To Flamemist: I'm thinking about making a sequel, but I haven't thought of a plot yet. And I'm not sure how many people would want a sequel, so I'll make a poll or something once I finish this story.

To theimpossiblepond: That sounds like a really interesting plot twist, but unfortunately, I already planned what would happen in the later chapters. I might use some of your ideas though.

CHAPTER 50-Have No Fear

As I neared the ShadowClan border, I caught a strong whiff of their bitter scent, blowing me full in the face by the fierce wind. I recoiled, but forced myself to keep on walking. The dry dirt underneath me slowly turned into pine needles as I wandered further and further away from the ThunderClan territory. Alone, I felt insignificant and vulnerable among the towering pine trees surrounding me. I didn't bring any warriors or apprentices because the camp needed as much help as it could in order to prepare itself. The forest was completely and utterly quiet. Were there any Darklings prowling around out there? My stomach fluttered in anxiety.

Of course there weren't any Darklings right now. It was nearly sunhigh, after all. I forced my bristling fur to lay flat against my back.

I nearly leaped out of my skin when a voice shattered the silence. "Hey! Aren't you from ThunderClan?" A ShadowClan patrol consisting of Applefur, Crowfrost, and Snowbird hurried toward me, their eyes hostile and their claws already out and gleaming. I crouched down and prepared myself to leap away in case they attacked.

Crowfrost narrowed his eyes and spat, "What are you doing on our territory?" His tone was aggressive and unfriendly, but I could see that they weren't going to fight me. They only unsheathed their claws to intimidate me.

I replied, "Well, um, I need to speak with Blackstar."

Applefur raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"You have to listen to me. All of the Clans are in danger. I have to talk to him now."

"How can we be sure that you're not just going to ambush us?"

I gestured at our surroundings with my tail. "There's no one else here. It's just one ThunderClan cat. You don't need to be wary."

Crowfrost growled, "Are you sure that you're not planning anything?"

I padded up to him and glared, my eyes glittering with impatience. "Does it look like I'm lying?" My ears were flattened against my head and my face was cold and stern.

The black and white warrior scowled back at me and flicked his tail. "Very well, then," he muttered. "We'll lead you to Blackstar. Don't try anything funny."

Snowbird and Applefur took up the rear while Crowfrost lead the way. I could feel their inimical stares scorching into the back of my head. The sharp pine needles pricked my paws and made them sore. As we neared their camp, I heard the murmur and mews of many different voices mingled and crowded together. They led me past the bramble barrier and I slipped underneath the boulder that marked the entrance.

Dens and burrows were formed in a circle around the clearing. The sweet scent of milk wafted over from a nearby hole, and I guessed that must be the nursery. Mutterings and grumblings could be heard from the elders' den. The leader's cave was covered by an overhanging hazel branch, but it was so dark that I couldn't see anyone inside. The cats gradually stopped talking and gazed at me with curious and stern gazes. Crowfrost nodded to them, bounded up to the leader's den, and disappeared inside. Applefur and Snowbird stood guard beside me.

After a while, I could see movement and shapes coming from the leaders' den. Blackstar padded slowly out, squinting in the sunlight. He spotted me, narrowed his eyes, and ambled toward the clearing. He took his time trudging toward me, his movements as slow as honey dripping down from a jar, as if he had all the time in the world. I tapped my tail against the floor impatiently, itching to get away to the safety of my own territory. I didn't like the hungry looks these cats were giving me.

"What do you want?" he asked. Up close, I could see how gigantic he was. He loomed over me, blocking out the sun.

I replied, "Please, you have to listen to me. The Clans are in terrible danger."

He raised an eyebrow. "What kind of danger?"

"This is going to sound really crazy, but Darklings are real. I've seen them myself."

Chuckles and snickers came from the other cats who were gathered in the clearing. I hissed, "You have to believe me!"

Blackstar yawned in a bored manner. "And how can I believe you?"

"Because if you don't, you'll be risking your whole Clan. I know how much destruction the Darklings can cause. If you want to protect your Clan, then don't take my warning lightly."

Crowfrost snarled, "And who do you think you are, some puny warrior from ThunderClan?"

"Wait!"

All of us turned around to see Littlecloud hobbling over to the clearing. The medicine cat sat down, his flanks heaving, and panted, "She is right, Blackstar. A dark storm is brewing. Many moons ago, before she joined ThunderClan, I received a message from StarClan."

He blinked at me, his voice ragged. "Shadefrost is the cat from the prophecy. You have to do what she says."

The ShadowClan cats began to back away from me, the faint glimmer of fear etched in their eyes. Only Blackstar stayed right where he was, staring down at me with surprise. I lashed my tail. "Listen to me, Blackstar," I said. "The Darklings will attack in the full moon, the Wolf Moon. You can't go to the Gathering because you have to stay and defend the camp. You must train your warriors and apprentices, stock up on fresh-kill, and reinforce the bramble barrier. Make sure that at least three warriors guard the entrances at all times, and no apprentice can leave the camp without three companions. Remember that Darklings are active mainly at night. Warmth and light repels them. I'll leave the rest to you."

I dipped my head and leaped away. He suddenly took a step forward and called, "Wait!"

I skidded to a halt and swung my head around, my whiskers twitching in annoyance. I didn't have a lot of time left. I had to warn WindClan.

The white tom growled, "If I find out that this is all a joke, I'll be feeding your pelt to the buzzards."

I glared back at him. "I'm telling the truth. And there's something else that I needed to tell you. The Clans have to band into one in order withstand this storm. We have to fight together and leave no cat behind. Do you understand that?"

He hesitated, but nodded slowly, his cold eyes gleaming in the sun like frost.

I turned and padded out of the ShadowClan camp, their stern eyes never seeming to leave my back until I was back on my own territory.

OoOOOOOoOoOOOOoooOoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo

Talking to WindClan was much easier. They were willing to listen to what I had to say. Before I left, I added, "And can you pass the message on to RiverClan?"

Onestar nodded gratefully. "Of course I will." I dipped my head and hurried away. The ground turned firmer and stronger once I had returned to the ThunderClan camp. I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I didn't get ripped to shreds for trespassing on another Clan's territory.

"Shadefrost, we found some flint," Cherryblossom said, gesturing to the pile of rocks that lay next to her in a jumbled heap. "They all gave off sparks. Is this enough?"

"Oh, it's more than enough," I breathed happily. The rocks gleamed and shone like polished mirrors. I looked around the camp and found some large pebbles, worn smooth by the age and wind. I rolled them over to the center of the clearing and arranged them in a crude circle. The others looked on quietly, wondering what I was doing.

After I had gathered an armful of twigs and grass, I dumped them in a circle and reached for a piece of flint. "You might want to back away," I warned the others. I placed the flint in the center of the circle and began to pound it with another rock. Sparks flew everywhere, like little tiny specks of gold. At first, I was nervous and wary in case the sparks caught in my fur, but gradually, I calmed down. The sparks nestled into the grass like seeds and gave birth to a blooming fiery bud that flourished in its heat. I gently blew air over it, making it unfurl and grow stronger and taller. The cats watched, mesmerized, the flames dancing in their eyes. After I got the fire crackling, the apprentices collected some wet moss and wood and placed it a safe distance away. "Someone has to be guarding the fire at all times," I told them.

The red tongues lapped at the air like snakes, flicking their serpent tongues in and out repeatedly. The warmth radiated from them and made the ground glow with heat. Now, we were at least a little bit safer against the Darklings.

OoOooOoOooooOOoOooOoOooOOoOOoO

The days grew warmer, now that we got the fire going. The thorn barrier stood tall and firm around the camp, and we even built a second one around it. The fresh-kill pile was well stocked in the midst of Newleaf. Petalpaw, Streampaw, and Grasspaw were recently made warriors and received the names Petalfall, Streamtail, and Grasstail. The warriors trained more and more often, strengthening their muscles and improving their coordination. The gash on my side had now healed to a thin scar snaking from my neck all the way down to my belly. Snowstorm and Dewstep had made a full recovery, and although Sorreltail took longer to heal, she was making it.

"Gotcha!" Dewstep meowed, swatting a sheathed paw across my face before leaping away. I bounded after him, hooking a claw around his hind leg and tripping him onto the ground. Before he managed to regain his footing, I placed my paw between his shoulders and held him down. I expected him to wiggle free, but he only lay there panting, his sides heaving.

Concerned, I leaped away. "Was I being too rough?" I asked nervously. He sat up slowly and stretched, wincing. "Nah, I'm fine. You've gotten better at training, though." He wound his tail around my shoulder and smiled. "I'm really proud of you," he mewed. I grinned back. "Thanks."

Snowstorm yawned and padded over to us, flexing his muscles. His pure white pelt shone like pale butter in the sun. He sat down next to us and surveyed the clearing.

"Everyone is working hard," he observed. "When the Darklings come, we'll be prepared."

I looked down at my paws and murmured, "I hope so."

Dewstep licked his paw and drew it over one ear. "Of course we'll be fine, Shadefrost. You worry too much. All of the warriors are strong and well-fed, and the camp is securely protected." I looked at my Clanmates training in the hollow. Icecloud and Cloudtail were locked in combat, their eyes focused and narrowed. All of a sudden, Icecloud streaked forward, her paws a blur as she struck the tom repeatedly in the head. Cloudtail hissed and retreated a safe distance away. He crouched down, as if preparing to pounce. Icecloud eyed him warily, her legs taunt in case she needed to run away. Without warning, the tom leaped toward his opponent with his paws outstretched, aiming to land on her back. He missed and landed right next to her, but before she could react, he pinned her tail down with his hind leg and used his front paws to dive blows into her pelt.

"See?" Snowstorm mewed, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Everyone is well-trained. Even the medicine cats and elders know most of the battle moves."

As I gazed around the peaceful clearing, I relaxed. "I suppose you're right."

"Besides, you've already thought of a battle strategy. It was your idea to split the cats into two groups. The first group hides on top of the cliffs just outside the thorn wall surrounding the camp. When the Darklings attack, they'll jump down and land on top of the intruders and try to keep them away from the camp. If too many manage to break through, the second group will attack. When the first group recovers, the second group will break away further into the camp to protect the remaining dens. The two groups will continue switching back and forth until the Darklings are defeated. We practiced this countless times. Everyone has it memorized."

Snowstorm licked my ear tenderly. "You'll be just fine," he purred. "And if you ever find yourself in trouble, I'll be there to help you."

I closed my eyes as I felt his tongue gently rasp my cheek. As he continued to groom me, the tension in my chest subsided and I allowed myself to relax. "You'll always be there for me?" I asked.

"I promise. That's what friends are for," he replied, smiling.