The night that they returned was similar to the night they left. Sure, it was cooler and the river was more sluggish than it had been in greenleaf, but the night was cloudless with the barest hint of a breeze.

"We're almost home." Squirrelpaw broke the silence.

"Yeah." Feathertail looked balefully back the way they'd came. "I wonder how the others are getting on?"

"The forest looked bad when we left. I don't think they'd get on too well..." Squirrelpaw trailed off, suddenly gaining speed. "Let's just go home."

"Agreed." They raced upstream, paws skimming the rocks. Finally, the river narrowed enough to reveal the camp. Sunblaze was on watch, amber eyes skimming the gorge for signs of a threat.

"I could've sworn I smelled..." He broke off. "No. Now I'm acting like Stormfur!" He shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

Feathertail approached hesitantly, directly in his line of sight.

"Who goes... Feathertail? You're back!"

"We are."

"I'll wake Firestar." Within heartbeats he had slipped off into the inky darkness, returning with six figures; two ginger, three gray and one brown.

Firestar and Sandstorm sat by Squirrelpaw, covering her with licks, while Graystripe and Silverstream silently pressed their fur to Feathertail's. Leafpaw inspected her sisters, looking for any wound, while Stormfur looked at Feathertail's tail.

"What happened?" The silence was shattered by Stormfur's question. "To your tail."

"Dear brother, we have quite a few amazing nursery stories from that. My journeymates managed to mangle it pulling me from a fall."

"A fall? You're the most graceful cat I know." Silverstream broke in.

"Well, more of a leap really. We needed to kill a Sharptooth."

"What's a Sharptooth?" Leafpaw asked.

"It's like a member of LionClan that lost their mane, only much less honourable. I dislodged a stalactite from the roof of a cave to impale it. I would have died if not for their timely intervention. The tailtip was a small loss, really."

"What in StarClan's name possessed you to do it?"

"There are not just Clans in the world..."

"So you're telling me that you went to the mountains on your way home but managed to rescue a Tribe on the way?"

"Yes." Squirrelpaw said in answer to her father's question.

"Why did you leave in the first place?" Sandstorm asked.

"Thunderflower sent me a dream. I needed to meet four other cats in the forest at the new moon. Feathertail decided to come with me and once we were there with the four representatives of the other Clans, StarClan sent us a vision. So we went to the Sun-Drown-Place."

"So I guess from the sound of the name it's a place where the sun drowns?"

"It was so much more. There was roaring waves of salty water and endless cliffs. Brambleclaw of SkyClan fell in and Squirrelpaw got it into her head to go after him."

"That was not fun. Especially when we all realised that Midnight was there."

"Midnight is a name?" Graystripe asked.

"The name of a wise and ancient badger. She passed on a message from StarClan, but we were wary at first. Crowpaw was shocked – she was three times his size!"

"Three times your size, too!" Feathertail purred.

"What is the message?" Firestar asked, breaking the jovial mood.

"The Clans must leave their homes. All of them. The four forest Clans have been invaded by Twoleg monsters. They're ripping up the forest as we speak. They managed to destroy Fourtrees." Ignoring the shocked looks of their parents, Squirrelpaw pressed on. "As for the gorge, a powerful enemy is coming that is determined to wipe us from existence. Even if we flee after their arrival, they will follow us and they will destroy the other Clans."

"If it is as you say, we must leave. But I need confirmation first. I would be willing to trust you with my own life, but not my Clan's. Rest in your nests and get some fresh-kill. If StarClan speaks to us, then we will begin preparing to leave."

With that finality, Squirrelpaw chose a lean squirrel from the prey pile, tearing into it as Feathertail took a young perch. Once they were done, bones buried in the dirtplace, Squirrelpaw snuck into her nest, curling her tail over her nose. The Clan's breathing surrounded her, yet it still felt alien to be alone in a nest without at least Brambleclaw nearby.

She was still exhausted, and soon slipped into sleep.

Firestar fell into a meadow in StarClan. Butterflies danced around the waving grasses and the fresh scent of new rain permeated the air. He stood up, chin brushing the grasses, only to meet the eyes of Yellowfang and Snowfur.

"Is it true?" He rasped.

"It unfortunately is. Look here." Snowfur told him, leading him to a small puddle. There, he watched as Leafstar, ragged and thin, curled over the body of a tom-kit.

"This is young Cloudkit. He didn't get enough milk."

"He-" Firestar broke off, green eyes round in shock. He was joined by a young figure, gray and fluffy with wise amber eyes.

"Firestar." Cloudkit regarded him neutrally. "The others will survive. They've always been stronger. But many kits won't if this continues. All of the journeyers are needed to lead the Clans to their new home."

"I understand."

The puddle rippled, leaving a scarred black-and-white tom in its place. He was stewing over information, a wicked smile slowly lighting up his face.

"Some members of StarClan have kept an eye on him. He has just been told of the location of ThunderClan. He will take three quarter-moons to arrive." Yellowfang said.

"Thank you. We will prepare to leave tomorrow."

"That is all we ask." As quick as lightning, the dream faded, leaving him to wake next to Sandstorm and be thankful that all of the cats whom he regarded as his kits were old enough to survive.

He stretched, working out the kinks obtained from thrashing about all night, and leapt down the slope, racing onto the Rockpile.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!"

"Aw, but Brackenfur was going to teach me how to chase off a dog!" Whitepaw complained.

"We'll have time later." Brackenfur said. "Patience is key in a warrior."

Whitepaw nodded. "I'll hold you to that."

The Clan was gathered, with some murmurs from those not in the apprentices' or warriors' den about Feathertail and Squirrelpaw being back.

"Cats of ThunderClan, as you can see, Feathertail and Squirrelpaw have returned. I have spoken with them and StarClan, and they were chosen for a mission to receive word from StarClan. They have come back with the news that we must leave the gorge, else we risk the destruction of not only our Clan but the other four, as well. Even if we try to run, a powerful enemy will find this. StarClan have confirmed this in a dream. We shall leave at sunhigh and meet the other Clans in the forest. All training and patrols are cancelled unless it is to feed the Clan and get our strength up." He padded down to the base of the Rockpile, sitting down and getting ready to weather his Clan's protests.

"Firestar, we can't do this. What about the kits?" Ferncloud protested.

"ThunderClan have travelled with kits and pregnant queens before. Even in their worst state. StarClan willing, we'll do it again."

"Surely we have time to stay longer..." Frostfur began, looking toward the ridge where Lionheart rested.

"They arrive in three quarter-moons. We need to make sure they can't pick up a scent trail."

"What about training?"

"Our apprentices will get hunting practice as they go. Fighting will be done on an as-and-when basis. Warrior ceremonies will be held when we arrive at our new home."

"Get some rest and prey." He finally said, before Sandstorm and Barleypelt beckoned him to join their hunting patrol.

At sunhigh, every cat, from the smallest kit to the oldest elder, left their home in pursuit of a safer one.

Squirrelpaw and Feathertail: Guess who's back, back again?

Sunblaze: Yep, it's them.