"They agree that we should fight," Rainstorm concluded in the warriors' den. The sun was just rising, bathing the camp in the golden rays of dawn. The young warrior and his brother had just returned.
Raggedfur nodded in approval. "With the other clans to fight with us, Shadestar should be outnumbered."
"He'll give us a lot of trouble about it, too," Smalltail said. "There'll be a fight before we can drive him out."
"We'll have to send a messenger," Rainstorm told them. "We're giving them a day to prepare. At moonrise, that warrior will send word to the other clans. We attack at dawn."
He glanced at Snowpelt, waiting for him to volunteer. With those long legs and slim build, Snowpelt was the fastest warrior in ThunderClan. But instead, he stayed silent, gazing at the camp as if lost in thought.
"Snowpelt?" Rainstorm prodded.
With a twitch of his ears, Snowpelt turned to face him. "Yes?"
"You're the fastest cat in this clan," Rainstorm pointed out. "You'd be the best one to travel to the other clans, make sure they're prepared. Will you do it?"
Snowpelt hesitated but only for a moment. "I'll do it," he said firmly.
"Okay," Rainstorm said. "I guess this is it." He saw grim determination on the faces of his friends. Raggedfur and Smalltail remained ever calm. Bluefeather and Icewhisker looked ready. In just a day, the future of their clan would change. Now all they had to do was wait.
Rainstorm's heart pounded as the sun set over the trees. The moon was already rising. He felt a dire sense of urgency as he picked up his mice and ran back to the camp. Shadestar had ordered that he do some hunting today near the Great Sycamore. Unable to refuse, lest Shadestar suspect something, Rainstorm had obeyed.
Now he was racing through the trees, hoping that Snowpelt had managed to sneak out of the camp.
He nearly crashed into the cat that confronted him. Panting, he skidded to a halt. It was Tawneystripe.
"Rainstorm, something terrible has happened!" the she-cat exclaimed. Her fur was ruffled and she was breathing hard. It was obvious she had run all the way from the camp to find him.
"Calm down," Rainstorm said. "What happened?"
"It's Shadestar!" Tawneystripe panted. "He's launching an attack. Somehow he must have found out what we're planning."
Rainstorm's blood turned to ice. "Who is he attacking?"
"RiverClan," was her reply.
"Come on." Rainstorm shot through the forest, finally emerging in the camp. It was nearly deserted. The sight of the empty clearing, the silence, brought back the memory of the attack on WindClan and he shuddered.
"Rainstorm!" Snowpelt called.
"Snowpelt, we have to go."
But Snowpelt stopped in his tracks, staring at something just beyond Rainstorm's shoulder.
"And just what is it you were planning on doing?" queried Brokenfoot's menacing voice. "Shadestar doesn't trust you in battle. You'll turn on him. I've been given orders to keep you confined to the camp."
Rainstorm took a step back. He had to get out of here. He just had to.
But he couldn't run. He sensed another cat, Leopardtail, closing in behind him. In a rush, he tried to break past them, though it was a futile attempt.
Leopardtail hissed and rammed her shoulder into him, knocking him off balance. Brokenfoot's claws scored across his side and he winced.
"No…" Tawneystripe trailed off, watching as Brokenfoot and Leopardtail herded Rainstorm toward the den. He was still tired from his run, he couldn't fight. Giving up hope, Snowpelt and Tawneystripe followed.
"I can't believe this," Rainstorm said as they were left along in the den. "We've failed."
The darkness was peaceful. Full of stars and the silence of night. The darkness was like a soft wave that licked at the shore, a warm comfort, an old friend. When the black turned lighter, there was unease. A discomfort that just couldn't be allowed and Ashwhisker flinched away from it, drawing his tail closer to his body.
It came again, an insistent prodding, and then the illusion shattered with the panic of thunder. Someone called out to him and at last he opened his eyes. He winced when the face came into view, a mere mouselength from his own.
It was Oneclaw.
"Ashwhisker, wake up," he hissed. "RiverClan is under attack!"
Chaos. The camp was filled with chaos. The screeching of cats, the slash of claws, all splitting the air as RiverClan's deputy emerged. One moment ago, all had been quiet. Then there had been the ambush, loud enough to wake the rest of the clan.
In his mind, Ashwhisker knew something had gone wrong. They were the ones supposed to do the ambushing. Not the other way around. Somehow Shadestar had realized their plans.
He charged into the battle.
He didn't hesitate to claw the pelt of the nearest ThunderClan cat, yowling in fury as he did. The warrior was caught by surprise, springing away from Ashwhisker's attack.
"Oneclaw!" Ashwhisker called to the white warrior who had followed him out of the den. "Go to WindClan! Go get help!"
A heartbeat later, Oneclaw pelted across the camp and disappeared from view.
Ashwhisker lashed out fiercely, his blood running like liquid fire. Claws scorched his flank and he fought hard against the pain. He was determined to drive out these invaders. At whatever the cost.
Memories flooded Rainstorm's mind. Memories of the battle with WindClan. The horror of waiting, waiting in a silent camp, alone to imagine the wails of the dying. Once again, Rainstorm had failed to act. He could barely move, trapped under the cold gaze of Brokenfoot.
Their plan had not worked.
"What now?" Snowpelt hissed once Brokenfoot snorted and looked away. "How did he know to attack now anyway?"
"I don't know," Rainstorm admitted.
"Well?" Snowpelt persisted. "You have any more grand ideas?"
Rainstorm exploded. "No! I don't have any plans. No ideas. I just don't know what we're going to do."
There was silence after that. Snowpelt looked worried and hurt. Icewhisker looked down at her paws.
Rainstorm lowered his eyes and did not raise them again.
Bleeding from his shoulder and flank, Ashwhisker, panting, sniffed the still lump of tabby fur before him. There was no need to, for anyone could clearly see the cat was dead, her eyes staring sightlessly at the sky. It was Dewpaw, the apprentice medicine cat.
She and her mentor had been forced to fight when an enemy warrior had broken into their den. Kestrelflight continued to fight, unaware of his apprentice's death.
Leaving the body where it lay, Ashwhisker turned back to the battle, flexing his claws.
He was about to leap at the nearest ThunderClan cat when a yowl split the air. Immediately, the cats released their opponents, backing away at the signal.
The call had come from the dark gray cat who stood tall and arrogant with head held high, at the edge of the clearing. Shadestar's piercing blue eyes glittered in triumph. Then the enemy warriors turned tail and vanished, leaving the devastated clan behind them.