CHAPTER TWO

Yowls of rage flowed from all Clans, the hollow in an uproar, especially from WindClan and ShadowClan sides.

Eclipsestar just stood, his eyes cold as Graystar glared at him and lashed her tail in anger and defiance. "Clans, listen!" the ShadowClan leader yowled. He turned to the other cats. "ShadowClan is starving! Why let WindClan's few kits have the prey when our kits are thriving, as well as our whole Clan! This is the first time that we have had only one elder! The cats are happy, well-fed, and WindClan haven't been attacked in a long time."

"That is because we are too weak after your Clan stealing our prey!" Graystar spat, yowls of approval rising from her Clan. Her claws unsheathed and it looked like she was about to attack.

A growl erupted from Eclipsestar's throat, but Cinderstar, silent up until this point, pushed her way in between the small WindClan leader and huge, muscular ShadowClan leader.

"Eclipsestar, Graystar, we must stop this now!" she meowed calmly. Eclipsestar narrowed his eyes and Cinderstar continued. "We have to just let this pass until we can do something about it." She whipped around to Eclipsestar. "Why have ShadowClan had a need for WindClan prey?"

"Because the eagles are fit fighters and take our prey faster than we can," he admitted in a growling voice. "WindClan had plenty of prey. Why let us starve when they have hardly any cats?"

"We have hardly any cats because of you!" Graystar hissed. "ShadowClan steal our prey, and threaten to attack if one of our patrols find them!"

Cinderstar frowned and another cat stepped from the shadows of the Great Rock. The gray cat's black tail tip twitched uneasily and his black ears laid back slightly.

"ShadowClan, ThunderClan have decided that if your warriors do not stop hunting in WindClan's territory by the next moon, we will stop you with WindClan," he meowed in a level voice.

Eclipsestar's jaw almost fell as he stared at the ThunderClan leader.

But the gray and black tom continued.

"Cinderstar," he meowed to her, "your Clan is welcome to help us. It would be most appreciated." His eyes flashed. "ThunderClan have helped WindClan before, long ago, when Firestar was leader. I don't plan to stop ThunderClan's help here." Yowls of defiant approval echoed around the valley from all of the ThunderClan warriors.

Cinderstar waited for a second, then dipped her head. "I will redeem RiverClan's never helping WindClan," she meowed. She turned to Eclipsestar, who stared at the cats, astonished. "Eclipsestar, you do only have this moon. If WindClan come back to the next Gathering and tell us that ShadowClan have been stealing prey, no matter your prey shortage, then RiverClan will help ThunderClan and WindClan attack."

She flicked her tail. "RiverClan, let's go," she meowed as the moon began to be shrouded in clouds.

The RiverClanners leapt to their paws and padded forward to their leader. Emberclaw moved forward the fastest, catching up with Cinderstar.

"We're really going to help attack?" the tom questioned, tail flicking.

Cinderstar kept her quick pace and her eyes on the ground. "It depends on what the other cats say," she meowed. "If there is too much controversy with the issue, then I will turn down the offer to ThunderClan, though I don't think that will happen. If I have few cats raise an issue, then we will attack." She glanced to her deputy. "D-do you agree, though, Emberclaw?" she asked, voice trembling slightly.

The tom waited for a moment, then answered. "I think you're doing the right thing. If we are to sit at home while ThunderClan risk their lives and we are safe within our camp walls, then all three Clans may be against us, ShadowClan for telling them we'd attack, ThunderClan for not coming, and WindClan for not helping," he meowed slowly. "Yes, you're doing the right thing."

"Thank you," Cinderstar meowed, relieved, to her deputy. She sighed. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Emberclaw."

Emberclaw smiled. "I just want to be loyal to you and my Clan," he meowed with a purr.

"You've always done just that," Cinderstar meowed to her deputy.

Meh, no reviews... Aw... Well, please review the next chapter! Thanks!

Stormeh