It was morning. Longberry always liked mornings, especially in greenleaf. The atmosphere was comfortingly warm yet soothingly cool at the same time. He found it rather pleasant. He didn't quite understand it but it felt nice in his fur. The sun's rays weren't quite as strong as they were at sunhigh but it was still bright enough to fill the forest with a happy, soothing aura.

Even more than the weather, Longberry enjoyed the quiet. Sounds always seemed sharper in the cool air. The world had a tranquility to it before any animals were fully awake. Birds sang and fluttered high in the treetops while prey scuttled around on the ground just waiting to be caught. There weren't many cats out and those who were rarely wanted to penetrate the peace. It was nice.

Unfortunately, today was not a day for a morning stroll through ThunderClan's woodland forests. No, today Longberry was leading a patrol with a mission in mind. He couldn't afford to be idle.

"We're crossing onto SkyClan territory," Longberry informed the patrol padding after him though he was sure the gesture was unnecessary. Any cat who knew how to use his nose could tell when he was passing onto another clan's territory and these cats were the best of the best. He trusted they all knew what they were doing.

Snaketail trailed not far behind Longberry with Patternheart at his side. Longberry was glad to see that the comradery of mentorship was benefiting their relationship. The two were friends but barely. They were civil to each other but too different to get along the way they should. Patternheart was too bubbly, bright, and cheerful while Snaketail could be darker, pessimistic, and sarcastic. Both were outstanding warriors but they just rubbed against each other the wrong way. Perhaps that was for the better. They complemented each other nicely but Longberry didn't think he'd be able to handle them if they got along all the time. They were brilliant cats but combining Snaketail's clever mind with Patternheart's spirit was just asking for trouble.

Behind them padded Patternheart's brother Echopelt, the clans' mediator. Longberry rather liked the spotted tom. He had a level head on his shoulders. He shared his littermates' silliness and he liked stories far more than Longberry thought any cat older than three moons should but he was good at his job. More than good. Longberry doubted any cat understood the way cats thought better than Echopelt. It was thanks to him that the clans remained at peace for so many seasons.

Frostbark, ThunderClan's medicine cat, was deep in conversation with Mintleaf and Larkwhisker but paused briefly as the patrol met the border. Longberry didn't know what to make of Frostbark but he respected her deeply and trusted the clan in her paws. She was an excellent healer and had saved Longberry during his apprentice days one or two times more than the deputy would like to admit. He looked back on those moons with embarrassment. He could be foolish and headstrong at times and if not for Frostbark, his pelt surely would bear a few more scars than it did now. Longberry was confident that other cats in his clan could say the same.

Larkwhisker and Mintleaf were both good warriors and Longberry was pleased that Vinestar had chosen them for this patrol. Larkwhisker was a big cat with a bigger heart but he also had a tongue with sharpness that rivaled that of a cat's claws. Mintleaf was a bit softer than he was but she was still a vicious fighter. If any trouble came his way, Longberry had full faith that those two would run to his aid in a heartbeat.

Mintleaf's son and Frostbark's apprentice Vigilpaw had also joined the patrol. He wasn't exactly Longberry's first pick. He was the youngest of the group and there was a reason the cat wasn't a warrior apprentice. He jumped at every noise and was spooked far too easily, not to mention that he blew any situation way out of proportion which Longberry found bothersome at times, but Longberry was glad that they had another set of healing paws in the group. He also had a good eye for danger and Longberry knew whichever secondary patrol he ended up on was lucky to have him watching their tails.

Surprisingly, he wasn't walking with his mother or his mentor. Instead, he had taken to the flank of Longberry's littermate Rushstalk. Longberry never quite understood Rushstalk and Vigilpaw's relationship but he knew they were good friends. Vigilpaw was quiet and sullen and Rushstalk was… a bit extra in Longberry's opinion. Anxiety and eccentrics didn't mix well but the two toms got along better than either did with most cats.

Overall, Longberry was satisfied with his patrol. He was sure that they were the right cats for the job.

The patrol crossed the SkyClan border without waiting for a border patrol to come by as they usually would. Longberry wasn't about to waste time they didn't have with formalities. They were already welcomed, there was no reason for them to wait.

"Everyone had been on SkyClan territory before?" Longberry asked and got a series of nods and murmurs as an answer. He turned his attention back to the path, glad he didn't have to waste his voice explaining anything to his clanmates.

They reached the SkyClan camp before long and were met with a patrol waiting by the entrance. A quick glance told him that Terrainstar had chosen the cats for this patrol well. Redpath, Archpelt, and Longear were there of course but Newtdusk, Webtail, Mudbush, Lynxclaw, and the medicine cat apprentice Rainpaw joined as well. All strong warriors, Longberry observed. He gave Redpath a nod of approval.

Terrainstar noticed the ThunderClan cats' arrival and padded over with a respectful dip of his head. "Longberry."

"Terrainstar," Longberry responded, matching his gesture.

"I trust you and Redpath to do as you need," Terrainstar told him. "Don't spend too long on ShadowClan territory, you hear? I'll send a patrol after you if you're not back by sundown."

Sundown? That was generous seeing as it wasn't even sunhigh yet. But Longberry didn't find the warning necessary. "That's what the secondary patrols of warriors are for."

"Of course," Terrainstar said, "but ShadowClan's behavior has been most unusual and I'm not going to lose any ThunderClan cats while in an alliance."

Longberry merely dipped his head again. "I understand. Unless you have anything new to tell us, we'll be on our way."

Terrainstar shook his head. "Nothing has changed. Good luck and may StarClan light your path."

Longberry didn't say anything as he turned to Redpath. "Are your cats ready?"

Redpath nodded. "We can divide the second and third patrols while we walk."

The group of cats was large but it didn't slow their progress in the slightest. It was decided that Snaketail's patrol would consist of Vigilpaw, Rushstalk, Newtdusk, Webtail, and Lynxclaw while Archpelt would lead Patternheart, Rainpaw, Larkwhisker, Mintleaf, and Mudbush. A well balanced pair. Longberry was proud that Snaketail and Archpelt sorted it out so easily. Both cats seemed to know their fellow warriors well regardless of clan.

"It's time to split," Redpath announced when the cats reached the ShadowClan border.

Longberry nodded and turned to Snaketail. "Come after us if we don't come back by sunhigh. Or if you hear yowling."

Snaketail made a noise of confirmation. "You're not waiting for a ShadowClan patrol?"

"I doubt they'd choose today of all days to resume marking their borders."

"Good point. Good luck, Longberry."

"Thank you," Longberry said and waved his tail. Echopelt and Frostbark were on either side of him in a heartbeat. "Hopefully we won't need it."

The patrol stayed quiet as they stepped into the new territory. Longberry's paws were starting to get sore after all the walking but he ignored it and kept pushing forward. He had to be on guard. He was far less familiar with ShadowClan territory than ThunderClan, SkyClan, or even WindClan territory, not to mention the terrain was completely different. ShadowClan warriors thrived in the pines and marsh. Longberry would be lying if he said he didn't find anything other than oaks and undergrowth unsettling.

Echopelt and Frostbark seemed to share his unease while Redpath and Longear were less antsy than the ThunderClan cats. They were far from calm but they were appropriately more relaxed. Longberry tried taking a leaf from their figurative tree and took a deep breath, washing away his nerves. He knew he didn't have anything to fear but the unknown. There was no need to be so high strung.

"Do you smell that?" Echopelt spoke up suddenly. His green eyes darted around the forest, nervousness dancing in their dark depths.

Longear nodded. "I thought I was imagining it."

Longberry didn't know what they were talking about. He stopped in his tracks and took a moment to scent the air. What he found made him frown. "That's not right."

"The ShadowClan scent has faded," Redpath stated before curling his lip in distaste and raising his tail, signaling the patrol to stop. "And now there's this strange scent everywhere."

"What do you think it is?" Longberry asked. He lifted his muzzle before lowering it, unable to figure out how to go about identifying the scent. It was everywhere yet impossible to locate at the same time. Longberry resisted the urge to flatten his ears in annoyance.

"Smells kind of like badger?" Frostbark offered. She stopped walking and lowered her nose to sniff a root. "Or maybe fox. I don't know, the scent is kind of dense and it's definitely an animal but I can't tell what."

"It's twolegplace smell," Echopelt said. He wrinkled his nose. "Twolegs have these bins next to their nests where they throw food scraps to rot. Twolegplace cats steal from them and get this scent on their fur."

"But what are twolegplace cats doing on ShadowClan territory?" Redpath murmured aloud, voicing Longberry's thoughts. He lifted his muzzle to continue scenting. "It's not like ShadowClan to welcome strangers to their territory."

"Then they probably weren't welcome," Longberry concluded and resumed walking. "Come on. We're not far from the camp."

ShadowClan's camp was a dip in the earth surrounded by brambles with a lone path leading down to the base. The brambles blocked the view but the twolegplace scent was stronger here, clinging to everything from the earth to the bark on the surrounding trees. Longberry exchanged a concerned glance with Redpath before making his way down the path. What he saw shocked him beyond words.

The camp was filled with cats but none that Longberry recognized. The camp was torn up, pieces of the dens and nests scattered across the camp but cats were still sitting around the debris like they weren't bothered by the mess at all. They didn't notice him at first but one cat looked up at the sound of his pawsteps and gave a yowl of alarm. Almost immediately, the rest of the cats were on their paws, hissing with fury.

Echopelt, Redpath, and Longberry quickly had their claws out but a murmur from the medicine cats reminded them that they were supposed to come in peace. Longberry forced his claws back into their sheaths and swallowed. He cleared his throat, scaring any nervous rumbles from his throat, and addressed the camp.

"I'm Longberry, deputy of ThunderClan," Longberry spoke, voice carrying through the clearing. "We came here in hopes of finding Beanstar but it seems they're not here. Do you have a leader we can speak to?"

"That would be me," a sharp voice said. Longberry turned to see a ginger she-cat with sharp green eyes padding towards him. Her eyes stood out against her pelt and had a similar color to Echopelt's stunning set but unlike the mediator's warm gaze, the she-cat's stare was icy with hostility. Longberry had to resist the urge to shrink away from her. She looked far from friendly. "What do you want?"

Longberry squared his shoulders and met her gaze, suppressing a shiver. "ShadowClan hasn't been refreshing its border markings and its warriors didn't attend the clans' moonly meeting or make any attempt to get to the island. We were reasonably worried and it seems our worry was well placed. What have you done with ShadowClan?"

The she-cat snorted. "There is no ShadowClan. Only the Others."

And then she lunged to rake her claws across Longberry's face.

"Quit pacing, Vigilpaw," Snaketail grunted. He was lounging in a patch of sun along the SkyClan-ShadowClan border, the warmth of the sun's rays soothing his tense muscles. It was relaxing and judging by the way the other warriors lazed around him, it was clear his companions agreed. If only Vigilpaw's footsteps weren't so distracting.

"I'm sorry," Vigilpaw said but it didn't sound like he meant it in the slightest. Still, Vigilpaw sat down, whisking his tail behind him. "I'm just worried, you know? Something's wrong."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Something."

"But what."

"Something. Something is wrong."

"I hate it when you're just vague," Larkwhisker grumbled from where he lay a couple tail lengths from Snaketail and Vigilpaw. He rolled over, looking up at the apprentice. "Aren't you medicine cats supposed to be good at these sorts of things?"

"Something is definitely wrong," Vigilpaw repeated, ignoring Larkwhisker's commentary.

"If you can't put your paw on it, your worry isn't valid," Archpelt grunted without lifting his head. It seemed both patrols were enjoying the unexpected sunning session as much as Snaketail.

"Something's not right," Vigilpaw insisted, lashing his tail.

"Or so you've said," Snaketail sighed and sat up to face the medicine cat apprentice. "Look, Vigilpaw, if-"

"Did you guys hear that?" Patternheart interrupted, sitting up abruptly. His blue eyes locked on the pine forest, shining with worry.

"Hear what?" Webtail asked. He groaned a bit as he sat up and his fur was sticking up in places. He looked far from what a warrior would normally consider presentable but Snaketail had never had any problems with his own fur so he rarely called other cats out for their own fur. Not to mention training a cat with fur as untamable as Wolfpaw's was making him more and more lenient how his views regarding how well a cat was groomed.

"It sounded like Longberry," Patternheart said. He got to his paws, padding a few mouselengths over the border with his ears pricked. "The patrol's in trouble."

"They're too far for you to hear anything," Mintleaf said but she sat up as well.

"You're probably just imagining it," Lynxclaw added.

"Hey, let's hear him out," Rushstalk cooed. He rolled over and lifted his head but didn't rise from his position sprawled out on the forest floor. He blinked tiredly, as if he'd just woken up. Snaketail would've scolded him for falling asleep on a patrol but that would be hypocritical. The entire group had just been sunning. "At least he's got more than the spooky vibes Vigilpaw's going off of."

"They're not 'spooky vibes,'" Vigilpaw grumbled but stayed quiet.

Patternheart's eyes were closed. "I can hear yowling. Can you guys really not hear it? It's so loud."

"I don't hear anything," Archpelt said. "Are you sure it's not the leaves in the breeze?"

"Of course I'm sure it's not the leaves in the breeze!"

"Patternheart's no mousebrain," Snaketail defended. "If he thinks something's wrong, we shouldn't ignore it. Vigilpaw's uneasy too. It would be foolish to ignore our instincts."

Archpelt looked like he wanted to argue but he sighed and gave in. "Fine. We'll move in. How about we split up and move towards the camp from different sides?"

"Good idea," Snaketail told him and waved his tail, drawing his patrol closer. Vigilpaw, Rushstalk, Newtdusk, Webtail, and Lynxclaw were on their paws in a heartbeat. "Come on."

"Be careful," Patternheart called to his clanmates before following Archpelt and the rest of his patrol.

"You too," Snaketail called before crossing the border, not bothering to make sure his patrol did the same. He trusted them to stay close. "Everyone keep your ears pricked. If you hear or smell anything unusual, tell me. Even if it's just a bird, it's better safe than dead."

"Better safe than dead? Isn't that a bit of an extreme take on this?" Webtail questioned.

"We're walking onto another clan's territory," Lynxclaw told him. "We can never be too cautious."

"Words to live by," Vigilpaw said dryly but he didn't sound amused. Closing his mouth, he padded after Snaketail, glancing around nervously.

"Stay close to me, Vigilpaw," Snaketail ordered and Vigilpaw did as he was told without protest. "You still remember your old warrior training?"

"Of course," Vigilpaw told him. "I can fight anything that comes our way. Doesn't mean I won't try to turn tail the second I see another cat though. Fight or flight, am I right or am I right?"

Snaketail purred in amusement. Vigilpaw's instincts lacked reliability but he was more in tune with them than most cats and he always made the right choice. It was a valuable skill to have and Snaketail was glad that he had Vigilpaw at his side. "I expect nothing less from you, Vigilpaw. Keep your eyes on the trees."

Vigilpaw nodded and the patrol began moving deeper into ShadowClan's pine forests. Shadows flickered over them and Snaketail couldn't help but feel comforted by them. Like a TigerClan warrior, he was at home in the darkness. Ironic, considering he enjoyed sunning so much but there was something alluring about slinking through the night that had always captivated him. Snaketail knew Vigilpaw felt the same way. He hadn't been the younger tom's mentor for long before he decided to become a medicine cat but Snaketail recalled how much Vigilpaw had enjoyed their moonlit training sessions. A patrol invading ShadowClan territory wasn't quite the same as that but Snaketail felt an old feeling of thrill curl up in his belly either way. As much as he wanted the clans to remain at peace, all these moons devoid of any conflict made him restless.

As they went deeper into the marsh, a strange, foreign scent filled Snaketail's nose that made him want to hurl. He was never fond of the dampness found in the bog but this wasn't something natural or native to ShadowClan's lands. It was some kind of animal but Snaketail didn't know what it was. The patrol exchanged a few words about it but no one knew what it was and it only got stronger when they neared ShadowClan's camp.

"Do you hear that?" Vigilpaw asked suddenly, jumping as if something startled him. Snaketail was about to berate him but the noise hit his ears a heartbeat later. He stopped in his tracks and pricked his ears, trying to identify the sound but it was too far.

"It sounds like… yowling," Newtdusk spoke. "And hissing?"

"Some cat's fighting," Snaketail realized and broke into a run. "Patternheart was right. Longberry's patrol is in danger!"

The patrol sprinted after him, staying close with Vigilpaw flanking Snaketail. Snaketail spared him a glance for a couple heartbeats and saw fear shining in his violet eyes but he saw something else too. Something only Vigilpaw had. The tom was easily scared but he fought that fear like no cat had ever seen. It seemed that Snaketail's former apprentice hadn't lost that after so many moons in the medicine den.

The strange scent and the howls of battle only grew stronger and louder as the patrol pressed forward. Snaketail saw the other patrol rushing forward almost an instant after Snaketail spotted the brambles that protected ShadowClan's camp. Snaketail's eyes met Archpelt's for a heartbeat before both cats nodded and pushed into the camp. The sight Snaketail was met with made him want to vomit more than the scent that sat in the air.

There were dozens of cats in the camp, probably twice or three times as many as clans normally had, and Snaketail recognized none of them. There wasn't a single ShadowClan pelt among the multitude of others within the camp. Snaketail didn't know what to think of that but he didn't have the time to think about it. Most of the strange cats were sitting around the edges of the camp, yowling bloodthirsty words of encouragement to a number of cats in the middle. Among the cats in the pit was Longberry.

The tom's light grey pelt was stained with blood but he was still on his paws, glaring at a ginger she-cat defiantly. Snaketail could see a black and white tom locked in battle with Redpath a few foxlengths away and Echopelt grappling with an orange tom nearby. He had no idea where the medicine cats were but he wasn't going to waste time looking for them. Not when Longberry needed help.

The cats at the edges suddenly noticed the newcomers and hissed with fury that Snaketail couldn't hope to match. Snaketail knew that a long battle lay ahead of them that the trio of patrols had no hope of winning with these numbers against them but Snaketail would throw himself into the lake and drown himself before he went down without a fight. Forcing his way past the first few cats running at him, he threw himself into the middle of the camp and made a beeline for his deputy.

"Vigilpaw! Look for Longear and Frostbark! Some cat help Echopelt and Redpath!" Snaketail ordered before launching himself at the tabby pinning Longberry. She was a big cat and both Longberry and Snaketail were on the smaller side but Snaketail wasn't thinking about that in the moment. His paws skimmed the earth with each stride, eyes locked on his target like those of a starving mother-wolf chasing a rabbit. In the time it took Snaketail to cross the camp, the she-cat got Longberry under her and was pushing him into the ground, claws buried deep into his shoulders.

Archpelt was barking orders to the remaining cats but Snaketail couldn't hear them over his own blood curdling battlecry. He slammed into the she-cat's back, knocking her cleanly off Longberry and sending both of them tumbling to the ground. He hissed in her face and scored his claws against her newly exposed chest before trying to force his weight down on her shoulders. Snaketail knew he wasn't heavy enough to pin her but if he got her paws down…

Nope. Not happening. The she-cat exploded upward and shoved the smaller tom off him, biting his neck on the process. Snaketail snarled and wrapped his paws around her head, trying to force it away from him. They grappled for a few heartbeats, neither giving in a mouselength.

Out of the corner of his eye, Snaketail saw Patternheart rushing to aid Echopelt and Mudbush of SkyClan run to help his clan's deputy. Both were strong warriors and Snaketail was certain they'd have no trouble defeating their foes, assuming none of the cats hanging around the edges of the camp jumped into help.

But he couldn't focus on that now. Longberry was tearing the tabby off of him and a chunk of Snaketail's fur went with her. Snaketail hissed in pain but was grateful to finally be free of her grip. Longberry threw her harshly, putting some distance between both parties, and bared his teeth.

"Enough of this, Lizard," Longberry growled. "My warriors have arrived. This battle will do no more than spill unnecessary blood. Let's end this."

"We will but not before my cats kill a couple of your precious clanmates." Lizard spat out a mouthful of dark grey fur. Snaketail tried not to wince at the sight of it. He could feel blood oozing down his neck but he hadn't realized that Lizard's hold on him had been so strong. The she-cat's green eyes flickered between the two of them but she didn't look intimidated in the slightest. In fact, she looked excited. The thrill of battle glowed in her eyes. "My cats outnumber yours. There is no way you can win."

Lizard didn't give either tom a chance to reply and she rushed forward, claws unsheathed. Snaketail pressed himself down close to the ground and dodged, weaving around her to attack from the side. Longberry wasn't quick enough and Lizard's sights were set on him but Snaketail wasn't going to let her lay another claw on him if he could help it. He gave a throaty growl and shot up to drag his claws down Lizard's flank, doing his best to dig them into her flesh as deeply as possible without getting stuck. Lizard yowled and Longberry took the opportunity to box her ears and land a few blows on her face.

With Lizard distracted, Snaketail took the chance to jump on her back so he could slash her flank with his hind paws while simultaneously scraping at her traps and biting down on her ears. Lizard yowled at the sudden flurry of attacks and bucked, trying to shake Snaketail off and leaving herself open to Longberry's assault.

After a few heartbeats of clinging on, Snaketail realized that Lizard wasn't yowling in rage or agony. She sounded… He didn't know exactly what but she was far from angry. She seemed to be enjoying this.

"Oh! You're a feisty one aren't you!" Lizard exclaimed before throwing Snaketail off her back. Snaketail landed on the earth with a grunt and a heavy thud that made his shoulder throb. Longberry tried to draw her focus again but Lizard was too much for him. She reared up and furiously swiped at his face and ears before turning and pushing him away with a kick. It only took a few moments and her attention was back on Snaketail by the time he found his bearings. He tried to get back to his paws but Lizard put a paw on his shoulder, pushing him back down. She bared her teeth, thrusting her muzzle into his face. "You fight dirty. I like that. Too bad you're a clan cat. Oh well. You'll be in the stars soon enough."

Snaketail tried to scramble away but Lizard's claws found his tail and he hissed in pain. "Back off, fox dung."

"Ooh. Your tongue is almost as sharp as your claws," Lizard purred. Snaketail narrowed his eyes and hissed. He was going to make her regret toying with a ThunderClan warrior. He reached out with one paw and flicked it against the ground, sending dirt into his foe's eyes. Lizard stumbled back and hissed as she was sprayed with earth. Claws left his shoulder and tail and Snaketail could stand again. He knew he should take advantage of Lizard's momentary vulnerability and get in a few more hits but he turned away from her and ran to his friend's side.

"Are you okay?" Snaketail asked, finally able to survey the damages on Longberry's pelt. He was dotted with several bleeding wounds but to Snaketail's relief, none of them looked too permanent. He had a few claw marks that narrowly missed his eyes and his chest was heaving but he otherwise looked better than Snaketail could've hoped considering how long he'd been fighting.

"I'm fine," Longberry said. He spat on the ground, cherry red blood splattering onto the earth. He was breathing hard and he looked like he just wanted to lie down and take a nap but he lifted his head and turned to Snaketail without his usual bravado. Snaketail saw a rare glint of uncertainty in his eyes. "I don't think we can win this."

"Me neither," Snaketail told him, turning back to Lizard who was pawing at her eyes and trying to blink the sand out of them. "If we die, it was an honor fighting by your side. If I die and you make it out, find a good mentor for Wolfpaw and let Patternheart know I don't hate his puns as much as I pretend. Oh, tell Vigilpaw that he's a little furball but he's my little furball."

Longberry let out a broken purr. "Will do. Shall we?"

Snaketail responded with a yowl and threw himself at Lizard. She still had dirt in her eyes but she seemed prepared for the attack and blocked his blow. She reared up onto her hind paws, towering over him, and crashed down on him. Snaketail's vision was blocked by a ginger belly but he didn't let that stop him. Blood was roaring in his ears and vicious fighting spirit raged through his body. He wasn't going down anytime soon.

He struggled free from Lizard's grip as Longberry reared up to match Lizard's height. The two clashed, swiping at each other's faces and blowing each other's blows with their forepaws. Snaketail ducked his head and headbutted Lizard, ramming his head into her soft underbelly and knocking her off her hindpaws. She twisted as she fell, managing to catch herself but she couldn't move fast enough to avoid getting landed on by Longberry. Snaketail and Longberry switched their earlier roles. Longberry was on Lizard's back, backwards but still holding on, while Snaketail was slashing furiously at her face.

Lizard turned her head with perfect timing to avoid the worst of it. She threw all her weight to one side, knocking Longberry off faster than she had when Snaketail was on her back and kicked him hard before attacking Snaketail aggressively with both forepaws. Snaketail didn't have time to raise his own paws to block the assault and was forced back, turning his head as sharp bolts of pain littered themselves across his face. He squeezed his eyes shut and not a heartbeat later he felt a loose claw rake itself over his eyelid. His breaths were short and his mind wasn't fully processing what was happening to him but if it was, he would've let out a breath of relief. He was lucky he wasn't blinded by that last hit. He'd probably end up with scars on one side of his face but at least he wasn't down for the count quite yet.

Snaketail was on the ground, gasping, by the time that the onslaught ended. He ducked his head, expecting to be struck again, but the final blow never came. He risked opening his uninjured eye and saw Lizard standing over him, a satisfied look on her face. Snaketail, despite all the fear nestled around his heart, scowled. "What? Finish it!"

"Clearly you haven't seen much battle if you think it takes that little to kill a cat," Lizard snorted. "No, I think I'll keep out around a bit longer."

Snaketail's chest was rising and falling rapidly. Each breath was a struggle. He wasn't sure if it was from injury or just plain exhaustion. He opened his mouth to question Lizard's words when a yowl cut through the camp and all the sounds of battle died.

Snaketail's heart nearly stopped when he realized who had yowled. Panic seized him for a heartbeat and he jumped to his paws, eyes frantically searching the masses of cats for Vigilpaw. In the back of his mind, he knew that the yowl wasn't one of pain so his former apprentice was probably fine but he wasn't exactly thinking clearly right now. All he knew was that Vigilpaw needed help.

His eyes found the grey tom by what had once been ShadowClan's elder's den. He was standing and seemingly fine, bearing no signs of injury or unsteadiness. Confusion flooded Snaktail's mind, unable to identify what was wrong. Then he saw it.

Tufts of white fur were littered on the ground. Damp red stains made it almost unrecognizable. It took longer than it should have for Snaketail to figure out who the pelt belonged to. "Frostbark!"

If he could, Snaketail would have run across the clearing to check on her but he couldn't barge past Lizard and judging by Vigilpaw's grief stricken yowl, it was too late. Snaketail could do nothing more than blink in shock and try to keep the grief welling up in his throat from spilling out.

The cats in the camp were quiet now that the fighting had stopped. A layer of numbness washed over the cats but it could've just been Snaketail projecting his own feelings. His mind whirled and his eyes were wide and lost. Stumbling, he took a step back and looked around. He regretted it almost immediately.

While he had been among the cats in the middle of the pit, his clanmates and allies were fighting the bystanders and it seemed those cats were just as vicious as the three in the middle. Echopelt, Snaketail, Redpath, Mudbush, Longberry, and Patternheart were all battered, bleeding, bruised, and breathing hard from their fights in the heart of the camp but their clanmates looked worse. Rushstalk had a nasty gash on his flank and both ears were bleeding heavily, Lynxclaw's tail was missing several patches of fur and blood stained her muzzle, Rainpaw was barely standing, and Vigilpaw's paws were coated in blood and he had claw marks on his face but that wasn't even the worst of it.

Four bodies were scattered across the clearing. Snaketail wanted to close his eyes and pretend he never saw them but he owed it to his companions to stay strong and refuse to turn away. Larkwhisker, Mintleaf, Newtdusk, and Webtail lay as still as stone on the damp, blood stained earth. The cats standing over them shuffled back, flinching at the shellshocked aura that always came with the sudden decline of battle.

Snaketail found it in him to pad forward. Lizard didn't stop him, letting him go to his nearest fallen clanmate's side. It was Larkwhisker. Snaketail closed his eyes and touched his fur with one paw hesitantly. He didn't stir. Snaketail put a bit more energy into the motion. Larkwhisker's body jostled but he didn't open his eyes or curl away.

Snaketail squeezed his eyes shut and buried muzzle into the tom's dark fur. A choked sob escaped his lips and he sank into the ground, shaking. Normally, he wouldn't allow himself to show this kind of weakness around other cats, clanmates or otherwise, but he didn't care about keeping up his usual facade right now. Three of his clanmates plus two of his friends were dead and he couldn't do anything but give into his emotions.

Snaketail felt a tail tip on his shoulder. He didn't need to look up to see it was Longberry but he did anyway. Like many things he did today, he regretted it. He'd never seen such an expression on the stoic deputy's face.

"He had so much to live for," Longberry whispered and Snaketail felt a thousand times worse. He looked back at Larkwhsiper with a jerky motion and did nothing as guilt bubbled up from his belly. Larkwhisker's kits were coming soon. How could Snaketail forget? He remembered how excited Larkwhisker was when he told him that his mate, Dottail, was finally expecting kits. He'd been looking forward to being a father for so long and now he wouldn't have the chance to see his kits be born or watch them grow up.

Snaketail numbly got to his paws and glanced across the clearing. Mintleaf's white fur looked so wrong with pawfuls of blood splattered across it. Snaketail felt his throat close up. He remembered when he'd found out he was going to be training Vigilpaw and the former queen padded up to him and told him to be the best mentor her son could hope for in the most intimidating tone Snaketail ever heard. He was a young warrior at the time and Snaketail had been so surprised that he'd been able to do little more than stutter and nod. Mintleaf's boldness never failed to amaze him and now he was never going to hear her chastise him like a kit until he too joined StarClan.

It was ironic that she'd died on ShadowClan territory. Fondly, he remembered that Mintleaf enjoyed eating frogs. Strange for a ThunderClan cat but Mintleaf didn't care. Just last moon, Snaketail had seen a frog by the river that flowed through ThunderClan territory while on a hunting patrol. He'd pointed it out to Mintleaf's mate Leafwillow and the tom had fallen into the river trying to catch it for her. Snaketail and Leafwillow had a good laugh out of that one. Would he ever hear Leafwillow laugh now that his love was gone? Snaketail wasn't sure if he wanted to find out.

His gaze shifted back to Frostbark. Vigilpaw was so occupied with sobbing into his mentor's shoulder that Snaketail doubted that he'd even seen that his mother had died as well. Snaketail wanted nothing more than to steel himself and provide Vigilpaw with a shoulder to lean on but he was too numb to collect his thoughts enough to even have a hope of doing so. All he could do was stare at Frostbark's limp form and think about how much Vinestar would miss her. He could picture his leader's broken expression when he learned that his longtime friend had died. Snaketail didn't know if he could bear seeing his leader looking so devastated.

Snaketail's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a cat clearing their throat. "Well, I think you've learned your lesson, now haven't you?"

Grief was pushed aside as rage erupted from his belly and rose into his throat. Snaketail whipped around with a new fervor, yellow eyes locking with Lizard's green ones. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a new fire sparking to life deep inside him.

"Lesson? You call the deaths of my clanmates a lesson?" he shouted, voice breaking. Longberry's tail found its way back to his shoulder and the deputy murmured Snaketail's name in his ear but his friend's efforts did little to nothing to calm him down. "We came here in peace and you killed them!"

"We did," Lizard said without a care in the world. "What's your point?"

Snaketail snarled and lunged but Longberry caught him by the scruff and pulled him back before he could make it more than a few mouselengths forward. "The fighting's stopped. Be calm or we'll just end up fighting again."

"I don't care," Snaketail hissed back. "Let me go."

Longberry looked at him sternly. "Do you want more cats to die? Who would be next? Redpath? Mudbush? Maybe me or Rushstalk? Or perhaps Patternheart? What about Vigilpaw? Do you want to carry the responsibility of his death?"

Snaketail shut his mouth. No. No, he didn't. He didn't want that. He wanted anything but that.

Lizard purred. "That's what I thought. Well, I've got to say you warriors are good fighters but not good enough. I'll let you leave and run off back to your clans to report to your little leaders what happened here today. I look forward to not seeing you in the future."

"We still don't know who you are," Echopelt spoke up. He sounded as tired as he looked. Echopelt was no warrior and he'd been fighting as long as Longberry and Redpath. A new respect for the mediator wormed its way into Snaketail's heart. He never knew he could fight as well as he could talk. "What should we tell them?"

"You want a message?" Lizard questioned. She sat down and snorted. "That's not my style. I'm not going to talk to some go-between."

"Then come to next moon's Gathering," Longberry pleaded. Snaketail looked at him in shock. He was doing this now? After their clanmates just died?

Lizard looked at him thoughtfully. Snaketail suddenly realized she was the leader here. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed that before. She glanced over to the black and white tom who had been fighting Redpath. "Cat, what do you think?"

Cat? What kind of name was that? If Snaketail was feeling like his usual snarky self, he would have a laugh and a half at that one. Now wasn't the time though so he kept his mouth shut.

"It wouldn't hurt," the cat called Cat said with a shrug. "It would let the other groups around the lake know who we are."

Lizard hummed. "Orange?"

"I agree," the cat who had been fighting Echopelt and Patternheart answered. His face was leaking blood but he grinned in spite of it, flashing his sharp, white fangs. "It'd be a drag to explain everything to these ones. Let's go straight to the top."

Lizard seemed satisfied. "Very well, clan cats. We'll come to your little meeting next moon. Now get off my territory before I change my mind."

Snaketail nodded and reached down to grab Larkwhisker's scruff. His body hadn't begun hardening yet so he thought he might be able to get him out of the camp before he had to shift his body onto his and Longberry's shoulders. Or at least he would have had the chance to try to if he wasn't so rudely interrupted.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cat demanded.

"Um, taking my clanmate's body?" Snaketail swallowed at the final word. It hurt to say it.

"I don't think so."

"What?"

"You heard him," Orange spoke up. He shook out his pelt and sat down, looking at Snaketail with challenge in his gaze. "Leave them."

Snaketail opened his mouth to argue but Longberry shouldered him roughly and hissed in his ear. "I don't like this any more than you do but we've got to get out of here."

As much as he wanted to disagree, Snaketail found himself nodding. Longberry was right. The longer they stayed here, the less likely these cats were going to let them leave. Not to mention that carrying bodies out would severely slow them down. They needed to leave as quickly as possible.

Snaketail shot one last regretful look at Larkwhisker and padded across the camp to Vigilpaw's side. "Come on. We're leaving."

"I can't leave her," Vigilpaw whispered, eyes wide and locked on Frostbark's body. "She was my mentor."

"I know," Snaketail said softly, "but she wouldn't want you to die because you couldn't leave her. Come on, Vigilpaw. We need to get away from this place."

Numbly, Vigilpaw nodded and let Snaketail lead him away. Snaketail ducked his head, avoiding any of the twolegplace cats' gazes, and drew his tail around himself and Vigilpaw. Without so much as a breath from any cat, the clan cats padded out of the camp and back into the pine forest.