart, Jayfeather and Sandstorm in hushed tones. I can sense their worry.

"Who is this?" Lionstar asks as he stands.

"Oak." I mew stressing the word as much as I can. Both Sandstorm and Jayfeather's eyes widen in shock and understanding. "I suppose you're a loner?" I ask looking at him.

"A what?" Oak asks, frowning again.

"He's a loner." I decide, "He has a small band of cats, which I guess makes him a rouge. But you don't fight over territory or food, right?"

"Um, no." Oak replies, looking awkward.

"He says he's been drawn to the Clans his entire life. He and his band want to join us." I mew as a finish.

"How many cats do you have?" Lionstar inquires.

"Including me? Seven." Oak replies.

"That's a large addition…." Sandstorm mews worriedly.

"Oak?" I ask, "How long have you known Scar?"

"Not long… he showed up maybe moon ago. Right after I'd decided I'd wanted to try and join you guys. It was weird he just showed up…. Took forever to get everyone to agree on coming here though…"

"Then perhaps it should just be you." Lionstar mews kindly.

"But I thought –"

"No. If we let them go, they could use them." I mew quickly.

"Then why did you bring them here?" Lionstar hisses his eyes blazing in annoyance.

"I tried to get them to see that they shouldn't come. They wouldn't listen! What was I supposed to do? What if they found them?" I snap back as oak stares at us with wide eyes.

"We cannot let them stay. This right after the alliance?! And with us trying to get ShadowClan in on it? They'd never agree. And yet we cannot let them go!" Lionstar mews, his voice agitated.

"Think about it, we need more warriors, we know we do. Well here are some, we could train them up fast, and then we have seven new warriors that can help us fight." Cinderheart mews. I stare at her.

"We have two apprentices right now." Lionstar mews.

"And I agree with Midnightstorm that they should not be made warriors anytime soon," she shoots back.

"This is about them being our kits? We can't do that!" Lionstar protests, turning to his mate.

"It's not about that! They'd be in danger!" Cinderheart protests, the conversation quickly becoming an argument.

"And these cats won't?" Lionstar demands.

"They're older!" Cinderheart points out.

"No!"

"Lionstar!" I mew, my voice as commanding as it was before. Lionstar and Cinderheart shut up, turning back to us.

"You are right we cannot let them go, so why not use them to our advantage?" I mew soothingly.

"You cannot possibly think this is a good idea." Lionstar mews in exasperation.

"If Bluestar did not make this decision with Firestar –"

"That was completely different! He was one cat, they're seven! Rouges no less! And with that weird cat showing up out of the blue!" Lionstar exclaims and I flinch.

"I am not completely sure about him –"

"Hang on! What's wrong with Scar?" Oak demands furiously.

"I can't tell you." I mew and he glares at me.

"Lionstar," Sandstorm mews, "It's seems to me that you need to let them join."

"Oh all right." Lionstar snarls, "Well what will they have? Apprentice names or warrior names?"

"That is for you to decide." Sandstorm replies calmly.

"Might as well get it over with now. And you," he adds rounding on me, "You're going to make the announcement with me and you're going to tell the Clan why they are here."

"If you wish." I mew coldly.

"I'll escort Oak down, would you like to come with me Cinderheart, Jayfeather?" Sandstorm mews evenly and I start. I'd almost forgotten Jayfetaher was here, he's been so quite.

"I'm all right," he replies as Cinderheart stands, "I need to discuss things with my dear brother."

Oh StarClan what did I do to deserve this?

And so the rouges enter. You'll be finding out more about their personalities in the next chapter. Hope everyone who submitted a cat is satisfied=) and I hope you guys loved this chapter! Review please!

~Midnight