"Prey!" Smokepaw of ShadowClan perked up, paws eagerly twitching toward the barn. "Is it safe, Ravenflight?" He asked.

"Yes, go ahead. We won't be able to stay there without attracting the mice's notice, but there's an abandoned nest here that should suit us well." Firestar took charge of ThunderClan at his pause.

"Alright, I want the apprentices and their mentors as well as Sandstorm, Sorreltail, Whitestorm and Ravenflight to hunt. Remember to feed kits, queens and elders first, no matter the Clan. Stormfur, Snowtalon, Doeflower and Branchcall, you'll guard the entrance and keep watch for Twolegs. The rest of you can get some rest; I'll join the hunting patrol." With a flick of his tail, he dismissed the patrols; cats scattered to and fro. Blackstar, Tallstar, Crookedstar and Leafstar soon did the same, sending cats to hunt, guard or rest.

"Is Snowtalon deaf?" Leafstar asked Firestar as he found himself nearby. "He's not been reacting to the hubbub."

"He is, but he makes up for that with his keen eyesight and smell. It's good to have him in a patrol – he's about on par with Cloudtail for tracking, and Cloudtail is definitely one of our best." He sprang, coming up with a mouse in his jaws. He placed it near a haystack and started tasting the air to find another.

On the opposite side of the barn, Squirrelpaw was having a friendly competition with Brambleclaw. Together, they swept through the barn, catching any mouse in their path. Suddenly, Squirrelpaw emerged from a leap, beaming triumphantly through the mouse in her jaws. "Ten mice! I win!"

"Dang, I'd just spied one!" Brambleclaw hissed, before catching said mouse. "Well hunted!"

"You weren't too shabby yourself. It was close, that one."

"Shall we take our haul over?"

"Of course."

Together, they made their way out of the barn, carrying the fat mice. They dropped four at Ferncloud's paws, moving on to Tallpoppy, the ShadowClan queen. They circuited around the elders and queens and found that they had two mice left at the end. They retreated to a corner of the barn with their prize.

"StarClan, I could eat a monster right now!" Brambleclaw murmured, before tucking in with gusto alongside Squirrelpaw. The rest of the patrols trickled in, distributing their mice amongst the warriors, medicine cats and apprentices when it was confirmed that yes, the elders and queens had had their fill.

"That was the best meal the queens have had in ages." Leopardfur announced. "It won't do as well as fish, but a starving cat doesn't choose their prey. How are you faring, Crookedstar?"

Crookedstar didn't reply.

"Crookedstar?" Said leader lifted his head a fraction, eyes clouded, as though he was seeing something that wasn't there.

Silverstream raced over, swiftly followed by Feathertail and Stormfur.

"Father?" She asked. Crookedstar gave her a small grin.

"StarClan are calling me. I'm just glad I got to see you... one more time." Crookedstar slumped to the hard floor of the nest, flank still. Silverstream yowled in grief, pressing her nose into his fur, while Feathertail and Stormfur moved to be by her side, swiftly followed by Graystripe.

"Leopardfur." Mothwing called her leader, gesturing her with a flick of her tail. "We must go to the Moonstone to receive your lives." Numbly, Leopardfur got up, moving towards the exit on shaking paws.

Mistyfoot took charge of the mingled RiverClan cats. "We will hold a vigil for Crookedstar here. In the morning, the elders who are strong enough will bury him just outside the barn. Much as I hate to say this, the Twolegs will most likely disrupt anywhere else."

In pairs and threes, RiverClan came up to share tongues with their leader one last time.

"Should we even leave?" One cat muttered.

The cry was taken up by others.

"There's plenty of prey here!" Tallpoppy yowled.

"Will StarClan be able to make the journey with us?" Onewhisker fretted.

"Generations of cats have lived here. What says we were meant to go far?" Shrewtooth asked.

The murmurs grew louder and louder, until one voice rang above all.

"That's a mouse-brained idea!" Ravenflight screeched. "There may be plenty of prey now, but if we keep hunting like this, there won't be enough mice left to create the next generation of mice! And StarClan themselves have said that it must change. They would have sent a sign if the Clans had been meant to live here. ThunderClan's ancestors went with them when they had to go to the gorge. StarClan will be able to do the same. And anyway, there are Twolegs here."

This last part sent the Clans into horrified silence.

"Twolegs used to come once every morning or so to take some of the hay. When it was just me, they didn't mind. They liked that I got rid of the mice. But we'd all get in their way, or at least give them suspicions. And you've seen what happens when cats get in the way of the Twolegs." A shudder raked down his spine.

His indignation spent, Ravenflight lay back down next to Barleypelt, ramming his mating wreath onto his head to try and soothe himself.

The crowd of cats murmured together before going back to resting. Squirrelpaw took advantage of the organised chaos to curl into Brambleclaw's side. Brambleclaw just tucked his tail around her, swiftly falling asleep as well.

"I have to ask, Firestar, what is that you're wearing?" Swiftpaw had approached him where he was sharing tongues with Sandstorm.

"A promise wreath. It's become something of a custom in this Clan. You make one for your mate, and they make one for you, then the leader or medicine cat will perform a short ceremony."

"Sandstorm?" Swiftpaw asked.

Firestar nodded, before responding in kind. "Finchpaw?"

"She's Finchfur now. And I'm Swiftstrike."

"The name suits you."

"Thanks."

"How is everyone? Apart from the obvious, I mean."

"Before the Twolegs, we were ticking along quite nicely, although Longtail did get blinded."

"Blinded? How?" Firestar's fur bristled. Longtail would never be a friend of his, but he wouldn't wish that on any Clan member.

"He managed to go after a rabbit that was both aggressive and had infected claws. Caught him by surprise."

"That's unfortunate. Perhaps Brightheart could work on some moves with him."

"What moves?" Longtail had come up behind him. "I can't see, but I can hear better than before."

"Brightheart was half-blinded by a dog and she and her mate came up with some moves that adapted to the eye. We've started work on fighting with other handicaps, though one-eye fighting and fighting deaf are by far the most developed."

"Would you really do that?" His tone dripped hope.

"Of course. No cat deserves to be forced out of commission for an accident."

He quickly beckoned Brightheart and Cloudtail over, informing them of the situation in hushed voices and leaving them to discuss logistics with Longtail.

"Alright." Longtail said at last. "I've waited this long, I can wait until we're somewhere better."

With that matter sorted, the Clans curled up to sleep, full-fed for the first time in a moon.

Clan cats: We should stay here.

Ravenflight: *unleashes squeaky-voiced anger*

Clan Cats: Nevermind.