The moon shone its full light down into the AlderClan camp. A thick pelt of silence pressed down on every ear. Tension kept every paw in place. Eyes, wide with apprehension, glowed with reflected moonlight from behind rocks and inside crevices.
A distant screech split the air. Muscles clenched and pelts stood on end. A large cat, whose golden pelt was tinged silver in the moonlight, rose to unsteady paws. The smaller figure at his side made a sound of protest. The larger cat held up his tail for silence.
The sounds of a cat in distress grew louder and more desperate.
A terrified gasp broke the silence inside of camp. "They've been caught!"
"Hush, Quietsong." Another voice comforted the distressed queen.
The golden tom stepped out into the direct light of the moon. His eyes were fixed on a break in the rocky walls that surrounded the camp. The patch of white cobweb on his shoulder bled red as he strained. The smaller cat at his side bit back an exasperated sigh.
The commotion died away suddenly. The last screech echoed against the walls of the camp and faded into the air. The cats of AlderClan held their breath.
A figure appeared at the peak of the rock-fall. It pulled itself over the stones with great effort and half-slid, half-tumbled down the short slope onto the camp floor. The large golden tom hastened across the stony ground to the newcomer's side. His smaller companion followed. Several other cats crept out from their hiding places to join them.
"It's Mossfoot." Someone said in a harried whisper.
"Finchfoot." The large tom said, nodding to his companion. The medicine cat was already hurrying ahead of his leader, a bundle of leaves in his jaws.
Finchfoot reached the fallen warrior's side and began examining his tabby pelt. It was stained with dirt and blood. His right ear was dangling by a hair's width of skin and his flank was torn in several places. Sluggish blood seeped out onto the ground around the medicine cat's paws.
"Mossfoot, can you hear me?" Finchfoot said as he worked. His white paws were already stained with blood. "I need you to look at me, Mossfoot."
The injured warrior opened one bleary eye. "Eaglestar…" his voice was weak.
The large tom leaned down and looked Mossfoot in the eye. "I'm here." He said in a deep meow.
Mossfoot opened his jaws and coughed out a mouthful of blood. He closed his eyes and struggled with breath for a moment.
"Don't try to talk." Finchfoot instructed, his tone considerably softer.
Mossfoot gave a tiny shake of his head. "They killed Daisyspring…" he wheezed.
A gasp rippled through the gathered cats. Muted wails of grief and shock were hushed as soon as they were uttered.
A black warrior shouldered his way to the front of the crowd. "And Coalpaw?" he demanded.
Mossfoot's eyelids fluttered. "I don't…know." He managed to gasp.
The black warrior took a step forward, his amber eyes flashing with alarm.
Finchfoot rounded on the encroaching cats. "Back away!" he hissed. "He needs space."
The cats shuffled back a few paces, but every eye was still fixed on Mossfoot's body. Finchfoot whipped back around and continued to work. His paws flashed in the moonlight as he pressed cobwebs and leafy pulp onto Mossfoot's ragged side wound.
He continued to work even after Mossfoot's flank fell for the last time.
Eaglestar stepped up to Finchfoot's side. He placed his tail on his medicine cat's shoulder. "Finchfoot."
Finchfoot jerked away from his leader's touch. His green eyes were fixed on the cat at his paws. The cat he had failed to save. He kept working.
Moans of grief and fear rose up among the gathered AlderClan cats.
"What do we do, Eaglestar?" a long-legged tabby she-cat pressed.
Eaglestar looked down at his desperate medicine cat, then around at his injured and terrified Clan. He gripped the ground with his claws.
"We pray for Coalpaw."
. . .
Heronflight moved through the sparse undergrowth on paws as light as feathers. His heart was strangely calm even though his brain was crowded with anxious fears. He pushed these away with one thought.
Blizzardstar trusted you with this.
He steeled himself as he slipped into the shadows of a low-growing pine. He paused and tasted the air. He could smell AlderClan, obviously, but the scent was tainted by the damp smell of WillowClan and the rankness of rogues.
Heronflight's heartbeat quickened. Determined to get more information, he crept out from under the fragrant pine needles and headed for a pile of snow-topped boulders about a tree-length away.
The sound of a branch snapping nearby sent a burst of speed through Heronflight's paws. He reached the stones just as two cats emerged from a copse of closely-knit pine trunks just downhill of where Heronflight now hid. He settled himself down between two rocks and silently gave thanks for his black and gray pelt.
The two cats crept out of the shadows and into the moonlight.
The white tom's companion, a skittish looking gray tom, spoke.
"I'm not sure about this, Frozenpelt." He faltered as he looked around, his ears pressed to the sides of his head. Heronflight lowered himself flatter to the cold stone as the gray tom's unseeing, fearful gaze passed over him.
Frozenpelt strode forward, not bothering to wait for his companion. The gray tom jumped when he realized he was being left behind. He scrambled after his Clanmate.
"It feels weird taking orders from that CedarClan cat." The gray tom went on. His head flicked from side-to-side in the motions of a cat who knew he was doing something wrong.
"Are you sure that-"
"Will you shut up?" Frozenpelt growled.
The smaller cat jumped, but said no more. The two disappeared into the night further downhill. Cursing silently, Heronflight slid off of his rock perch. He needed more than that to report back to Blizzardstar.
He turned his gaze to where the WillowClan cats had emerged from the trees. He took a deep breath and retraced their steps.
A few fox-lengths into the grove of pines, Heronflight caught wind of the scents of cats. Many cats. He slowed his pace and moved off of the path the WillowClan cats had taken. He skimmed through the trees and almost non-existent undergrowth until his ears twitched and he heard the sound of hushed meows.
Heart pounding now, Heronflight pressed his belly to the frozen ground and slowed to a crawl. With a quick test of the air to make sure he was downwind, he dragged himself closer to the sound and smell of cats. The trees parted in front of him and gave him a partially-obscured view of a small clearing and the cats within. He froze.
Just a fox-length away sat Cougarstar.
Heronflight held his breath and backed up a few steps. His heart was beating so loudly that he could have sworn that the WillowClan leader must have heard it. To his immense relief, Cougarstar hadn't moved a muscle.
She sat straight-backed on top of a smooth stone amidst the roots of a large pine at the edge of the clearing. Before her milled two distinct groups of cats. The WillowClan warriors stood away from the rogues, eyes suspicious and tails twitching. The other group looked nonplussed that their companions were so obviously made uncomfortable by their presence. Some were even gnawing on prey or lying, possibly asleep, in the shadows.
A worm of worry wriggled in Heronflight's belly. These rogues were not the same as the ones who had attacked CedarClan before. They were sleeker, well-groomed, and more muscular. They stared around with discerning eyes and perked ears. These cats were trained, ready, and dangerous.
His stomach lurched as the rogues parted and a familiar figure emerged from their depths. Cranewing walked with confidence towards Cougarstar. Heronflight was again struck by his uncle's face. He was so distracted that he almost missed the cat walking beside Cranewing. Following him was a short black-and-white she-cat with fearsome yellow eyes. Despite her small size, she exuded a burning malice.
Her features were sharp and thin. Black fur around her eyes made them glow with a quiet ferocity. Even as she approached a cat with as much presence as Cougarstar, she held her head at a lofty height.
The she-cat came to a halt at Cougarstar's paws and sat. She curled her tail around her paws and tilted her head expectantly. Heronflight bit back a gasp as he caught sight of a thin, shiny cord wrapped tightly around the she-cat's throat. It appeared to have cut into her skin in places and been healed over. The fur had been rubbed free around the tendril, and the skin was red and scarred.
Cranewing stepped up beside the rogue she-cat and gave Cougarstar an exaggerated bow before sitting as well. Cougarstar ignored her deputy and stared down at the she-cat. She flattened one ear in confusion. The black-and-white she-cat stared back, defiant.
Cougarstar opened her mouth in a snarl but Cranewing cut her off.
"This is Roach, the rogue's leader." he said in his silken voice.
Cougarstar shut her muzzle and glared at the diminutive Roach. After a tension-filled moment, the WillowClan leader gave a short nod of recognition. Only then did Roach do the same.
Heronflight was impressed. This was a cat that knew she was in charge. No titles or extra lives intimidated her.
"So, you've finally decided to show yourself." Cougarstar said, annoyed. "I was growing tired of your decoys."
Roach didn't answer right away. She lifted a white paw and cleaned it for a moment before responding in a small, raspy voice.
"I needed to know I could trust you." she said with a shrug.
Cougarstar's eyes bulged. "You-" she started sharply. Cranewing shot her a look. Cougarstar stopped and forced herself to take a breath before starting again.
"You can trust the word of a Clan leader." Her voice shook with the effort of keeping calm.
Roach lowered her paw and examined Cougarstar through one pale yellow eye. "Apparently." she said.
There was a moment of silence.
Cranewing cleared his throat. "Now that the niceties are over, we have a problem." His tone and posture confused Heronflight. He sat there as if he too were a Clan leader. Despite his earlier bow, he now showed no deference to the cat he claimed his allegiance was pledged to.
"And?" Roach said flatly.
A look of satisfaction flashed across Cranewing's face before he spoke again.
"CedarClan." he said.
Heronflight nearly turned and fled right then, but curiosity, determination, and, admittedly, fear stayed his paws.
"They are coming." Cranewing said.
A tiny drop of relief settled into Heronflight's belly. They didn't know everything yet.
Roach narrowed her eyes and Cougarstar made a noise of disbelief and anger.
"I thought they were taken care of." The WillowClan leader hissed.
Cranewing glanced at Roach and shrugged. "The rogues must have failed."
Heronflight half expected Roach to turn and shred Cranewing's ears but the she-cat stayed stone-still.
"Even if they did, CedarClan will be in no shape to fight." Cougarstar said with a dismissive flick of her tail. "Besides, we stopped the AlderClan patrols. There's no way Blizzardstar knows what's happening."
Roach eyed the WillowClan leader but said nothing.
Cranewing's eyes flicked between the two she-cats. He settled his gaze on his leader. "Cougarstar, might I speak to you privately?" he said. His lofty mew had lowered to one of seriousness.
Cougarstar gave a stiff nod and turned to Roach expectantly. Roach didn't move. The two Clan cats exchanged a glance and then began to move away from the rogue.
Right towards Heronflight.
Panicking, Heronflight moved quickly, but carefully backwards until his haunches banged against a tree trunk. He slithered around the wood and pressed himself up against the rough bark. He faced the dark forest and could only hope that Cranewing and Cougarstar ventured no further.
To Heronflight's relief, the sounds of their pawsteps stopped before they reached his tree. Heronflight fixed his eyes on a broken bough on the ground and focused his ears.
"...They are coming. One of the AlderClan cats escaped." Cranewing was saying in a hushed mew.
Cougarstar didn't sound convinced. "Blizzardstar wouldn't put his Clan at risk after an attack." she shot back.
Cranewing's response was so quiet that Heronflight almost lost it under the sound of his own heart pounding.
"Trust me."
"She told you?" Cougarstar's voice had lowered with awe.
Silence met her words. Heronflight shuddered. Here was more proof that Crowfrost was a traitor. He must have warned whoever was moving the pieces in the shadows.
Cougarstar swore under her breath.
"We have ample warning. We can catch them off guard." Cranewing said in a louder mew.
More sounds of soft pawsteps. They were heading back to Roach. Heronflight had to know what they were planning. He waited a few more heartbeats before slipping out from behind his tree and crawling back to his hiding spot. The scents of Cranewing and Cougarstar overwhelmed his nose, but he tried his best to ignore them.
"...send scouts." Cougarstar was saying. She raised her voice and beckoned with her tail.
"Tigerfang, Twistedroot." she called.
Two dark tabbies entered Heronflight's line of sight. At the same time, Roach had turned and waved at her own cats. Two similarly dark-pelted cats stepped forward without Roach saying a word. The four summoned cats approached their leaders. Heronflight lowered his head, hoping the moonlight wouldn't reflect off of his eyes and give away his position.
"Head toward our border." Cougarstar instructed the cats. "Do not be seen. Watch for reinforcements."
Tigerfang and Twistedroot nodded and rose to their paws. The rogues didn't move. Cougarstar nodded at them. "You too." she snapped.
The rogues stayed where they were.
Cougarstar blinked in surprise. She drew her lips back in a snarl and took a step forward, claws extended. Before she could act, Roach gave a tiny nod to her cats. They immediately stood and padded away. Confused, Tigerfang and Twistedroot followed after them.
Seeming satisfied, Cougarstar shot a smug glance at Roach before moving away with an imperious flick of her tail in Cranewing's direction.
Heronflight let out a small breath. He had enough information. He needed to go, now. He began to shuffle backwards.
Cranewing made to follow Cougarstar, but stopped. Heronflight froze. Cranewing looked over his shoulder and glared at Roach.
"I thought you said they would follow her orders." he hissed.
Roach shrugged. "They do not respect her." Her voice made Heronflight's throat twinge with sympathy pain.
Cranewing snorted and lashed his tail. "Can't they pretend?"
Roach's lip twitched. "I will speak with them."
Cranewing rolled his eyes and hurried after Cougarstar.
Roach took her time in standing up and stretching. Heronflight watched her, annoyance and fear rising in his chest. He had to go, but he couldn't risk her hearing him escape.
With a final flick of her ears, Roach shook out her pelt and stalked away.
Heronflight turned and, with the whispers of dead leaves at his paws, shot away into the darkness.
. . .
There was no sign of the scouts as Heronflight half-ran, half-snuck back to where his Clan was hidden among a field of boulders. He arrived out of breath but hopeful. They still had the upper paw.
He slipped past two speckled black and pinkish hunks of granite and was immediately flattened to the gritty ground. He squeaked involuntarily.
"Heronflight!" Gasped a familiar voice.
Morningsong stepped off of Heronflight and backed up. He got to his paws and shook out his coat.
"You surprised me." Morningsong said.
"It's fine. Where's Blizzardstar?" Heronflight gasped.
Morningsong led him on a twisting path through the rocks. Other CedarClan cats appeared behind the stone and watched them pass. Moments later they were at the foot of a particularly tall upright slab of granite. Blizzardstar and Whiteshade sat in its shadow.
They rose to their paws as they saw Heronflight approaching.
"Blizzardstar." Heronflight said with a quick nod. "We don't have much time. They've sent scouts."
Blizzardstar wasted no time. He scraped his claws against the rock in a one, one-two-three, one pattern. In moments the rest of the battle patrol was there. Their eyes glowed in the moonlight and their paws moved with expert silence.
Heronflight felt one pair of blue eyes burning into his pelt. Blizzardstar needed to know the full truth.
"There's something else." Heronflight said in a low voice. Blizzardstar's eyes fell on him. "They were warned."
Whiteshade's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, 'warned'?"
Heronflight hesitated. He met his leader's gaze. "We've been betrayed." he said in an even lower voice.
Blizzardstar's eyes widened, but before he could speak, Cherrynose shot out from behind a boulder.
"Scouts!" she hissed, her mottled fur on end.
Blizzardstar nodded. "We can intercept them quietly." He gave the signal to move. Every cat got to their paws, ready.
"Into the trees." Blizzardstar commanded.
Heronflight turned, but paused. He glanced around at the familiar pelts. "Where's Petalpaw?"
"She went to find a place to set up triage. I think they found her an old badger warren." Morningsong said as she passed him.
Satisfied, Heronflight made to obey Blizzardstar's orders.
The patrol turned and began to scramble over the rocks and back onto the forest floor. Young pine trees dotted the land around the boulder field. Heronflight's heart fluttered with excitement as the patrol began to split up into pairs and swarm up the trunks.
He darted towards the closest tree and began to climb. He was surprised to find Whiteshade and Brushfire already among the lowest branches. He was shooed away by a quiet hiss. He dropped to the ground and looked around. He watched as Morningsong and Hawkstrike disappeared into a nearby tree. No one else was left but him.
Panicking slightly, Heronflight glanced around for an empty tree. He spotted one and raced for it. He scrambled up the trunk and found himself face-to-face with Crowfrost.
There was no time to change trees, and Crowfrost was alone. After a moment of awkward eye contact, the black warrior shuffled backward to make room. Heronflight settled himself onto a branch and fixed his eyes on the ground below. He tried to ignore Crowfrost's icy gaze.
"You know." Crowfrost breathed in his brother's ear. It wasn't a question.
Heronflight's throat tightened. "Yes." He murmured.
There was silence. Heronflight watched for movement without really seeing. What now? He had to know.
"Who will you fight for?" Heronflight said.
"CedarClan." The word was a hiss.
Suddenly angry, Heronflight whipped his head around to face Crowfrost. "You betrayed CedarClan," he accused.
Crowfrost's eyes flashed with cold fire, but there was something else there, too. Fear? Confusion?
"Never," he spat.
Heronflight dug his claws into the soft bark of the branch beneath him. "How do they know, then?"
Crowfrost's eyes widened slightly before narrowing again. "I never-"
A hiss from the next tree cut Crowfrost off. "Shut up!"
Heronflight turned to see Kestrelfeather's green eyes glaring at them from under a heavily laden bough. Shadowgrove was crouched next to him, his lips drawn in a snarl.
Frustrated and ashamed, Heronflight focused on watching for the scouts.
Sounds of pawsteps drifted to them in the night air. Heronflight stiffened, ready.
"We know you're there!" a gruff voice called out.
Heronflight froze.
What?
"Move and she dies!" The voice said.
Confused, Heronflight watched as five shadowed figures moved cautiously from the forest into his field of vision.
There were the four scouts that had been sent, but who was the fifth?
Heronflight felt Crowfrost stiffen beside him. There was a sharp gasp from somewhere.
The four cats shoved the fifth into a pool of moonlight.
It was Petalpaw.