"Look how I discreetly dig a hole behind me." Sweettooth, together with Shelldawn, was teaching his kits an advanced battle-move, one that Gorseclaw used on a few occasions and was proven very helpful. The kits stared wide-eyed with interest as Sweettooth and Shelldawn exampled the move.

"Now I only need to wait until my opponent leaps at me." Sweettooth meowed, and Shelldawn made a slow leap towards him. Sweettooth moved backwards a cat-length and watched Shelldawn's fore-paws land inside it.

"With my paws inside the hole like this," Shelldawn began explaining the advantages of the move. "I won't be able to attack Sweettooth even if I wanted to. Your opponent's paws might buckle as well and then there's no need to follow up on it."

"Wow that's awesome!" Torrentkit exclaimed and began jumping and pouncing around.

"Won't that leave a lot of sand between my toes?" Silverkit asked with less enthusiasm than her littermate.

"A cat's shoulder could get dislocated too if you pounce on them while their paws are in the hole, couldn't it?" Maplekit asked specifically.

"Yes, that can happen." Sweettooth answered, a bit puzzled by Maplekit's vision, and answered Silverkit's question next. "And don't worry about getting sand between your paws, we'll always be here to help you clean them if you want."

"Let's eat," Shelldawn suggested. "Kits, go fetch us a fish."

As the kits raced to the fresh kill pile, Whiteheart came rushing from one of the camp streams. "Nightstar is coming!" Whiteheart announced to the clan. "She's with Kestrelflight, Applebreeze, Rainkit, Bayblade, and another cat I didn't recognize."

"Thank you Breezeheart," Reedstar thanked the brown-and-white she-cat for her report. "Did she tell you why she's come or who's the cat with her?"

"No," Breezheart answered. "She didn't even wait at the border for a patrol."

"Very well then, we'll just have to wait and see."

Maplekit, Silverkit, and Torrentkit were hurrying back with a large carp they've picked and dropped it at Sweettooth's and Shelldawn's paws.

"What is happening?"

"Is there going to be another battle?"

"Can we fight?"

"Calm down kits," Shelldawn meowed and ran her tail over the kits' backs. "There isn't going to be any battle. Even if there was, you three wouldn't fight. Just wait and hear what Nightstar has to say, Eat now."

The kits began chowing down on their fish while Sweettooth exchanged worried glances with Shelldawn.

After a while, Sweettooth saw eight cats coming through the same stream Breezeheart came through, but only two of them were his clanmates. Blacksky and Splashstripe escorted the group of other cats towards the middle of camp where Reedstar was awaiting them, seeming calm and ready.

"Greetings Nightstar," Reedstar greeted. "What is your business here?"

"Whistleclaw came back from her expedition." Nightstar answered in a cantankerous tone. "We're here to dig up a certain part of your territory and question one of your warriors." Nightstar finished with a quick glance aimed directly at Sweettooth.

"RiverClan has no secrets to hide." Reedstar meowed back. "Shall we go now?"

"No, we're waiting for the other leaders and deputies to show up."

"Why would they show up?"

"Because I sent Heathertail to invite them here."

"You've invited all of the clan leaders and deputies into my territory? What gives you the right?"

"I know how much you like to meddle in every clan's business so I thought you wouldn't mind all of them meddling in yours."

Reedstar only returned a glare in reply.

"You know," Nightstar continued. "Just because Firestar saved you from drowning as a kit doesn't mean you need to act like him."

"Who's this cat with you?" Reedstar changed the subject and pointed with his tail towards the stone-gray tom behind Nightstar. "His pelt reminds me of Stormfur's."

"I'm Feather of Flying Hawk, you can call me Feather," Feather didn't wait for Nightstar to introduce him. "And I am Stormfur's son."

"It's great to see you, Feather." Reedstar greeted the stranger. "How are Stormfur and Brook?"

"They're doing great," Feather answered. "They've retired from their duties and became elders."

"A good rest is always wonderful." Reedstar added. "What brings you here?"

"I've decided to become a clan cat, if a clan would have me."

"RiverClan is glad to accept any kin of Stormfur into the clan."

"Oh, thanks," Feather responded embarrassedly. "But I was thinking of joining ThunderClan. I have more kin there and I've already met Flipclaw and Graystripe."

Reedstar swallowed nothing and remained still and silent, like a rock, until Mothwing approached him with a small chub. "Would you like this chub?" The elder asked Reedstar. "The rest of the leaders should arrive soon."

"Thank you Mothwing." Reedstar awoke from his temporary shock and began eating the chub.

While waiting for the rest of the noted cats to arrive, The yellow tabby WindClan queen was following her kit, rushing towards Sweettooth.

"Hi Sweettooth! Hi Shelldawn!" The brown-and-cream kit chimed, and pointed his muzzle towards Sweettooth's kits. "Are these your kits?"

"Yes," Shelldawn purred. "They are."

"Rainkit," The yellow tabby alerted her kit. "Manners. Hello Shelldawn, hello Sweettooth, Your kits look lovely, how old are they? Four moons old?"

"One moon and a half." Shelldawn answered while puffing her chest, causing a surprised and horrified expression to rise on the yellow tabby's face.

"They look very strong." The WindClan cat shook off her expression. "I know you were already thanked, I just can't thank you enough for taking care of Rainkit when he got lost. But Sweettooth," The queen paused and looked at her paws before continuing. "You must tell me if you've seen Fluttercloud on the day he died."

Sweettooth sat there wondering who's Fluttercloud. "It's Applebreeze's mate," Shelldawn must have sensed Sweettooth's bewilderment, as she whispered in his ear. "He died on the day I was made warrior."

"I'm sorry," Sweettooth answered the yellow queen. "I don't remember seeing any WindClan cat that day."

A sad expression grew in the WindClan cat's gaze. "Applebreeze," A tiny meow came from Rainkit. "May I teach Sweettooth's and Shelldawn's kits chase."

Applebreeze's sad expression faded by hearing her kit. "Of course you may," She meowed. "If Sweettooth and Shelldawn allow."

"Kits," Shelldawn turned to the kits, who were waiting patiently and hiding their excitement. "Go play with Rainkit."

"Yes!" Torrentkit finally showed his excitement. "I'm the fastest!"

"No," Silverkit challenged. "I am the fastest."

"Aren't you going to claim being the fastest?" Rainkit asked Maplekit after the tortoiseshell-and-silver kit did not contest his littermates' boasts.

"I don't need to be the fastest," Maplekit answered. "I'm the strongest."

"Are not!" Silverkit teased.

"Am yes!" Maplekit retorted, and all four kits ran off to play.

"You've just eaten," Shelldawn meowed after them. "Don't play too hard." Shelldawn waited for the kits to begin playing, and turned to Applebreeze and lowered her voice. "Applebreeze, what is the purpose of this meeting?"

"Nightstar forbid me to tell you, I'm sorry." The WindClan queen answered. "Let's talk about the kits instead, yours are very big, was the kitting painful?"

"Very," Shelldawn huffed. "And Willowshine was still sick back then. Thankfully, Sweettooth and Mothwing took her place."

"Oh Sweettooth you were a medicine cat, how was it?" The WindClan queen asked. "Wheatkit and Eaglekit say they want to become medicine cats and I don't know what to tell them, WindClan hasn't had a new medicine cat in seasons now."

"So has RiverClan," Sweettooth replied. "But we think Maplekit wants to be a medicine cat too, they might spend a lot of time together if they all end up being medicine cats."

"Spending time with cats from another clan," Shelldawn meowed thoughtfully. "I can barely think of them leaving camp. The farthest away they have been from the nursery was swimming in the camp streams."

"I didn't have that problem," Applebreeze purred and gazed at her kit. "You've seen how adventurous he can get." Applebreeze's voice saddened. "He reminds me so much of Fluttercloud."

"Rainkit does look like Fluttercloud," Shelldawn agreed. "I remember seeing him in a few gatherings when I was an apprentice."

"I just realized I missed your warrior announcement," The yellow tabby exclaimed. "When were you made a warrior?"

"It was actually the same day Fluttercloud died," Shelldawn answered, looking at her paws. "Sweettooth had a very successful hunt so Reedstar gave Mudstripe and me an earlier warrior ceremony."

"A successful hunt?" Applebreeze nearly whimpered. "The last thing Fluttercloud told me was that I needed to eat more so he was going to hunt."

"He did it for the kits," Shelldawn nudged closer to Applebreeze to comfort her. "He did it for you."