[[ I've had this draft of DaN sitting for like, two years now. Thought with all the people visiting from my updates of HallowedClan shorts (which you should totally check out; they are MUCH better quality than this old and dated fic) that yall deserved a little present too.

Also like, HOW did I write chapters that were 700-900 words? This is 2k and it still feels like two short scenes ;-;

I know the tone is slightly off from the rest. It's been the better part of six years since I've really written from Moss's perspective and my style has changed a lot since then! I do enjoy her snark, but I need to get back into the swing of it with a fresh piece. Maybe chapter 20 will be more like the old snarky Moss we all know and love (; ]]

I dropped the sparrow I had caught by the entrance to camp. Since we had so many more cats to feed, we had decided to hunt outside of ThunderClan's usual territory. The going was slow -both due to our unfamiliarity of the area and our extra vigilance for dangers- but fortunately we hadn't encountered anything worse than week-old fox droppings.

While we were out, I wanted to stay away from the crowded camp as long as possible but at the same time I hadn't wanted to miss Pinestar and Scorchstar's return from the RiverClan parley. The mixed sense of urgency and reluctance wore on me even more than the constant threat of danger. At least I could dig my claws into a fox.

I edged around the center of camp to a patch of sun beside the elders' log. On a normal day it was a hotspot for any cat to relax and gossip. Now only the elders and a few senior warriors from each Clan shared in its warmth. I guessed that the casual mixing of the two groups was still uncomfortable with most of the others if the conversation I walked in on that morning was any indication. The older warriors stuck to the edges, but the elders mingled freely in the center of the warmth.

"'Ay, Mossclaw. Yer back late, everyone's be back for ages. Where'd ya go off ta, daisy pickin'?"

I waved a greeting to Barknose and picked my way to an open patch of sun near the old tom. A rugged tortoiseshell she-cat I didn't recognize was beside him stretched on her side, her tail flicked comfortably over Barknose's back. "We hunted outside the borders today."

Barknose snorted and kicked his companion with a paw. "Ya hear that? When we'd be just apprentices me 'n Snow'd go all the way past that ol' shack near ShadowClan, remember? With tha' ol' grouchy tomcat who'd scrape out yer eyes before he'd give ya the time o' day. Unless you'd give 'im some catnip. Then he'd be harmless as a little butterfly he was."

"Yes, yes, you and your little Snowpetal never ceased to cause a ruckus. A tiny thing she was, yet absolutely fearless." The she-cat's voice was like nothing I had ever heard. She hung onto her words, drawing out the vowels and rounding the harsh edges in a musical manner.

"Aye, she burned bright and fast that one did," Barknose said with a smile. "Ah, where'd me manners? Mossclaw, this'll be Dapplesong. Ya perhaps haven't met, she don't get out much these days." He leaned closer to me and continued in a stage whisper, "but she be all over back when we be small. A wild one." He winked as Dapplesong's tail tapped against his back, one paw possessively placed on his side.

I dipped my head towards the ShadowClan elder. "Nice to meet you, Dapplesong. You have a beautiful voice."

"That's where she gets 'er name. Rowanstar'd be completely stunned by 'er. Along with everyone else she be meetin'" Dapplesong purred but gave no other reply.

"Did I miss Scorchstar?" I asked Barknose.

The old tomcat shook his head. "Thought that'd be them'uns when yur huntin' party got back here."

We had crossed much farther than the ShadowClan border with the hunting patrol, and had to teach the two ShadowClan warriors how to not be eaten by rosebushes. A chill rushed through me. "I should probably find Birchcloud. Or Dustwind," I said, more to myself than the other two. I nodded again to Dapplesong as I stood, making my way to the highledge. The clearing was full of cats, but my glare cleared the way and I didn't need to resort to pushing my way through the growing crowd.

The senior warriors stood at the base of the stone wall between the medicine cat's den and highledge. Birchcloud was at their head: the she-cat wasn't large, but she commanded much of the space. Dustwind and Spiderfall were also present, along with Rosebreeze. Ferretmask sat beside Birchcloud, while two other ShadowClan cats stood close to him. I recognized the older calico she-cat as Dawnmist, a senior warrior around Rosebreeze's age. There was also a younger grey tomcat I didn't know, but that shared Acornbee's distinctive white-blue eyes as he turned his head towards me.

I didn't bother waiting to catch Birchcloud's attention. I walked up to the circle, inserting myself between the ShadowClan tom and Spiderfall. "They wouldn't want us to interrupt the parley," Birchcloud said firmly.

"We should have sent at least a couple warriors for protection," Dustwind argued.

"Or at least had someone ready to take messages back to the Clan," Rosebreeze added.

Dawnmist nodded, her glare split between the two deputies. "These scheming RiverClan foxdung warriors killed Appleberry, they don't give two mouse tails about peace or the warrior code." Her lip curled in a snarl as she focused on Ferretmask, who was doing his best to watch the dirt between his paws. The ShadowClan deputy seemed content to defer to Birchcloud's judgement on the matter.

"And that's why we must trust in our leaders. RiverClan may take a patrol of warriors as a sign of aggression, a trap, anything, and use that as a reason to break this fragile truce. We would be putting them in further danger, not helping."

"There is no truce," Dawnmist curled her claws into the dirt, her snarl venomous. "We are far past peaceful parley, and RiverClan's actions speak louder than any snake-tongued words they'll use as an excuse. We should be setting a trap, not waiting patiently at the border pitifully mewling like kits."

"No," I said. Birchcloud's eyes flashed. I got the feeling that if I hadn't taken her side, she would have called out my intrusion to this argument, and even now I was on thin ice. Tread carefully. I paused, testing the reaction of the group, who had all turned their eyes on me.

"You are both in the right. I agree, sending a patrol would only harm any communication they managed with RiverClan. But I worry for our leaders. Scorchstar is a capable warrior, but even he could not win against the combined might of a Clan." Birchcloud leaned forward to interject but I flicked my ears and continued on, looking the white deputy in the eye with a wry smile. "We all know Scorchstar would never flee if he thought there was even a chance, however slim, that he could talk Shimmerstar down."

Birchcloud simmered but sat back down, curling her tail across her paws. "Two warriors," I put out a paw into the circle, curling my claws into the dirt. "I'll take Heronfoot with me. And Gorsefox can shadow us in the treetops, in case something goes wrong."

"I should be the one-" "I'm going," Dustwind and Spiderfall said at the same time. The two toms shared a glance.

"I'm the best fighter we have, if a fight breaks out, I'm the best shot at getting Scorchstar out alive." I paused, looking over the group, allowing time for any of them to challenge me. Rosebreeze met my eyes and gave a small smile. I dipped my head. "And Heronfoot because of his parentage. It's likely Reedblaze will be there, and it can't hurt to remind him that while we may have different allegiances, all the Clans share blood. I think they'll be less likely to lash out at their deputy's only son. Gorsefox is good at climbing and level headed to boot. If any cat has a chance at getting away without being seen, it's him." I turned towards the two toms. "And ThunderClan needs you both here. If none of us make it back, it'll be one of you that becomes deputy," I said bluntly. "And with a statement like that, it will truly be war."

Birchcloud's glare was piercing, but I met it without looking away. I could see that the other ThunderClan warriors agreed and Ferretmask had finally brought his eyes up from his paws. Even Dawnmist looked somewhat appeased, no longer leaning into the circle with bared fangs. I knew at this point, my plan would go through, but it would be easiest if I convinced Birchcloud as well. It was several long moments as she looked around the circle, coming to the same conclusion I had. Finally she gave a sharp nod. "Be patient, be careful; I hope to all of StarClan that everyone comes home safely tonight."

"Heronfoot was my mentor, he'll keep me in line," I joked. Birchcloud shook her head, but didn't comment as she gestured to Ferretmask, Dustwind and Spiderfall, who followed the ThunderClan deputy as they retreated closer to the highledge.

Rosebreeze tapped Dawnmist with her tail, startling the other she-cat. "They'll be fine," the ThunderClan warrior offered. Dawnmist smiled stiffly, her claws still dug deep into the earth as if the calico she-cat was holding herself still only by force of will.

The smaller grey ShadowClan tom turned his large, pale eyes towards me and I had to hold myself under his gaze. "Thank you," he said, like an afterthought. I nodded, backing away as my fur prickled annoyingly at my shoulders. Creepy. I had to shake off the feeling when I turned back into the thick crowd of gathered cats, searching for Heronfoot and Gorsefox in the press. Finally, we had a plan of action and something to dig my claws into.

Or not, but a cat could hope, right?

[[ R/R! I'm sorry for all the followers that still use those emails getting this random notif of a two-year-break fic, I hope if you got to the end that it was at least nostalgic as it was for me writing it! Again, shamelessly advertising my newest one-shot book of HallowedClan you should go there next 333 ]]