In the days following ThunderClan's visit, Frostpaw tried to keep her mind focused on her training, but she found herself distracted. Swoopstrike kept snarling at her for her clumsy pounces, and near-misses while hunting, but try as she might, Frostpaw couldn't get thoughts of ThunderClan and SkyClan out of her head. She felt like she was tangled up so much from the indecision and worry in her mind that she couldn't concentrate on anything else. Luckily though, the night of the half-moon had finally come and gone. Now they just had to wait for Sedgestar, Clearstream, and Elmclaw to return to camp and announce what StarClan had told them. Then Sedgestar would tell everyone his decision about ThunderClan, and Frostpaw could stop worrying about it.

Frostpaw shook her head like she was trying to shake the buzzing thoughts from her mind. It was already sun-high, so Sedgestar and the medicine cats should arrive back in camp at any moment. The clan was well aware of this, so everyone was out in the clearing, waiting for their leader's arrival and enjoying the pleasant day.

Frostpaw and Autumnpaw were lying out in a pool of sunshine near the apprentice's den. Autumnpaw's amber eyes kept lazily drifting shut, but Frostpaw would snap him back awake with a flick of her tail on his side, reluctant to be left alone with her anxious thoughts.

"What do you think Sedgestar's going to say?" Frostpaw asked.

"I've already told you a hundred times— I don't know," Autumnpaw sighed, some exasperation in his voice. "Why does helping or not helping ThunderClan bother you so much anyway?"

Frostpaw shuffled her paws uncomfortably.

It's not ThunderClan that bothers me. It's SkyClan.

But, she didn't respond to him.

Autumnpaw studied her quietly before sitting up.

"Well, since it seems like I won't be getting a nap in, we can at least talk about it," he said.

"No… it's fine. I'm sorry, I can let you sleep," Frostpaw muttered, looking away from him and staring down at her paws instead.

Autumnpaw scooted over to her, so close their sides brushed, but Frostpaw still didn't glance over at him. Ever so slowly, Autumnpaw's face edged into the corners of Frostpaw's vision, moving closer and closer to the center of her gaze, until Autumnpaw was practically resting his chin on her paws, gazing up at her with exaggeratedly wide, imploring eyes. Unable to keep a straight face any longer, a purr burst from Frostpaw's throat, and she playfully shoved Autumnpaw away.

"Alright, alright. Stop looking at me like that," she said.

Autumnpaw purred back, his amber eyes shining playfully.

"Only if you tell me what's wrong," he said, mockingly threatening.

Frostpaw shuffled her paws again, her laughter fading to be replaced by anxiety again.

"But, I don't know what's wrong. I'm just worried," Frostpaw admitted.

Autumnpaw tilted his head at her.

"Are you worried about the fighting? We've been in battles and border scraps before," Autumnpaw said softly. "It'll be fine."

"It's not that," Frostpaw said, sighing as she rested her chin down on her paws. "I'm not worried about fighting… it's this whole thing that feels bad… Like there's something more that's going on with SkyClan and ThunderClan than what we know about… And, SkyClan… scares me."

Autumnpaw gently rested his tail on her back.

"Is it because Paledusk was mean to you last Gathering?" he said, his mew quiet.

Frostpaw flinched slightly, her ears growing hot in embarrassment.

He must think I'm such a dumb kit, being scared of Paledusk!

"Partly," Frostpaw mumbled into her paws. "You didn't see what he was like. He was… I don't know, just so… Ugh, anyway, forget it. I'm just being dumb."

"I don't think you're dumb. I think you're one of the smartest cat I know," Autumnpaw said earnestly.

Frostpaw glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. He was gazing very seriously at her for a moment before the look melted away like morning fog burnt off by the midday sun, being replaced with a more standard-Autumnpaw, amiable expression.

"Thanks," Frostpaw said, looking away from him.

"I'm also worried about if allying with ThunderClan will cause a war with us and SkyClan. They seem pretty relentless if they've managed to make things so bad with ThunderClan. And, what if SkyClan has RiverClan help like Morningstar fears?" Frostpaw continued.

"But, we will have ThunderClan on our side then too," Autumnpaw pointed out. "It'll still be two against two. Unless SkyClan and RiverClan want to go traipsing through twoleg-place, or take a convoluted route through WindClan, they will have to travel through ThunderClan territory to attack us. And, I don't think ThunderClan will like that."

"Unless they go through Four-trees," Frostpaw said, her tail-twitching worriedly.

"Alright, fine, you have a point," Autumnpaw conceded. "But, what's the use in worrying about that now? We don't even know yet if Sedgestar has decided to help ThunderClan."

Frostpaw groaned.

"Not helping ThunderClan is worse! I have even more worries about that," Frostpaw lamented.

Autumnpaw swiped his tongue over her ears reassuringly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stress you out more!" Autumnpaw meowed.

"It's not your fault," Frostpaw said, making herself lift her chin up off her paws and sit up a bit. "I think I'll feel at least a bit better once Sedgestar makes an announcement about it. It's this waiting part that's killing me and making my worries go wild with 'what if's.'"

"That makes sense," Autumnpaw meowed.

Frostpaw saw his gaze was getting sleepy again; his eyelids drifting down to be half-lidded as he was lulled towards slumber from the gentle warmth of the sun above them. Frostpaw's pelt was comfortably toasty from the light too, but she still didn't feel quite comfortable enough to sleep.

"Everything will work out though," Autumnpaw mumbled sleepily. "I'm sure ShadowClan has made it through much worse than this."

Autumnpaw's chin rested on her back.

"I'm just gonna rest my eyes… for a bit… wake me up if you need anything…"

In only a few heartbeats, Autumnpaw was snoring lightly.

Frostpaw sighed softly. She wished she could join him in sleep, if only to forget her worries for a while, but her anxious thoughts nettled her like a burr. She kept shooting glances at the thorn barrier, waiting for Sedgestar to come through it, and her stomach rumbled in hunger every few moments too. She had a miserable hunt this morning with Swoopstrike, having been too distracted to catch anything. So, she hadn't been allowed to take anything from the fresh-kill pile. She was going on another hunt after sun-high, and hopefully that one would go better than earlier…

Frostpaw sighed, resting her chin on her paws. She pulled her gaze off the barrier to glance at Autumnpaw's dark red-furred side, relaxing herself by watching his flank rise and fall at a comfortingly regular rhythm.

She may have dozed off for a moment, because the next thing Frostpaw knew, she heard the barrier rustling. Frostpaw's ears pricked, and she lifted her head, watching as Sedgestar, Clearstream and Elmclaw came streaming in. Their faces were solemn, and Frostpaw felt her stomach flip in worry as she studied their expressions. She prodded Autumnpaw awake.

"They're back," she whispered, as he lifted his head, blinking blearily.

Autumnpaw rubbed his face with a paw, yawning as he watched the group trek across the clearing. Sedgestar headed straight for Clanrock, scaling it in two bounds, while the medicine cats sat at its base. Sedgestar settled down on the boulder, sitting and wrapping his tail around his paws.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather for a clan meeting," Sedgestar said, his voice clear but not as loud as his call normally was.

Frostpaw's brow was furrowed in concerned as she sat and turned to face the Clanrock. A few cats emerged from the dens, and everyone grouped in the clearing.

"What news did StarClan share?" Larkfoot asked, her voice eager as their clan-mates finished settling down and everyone gazed up at Sedgestar.

Sedgestar's ear twitched.

"The message I received from our ancestors wasn't clear…" he began slowly, his gaze filtering over the crowd.

His face was creased, and he shifted his weight like the announcement was making him uneasy. Frostpaw's stomach clenched. Sedgestar was normally so smooth and composed, but right now he seemed almost… off balance.

Did something horrible happen?

"Clearstream, Elmclaw and I all received the same dream from StarClan," Sedgestar continued before hesitating and glancing a Clearstream. "Would you like to tell them what happened?"

Clearstream daintily rose to her paws, her long grey-tabby fur looking as smooth and serene as ever, but her face was troubled.

"We spoke with Shadowstar, the first leader of ShadowClan," she said.

There were gasps and murmurs from the clan. Frostpaw's pelt prickled in awe and surprise, and her eyes stretched wide.

Did they really see the very first leader of ShadowClan? But, she must have lived so long ago?

Frostpaw felt a flicker of doubt. She knew that the medicine cats went to the Moonstone every half-moon, and that they received prophecies and omens from StarClan, and that the leaders supposedly had nine lives gifted to them from their ancestors… But, could it all be true? Frostpaw had never seen the ancestors herself. She'd never seen Sedgestar die, then come back to life. But, everyone else, from every clan in the whole forest, was full of so much conviction about it. Sedgestar was even using StarClan's opinion to weigh going to war. The medicine cats and leaders couldn't be making it all up. And, what about the storm that broke up the last gathering? Surely it was divine intervention and not just a coincidental change in weather… right?

Frostpaw was pulled back out of her thoughts as Clearstream continued.

"Shadowstar reminded me of the dream that I had during last leaf-bare about the owl and our clan-mates around me in the snow. She told us that as long as ShadowClan's clan-bond is strong, and we rely on each other, we can withstand anything. Like a sturdy pine standing tall and steady in the grip of a hurricane," Clearstream said.

"Well that sounds pretty clear to me!" Marshnose voice rose out of the crowd. "We need to stand alone! StarClan doesn't want us meddling in other cat's affairs!"

There were some murmurs of agreement with Marshnose.

"…But, that wasn't the whole dream," Clearstream muttered, her tail swishing slowly.

"Go on," Sedgestar said with a nod, his face grim. "Tell them."

Clearstream took a deep breath.

"After she said that, Shadowstar warned that although we have that strength, we must also be wary of hidden diseases. There are pines that may look strong and solid from the outside, but be rotting within and liable to collapse at any moment. Even from the faintest breeze," Clearstream said in a low voice.

Frostpaw's fur down her spine stood on end at the graveness of Clearstream's words, and concerned whispers rose from the crowd. She found her gaze flickering to Autumnpaw's, and was grateful when his familiar amber eyes met hers, even if he also looked frightened. Frostpaw's gaze flickered away from him and to search Swoopstrike out in the crowd. Her mentor's jaw was set, and he was gazing up at Sedgestar with a fierce intensity, like he was ready to go to battle with whatever threatened ShadowClan at this very moment.

"What does it mean?"

It was Greytail's rasping voice that finally rose up. She was seated next to the other elders outside of their den. Clearstream shook her head.

"I don't know," she meowed.

Greytail's frail face furrowed in deep concern.

"Yet," Clearstream added quickly. "Clearly StarClan is giving us some kind of advice, or warning, but of what, I can't say yet."

Elmclaw rose to his feet.

"Can I give my interpretation?" he asked, and Clearstream nodded at him to continue.

Elmclaw turned to face the clan, the massive tabby dwarfing his mentor at his side.

"I think Shadowstar is warning us against appearances. SkyClan maybe doesn't seem like much of a threat to us right now, yes. But, I think they may be the 'hidden disease' that Shadowstar is referring," Elmclaw meowed in his deep voice.

"It's possible…" Clearstream muttered, her blue eyes troubled.

"Or, could it be an actual disease that is coming?" Dawntail said, her eyes wide with concern.

"Or, what about a traitor!" Dampfang yowled, shooting a brief, burning glance at Frostpaw.

Frostpaw dug her claws into the ground, hot anger starting to burn in her chest. Noise exploded in the camp as everyone tried to shout what they thought the warning might mean at the same time. Sedgestar waved his tail for silence.

"Enough. Enough!" he yowled until quiet settled over the camp again.

Sedgestar swept his gaze over the clan.

"None of us know what Shadowstar's words mean right now. But, regardless, we can't just idly sit in our nests, tail-wringing until StarClan sends us another sign. We must take action," Sedgestar said. "So, I have made up my mind. ShadowClan will help ThunderClan."

There were a few yowls of protest, but Sedgestar silenced them with a glare from his sharp amber eyes.

"Believe me, I do not make this choice lightly. I took all of the thoughts each of you brought up into account before doing so. And, I intend to only help them on a condition. I will not help ThunderClan if they will not agree to help us in return. It is only fair," Sedgestar said. "But, my decision on this is final."

There were still a few murmurs of dissent, but they were quiet this time and faded rapidly as the clan swiftly fell in line behind their leader.

"I will tell Morningstar of my decision shortly, and if he agrees to my terms, then I will have more information for you all about what to expect," Sedgestar continued. "This concludes this meeting."

Sedgestar bounded down Clanrock, and immediately padded up to Grovepelt. The leader meowed something to him, and Grovepelt nodded, the two of them disappearing into Sedgestar's den at the roots of the Oak Tree to talk in private. Frostpaw turned to Autumnpaw.

"What do you think?" she meowed.

Autumnpaw shrugged, his gaze uncertain.

"It's what we argued for in the council, right? And, Sedgestar thinks it's the right thing to do. ThunderClan better be grateful though," Autumnpaw said, forcing a purr to break the heaviness that still hung in air after Sedgestar's announcement.

"But, what Shadowstar said…" Frostpaw murmured.

"So, we'll proceed with caution," Autumnpaw meowed, his voice firm.

He nudged Frostpaw with his muzzle, like he was trying to knock the worry out of her.

"Everything will be fine!" he insisted. "Shadowstar may be trying to tell us that we should go to battle. And, if not… well, we're ShadowClan. We can beat anything."

"Right," Frostpaw said, forcing her voice to be optimistic, if not for her own sake, for Autumnpaw's, since he was trying so hard to cheer her up.

Frostpaw's ears pricked as Swoopstrike came padding up to her.

"Forget about hunting," he rumbled. "Grab something small to eat, then meet me by the Burnt Sycamore for battle training."

"Yes, Swoopstrike," Frostpaw said, dipping her head.

Swoopstrike swept a critical gaze over her.

"I hope your battle training won't be as clumsy as your hunting this morning," he growled. "Or, else SkyClan will eat you alive."

Frostpaw felt the fur down her back bristle defensively.

"I would never let them," she said, a hint of a growl in her voice.

Swoopstrike's eyes flickered as he noticed her bristling fur, and a hint of amusement seemed to flash in his green gaze.

"Good," he grunted. "I would never live down such an embarrassment of an apprentice."

Feeling a plucky flash of courage, Frostpaw rose to her paws and fired back.

"No, I wouldn't be an embarrassment. Instead, I think cats would think you were a horrible mentor for sending me defenseless to the slaughter," she said.

Swoopstrike rumbled a brief purr.

"Well, then it's decided. You'll have to survive this for both of our sakes," Swoopstrike said with a flick of the tail as he turned and padded towards the thorn barrier.

He hesitated there to cast a final glance over his shoulder at Frostpaw, narrowing his eyes.

"But, don't keep me waiting at the Burnt Sycamore, or I'll kill and eat you myself," he growled.

"I'd give you indigestion in revenge," Frostpaw muttered at his back as he padded away.

She turned to glance at Autumnpaw, who had been watching this whole exchange with a baffled expression.

"I don't understand you two's relationship," he sighed.

Sedgestar waited at the edge of the thunderpath, the pine branches sighing softly above him as they swayed in the evening breeze. The sky was a deep purple of twilight, and the thunderpath in front of him stretched out long into the darkness. It was quiet at this time of day.

Sedgestar was alone and at the edge of his territory. It was maybe a foolish idea to come without an escort; Grovepelt at least thought so. But, Sedgestar trusted Morningstar not to ambush him, especially not after coming to his camp and begging him for help. He didn't think the ThunderClan leader was capable of such deception.

The dense undergrowth on the other side of the border rustled, and a lone, grey-furred cat strode forward. Morningstar straightened his large form, and for a moment the two leaders only stared at each other, nothing but the smooth, black surface of the thunderpath between them.

Sedgestar couldn't help but imagining himself in Morningstar's position. A starving Clan depending on him, enemies gnawing at the edges of his territory, unable to drive them back. Morningstar still cut elegant silhouette despite the sharpness of his skeleton beneath his pelt, and the stress that must be weighing down on his shoulders. Sedgestar didn't envy the position. He even felt pity for him, but he knew much better than to let it show on his face. It was always better for his rivals not to decipher his emotions, even when they were pitiable rivals. Doing so would only give them leverage over him.

Morningstar waved his tail, signaling for Sedgestar to join him on the ThunderClan side of the thunderpath. Sedgestar crept towards the edge of the thunderpath, shooting a quick glance from side to side just in case any monsters had snuck up on him without him noticing, but seeing the coast was still clear, he bounded forward.

Sedgestar strode up to Morningstar, nodding hello.

"Greetings Sedgestar," Morningstar said, bowing his head to the ShadowClan leader. "Have you come to a decision?"

"I have," Sedgestar said, sitting next to the ThunderClan leader. "But, there is something I must ask you first."

Morningstar blinked, his gaze hesitant.

"Go on," the grey tom said in a low voice.

"I feel for ThunderClan's plight," Sedgestar meowed, his expression smooth. "But, the question still remains: what is there in return for ShadowClan if we help you?"

A hint of anger seemed to creep across Morningstar's expression.

"We have a shared enemy. Isn't that reason enough to aid us?" Morningstar said, his ears flattening.

Sedgestar inclined his head towards the ThunderClan leader, his gaze even.

"Please, Morningstar, don't play dumb with me. You were not built for deception. We both know that ThunderClan is in much more immediate peril than ShadowClan is," Sedgestar said cooly.

Morningstar's eyes glinted with anger, the fur down his back bristling slightly.

"I don't discount the fact that SkyClan may very well be a threat in the future to us," Sedgestar said, his tail swishing behind him. "But, that will not be until long after ThunderClan is gone. And, by that time, the allegiances of the forest may have shifted. There may be new allies for us then."

Morningstar narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenched.

"…Or, maybe not," Sedgestar mused, continuing. "And, then won't we feel stupid for turning you aside."

"If you came here only to mock me, Sedgestar, you can leave my territory," Morningstar said, a barely repressed hiss in his voice.

Sedgestar averted his gaze momentarily from Morningstar's in a sort of apology.

"I do not mean to insult you," Sedgestar continued in a quieter voice. "I am just stating the facts. If I help you, I put the lives of my clan-mates on the line. There may be deaths. Deaths which may never have happened if I did nothing. You can't just ask me to sacrifice them blindly."

Morningstar's anger faded, but now he just looked trapped; his eyes wide and powerless like a cornered rabbit's.

"But, what can I give you? I can't give you land. I can't give you prey. We're starving. We need our land and prey, that's the whole reason I'm asking you for help!" Morningstar said.

Sedgestar nodded, unsurprised. He had expected Morningstar to protest along those lines.

"I know," he said, his expression unreadable. "So, you will have to owe ShadowClan a boon."

"…A boon?" Morningstar echoed.

"A favor," Sedgestar clarified. "Something equal in return. A battle for a battle. Although, understand, I do not wish to make a lasting alliance with ThunderClan. We will help you with your SkyClan problem, and then we will be done. Except for when it's time for you to repay your debt. Then your warriors must come to our aid, no questions asked."

Morningstar's ears twitched back. He was silent for several moments. Then, when he finally spoke, his voice was sardonic.

"…We have this old nursery tale in ThunderClan, about a ThunderClan warrior that makes a deal with a dark-hearted ShadowClan cat, owing him a blood-debt," Morningstar said. "When the ShadowClan tom finally comes to collect, it doesn't end well for the ThunderClanner."

"I can imagine," Sedgestar said, letting a hint of dry amusement creep into his voice too. "But, it's a good thing then that this is real-life, and not a legend told to scare kits and apprentices into behaving, right?"

Sedgestar's gaze searched Morningstar's.

"Do you agree to our terms?" he asked.

Morningstar sighed softly.

"Do I have a choice?" he said, looking at Sedgestar with eyes that glimmered with a bit of bitterness.

Sedgestar opened his mouth to respond, but Morningstar shook his head to silence him.

"Don't waste your breath. Alright. I agree. On one condition," Morningstar said.

"Yes?" Sedgestar asked, twitching an ear towards him.

"ShadowClan must help us keep SkyClan out of our territory for three moons, starting from now."

"Three moons!" Sedgestar protested, his brow furrowing.

"That will be long enough for ThunderClan to recover our strength before leaf-bare, and then we will be able to hold them off alone," Morningstar said firmly, continuing. "Besides, it doesn't seem fair for you just to chase them out once, then expect them to stay there. Until we get our strength back, SkyClan will only respect our border if they think we have ShadowClan with us. You are mouse-brained if you think they won't test the waters."

Sedgestar was silent for a moment while he deliberated.

"Fine," he meowed finally. "Three moons. But, I will not engage my cats in more than three battles in that time span. I can't put them in more danger than that."

"Fine," Morningstar grumbled.

"And, do I have your word as ThunderClan's leader that once those moons are over, your warriors will be there to help ShadowClan fight a battle?" Sedgestar asked. "No matter what it is, who we are fighting, whenever we may need it?"

Morningstar nodded.

"You do. I promise," he said in a deep, solemn voice.

Sedgestar nodded and rose to his paws, turning to leave.

"We can discuss the rest of details later," Sedgestar said from over his shoulder, as he approached the edge of the thunderpath.

"Four days," Morningstar said. "I want to attack in four days. The night of the new moon, just before dawn."

Sedgestar paused mid-stride.

"Very well then," he said, looking back over his shoulder. "That night, I will send a battle patrol to your camp. My cats will answer directly to their patrol leader, but they will follow your directions and tactics."

"You mean you don't want to share with us any of those night-battle strategies ShadowClan is so infamous for?" Morningstar said, a glint of humor in his eyes.

Sedgestar allowed a brief purr to rumble in his chest.

"You're going to have to try harder than that, ThunderClan. We keep our secrets close to our chest from outsiders," he warned.

Sedgestar crouched, preparing to cross the thunderpath.

"Sedgestar?" Morningstar said.

Sedgestar flicked an ear to let him know that he heard him.

"Thank you," Morningstar said, his voice rough with gratitude.

Sedgestar just flicked his ears again. He bounded back across the thunderpath and vanished into the trees of ShadowClan's territory.

Author's Note:

So, this chapter's a little different, since for the first time since the beginning of the story, I decided to swap out of Frostpaw's POV to Sedgestar's to have him speak to Morningstar alone. I thought the conversation between the two of them would be much more interesting to show rather than tell later, so here it is. Hopefully swapping out of Frostpaw's POV for a moment wasn't too jarring! It's definitely not something I'm going to do often.

Reviews:

Pandere: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the council. Dampfang is very annoying haha. Sedgestar is one of my favorites too! He's got such a good personality, it's very enjoyable for me to write him. And, writing Morningstar is cool for me too, because he's an interesting foil for Sedgestar. Like they are both leaders that have the best intentions for their clans at heart, but their personalities and styles of leadership are so different. So, it's fun for me to put them in these scenarios, and write how they react so differently to the same sort of problems.

Kitty-Guardian Hootryd: Thank you! I really enjoy giving my version of ShadowClan a unique culture which allows them to stand out. And, I'm really enjoying working on Pinepaw's arc too :)

Brian.H.H: Hey! Yeah that's exactly it! Like ShadowClan very much values both independence and strength. And, they view that strength as their clan's ability to stand against any problem they come across, which they can only do if they are united together. That might seem sort of contradictory against their other value of independence, but it's not really, since the kind of culture that I'm going for within ShadowClan is that when it comes to facing any sort of big external threat or problem, it's very much "whatever the leader says goes" so they present a strong, united front against the problem. Also when the leader makes a definitive decision about something, insubordination against that decision is seen as near treasonous since it shows disunity within the clan.

But, even though the clan will quickly fall in line behind their leader, that doesn't mean that they don't also value independent thinkers within the clan. Even within training their apprentices, like during the night stalking trial, they emphasize both the value of teamwork within the apprentice group, but also the generation of independent, novel ideas to solve problems. Like, the leader won't be there to solve every problem or make every decision, so they want their warriors to be quick witted and clever, not just dumb drones that follow orders but are helpless on their own. Which is how the council came about, so that gives the leader of ShadowClan the ability to ask the opinions of his clan if he's unsure about a problem they are facing.

PheonixRune: Haha, you are 100% correct.