I'M SO EXCITED YOU GUYS

Since this week is spring break, I'm gonna be trying to post a new chapter every day. We'll see how that works out.

So, looking at the timeline, I'd say this book will be two, three more chapters tops. Maybe an epilogue, too, if I feel like it. Then...the sequel! Full disclaimer, I'm not bothering to edit the fight scene(s) that much. There will be at least one in the climax. It will be edited, yeah, but I don't think it will draw out quite as much as I would like it to. I'm impatient, sue me. As you may expect, the sequel will center around Brightpaws kits. So. Yeah.

Enjoy-oh, wait, review stuff!

Silverstar345 wrote: "But if Frostheart is a she-cat how could she and Sandstripe have kits? But great prologue"

Reply: "Frostheart is not biologically the kits parents. Troutface is her brother, and he technically fathered Sandstripe's kits, but the clan considers Frostheart and Sandstripe the parents. I'm glad you like the prologue, I hope you like the rest too!"

~Topaz

"Featherstar! We have a visitor here for you!" Brightpaw glanced up from where she was sharing tongues with Swiftstep to see Darkstorm, Brookleap, and Frostheart enter camp, their apprentices trailing behind them. Between Greypaw and Lizardpaw, looking terrified, were Volepaw of ThunderClan and Newtpaw of ShadowClan.

Featherstar exited the nursery, looking regal and put-together despite having only fallen asleep after the dawn patrol left, since she had begun giving birth last night and only finished in time for Snowbelly to go on the dawn patrol. Rainears had offered to let him stay with Featherstar, but Featherstar herself had insisted that patrols go out as normal. "Why are two apprentices from different clans on RiverClan territory?" she asked Darkstorm, not sounding worried at all.

Before Darkstorm could reply, Volepaw burst out, "We don't have time for this! Please, Featherstar, we need your help!"

Featherstar cocked her head, then glanced at Newtpaw. "Are you two running away from your clans to be together?" she demanded.

The two apprentices glanced at each other, then shuddered. "Of course not!" Newtpaw snapped. More calmly, she mewed, "This morning, Oakstar sent his deputy to as for help with a group of rogues they'd found on their territory. From the scent and description, it seemed to be the group that Eelspots had joined when you banished him, and they were making trouble for ThunderClan. Since Sunstars daughter was attacked and killed by the group, ShadowClan had a personal grudge against them to settle, so Sunstar sent a patrol. We thought we'd be able to handle the group easily enough, but they're almost as trained as a warrior, and there's too many for us to handle. Please come and help, or we'll die!" Newtpaw stopped and breathed noisily.

Featherstar's fur bristled, and she murmured something in Rainears' ear, then turned to face the clan that had by now gathered to see the two apprentices. "RiverClan! ShadowClan and ThunderClan need our help! It seems Eelspots has turned a rogue group's attention towards the clans, and we must band together to drive them out! Rainears will take one patrol ahead, and a larger relief patrol will follow. The first patrol will be Swiftstep, Hawkclaw, and Mudfoot."

Brightpaw licked Swiftstep's ear. "You'd better come back safe," she meowed sternly, trying not to show him how scared she was for him.

Swiftstep purred. "I'll be fine. Want me to bring back some rogue fur for your nest?" Brightpaw purred, and Swiftstep walked over. Once the three cats in the patrol gathered, Rainears led them out of the camp with Newtpaw and Volepaw with them.

Featherstar then continued. "I want Mossflower, Darkstorm, Stoneclaw, Yellowstorm, Cinderfrost, and Otternose on the second patrol with Goldensky to deal with any serious wounds. No apprentices." When Lizardpaw and Pricklepaw started to complain, she silenced them with a look. "I want all the apprentices to stay behind and help guard camp. We don't know if Eelspots will bring a second group here. He might want to personally attack here, and if so, the queens, kits, and medicine cat need protection."

Brightpaw realized if she didn't say something now, she'd be left behind. "Excuse me, Featherstar?" she meowed softly.

Featherstar turned, surprised. "Yes, Brightpaw?"

"I'd like to come too," Brightpaw meowed quietly, but firmly. She made it a statement, not a request.

Featherstar looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn't. "Very well, Brightpaw. You'll come in the second patrol."

Brightpaw gave her fur a hasty grooming as she waited for Goldensky to give her the traveling herbs Featherstar had told him to give the patrol. In the mean time, her kits seemed determined to get her to either stay in the nursery or let them come too. "But I can fight!" Lichenkit tried to convince Brightpaw. "See?" She tried to jump on Beechkit's back, but he leaned forward at the last minute to groom his paws and she fell in the dirt. "Ow! Beechkit, you hurt meee!"

Beechkit glanced back at his sister, then his ears flattened. "Sorry, Lichenkit!" he cried, "Try again, I'm sure you'll do it this time!"

"Brightpaw, don't leave, I'll miss you!" Shadekit whined, pawing at Brightpaw's chest.

Brightpaw sighed. "I promise, I won't be gone forever, Shadekit. I just need to go help. I'll be back."

"No you won't, I know you won't!" Shadekit was not to be moved.

Nettlekit sat in the corner of the nursery, hissing and growling to herself. "Look, kits, calm down, okay? I need to go protect the clan." Brightpaw knew Featherstar would be furious if Brightpaw's kits woke Featherstars with their complaining. Featherstar was staying behind. Rainears and Goldensky had both told her she couldn't leave her kits for so long. Featherstar had agreed, but Brightpaw doubted they could have kept Featherstar in camp if she hadn't. "You need to stay here and help protect the kits and make sure they're not scared, okay? Minnowkit and Mallowkit are younger then you, and Doekit, Creekkit, Applekit, and Sootkit will be scared since they don't know anything about what's going on. You need to help protect them. It's a big job, okay?"

"Okay," Lichenkit muttered, not sounding convinced. Tumblekit looked excited at the prospect of protecting the younger kits. Nettlekit continued to sit in the corner by herself, but at least she wasn't hissing anymore. Just in time, too. Goldensky dropped some herbs in front of Brightpaw, along with a leaf bundle. "Carry this for me," he ordered briskly, then moved on. Sighing, Brightpaw swallowed the traveling herbs as quickly as possible to avoid the awful taste, then picked up the leaf bundle and trotted out, tossing one last, "be good, kits!" behind her.

It occurs to me the chapter will be just a little too heavy if I put the fight scene in THIS chapter, soo...another chapter!

~Topaz