A.N.: Hey to answer some questions... Tornadointhemorn, I don't update everyday because yes, I do the writing of each chapter RIGHT BEFORE I post it lol. And to HaveaQueenysummer, I've got nothing against Strikefang having more kits, which she can still do. I was actually planning on putting her with a cat and having kits. The broken spine won't affect it because remember in the first book I had Briarlight have kits? If you really don't want Strikefang to be like Briarlight, just lemme know, but I really wanted a cat to be like that.


P.O.V. Of Moonshadow

Moonshadow padded out of the warriors' den and saw Fuzzytail and Cloversong grooming Emberheart one last time, their other two kits Dawnbreeze and Larkclaw laying on either side of her body. If it wasn't for all their sad looks, Emberheart would have just looked like she was sleeping. Moonshadow padded over to them and greeted them quietly.

"Hello Moonshadow." Fuzzytail mewed sadly.

"Hello... would you guys like any help burying her...?" Moonshadow asked carefully, motioning to Emberheart's body.

"No need, thank you though. Why don't you go check on Blackstream?" Dawnbreeze meowed.

"She's been asleep since you brought her back to camp." Larkclaw sighed.

"Alright, but I'll be around camp all day today if you need me." He told them, then padded off to the medicine cat den.

"Fawnheart? Silverberry?"

"Come in!" He heard Silverberry answer and he went inside.

"Fawnheart is with Robinheart and the kits, do you need something?"

"No, just wanted to check on Blackstream... how is she?" Moonshadow noticed Blackstream, Strikefang, and Dustcloud all in nests in another corner of the den.

"Dustcloud is still here?" He asked. Silverberry sighed and sat down, taking a quick break from looking through her herbs.

"Yes... I was wrong. When they told me they were concerned that Acornkit had a cough and I told them it was just kitten cough but I was wrong and now Dustcloud and now she has white cough bordering on green cough. And now I was just looking over Strikefang and I think something is wrong with her belly, but I'm probably wrong about that too. I'm such an awful medicine cat." She cried.

"Silverberry, no you aren't." Moonshadow nuzzled his cousin comfortingly.

"I can't even help my sister..." Silverberry sniffled.

"She's alive, isn't she? Silverberry, she was in horrible shape and you helped fix her. You're a great medicine cat. The three of them just need rest. And about Dustcloud and the kits, everyone makes mistakes." Moonshadow told her.

"But this mistake could cost lives..." Silverberry sighed, then went back to looking through her herbs. "You can go see if Blackstream is awake, but she hasn't been awake yet. Don't stay too long though, I don't want you to catch anything from Dustcloud. If any more cats get a cough we may just have to move them into a separate den to prevent it from spreading anymore. Ugh I need chervil for Strikefang. Or some juniper berries, mallow leaves, watermint, anything." Silverberry yowled in frustration and started throwing herbs around.

"Silverberry!" Moonshadow exclaimed in surprise.

"THERE'S NOTHING! NOTHING! IT'S BARELY EVEN LEAF-FALL AND WE HAVE NOTHING USEFUL! THIS LEAFBARE IS GOING TO KILL US ALL! STARCLAN WAS RIGHT, WE'RE DOOMED!" She screamed.

"Wh-what? StarClan said what?" Moonshadow stammered.

"SILVERBERRY!" The two younger cats looked and saw Fawnheart in the opening of the den looking angry. Silverberry's eyes went from angry to guilty as she realized what she did, her ears down in shame as she glanced around at the herbs scattered on the den floor.

"What in the name of StarClan are you doing?!" Fawnheart hissed angrily.

"I'm so sorry Fawnheart, I will go out right now and look for more herbs." Silverberry mewed, not even able to look into her mentor's eyes. The silver tabby padded out of the den past her mentor. Fawnheart turned to watch her go, then glanced back at Moonshadow, looking tired.

"Did you need something?" She asked. Moonshadow shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry. I won't bother you. Unless I could help you?"

"I don't know... I need to go talk to Spiderstar about the cough that is spreading. I want to move the elders out of their den so I can use their den as an den for the sick." Fawnheart sighed.

"I can go do that. You need to keep an eye on these three. Silverberry said something about Strikefang's belly having a problem I think."

"Oh, thank you so much, I'll go take a look at her." Fawnheart frowned as she looked at the herbs on the floor. "And clean this up I guess..."

"I'll be back soon." Moonshadow pressed his nose to her ear and went to go speak with his father.


P.O.V. Of Otterstrike

Otterstrike groaned as he woke up and stretched.

"Otterstrike! What are you doing still asleep! WAKE UP! You're needed for a border patrol." He heard Fallen Leaves call to him. Otterstrike stood up and padded out, his stomach grumbling. Fallen Leaves, Flowershine, his sister Stormheart, and Juniperberry.

"You overslept, let's go. No time for you to eat." Fallen Leaves meowed, tail flicking with annoyance.

"I'm sorry..." Otterstrike mewed. Juniperberry and her father both started towards the camp entrance. Otterstrike glanced between Flowershine and Stormheart.

"What's up with them?" He asked.

"Are you serious Otterstrike?" Stormheart asked, her fur bristling slightly. "Where have you been since last night?! You know what, don't even answer that!"

Before Otterstrike could respond, Stormheart took off after Fallen Leaves and Juniperberry. He let his tail droop and he frowned.

"What am I missing? Did something happen after the Gathering here at camp?"

"There was an accident with Blackstream and Emberheart... a badger attack. Emberheart was killed and Blackstream is gravely injured and confined to the medicine cat den. Fallen Leaves, Hollyleaf, Juniperberry, and Flameheart are all quite upset so just be careful sweetie..." Flowershine put her tail on Otterstrike's shoulder comfortingly.

"Oh StarClan..." Otterstrike murmured.

"Come on now. We should catch up to them." Flowershine meowed and Otterstrike nodded. The two of them walked quickly to try and catch up with the rest of their patrol.


The patrol was long, quiet, and awkward. Flowershine and Fallen Leaves were leaving a new scent border, nothing interesting really happening until they got to the border with ShadowClan. Otterstrike's heart jumped when he saw a ShadowClan patrol and saw Russetshade in it. The ShadowClan patrol was on the side of the twoleg path closer to them, also renewing their borders. Russetshade was the first to look up and Otterstrike caught her gaze. But then the ShadowClan deputy Tigerheart noticed them too.

"LightClan! We have to talk to you!"

"Talk to us?! I scented ShadowClan on our territory. I think it's time we move the border to the other side of the twoleg path." Fallen Leaves growled.

"No way, we already gave you some of our territory! How much territory do you need?!" Spat Tigerheart. Fallen Leaves bristled.

"You gave us the territory, then keep your warriors off of it." He hissed, his ears bending back. Otterstrike's paws prickled in fear. They were going to have a fight, he could feel it.

"None of my warriors have been on your territory. ShadowClan respects borders, even after having some stolen." growled a black tom.

"STOLEN?! Every clan had to change their territories to welcome LightClan!" Juniperberry jumped in.

"Well not all of us wanted a new clan." the black tom responded.

"Well then it's too bad that it's not YOUR CHOICE!" Juniperberry hissed.

"If we have to fight to get our territory back, we will." Tigerheart put in, crouching in an attack ready stance.

"Well you're not getting it back! LightClan, ATTACK!" Fallen Leaves yowled, lunging at Tigerheart. Otterstrike froze in place, shocked as he watched Flowershine, Juniperberry, and Stormheart all jump into the fight. Otterstrike was taken by surprise as a flash of fur jumped him. He looked up into familiar forest green eyes.

"Russetshade." He exclaimed, almost inaudibly.

"Fight me, you LightClan cat!' She exclaimed loud enough for every other cat to hear, then stuck her face in his, then spoke quietly. "I'm sorry Lighty I don't want to hurt you, but you have to make it look real."

"You hurt me? Please!" Otterstrike hissed, flipping her. The two of them tussled, tufts of fur flying. The air filled with hisses and the scent of blood.

"Enough of this!" The yowl made all the cats stop. Fallen Leaves had Tigerheart pinned, shockingly since Fallen Leaves was much smaller than the ShadowClan deputy. Russetshade had stopped, having Otterstrike pinned again, but then she looked over to the deputies.

"Get off of him."

"Only if you leave us alone!" Fallen Leaves hissed.

"This isn't over." Tigerheart spat up at Fallen Leaves. Otterstrike struggled below Russetshade, clawing the dirt. Fallen Leaves let Tigerheart up and glared at him.

"It's over. Get off our territory. If I scent anymore ShadowClan on our side, you'll regret it." Fallen Leaves threatened. The rest of the ShadowClan cats ran off. Russetshade took one more second to stare down at Otterstrike.

"Halfbridge tonight." She hissed quietly, then leapt off of him and raced after her patrol. As Otterstrike struggled to his paws, all he could think about was how Russetshade planned to meet him without causing more problems between their clans.

"You alright Otterstrike?" Flowershine asked, licking a little bit of blood off his ear.

"I'm fine." He nodded, kind of embarrassed.

"Let's get back to camp. I should tell Spiderstar about this." Fallen Leaves growled quietly, licking some blood off his chest. The rest of the cats nodded and Otterstrike fell into step beside Flowershine as they made their way back.