AN. Thanks for all the positive reviews and no we're underway with the next chapter!

Chapter Five

WhisperClan camp shined a beautiful gold from the sun dazzling above in the leaffall atmosphere. Leaves parted themselves from their tree branches and fell lightly to the ground as the wind carried them swiftly to the entrance of the nursery. A dark ginger paw came down on one, crushing it as she exited the den following her four lively kits. The golden tabby tom kit turned to face the dark grey she-kit with his amber eyes, the dark grey she-kit stared back at her brother with challenging green eyes, "Think you can win against me in a fight Lightningkit?" She challenged.

Lightningkit grinned, "I have before Pinekit and I can do so again!" The two kits attacked each other playfully tumbling around the camp. A black and white tom and a tortoiseshell she-kit observed from not far away, the black and white tom kit called out, "Lightningkit! Pinekit! Why not play Rouges? That's more fun!"

The kits tortoiseshell sister remained silent as she watched her siblings play. Lightningkit called back, "Oh, come on Yarrowkit, Rouges is so old! Clans is more fun! Then there can be two leaders!"

Yarrowkit shook his head, "But that's the problem! If there are two leaders, you get fewer warriors! Isn't that right Birdkit?" Yarrowkit asked referring to his sister. Birdkit gave them a small shrug, "I don't know," she said solemnly.

A white she-cat apprentice with grey markings watched the kits quarrel from afar with her blue eyes following their movements. The dark ginger mother of the kits padded up to her, "What's an apprentice like you lying around watching kits play when you could be out and about hunting or doing chores Rosepaw?"

Rosepaw looked up to meet the queen eye to eye, "Oh, nothing Dawnfire, just waiting for something to happen."

Dawnfire rolled her eyes, "Do you think something's just going to fall out of the sky by sitting there all day?"

Rosepaw gave the queen a wide smile, "Maybe! You never know! You never know when a warrior from Silverpelt comes down to give us a prophecy!"

Dawnfire shook her head, "Apprentices these days, and you're just finishing up your training."

The white apprentice shrugged, "Just an idea,"

"An unlikely one,"

Rosepaw laughed a little just as she heard her name called out, "Rosepaw!" Rosepaw turned to see amber eyes staring at her, "You want to come hunting with me, Swiftclaw and Moonclaw? Sitting around won't do ya much."

Dawnfire glared at the dark grey tabby addressing Rosepaw, "You better be careful around that Moonclaw, you never know when she'll betray us to that HiddenClan!"

Stoneclaw ignored the comment as Rosepaw got to her paws and padded over to join the hunting patrol. Dawnfire gave a small snort and went back over to her kits who have decided to play fight over what play fighting game they wanted to play.

"Where's Bloodstripe?" Rosepaw asked the cat she called her father. She had no father, but Stoneclaw took her in and called her his own.

Stoneclaw sighed, "Off sleeping in the warriors den for now, I was going to ask him to come with us," he said referring to the black tom you could see curled up in a nest in the warriors den. Rose paw looked over at the red striped tom, "Well then let's go wake him! He'll for sure come with us if we do!" She hurried over to where Bloodstripe slept and nudged him with her paw, "Wake up Bloodstripe! Don't you want to go hunting?"

Grunting, Bloodstripe lifted his head and released a yawn, "Hunting? Are ya buggin' me for hunting?" he asked his adopted niece.

"Sure! We're probably going to be hunting around Cloudtrees to get ready for leafbare." Rosepaw responded.

Sighing, Bloodstripe responded, "Oh, alright, now that you woke me I minus well just go."

Rospaw brightened up, "Okay! I'll go tell Stoneclaw!" She rushed over to where Stoneclaw was waiting with Swiftclaw and Moonclaw.

"Is he coming? I really would like to head out now so I can train Sightpaw later," Swiftclaw spoke up.

Rosepaw nodded, "Yep! He'll be out shortly!"

Out of the warriors den came Bloodstripe, he padded over to the hunting patrol and gave Moonclaw a suspicious glare before beginning to follow Stoneclaw out of the camp entrance.

Moonclaw ignored the glare and followed the rest of the patrol for a peaceful hunt at Cloudtrees.

Stay low, be light on your paws, and wait…Now! Rosepaw leaped out from the tall grass and caught the mouse by the tail and finished it off quickly.

"Well done Rosepaw! I can see that my mentoring skills are useful after all!"

Rosepaw turned and smiled at Stoneclaw's praise with her prize dangling by the tail in her mouth. Stoneclaw chucked, "Alright now, bury that mouse and we'll pick it up on our way back. Cloudtrees isn't that far now, I can smell the river."

After burying her mouse, Rosepaw went to catch up with the patrol. Cloudtrees soon loomed overhead, Rosepaw was never not awe struck by the magnificence of the trees that grew here. Her eyes followed the tree upward as though it were a giant hawk flying to reach the sun.

Moonclaw then came to a sudden stop; Stoneclaw looked back at her, "Something wrong Moonclaw? Smelling prey?"

She shook her head, "No, rouges!"

Before anyone could respond they were suddenly bulldozed down by rouges baring their teeth and showing off their sharp long claws. They clawed at them a bit before keeping them pinned down with rouges breathing down on them ready to sink their teeth deep into their flesh at any moment."

"Ah, about time you decided to go for a little hunt, eh?" Said a voice from the base of one of the trees.

Rosepaw tilted her head from underneath the muddy looking rouge to get a glance at the cat where the voice came from.

She was able to see a long furred black tom with emerald green eyes that looked as though they could see through your soul. He gazed distantly in the direction of the WhisperClan warriors. "Hello clan cats, I am known as Leer. Under the command of Bone we rouges claim this land as our own. We take no mercy on intruders." His voice sounded ghostly and calmly sinister. It gave Rosepaw a chill rippling down her spine. She felt the urge to break free and viciously attack the rouge keeping her pinned, but she wasn't fox brained enough to try when she would be greatly outnumbered. Leer gave a command with a simple flick of his tail; rouges from behind him began to form a circle around the cats.

Once that was done, Leer ordered, "You may all let them up now; it'll be a more interesting encounter if they are free."

Rosepaw didn't consider being surrounded by rouges free as Leer described. The rouges obeyed and she and her clanmates heaved themselves up without fighting back; although both Moonclaw and Bloodstripe looked as though they were just barley resisting to lung at them and tear them into shreds for the foxes to feed upon.

"What are you filthy pieces of crowfood doing here?" Bloodstripe demanded with a snarl.

Leer's cold eyes fixed its intimidating gaze into Bloodstripe's blue eyes, digging into his mind. "Now, that's not a nice comment to say to your host Redmouth."

Bloodstripe scowled, "That's Bloodstripe to you! Now collect the rest of your rouge scum and get off our territory!"

Leer didn't make a move to attack, he just responded, "I don't think so Redmouth,"

Bloodstripe had already had it with the rouge and without thinking, charged at the black tom unsheathing his claws. Leer just stared at him as he charged; the rouges did nothing to stop it.

Bloodstripe leaped with a battle yowl and moments before he was able to claw into Leer, Leer made a simple sidestep just in the nick of time making a surprised Bloodstripe crash into the ground. Before he could get up, Leer was on top of him with is paw on his throat. "Now, what did I say about being nice to your host Redmouth?"

A growl ripped up Bloodstipe's mouth but the big black tom said nothing.

Leer lifted his head addressing his clanmates, "Bone sent me here to offer you a choice; you may either submit to Bone's rule or parish under our claws. You decide here and now. No running of to your leader. Decide for yourselves. Each and every one of you."

The WhisperClan cats looked at each other uneasily. Stoneclaw bent his head down and whispered to Rosepaw, "I understand this is your choice, but I think you better join them, otherwise you'll get hurt, but it's your choice,"

Rosepaw shook her head, "No, I'll follow wherever you lead."

Stoneclaw gritted his teeth, he had wanted to protest against joining the rouges, and fight them to the death, but he couldn't bring Rosepaw into this.

Stoneclaw stepped forward, "First off Leer, I'd appreciate it if you released my brother there,"

Leer gazed at the warrior for a moment then grunted, "Alright, but if Redmouth tries to attack again I kill,"

He lifted he paw away from Bloodstripe's neck and he cautiously lifted himself to his paws and eyeing Leer, stalked over to his clanmates and family. Bloodstripe whispered into Stoneclaw's ear, "Well what now?! Do we fight or submit? To be honest, I'd rather tear my claws through their pelts."

Stoneclaw narrowed his eyes, "I don't know, everyone here can make that decision on their own."

Rosepaw fixed her gaze over to Swiftclaw and Moonclaw. Swiftclaw looked uncertain while Moonclaw looked ready to fight. She really wasn't ready to die, but she wasn't ready to join rouges either. She whispered to Stoneclaw, "Remember, I'll do what you do,"

Leer gazed at the group of cats, "Well clan cats? I don't got all day to sit 'ere waitin' for you to make your choice. I kill soon if I get no answer."

After a small moment, Stoneclaw stepped forward and took in a deep breath, "For Rosepaw's sake, I reluctantly join you,"

His clanmates stared at the patrol leader in shock; they never expected for Stoneclaw to actually agree.

Leer grinned, "Reluctant or not, I don't care so long as you submit," then focusing on the rest he continued, "And you all?"

Like she had promised to Stoneclaw, Rosepaw timidly stepped forward next to her adopted father with her head looking down; she didn't want to meet Leer eye to eye.

"Ah, so the young one copies the elder one, eh?" Leer walked up and gazed down at Rosepaw, "Why be so low? Look at me now,"

Rosepaw saw no other option and slowly lifted her head up until she saw the pair of piercing emerald green eyes that belonged proudly to Leer. His gaze made Rosepaw froze, it made Rosepaw feel cold and distant. She couldn't break away, not right away. Leer didn't even blink.

Eventually Rosepaw blinked and shook her self of the gaze. Leer smiled in satisfaction, "You're different from the others aren't you? Something in your past happened that lead you to where you are now when it could have turned worse."

Leer's words shocked Rosepaw, she didn't say anything though.

Swiftclaw stepped forward, "Alright, since they join, I'll join too. But that don't make me loyal to Bone!"

Leer shrugged, "Just follow orders and you'll be just fine,"

Bloodstripe and Moonclaw remained where they were, Leer glared at them, "Well? Should I take your silence as a no?"

Growling, Bloodstripe called out, "Well I don't care if I'm the only one here! I refuse to submit to scum!"

Moonclaw piped in, "I stay with Bloodstripe,"

Bloodstrope glanced at Moonclaw, he really never trusted her and was surprised that Moonclaw was willing to fight."

Leer sighed, "Very well, it was your decision,"

Stoneclaw froze; his brother was now in danger! But if he protected him, Rosepaw may follow and endanger herself. But before he had a chance to react, Leer gave the rouges a silent command and they were all over the two lone warriors.

Moonclaw battled viciously at her attackers biting down on necks and scarring their sides while Bloodstripe went wild with his natural weapons and dug out their flesh.

But both were bloodied in no time, Moonclaw clawed some cats on Bloodstripe then suddenly made a huge leap towards camp and ran as quickly as her feet could carry her; Bloodstripe decided he would follow her example and leaped for the exit. He was able to get away from the cats and raced after Moonclaw.

The rouges were about to chase after them to finish them off but Leer stopped them. "No," he said, "Let them run back to their clan; let this be a warning to them that we're here and we don't intend on leaving without a…..bloody little fight."

AN. Dang, that was longer than my previous chapers, huh? Or so it seemed longer to me. But I liked this chapter actually and I hope you liked it too! Review!