Chapter 8: The Strangers

"How could you say such a thing?" Owlclaw had leapt to his paws at Limesplash's accusation. His fur was bristling, and his claws were out.

"I could say it because it is true," Limesplash retorted. "Lion is innocent."

Lionspirit lifted his chin at his brother's scathing glare. "I did not do it."

Owlclaw surveyed the cats around him and snarled, "Do you really believe a half-dead cat with no memory of the incident? Lion, I apologize for accusing you. It was another rogue, a golden-pelted one." He lapped at the patch of missing fur on his flank. "If I really attacked her, how could I have been injured? I didn't claw out my own fur!"

Limesplash glared at him. "I clawed out your fur."

Owlclaw hissed wordlessly at the young warrior.

"Mark my words, kittypet," he growled menacingly. "I will make you pay for this." He turned and thrust his way between the gathered cats and out of the bramble tunnel.

"I'm telling the truth!" Limesplash cried. "He tried to kill me!"

Redstar yowled from Highledge. "Nightfrost, Patchclaw, Willowheart, Lionspirit!" he ordered. "After him!"

Nightfrost lead the other warriors out of camp. Redstar's claws twitched. Why did I bring him into the Clan? We barely even knew him, and now he's breaking the oath he made.

Redstar lifted his chin to Silverpelt. "Guide our paws," he pleaded. "Guide our paws."

0_0

"You're the best tracker, Patchclaw," Nightfrost ordered. "Lead the way."

Lionspirit followed Nightfrost as he urged Patchclaw along. That light brown tabby—Willowheart—brought up the rear. Lionspirit could feel her suspicious gaze like a hot sunbeam. I'm innocent! Even Limesplash thinks so!

Lost in thought, Lionspirit didn't notice the bramble tendril across his path. "Fox dung!" he hissed as the bramble wound around one of his hind paws—the bad one.

"We can't stop," Nightfrost meowed tensely. "Willowheart, make quick work of helping him."

The warrior nodded. "I can yowl loud enough to wake StarClan."

Her words made Lionspirit uneasy as she unwound the tendril in stony silence. Lionspirit licked at his paw. It was the scarred paw, the one that had been caught in a fox trap a few seasons ago.

It was Owlclaw's fault, too, Lionspirit thought bitterly.

"Are you ready?"

In answer, Lionspirit bounded ahead.

He collided with Patchclaw. "Watch it, mouse-brain!" Patchclaw snarled.

"S-sorry."

Nightfrost ignored Lionspirit's apology. "He doubled back. He could be by the ShadowClan border now."

Of course, DareClan was the only Clan in the forest, but there was no time for corrections.

"Lionspirit. Do you have any idea where Owlclaw would be going?"

Lionspirit's mind raced. "Um, I think he would go outside of Clan territory."

Nightfrost muttered insults under his breath. "He'll be back, I know. Let's go tell Redstar."

-_o

"You couldn't find him?"

Redstar's mew was incredulous as he faced the patrol.

Nightfrost nodded disappointedly. "He tried to lose us. Lionspirit thinks he went outside of Clan territory."

Redstar waited until the rest of the patrol departed to continue. "Do you trust him?"

The question surprised Nightfrost. "He knows Owlclaw better than any of us. Lavenderflight's views might be softened by love."

Redstar nodded. "I see your point." He turned away from Nightfrost and sighed. Nightfrost was shocked at how defeated he looked. "I feel as if this is my fault. I'm the one who made him join."

Nightfrost shook his head firmly. "You didn't make him join. If I remember correctly, his kits persuaded him to."

Redstar's tail flicked. "You might be right."

The leader turned back to Nightfrost. A new fire burned in his amber eyes. "I will not allow the Clan to be defeated by a rogue who tramples on the warrior code. I will stop him, even if I must die eight times over."

Nightfrost nodded, encouraged by his leader's attitude. "DareClan will follow your lead."

*.*

"This way, I think. I smell his scent."

The tom looked over his shoulder at his companion. "Well, are you coming?"

The younger tom hissed. "I've got my tail stuck in a bramble."

"Keep your fur on." A she-cat behind him disentangled him. "There."

"Everyone ready?"

The second tom nodded tensely. The she-cat behind him inclined her head, and another tom's head was outlined in moonlight as he nodded.

"Let's go."

I'm coming, my son. You need me.

#_#

Nightfrost's claws twitched in their sheaths as he sat outside the camp. He had guard duty tonight with Willowheart.

I hope Owlclaw comes this way. I'll claw his fur off.

A movement in the bushes made his tail bush out.

"Cat scent!" Willowheart hissed. "Three toms and a she-cat, coming this way!"

Nightfrost unsheathed his claws, a growl rumbling in his throat.

"Who's there?" Willowheart called.

A tortoiseshell-and-white tom patched with gold emerged from a bush and dipped his head. "Greetings. I am Lightning. I've come to help my son."

Nightfrost narrowed his eyes. "You've no kin in DareClan," he snapped.

"I believe I do. Lion is my son."

Willowheart's jaw dropped. "Lionspirit?"

Lightning's whiskers twitched. "I see that he's taken a Clan name. Owl is my son as well, and he has ambitions too great for many forests. Blood is in his path."

Nightfrost's claws dug into the soil. How was this possible? A passing rogue knew about DareClan, and apparently he had allies.

"Take me to my son," Lightning instructed.

Nightfrost purposefully displayed his claws as he removed them from the soil. "I'm Clan deputy. You are not going into camp unless Redstar approves. I will bring Lionspirit to you, but you must promise not to harm the welfare of my Clan."

Lightning narrowed his yellow eyes in silence.

Nightfrost waved his tail. "Willowheart, there's a cat in the dirtplace. Tell them to fetch Lionspirit."

Willowheart disappeared into the darkness for a moment.

"He's coming."

Lionspirit ducked his head as he came out of the bramble tunnel. "What is it?" he yawned.

He tasted the air and was suddenly wide awake. "Lightning."

Lionspirit's father swiped his tongue around his jaws, as if he had scented a juicy piece of fresh-kill. "Lion. These cats are trying to harm you. Life does not last long in a bloodthirsty Clan such as this. Come away with me, and live in a place where no cat will do you harm."

Lionspirit's eyes widened. "Why should I come with you?" He sniffed the air deeply. "Don't bring me there."

Lightning hissed. "Spider, Eternity, Juror, get over here."

A brown-black tom, a jet black she-cat, and a sturdy brown tabby emerged from the bushes.

Lightning cleared his throat and gestured with his tail to the glossy-pelted she-cat. "Eternity was a kittypet. When she found out she was expecting kits, her Twolegs took her out in a monster and left her at the side of a thunderpath to die. We—that is, the group I live with—found her starving, thirsty, and having pains. She almost died. We saved her from those evil Twolegs."

Nightfrost looked suspiciously at the former kittypet, who dipped her head in confirmation.

"I was born in Twolegplace," the brown-black meowed. "I've lived there, and I believe it is better to use your skills to fight and find food instead of submitting to a mouse-hearted Twoleg."

Lightning narrowed his eyes. "Yes, that's right, Spider. And Juror was born in Twolegplace as well. Some Twolegs stole him just after birth. We tried in vain to get him back. When we had given up after eight moons, he came back with new purpose and a name. We still don't quite know what happened to him during those eight moons."

His lecture finished, Lightning looked at his son. "So you see, Lion, living in Twolegplace with my group is much safer than fighting for your life with these ruffians."

Lionspirit stared in dumbfounded anger. "Lightning," he meowed finally, "even without knowing you well, I can see right through the lies you're telling."

Eternity's breath caught in her throat. "Even if you're calling Lightning a liar," she hissed, "he really did save my life. Spider is telling the truth as well." The she-cat curled her lip at Juror. "Yet your past is one of shame. Why would you come wailing to us?"

The tom met her gaze with eyes like flint and a silence almost as sharp.

"Just come with me, Lionspirit," Lightning urged.

Nightfrost looked at the young tom, anticipating his response. Lionspirit's eyes were confused but clear and decided.

"I will not go," he replied. "I am going to stay here with my Clanmates."

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.
Apprentice, 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. Invented by Mothstar.
Apprentice, Jetpaw

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

Owlclaw: dark brown tabby tom, former rogue, with deep green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

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

Apprentices:

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

Jetpaw: jet black tom with very dark blue eyes. Invented by Darkhead.

Darkpaw: smoky black tom with yellow eyes. Invented by Darkhead.

Queens:

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

Lavenderflight: pale gray she-cat, former loner, with green eyes. Nursing Owlclaw's kits: Bramblekit, a dark brown tabby tom, and Spottedkit, a pretty tortoiseshell-and-white she-kit. All invented by Mothstar.

Elders:

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