The night watches were getting tiresome at this point, Bluefur reflected as she trotted toward the camp. As much as she joked about it with Lionheart and Rosetail, with the amount of vigils she was being assigned she wondered if it truly was Thistlestar's plan to get her too exhausted to object to his decisions.

But for the first time in several days, she was not keeping watch, and would get a good night of sleep. Bluefur was looking forward to it. While cats who kept watch were reasonably expected to nap the next day, she couldn't help but think that Thistlestar was using it to make her look like she was lazing about the camp much of the time. Thankfully though, if that was his aim it hadn't worked. No cat ever objected to her napping- it was widely known that she had taken many night watch shifts recently.

Dusk was falling as Bluefur carried her cache- two rabbits, a squirrel, and a vole- into camp. She had hunted most of the day, and knew her Clanmates would be pleased by the amount of prey she had managed to bring home. On the way through the gorse tunnel, she nearly collided with a smaller cat, and skidded to a halt.

"Sandpaw," Bluefur meowed.

"Yes, Bluefur?" Bluefur narrowed her eyes at the young she-cat's innocent expression. "Fine." Tail drooping, Sandpaw began to trudge back to the apprentices' den, not even bothering to make an excuse.

Bluefur sighed. She really needed to have a word with Stoneclaw. Sandpaw hadn't tried to sneak out since Bluefur had confronted her, but that apparently was not going to stop her from going out without telling other cats during the evening.

She couldn't help but wonder whether Sandpaw would have been like this if she'd had denmates. Bluefur recalled Robinwing's and Willowpelt's deaths with a pang in her chest. If the two she-cats had lived, Sandpaw would have had denmates. It must be boring being the only apprentice in the Clan, and part of Bluefur felt sorry for her. It was too late for another hunt, but perhaps… "Wait, Sandpaw." Dropping her cache on the fresh-kill pile, Bluefur padded over to the apprentice. "Has Stoneclaw decided on your lesson tomorrow?"

Sandpaw's ears perked up. "He's going to teach me the bird hunting crouch."

"Then let's get a head start. I'll show you."

Sandpaw looked up, shock apparent in her gleaming green eyes. "Really?"

"Don't make me change my mind and send you back to your den," Bluefur purred, amused by Sandpaw's surprise. The apprentice was looking at Bluefur as though she had grown wings; Bluefur knew she had a reputation of being the stern senior warrior amongst the younger cats. "Crouch down like this." Bluefur flattened herself to the ground and lowered her tail.

Twisting her ears, Sandpaw copied her.

"Keep your tail low," Bluefur instructed, waiting for Sandpaw to make the adjustment before continuing. "Now stalk forward like this." Keeping light on her paws, Bluefur trotted a few paces.

Sandpaw crept forward, her tail-tip twitching.

"A bit faster. Be sure to keep your tail low, but also use it for balance." Sandpaw quickened her stride. "Excellent. Start again over there."

Keeping her ears pricked for anything out of the ordinary, Bluefur watched as Sandpaw made a few laps around the small part of the clearing, giving the young she-cat tips here and there. It was Longtail's night to keep watch, and as the stars blinked to life he padded past the impromptu training session with a bewildered glance.

After a while Bluefur had seen enough. "Well done. Stoneclaw will be pleased."

Sandpaw let out a mrrow of laughter. "He's going to be so confused when I get it on my first try."

"He is." Bluefur purred, imagining Stoneclaw's surprise. She might ask him how his apprentice's training went tomorrow to see his reaction. "Now, I've let you stay up late enough. It's time for you to go to sleep."

"Can't I practice more?" Sandpaw pleaded. "Just a few laps?"

Bluefur let a stern finality creep into her voice. "You will have plenty of time in the morning."

"Just once more?"

Bluefur jerked her head around, instantly alert. Thrumming pawsteps were coming from the camp entrance. She tensed and raised her head to let out an alarm call before she recognized the cat as one of her Clanmates who had taken the night patrol along the ShadowClan border.

Brindleface exploded into the camp, letting out an alarm cry so loud that Bluefur wouldn't have been surprised if it could be heard all the way to Snakerocks.

"ShadowClan are attacking!" Brindleface bounded through the camp, straight to the Highrock. "They're trying to take the territory by the Thunderpath back!" She paused to catch her breath. "Frostfur is injured. She needs help!"

Cats were beginning to make their way out of their dens at the commotion. Spottedleaf caught Bluefur's gaze as she slipped to the front of the crowd, and Bluefur remembered her ominous prediction of war. Is this it?

Tail bristling and head held high, Thistlestar emerged from his den and strode over to Brindleface. The cats gathered around the two, looking up at Thistlestar expectantly. "Stoneclaw, Mousefur, Darkstripe, Tigerclaw, join me!" Thistlestar made the announcement with practiced ease, and he began to lead the patrol out of camp.

"Wait, Frostfur needs a medicine cat!" Brindleface yowled. Bluefur had never seen the pale she-cat in such a panic.

"Fine. You." Thistlestar jerked his ears at Spottedleaf. "Come with us."

Spottedleaf took a step forward, defiance in her eyes. "You don't need to order me to heal my Clanmates; I would have come whether you'd told me to or not." She ducked back inside the medicine den and emerged with a bundle of herbs a heartbeat later. "Show me where."

Brindleface raced out of the camp, Spottedleaf close behind with the leaf wrap in her jaws. The battle patrol shot out of the camp right after them, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.

Bluefur felt a prickle of worry. This situation was relatively common by now, but that didn't mean any cat was used to it. Most of the Clan would stay up in silent vigil. Already Runningwind and Mistyfur had taken up spots near the gorse tunnel- they would be the first to see the returning patrol. Sandpaw crouched a few tail-lengths off; in this case, no cat would order her to her den for the night.

Bluefur's pelt prickled. She wouldn't be there to help this time, and like the rest of her Clanmates, all she could do was worry and wait.

"It's about time something happened." Lionheart, who had settled himself next to Bluefur, raised his nose.

Bluefur nodded. "We should have predicted this. Mosstail and Darkstripe scented ShadowClan over the border two days ago." She glanced around at her Clanmates. Runningwind was kneading his paws against the ground, while Dappletail and Rosetail were unusually quiet as they sat by the elders' den. "I just hope they return soon. Stoneclaw cut his paw pad on a thorn yesterday, and now he has to battle with an injury. I wish Thistlestar chose a different cat…"

"Stoneclaw will be fine," Lionheart meowed. "He has fought with injuries before- every cat has. Remember, he was my apprentice. He will know how to handle himself." Bluefur recognized that Lionheart knew as much as she did about how the battle would turn out, but she appreciated his words. He was reminding her that Stoneclaw wasn't a new warrior, he was an experienced fighter that had participated in many skirmishes before this one.

Bluefur purred her thanks. The camp was quiet for a long while, and she passed the time watching the moon inch along the cloudless sky.

The wait was agonizing. Hopefully Frostfur is alright. Bluefur winced at the thought of her former apprentice being injured. She hoped Spottedleaf had reached her by now.

"Do you hear that?" Longtail suddenly leaped to his paws. Runningwind jolted out of his reverie; he had been splitting a blade of grass with a claw.

"Are they back?" Sandpaw raced to the entrance hoping to greet her mother, Bluefur guessed, but Mistyfur stopped her with her tail.

Bluefur joined the rest of her Clanmates and stared at the gorse tunnel. The patrol was back... and was that blood? Stiffening in alarm, Bluefur took in what she was seeing. Cats began to enter the camp. Thistlestar came first, a few claw shaped scratches on his side, but otherwise no worse for wear; Frostfur hobbled in next, her side swathed in cobwebs as she leaned against Brindleface; then Tigerclaw, who turned his head to mew for his Clanmates to follow, revealing a small but deep gash in his muzzle; Mousefur and Darkstripe followed close behind him.

Where was Stoneclaw? Bluefur bristled, but her alarm lasted less than a heartbeat; Stoneclaw's blue-gray pelt appeared through the gaps in the brambles. He was clearly upright, but then she noticed that his head was low to the ground.

Bluefur's dismay returned as Stoneclaw entered the camp. Her son was dragging a cat.

No! The scene didn't seem real at first, it was too dreadful, too horrible. The cat Stoneclaw was carrying… was Spottedleaf.

Terrified wails spiraled up into the sky as Stoneclaw dragged the pretty tortoiseshell's body to the center of the camp.

"They've killed Spottedleaf!"

"How will we survive without a medicine cat?!"

"StarClan have mercy on us!"

Bounding up the side of the Highrock, Thistlestar raised his head. "Silence! All of you!" The caterwauling died down. "Spottedleaf should not have died. This is a terrible blow, but as always we will survive! We are ThunderClan!"

"StarClan must be angry with us to take our medicine cat away," Mosstail muttered.

"Are you saying that I've led you wrong?" Thistlestar snarled down at her. After Mosstail didn't answer, Thistlestar continued. "StarClan did not do this. The blame lies with ShadowClan; they are the ones who invaded and stole our territory!"

Bluefur reflected that ShadowClan had only tried to take back the territory ThunderClan had taken from them, but she kept silent. It had been against the warrior code for them to kill a medicine cat. This was a grave injustice; Spottedleaf had not deserved to die. Bluefur could not believe this was happening. She had spoken to the medicine cat only days before, and now she was dead. Angry murmurs spread out across the camp.

"Wait a moment… we lost the territory by the Thunderpath?" Longtail sounded stunned.

Tigerclaw snorted. "For now. Obviously, we will not allow ShadowClan to keep it." Bluefur's belly clenched. The ThunderClan medicine cat had just died; lost territory should not be a top priority.

Thistlestar's voice was a low growl. "Yes, Tigerclaw, we most certainly will not take this lying down. In time, ShadowClan will regret it..." he trailed off, tail lashing, and began to pace at the top of the Highrock. "At the next Gathering, I will demand they return the territory they stole, and if they refuse, we will show them that ThunderClan is the greatest Clan in the forest, with or without a medicine cat!"

Yowls of support echoed through the clearing, although they were less enthusiastic than seasons past.