Wow... it's been a really long time. I'm not going to bother with review replies this chapter, because its been so long, and sometimes the reviews show up for random chapters, so basically it's all very confusing.

Now, I don't want to waste your time with my babbling when I'm sure you're excited to read! I will apologize at the end :)

Chapter 21: Mintleaf

Mintleaf purred and trotted up to Slatepaw, who was proudly holding a mouse.

"Great job!" she purred. "Few apprentices catch anything on their first day!"

Slatepaw opened his mouth to reply, but before he spoke, Stormpaw bounded up, looking panicked. He was panting, and his mouth hung open.

"Where's Featherbreeze?" Mintleaf asked instantly, half expecting her sister to run up behind the apprentice.

"OakClan… attacking at… border. Featherbreeze sent me… get help." Stormpaw gasped, falling toward Mintleaf. Mintleaf pushed him back up, her mind racing.

"We have to go back to camp now. Stormpaw, you need to keep going. We need to be as fast as possible. Slatepaw, make sure he doesn't fall behind." With a quick glance back at the apprentice, Mintleaf took off in the direction of the camp.

To her relief, the apprentices kept up. When the three cats got to the camp, Mintleaf sent the apprentices straight to their den.

"We're under attack!" she yowled, looking around for Leafstar. Cats immediately rushed toward her and started asking questions.

"Where?"

"Are there cats near the camp?"

"Is it OakClan?"

"Is it Flowerstar's supporters?"

"Silence!" Mintleaf recognized Leafstar's voice immediately. "Mintleaf, what is going on?"

"Stormpaw found us in the woods. He told us OakClan was attacking and Featherbreeze was by the border. We came back to get help." Mintleaf gasped.

Leafstar sighed. "I sent Snowpaw with Frostpaw and Willowwind. All of the other mentors and apprentices have returned." She turned to face the gathered clan. "Every cat, except for the apprentices, will go." She flicked her tail to signal the clan and bolted out of the camp.

…

Featherbreeze was hiding behind a bush that lay close to the border. Mintleaf nodded to her patrol and slid behind the bush by her sister.

"Mintleaf!" Featherbreeze gasped.

"Shhh!" Mintleaf whispered.

"LakeClan, attack!" Leafstar's battle call echoed around the clearing. Mintleaf held back a purr of amusement as the OakClan and PineClan cats' expressions changed from excited to startled.

Mintleaf found herself locked in combat with Creektail. The ginger tom pinned her to the ground before she could claw him.

"How did you know we were coming?" he snarled.

"You were pretty loud," Mintleaf hissed sarcastically, clawing at his belly.

Creektail scraped his claws across her cheek. "There is only one way this could have happened," he snapped. "Some cat is a traitor." The ginger tom kicked her away and stalked off.

Mintleaf stood up, gasping for breath. He has the wrong idea! She thought anxiously. I guess that's their problem, she decided grimly, and pushed herself back into the throng of battle.

…

"LakeClan, retreat!" Mintleaf stumbled away from the PineClan cat she was fighting, hearing her father's yowl from across the clearing. Her head hurt from hitting it on the ground, and blood dripped from wounds all along her side. Nonetheless, her mind reeled with confusion. Why is he making the orders? she wondered briefly, before pushing the thought away as she walked toward the trees. It's probably nothing.

"Mintleaf, where is your mother?" Hollyfire ran up to her, blood dripping off her pelt.

"I-I don't know," Mintleaf stammered. "I assumed she just decided to let Thunderstrike make the announcement. We should get back to camp." She glanced back and saw more LakeClan cats coming up behind them. Every cat looked battle-weary and exhausted.

"Where's Leafstar?" Hollyfire demanded, bounding toward Thunderstrike.

Thunderstrike bowed his head. "She was captured," he meowed quietly.

"What?" There was a collective sound of horror from the rest of the warriors.

"Captured?" Rowanstem gasped, looking alarmed.

"Why don't we go and get her back?" Sootsong snapped.

Thunderstrike scanned the crowd of warriors. "We will," he meowed. "But not now. We need to get home."

…

"What do you mean, you left her?" Ivybreeze snarled. She was talking to Thunderstrike just outside her den. Mintleaf and the rest of the clan sat in a group nearby while Tanglepaw began to treat injuries, looking confused and worried.

"We were outnumbered!" Thunderstrike snapped. His shoulders slumped. "Treat the clan first. I will talk to you later."

Just then, Willowwind trotted into the camp with Snowpaw and Frostpaw behind her. Willowwind held a large rabbit, a squirrel, and a mouse in her jaws. Snowpaw and Frostpaw each had a mouse.

"What happened?" Willowwind gasped, her prey falling to the ground.

"The war continues," Ivybreeze sighed, rubbing ointment onto Stonestripe's paws. "We were attacked by OakClan and PineClan, and they took Leafstar."

"Go to your den," Willowwind ordered the apprentices, running over to the crowd of warriors. "How can I help?" she asked Ivybreeze.

Ivybreeze motioned to a pile of herbs behind her. "Help Tanglepaw," she meowed, spitting out a leaf.

…

Mintleaf's head still hurt, but her scratches had finally stopped stinging. She collapsed into her nest and yawned.

"Do you think we'll find Leafstar?" she wondered aloud, looking around the den.

"Knowing OakClan, they'll probably demand that we give them the waterfall before we get her back," Rowanstem snarled.

Sootsong, who had been laying down with her tail curled over her face suddenly sat up. "There's a gathering tomorrow! We've been so busy with the War, we forgot! I wonder who will go?"

"Maybe we'll find out what happened to Leafstar," Mintleaf mewed hopefully.

…

"Let all cats gather here beneath high-ledge for a clan meeting!" Thunderstrike's call woke Mintleaf up, and groggily she stumbled out of the warriors' den, amidst the throng of cats.

"Mintleaf!" Slatepaw bounded over to her, his eyes bright. "What are we doing today?" he asked, jumping up and down.

"I don't know yet," Mintleaf replied. "Maybe we'll do a group fishing lesson with all the other apprentices and mentors."

"Cats of LakeClan!" Thunderstrike yowled, interrupting Mintleaf's conversation. She whirled around to face the deputy, and Slatepaw sat down beside her. "I have decided that there is no time to waste in rescuing Leafstar," he announced.

"But tonight's the gathering!" some cat protested.

Thunderstrike's eyes hardened. "Exactly," he hissed. "Their camp will be vulnerable."

"But that's breaking the warrior code!" Mintleaf gasped.

Thunderstrike glared down at her. "If you don't want to go, you can go to the gathering. But tonight, we will take them down."

I am so so sorry! It's really been forever since I updated. I have another chapter ready to post, so don't worry! My only excuse is life is busy! But now its Thanksgiving break, so I've started actually working on my story, and I aim to update every weekend, although I'm not sure I can keep that schedule.

QOTC

Will StreamClan return to LakeClan's side in the war?

I think the story will probably end up being about 25 chapters, so I am getting pretty close to the end. But it may be longer, although I don't think it will be longer than 30!

Please review! I will respond to reviews through PM. Reviewing really makes me excited to write, and I do appreciate critique!