Thank you all for reading!

succulentofa- I'm glad you noticed that I introduced Silverstream early. I forgot to mention that at the end of my last chapter. I always thought that she could have been introduced earlier in the books rather than just appearing suddenly and saving Graystripe. So I made her a little shy in the last chapter, but she'll be just as outspoken as before in the next book.

xxSorrelbreezexx- Yeah, that specific age difference was a decision that I had to make pretty early. Russetfur lasts quite a long time in the book series, but I'm still trying to keep their human ages at least somewhat realistic. So to prevent her from being 80 years old or so by the time she dies, I made her younger here. I also thought that I should keep her around Blackstar's age too. I don't plan on going back to the earlier books, so I'm not too worried about messing with that part of the timeline to make this one fit.

Chapter 14:

Ravenpaw was sitting on the ground with a circle of aptly-listening apprentices, his hands moving in the air as he described his story for them, "Blood was flying everywhere. It splattered the leaves of the bramble bushes, bright red against green. I'd just fought off a huge warrior and sent him squealing into the bushes when the ground shook and I heard a warrior scream. It was Oakheart!"

A pretty girl from another Clan shifted over politely as Firepaw and Graypaw joined the circle. Firepaw sat beside her, placing his hands on his knees as he listened to his friend tell his story about the RiverClan battle.

Ravenpaw paused as his friends joined, looking almost as though he had been caught in the middle of something that he shouldn't have been doing. But with an encouraging nod from Firepaw, the boy took a breath and continued.

"Redtail raced past me, his hands bloody and his hair untied. 'Oakheart is dead!' he cried. Then he rushed off to help Tigerclaw as he fought another warrior."

Graypaw put his hands in the grass behind him and leaned back, impressed. "Who would have known that Ravenpaw could tell stories so well?" he mused quietly.

But Firepaw was thinking of something else. "Graypaw," he poked at his friend, gears turning in his head. Ravenpaw had just said that Redtail had killed Oakheart, but Tigerclaw had announced that it was the other way around and he had to kill Oakheart to avenge the ThunderClan deputy.

"If Redtail killed Oakheart, then who killed Redtail?" Firepaw whispered to Graypaw.

"Hmm?" Graypaw clearly wasn't listening, his attention too caught up in Ravenpaw's story to hear him.

Firepaw was about to poke Graypaw again for his attention, but found that Ravenpaw was nearing the end of his story. The other apprentices in the circle shot their hands into the air with questions, which Ravenpaw laughed at and pointed to each of them to answer.

"What were Oakheart's dying words?" The pretty girl beside Firepaw asked.

"Is it true that Oakheart had never lost a battle before?" A small boy asked, who caught Firepaw's attention. He was very young, Firepaw noticed, and he couldn't quite guess what Clan he belonged to. It puzzled Firepaw. He thought that it was a rule for only upper apprentices to represent their Clan at Gatherings.

Shifting his eyes around the circle, he realized that the boy wasn't the only young one either. There was another boy with them too, who also looked as though he wasn't old enough to be apprenticed. Maybe the other Clans brought kits sometimes?

But Firepaw noticed next that it wasn't only apprentices who were listening to Ravenpaw's story. Firepaw spotted Tigerclaw leaning against a tree not that far away. He was clearly listening into the conversation, with an odd look of fury on his face that sent goosebumps along Firepaw's arms.

Ravenpaw answered each of the questions with matched enthusiasm until a call for silence came from the Great Rock. Firepaw, along with the other apprentices, twisted around to see that Bluestar, Crookedstar, and Brokenstar were each standing atop the Great Rock and were ready to begin. With the moon behind them, they hardly looked human as they stood there, cloaked in the pelts of their deities which covered their the top of their heads and clasped in front of their shoulders

Whispering broke out around the clearing and warriors came together in small groups. They settled themselves comfortably around the rock, continuing to talk even after there was no one else standing. Firepaw didn't need to listen into a conversation to know what was being said. They, just like him, were wondering if the leaders were going to start without WindClan being present.

The leaders appeared to be waiting for silence, but if anything the crowd grew louder with each passing heartbeat. Bluestar, deciding to take a hold of the situation, stepped forward. The moonlight reflected off of her great Lion's pelt magnificently, and her face was hidden in shadows though her voice rang clear.

"Cats of all the Clans, welcome." She began, her palms turned upwards to welcome each of the people below. "It is true that WindClan is not present, but Brokenstar wishes to speak anyway."

Brokenstar stepped to Bluestar's side. Only the faintest dip of his head suggested that he had nodded in her direction. His voice was felt calculated as he began, "Friends, I have come to speak to you tonight about the needs of ShadowClan-"

"Where is Tallstar?"

"Where are the WindClan warriors?"

A chorus of impatient voices rose from the crowd, drowning out the leader's words. Brokenstar stood passively waiting for a short moment, but his patience was broken quickly. In just a heartbeat, his collected expression turned sour. With hands turned to fists, he roared for silence.

"Enough!" He thundered before them, stomping one foot on the sacred stone. "As the leader of ShadowClan, it is my right to address you here! You will listen to me now!"

Firepaw sat upright with a jolt of fear. He and the rest of the crowd below the Great Rock fell into an uneasy silence. He absentmindedly played with his newly bought stone, turning it over in his hands and rubbing his thumb along it.

Brokenstar's voice remained slightly elevated as he continued, "We all know that the past few years have been particularly difficult in terms of hunting. Each year, we four Clans have suffered together through the horrible leaf-bare moons. And we also know that WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan lost many children in the freezing weather that comes each year. However, ShadowClan did not lose kits. We are hardened to the cold north wind. Our kits are stronger than yours from the moment they are born. And so we find ourselves with many mouths to feed, and too little prey to feed them."

The crowd listened to his words without speaking. A few people glanced at one another, but none of them dared to speak.

"The needs of ShadowClan are simple. In order to survive, we must expand our hunting territory. That is why I insist that you all allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your lands."

The silence was broken at once.

"Share our hunting grounds?" called Tigerclaw with outrage. He had gotten to his feet again, and several other warriors stood to join him.

"It is unprecedented!" cried a woman from RiverClan. "The Clans have never shared hunting rights before!"

"Should ShadowClan be punished because our young thrive?" Brokenstar demanded, voice rising above their calls once more. His arms gestured and Firepaw saw a flash of moonlight caught the blade of a dagger in his belt, which had previously been concealed out of sight. Brokenstar had brought a weapon to the Gathering! "Do you want us to watch our young starve? You must share what you have with us."

"Must!" spat Smallear furiously from where he stood at the very edge of the crowd. "Only Bluestar tells ThunderClan what they must do!"

"Yes, must," repeated Brokenstar, shooting the elder a stern glare. "WindClan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them out of their territory."

Gasps of shock and outrage spread through the clearing like wildfire but Brokenstar continued. "And, if we have to, we will drive you all from your hunting grounds in order to feed our hungry children."

Silence fell with the ShadowClan leader's threat. Any remaining whispering were feverishly silenced by another Clanmate. Those who had stood in outrage were tugged back to their seats by their Clanmates.

Satisfied that he had everyone's attention, Brokenstar continued with his hands clasped firmly in front of him. "Each year, the kittypets spoil more and more of our territory. At least one Clan must remain strong if all the Clans are to survive. ShadowClan thrives while you all struggle. And there may come a time when you will need us to protect you."

"You dare say we aren't strong?" Tigerclaw demanded, never having returned to where he had once sat. He glared outwardly at the leader, his hands angry fists at his sides.

"I do not ask for your answer now." Brokenstar ignored the warrior's challenge. "You must each return to your camps and consider my words. But bear this in mind. Would you prefer to share your prey, or be driven out and left homeless and starving?"

Firepaw couldn't believe the man's words. Had ShadowClan truly driven WindClan out of their home so that they could hunt in the moorlands instead? How much territory would ShadowClan need to survive?

All around the clearing, the gathered people looked to each other with similar worries. There were a few whispers shared, but nothing more.

Crookedstar stepped forward when it appeared that no one had a word to share. "I have already agreed to allow ShadowClan some hunting rights in the river that runs through our territory," he announced quietly, the Jaguar pelt casting his face in shadows. If he felt regretful or guilty by this decision, Firepaw could not see it.

Horror and humiliation rippled through the RiverClan cats at their leader's words.

"We were not consulted!" cried one of the several RiverClan warriors.

"I feel that this is best, not just for our Clan, but for all of the Clans," Crookedstar explained, his voice heavy with resignation. "There are plenty of fish in the river. It is better to share our prey than to spill blood fighting over it."

"And what about ThunderClan?" Smallear rasped. "Bluestar? Have you also agreed to this man's orders?"

Bluestar met the elder's gaze steadily, announcing truthfully, "I have made no agreement with Brokenstar except that I shall discuss his proposal with my Clan after the Gathering."

"Well, at least that's something," Graypaw said with exasperation. "We'll show them we're not as soft as that yellow-bellied RiverClan."

The pretty girl beside Firepaw gave them both a hateful glare. He whispered an apology to her.

Brokenstar spoke up again, his rasping voice sounding arrogant and strong after Crookedstar's surrender. "That is not all that I have to share for tonight. I also bring news that is important to the safety of your kits. A member of ShadowClan has turned rogue and has abandoned the warrior code. She has been chased from our camp and exiled for her actions, but we do not know where she has gone since. She looks like a mangy old creature, but she has a bite like TigerClan."

Firepaw felt himself tense at these words. Could Brokenstar possibly be talking about Yellowfang? Why would Brokenstar have waited this long to announce the news? He played with the stone in his hands anxiously.

"She is dangerous. I warn you- do not offer shelter to her. And-" Brokenstar paused dramatically, "until she is caught and killed, I urge you to keep a close eye on your children."

The scattered members of ThunderClan began to talk to one another in low, suspicious voices. Firepaw knew without a doubt that their train of thought was similar to his own, and they were all suspecting that the woman Brokenstar had exiled was indeed Yellowfang.

The sharp-tongued elder had done nothing to help her situation with being kept prisoner in a hostile camp, and Firepaw guessed it wouldn't take much to drum up hatred against her. Without a doubt, Brokenstar's warning would be enough to set off the warriors' alarms.

Brokenstar ended the Gathering with a sweep of his pelt. He dropped down from the Great Rock heavily and called his Clan forth. The ShadowClan warriors began to push their way out of the crowd to cluster around him protectively. Even the young apprentices that Firepaw had seen earlier joined them. But standing alongside the other apprentices, Firepaw couldn't say that they looked small anymore. Each of the apprentices looked short and malnourished, more like young children rather than true apprentice age.

Safe and surrounded by his following, Brokenstar was whisked away from Fourtrees by his escorts. With the threat gone, the other two Clans began to break up as well. Each person made their way to their designated tree, discussing the night's events hotly with one another.

"What do you think of all that?" Graypaw asked in a low tone as they got to their feet with the others.

Ravenpaw hurried over before Firepaw could reply. "What's going to happen now?" he fretted, hands grabbing at his hair with worry.

Graypaw tried to console his friend, but Firepaw wasn't listening anymore. Smallear was standing nearby, speaking with several other Clanmates and Firepaw was trying to hear what they had to say.

"That must be Yellowfang he was talking about," Smallear was saying tensely.

"Well, she did snap at Goldenflower's son the other day," Speckletail recalled darkly. As ThunderClan's oldest caregiver, she was fiercely protective of every child in the nursery.

"And we've left her behind, with the camp virtually unguarded!" gasped One-eye, who seemed to be having no struggle hearing the conversation despite all of the rukus around them.

"I tried to tell you she was a danger to us," Darkstripe cracked his knuckles threateningly. "Bluestar has to listen to reason now and get rid of her before she

harms any of our kits!"

Tigerclaw strode up to the group. "We must return to camp at once and deal with this rogue!" he stated firmly.

As shouts of approval rang out, Firepaw couldn't bear to listen any further. His head was reeling and waves of fear rolled through his stomach as he thought about what his Clanmates might do to the old woman back at camp. Yellowfang wasn't a danger to kids, he knew that. There was no way that she could be!

"What are you- Firepaw!"

He ignored his friends' shouts as he tore away from them and charged up the hillside. Hoping desperately that no one spotted him running back to ThunderClan territory, he raced onwards through the forest and back towards the camp. If he was fast enough, would he be able to warn her about what was to come? What if he got caught doing so?

A wave of nervous nausea came over Firepaw but he pushed it down stubbornly and raced on. His side began to hurt and his muscles began to burn with the effort of running, but he kept going. Before he knew it, he was stumbling down the ravine and slipping through the camp entrance.

"Where…?" He whispered, cursing to himself as he paused just inside the entrance. He hadn't even thought about whether a guard had been appointed that night, and he was more than relieved to see that he was alone in the clearing.

Hurrying forward, Firepaw crossed the camp to where the prisoner's den was. He opened the door without knocking and stepped into the darkness. "Yellowfang," he hissed urgently, coming to kneel by her sleeping mat. "Yellowfang, wake up!"

The woman leaned up on her elbows, blinking at him in the darkness, "I wasn't asleep," she said quietly. She turned her head to peer out the doorway with confusion, "What happened? Where are your Clanmates."

"Brokenstar warned the Clans about a rogue warrior that he had exiled. He called her dangerous and ThunderClan thinks that it's you."

The confusion in her eyes vanished and she sat more upright. "It looks like Brokenstar has kept his promise then."

"What promise?"

"ShadowClan's noble leader promised to drive me from every Clan's territory. What did he say?"

Firepaw told her, heart still pounding as he crouched beside her, "He warned us that our children are in danger as long as you are around. He didn't say your name, but ThunderClan guessed who he was talking about. You have to leave before the others get back. You're in danger!"

"You mean they believed him?" Yellowfang was getting to her feet now, her thin blankets abandoned on the bed. "I've been in your camp for moons and have done nothing to hurt another cat!"

"I know you haven't," Firepaw insisted, grabbing her arm in his own and leading her to the door. "But ThunderClan is afraid of what you might do. Darkstripe said you're dangerous, and Tigerclaw is planning to come back here and- well, I don't know. But you have to go before they get here!"

His mind was still reeling and before he could reconsider what he was saying, he blurted out, "What did Brokenstar mean when he said that we should keep an eye on our kits? You wouldn't hurt them, would you?"

Yellowfang removed her arm from his grasp, standing in the doorway as he stood just outside. "Would I what?"

"Would you harm ThunderClan's children?"

Yellowfang placed a hand against the wall to steady herself, her expression grim as she asked, "Do you think I would?"

Firepaw met her gaze without flinching, "No." he decided, "I don't think you'd ever hurt a child. But why would Brokenstar say that then?"

There was a pause between them as they could hear the first sounds of the approaching Gathering patrol. Distant shouts echoed through the forest and Firepaw realized with a strange jolt that he was still clutching Spottedleaf's gift in his hand. He tightened his hold, hoping desperately that its supposed good luck would fix this situation.

Yellowfang glanced down at the bundle, then placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, "Firepaw, you believe that I'm innocent, and I'm grateful for that. If you believe that I'm innocent, then maybe others will too. And I know that Bluestar will give me a fair hearing. But I can't run forever, I'm too old for that."

"But what about Tigerclaw- What if he-"

Yellowfang gave his shoulder a firm squeeze, "Even Tigerclaw will obey Bluestar." The shouts came closer and now they could hear Tigerclaw leading the patrol down the ravine. She turned Firepaw around and pushed him away gently, "Go now. Don't get caught warning me about Brokenstar. There's nothing you can do for me. Have faith in your leader."