Newleaf slowly turned to greenleaf. There had been little trespassing on ThunderClan's borders for a few days, and no Clan had made it deep into ThunderClan territory since the attack in which Whitestorm died. Few cats had fallen in battle recently, but the fighting was still fierce as ever and there were many close calls. Mousefur was sleeping in the medicine den as a result of ShadowClan's most recent border raid.

Is this a lull? Bluefur wondered. It was strange to her, and also a bit unnerving. Hostilities had been ramping up, cats were expecting a major battle, and then... nothing. Thistlestar had cut back on attacks on other Clans' camps, deciding to focus on border raids instead. There was still plenty of fighting, of course; Bluefur bent to lick a cut on her foreleg, the mark of a ShadowClan apprentice's teeth. She had sent the young tom off with a single, well-aimed claw swipe; she doubted he would have been so lucky if he had faced another warrior.

The camp was guarded every night by two warriors: one at the main entrance, while the other patrolled the camp boundary. Bluefur guessed that it was only a matter of time before RiverClan or ShadowClan attacked the camp again and Thistlestar wanted to be prepared. For now though, Bluefur reflected as she sat vigil by the gorse tunnel, all was quiet.

Then the sound of pawsteps hit Bluefur's ears. Stiffening, she whipped around.

She needn't have worried- it was Spottedleaf. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," the pretty medicine cat meowed.

"It's alright," Bluefur replied, letting her bristling fur falling flat. Noting the tortoiseshell's ruffled fur, she gave her a questioning glance. "Can't sleep?"

"Not as much lately." The pretty tortoiseshell softly padded up and sat down. "How has it been?"

Bluefur flicked her tail. "Quiet night so far."

Spottedleaf nodded. "Many nights have been quiet recently. Perhaps ShadowClan and RiverClan have tired attacking us."

"Perhaps." Bluefur studied the medicine cat; the she-cat sat silently, her tail curled around her paws. She looked almost serene, and it made Bluefur hopeful. Even in such trying times every cat could count on Spottedleaf to remain calm and composed. "Has StarClan spoken to you?"

"Not recently." Spottedleaf raised her head and looked up at the stars. "I often search the skies for signs- but there are none. I do know one thing," she went on, meeting Bluefur's eyes. "There will be a war. I don't need a sign from StarClan to know that."

"What do you mean?" Bluefur asked, her fur prickling. She knew other cats were growing concerned, but she hadn't thought any cats aside from herself, much less the Clan's medicine cat, were predicting such a dark future for ThunderClan.

"Last leaf-fall was not the last time our camp will be invaded. Perhaps not right this moment, but ThunderClan is in danger. Many cats will be injured in the coming seasons." Shaking her head, Spottedleaf's amber eyes clouded with anxiety. "When that happens, I pray that I will be able to save them."

Bluefur watched her for a long moment. "You are a gifted medicine cat, Spottedleaf. You will find a way."

Tonight it was clear overhead, but dark gray clouds raced across the sky in the distance. A slow rumble of thunder echoed faintly.

Turning her head from her vigil, Bluefur caught sight of Rosetail; the ginger tailed she-cat had a warm look in her eyes.

"Night watch again?" Rosetail meowed.

Bluefur nodded, beckoning Rosetail to sit down with a wave of her tail.

"I'm glad you're up," Rosetail meowed. "I was hoping to speak to you before the ceremony."

"Ceremony?" Bluefur echoed.

Rosetail took a deep breath. "I've decided to retire."

Bluefur blinked in astonishment, unable to believe what she'd just heard. "What? You're not that old!"

Purring, Rosetail pressed against her. "Face it, Bluefur. We are both old. I do admit I could last a few moons longer as a warrior if I had to, but it's time."

"I didn't know your injury bothered you so much." Bluefur glanced down at the scar on Rosetail's leg. She had thought it had healed, but apparently it was still causing her trouble. Bluefur felt a prickle of guilt; she would never have insisted on such long patrols when Rosetail joined her if she had known.

"My leg has been hurting recently, but it's not just that." Rosetail sighed. "You're different from me, Bluefur. Being a warrior is your life- the hunting, the patrolling- it's like breathing to you. It was never like that for me."

Bluefur was stunned. How could Rosetail not like her warrior duties?

Rosetail seemed to catch on to Bluefur's trail of thought. "I love being a warrior, don't get me wrong, but it's not all there is to life," she went on. "It will be a burden off my shoulders to retire to the elders' den. I look forward to getting some rest after spending my life serving my Clan."

Bluefur stared at her friend, still in shock over the she-cat's decision. Finally, after a long moment, Bluefur rested her muzzle on Rosetail's head. "The Clan will be thankful."

"It will be fantastic. Instead of getting up for the dawn patrol I will sleep in and get taken care of by the young cats." Rosetail twitched her ears. "I can't wait for you to join me."

"You're going to be waiting quite a few seasons," Bluefur warned her.

Rosetail purred. "That's true. I know you, Bluefur. You will have to be dragged kicking and yowling into the elders' den when your time comes."

"I sometimes get the feeling that Thistlestar wants to force me to retire to get me to stop complaining at senior warrior meetings."

"Thistlestar would never do that," Rosetail scoffed.

"I'm not so sure," Bluefur meowed, whiskers twitching in amusement. "The Clan wouldn't like it, but if he could get around the backlash…"

Purring, Rosetail shook her head. A flash of lightning lit up the distant sky, but the storm was so far away it took several heartbeats before the faint growl of thunder arrived.

A deep voice rumbled in Bluefur's ears. "Keeping watch again? This is the third time in the last quarter moon."

"Lionheart." Bluefur touched noses with the golden tabby tom. "I wasn't aware you were keeping track."

"I take it you didn't volunteer."

Bluefur shook her head. "Thistlestar keeps choosing me. I think his plan is to get me too tired to criticize his leadership decisions."

Letting out an amused purr, Lionheart limped over and settled himself next to Bluefur. The deep gash on his shoulder had healed long ago, though he carried a long scar that was devoid of fur. "Rosetail's retirement ceremony was well done."

"Yes, it was," Bluefur agreed. "Is she settling in?"

"Rosetail is a welcome addition to the elders' den, if a talkative one."

Bluefur purred. "She deserves it. She served the Clan well."

Letting out a tiny sigh, Lionheart shook his head. "I can hardly believe cats our age are starting to retire."

"Not quite. I'm older than Rosetail," Bluefur pointed out.

"By two moons." Lionheart purred, shaking out his fur. "It seems like yesterday we were apprentices training together, and look at us now. I'm an elder and you're a senior warrior."

Bluefur gave Lionheart a long glance. She had never gotten over the fact that he had joined the elders so young, and now he had reached the age when cats were retiring. "Do you miss being a warrior?"

Lionheart looked thoughtful for a long moment before he answered. "I think I will always miss it, even if I were to live long enough to become the oldest cat in the forest."

They sat in a companionable silence that was only broken by normal sounds of the night: chirping crickets, branches bending in gusts of breeze, the tiny pawsteps of distant prey animals. All was peaceful.

"You must be tired," Lionheart meowed abruptly. "And I know you have the dawn patrol tomorrow as well. I could keep watch for the rest of your shift."

"It's fine, Lionheart." Bluefur wondered if her fatigue was that obvious. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

"It's truly fine. I would like to do this," Lionheart meowed.

"Are you certain?" Bluefur twitched her ears. She knew Lionheart wasn't going to let up, and she had been looking forward to a chance to nap since moonhigh. In the off chance that enemies invaded, Lionheart was clearly alert and awake enough to give the Clan an advance warning.

"I may not be able to patrol or hunt, but I can still keep watch. My hearing is just fine, and I can raise an alarm as well as any cat." He nudged Bluefur affectionately. "Go on. Get some rest."

Bluefur allowed the tension she had been holding in her shoulders to fall away. She did need sleep, and everything Lionheart said was true. "Thank you," Bluefur mewed, brushing past him as she padded away.

The moon was rising once again when Bluefur thought she heard a noise. It was coming from within the camp, so she wasn't too concerned, and when she turned her head she was glad to see a familiar face.

"Hello, Frostfur," Bluefur greeted her.

"Hello, Bluefur." She arched her back in a long stretch. "I'm here for my shift."

"Wait just one moment. We hardly talk these days." Bluefur beckoned the white she-cat with a flick of her tail. "How is my former apprentice doing?"

Frostfur took a spot next to her. "Well enough," she meowed. "Brindleface and I got in some tree hunting today. We snuck up on a flock of pigeons- managed to catch almost a dozen."

"I saw those on the fresh-kill pile. That must have been some skilled hunting."

"Nothing like the old 'climb-and-sneak' technique." Frostfur narrowed her eyes mischievously.

Bluefur purred, recalling her time as Frostfur's mentor. "I remember teaching you that. You were a natural." She wasn't exaggerating; Frostfur truly was a skilled hunter, and she had to be to sneak up on prey in green-leaf with white fur.

"You trained me well." Frostfur twitched her ears.

They sat in silence. Bluefur swiveled her ears toward the forest, and as usual, all she could hear were tree branches swaying in the wind. She looked up; wispy clouds scudded across the sky, unaware of the turmoil in the forest below.

Quiet pawsteps approached, but Bluefur was unconcerned. It was Runningwind, the other warrior keeping watch tonight. The swift tabby came into view, twisting his ears and pausing every few steps to peer into the forest. When he reached her, Bluefur dipped her head. Runningwind nodded in return, and then went on to circle the camp once more.

It was quiet again when Frostfur turned. "Have you heard the news?"

Bluefur tilted her head, uncertain what Frostfur was getting at. Had she somehow missed a Clan meeting?

"Now that Rosetail is an elder she can devote her whole day to gossip," Frostfur explained. "She saw me speaking to Runningwind, Lionheart, and Darkstripe in passing yesterday."

"And?" Bluefur still didn't know where Frostfur could be going with this.

"Didn't Rosetail tell you? I am apparently asking toms to father a litter of kits."

Bluefur narrowed her eyes; from Frostfur's tone, she seemed a little too insistent that it was meaningless gossip. "I don't want to pry, but… are you?"

Frostfur was silent. She studied her paws for a long heartbeat, then raised her dark blue eyes to Bluefur's. "I considered it," she mewed quietly. "But now is not the time for kits."

Bluefur murmured agreement.

"I do know ThunderClan needs kits," Frostfur went on. "Brindleface was going to have a second litter too, but Redtail…" She trailed off, sighing. "What kind of forest would I be bringing them into? I can't raise a litter of kits if I have to worry if the camp will be attacked or losing our territory to enemies. In a few seasons, hopefully the fighting will have died down. Then I'll have them."

"Sandpaw, you should be asleep."

The sky was clear tonight, and the nearly full moon covered the camp in a silver glow. The clearing had been empty… until Sandpaw had tried to slip out through the gorse tunnel.

"I'm going hunting," Sandpaw meowed. Cats let her get away with too much, Bluefur thought to herself; with so few young cats, Sandpaw was the kit of the Clan.

The young she-cat tried to squeeze around Bluefur, who held out her tail to stop her. "Did you tell one of the warriors where you were going?" she asked sternly.

"I'm telling you," Sandpaw meowed hopefully, tilting her head.

"And I am telling you no."

Sandpaw's face held a look of shock. "But I'll be hunting for the Clan-"

"The forest is much too dangerous for a lone apprentice at the moment," Bluefur replied. "You have only been training for a few moons."

Sandpaw's eyes flashed with outrage. "I'm not some useless kit- I can fight!"

"A whole patrol of enemy warriors?" Bluefur narrowed her eyes.

"As if a warrior could fight off a whole patrol either," Sandpaw muttered.

"Do you think I'm sitting vigil for the fun of it? RiverClan and ShadowClan might attack at any time." The pale ginger apprentice grumbled something under her breath, but Bluefur silenced her with a glare. "Sandpaw, you have yet to see battle, but if you had you'd know many warriors have no reservations about attacking a young apprentice. Now, move along. Go back to your den."

"I'd have been fine," Sandpaw grumbled. "Besides, cats are saying there are less attacks on ThunderClan territory than last moon." Bluefur frowned; that was true, though not by much, and it was because Thistlestar had ordered raids on the other Clans, putting them on the defensive. Bluefur was thankful in a way; though she hated these needless fights, it kept the other Clans from thinking ThunderClan was weak. And if they believed ThunderClan to be weak, it would only be a small jump to attack the ThunderClan camp, which was left woefully underpopulated much of the time with cats having to patrol so often.

"It is only a matter of time before RiverClan or ShadowClan cross our borders again," Bluefur meowed.

"Then we should send more patrols and make them stay away," Sandpaw meowed. "I can't wait until I get picked to go on a border raid." Sandpaw pounced and began to swat at imaginary enemies. Bluefur blinked; she knew the time Thistlestar would begin sending Sandpaw into battle wasn't far off.

Sighing, Bluefur closed her eyes; in truth she wasn't that angry, just tired. She motioned with her tail for Sandpaw to sit down. "The answer to everything is not always to fight."

"Stoneclaw always says that." Taking a spot by the bramble covered entrance, Sandpaw wrinkled her nose. "But what else can we do?"

Bluefur wasn't sure what she could say. All Sandpaw knew was fighting; though the young she-cat had been to Gatherings she had never seen the Clan leaders speaking to each other in times of peace. She had only seen them threatening each other over territory.

"Everything," Bluefur meowed after a moment of thought. "Warriors only fight when they need to, and they only kill when there is no other way. If every cat ignored the warrior code, what would happen then? We would be nothing but rogues without it."

Bluefur shut her eyes, wishing with all her heart that Sandpaw could understand that the problems ThunderClan faced now were not caused by following the warrior code- if anything they were caused by not following it. While warriors were supposed to defend their Clan, they were not meant to invade other territories and kill cats from the other Clans.

"I suppose that makes sense," Sandpaw meowed with a shrug.

Bluefur watched the apprentice carefully. Perhaps not now, but one day she would truly get what Bluefur was trying to say. "Now, I do believe you were headed somewhere."

Sandpaw sighed. "Fine. I'll go back to my den." She began to trudge back into camp. "Good night."

"Good night, Sandpaw."

Bluefur turned back toward the forest. The moon was rising and the sky was clear, and she could only hope that ThunderClan's future turned out as bright as the stars above. Yet as much as she wanted to believe it, she couldn't help but think that day by day, moment by moment, the time to change ThunderClan's path was running out. Or perhaps it had already, and the time to save her Clan had passed... she just hadn't realized it yet.

Thanks so much for all your reviews!

I'm surprised at myself. This ended up a very peaceful chapter. Don't worry, it won't last... (maybe you should worry, haha) The original series timeline has fully arrived now, so drama is going to pick up in the coming chapters.