It was nearly two moons since Sedgestar and Morningstar made their temporary alliance, and together ShadowClan and ThunderClan launched a surprise attack on two SkyClan patrols hunting in ThunderClan territory on the night of the new moon. Although Frostpaw hadn't been on that battle patrol, she had heard from Autumnpaw that the SkyClan cats had been sent flying back to their territory with their tails between their legs. The ease at which SkyClan had been sent retreating had reassured ShadowClan some, although the rotten pine omen from Shadowstar continued to loom ominously overhead like an ever-present vulture.

At the last Gathering, ShadowClan had gotten reports from ThunderClan that besides a few border skirmishes, which they had been able to handle alone, the SkyClan border remained quiet. The Gathering was still tense between the ThunderClan and SkyClan leaders, but no truce had been broken. And, even ShadowClan's border with WindClan was quiet; there wasn't even the typical jeering from passing patrols. Maybe the aggressive Rabbitstar also had finally been tempered. At the Gathering, Rabbitstar had announced that his five kits with his mate Thrushleap, had become apprentices—Harepaw, Honeypaw, Deerpaw, Lavenderpaw, and Ryepaw. Frostpaw figured that if anything could keep Rabbitstar too busy to stir up trouble, having five kits that were young apprentices would definitely suffice.

Most of Frostpaw's days passed with a reassuringly regular pattern. Although, she thought it seemed like her and the other apprentices were being trained hard for battle—both in mock fights, and in team and strategy building exercises. But, they were also nearing the end of their training, so it was hard to say if the tough training was from a hidden fear of war, or just a normal increase in difficulty.

Still, as it seemed like the rest of the forest put their old feuds and quarrels behind them, Frostpaw tried to too. Even though the thought of Paledusk still nettled her like a burr in her pelt that she couldn't remove, everyday that passed, Frostpaw thought of him less and less. That was, until this morning, when Morningstar had sent word that SkyClan scent had been picked up on ThunderClan land for the first time since the battle.

Morningstar had requested a ShadowClan patrol to come investigate and aid in fighting if necessary.

Frostpaw's paws pounded on the sticky, black stone of the thunderpath. Once her paws crossed back onto grass, she came to a screeching stop near the tree-line, panting hard to catch her breath; her fur still prickling in anxiety. Swoopstrike was right next to her side, and she lingered close to him until the rest of the ShadowClan patrol made it safely across. Since Sedgestar was adamant about making sure the tunnel system remained a secret to ThunderClan, he didn't want ShadowClan using the tunnels at all when it came to traveling into ThunderClan territory. So, this had been Frostpaw's first time crossing the thunderpath above ground. It was nerve-wracking; she had spent what felt like ages watching the metallic flashes of monsters roar past, until there was finally a quiet gap. Swoopstrike then had swiftly ordered her to stick close to him, and they had both run for it.

Frostpaw glanced over at Pinepaw, who had also made the dash across the thunderpath with her, and she was relieved to see that the dark she-cat's fur also stood on end.

At least I wasn't the only one scared.

Frostpaw saw Redclaw pad over to Pinepaw, trying to flatten her daughter's still bristling fur with a lick, but Pinepaw shrugged her off, stepping away from Redclaw and drawing herself up to her full height, forcing her pelt to lie flat.

As the moments stretched on and on, the ShadowClan patrol waited, and Frostpaw felt her racing heart slowing. The ShadowClan patrol stood in silence at the edge of the trees, gazing into the unfamiliar territory in front of them.

Swoopstrike shot an irritated glance upwards at the sun-high sky.

"Stupid ThunderClan," he grumbled, seemingly half to himself. "We're doing so much for them already, and they make us meet them at sun-high of all times! So inconsiderate. And, they aren't even here yet… I'm missing my nap for these mangy mice-munchers."

Frostpaw nodded along, doing her best to keep her expression serious and to swallow back the purr threatening to rumble in her throat. She did find it pretty amusing that Swoopstrike was whining like a kitten about missing his nap, but judging by the lashing of Swoopstrike's tail, her mentor was in no mood to be laughed at.

Frostpaw's ears pricked as fresh ThunderClan scent drifted into her nose.

"Greetings."

Acornear emerged from the nearby undergrowth, giving the ShadowClan patrol a nod as he padded up to them. Behind the ThunderClan deputy, five more ThunderClan cats appeared; four warriors and an apprentice, all of them blinking at the ShadowClan patrol with friendly curiosity as the ThunderClan cats encircled the ShadowClan ones.

Frostpaw eyed them guardedly, shrinking nearer to Swoopstrike. She wasn't used to such friendly behavior from ThunderClan. It didn't feel right; they were never this friendly with ShadowClan, not even at Gatherings. But, judging from their expressions, the ThunderClanners seemed genuinely grateful for ShadowClan's help, and as Frostpaw scanned her gaze over their pelts, she realized that they looked better than when she last saw them too. Their fur was sleek, and their ribs no longer poked out from under their pelts.

They are finally catching enough prey for themselves now that SkyClan doesn't control a big chunk of their territory.

"This is Fernclaw and Foxbite," Acornear said, introducing the tortoiseshell and ginger she-cats behind him respectively. "And, Fernclaw's apprentice, Screechpaw."

The dark brown tabby apprentice nodded hello to the ShadowClan patrol.

"Nettlepelt and Beechfur," Acornear finished, flicking his tail towards a dark grey, spiky-furred she-cat, and a brown tabby tom.

"Was the situation properly explained?" Acornear asked. "This morning we caught wind of SkyClan scent deep in our territory. We scoured the area, but we could find no trace of them. If they are still in the territory, we want you help tracking them down and —"

"We know," Swoopstrike said, interrupting him with an impatient growl. "We heard this whole spiel from Pineclaw already when Morningstar sent him to our camp. I'll be leading the ShadowClan patrol, and these cats and I—"

Swoopstrike flicked his tail to indicate the rest of the ShadowClan patrol: Emberflower, Redclaw, Dappledpelt, Leafbreeze, Pinepaw and Frostpaw.

"—are the best trackers in the forest."

Frostpaw raised her chin, feeling a flash of pride from Swoopstrike's compliment of the patrol. Although it was quickly followed by a shadow of doubt. Maybe she wasn't that great of a tracker after all, and was just allowed to tag along because she was Swoopstrike's apprentice…

"So, although ThunderClan failed to find SkyClan, I'm sure we won't," Swoopstrike concluded with a smug twitch of his whiskers, pulling Frostpaw back out of her thoughts.

Acornear was silent for a moment, and Frostpaw studied his face closely. The hot-headed ThunderClan deputy's lip twitched, threatening a snarl. He seemed to be fighting hard to keep his emotions under control. Frostpaw had seen Acornear's previous clashes with Swoopstrike before, and she knew it must be killing the proud tom to have to put up with Swoopstrike's arrogance.

"I see," Acornear responded finally in a measured voice, managing to keep his face smooth. "Well, ThunderClan is grateful that Sedgestar sent his best cats for the job."

Swoopstrike's tail twitched irritably like he was bothered he hadn't manage to get a visible rise from the ThunderClan deputy.

"Well Sedgestar didn't send us over here to waste our time," Swoopstrike grunted. "Are we just going to stand at the border exchanging pleasantries all day, or do we have a real patrol to go on? Every heartbeat we waste here is one that my clan-mates and I could be spending hunting for our Clan and patrolling our own territory."

Or, napping in the sun.

Frostpaw's whiskers twitched in amusement.

"Of course," Acornear said, narrowing his eyes. "Let's head out. We will show you where we scented SkyClan."

The ThunderClan patrol turned, disappearing quickly into the undergrowth, with the ShadowClan patrol following closely behind.

Acornear was leading the group through the thick tangle of undergrowth, weaving through the maze-like vegetation with ease. Frostpaw padded at Swoopstrike's shoulder as he gazed at Acornear's back with an intense gaze from narrowed green eyes. Frostpaw watched Swoopstrike, feeling a prickle of concern.

"We are supposed to be helping them… maybe you shouldn't try to ruffle his fur so much," Frostpaw muttered in a low voice, not loud enough to reach any ThunderClan warriors' ears.

Swoopstrike's ears pricked, and he tore his gaze off Acornear to stare at Frostpaw in shock.

"I'd appreciate it if my apprentice listened to my advice for once, rather than trying to give me some," he hissed back in a whisper.

Frostpaw's pelt prickled indignantly.

I always listen to your advice!

"Frostpaw's right."

Another voice broke in as Dappledpelt slipped up on Swoopstrike's other side.

"There's no need to antagonize him deliberately," Dappledpelt whispered. "It's counter-productive to our objective. Sedgestar ordered us to help them."

"Sedgestar didn't order us to be nice to them," Swoopstrike shot back.

Dappledpelt rolled her eyes.

"If a SkyClan cat pins you down, do you think Acornear's leaping to your aid if you keep this up?" she hissed.

"I don't need Acornear," Swoopstrike growled stubbornly. "I have you all."

"Frostpaw and I appreciate your devotion," Dappledpelt responded drily, her whiskers twitching in faint amusement. "But, more claws on our side are better than less, right?"

Swoopstrike gave an irritated huff.

"Whatever," he muttered, pulling ahead to stalk only a paw-step behind Acornear, like he wished he could lead the patrol, if only he knew where they were going.

Frostpaw watched him with a furrowed brow.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't claw up our allies," Dappledpelt said in a somewhat amused voice, flicking Frostpaw's side with her tail reassuringly.

Dappledpelt padded ahead to walk close to Swoopstrike.

Frostpaw found herself falling back some, and soon she and Pinepaw were silently walking in matched step. Frostpaw tilted her head back to gaze up at the canopy of unfamiliar trees. The huge, leafy branches above her didn't hold the familiar comfort that the thickly bristled pine needles of ShadowClan territory did. This canopy was so thick, it almost blotted out the sky completely. Above her, there was only a sea of light greens and a few yellows, heralding the quickly approaching leaf-fall. It was strange to look up in the middle of the day, and not catch glimpses of the blue sky between the branches.

Frostpaw was brought back down to earth when a bramble bush snagged a clump of fur from her pelt. She let out a hiss of annoyance.

"Tell me about it," Pinepaw grumbled. "Already, I've gotten five pieces of fur pulled out from all this dumb prickly undergrowth. Truly, it's a miracle that all of ThunderClan isn't bald!"

A loud purr burst from Frostpaw's throat, but she tried to quickly swallow it back.

"Pinepaw!" she gasped. "Shh! You'll offended them!"

"What? It's true isn't?" Pinepaw said, her whiskers twitching as her amber gaze gleamed in amusement.

Frostpaw was still trying to stifle her purrs when Screechpaw dropped back to walk with the other two apprentices. He seemed younger than Frostpaw and Pinepaw. Frostpaw assumed he must have just been made an apprentice, judging by how his form was still very lanky; not yet filled out with lean muscles from moons of training.

"Hi, I'm Screechpaw. What are your names?" the brown tabby asked, giving them a friendly blink.

"We already know you're Screechpaw, frog-brain. Acornear introduced you," Pinepaw said with an eye-roll.

There was a flash of confusion on Screechpaw's face for a moment before the ThunderClan apprentice seemed to deflate some, turning aside.

"Frostpaw," Frostpaw said to introduce herself. "And, the mean one here is Pinepaw."

Pinepaw gave an offended huff, but said nothing. Screechpaw quickly perked back up.

"Hi Frostpaw! It's nice to meet you. I haven't been to a Gathering yet, so this is my first time meeting cats from another clan. What's life in ShadowClan like?" Screechpaw asked earnestly.

Frostpaw mused for a moment.

"Uh, well, I guess I don't know what living in ThunderClan is like exactly, so I'm not sure how ShadowClan is different," Frostpaw said.

She flicked her tail upwards, indicating the covered up sky.

"Although, one thing is, we normally prefer not to patrol at sun-high," Frostpaw said. "We like morning, evening, and night patrols much better."

"But, sun-high patrols are my favorite! I hate waking up for dawn patrol," Screechpaw said, wrinkling his face up.

"It's too bright and hot at sun-high," Frostpaw said with a shrug.

"That's strange," Screechpaw said thoughtfully. "What else is different?"

"Our territory is different than yours too. Much less annoying thorns," Pinepaw growled irritably as she tugged her tail free from another bramble bush.

"Oh! I've noticed that from across the thunderpath!" Screechpaw said. "There's no undergrowth under the pines. But, ShadowClan is supposed to be so good at stalking. How do you guys sneak up on anything without the cover?"

"That's a confidential ShadowClan secret," Pinepaw sniffed, raising her chin.

"If we told you, we'd have to kill you," Frostpaw said with a faint purr in her voice.

"Wow! You're just like the stories!" Screechpaw said delightedly.

He turned to Frostpaw.

"Also, I've never seen a cat with your fur pattern before. Is that a ShadowClan-thing?" he said curiously.

"Er… no. Just, a me-thing," Frostpaw said, feeling her pelt slight warm in embarrassment as she was reminded of her odd appearance.

Luckily she didn't have to think about it long once Pinepaw spoke.

"Yeah, the stories are all true," Pinepaw said in a grave voice. "We can turn into darkness itself when we enter shadows. We also eat kittens and disobedient apprentices that wander off or get lost at night."

"You're not nearly big enough to eat me," Screechpaw said simply.

Pinepaw narrowed her eyes.

"Is that a challenge?" she asked, her expression turning deadly serious.

Screechpaw's eyes widened a bit in fear.

"The scent was detected not that much farther ahead," Acornear meowed loudly over his shoulder to the entire group following him, interrupting their conversation.

"Yowl it a bit louder next time. I don't think the SkyClan cats… You know, the ones we're searching for, heard you," Swoopstrike's sarcastic voice hissed, his tail-tip twitching.

Acornear's form stiffened, but he said nothing.

Acornear led the group to a massive sycamore tree. Frostpaw felt strangely relieved to spot the familiar type of tree after wandering in foreign territory for so long. It was an impressive specimen, its branches towering above its neighboring trees. Frostpaw tilted her head back to gaze up at it, wondering if this was what the Burnt Sycamore looked like during its life.

"The Great Sycamore," Screechpaw told Frostpaw proudly, noticing her admiring look. "This area around it is one of the best hunting grounds in our territory."

Frostpaw nodded. A comment about the Burnt Sycamore training grounds in ShadowClan territory lingered on her tongue, but she bit it back. She knew that she shouldn't share any information more than necessary with ThunderClan. Screechpaw might seem harmless now, but who knows what he'll be like when he was a warrior.

Acornear flickered his tail to indicate the roots of the tree. The ShadowClan patrol clustered around, everyone getting a good sniff. Frostpaw opened her jaws, feeling the unmistakable SkyClan scent of windblown trees settle in on her tongue. SkyClan cats were definitely here. The scent was strong, and certainly less than a day old too.

"Are we close to the SkyClan border?" Emberflower asked Acornear, turning to the ThunderClan deputy and pricking her ears curiously.

Acornear shook his head.

"Hardly," he said with a growl. "Closer to their border than to yours, sure. But, they would have still have to trek a bit to get here. It's not just fox-lengths away."

"The scent is so strong," Redclaw muttered. "They scent-marked here deliberately."

"They want to send a message," Dappledpelt agreed, nodding. "They are claiming your land as theirs."

Nettlepelt gave a low growl; the ThunderClan warrior's thick fur bristling out.

"Well, we will send a message back to them, with our claws," she growled.

"If you can find them," Redclaw pointed out curtly. "They might just be doing this to antagonize or mock you. They could have slipped here in the night, then left. They might not even be on your territory at all."

"That's the thing, before we came across this sent, the dawn patrol had already checked the SkyClan border. There are no scent trails," Acornear said. "No entry or exit scents from them there."

Frostpaw's ears flattened in confusion. Swoopstrike's brow furrowed.

"So you can't find where they crossed the border, at all?" Swoopstrike asked, narrowing his eyes.

"They could've disguised their scents or entered from another place," Acornear said, his voice hot with defensiveness. "But, no. Judging solely on scent, it seems like they magically appeared here at the Great Sycamore, then vanished."

"Why bother being so careful disguising their scents if they only wanted to send a message?" Frostpaw muttered to Pinepaw.

"It doesn't add up," she growled in agreement.

"Is this the only place they scent marked?" Swoopstrike asked.

"I'm not sure," Acornear admitted. "Right now, I have another patrol nearby, combing the forest to check."

Swoopstrike waved his tail.

"ShadowClan, split up and search for scents trails," he said. "If ThunderClan missed something, we will be sure to find it."

The ShadowClan cats slowly dispersed, noses to the ground, tail-tip twitching faintly in concentration. Frostpaw glided in a circle around the SkyClan scent markers, hoping to pick up a trail leading from the scent there outward, but she could pick up no cat scents besides her clan-mates and ThunderClan. Remembering her training, Frostpaw breathed deeply, thoughtfully running the air over her tongue, this time, not searching for cat scents, but any scent that seemed out of place that the SkyClan cats might have used to disguise their scents.

Frostpaw's concentration was interrupted when Redclaw let out a mew.

"I found something!" she said.

Frostpaw and the rest of the ShadowClan and ThunderClan cats quickly gathered around Redclaw. She was standing next to a bramble bush growing at the base of a tree. There, she pointed with her nose to a piece of white fur stuck in the brambles.

"SkyClan scent," Redclaw declared.

Acornear leaned in to get a sniff.

"That's still not useful," he said with a faint growl. "We already know that they were here. We want to know where they went. And, one tuff of fur doesn't tell us anything about that."

"Well, now we know to check the brambles and thorns more closely for traces of them," Swoopstrike snapped, quickly leaping to Redclaw's defense. "Your cats didn't find any pieces of fur. Did they Acornear?"

Acornear growled, and Frostpaw saw his claws unsheathe and sink into the ground, but the deputy turned away before the argument could escalate. Frostpaw padded closer to the bramble bush, studying the chunk of fur for a moment before her head turned, her gaze wandering to the nearby tree trunk. Frostpaw narrowed her eyes. Very faint white lines marked the dark brown trunk of the tree in front of her muzzle. Sap still oozed at the corners of the lines, not yet solidified, indicating the marks were fresh. Swoopstrike padded to Frostpaw's side, and his gaze followed hers.

"Claw marks?" he mused with a faint growl.

"The trees…" Frostpaw murmured, feeling an icy rush of fear surge through her as her heart dropped down to her stomach.

Her eyes had already flown upwards, and she was studying the branches above their heads warily, her muscles tense. Swoopstrike's ears pricked, understanding her instantly.

"Of course," he growled, urgency filling his voice.

Swoopstrike whirled back to Acornear, wasting no time.

"You're under attack," he growled at the brown tom's back, his silver and black tail lashing.

Acornear turned back to him, his eyes wide.

"What do you mean?" Acornear asked.

"It's an ambush, frog-brain!" Swoopstrike hissed. "And, you walked us right into a trap! They're traveling in the trees. They scent-marked to lure you here, and meanwhile, they are up there! Waiting for the right moment to rain down on us!"

All the cats eyes went wide, and their gazes shot upwards to stare into the branches above them. But, there seemed to be no SkyClan warriors hidden among the trees.

"I don't see any," Screechpaw said in a hushed, fearful voice.

"They must be nearby," Swoopstrike growled, his brow furrowed in confusion. "They wanted you to be here… why else would they scent mark?"

Acornear's eyes went round with fear.

"The other patrol… I sent them here before us to search for scents! Fox-dung, SkyClan must be after them. They'll be outnumbered!" Acornear meowed.

"We have to find them!" Foxbite gasped, digging her claws into the ground.

"Follow their scent-trail!" Acornear commanded, springing forward.

But, Swoopstrike leapt in front of him.

"Stop!" he snarled. "Just, think for a moment! We can't just go charging after them with no plan, or we'll be just as trapped as they are. At the mercy of SkyClan pouncing down at us from above!"

Acornear tensed up, snarling at Swoopstrike.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Way," Acornear rumbled, each word forced out through clenched fangs.

Swoopstrike's eyes flashed in heated frustration.

"Look frog-brain," Swoopstrike snarled, lashing his tail. "I know you're dull, so I'll put it simply: We're lucky that SkyClan isn't attacking us right now. We've been given precious time to plan here. Don't toss it away like crowfood!"

Acornear didn't respond, instead sinking unsheathed claws into the ground. But, Swoopstrike didn't move. He set his jaw and gazed at the ThunderClan deputy stubbornly. Heavy tension fell over the group like a fog. Frostpaw felt her muscles tighten. If Acornear attacked Swoopstrike, what would they do? Frostpaw had to fight on her mentor's side. But, Sedgestar had made an alliance with ThunderClan!

A faint, pained yowl echoed through the trees, cutting through the tension surrounding the group like a claw.

"We're already too late," Acornear snarled, his ears flattening. "The trap has been sprung. And, I won't leave my clan-mates to fight alone."

Acornear gave Swoopstrike a final bitter look.

"Join us if you wish, snake-heart," he spat.

With that, Acornear dodged around Swoopstrike, and the ThunderClan patrol was gone, dashing towards the sounds of faint fighting. The ShadowClan patrol remained with Swoopstrike, who was glaring after the ThunderClan patrol, his tail lashing.

"We need to help them," Emberflower cut in, padding up to Swoopstrike. "Sedgestar gave Morningstar his word."

"Of course we're going to help ThunderClan!" Swoopstrike snapped. "We just aren't going to be as frog-brained as them about it."

Emberflower narrowed her eyes at Swoopstrike, a silent warning in her eyes, and Swoopstrike quickly looked away from Sedgestar's formidable mate, his head bowed in apology.

"Sorry, Emberflower. I just—I just need a moment to think," Swoopstrike growled.

Dappledpelt walked up to Swoopstrike, lying her tail over his back reassuringly as he stood stiff, his brow furrowed and his head still bowed as he thought.

"Why is SkyClan trying so hard to deliberately lure a patrol out here?" Swoopstrike muttered. "Why did they scent-mark, when they could've not and just ambushed a regular patrol passing by?"

Frostpaw flattened her ears, her tail twitching thoughtfully behind her.

"Morningstar would send a lot of cats out to investigate the scent marks," Frostpaw murmured. "More cats than a regular patrol."

Pinepaw tilted her head.

"But, wouldn't that make it harder for SkyClan? Because it's more cats to ambush?" Pinepaw meowed in confusion.

"No," Swoopstrike said, raising his head, his eyes widening in realization. "This ambush is a diversion. SkyClan must have sent multiple attack patrols…"

"ThunderClan's camp!" Dappledpelt gasped, finishing Swoopstrike's train of thought, and digging her claws into the ground.

"It will be defenseless with all their warriors out, searching for SkyClan!" Emberflower said.

"We need to get there," Swoopstrike growled.

"But, how?" Leafbreeze cut in. "Do you know where their camp is? None of us are familiar with the territory!"

The ShadowClan patrol gazed at each other with wide, helpless eyes.

"We need to get Acornear," Redclaw pointed out, her tail lashing.

"Yes. That frog-brain!" Swoopstrike said with a growl of agreement.

Then they were flying through the trees, hot on the trail of the ThunderClan patrol, and the sounds of battle growing louder in their ears. Frostpaw ran next to Pinepaw, her jaw set. Tight anxiety clenched her chest as her thoughts turned to the battle and bloodshed that awaited them. Redclaw dropped back to run on Pinepaw's other side.

"There's no telling how many SkyClan warriors there will be at the ThunderClan's camp," Redclaw said, her voice tight. "Please. Be careful. Look out for each other."

"Don't worry, Mom. We've been trained well," Pinepaw said, her voice firm and her amber eyes fixed unwaveringly ahead.

"We will, Redclaw," Frostpaw promised.

Frostpaw crashed through the undergrowth, and the battle suddenly appeared in front of her. It was hard to tell how many SkyClan and how many ThunderClan warriors there were here. Writhing cats clawed each other in the narrow gaps between thorn patches; flashing in and out of sight as their fighting took them behind and then back in front of bushes and ferns.

"You all hang back! I'll find Acornear," Swoopstrike snapped to the ShadowClan patrol before diving into the battleground.

Frostpaw gazed anxiously after Swoopstrike, but like the other fighting cats, she quickly lost sight of him as he disappeared into some bushes. Frostpaw shifted from paw to paw impatiently. It seemed like Swoopstrike was gone for a long time, but in reality she knew it couldn't have been more than a few moments. But, then he had reappeared, Screechpaw in tow. Swoopstrike only had a few new scratches on his pelt, but Screechpaw looked much worse for wear. He had swelling around one eye and was missing huge clumps of fur from his shoulders.

"Where's Acornear?" Emberflower asked.

"I found him, but he didn't want to leave the battle on a hunch," Swoopstrike growled. "He told me to take Screechpaw."

"I'll show you the way to camp," Screechpaw said, raising his chin bravely.

"There's no time to waste," Emberflower urged.

Screechpaw nodded.

"This way!" he meowed, taking off into the trees.

The ShadowClan patrol followed, paws pounding on the hard-packed earth.

As the cats flashed through the trees, the sound of the patrols fighting faded behind them into nothingness, and soon they were running through a silent forest. The only sound in Frostpaw's ears was the rattling of her own rapid breaths and the roaring of her blood. Frostpaw's gaze quickly scanned the unfamiliar forest ahead of her, searching for any hint that they were close to the camp, or close to a SkyClan patrol.

The hint came in the form of an earsplitting wail of horror and grief that raised the fur on Frostpaw's shoulders.

"They've already attacked," Swoopstrike snarled, eyes narrowed.

"We're almost to the camp!" Screechpaw panted, the young cat doubling down and managing to put on a final burst of speed.

Suddenly, the undergrowth around them cleared. The ground beneath Frostpaw's feet began to slope gently downward, the dirt becoming sandy. The overwhelming scent of ThunderClan was heavy in her nose, but she could also smell sharp SkyClan scent penetrating the ThunderClan fog. Yowling and snarling echoed in her ears from ahead, and the air was rank with the metallic tang of blood and sour scent of fear. Frostpaw's stomach clenched in fright.

The ShadowClan patrol was quickly approaching a long line of gorse bushes. Frostpaw's eyes scanned the imposing wall, searching for a way through the thorny plants. Her heart pounded hard beneath her ribs. She was beginning to fear that they were going to crash straight through the gorse, when she noticed that Screechpaw was leading them towards a small tunnel, nearly hidden in the shadows of the gorse.

The patrol streamed single-file through the tunnel. Frostpaw winced as the thorns pulled out more of her fur. But, before she could even worry about her stinging pelt, she was out of the tunnel, and catapulted right into the middle of a vicious battle. Frostpaw came to a halting stop, blinking hard as she tried to gather her bearings.

She was standing in a sandy ravine, encircled by gorse bushes and brambles. And, the camp in front of her was in utter chaos. There were ThunderClan cats in front of bushes, presumedly dens, fighting with all their might to keep a wave of SkyClan warriors from breaking through. There were cats snarling and rolling in the middle of the clearing. There were cats pressed hard against the camp wall, having to fight the cats in front of them and the thorns behind them. And, there were even cats coated in blood, lying much too still on the sandy ground.

Frostpaw was snapped out of her thoughts when a yowl rang out through the camp.

"Reinforcements!" a grey SkyClan she-cat with bright amber eyes shouted the warning.

A long-furred white tom's head reared up from where he was crouched over a pinned ThunderClan warrior in the middle of camp. Blood dripped from his lips as the tom swept furious green eyes over the newly arrived cats.

Frostpaw's stomach clenched.

Paledusk.

"ShadowClan!" Paledusk spat venomously. "This is not your fight!"

"Then make us leave, mouse-heart!" Swoopstrike yowled. "ShadowClan, attack!"

Swoopstrike hared forward and sprung at Paledusk, tackling the larger tom and sending the two of them tumbling away.

While it was clear that SkyClan had badly outnumbered ThunderClan before ShadowClan's arrival, the sides now seemed much more evenly matched. The ShadowClan patrol surged forward like a wave, falling on the SkyClan cats, and Frostpaw joined in the charge.

She wasn't familiar enough with the appearances of all of the ThunderClan or SkyClan cats to tell them apart, especially not when they were covered in blood and dirt. So, she had to rely on scent and context alone to know who her enemies were. An elderly brown tabby she-cat was crouched near a tunnel of ferns, bleeding from a multitude of scratches as she snarled at two ginger toms who loomed over her.

That looks like a ThunderClan cat in trouble.

Frostpaw ran towards the brown tabby she-cat. Frostpaw leapt and pounced onto the back of the dark ginger tom from behind, biting his ear and kicking her hind-legs down his back. The tom yowled in shock, wiggling hard to try to dislodge her. The other ginger tom with a bend in his tail turned towards Frostpaw, but before he could help his friend, the brown she-cat shot at him with surprising speed for her age and clawed at his face, hissing furiously. Frostpaw was jolted back to attention when the tom under her suddenly fell to his side, rolling to crush her under him.

Snake-dung!

Frostpaw scrambled, hissing and spitting as she tried to claw her way out from under the ginger tom. She was half-way back on her feet when a paw flashed out and snagged her long fur. The ginger tom growled furiously, keeping her in place with his one paw and using his other to pin her down, muscling her to the ground as Frostpaw bucked and wiggled, flailing her paws. She managed to twist her neck enough to sink her fangs into one of his fore-legs, and he yowled, releasing her. But, before she could scramble out of range, his claws flashed towards her, scoring down her shoulder. Frostpaw hissed as she felt hot blood well in the fresh wounds.

Suddenly, a tabby apprentice was on the ginger tom's back, clinging to his fur, snarling and screaming like a trapped weasel.

Screechpaw!

Frostpaw took advantage of the distracted SkyClan tom, springing forward and swiping at his muzzle, making contact and snapping his head to the side. The tom growled in fury and pain as Screechpaw leapt off of him, and to Frostpaw's side. The tom looked up, and noticing that his companion was gone, driven off by the brown ThunderClan she-cat, he gave a final growl before turning tail and fleeing from Frostpaw and the two ThunderClan cats.

Panting, Frostpaw turned to Screechpaw. The swollen area around his eye had blown up even more, completely blocking his eye from sight. He was panting hard, and blood dripped down from a wound on his chest.

The older brown tabby she-cat limped over to them, her eyes wide with concern as she looked at Screechpaw.

"Screechpaw! You need to get into the medicine cat's den right away. Fallowtuft is in there with the other injured cats," the she-cat said.

"No. I can still fight," Screechpaw panted, his one good eye narrowing in determination.

"You're barely standing on your paws!" the she-cat protested.

Screechpaw ignored her, instead turning and gazing at her in confusion.

"Why aren't you in the elder's den, Pearnose? Where's Mothwhisker?" Screechpaw asked.

The name clicked in Frostpaw's mind. She remembered that Pearnose was ThunderClan's older medicine cat, but at the previous Gathering Morningstar had announced that she retired to the elders den due to painful arthritis. She had gotten a lot of cheering and sympathy by all cats present— medicine cats were generally liked by even cats from other clans.

Pearnose shook her head, her eyes welling with grief.

"Mothwhisker is dead," Pearnose said, her voice rough. "I asked him to come with me to defend Fallowtuft and the medicine cat's den, but he went down fighting instead. Of course. The old fool."

Screechpaw gasped, sitting down on his haunches hard, his eyes round with shock and pain.

Frostpaw felt a stab of empathy in her chest.

I wonder if this is the first time someone he knew has died…

Pearnose padded over to Screechpaw to nose his side gently, raising him back to his paws and ushering him towards the medicine cat's den. Pearnose glanced at Frostpaw.

"I will take care of him from here," Pearnose said. "Thank you for your help, ShadowClan warrior."

"Apprentice," Frostpaw corrected automatically, touching her paw to her chest. "Frostpaw."

"Ah, yes I remember you from a gathering sometime back," Pearnose said, blinking curiously at Frostpaw. "When Sedgestar announced your inclusion into ShadowClan. Will you wait her for a moment to guard the entrance while I bring Screechpaw inside?"

"Yeah," Frostpaw said, nodding.

She padded over to block the fern tunnel with her body as Pearnose and Sreechpaw vanished inside, and Frostpaw turned to scan the sea of fighting cats in front of her. The battle had seemed to reach a stalemate. ThunderClan was fighting fang-and-claw to defend their camp with ShadowClan's help, but SkyClan was still holding strong, refusing to be driven from the ravine. Frostpaw spotted Morningstar's thick grey pelt, bushed out and prickling around him as he battled in the very densest area of fighting, bleeding from a multitude of cuts and bites on all parts of him, but his eyes still blazed with energy and fury.

As she continued to scan the crowd she felt a jolt of relief as her gaze found both Redclaw and Swoopstrike. Redclaw and Emberflower were moving in joint, fluid motion as they battled a SkyClan cat together. The litter-mates' motions were so in sync it was hard to tell where the tortoiseshell she-cat stopped and the ginger she-cat began. Meanwhile, Swoopstrike and Dappledpelt were back to back, lashing out at a ring of SkyClan cats that surrounded them; the strength and anger radiating out from the pair was a fearsome sight.

Frostpaw's gaze flicked to the edges of the camp, and she saw Pinepaw there. Frostpaw tensed, her stomach flipping. Pinepaw had gotten cornered with her back to the prickly gorse bushes, and a SkyClan cat in front of her. Pinepaw was hissing and holding her own against the grey SkyClan she-cat for the moment at least, but she was still trapped with no where to flee if need be.

The ferns behind Frostpaw rustled as Pearnose came limping back out.

"I have to go help my friend," Frostpaw said urgently, glancing back at Pearnose.

Pearnose had barely begun to nod an okay before Frostpaw took off, sticking to the edges of the camp, where the fighting was the most sparse to get to Pinepaw as quickly as possible.

Frostpaw was approaching Pinepaw and the grey SkyClan cat quickly, and she tensed her muscles in anticipation of leaping onto the SkyClan cat, when suddenly something heavy hit her back from above. Hard.

Letting out a cry of shock and pain, Frostpaw's spine arched as her back buckled, her knees collapsed under her and chin smacked the ground. Frostpaw felt two paws on her back and sides, trying to pin her in place to the ground. Shaking off her surprise and blocking out the pain of the fresh bruises, Frostpaw kicked out her hind-paws at the rear feet of her attacker, knocking them off balance. Frostpaw quickly reared up, shoving her feet back under her as she dislodged her attacker's fore-paws, whirling to face them.

"Larchpaw?" Frostpaw snarled, half-incredulous and half-furious at the sight of the familiar SkyClan apprentice from Gatherings.

"Larchtail now," was all the tabby hissed at her before Larchtail's eyes narrowed into angry slits, and she leapt at Frostpaw again.

Immediately, Frostpaw found herself snapping right back into battle-mode. Frostpaw ducked, and Larchtail sailed harmlessly over her head. Frostpaw turned and reared up on her hind-legs, snarling as she brought her paws slamming down towards Larchtail's head. She managed to smack the side of the she-cat's head, which was enough to get Larchtail to spring backwards, away from her, but not enough to stun her with a direct hit.

Out of the corner of her vision, Frostpaw saw more cats dropping down into the ravine from the branches of the trees that encircled the outside of the ThunderClan camp, like Larchtail must've done—a wave of fresh SkyClan warriors.

Frostpaw felt a rush of icy fear. The number of warriors in the battle were back in SkyClan's favor. Larchtail flashed towards Frostpaw, but she dodged, trying to dash around her. Frostpaw's focus was still on trying to get to Pinepaw. Even with Larchtail and Pinepaw's SkyClan opponent against them, Frostpaw knew that she and Pinepaw would be able to fight better together, watching each other's backs, than they would separately.

Frostpaw managed to flash around Larchtail, haring away while the SkyClan cat gave chase. Frostpaw tensed up as she imagined Larchtail's claws close behind her.

Please don't leap on me… Please don't leap on me…

But, she had almost reached Pinepaw and the grey SkyClan she-cat. Frostpaw saw Pinepaw's eyes widen in surprise as she took in the scene of Frostpaw fast approaching her opponent from behind, and Larchtail chasing Frostpaw.

"Suneyes, look out!" Larchtail yowled the warning to her clan-mate.

The grey she-cat started to turn towards Larchtail's cry, but it was too late, Frostpaw had already leapt. Frostpaw bowled over Suneyes, scratching and biting at her short grey pelt, and the two she-cats went tumbling towards the wall of gorse. As soon as Frostpaw hit Suneyes, Pinepaw wasted no time at all in leaping over them, straight towards Larchtail. Larchtail tried to turn her run into a scrambling stop, but she basically collided with Pinepaw, who wrapped her paws around Larchtail's shoulders and sunk her fangs deeply into Larchtail's ear, eliciting a screech of pain.

Her claws still digging into Suneyes' pelt, Frostpaw threw her weight to the side, managing to turn their tumble into a something that resembled a more controlled roll. When Frostpaw rolled underneath Suneyes, she mustered up all the strength she could manage in her hind legs, released her fore-claws, and gave Suneyes a kick strong enough to throw the SkyClan warrior a few tail-lengths away, and straight into the thorny gorse bushes. Frostpaw rolled back to her paws as she watched the grey she-cat growl and claw her way back out of the thorns.

Frostpaw felt the fur on her side stir as Pinepaw appeared next to her. Pinepaw positioned herself so she and Frostpaw stood with their flanks side to side, but they were facing opposite directions. As Frostpaw kept an eye on Suneyes, Pinepaw watched as Larchtail paced a few tail-lengths away from the ShadowClan apprentices, growling menacingly as blood dripped down her face from her newly torn ear.

"Nice for you to show up, Frostpaw," Pinepaw said from over Frostpaw's shoulder, her voice a sarcastic growl.

Frostpaw's ears pricked in surprise at her tone, but she didn't dare take her gaze off Suneyes to look at her den-mate.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Frostpaw huffed in low tones, not wanting the SkyClan cats to hear them squabbling. "I came here to help you!"

Frostpaw twitched her ears towards Suneyes to indicate the SkyClan warrior, who had finally managed to drag herself out of the thorny gorse.

"All you did was bring more enemies," Pinepaw hissed, narrowing her ears at Larchtail.

"What am I, a piece of crowfood? I brought one enemy, and myself! At worst, it evens out," Frostpaw growled.

"Duck," Pinepaw hissed.

Frostpaw hit the ground without hesitation. She and Pinepaw might be arguing, but Frostpaw had learned well from her training that when a clan-mate told you to duck, you did it. No questions asked.

Larchtail went sailing harmlessly over both Pinepaw's and Frostpaw's head, and then Frostpaw surged forward. When Larchtail landed, but before she had time to turn around, Frostpaw landed a swipe on her flank, feeling her claws tear through the SkyClan cat's flesh. Larchtail hissed, but Frostpaw was already retreating backwards, back to the relative safety of Pinepaw. Suneyes stalked over to Larchtail, while Pinepaw turned to stand at Frostpaw's shoulder to square up against them, and for a heartbeat, the two sets of she-cats just stared at each other.

Frostpaw risked a glance behind her. The tide was turning in SkyClan's favor. There were several SkyClan warriors fighting against ThunderClan or ShadowClan cats two to one. They were driving the ThunderClan cats back into their dens, where they fought frantically to keep the SkyClan cats away from their young, wounded and sick. Frostpaw spotted Redclaw wedged underneath a bramble bush, which appeared to be the nursery. She was blocking the entrance with her body and swiping at any SkyClan cat that came too close.

The pair of SkyClan warriors in front of Frostpaw began to advance, growling softly. Frostpaw tensed, snarling at them as she pushed away the aching of her cut and bruised pelt to prepare for another fight.

Frostpaw's ears pricked.

The sounds of paw-steps echoed under the growls and hisses of fighting, and the gorse barrier behind the SkyClan she-cats begun to shake. Frostpaw felt a stone weight fall into her belly.

Snake-dung, no! Not more SkyClan.

They would be completely overrun.

Her eyes wide with fear, Frostpaw glanced at Pinepaw. She saw the same worry shining back at her from Pinepaw's amber eyes. A stream of new cats burst from the gorse tunnel, yowling haunting battlecries. But, Frostpaw felt a jolt of surprise and relief when she recognized the long-legged tabby tom at the head of the patrol.

"Sedgestar!" Pinepaw yowled joyfully.

The fresh ShadowClan warriors fell on the SkyClan cats. Frostpaw saw Larchtail shrink back hesitantly and fear light in Suneyes' bright golden gaze at their appearance. Pinepaw sprung at Larchtail and Suneyes with an eager snarl, renewed vigor in her step. Frostpaw followed her, feeling a similar surge of energy revitalizing her tired muscles. It was now ShadowClan's battle to win, and SkyClan knew it.

"Fox-dung!" Paledusk's voice yowled, ringing through the camp. "Fall back, SkyClan! Fall back!"

The SkyClan cats began to scramble, abandoning their attack. The ones closest to the gorse tunnel managed to sprint away, shoving their way through it. Morningstar reared his head back, his long grey fur tangled and matted in blood, and his eyes as wild as a mad dog's.

"Don't let those fox-hearts get away so easily! Block the tunnel! Make them pay!" the ThunderClan leader howled.

Frostpaw watched the strange turn of events unfold before her. Now, instead of ThunderClan fighting desperately to drive SkyClan out of the camp, ThunderClan warriors scrambled to block the gorse tunnel with their bodies, in order to trap the retreating SkyClan inside.

For a moment, Frostpaw spotted the look of bewilderment on Sedgestar's face at Morningstar's command, but her view of him was quickly cut off as a charge of retreating SkyClan cats blocked him from view. Frostpaw attention was snapped back to her immediate surroundings when Pinepaw leapt towards Larchtail and Suneyes, apparently determined to drive them off. Frostpaw followed her, hissing and slashing at the SkyClan cats. They retreated backwards, their faces uncertain as they searched for a way to flee.

"Screw it," Suneyes snarled, turning to dive into the prickly gorse, fighting her way through the bush, and finally pushing out the other side.

After a moment of hesitation, Larchtail followed her through the gorse, sending a final poisonous look at Frostpaw and Pinepaw as she did so. Frostpaw looked around, seeing other SkyClan warriors doing the same in a last-ditch effort to escape the camp. Frostpaw watched as Paledusk ran off as well. The SkyClan deputy didn't even hesitate before diving into the thick gorse tangles. Frostpaw watched as his long white fur got caught in the thorns, but he shouldered his way through the bush. Soon the sounds of fighting faded, as the last SkyClan warriors broke through the gorge barrier and fled into the forest. The ThunderClan cats and ShadowClan cats stood still, in silence for a moment. No victorious cheers were raised from the ThunderClan side. Not even wails of anger or cries for the bodies of cats that lay scattered through out the camp. Frostpaw felt a twinge of relief that she didn't recognize any of those pelts.

It was the ShadowClan cats who began to move first. As if it was instinctive, they began to cluster around Sedgestar. Frostpaw saw Swoopstrike supporting a limping Dappledpelt with his shoulder as they headed over. She saw Redclaw come creeping out of the ThunderClan nursery, soothing a young, crying ThunderClan kit that came stumbling out behind her. Pinepaw padded straight towards Sedgestar, her chin held high. Frostpaw padded over to her leader as well, limping as her bruises and scratches suddenly began aching as the adrenaline of battle faded from her body.

Then the gorge barrier began to shake again, and Frostpaw immediately tensed once more, turning towards the tunnel, but the cats that came running through were only a patrol of bedraggled ThunderClan warriors, with Acornfur at the rear. The ThunderClan deputy looked around at the disaster of the camp; his eyes wide with shock and horror.

"Frostpaw!"

Autumnpaw was bounding up to her, his eyes wide. Besides a scratch on his nose, he seemed no worse for wear.

"Are you all okay?" he asked, concern in his gaze. "Is Pinepaw here? Where's Pinepaw? And, Redclaw?"

"I'm okay," Frostpaw meowed. "They're okay too. I was just with Pinepaw, and I saw Redclaw just a heartbeat ago."

Autumnpaw heaved a sigh of relief, walking with her a few tail-lengths closer to where the rest of ShadowClan was grouping before sitting down heavily.

"It's a good thing you and Sedgestar's patrol arrived when you did," Frostpaw muttered, gingerly taking a seat next to him to avoid aggravating her bruises.

Autumnpaw leaned over and began to groom some of her blood out of her shoulder fur. Frostpaw winced when his tongue scraped over the scratches there.

"I was afraid SkyClan was going to tear us apart without more backup," she continued in a low voice. "How'd Sedgestar know that we needed up?"

"ThunderClan sent a runner as soon as the attack began here. Barredpaw, I think it was. He told us their camp was under attack without enough warriors, because they had patrols out, and your patrol was still out," Autumnpaw said, leaning back from grooming to gaze at her seriously for a moment.

"I was so scared about what happened to you. I mean— all of you," he amended quickly. "Redclaw and Pinepaw too. The way Barredpaw made it sound, I thought we'd make it here to find ThunderClan dead, and you all slaughtered somewhere in their territory."

Frostpaw's ears flattened.

If SkyClan had it their way, that might not be too far off the mark.

Frostpaw's attention was drawn away from Autumnpaw when she saw Sedgestar make his way out of the crowd of ShadowClan cats and pad over to Morningstar. The ThunderClan leader was hunched over the body of a grey tom, his shoulders taunt with grief. Frostpaw saw the medicine cat Fallowtuft pad up to Morningstar with herbs in his jaws to use on Morningstar's many wounds, but Morningstar sent him away with a mutter to treat everyone else before him. Sedgestar walked over to Morningstar's shoulder, where he stood in silence for a moment. Morningstar didn't look up.

"Morningstar…" Sedgestar murmured, drawing the ThunderClan leader's attention to him.

"It should have been me," Morningstar said, his voice so low that it barely reached Frostpaw's ears. "Rockstorm was so young; his whole life ahead of him. While I have many lives to use…"

Morningstar suddenly jerked his head up, rising to his feet with his eyes burning with hatred and grief.

"SkyClan has gone too far this time! The time for border skirmishes is over!" Morningstar snarled. "If SkyClan wants war, that's what we will give them! Our next battle goes to them, in their camp."

Sedgestar's eyes widened a bit in concern at Morningstar's unhinged expression.

"Morningstar, let's talk about this," he said in an even voice. "If we think—"

"No!" Morningstar spat, beginning to pace with his tail bristled and lashing. "They killed my cats, in our home! We will go to war today. Launch an attack on their camp."

"Today? At least let your cats rest for now. They are wounded and tired," Sedgestar pointed out, his voice low.

This seemed to bring Morningstar back to himself, at least, somewhat. Frostpaw saw a shadow of doubt flash on his face, but only for a moment.

"But, so are SkyClan's," Morningstar stubbornly persisted. "That's why they won't be expecting it. And, besides, you still have a patrol of fresh warriors. SkyClan fled quickly as soon as the patrol you led showed up."

Sedgestar's eyes narrowed, the gentle empathy that had been on the ShadowClan leader's face vanishing like morning fog on a sunny day.

"I won't put my cats in that kind of danger. Some of my warriors already fought one battle for you today. I will not make them fight another," Sedgestar said, his voice cold.

Morningstar's ears flattened, and his lips curled back into a snarl.

"Are you backing out of our deal?" Morningstar said, turning on Sedgestar to snarl in his face. "Three moons, three battles. That was our promise; I haven't gone over, have I?"

Sedgestar didn't flinch. Frostpaw felt her claws curling out of her paws at Morningstar's threatening pose, and all around her she could feel the air tensing between the ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats, like at any moment, a fight could break out between them.

"Morningstar. I think Sedgestar is right," Acornear's voice suddenly cut in.

Morningstar's eyes widened in shock at the interruption as he turned to his deputy. Acornear padded up to him and bowed his head, his eyes filled with shame.

"It's my fault that ThunderClan reinforcements didn't arrive at the camp in time to help you. Instead of listening to Swoopstrike's hunch that SkyClan was planning an attack on the camp, I charged into battle without thinking. I didn't even consider the possibility that they had sent another patrol to attack the camp. If I hadn't run off, we could've warned the camp before the attack. And, the warriors in both my patrol, and Swoopstrike's would've been there to defend it. I'm so sorry," Acornear said.

Frostpaw's eyes sought out Swoopstrike in the crowd of ShadowClan warriors. His chin was raised, but surprisingly, his expression wasn't as smug as she expected. He was studying Acornear with a carefully neutral gaze.

"I don't want us to make this same mistake again," Acornear continued. "We should regain our strength and come up with a plan before attacking. Even if that means delaying the attack for some time. Remember, we still won the battle today; SkyClan is the one on the retreat. We have the time to think about it."

"It's basically leaf-fall already," Morningstar growled. "If we lose the hunting grounds we regained a few moons ago, we will starve this leaf-bare."

"I know," Acornear responded steadily, raising his head to look Morningstar in the eye. "But, we won't lose. SkyClan already showed their biggest advantage—their tree-ambush, so we know to beware of it. We won't delay long enough for them to come up with a better plan. We will strike their camp and deliver the final blow long before that."

Morningstar was silent for a long moment, his tail flicking. Finally, he gave a curt nod.

"We will attack their camp when a half of moon has passed from now," he growled.

Sedgestar nodded at Morningstar.

"I agree with that timeline," Sedgestar meowed.

Morningstar looked at Sedgestar out of the corner of his eyes.

"Thank you for your warriors' help today. But, ThunderClan now needs time to tend to our wounded and grieve our dead. I trust you all can find yourselves to the border," Morningstar said.

Sedgestar gave a single nod and turned, waving his tail to gather his warriors close around him. Frostpaw saw Redclaw slowly walk over to Pinepaw, shooting a final glance over her shoulder at the ThunderClan kit she had been comforting. The kit was now curled against the body of a tabby and white queen, her mother presumably, mewling softly with grief. Pain filled Redclaw's eyes for a moment before the ShadowClan she-cat looked away from the kit, turning instead to Pinepaw. She gently licked some blood off of the dark apprentice's forehead. Frostpaw half-expected Pinepaw to duck away; even when she was a kit, she had always acted eager to be independent of her mother. But, instead Pinepaw just gave a brief purr, blinking at Redclaw with a gentle look in her amber eyes.

Sedgestar led the way through the now mangled gorse tunnel, and ShadowClan headed home.


Author's Note: I hope everyone is staying safe during this coronavirus pandemic. One bright side for me, since I am stuck inside currently, is that I will have plenty of time to write and work on this lol. If you are going through something similar currently, I hope being able to read this extra long chapter brightens your day a bit. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

Reviews:

Brian.H.H: Thanks! I liked writing that Autumnpaw and Frostpaw scene together too. And, I love your analysis of the rotting pine omen! I don't want to go into right now, as to not spoil anything, but more is definitely to come in regards to it. Also, there's plenty of Pinepaw in this chapter, which should make up for the lack of it in the previous one haha. Now I'm neglecting Poolpaw haha (although to be honest, I've always had the most trouble integrating him into the drama around Frostpaw, because while Pinepaw and Autumnpaw often act as opposing forces, Poolpaw tends to be more of a mediator or just stay out of it.)

I definitely agree with your comments about the dynamics between the leaders. In my story, I definitely imagine Sedgestar and Morningstar to be around the same age, but Sedgestar became leader as a younger cat, before he felt ready for it, at which point, Morningstar was still the deputy of ThunderClan. Morningstar sort of felt jealous of Sedgestar getting to be a leader so young, but he also admired him because Sedgestar was able to lead ShadowClan competently despite his youth (and Sedgestar also didn't let the other clans know how he didn't feel ready, so he seemed very confident about it.) Morningstar got over his jealousy though when he became leader of ThunderClan and realized how difficult running a clan is. So, all in all there is a level of mutual respect between the two because of their shared history, and the relatively peaceful relationship between their clans since they both became leaders. I think Fennelstar is probably the oldest current leader, having been leader longer than both Sedgestar and Morningstar, but he's not quite as old as like say Grovepelt is. He's always led SkyClan pretty aggressively, but with Paledusk as the new deputy, its been kind of kicked up a notch since Paledusk throws fuel on the fire (Paledusk replaced the more level-headed previous deputy after she died.) Rabbitstar is the youngest leader, of course, and probably became WindClan's leader only a few moons before the start of the story. RiverClan's leader Willowstar is more of an enigma for me. I think she is probably close in age to Morningstar and Sedgestar, maybe a bit younger, but doesn't have a close relationship with them because out of all the leaders (even independent Sedgestar,) she is the most isolationist. While for example, ThunderClan, SkyClan and ShadowClan share similar forested territory and eat similar forest animals, so there is natural conflict over resources, RiverClan has the most specialized diet of fish and are the most cut off from the other clans because the river makes a natural border that most Clans don't want to risk to cross. (Also, my story takes place before the river changed its banks, so Sunningrocks is currently squarely in RiverClan territory, and not a contentious piece of land fought over between ThunderClan or RiverClan.) So, Willowstar doesn't see much of a point in getting involved in other Clan's affairs. However, I think she has an opportunistic nature, so when SkyClan approached them with the deal that if they don't help ThunderClan, SkyClan would be given the territory on the other side of the river, Willowstar saw it as a win-win. Because she doesn't even necessarily have to do anything or get involved in a battle, and she gets free territory out of it. Well this became a long sort of digression, but this was some fun bit of background of these characters to explore haha.

Hazel Ashwood: Thank you so much for your nice comment! I agree that the canon books seem to be lacking in the world building department, so that is something that I definitely try to address in this story by giving ShadowClan a rich culture and sense of community! I hope you enjoyed this battle haha. No Dampfang this time (although he's always up to something devious haha.) And, I'm sorry I had to leave out Autumnpaw from the battle! There will be much more of him next chapter, I promise :)

Pandere: Thank you! I'm glad that you appreciate the world building, it's definitely something I enjoy doing too. And, I like making time for more light-hearted scenes since it lets character's personalities shine through and things can't be all gloomy all the time!

Shadow: I'm glad you've been enjoying the story, and that you like Lizardkit! He's a sweet boy, and interesting to write because of his deafness. Also, thank you for the name suggestions, some of them sound very cool. I have already picked out a few names for some characters already, but I like them being a surprise, so I don't want to give them away yet :)