Chapter One

It was the night of the Gathering. As Mudstar led his Clan down, the cats saw Hawkstar and Spottedstar already on the Great Rock.

"Hey Bramblenose!" meowed a familiar voice.

"Leafeyes!" Bramblenose excitedly touched noses with her best friend who was also WindClan's medicine cat.

"So how's it like being FireClan's deputy?" Leafeyes asked.

"Great, I think," Bramblenose meowed sarcastically. "We have two new apprentices."

"That's great!" she purred.

"Bramblenose! Leafeyes!" another familiar voice meowed.

"Rippedheart! Mossheart! Mosswhisker!" Leafeyes greeted her friends.

Rippedheart, a beautiful WaterClan warrior, once had an affair with the WindClan leader, Icestar. Things didn't work out even though both cats loved each other very much. Their kits, now known as Goldenfur and Sunheart, were fierce warriors. Goldenfur had switched from WaterClan to WindClan to be with her father. Sunheart had remained with his mother to comfort her. Rippedheart used to be known as Whitetail, but she asked that her name be Rippedheart instead. Hawkstar meowed okay, and Rippedheart now kept her name officially.

"Are you okay?" Bramblenose asked her. She had noticed her friend's gloomy look that she now always had.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rippedheart answered.

There was a yowl from the Great Rock.

Mudstar stepped forward first. "FireClan has made two new apprentices: Rockpaw and Lightpaw," he called.

Meows of congratulations pulsated throughout the cats below for a second.

Then Icestar stepped forward. Every cat saw his eyes soften and water just for a second as his gaze rested on Rippedheart, but when he blinked it was gone. Rippedheart had looked away from him as he looked at her. He faced the cats assembled below him.

"WindClan has also named 2 new apprentices," he meowed loudly. "Smokepaw and Berrypaw."

More murmurs of congratulations rippled through the crowd.

"We have also scented fox around our border with FireClan." Icestar looked at Mudstar, who nodded.

Spottedstar stepped forward and spoke.

"NatureClan has lost Violetfang," he mewed pitifully.

Many cats meowed their apologies; the former NatureClan medicine cat was loved by all. She was kind and very wise.

"Mudtail is now our medicine cat." Spottedstar stepped back. The meeting was called to an end.

"Rippedheart," came a soft voice. She turned around and faced Icestar. His eyes were soft and sad, and there was pleading and longing deep inside.

"Just stay away from me, please!" she cried. Rippedheart raced away to Sunheart, calling for her son to come with her to Hawkstar.

Icestar bowed his head and padded away slowly, his tail being dragged. His sides heaved with the effort of carrying on.

"What's wrong with him? Doesn't WindClan have all those juicy rabbits on their moorland?" Mossheart asked.

"He's probably still depressed about Rippedheart. He doesn't eat regularly or clean himself," Leafeyes explained.

The other three cat's eyes were full of sorrow and sympathy.

"FireClan!" Mudstar called.

"See you later," Bramblenose called over her shoulder. Mossheart and Mosswhisker padded alongside her.

Leafeyes padded after Icestar. Hawkstar and WaterClan was the last to leave.

In the FireClan camp, many of those who stayed behind awoke and came forward.

"What has been said?" asked Hawktail. "Is my sister alive?"

"Of course she is!" Bramblenose snapped. Hawktail shrunk away from her deputy's glare.

Rippedheart was Hawktail's older sister. Their mother had died giving birth to Hawktail. Their father had recently died in a battle over territory, and unfortunately NatureClan had won. Rippedheart also had another sister: Swiftwhisker. Swiftwhisker was formerly of WaterClan like Rippedheart and her mother, but she became a loner. Their father was FireClan, so Hawktail ended up there.

Mudstar jumped onto the High Rock at their camp and called out for a Clan meeting. He quickly addressed his Clan what was exchanged at the Gathering.

"We must be prepared ever in case we run across that fox Icestar has warned us about," he meowed.

"How do you know Icestar was telling the truth?" called Muttermouth.

"He seemed too depressed to be telling a lie, Muttermouth. Don't forget, he still loves Rippedheart."

"Yeah right, I'll bet. I wouldn't be half surprised if he was telling a lie," Muttermouth muttered to Moonclaw.

Mudtail, a brown tom with white paws, called, "was there any more news?"

"None, except it seemed that all the Clans have new apprentices." Mudstar jumped off and called for his senior warriors. Immediately, Bramblenose bounded after him with several others.

Hawktail, Mudtail, Moonclaw, and Rippedclaw headed for the warriors' den. They slept peacefully through the night, to be awakened by an alarm yowl.

"NatureClan is attacking!"

After the Gathering was over, WindClan quickly raced home. Icestar entered his den and moped there as usual. Mudfoot, his deputy, entered.

"Icestar, Raintail is missing!" he meowed urgently.

Icestar's head shot up. "Missing? Raintail? Our only queen? How are her kits?"

"They're gone too! We have scented WaterClan near the nursery, though. We have to get them back!" the deputy wailed like a kit. Icestar understood why; his deputy was the father and Raintail's mate.

"Form a party of about 5 warriors," Icestar commanded. "We shall head to the WaterClan's camp at once."

Mudfoot nodded, and turned to exit.

"Oh, I should mention this to you," Mudfoot turned again. "Rippedheart's scent was found in the nursery."

The WaterClan warriors trudged back into their camp. Hawkstar informed everyone who didn't attend the Gathering what happened. Then she went to her den, accompanied by her deputy and mate, Hawkstump.

Mossfur, a golden she-cat, went over to where Sunheart and Rippedheart lay sharing tongues.

"How are you?" she asked the beautiful tortoiseshell gently.

"Okay," Rippedheart answered.

Loudheart, a white tom with gold splotches, padded over to them.

"Rippedheart, Hawkstar wants to see you in her den," he reported. Rippedheart rose and trotted away. Then Loudheart went over to the nursery, where his mate, Mosstail (tabby), was grooming herself. Her swollen belly was now huge.

They exchanged words and shared tongues.

A patrol that always lagged behind after each Gathering ever in case WaterClan was being followed or going to be attacked burst through the entrance of the camp.

Hawkstar, Hawkstump, and Rippedheart emerged from Hawkstar's den.

"What's wrong?" Hawkstar asked on the looks of Brownear's and Yellowtail's faces.

"WindClan are coming!" Yellowtail gasped.

The NatureClan warriors hustled back into their camp. Spottedstar shortly discussed with his Clan what occurred.

His deputy, Rainstump, a blue-gray she-cat, informed her leader, "While you were gone, I went hunting with Rippedtail over at the territory where we fought with FireClan last time."

"So?"

"So, we found 4 bodies of crowfood there, and they all had FireClan's scent!" Rainstump exclaimed.

"What?!" Spottedstar was outraged (it's easy to make him mad). "I want you to organize a party of warriors to get ready for a battle at dawn."

Rainstump nodded and padded away, her fur bristling.