Longfang and Weedfur's mission to delay the half-moon meeting was ultimately successful, though not without some tension, especially from Flaxclan. Tussockclan and Fernclan weren't happy to see them either, but Tussockclan were suffering under the rogues attacks enough to be too weary of the danger to say no (and apparently their healer had some vague vision about potential danger near Star Falls, so that sealed the deal), and Fernclan had seen the rogues heading up into the mountains themselves, and so believed the Gorseclan messengers.

The morning of the half-moon itself was a quiet one. Longfang, now not having a long trek ahead of him tonight, went out to gather some herbs with Sedgetuft and Kauribark as protection. With her brother out, and not being on dawn patrol either, Dappledshade had nothing to do but relax. Honestly she was quite glad Stoatberry had been leaving her alone. Her sleep was never as restful when the former herbalist dragged her to dream in the Dark Forest… She groomed herself out front of the warriors den after a meal, enjoying the peace and quiet. She'd go out hunting soon, she thought to herself as she eyed up the small fresh-kill pile.

But when a frantic-sounding scrabble of paws on stone broke the silence, Dappledshade let out a small sigh to herself. Every time…

The culprit of the disturbance this time was Icestar, emerging from his den in a favour. "Elite guards! Now!" His voice was basically a roar as he called the meeting, tone urgent. Dappledshade got to her feet, trotting over with the other elite warriors who were all heading towards the High Stone from the corners of the camp. Spiderstrike called to Rimuleaf to watch over Venom for him before bringing up the rear. Only Cuckoofeather was absent, as they were leading the dawn patrol.

Icestar met the gathered group at the base of the High Stone. He was very worked up, unable to stay still for even a moment as he spoke to them, instead pacing in a tight circle. "Starclan has sent me another dream." He confided in his most trusted warriors. "They have told me it is urgent we bring Tussockclan to heel before Flaxclan and Fernclan unite against us. Starclan are warning me they are planning to anytime now…" Sorrelwind looked to her leader and mate with some thinly veiled concern, resting her tail on his back to sooth him, and stop his agitated movements.

Meanwhile, the rest of them bickered.

"We should attack them immediately!" Waspsting snarled loudly, over the top of Dappledshade starting to ask for more details, causing her to shut her mouth again and glare at him. He either didn't notice or just ignored her.

"Tussockclan?" Sheercrag asked.

Waspsting waved one of his massive paws dismissively, his claws already out. "No! Fernclan and Flaxclan! Tussockclan don't have the guts or numbers to attack us, we should leave them till last!"

"Whatever happened to trying diplomacy…?" Weedfur muttered, more to himself since he was perhaps thinking nobody would hear him. Dappledshade only did because they were standing right next to each other.

"If Icestar's vision told him to go after Tussockclan first, then that's what we should do." Spiderstrike said simply.

Sorrelwind was about to interject (and presumably tell them to knock it off), when Icestar rumbled an agreement deep in his throat. "Exactly Spiderstrike. We do as Starclan commands. Bringing Tussockclan into the fold will increase our strength to defend ourselves and act against our enemies… including Fernclan and Flaxclan. If we try to strike them alone it could very well fail."

Well, Dappledshade could agree with the latter part of that statement anyway…

Icestar charged right ahead with describing his plan. "I will be bringing just my elites on this raid on Tussockclan. Tonight, when it gets dark… Kauribark, as the senior-most non-elite warrior, will mind the camp."

"Tonight?" Sorrelwind questioned, her tone was thoughtful, like her mind was already racing with battle strategy.

"Yes, Starclan was quite clear this was urgent." Icestar replied.

"Are we going to have enough cats?" Dappledshade asked, a little tentative after being rebuked for it before. "I mean, talented warriors or not, that's only eight cats against an entire clan, even a weakened one like Tussockclan…"

"I have a plan, and we have Starclan on our side." Icestar brushed her off with his simple statement, annoyance already creeping into his tone, so she dropped it, only nodding and listening to the rest of his plan in internally sullen silence.

In truth, she was growing frustrated with him. He wasn't keeping his promise to her about being more open. He was telling her off for asking questions again like she wasn't one of his warriors; just a nosy kit. She knew she shouldn't question her leader, that he had done so much for her as her mentor and leader; made her the warrior she was… But still, she was frustrated. His behaviour was almost irrational to her; this blind faith in Starclan. None of them even knew what he had been told, exactly. If anything at all. She knew she had been in the Dark Forest with Stoatberry (that or it was just a very specific recurring dream her mind had cooked up for some reason), but Starclan still felt like a distant and amorphous thing to her.

No. No… She shoved down the feelings of resentment and the questions once again. Icestar would not lie to them. Would not lie to her.

She had to trust him.