The wind was chill as it gusted over the RiverClan camp. Snowstorm shivered, wishing ruefully that her pelt was thicker.

She could see the Clan prowling in the shadows, all of them glad they could sleep because there was a warrior sitting her vigil. They had nothing to fear, Snowstorm thought smugly, a faint smirk twitching around the edges of her muzzle. Not with her on guard.

She had come far from the scared little Snow that had stumbled into this camp full of hostile warriors. She was older, smarter, but no less different. She still lived worlds apart from them in her waking hours, as well as her dreams.

She rose to her paws, shaking out her fur in an attempt to regain what little warmth she had lost. As she sat again, a pair of eyes, glowing yellow, bobbed at her until their owner finally emerged from the shadows. It was Lynxpaw, and there was clear envy in his features.

"You'll be an ice-block come morning," he quipped, a wry smile on his face. "But still you're a lucky furball. Getting to be a warrior so soon."

She gave him a stern glance, reminding him of her vow of silence until the sun rose. He rolled his eyes, and flicking his tail across her nose, he padded off into the dark, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

The stars twinkled coldly above, seeming very far away, their silvery glow drowned by the deep black night. The sun had long faded from view.

Suddenly, a face flitted across her mind, unexpectedly, bringing with it a confusing tangle of emotions.

Frozenheart.

The tom had been the first cat she'd seen here; he had pleaded for her entry into the Clan. Then he had mentored her. She couldn't say they were only that- mentor and apprentice.

Damn him, she thought angrily. Why did the tom have to make her feel so confused, so angry, but so soft all at once?

She firmly pushed all thoughts of him out of her mind, settling to her vigil. She angled her ears, listening for noise, determined not to think of him for the rest of the night.

(**************************)

Falconheart woke, sunlight dappling his face. He yawned, squinting against the golden rays, and struggled up, scraps of moss falling from his pelt. He stretched and slunk outside.

The air smelled of rain. Clearly, a storm was approaching.

A flash of white caught his eye. He turned, seeing Snowstorm sitting rigidly by the camp entrance. Her dim grey eyes betrayed her exhaustion.

"Go get some sleep," he called over. "Your vigil is done."

She twitched an ear to say 'thank you,' and stumbled into the warriors' den.

"Mudfoot, Emberwhisker, and Mossfire, I want you to patrol the WindClan border." He ordered. "Thrushfeather, Lynxpaw, and Silverclaw, go on a hunting patrol."

As the cats he had named moved off, he turned as whiskers brushed his ears.

"Waterblaze," he greeted her, his tone softening. "You look beautiful as always."

Her eyes gleamed with happiness. "Ever the flirt, you are, though you're not so bad looking yourself." She blinked at him, her tone crisping into business. "I have the strangest feeling that something bad is going to happen today..."

He pricked his ears. He knew from experience that feelings were not necessarily just bothersome things; they could be warnings, even signs from StarClan. "Like what?" he meowed, worried.

"What else is there?" she sighed. "Her, of course. Always her... I had a dream. I was hiding under the warriors' den bushes. And all around, there were cats fighting." She shivered, her eyes lighting with the memory of the dream. "There were ten or so dark cats. They had this aura... an evil aura all about them. And we were struggling. One of them was a match for two of us. And Nightfire was at the charge, her eyes on fire, her face contorted in a terrible grin."

"That's a sign," he said, his heart quickening. Then, raising his voice, he yowled, "Lightstar!"

The dappled cream and brown she cat padded over, her frame shaking with a cough. "What is it?" she rasped, swallowing her cough.

"Waterblaze, tell her what you saw."

Waterblaze repeated it, her dark gold eyes betraying how truly afraid she was.

"This isn't good at all," Lightstar rasped, half to herself. "Waterblaze- go out and recall the patrols. Falconheart, put camp under full guard. We need to be ready."

Then she limped off, her ribs rattling with whitecough.

((*********************))

Cin roamed the small grove just above the Clan camp. Really, it was so easy- roll in damp fern spores and you were instantly hidden from scent, and view if you were stealthy.

She knew the attack was today. Her plan was so simple- rush in and strike down Night. She hadn't ever liked the dead she-cat's condescending contempt of her. That she would not tolerate.

Revenge was her policy. It was best served cold and quick.

Right now, her veins were running frigid with ice.

She pricked her ears, angling them to listen keenly. There was a sound. Just out of a regular cat's hearing range. Cin was not normal, though, and she could quickly name the sound that thrummed constantly, deadly, just in her ear's prick.

The paws of a battle party.

Leader:
Frostkit- pure white tom with chocolate rimmed ears and a ring of brown around his amber and gray eyes

Goldenkit- pale yellowish tan she cat with pale brown tabby stripes and dark gold eyes

Surgekit- silvery blue mottled tom with shocking blue eyes and burly build

Cinderkit- dappled and mottled cream and gray she cat with ashy and storm coloured fur; narrow frame and aqua eyes