Sandra raced toward ShadowClan territory with Lionblaze Graystripe and the ShadowClan patrol. They had to get to the camp as quickly as possible.

"Oomph!" Graystripe stumbled and they all stopped. "A bramble tripped me," he growled. Lionblaze stared at him for a moment, Sandra kept her eyes fixed on ShadowClan territory.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Graystripe asked Lionblaze, curling his lip. "Come on! We've got a battle to fight." He hared after Smokefoot and Snowbird.

As they crossed the border they heard battle crys. "Crowfrost!" Snowbird screeched as she leaped over a juniper bush, grappling with three Dark Forest warriors.

"Toadfoot, we're coming!" Oakfur followed Snowbird.

They slowed a little as they saw Snaketail, a ShadowClan elder writing among the battling cats.

"We have to get to the camp," Lionblaze urged.

"Snaketail needs help," Smokefoot called.

"Then help him." Lionblaze veered off the trail and cut through some brambles. "Come on, Graystripe, Sandra." The three raced through the trees until they found the ShadowClan camp. When they entered they couldn't believe what met their eyes. Injured cats littered the clearing. Pinenose, a black queen, wailed over the small, lifeless body of a kit. Tawnypelt weave around her Clanmates, her gaze sharp with horror. Four Dark Forest warriros paced around the far end of camp, watching the Clan like foxes waiting for cornered prey to wear itself out.

Sandra's gaze dart around the clearing until she found Emma and Ryuga. Ryuga sat panting while Emma paced in front of him, a small limp in her step. Sandra couldn't tell if Ryuga had any wounds. She ran up to them. "Emma! Ryuga!"

Emma looked up. "Sandra! You came!"

"Of course I did!" Sandra replied, halting in front of her. "The camp doesn't look for good."

"The Dark Forest warriors came out of nowwhere. And there were so many," Emma meowed. "How do dead cats even come into the living world? It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know either, but they're stronger than they used to be," Sandra meowed, stepping past Emma to look at Ryuga. Ryuga stared at her through narrowed eyes but deep inside those eyes Sandra saw pain. Sandra scanned his pelt. He had srcatches all over and was bleeding heavily from both shoulders. Patches of fur was missing from around his neck and he was bleeding a little there. He needs serious help.

"Ryuga, you need a medicine cat," Sandra meowed.

"I'm fine!" Ryuga snapped moving to get up but he winced and quickly sat down again.

"I told him he should see Littlecloud but he refused to, and said he was fine," Emma meowed, padding up beside Sandra.

"And I told her that because I'm fine!" Ryuga growled.

Emma flashed Sandra and uncertain look. Sandra slightly nodded. "Ryuga, if you want to be any use you need to see Littlecloud and get those wounds looked at. You won't be any use to ShadowClan like this," she meowed.

"I can fight just as good as any cat here!" Ryuga retorted, baring his teeth in a snarl.

"Oh, so you'd rather be killed by the next patrol of Dark Forest warriors?" Sandra snapped back. "These warriors aren't regular cats, Ryuga! They don't care about the warrior code or anything like that. Every Dark Forest warrior has been training for a long time, and all we've done is worry about the Clan boundaries. Our enemy wants to kill every cat around the lake and they can easily kill you in the condition you're in. So get over to Littlecloud!"

"But-" Ryuga began to protest but camp entrance rustled and more Dark Forest warriors raced through. Sandra scanned the cats for either Kyoya or Masemune but she couldn't find them.

"Get him to Littlecloud!" Sandra ordered. Emma nodded and nudged Ryuga forward. Ryuga reluctantly let her guide him over to the camp wall where Littlecloud and the other injured cats were hiding. Sandra walked with them, knocking away any Dark Forest warriors that tried to attack them.

"They're overrunning us!" Graystripe called.

"This can't be the end! Can it?" Emma asked, looking at Sandra as she shoved Ryuga into the camp wall.

"Don't worry! Just keep fighting!" Sandra answered, dashing into the fight. Emma was right behind her. Four Dark Forest warriors charged to meet them. Sandra ducked under one but then another rammed her. Sandra yowled and rolled over on the ground. She staggered to her paws. Fight like rogues! Sandra lunged between the two cats and began lashing out with her paws.

"We can't beat them all!" Emma growled from where she was fighting with the other two.

Suddenly, Sandra heard pawsteps beyond the camp wall and more warriors leaped into battle. Their pelts were transparent. The Ancients! A badger followed the Ancients.

"Who's that?" Emma asked.

Sandra smiled. "Midnight! She's a friend of the Clans!" She looked around as the Ancients battled with the Dark Forest warriors. The odds were on their side now. "Come on! We can win this fight!" Sandra dashed into the fight with Emma on her tail. They lashed out at any Dark Forest warrior they saw.

"Help!" Sandra stopped and looked up to see Shredtail pinning Ratscar down.

"You'll die like a traitor!" Shredtail snarled.

"No, Shredtail! Please!" Ratscar begged as he struggled.

"Let him go!" Lionblaze yowled as he skidded to a halt a little ways away from Shredtail.

"Emma!" Sandra called. "Keep the Dark Forest warriors from reaching Lionblaze!" Emma nodded and dashed over to the Dark Forest warriors that tried to attack Lionblaze. Thought they were soon seperated.

Sandra tackled a Dark Forest cat to the ground and when it struggled away it ran off. Sandra growled with satisfaction and turned to find her next opponent. A Dark Forest warrior was about to lung at her when Ryuga came out of the camp wall and attacked it himself.

"Ryuga! You're supposed to stay out of this!" Sandra growled.

"No one tells me what to do!" Ryuga growled swiping at the Dark Forest warrior. Sandra rolled her eyes but then she saw a Dark Forest she-cat lung at Ryuga from the side. Ryuga didn't notice her. Sandra leaped forward and butted the Dark Forest she-cat with her head. She then leaped at her but the Dark Forest warrior rolled away from her. She was about to leap at Sandra when a screech split the air. The Dark Forest warriors turned and fled from ShadowClan's camp. Sandra looked to see Lionblaze standing over Shredtail's fading body.

"Sandra!" Emma ran up to Sandra. Ryuga limped slowly behind her. "We did it! We won!"

"They'll think twice about coming back here!" Ryuga rasped.

"So, is the battle over?" Emma asked.

"Maybe for ShadowClan, but not for ThunderClan," Sandra answered darkly. "I've got to find Kyoya and Masemune. I have to make them see that they're not doing the right thing!"

"Are they on the Dark Forest's side?" Ryuga asked in a growl.

"They trained there. They were tricked into training there," Sandra explained. "Tigerstar lied to them."

"Sandra!" Sandra looked up to see Lionblaze and Graystripe with the Ancients waiting for her. "They don't need our help anymore! We've got to go back and help ThunderClan!"

Sandra nodded. "I'm right behind you!" Sandra was about to join them when Emma stopped her. "Do you want me to come and help? I think ShadowClan can manage on their own now."

"I don't know. You can if you want. Ask Blackstar first, but I wouldn't let Ryuga come. He still is pretty hurt and ThunderClan has a big battle ahead," Sandra explained.

"Hey! I can fight!" Ryuga growled.

Sandra sighed. "Fine! You can come if you want! But no fighting with Gingka!" Sandra dashed over to Lionblaze. They waited while Emma and Ryuga got permission from Blackstar to go with them. They soon joined them and they were off toward ThunderClan territory.

When they reached the border Sandra heard some voices coming from nearby. Everyone else heard them and stopped. "What's that?" Graystripe growled.

"You head back to the camp! We'll check it out!" Sandra meowed with Emma and Ryuga right behind her.

Lionblaze nodded. "Alright, but don't be too long." The others then dashed off. Sandra, Emma and Ryuga followed the voices. As they got closer Sandra began to make out the voices.

"We have to go attack their camp, Lionfang! Let's go!"

"Tigerstar!" Sandra growled.

"Lionfang! Strikepaw! Let's go! Don't just stand there!"

"And Brokenstar too!" Sandra whispered.

"But who's Lionfang and Strikepaw?" Emma asked.

"I've never heard their names," Ryuga added.

"Maybe they're Dark Forest warriors. Let's go check it out!" Sandra stalked forward with Emma and Ryuga behind her. They spotted Tigerstar and Brokenstar and hid in a nearby bush. Sandra looked to see them facing two cats. Sandra's mouth gaped when she reconized Kyoya and Masemune! What are they doing?