Wow, that took a while, didn't it? Man. That's sad. Sorry, people. Here's chapter fifteen.

Chapter Fifteen

We were almost there. The five of us – all four apprentices and one warrior/leader – had finally made it out of that swamp and were on ThunderClan territory.

"There's always a chance that Wolfstar won't believe you," I told Reefpaw and Diamondpaw. "You'll have to be prepared for that."

"He'll listen to me," meowed the silver tom who was Reefpaw's brother. "I'm his apprentice. He knows I don't lie."

Dartpaw shivered. "I can't believe Pantherclaw actually killed a Clan member," he meowed. For once, the dark gray tom actually seemed sincere. "I always thought he was a good, loyal warrior."

The trees washed around us. I was relieved to be in the safety of the forest and prayed that Dragonheart was all right. I remembered what had happened the last time a cat had been injured like that – Mistypaw, or, rather, Mistycloud, had died. But at least their medicine cat had told me that she'd be fine. I felt a lurch of fear. What if the camp was being attacked while I had gone to LionClan territory?

"Come on, let's hurry," I told the apprentices, quickening my pace. I had become almost as loyal to TigerClan as I had been to ThunderClan as a warrior. I hoped that, when I returned, I'd still be as loyal as I ever was.

We pushed through the familiar gorse tunnel and were surprised to see that the camp was completely empty. No cats were sleeping in their dens, nor were they leaving for patrols. I blinked, wondering where they had gone.

"What happened?" gasped Crystalpaw. "Where did they go?"

"Maybe the threat of LeopardClan grew more severe," suggested Diamondpaw sensibly. "Wolfstar probably made them leave to avoid a terrible battle."

"We'll track them," I told the apprentices. "Come on."

I stalked outside the camp again, sniffing the air. There were so many scents of cats that it was hard to pinpoint a direction, but at last I decided that they had gone toward the area where Twolegplace would be built.

"This way!" I called to the young cats, flicking my tail. They followed me without question. We trotted around wall of the entire camp. I was sure they had gone this way. As we clampered up a steep hill, I detected the fresher scents of cats. Yes, they had gone this way recently. I panted at the top of the hill and glanced around. There was a clearing to the right, between trees, and I knew that that was where TigerClan was.

I looked down at the apprentices. They were gasping for breath and were very tired from all the traveling, but they wanted to keep going. "We're almost there," I told them.

We walked, slower because the other four were so tired, into TigerClan's new camp. I was so relieved to see that I had been right – the Clan was here. They perked up curiously to see who was arriving, and a familiar yowl sounded amidst the cats.

"Glacierclaw!" It was Dragonheart. She rushed toward me, purring loudly. "Glad you're back."

"Glad you're out of the medicine cat's den," I replied.

"Glacierclaw." A long-haired gray tom was padding toward me. I dipped my head to TigerClan's leader. "Were you successful? Will LionClan help us?"

"Yes," I replied. "Snowystar wanted us to contact him when we are ready to launch the final battle on LeopardClan."

Yowls of joy and determination rose from TigerClan, but for some reason, Wolfstar still didn't look happy. Pantherclaw stalked out of the warriors' den with a horrible look on his face. I blinked in confusion.

"Glacierclaw," began Wolfstar, "apparently Pantherclaw told me some interesting information about you. He said that you had badly hit your head on a rock during the battle, but after a moment, you got up, good as new." He peered at me. "Only one thing could explain this: you lost a life. You're a Clan leader."

The Clan stared at me in shock. I felt my ears grow hot with embarrassment. Dragonheart gave me a bitter look.

"What about your friend? Is she hiding secrets too?" demanded Pantherclaw, flicking his tail at the tortoiseshell she-cat beside me.

"She…she's my deputy…" I stammered. I looked Wolfstar straight in the eyes. "And yes, it's true – I'm a Clan leader. You can call me Glacierstar."

Wolfstar let out a hiss between his bared teeth. "The consequence to lying to TigerClan is death," he growled.

I flinched in shock. Now they would kill me? My silver fur began to bristle and my claws unsheathed.

"However, we will need you for the battle. Both of you are now prisoners of TigerClan. You are not allowed to leave the camp without at least three warriors escorting you." He fixed me with a furious amber stare before whipping around and stalking into his den, motioning for his deputy to follow him.

I stared after him, feeling dismay burn through my fur. How could I have been so stupid? I wished deeply that I had told Reefpaw that I was a leader, not an ordinary warrior. But still she would have wondered what a leader was doing here and not looking for her Clan.

Speaking of Reefpaw, I turned toward her, hoping she wouldn't hate me for this. But her amber eyes showed sympathy.

"I'm sorry for this, Glaciercl – Glacierstar," she told me. "I hope it'll work out okay…" Diamondpaw nodded his agreement.

Dartpaw, however, wasn't the same. "Keep that piece of foxdung away from me," he growled. "She's a lying mousebrain. Wolfstar should have killed her!" He headed toward the apprentices' den.

"Dartpaw!" Crystalpaw called after him, shocked. She kneaded the ground with her claws, a habit she had gotten into. "I'm really sorry, Glacierstar," she meowed, sounding like Reefpaw.

I bowed my head. "It's all right. At least we're not dead." I flicked my tail over Dragonheart's flank.

"Should I tell Wolfstar about Pantherclaw?" asked Diamondpaw, dropping his voice.

Dragonheart stared in shock. "Oh, Diamondpaw! You spoke!" She purred loudly, giving his ear a lick. "But what's all this about Pantherclaw?"

Reefpaw turned toward her and told her all about how Pantherclaw had killed Scarletflower, their mother, and so forth.

"I don't think you should tell Wolfstar just yet," I told Diamondpaw. "Not with this whole situation with me. Wait till it dies down a bit, and after the battle. Remember, we need as many warriors as we can get."

The silver tom nodded. "All right, Glacierstar. After the battle." And he headed toward the apprentices' den with Dartpaw. Reefpaw and Crystalpaw followed him.

"I can't believe it…" whispered Dragonheart. "Pantherclaw did seem rather mean, but murder…" The tortoiseshell looked at me with wide green eyes. "I don't believe it."

I sighed. "Believe it. Come on, I'm exhausted."

We headed toward the warriors' den, which had been carelessly made with the nearby bushes. When we reached it, however, Thymefoot bared his teeth.

"Prisoners sleep outside," growled the gray tom.

Windpelt mewed in protest. "Give them a break, Thymefoot. They're separated from their Clan, remember?"

"They might have lied about that too," he snapped.

Dragonheart opened her mouth to protest, but I swiped my tail over her mouth. "It's okay," I meowed. "We'll sleep underneath the shade of a tree." I moved away, but Dragonheart didn't budge. "Come on," I snapped at her, poking her with a claw.

The tortoiseshell gave the cats a very angry look, and padded after me.

"We've done so much for their Clan!" complained Dragonheart. "Well, okay, you have, I was stuck in the medicine cat's den, recovering, while you defended the Clan during the battle with tooth and claw! And you traveled all that way to LionClan territory to ask for help! They should at least give us some slack!"

"These cats are different from the ones we are used to," I told her, settling down beside a tree trunk. I meant to say more, but I was so tired that when I laid my head on my paws, I instantly fell asleep.

"Glacierstar!" a familiar, young voice cried frantically.

I opened my eyes. I was no longer in TigerClan camp, I was just below the Great Rock at the Fourtress. I blinked slowly, as my eyes adjusted, and saw a very familiar white she-cat standing in front of me. I gasped.

"Dovepaw!" I exclaimed, rushing over to her and giving her ear a lick. "What happened? Did you die?"

She shook her head. "No, I didn't, Glacierstar. I…something has happened. You need to return to ThunderClan. Quickly!"

"I don't know how!" I exclaimed. "I'm stuck back in time. Dovepaw, what has happened to my Clan?"

Dovepaw hesitated. "It's so hard to explain, I'm sorry…" Her pale green eyes stared up at me. "I'm sure that we'll make it through, leader or not," she meowed. "You, however, should concentrate on saving TigerClan."
"I'm not exactly pleased with them at the moment," I meowed irritably. "But if there wasn't a TigerClan, there isn't a ThunderClan. I'll do my best, my apprentice," I told her, touching her nose to mine.

Dovepaw nodded. She purred softly, and suddenly my dream was interrupted by the reality I had to face.

"Glacierstar!" Dragonheart was yowling in my ear. "It's LeopardClan! They're attacking! Now!"

It's kind of short too. And I didn't finish with the Great Clans! Well, I still have a lot to write. Anyway, please leave a review.