I ducked into a bush and motioned for Smokepaw to follow me. I saw gray warrior, a dark gray apprentice and a cat I recognized stepped along the riverbank on the other side.

Jetfur.

I hadn't seen my littermate since the last gathering. Her coat was jet-black and had given her her name. She looked filled out, and made me feel self-conscious of my own skinny pelt. Leaf-fall was almost here, and leaf-bare was soon to follow. Prey was disappearing, but the RiverClan cats always had enough to eat.

She stepped along the riverbank like she knew it, glancing into the water every now and then. Suddenly the gray warrior pricked his ears up and sniffed, opening his mouth to let the air pass through.

"I smell ThunderClan!" he announced. The apprentice opened his mouth as well.

"I smell it too! Do you, Jetfur?" My sister sniffed vaguely, but soon continued.

"They probably left a marker here. You know how they are, all touchy about their borders. I don't really think it's anything. We're sort of in the lead, because we've got Sunningrocks." She glanced down at the river, her paw lashing out. A fat fish flopped onto the bank. She pinned it with her paw until it lay motionless on the bank. She took the fish between her jaws and continued, a pointed refusal to say anymore.

The apprentice whispered something to the warrior about what Tidestar would say if there were ThunderClan cats on their territory, but they soon followed.

I waited until they were out of sight before coming out. Smokepaw followed.

"I know Birchpaw. That was her. She's there." I nodded.

"I know. We'll warn Daystar and see what happens."

The next night, the half-moon had risen, but the whole of ThunderClan was awake, except the kits. The queens were going to stay, and so were the elders, but the warriors and apprentices were ready for battle. Daystar and Dawnflower were going as well.

"Let's go," Daystar announced. All the cats yowled and set off. We walked single file through the trees. I couldn't think much because I had to dodge Sagepaw's tail in front of me, but I managed to allow myself a few thoughts.

The first thought that came to my mind was whether or not this was dishonest. But I pushed this thought out of my mind. RiverClan had Birchpaw. We were coming to get her back.

We tramped single-file through the forest, making as little noise as possible. A couple of apprentices whispered together, but their mentors silenced them. For the most part, all was quiet.

I was disappointed that my mother wasn't there, but I knew that she couldn't get hurt back at the camp. We had left Suneyes and Redstripe back at camp, along with Fernpaw, who was Redstripe's apprentice, for backup.

The rest of the camp was going for war.

Kits had been few this past green-leaf, and we were short on warriors. We didn't want ThunderClan to seem weak, so we left only who we could spare. I heard Smokepaw mutter excitedly behind me.

"My first real battle! I can show off my leap and hold…wish Fernpaw were here…" Then Rosesky shushed her.

Finally, we reached the border, marching calmly across it. I stopped at the riverbank out of habit, then let out a long breath and hopped across the stones. A couple apprentices were trying to get across in two bounds instead of four, but their mentors squashed the idea. I made sure that Smokepaw didn't try. She didn't.

I knew from earlier that Daystar was going to try to just ask for Birchpaw back first, and fight only if necessary. I felt Smokepaw tense. We all heard something. It was so obvious on this side of the border.

A moon-old cry for help.

It was cut short suddenly, followed by a yowl of pain. I saw Seastorm, three cats ahead of me, speed up slightly. I was excited too.

RiverClan had captured sweet little Birchpaw, who had always been polite and never nosy, and we were going to set her free. Grayclaw's claws were unsheathed, and his neck fur was raised. Clearly, he was hoping for a fight. Sagepaw, his apprentice after Sleetmane, copied him, hissing.

Rosesky looked more pained as she stepped across RiverClan territory. I was about to ask her if she had a thorn in her paw, but then I realized something: it wasn't hurt pain, it was emotional pain. And not even the most skilled medicine cat could cure that.

She had insisted, against, I was sure, her own will, to come, to save her daughter. She wanted to rescue Birchpaw. She just didn't want to fight for her. I didn't blame her; I didn't either.

We padded nearer and nearer to the RiverClan camp. A cat hissed something about intruders to Daystar, but she continued without a twitch of an eyelash.

Single-file, we padded boldly into the RiverClan camp.

I spotted Jetfur crouched in the warriors den, talking with Crowfur. They'd had kits already, two toms named Nightpaw and Wildpaw, I knew, but I didn't see them.

I prayed that I would never meet that end, lying around in the nursery all day, going through the pain of having kits, and needing to take care of them for six moons, the only thing keeping me going being that someday they would be warriors and protect the clan.

But I had always been impatient. I wouldn't want to go through with that process if all the kits could do was annoy the elders and look cute. I adored other cats' kits, but I dreaded having some of my own.

I noticed Tidestar on a large rock in the middle of the camp, a little like Highrock, assigning patrols. When he saw us, led by the guards, he stopped.

"What are you doing here, Daystar?" he asked in a low voice, dripping with accusation. "Is this an invasion?"

"Tidestar, if we had come to fight, we would be in the heart of a battle right now. No, we come to take back what is rightfully ours. We come for Birchpaw." A low murmuring swept through RiverClan. Tidestar raised his head higher.

"She came to us nearly willingly. Clearly, borders are not enough. Fine. There will be no battle today, though I daresay there could be. Goldentail, bring out the kit."

I heard a voice say, "I'm not a kit!" in indignation, saw Goldentail—who was the cat we had seen in the woods—disappear into a spare den and come out dragging a light gray cat by the scruff.

Birchpaw!

I heard Seastorm let out a sigh of relief. The apprentice was reasonably well fed, suitable for a prisoner, but not starved.

Birchpaw tried to bow upon seeing her leader, but Goldentail yanked her head up roughly. Daystar signaled with her tail that it was all right. As soon as Goldentail let go, Wolfeye, the deputy and an experienced, powerful warrior, stepped on Birchpaw's tail. Reluctantly, Birchpaw sat still.

But her tongue worked like crazy.

"Rosesky! Seastorm! Oh, thank you, Daystar, for saving me! I was chasing a mouse when I fell in the river and got swept down to one of the hunting patrols and they brought me back here! Get me away from them!"

Fear-scent came off her in waves, and I glimpsed the whites of her eyes. She was frightened. She struggled against Wolfeye's grip, but she strong warrior pressed down hard on the tip of her tail until she shrieked.

"Let her go!" Rosesky pleaded. She couldn't bear to see her daughter like this for much longer. Wolfeye glanced at his leader. Tidestar nodded.

Wolfeye released Birchpaw, who sprang to the ground and raced toward her mother. For a moment, queen and kit embraced, then Daystar turned, risking one more look back at Tidestar.

"Our gratitude," she said smoothly, before turning away to lead her clan home.