Snowpelt! Rainstorm stared in dismay. How could he? How could his own brother, the swiftest, funniest, most relaxed and gentle cat of the whole clan, his best friend, betray him? Betray everyone?

"Why?" was all Rainstorm could choke out when he found his voice. "When did you decide to side with him?"

"No choice, brother," Snowpelt replied and it seemed he had lost all the relaxation, the worry-free self he had once been. He had truly changed. Ranstorm was glaring at a stranger.

"It was the only way I could spare our lives," Snowpelt continued.

"Your life, you mean."

"Don't be like that. You know as well as I we would both be dead now otherwise. I agreed to help him in order to save the clan."

Rainstorm felt torn. He remembered their apprenticeships, seemingly carefree. Blackpaw, the quiet one, Snowpaw the fun loving one, always teasing his littermates. He had had the potential to be a great warrior. He had thrown it all away. And out of sheer cowardice? Rainstorm could hardly believe it.

Then another image came to mind. The image of Snowpelt in the warriors' den, staring off into the distance, lost in thought. The way he was always nervous, had stopped telling jokes, had gained a more serious air. He had grown up and had been Shadestar's spy for a good long while. He had given away their plans of attack. He had given word of the secret training sessions. And he had spied on Rainstorm just now, expecting, perhaps even hoping, that he would have something to report back. He did.

"Well, Snowpelt?" said Shadestar. "What punishment is suitable for this traitor?"

Rainstorm was appalled. He had to grit his teeth not to say anything, only waited for what would happen next.

Snowpelt hesitated and Rainstorm found himself thinking, Go on, what's a punishment suitable for a traitor? You should know. But he said nothing and the silence didn't last long before Thistletooth spoke up, "We should drive him out. Cut him off from the clan and the whole territory. Make him live out the rest of his life as a rogue."

"Well said," Shadestar replied, not sparing a glance at Snowpelt but giving a small flick of his ear in annoyance. "Rainstorm, for your rebellious actions, disobedience to your leader, for the betrayal of your clan, I exile you from the territory. If you are caught within ThunderClan borders by sunset of today, my warriors will see fit to kill you."

Rainstorm was silent, disbelieving. Coming up behind him were Icewhisker and Lionpaw, also silent, also wide-eyed and glaring at their leader.

"As for you," Shadestar growled at them. Lionpaw flinched away from the harsh words. "You are confined to camp. Now come." Without waiting to see if his orders were being followed, he whipped around and stalked off, Thistletooth and Snowpelt in tow.

"Oh, Rainstorm," Icewhisker breathed. "What will you do now?"

"I'm not sure," Rainstorm admitted. "I'll head for the barn. Then I'll see what I can do from there. Don't worry about me," he added. "I'll be fine. You need to get back to camp."

Icewhisker nodded, her eyes filled with sympathy, and trotted the way Shadestar had gone, followed by Lionpaw, his tail drooping.

Rainstorm turned in the opposite way, padding in the direction of WindClan territory. The trees thinned out, giving way to cold moorland, with a constant wind that ruffled his fur. He squinted, sniffing at the air. He detected the faint trace of the morning patrol that had already passed this way. He hoped no one would come here searching for prey. They'd catch something bigger than they would have expected.

He managed to catch up to Misty at the edge of the territory. She was shocked to hear what had happened and offered him a place in the barn. She asked him if he knew what he would do next. He said that no, he did not.

"Misty, I hope you have a very good reason for –" the black loner stopped when she saw that Misty was not alone.

"Who is he?" she demanded. "I thought I told you not to go out looking for those clan cats. They're dangerous and who knows what could have happened to you."

"Night, I'm fine," Misty insisted. "This is Rainstorm and he was exiled for trying to help me. He needs somewhere to stay."

"Misty," Night sighed in exasperation.

"Please," Misty pressed.

Night looked at Misty for a moment, then at Rainstorm, then back again. "Alright," she said. "He can stay."

"Thank you," Misty replied and then led Rainstorm away to the back of the barn. The hay smelled wet and strong. "There're plenty of mice in here. You should eat."

"I'm not hungry," Rainstorm meowed, letting his gaze wander back to the outside. "We have to do something."

"You need your strength," Misty told him. "Otherwise you won't be able to do anything."

"You'd make a great medicine cat with that attitude," Rainstorm responded.

In the end, they hunted and caught plenty of mice. To Rainstorm, it was almost as if the prey were just begging to be caught; he'd never had a hunt so easy.

He crouched in the hay to eat his meal, but his mind was elsewhere. He still couldn't believe that after all they'd been through, Snowpelt would betray him. He kept expecting to wake up in the warriors' den to find it was all just a terrible dream, that none of it had ever happened and Snowpelt remained loyal.

But he did not blink awake in the dawn chill of the ThunderClan camp, prodded awake by Snowpelt or Smalltail to go on patrol. Those days were over.

He hadn't realize how hungry he was when he came to the barn until he had finished hunting. Then he was glad that Misty had made the suggestion. Or rather, order. And the whole time he ate, he was aware of Misty's sympathetic gaze.

"What will you do?" she asked him as he took his last bite, swiping his tongue over his muzzle.

"I don't know," Rainstorm admitted. He suddenly felt tired and would've liked to curl up and sleep right then and there, but he wanted to think first.

"Is there any way we can stop Shadestar? Any way you can talk to your clanmates and come up with a plan?" Misty pondered, her blue eyes staring into his own.

He paused. There was a slice of moon hanging in the sky. A brilliant silverpelt. Ghostly figures, the determined leaders and deputies of other clans, gathering in the middle of a hollow. Upon the Great Rock under four majestic trees.

Rainstorm's head snapped up. "I think I have an idea." Then he was rushing toward the barn entrance before Misty could even open her mouth and ask what that idea was.

Peering out of the barn, Rainstorm saw the hazy glow of the sun behind congregating gray clouds. The sun was lower in the sky, but it would still be some time before the sky darkened with night.

"What is it?" Misty asked, trotting across the floor to stand at his side.

"There was once a meeting of clan leaders at Fourtrees," Rainstorm said. It felt like it had happened forever ago. "We were going to join forces and attack Shadestar. That way we'd have the advantage. Surprise and number. But it didn't work because Snowpelt –" he swallowed the pain of openly declaring his brother a traitor. "Because he was there. This time there will be no traitor to give away our secrets. But we must act quickly."

He turned to Misty and she clearly saw the urgency in his eyes, for she sat up straighter and pricked her ears.

"We need to inform the other clans, get them to come with us for an attack," Rainstorm explained. "Okay, here's what we do. I'll travel to ShadowClan and RiverClan. Misy, you send word to WindClan. Tell them that Rainstorm sent you, they know me. And tell them to meet at Fourtrees just after sunset."

Misty nodded and he felt pride in her, his loner apprentice. Mistypaw. "Tonight is the storm," he said. "That is when we attack."