The cats returned in a flurry of fur as clouds began darkening the bright night sky.

They smelled of fear and confusion, and before Greenpaw could process anything, Twilightstar had leapt onto the Highledge and called for a Clan meeting.

Confused, Stormrush and Shellstream abandoned their post at the center of the camp and trotted over to the cats that had returned, who out of breathe, beneath the Highledge. Beachflower poked her head out of the nursery, and even Pearlpelt and Bluekit came out of the medicine cat's den in a haze of bewilderment.

Rosekit had been chasing Greenpaw, and crashed into her side with a "oomf!" Greenpaw glanced down to the kit's wide green eyes, which were so much like her mams, but full of considerably more energy and willfulness. "What's going on, Greenpaw? Why does it smell so scary?"

Greenpaw felt her heart sink. Even brave, innocent little Rosekit could sense the tension. "I don't know," Greenpaw murmured, suddenly afraid. It was a sensation she wasn't use to, fear, but it was contagious as it spread throughout the camp like a dry season wildfire.

Sharkpaw had joined Greenpaw and Rosekit's games shortly after the cats left for the Gathering, pretending to be the raccoon while Greenpaw had instructed Roseki's attack. Sharkpaw was now frozen in his hunters crouch, looking at Greenpaw with questions in his eyes. There was no fear coming from him, Greenpaw was glad to know – it seemed to calm her slightly. But there was still panic in the air.

Even Coralclaw was gathered around the back edge of the assembled cats, Shrimpkit hidden behind her front paws and covered by her tail. Beachflower was close behind her, her head swiveling back and forth as her tail flicked, herding Rosekit and Bluekit back to her. Rosekit seemed determined not to be scared, but still ran to her mam at a ferocious speed, burying her face in her mam's sandy, dark brown-flecked fur.

Sharkpaw and Greenpaw followed in suit, swiftly meeting SaltClan beneath the Highledge. Sunpaw, Riverpaw and Tidepaw quickly joined them, Sunpaw's eyes round with anxiety. Greenpaw pressed her flank against Sunpaw's warm yellow and white pelt and wrapped their tails together, trying to soothe the unspoken fear in Sunpaw. Before she could ask Sunpaw what happened, Twilightstar spoke.

"Cats of SaltClan," Twilightstar yowled, her fur bristling and whiskers twitching angrily. The she-cat looked clearly disheveled, but there was a determined glint in her eyes. Greenpaw couldn't help but think that her leader wasn't the she-cat Greenpaw had come to know a moon ago. "The Gathering is a night of truce, and we shall not fight against StarClan's will. So tonight, we shall rest, and tomorrow we shall feast, to gather and prepare our strength for attack!"

Greenpaw felt her heart thump in her chest. Attack? What attack? What in the name of StarClan had happened at the Gathering?

"RootClan has, once again, denied us land that is rightfully ours. The Snakeroot-trees are on the beach shore, and therefore a part of us. Tomorrow, we shall fight for what is ours!"

Twilightstar's proclamation was met by a small buzz of chattering cats beneath her. There were no yowls of agreement, no battle calls. Uncertainty added to the confusion-and-fear-scent. Greenpaw sucked in a breath. What did this mean?

Suddenly, Greenpaw's vision centered in on Silverweb. Greenpaw had all but forgotten about the she-cat when she was cooped up in the sick den, adjascent to many other thoughts of Sunpaw and Twilightstar and Seaheart and Bluestar and Waterwisp to think about in her five day quarantine with Sharkpaw.

The she-cat stood dangerously still, not a muscle twitching. Silverweb didn't even appear to be breathing. Greenpaw wondered what the she-cat was thinking…and wondered of the suspicious gleam in Silverweb's eyes. She realized that the ex-RootClan she-cat had no idea what was happening either – she had been banned from upcoming Gatherings until she proved her loyalties to SaltClan. The declaration fo war against RootClan was probably an even bigger shock to Silverweb – after all, the silver she-cat had lived with RootClan for almost a moon. She had learned how to become a Clan member with the strange underground cats, under Midnightstar's command…

And what of Waterwisp? What if they should face her in battle? Was she far along enough in her kitting so that she wouldn't be a part of the fight? What if she wasn't? Waterwisp wasn't being trained as a medicine cat anymore, as Silverweb had told Greenpaw and Sunpaw…she had taken her warrior name.

Greenpaw wondered how many other cats Silverweb had told of this news. She wondered if Twilightstar knew. She wondered how much of this attack was truly about land, and how much of it was about revenge over the uncertainty and precariousness of the situation with Silverweb and Waterwisp…

Twilightstar ignored the hesitation of the mews beneath her, paying no mind to the lack of support so far. She steadied her mew this time before continuing. She flicked her tail, and the Clan was silent once again.

"I know that each and every one of you, who founded their life near the water, miss the Snakeroot-tree territory. You may have made your homes there. You may have learned how to catch frogs, find and avoid snakes, and camoflauge yourself among the bracken water there. You may have even raised your kits in the dryer, spacious, twisting and protective tree roots. So, shall we all bow down and accept that RootClan has claimed ownership over your old homes? Shall we submit to their will? Shall we let what is ours go unclaimed?"

A flurry of anger began to swirl around inside Greenpaw as she remembered hunting the Snakeroot-trees with her mam. Her mam had taught her how to crawl into the dryer roots, to hide and wait for prey. Water voles, birds, dunnarts and mice often picked around the Snakeroot-trees for seeds or worms to eat. It was easy to snatch your claw out and drag them into the roots, where prey didn't have much room or chance to escape. It was also excellent hiding places from snakes, so long as you checked to make sure there were none hiding in there before you.

"Those holes in the ground are dangerous," her mam had warned Greenpaw on a sunny day, light filtering through the Snakeroot-tree's leafy canvas. It cast light shadows on the ground, bouncing in the beach breeze. A cast of greens and golds coupled with the smells of salt-wet dirt.

It smelled like home.

"Never stick your paw or your nose into these holes, young one. If there are snakes hiding in there, they won't appreciate it, and that'll be the end of you. Understand?"

"I understand, mam." Greenpaw had told her, her mew little more than a squeak, much like Rosekit's. "I promise I won't."

And all of the sudden, Greenpaw couldn't stalk the Snakeroot-trees anymore. Because they were inside RootClan's boundary.

Well. Not for long, Greenpaw vouched. Not for long.

It seemed that many of the other cats around her were getting fired up as well as memories poured over them. The small whispers soon transformed to a collection of yowls, battle-hungry for their rightful home.

"Cats of SaltClan!" Twilightstar howled over them. "Tomorrow, Snakeroot-trees will be ours again!"

Greenpaw couldn't help but let out a battle-thirsy shriek of approval with her clanmates. All of the sudden, she felt an entity around her, as the Clan became one. Sharkpaw and Riverpaw were chanting beside her, as Greenpaw's tail tightened around Sunpaw's. Greenpaw looked over and met Sunpaw's determined eyes. Tomorrow, they would fight together.

Tomorrow, the clan would be one.

END OF BOOK ONE

So, there we have it. This is the official ending of BOOK ONE of the Nighttime Cats series. BOOK TWO, BATTLE EYES, will be posted in accordance to the feedback I get in the review. Usually, I like to finish a book and post it as I edit it, but enough people are hungry enough I'll break my rule and post it by chapter as I write it. Either way, updates will be kept on my profile in regards to the status of BATTLE EYES. Keep an eye out, and my StarClan light your path! :)