I don't know if I'm proud or not for finally updating. On one side, it's been forever. On the other, I don't really think this story accurately shows my current writing skill anymore. –sighs- Well, I'm not going to not complete this because of that. I'm way too stubborn. That… and bored. Chemistry is eating my soul.

The night was young, showing its approach on the forest by the sun's faint light slowly dying away. Cloudtail led a patrol of ThunderClan warriors to Snakerocks, stopping every few heartbeats to test the air for dog scent. He had planned on leading the pack to the Twolegplace or a Thunderpath, but the worry of being caught by dogs made him wonder if this was the right decision. There's no turning back now, Cloudtail, he thought. If you die, you die. Either try and kill the dogs now, or look like a coward when they come and kill your clan.

"Cloudtail!" Brackenfur ran up to the deputy. He was panting slightly, and his lithe form was hardly visible in the slim light.

"What?"

"Mousefur and I have found the pack. They're still at Snakerocks."

"You two went there without us?!" He could've clawed the pairs' ears off for their stupidity.

The warrior's ears went back, and his tail gently flicked two and fro. "Yes; I'm sorry. I just felt like it would've been safer for two of us to go and scout rather than the whole of ThunderClan. We were harder for them to scent than all of us would have been."Cloudtail growled. "Your intentions were just, but come to me before you do something like that again. Okay?" Brackenfur nodded hastily, then dashed away before the deputy could speak again.

Cloudtail sighed. He wished Brightpaw was there to comfort him, but she and Swiftpaw weren't deemed fit to be there by Cinderpelt. Whitestorm, too, remained at Sunningrocks where the rest of the clan waited. It was a bit harder to convince Bluestar to go, and that was one memory Cloudtail swore he would block for the rest of his life. I will never ever pretend to be Bluestar's she-cat sister ever again.

"Listen up, ThunderClan!" The white deputy raised his voice, so they could hear him, but the dogs wouldn't. "Brackenfur and Mousefur returned from scouting Snakerocks." He figured it would be better to pretend like it was his order for them to go. "The dogs are resting there, so we have a slight element of surprise. I want to split up the run as best as possible. No cat should have to be by themselves for too long." He started with Mousefur, since she already knew the route in the semi-darkness. Next was Brackenfur, then Thornpaw, and he would pass to Ashpaw and Fernpaw. It was a gamble putting those apprentices in order and Brindleface's kits together, but Cloudtail wanted to put them in a safer place, and either way Thornpaw should've been made a warrior a long time ago. The dash to the Twolegplace plan continued until it was just Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Cloudtail remaining. Cloudtail placed Graystripe after Longtail and Sandstorm before himself.

"I'm not surprised you're going last," commented Graystripe.

"Nor should you be," replied Sandstorm. "Cloudtail knows the Twolegplace. Remember when he was just a young apprentice, and he got caught by Twolegs?"

The deputy looked away in embarrassment of the memory. He actually did use that in part of his decision, and, in addition to that, he wouldn't have felt comfortable putting another cat there. "Get to your place, everyone," he ordered. "Mousefur, go when the moon is high in the sky. That should give everyone a chance to get to their places. Everyone know where you're supposed to be?" All of ThunderClan nodded. "Then let's go."

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Cloudtail glanced up into the night sky and hissed. He was hiding in the bushes just next to the Thunderpath, trapped and forced to endure the vile odors emitting from Twoleg monsters.

Where was Sandstorm?! She should've been there ages ago! Did someone get caught or lost? Did Mousefur fall asleep? I'll really claw her ears off this time if she did.

Panic started to settle in. W-what if the dogs went to Sunningrocks instead of following Mousefur?! Brightpaw might be-

He lashed his tail and stood, watching the dark forest behind him. You're a fool, Cloudtail. Stop acting like an elder and pay attention to the task at paw.

He stayed at that position for what felt like moons. Enough monsters had passed by at that point to make him dread having to clean his fur later and wonder if the scent would ever come out. His paws and joints ached from staying in the same position for so long, and Cloudtail longed to go out and hunt. He refused to leave, though, because he knew in the back of his mind that, according to his luck, the dogs would show up the moment he decided to leave.

A loud hiss and frantic barking erupted nearby. The ThunderClan deputy jumped to his paws, anxiety drumming against his chest rather than his heartbeat. Then he saw it. More dogs than clan cats at Gatherings it seemed were right on Sandstorm's tail. The she-cat was panting extremely hard. Her mouth and eyes were wider than the gorge; she was a mousetail away from the pack, but she managed to keep in front of them until she reached Cloudtail. Leaping into the air, Sandstorm latched onto the tree with her claws and stood, shaking, as the new deputy raced in front of the pack.

Cloudtail was terrified, to say the least. His paws were moving slower than normal due to exhaustion, stress, hunger, and stiffness. His mind didn't seem to want to tell him where he was; the Thunderpath stretched in front of him, but no monsters were in sight.

Why is it that they don't show up when you want them too?! The deputy raced over to a place his paws knew well- Princess' Twoleg home. If he could make it there, then either a monster would show up, or Cloudtail could lead the pack to the great white monster.

He headed north, all the while feeling hot breath a whisker-length off of his back and hearing his heartbeat in his ears. No monsters appeared, but Cloudtail could spot his mother's home a few fox lengths away. He raced across the Thunderpath and instantly turned right. If only the sun was out! Then he would've been able to have a Twoleg capture the dogs. ThunderClan couldn't have waited that long, though, because the pack was going to attack at any moment.

Twolegs aren't there when I actually want them to be, growled Cloudtail in his mind.

A sudden shout drove away his angered thoughts. Cloudtail, after checking the dark Twoleg-made path in front of him, whirled his head around.

A large male Twoleg jumped out of his white monster with some device in his arm. He continued shouting at the other Twoleg with him, and suddenly the pack was trapped by them. They were dragged into the monster, which ate them while Cloudtail could only hear faint whimpers and barks. The monster roared to life, temporarily blinding the white warrior with its evil glow. It whirled around and vanished into the night; Cloudtail was left along with his racing heart and pants. When he was sure he was alone, the ThunderClan cat jumped to his paws and dashed back towards the forest.

In case you couldn't tell, one really important scene was missing; I didn't kill Bluestar here like they did in the books. She has to stick around for now.