"Hey! No fair, Silvermist! Shimmerkit is playing unfair again!"

Darkkit rolled away from his larger sibling just as the small silvery gray she-cat was thrown away from the reddish brown tabby she-cat. Darkkit lashed his tail as his eyes narrowed, as he prepared to leap. "It's not playing unfair, she's just far nimbler than your heavy bum!" he growled, pouncing to push against Rosekit's side.

Their mother sat a few steps back, her eyes glimmering as she watched them play. Their father lying down beside her as the massive reddish brown tabby tom looked over his shoulder, ears perked as he listened. He growled something under his breath before charging through the bush.

Silvermist jumped to her paws just as the tom took off out of the clearing, Darkkit sat there confused as she snatched him and his siblings and started carrying them in the opposite direction. His paws flailing at his father as he disappeared further out of sight, a chorus of yips echoing through the clearing as they ran further and further away from the origin; fear stricken Darkkit froze in his mother's jaws.

A large shape burst through the bushes beside him, blood blinding Darkkit as he was thrown far from his mother and siblings. As he shook his head he could see Silvermist pinned by a large creature, blood pouring from her side as she struggled to fight it.

Darkkit charged forward, throwing his paws out in front of him with claws extended; catching onto fur as he swiped and slashed at the creature's head, a snarl roaring out of his throat as he tried to push it back.

But all it took was a shake of the head, and Darkkit was sent flying down to Shimmerkit and Rosekit's side. Stumbling to his paws as their mother looked into their eyes, a new wound on her head pouring out blood. "Run!"

Darkkit didn't need to be told twice; he turned tail and raced as far as he could. Rosekit slowing down to look behind them, as Darkkit did the same he saw Shimmerkit was still frozen in place.

After a short while she was rushing to both kit's sides. "Shimmerkit, what's going on?!" asked Darkkit.

Before the silvery gray she-cat could answer, more of those creatures caught up with them. Darkkit was dragged far away from his sisters, as Shimmerkit was hanging from one of their jaws.

Darkkit wriggled and struggled under this creature, but it was too strong for him to take on. Red and black fur flying everywhere as he was thrashed around like a piece of prey in kits' paws, Darkkit yowling out…

"Shimmerkit, Rosekit! Help me!"

Blood flying through the air with a flash of gray, as Darkkit was sent falling back to the ground. Before he was caught in a second pair of teeth, ones that were gentler than the fox's… but they still hit the ground hard. Darkkit looked up into the face of a large black tom with white slashes across the paws, as he charged towards the fox with a great amount of strength.

…

Shade's eyes shot open as his breathing steadied, his hackles settling down slowly as he slowly regained himself once more. Raising himself back up onto his paws as he looked at his sleeping community that was laid out in the alley before him and his fear settled into a feeling of security and peace once more.

As he raised himself back up to full height, he slipped down into the clearing and looked around the sleeping cats. His fur bushing out slightly as he walked among all the cats, and dipping his head to nudge one of their shoulders as the cat steadily blinked open her eyes she raised herself up to full height. "What is it?"

"Get everyone up, we are leaving now!"

Jaypaw watched Shimmerpaw and Moonpaw disappear out of earshot, as he turned his head back to Raggedpaw who seemed to be in a daze as Ebonypaw nuzzled his head. "I'll see you as soon as I can!"

Raggedpaw purred as they separated.

"So…?"

"Hm?"

Jaypaw rolled his eyes, before he took a deep breath. "You promised you would give me advice, on how to talk to Shimmerpaw better? Remember?"

Raggedpaw was snapped back to reality in an instant. "Sorry, that's right… uhm, oh yeah!" he meowed as he leaned into Jaypaw's ear. "now remember that not all she-cat's are this way, but don't try and rush things… a patient tom is desirable from what I have seen."

"Right."

"Show interests in anything she does, even the little things… this will show your interest in the same things; be flexible and kind tom will be a dream!"

"That's how things went with you and Ebonypaw?"

"Well, we had a rocky start, but after a while sure, but back onto the topic at hand… try not to butt too much into her life though, space is liked with she-cat's… although in Ebonypaw's case she likes to invade mine." The tom purred as he meowed.

"Okay."

"And if you play your cards right, you might as well call yourself a lucky tom." Raggedpaw meowed, as he turned to look ahead of him. "We better get back to our clans now, but there's my best advice for you."

Jaypaw dipped his head as he turned. "Thank you, I might take up on your advice when I get the chance." He meowed, before he took off back towards the MoorClan den. Slipping in silently as he curled back up in his nest

"Everyone up, we have to get going as soon as possible!"

Jaypaw jumped to his paws, as he could see the impatient MountainClan leader sitting down in the center of the clearing. Larry was slipping out of his solitary den out of sight as he entered the center of the alley where everyone else was assembling together, Jaypaw dipping his head as he eyed the tom that remained silent as he arrived at Molestar's side; soon followed by Maplestar, Shadowstar, and Swiftstar.

Larry adjusted his position as he sat up straight. "We don't have that too far left to go, but I do not know what could now be living in that path since the last time I've been down that way." He meowed, his gaze flicking between the four clan leaders.

Maplestar nodded her head, while Molestar had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Any concerns left, please voice them now."

Molestar was the first to answer. "You said you haven't been down that way, how do we know that this Promised Land is still there? And how do we know that the cat, Slash; hasn't moved his borders for sure?"

Larry dipped his head and he nodded. "Understandable, if I am wrong and the territories are gone… you have a reason to claw out my throat… and I know Slash wouldn't move his borders, he never had a reason to! The area he has taken over is rich with prey for all seasons; it was a great home for me to live in before he took it from me."

"And are there any of his cats we should be wary of?"

"Well… there is his loyal mate, Cinders… she's a vicious and cruel second in command. And then there's Slash's most loyal cat, a kit by the name of darkness… was it? I can't remember." He meowed.

Jaypaw narrowed his eyes as he, looked over at his clan leader who raised an eyebrow at this… but didn't say a word.

"Then we better get going back on the mission at hand, but anything is on you if it goes horribly aria!" Molestar growled.

Larry dipped his head in understanding. "I promise you, I would not lie without reason."