Chapter 4: Facing the Threat

Honeyleaf awoke, her throat tight with fear. Rats! They're coming for the Clan! I've got to warn Redstar!

She staggered out of her nest in the cleft of the herb hollow and hurried up Highledge, not bothering to warn Redstar of her arrival. She burst into the den, awaking him.

"Rats! Cloudstar told me that rats are coming! They're the threat!"

Redstar jolted awake to the sound of Honeyleaf's anxious cry. "Rats! Cloudstar told me that rats are coming! They're the threat!"

He leapt to his paws, pelt bristling. "Rats? Did you learn when they're coming? I dreamt as well. I think they're living at the abandoned Twoleg nest. Someone will make a mistake,and they'll attack."

"Can we stop the mistake?"

"It's already happened.

Prismlight padded toward the Sky Oak, her heart light. Ferret will be there, he said. I can't wait!

She saw the cream-and-brown tom running to greet her. "Hello, Prismlight," he purred, his yellow eyes sparkling. "What shall we do today?"

Prismlight blinked. "Maybe we can go to the Twoleg nest. Fernpaw told me that she didn't check on her catmint yesterday."

Ferret stepped back. "Lead the way."

They padded through the forest, their pelts brushing. The Twoleg nest looked eerie and foreboding.

"Are you too scared?" Ferret teased. "I'll go check on the plants if you won't."

"Not a chance! Last one to the entrance is a mouse!" She ran before finishing her sentence. Ferret matched her stride for stride, but life as a warrior had given Prismlight strength. She pulled ahead and touched the wood around the door. "You're a mouse!"

Ferret came up behind Prismlight. "Okay, I am. I'd be a really big mouse, though, and I might eat myself if I got too hungry."

Prismlight gazed at the tom. She loved him so much that it ached. Why did he have to be a rogue? She'd told him all about Clan life, and he was nervous that Redstar wouldn't accept him.

"Look," he breathed into her ear. "It looks dark in there."

It was true. Despite the sun blazing overhead, the Twoleg nest was dark and cool.

"Do you smell that?" Prismlight asked.

"I smell prey, forest, and your fear-scent," he teased.

"Hey! Bet I can stay in there longer than you can!" She leapt through the doorway before she could stop herself.

"It's creepy in here." Ferret's mew echoed. "And now I smell it. I think..."

Prismlight's tail was stiff as she leaned to sniff the air. The scent came strongly from the way up higher into the nest. She padded over to the rotted wood and sniffed harder...

"Prismlight! Move!"

Ferret slammed into her side and shoved her backwards. His fur was fluffed up to three times its size. He bared his teeth up the wood.

"Stay away!" he yowled. "Prismlight is mine!"

An ominous hissing sound made the fur on Prismlight's spine prickle. What is that?

"Go back to where you belong, rats!" Ferret caterwauled.

"We belong here," a hissy voice replied. "Cats die. Rats live."

The wooden thing creaked.

"Run!" Ferret cried, pushing Prismlight. "Run for your life!"

Prismlight pounded out of the nest with Ferret behind her. She headed for the camp.

The brambles tore at her fur as she hurtled through the tunnel.

She skidded to a halt by the fresh-kill pile, kicking dust onto a juicy rabbit.

"That's not fit for eating!" Nightfrost scolded. "Prismlight? Who's this?"

The Clan cats flowed into the clearing, intrigued by Ferret's scent. He came from behind her and stood protectively in front of her.

"I am Ferret," he announced. "Prismlight and I love each other."

[*]

Redstar came down from Highledge. He had been resting in his den after a long hunt. The fear-scent of Prismlight and the strong scent of a rogue tomcat had wafted into the cave.

Intruders?

He came out of the den to a crowd of cats around a brown-and-cream tom. He was standing in front of Prismlight protectively, as if DareClan would hurt her.

"Prismlight?" Redstar padded up to her. "Who is this?"

The tom, unaware of his presence, spoke. "I am Ferret. Prismlight and I love each other."

So that's what Prismlight's been up to! he thought. She's been meeting with this rogue!

"Prismlight," he meowed. The tom and the white cat whirled around. Prismlight hissed into Ferret's ear, "That's Redstar."

The tom stepped forward, dipping his head. His tail was trembling, but he addressed Redstar bravely. "I am Ferret. I am in love with Prismlight, and she is in love with me. We've been meeting each other for a half moon. Prismlight's sister has been covering for us. We went into the abandoned Twoleg nest and were almost attacked by rats. One of them spoke cat and said, 'We belong here. Rats live. Cats die.' I apologize for disrupting your Clan and giving the rats a scent trail to your camp." He stepped back with his head down. Prismlight pressed comfortingly against him.

"Ferret," Redstar mewed. "I am glad to see you in person. Prismlight has been sneaking around; I've known. I didn't know why. I'd like to know about things like this."

"I didn't know how warmly I'd be accepted."

"We have been receiving omens from our ancestors about these rats. You have helped the Clan in that I now know where they are. We must attack before they do."

The Clan was murmuring apprehensively.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Solfang yowled.

"I'd just found out," Redstar explained.

Solfang narrowed his eyes and fell silent.

"Ferret," Redstar continued. "You have helped the Clan. I am indebted to you. Will you stay with us and help us fight these rats?"

Ferret's yellow eyes widened. "You fight them? You won't just move somewhere else?"

"Oh, yes, we fight. We aren't rogues."

Ferret stood silently for several heartbeats. "Okay. Tell me what I can do to help."

Redstar poked his head into the nursery. "Lavender? How are you doing?"

The pale gray queen was lying on the moss, alert and calm. "I heard everything that happened. I'd like to join your Clan."

"Come into the clearing," Redstar told her, "and I will give you a warrior name."

#-#

"I call upon StarClan to watch us as we face the rats. We have four cats that will join DareClan. Ferret, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan at any cost, even that of your own life?"

Ferret looked uneasy. "I do."

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Ferret, you shall be known as Ferretnose. StarClan honors your knowledge and your initiative, and we welcome you as a full member of DareClan."

Redstar rested his muzzle on Ferretnose's head. The tom licked his shoulder.

"Lavender?"

The queen came forward.

"You shall be known as Lavenderflight. StarClan honors your willpower and your selflessness, and we welcome you as a full member of DareClan."

Lavenderflight nudged her kits forward. Their eyes were open now, the bright blue of a young kit. The tom was a dark brown tabby, and the she-kit was a pretty tortoiseshell-and-white.

"This is Bramble," Lavenderflight mewed, "and this is Spots."

"These kits shall be known as Bramblekit and Spottedkit," Redstar proclaimed. "Raise them well. We will apprentice them when they are six moons old."

"Thank you, Redstar," Lavenderflight mewed. "I shall be loyal to your Clan. I hope to introduce you to the father of my kits, a rogue named Owl."

"I will be glad to meet him."

(%)

DareClan:

Leader: Redstar: reddish ginger tom with amber eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Deputy: Nightfrost: black tom with light blue paws, tail-tip, and light blue eyes. Invented by Shadus Krifetalon.

Medicine cat: Honeyleaf: light gold she-cat with green eyes. Invented by Jayfeather Luva.
Apprentice, Fernpaw

Warriors:

Willowheart: light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Silverstreak: silver she-cat with blue, dark gray, and black streaks throughout her fur and blue eyes. Invented by MyrtleFalls and Mothstar.
Apprentce, Darkpaw

Smokesplash: blue and dark gray tom. Invented by Smokeclaw of ShadowClan.

Patchclaw: black-and-white patched tom. Invented by Patchkit.

Palestorm: pale gray tom with darker gray paws, chest, and tail-tip, and green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Rainbowheart: rainbow tabby she-cat with green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Prismlight: white she-cat with a sheen to her fur that makes it shine in all the colors of the color spectrum and golden eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Solfang: tortoiseshell-and-white tom with long fur, a ruff of fur around his neck, a tail tuft, and amber eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Lemonpelt: yellowish-grayish-green tom with yellow eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Molespots: creamy brown tom with gold spots and green eyes
Apprentice, Jetpaw

Ferretnose: cream-and-brown tom with yellow eyes, former loner. Invented by Mothstar.

Apprentices:

Fernpaw: pale gray she-cat with green eyes, apprentice to the medicine cat. Invented by Mothstar.

Limepaw: white she-cat with lime-shaped green splotches and green eyes. Invented by Velvet Masquerade.

Jetpaw: jet black tom with very dark blue eyes

Darkpaw: smoky black tom with yellow eyes

Queens:

Shinyheart: very pale gold she-cat with yellow eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Lavenderflight: pale gray she-cat, former loner, with green eyes. Nursing Bramblekit, a dark brown tabby tom, and Spottedkit, a pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-kit

Elders:

Stormspeckle: jet black tom with pale gray flecks and amber eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Outside DareClan:

Owl: dark brown tabby tom with deep green eyes