Sandstorm's heart was pounding. She crossed over the stone bridge behind Mistyfoot and Redtail, anxiety making her pelt prick with unease.

The last thing she wanted was to be heading into RiverClan territory—but Tigerstar had asked her to come on this patrol. What was I supposed to say? Sandstorm gritted her teeth. "Sorry, Tigerstar, I actually just broke a RiverClan tom's heart and I'm just not feeling it—oh, and by the way, he's the father of my kits!" She had no choice but to agree, even though the last thing she wanted was to see Fireheart.

It had been a little over a quarter moon since she'd last spoken to him. Sandstorm has thrown herself into training with Snowpaw, and despite it being hard work, it helped to take her mind off of Fireheart. And as much as it pained her to leave him—she had to admit, it was doing her good to get a full night's sleep once again.

Tigerstar headed the patrol. It was the fourth time now that he had visited with RiverClan. Sandstorm wasn't sure what to make of the whole situation. These kind of diplomatic visits were unheard of between Clans… especially ones with such a violent history between them. But Tigerstar remained strong on his position that he would help foster a better relationship between RiverClan and ThunderClan.

Sandstorm's paws pressed down into crisp snow as she left the bridge. That night in the woods… she thought. When I saw his meeting. Did I misunderstand, somehow? If those BloodClan cats are strong enough to force the Clans under one leader, why not use them to do just that? Doubt tugged at her. Maybe I missed some piece of that conversation. If Tigerstar wanted to rule the Clans, and he had allies powerful enough to help him… he would just do it now. Maybe he does really just want to build stronger relationships with the other Clans.

Despite her thoughts, she still felt unsettled and unsure. Sandstorm wanted to believe that Tigerstar was doing what was best for ThunderClan—but that night she had overheard a piece of his plans made her worried.

"Tigerstar!" A voice called. Sandstorm blinked, pulled from her thoughts. Up ahead, there was a pair of warriors sitting by the riverbank. They approached the ThunderClan patrol.

Sandstorm recognized them after a moment. Shadefang and Minktuft. Shadefang eyed Tigerstar cautiously. "You're on RiverClan land," she meowed.

Tigerstar bowed his head to the young warrior. "Greetings. Shadefang, isn't it? Leopardstar is expecting us."

Minktuft and Shadefang shared an uncomfortable glance, but neither looked surprised. Sandstorm watched them curiously. They don't like that we're here, she thought. But they know they can't fight us about it.

After a heartbeat, Shadefang sighed. "Of course," she meowed. "I'll lead you to our camp."

"We are grateful," Tigerstar replied.

The RiverClan mollies took up the lead, sticking close to each other. Tigerstar followed a step behind.

Sandstorm fell in beside Redtail. She glanced at her father curiously. I wonder what he thinks about all this. Redtail has been one of Thistlestar's loudest critics, but she had no idea what he made of their new leader and his strange plans.

Redtail slowed his pace as they walked, touching his tail to Sandstorm's side. She slowed with him. Redtail glanced at her. "How are you doing?" he quietly asked. "Bluefur mentioned to me the other day you've been rather stressed, and what with being a new mentor and all…" his voice trailed off in hesitation. "I just thought it would be good to talk."

Sandstorm looked down at her paws. So much has happened, she thought. I can't tell him about all of it. Can I? Her chest felt tight. She didn't talk to either of her fathers often—it wasn't that they didn't get along, but they had never stayed overly close after Sandstorm was out of the nursery. It was that way for many ThunderClan families. "I…" she started and stopped uncertainly. Sandstorm lifted her gaze to meet Redtail's eyes. "I've been a little off lately," she admitted. "I was stressed… but I think I've made things better for myself. Mentoring Snowpaw has been good for me." She smiled fondly. "He works hard."

Redtail slowed to a halt. He looked at Sandstorm with concern in his eyes. "I know you're pregnant."

Sandstorm's eyes widened. "Ravenpaw!" she hissed.

Redtail shook his head quickly. "No, no—I'm sorry. He didn't say anything. I just know." He smiled at her. "I had you, remember? You get a little better at telling when you've had kits of your own." His smile faded. "I just thought—maybe—I was worried…" He shifted his paws. "You being so stressed and down at the same time as becoming pregnant. The sire… they haven't treated you badly, have they?"

Sandstorm swallowed. Oh, Redtail… Her father's concern made her feel guilty more than comforted. "No," she meowed. "No, nothing like that." She looked away. "We just didn't work out."

Redtail breathed out a brief sigh of relief. "Good," he meowed. "You don't have to tell me who, if you don't want to—that's your right—but I'm sorry they weren't right for you." He reached out and touched his nose to Sandstorm's cheek. "I know we've been distant for some time, but it doesn't have to be that way." Redtail's eyes were warm with affection. "Birchfoot and I went along with what's normal for the Clan, but we… we've always felt bad we didn't put in more effort to keep up with you." Redtail brushed his tail against Sandstorm's side. "If you ever need anything… we're here for you."

Sandstorm felt her heart grow warm, and she purred and bumped her head against her father's jaw. "Thank you," she murmured.

"Redtail! Sandstorm!" Tigerstar called. "Hurry up!"

The pair began walking again, and quickened their pace to catch up to Mistyfoot. They were close to the camp now. Sandstorm could smell many cats nearby, and it took her only a moment to spot the camp ahead. The reedbed that had once shielded the RiverClan camp from view had been destroyed in the flood, and it was easy to see the dens and warriors from the side of the river. Shadefang and Minktuft led them into camp.

A few cats lifted their heads curiously as they noticed the patrol, but no one hissed. Many only studied them for a heartbeat before returning to their business.

Seems like they're used to seeing us already, Sandstorm thought. The idea was strange. It wasn't long ago she had been fighting in the skirmish that lost Sunningrocks.

Shadefang darted into a small den for a moment before returning with Leopardstar. The RiverClan leader padded forward slowly and exchanged a short nod with Tigerstar. "Welcome," she meowed. "How is the prey running?"

"As well as it can in this cold," Tigerstar rumbled. "Shall we continue our conversation from yesterday? We still have much to discuss."

"I have made up my mind already," Leopardstar replied. Her eyes seemed strangely dull. Sandstorm remembered the molly as a firebrand of a deputy, harsh of tongue and swift with her claws. "I will agree to your proposal."

A rusty purr escaped Tigerstar's throat. "Excellent. Both our Clans will prosper from this."

Redtail and Mistyfoot exchanged a confused glance. Sandstorm frowned. What proposal?

"I will announce it now, to my Clan," Leopardstar went on. "Then we can tell the other Clans at the Gathering tomorrow. Perhaps it will lead them towards such agreements with us."

"Perhaps," Tigerstar agreed. He sat down and wrapped his thick tail around his paws. He glanced over his shoulder at his warriors. "At ease, ThunderClan," he meowed. "We are guests."

Sandstorm blinked before she slowly followed suit, sitting down quietly. Leopardstar padded away and leaped atop a fallen log. "All cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!"

Sandstorm stiffened as she watched a number of cats pad out from the Warriors Den. She waited, breath caught in her throat, for a glimpse of a bright ginger pelt. She didn't want to see him—or did she? She sank her claws into the sandy earth.

She did not see him.

The RiverClan cats gathered around the log. A few shot confused looks at the ThunderClan warriors. Clearly, they had no idea why the patrol was still here for a RiverClan meeting. Leopardstar sat down and began to speak.

"As you are all aware, Tigerstar and I have been meeting over the last few days to discuss the relationship between our two Clans," she meowed. "Both of us regret the bloodshed and war that has occurred for the last countless seasons over Sunningrocks." She glanced towards Tigerstar and inclined her head slightly, as though inviting him to speak.

Tigerstar cleared his throat. "Although you may know I am leader of ThunderClan now, it may not be clear to you all why I am leader now." His tail thumped on the ground. "As deputy, I served loyally under Thistlestar for seasons. Yet I became disgusted with his actions and behavior." His gaze swept the gathered Clan. RiverClan warriors narrowed their eyes. "I kept my reservations to myself for much time. It is custom in ThunderClan to follow one's leader at any cost, as the code dictates their word is law. But it was when he decided to throw the body of your warrior into the river to be wormfood that I realized he could not go on as leader anymore." Tigerstar paused for a moment. "He turned his own claws against his Clanmates more than once after that. So I did what I had to and helped ThunderClan to rise up and rid ourselves of him."

Whispers flared up in an instant. Cats exchanged startled looks. "You killed your own leader?" some warrior hissed.

"Yes," Tigerstar growled. "He would have driven our cats to war until his last breath." He smoothed his pelt and wrapped his tail over his paws again. "I wish to change the nature of our Clans' relationship for the better. It does us no good to fight petty battles over territory and lose cats when we could find another way."

A RiverClan elder bared his teeth. "What 'other way'?" he demanded. "We will not forget all the harm done to us by ThunderClan!"

"The harm was done under Thistlestar's orders," Tigerstar calmly explained. "I am not Thistlestar."

Leopardstar's tail lashed. "The point is—" she interjected. "From this moment on, any aggression from RiverClan or ThunderClan stops. Neither of us will sanction violence on the other Clan. Furthermore…" She looked hesitant. "We have reached an agreement. Sunningrocks will no longer be disputed territory."

Many RiverClan warriors pricked their ears at that. "Hah!" a warrior laughed. "So the squirrel-chasers have finally given up their claim to it?"

"No," Leopardstar meowed. "We will both give up our claim to it. From this moment on, Sunningrocks will be considered a neutral territory."

Sandstorm's eyes widened as far as they could. What?!

Hisses erupted. "How dare you!" Silverthorn spat.

"Sunningrocks belongs to us!" a tortoiseshell molly yowled. "You can't give it up!"

"Silence!" Leopardstar screeched. Her Clan quieted. "You will hear me on this." Her tail whipped back and forth. "Too many lives have been lost. It has been generations since the flow of the river changed. I believe as strongly as you all that RiverClan's claim to the land is true—but even if Tigerstar today agrees to never fight for it, we can have no guarantee of his successor, or the successor after." She lifted her chin. "So we will stop any future war now by making it a place of peace between our Clans. It has already been done with Fourtrees."

"So what does that mean for us?" Shadefang meowed. "We never go to Sunningrocks?"

"Quite the contrary," Tigerstar replied. "You are welcome to visit it all you like. Hunt, if you wish." He twitched his whiskers. "And my warriors shall do the same. But this time, there will be no fighting. ThunderClan and RiverClan can meet peacefully there. Leopardstar and I believe that with this, we can work on repairing the long-tarnished relationship our Clans have."

"We want friendship between our Clans," Leopardstar meowed. "Battle with ThunderClan has been the source of most of our cats' deaths and wounds. We can put an end to it and bring both our Clans into an age of prosperity."

Sandstorm furrowed her brow. Her mind was reeling from the announcement. A neutral meeting space? Her chest clenched. Fireheart and I could have met there all along without any suspicion. We could have— She shook her head. No! I can't think like that. They're not doing away with any part of the warrior code. We still couldn't have stayed together.

"I understand this will be difficult to get used to," Tigerstar meowed. "But I have no intention of taking Sunningrocks from you. You can still use it freely. ThunderClan will do the same. And when we cross paths, we do not have to fight."

Sandstorm noted with interest that a few cats were nodding in understanding, though many were bristling with indignation. Sandstorm herself wasn't sure how she felt. I can't believe we just give up Sunningrocks forever, she thought. All the cats lost over it… what a waste. Her tail twitched. But maybe if it works we won't have to lose anyone else.

Leopardstar's gaze hardened. "If anyone has concerns, you may bring them to me privately." She lashed her tail and leaped down from the log. "Dismissed."

Tigerstar stood up and shook out his pelt. "Well, a faster visit than I had planned," he meowed. "But we got what I came for." He glanced towards the rest of his patrol. "You may return home."

Mistyfoot blinked. "What about you?"

Tigerstar set his gaze on Leopardstar. "I will stay a while."

I… Sandstorm stared blankly at him. What even is happening? She wasn't sure what to say. Stay and visit?

"Go on," Tigerstar meowed. "I'll return in some time."

Redtail nodded slowly. "Er—yes, sir." He turned towards the exit to the camp. "Mistyfoot, Sandstorm, come on."

Sandstorm followed her father. She cast one more look over her shoulder towards the gathered RiverClan cats. They were muttering among themselves. Her gaze searched them for any flash of bright ginger. There was none. Some of the pressure on her chest eased as she padded out of the camp. Thank StarClan we didn't run into each other, she thought. I… don't know what I would have done. She still felt guilty for leaving him in the way she had—but she wasn't ready to see him.

When they had left earshot of the camp, Mistyfoot narrowed her eyes. "Okay, can we talk about that?" she growled. "That was weird."

Redtail shook his head incredulously. "Never in my days did I think I would hear something like that."

Sandstorm frowned. "I'm not sure it's the most horrible idea I've ever heard," she meowed. "I just don't get why Leopardstar would agree when she has control over Sunningrocks already."

"I was wondering the same," Mistyfoot meowed. "She's never been friendly towards our Clan." She furrowed her brow. "Huh. I've never heard of ThunderClan and RiverClan working together. It just seems… wrong."

Redtail looked uncertain. "I don't think it's wrong, exactly. It's just…" He paused thoughtfully. "It's hard to believe. I can't remember what it was like before Thistlestar became leader. He always chose to fight over negotiation."

Sandstorm nodded wordlessly. I still can't be sure we can trust Tigerstar, she thought. But… I don't know. As weird as it is… maybe it is a good thing to be working with RiverClan.

"To be honest," Mistyfoot meowed, her voice a little cautious. "I wasn't so sure about Tigerstar at first, especially not after the whole coup thing… but maybe he really does want to change ThunderClan for the better."

"Change can be good," Redtail meowed. "I mean, look at it this way—he's won us Sunningrocks without any bloodshed. RiverClan can use it, but so can we." His tail flicked. "I'm willing to see how it plays out. Perhaps ThunderClan will be better off with him."