Chapter 21

Nightcloud was curled up in her nest, her fluffy black tail draped over her nose. Her living kits slept beside her in a mound of black and tabby fur, emitting quiet squeaks as they dreampt. The night was peaceful, a gentle snow falling on the forest floor. The ground was turning silver overnight, and by morning the grass would be blanketed with the thick white snow.

The queen was still sound asleep when the sun began to rise. Her kits, however, awakened as soon as pale light began streaming into the nursery. Nightcloud's slumber was soon interrupted by excited squeals of kits.

"Mama!" Swallowkit shrieked, pummeling the queen with her paws. "There's something wrong with the ground!"

"It's all white!" Streamkit echoed. "What is that stuff?"

Nightcloud opened her eyes, groggily eyeing the kits. "What are you talking about?" she asked, stretching slowly.

"Come and see the white stuff!" her tabby daughter ordered, bouncing out of the nest and poking her head out into the crisp morning air.

The queen stood slowly, realizing she was now the only cat in the nursery. Cherryfall, Poppyfrost, and their kits must have already ventured out into the camp to investigate the new-found substance that covered the earth. She pushed out of the nursery, seeing Rowankit and Bluekit chasing Cherryfall's younger kits around the camp, spraying snow everywhere as they ran.

"It's so cold!" Swallowkit mewed, poking the snow timidly with a slender paw. "What is it, Mama?"

"It's snow," Nightcloud replied, ducking as the older kits ran past. A flurry of snowflakes hit her face as Smokekit stopped to kick the snow wildly. "It comes every leaf-bare."

Smokekit shook his fluffy gray-and-white pelt, eyeing the youngest kits. "It's fun to play in!" he announced. "Come and join us!"

Streamkit glanced at her mother, excitement shining in her amber eyes. "Oh, Mama, can we?" she asked.

"Please?" Swallowkit begged, widening her green eyes.

"Alright," Nightcloud agreed, "but not for long. Come back to the nursery as soon as you get cold."

The kits nodded quickly before dashing off to join their friends, joyously spinning around in the freezing snow.

A tortoiseshell she-cat padded over to the queen. "They'll tire of it soon enough," she commented, sitting down on the snowy ground. "Snow is nice up until your realize just how cold it is."

Nightcloud nodded, agreeing with Poppyfrost. "It's nice to see them play, though. For once they don't have to worry about WindClan taking them away."

The other queen flashed Nightcloud a sympathetic glance. "How are you getting along?"

"Well enough," the black she-cat admitted. "The kits still ask where Eaglekit is and when he's coming back. They don't seem to understand that he's gone."

Poppyfrost rested her spotted tail on the queen's back. "It's hard losing a kit. It's even harder when you have other kits who don't understand. I remember when my brother died. I was an apprentice then, but it was my first experience with death. Brackenfur and Sorreltail had a difficult time explaining to my sisters and me why Molepaw wasn't coming back."

"It isn't fair," Nightcloud sighed, flopping down on the snowy ground. "I lost both of my sons on the same day."

"No one deserves that," Poppyfrost agreed. "I cannot imagine the pain you must be in."

The black queen shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. "I still have my daughters, and that's all that matters."

"So what's the plan, Bramblestar?" Molewhisker called, staring up at the dark tabby sitting on the High Ledge.

Nightcloud sat in the center of camp, in between Cherryfall and Poppyfrost, waiting for the Clan meeting to begin. Her kits, safely sleeping in the nursery, had finally tired of the snow and were tucked away in the warmth of their den. The she-cat could take a short break from parenting to join her Clanmates under the High Ledge.

Bramblestar sat up on the smooth gray stone, shifting his weight from side to side as if he couldn't quite get comfortable. A slimy green paste was stuck to his side over his battle wounds, and a red scar sliced across his nose, not healing well. Ivypool sat next to her leader, almost propping him up with her weight. Her blue eyes were dark and serious as she stared down at the cats gathered below.

"We have decided what to do with WindClan," the silver-and-white deputy announced.

"Yes," Bramblestar meowed stiffly. "I, unfortunately, have not been cleared by our medicine cats to take part in a battle any time soon, but that does not mean we will sit and wait for WindClan to attack us again. They know we are weak and will use that to our advantage if we wait."

A light tabby she-cat snorted, staring up at her leader. "Think wisely, Bramblestar," Leafpool growled. "You are not taking part in a battle until those scratches are healed!"

The leader narrowed his eyes. "I wouldn't dream of it, o great medicine cat," he meowed, a slight edge in his voice. "Ivypool will lead the attack, and she will take only the strongest cats with her."

Another voice rang out from the crowd, and Nightcloud had to stretch to see the speaker. "Bramblestar," a ginger-and-white she-cat croaked, "it has been only four days since the battle. I lost my mate and my children. Are you sure you want to risk more lives in another battle?"

Bramblestar dipped his head respectfully to the she-cat, sympathy showing in his amber eyes. "I am sorry for your loss, Brightheart. No one lost more in that battle than you or Snowtail. But we cannot just sit and wait. Would you want WindClan to attack us again? Would you want to see your only surviving kit die as well?"

Brightheart narrowed her eyes. "I do not wish to see any more death," she growled. "I have seen more than my fair share."

"And you have deserved your place in the elders' den," her leader meowed. "You deserve many moons of peace before StarClan calls you. Let us give you they peace you deserve."

"You won't get that peace until WindClan is stopped, Mother," a fluffy white tom hissed. Snowtail lashed his tail furiously, glaring at some invisible enemy. "I say we fight! I will avenge the deaths of my father and littermates!"

The dark tabby tom exchanged glances with his deputy. "I have decided the battle will take place in three sunrises. Actually, it will take place before the sun rises on the third day. I wish to take WindClan completely by surprise and attack them when they least expect it."

"This way they will not be prepared and will still be groggy from sleep," Ivypool added. "This will give them a seriously disadvantage. I believe this gives us the best chance of victory."

Nightcloud nodded thoughtfully, agreeing with the new deputy. She was young, but sensible and practical. The silver-and-white tabby understood that a warrior does not have to kill to win, and had chosen a way to fight that might prevent needless deaths. If WindClan is still half-asleep, they won't be fighting to slaughter. Bramblestar had made a good choice selecting her as deputy.

"Ivypool and I have thought long and hard about who should take part in the fight," Bramblestar continued. "We decided those who lost the most in the last battle will fight the hardest, fighting for the loved ones they lost. We decided that Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, Cinderheart, Snowtail, Dovewing, and Nightcloud will fight. In addition, Berrynose, Mousewhisker, Bumblestripe, Molewhisker, and Lilyheart, Sorrelpaw, and Hollypaw will take part in the attack."

Nightcloud's eyes widened when she heard her name called. Her first instinct was to refuse, not wanting to leave her daughters and risk dying, but then she saw the sense in her leader's choice. She had been driven out of WindClan by their former leader, their current leader had led the battle where her sons had died, and her former mate had been the one to kill them. This was her battle. This was her fight- and she was fighting for everything she loved. She would fight to protect the Clan had taken her in when she had no one and she would fight to protect her kits from the Clan that wished to see them dead. When the day of the battle came, she would be proud to stand beside ThunderClan and bring WindClan to justice. Soon this bitter feud would be over.