Russetstripe was out of breath by the time she and the ThunderClan patrol returned to the stone hollow. Winterfall was at the head of them and he burst in through the thorn tunnel, Russetstripe at his heels. Just as the two cats threw themselves into camp, Russetstripe looked down at her paws to see a dead brown tabby tom at their paws. A strangled sob came out of Winterfall's throat.

"Pinesnow…?" Winterfall echoed, his eyes wide with horror.

Pinesnow! Russetstripe shut her eyes. He's Winterfall's younger brother. Winterfall shook his head and bounded over to Emberflame, who was licking his blood-stained dark tabby fur. Russetstripe followed him, looking around at the clearing. Twigs and brambles were scattered around the floor, and tufts of fur were still flying in the wind. The metallic stench of blood was thick in the air. They didn't let him go without a fight, Russetstripe thought grimly.

"What happened here?" Winterfall demanded.

Emberflame looked up, his yellow eyes piercing. "Houndheart happened, you lackwit," he snapped at Winterfall. "What does it look like? Peartuft broke him out. He killed Pinesnow and ran out with Breezeflower, Dawnfire, Buzzardwind, Berrywish, Specklewing, Lionflight, and Firefall."

Roseheart, who was standing next to Emberflame, looked up at Winterfall with watering green eyes. "I'm sorry, Winterfall," she whispered, her voice trembling with fear. "Breezeflower wanted me to go with them. She tried to manipulate me, and I knew it. I didn't tell any cat."

Winterfall fixed a stony glare on the pale tabby she-cat, not reacting to her heartfelt apology. He looked over at Pinesnow's limp body, his blue eyes narrowing. "Why… why did they kill him?"

"Peartuft said it was a warning to all those who tried to oppose him," Emberflame growled, examining his blood-stained claws.

"A warning." Winterfall chuckled, a strange darkness in his blue eyes. "A warning, now." The tabby tom was trembling with rage, and Russetstripe could only stare helplessly. Finally, the tom shook himself. "Where is Mintsplash? And Snowkit?"

"Still in the medicine den," Roseheart replied. "They were too sick to move. Sedgefall and I protected them."

"Sedgefall!" Russetstripe gasped, suddenly remembering about the pale tabby she-cat in the midst of all this chaos. Houndheart had hated her the most. Surely she was all right? Or had Houndheart harmed her? "Is she all right?"

"I—" Roseheart was in the middle of replying when Russetstripe leaped over her and forced her way into the rock cavern. She looked around, seeing blood splattered on the floor and the leaves that were once so meticulously spread out littered all over the den. Russetstripe looked for Sedgefall's brown tabby pelt, and she let out a sigh of relief as the lithe medicine cat appeared from the shadows of the cave. But, when she walked up to Russetstripe, the ginger she-cat gasped as she saw a massive gash on Sedgefall's cheek. He got her!

Russetstripe could hear Winterfall race behind her, and the tom inhaled a sharp breath as he stared at Sedgefall. "Sedgefall, I'm—"

Sedgefall shook her head, stopping Winterfall from apologizing. "Please, do not worry about it."

"Don't worry about it?" Russetstripe echoed, her fur bristling. "Sedgefall, you're hurt!"

"I will be fine. It is just a scratch." Sedgefall sat down, locking her gaze with Russetstripe as if nothing had happened.

"What happened?" Winterfall gasped. "In here?"

"It is as you feared, Winterfall," Sedgefall said. "A little after you left for the Gathering, Peartuft feigned being Houndheart's guard. He allowed him to escape, and they started attacking the cats who tried to stop him. Houndheart tried to kill Sunfire, but Emberflame stopped him. Peartuft tried to attack us to get Mintsplash and Snowkit, but Roseheart and I were able to hold him off. Other than that, we are all okay."

Winterfall's blue eyes were as round as two full moons as he listened to the tale of more woe. Russetstripe clenched her teeth in frustration, unable to comprehend how they had let things get so bad. She knew that Winterfall had always had suspicions about Peartuft's true loyalties, but had he expected an uprising? Had she?

"Is Sunfire all right?" Winterfall asked.

"You will have to see," Sedgefall replied as she peered over Winterfall's shoulders. Russetstripe looked over to see cats gathering in front of the medicine den. "I will meet up with you later."

"All right," Winterfall said. "Thank you, Sedgefall." The silver tabby tom lowered his head to Sedgefall and turned on his heel. Russetstripe stuck close to them as they walked through the tattered camp. Suddenly, Winterfall stopped, looking over at Emberflame. "Emberflame!"

Emberflame swung his head over to stare at Winterfall.

"Good job protecting Sunfire," Winterfall said.

Emberflame grunted. "I just thought he had to die another day."

Winterfall rolled his eyes and continued across the clearing to the Highledge. Russetstripe watched Emberflame for a few more moments, unable to get the image of the wailing apprentice at her father's big paws from so many moons ago. Russetstripe followed Winterfall up the Highledge and into Rootstar's den, where Sunfire was lying curled up in his nest.

"Sunfire, are you awake?" Winterfall called out.

Hacking gave the two cats the answer they needed. Sunfire lifted his head, his green eyes blurry. His yellow fur was dull and tufted, and he coughed for a few more moments until he slowed down and finally spoke.

"What happened?" Sunfire asked Winterfall. "All I remember is howling."

Russetstripe exchanged a glance with Winterfall. "Looks like Peartuft organized some cats and broke out Houndheart," Russetstripe explained to the yellow tabby. "They ran away from camp."

Sunfire was quiet for a moment, and Russetstripe could see his muscles tense. But she couldn't see anything blaze in his unseeing green eyes. A ragged cough escaped his mouth as he curled his lip and growled weakly, "I knew this would happen. But who cares if they're gone? It's Houndheart and Peartuft. I say good riddance."

"Well, yeah, it's them, and…" Winterfall's voice trailed off.

"…But a lot more cats went," Russetstripe said what Winterfall didn't want to. "They followed them when they ran away."

Sunfire's eyes widened. "Oh… you think…?" The possibility was there, and all three cats knew it. Peartuft could have gone to create his own Clan, a Clan that he could lead. Why else would he escape camp with a contingent of warriors? Sunfire let out a deep hacking breath as he tried to regain his patience.

Winterfall nodded his head slowly. "It's not just a matter of breaking Houndheart out. A band of them left. I fear that they're simply not just running away… but waiting for the time to strike back."

Sunfire's yellow fur bristled in fury and he shot to his paws, pacing with rage. "How dare they!" he spat. "We keep Houndheart here instead of exiling him so he's safe in camp, we feed him, we tend to him, yet he has the guts to attack his fellow Clanmates? And Peartuft organizes the raid and escapes the Clan he was raised in? The Clan his brother leads?"

"Sunfire," Russetstripe meowed. "Sit down." With the amount of pacing, the flaring from his nostrils, and the anger radiating from his pelt, no one would ever have believed that this cat was sick to his bones.

Winterfall nodded. "Yes, please sit."

Sunfire snorted. "I wish we had a clue where Rootstar was." Anger dripped in his voice as he finally sat down in his nest. "He should be here. The Clan is falling apart, and he's not even here to deal with it!"

"You know why Rootstar left," Winterfall assured Sunfire. "For the good of his Clan. And he promised us he'd be back."

The ThunderClan deputy growled, "That may be so. But he needs to be here sooner than later."

"I know," Winterfall murmured. "But there's nothing we can do about it." There was no possible way they could send a messenger to find him - Rootstar's patrol had been gone too long, and the messenger wouldn't know where to find him. There was silence between the three cats.

Then Sunfire sniffed the air and spoke. "I smell blood."

Winterfall and Russetstripe exchanged a glance. "On our way from the Gathering, we spotted Peartuft's patrol, and we attacked them," Winterfall admitted.

Sunfire sighed. "Then I shouldn't have to tell you to see Sedgefall to get treated. Wait, speaking of the medicine den, Mintsplash is still in there, right? Did Houndheart get to her?"

"From what Roseheart told us, he tried," Winterfall replied. "But she and Sedgefall fought him off."

A low growl emerged from Sunfire's throat. "I'll stalk him. I'll hunt him down. I'll… I'll flay him! I'll kill him!" The yellow tabby was about to leap to his paws again, but it took the two warriors to keep him down.

"Sunfire, we'll be back with poppy seeds for you," Russetstripe told him. "Please, calm down. You are sick. You are injured. You can't lead your Clan like this." I get that he's angry. I would be too if I was in his paws. But doing what he's doing… it won't make things better. It won't undo what happened, and it won't make him feel better.

Sunfire let out a hiss of anger, but finally sat down again. Those non seeing eyes of his, still wet from when celandine had been dripped into them, glared at the two warriors defiantly, and they both sighed. The ThunderClan deputy's body gave violent hacks as he stared back at the ground. Finally they stopped and it was reduced to a ragged breathing.

"Do you need Sedgefall?" Russetstripe asked, concerned.

"No." Sunfire shook his head, pointing with his tail to the bundle of herbs next to him. "Just need to eat some of those. You're dismissed." The anger in his voice was unlike anything the two warriors had heard from him before, and it was clear that this was the end of the conversation.

"We'll be back," Winterfall called over his shoulders, turning on his heel and padding away. Russetstripe followed him. When they had left his den, Winterfall sighed, "Maybe we need to put a gate in front of there to stop him from running out." There was a twinge of amusement in his voice, and Russetstripe smiled, knowing that he was trying to find the light-heartedness in all of this.

"Maybe," Russetstripe agreed. "But you can't blame him. He wants to defend his Clan."

Winterfall nodded. "So do I. But running out and tracking the patrol as a one cat job is simply impossible."

Russetstripe meowed in approval.

Winterfall's blue eyes darkened. "But I have never seen him so angry before. He's usually so composed and calm… this really set him off." The two cats headed to the medicine den to see Sedgefall, but their eyes widened when they saw the situation there. Her den was full to the brim, wounded warriors and sick warriors everywhere. Willowsong moaned in pain as she writhed in her nest, while one of Bearstep's eyes was stuck shut with blood. The brown tabby she-cat was racing from cat to cat, unable to keep up with the caseload.

Winterfall leaped in front of Sedgefall. "Sedgefall," he meowed. "Tell me what you need."

Sedgefall, with blood still trickling from her face, looked from Winterfall and Russetstripe. "At least two more dens, two for the sick cats, one for the injured," she said. "More herbs, and a helping paw."

"You've got it." Winterfall nodded. "Roseheart can help you, and we'll find those dens for you. There are many caves in the stone hollow that are empty."

"Then we'll have to start moving cats," Sedgefall meowed. Winterfall headed over to Willowsong and gently pulled the silver she-cat up, holding her unsteady body against his. Russetstripe hauled Hailstep over her back, wincing at his weight, and pressed against Willowsong.

The two cats carried the sick ones walked through camp, and Winterfall shouted out to Blossomfawn and Goldensky, "We need moss!" Goldensky and Blossomfawn nodded quickly and darted out of camp. Russetstripe watched them go as she and Winterfall continued to work together to move the ill cats from the medicine den.

When the two came back with clumps of moss gathered from the trees going outside the stone hollow, they dropped the moss in the cave and started to knead them into balls that made nests. Russetstripe and Winterfall were able to haul the two injured warriors into the nests. Russetstripe laid Hailstep down gently on one of the nests, wincing at the sour stench of illness that wafted from him. He barely looks alive.

"Keep making more," Winterfall ordered Goldensky and Blossomfawn, who obeyed their temporary leader's order in seconds. "And find other cats to help you. Send Stagleap and Quailpool to the medicine den to help us move these cats."

Goldensky and Blossomfawn nodded their heads and darted out of the cave, gathering warriors who were able-bodied enough to build nests, and they all left the camp. Russetstripe watched them go, feeling anxiety build in her heart and shifted her paws nervously. Winterfall's ears twitched, and he trekked over to the medicine den to grab more injured cats. Russetstripe was on his heels.

The moon fell and the sun rose until the sick cats were in two separate dens, the injured cats had their own, nests were created for all of them, and Sedgefall's herb collection was replenished. Winterfall now sat with Sedgefall in her den, wincing as she squeezed juice from dock leaves into the scratches on his shoulder and face. Russetstripe sat next to him, watching Sedgefall work deftly with her small brown-tipped paws.

"It will not sting for long," Sedgefall told him, seeming mildly amused. She then turned to Russetstripe, who had wrenched her shoulder and had been clawed on her chest as well, alongside an injured back paw. The brown tabby chewed a few leaves that Russetstripe didn't recognize, but she didn't exactly mind the refreshing numbness as the liquid trickled into his torn skin and the raw skin beneath them.

"What about you, Sedgefall?" she asked after the WindClan medicine cat completed her treatment of the two cats. "Those claw marks look pretty bad."

Sedgefall smiled. "They are fine," she replied. "They are not that deep, they will heal on their own. They just needed some cobwebs to stop the bleeding, that is all."

Winterfall and Russetstripe exchanged uneasy glances. It sounded to them that Sedgefall was keeping on a brave persona, but they did not feel it was in their place to ask. Instead, Winterfall cleared his throat. "Sedgefall…" he began. "...you know, I wouldn't feel offended if you wanted to go back to WindClan. Not at all. You've been treated so horribly here, you've been attacked, and you've had so much work to do…"

"I'll even escort you back," Russetstripe offered.

Sedgefall shook her head. "That will not do. Winterfall, I am here to help your Clanmates, no matter what happens to me. I know that what has occurred here was not the fault of ThunderClan, it was the fault of cats who dare call themselves warriors. Your cats still need me, and so I shall stay as long as I am needed."

"I guess you're right," Winterfall muttered, looking up at the roof of the medicine den. "You say Houndheart broke in here?"

"He tried, in order to get to Mintsplash to bring him with her," Sedgefall said. "Roseheart clawed him in the face, and I stepped before Mintsplash. You know, Violetheart did show me some battle tactics." She purred. "I just never thought a day would come where I had to use them. We fought Houndheart off, and then he was pulled back by Bearstep."

"And Sunfire?" Winterfall asked, leaning closer.

"It seemed as if once he realized he could not get to the medicine den, he headed for the Highledge," Sedgefall explained. Russetstripe couldn't tell what the brown tabby was feeling. She always hid her emotions so well.

"To finish what he started," Russetstripe guessed grimly. Clawing him in the eyes wasn't enough, apparently.

"Perhaps." Sedgefall's ears twitched. "Emberflame caught him in time and… savaged him," she finally meowed. "Houndheart let go. That was when he decided it was best to flee with Peartuft and Breezeflower. Many other cats followed him, although I believe it was simply because Houndheart and Peartuft were their kin, not because of loyalty to them."

Russetstripe's eyes narrowed, unaware of the internal problems that had plagued ThunderClan for so long. They had unraveled just as Rootstar had gone. Had Rootstar really been the only thing holding ThunderClan together? "Kin or not kin, they shouldn't have gone with them. What kind of loyalty is that?"

"It's not loyalty," Winterfall said, shooting Russetstripe a glance before looking back at Sedgefall. "Betrayal is common for warriors without any conscience."

"So he was never loyal?" Russetstripe asked, frowning.

"Not to ThunderClan." Winterfall shook his head.

"So why did you keep him here?" Russetstripe's green eyes were round. How foolish was it to keep a disloyal cat to ThunderClan cat, with the possibility of rebellion one day?

"Out of Rootstar's kindness," Winterfall said, "and the fact that we all genuinely believed that one day, he'd find where his loyalties lay. Houndheart idolized Peartuft, and Peartuft was a ThunderClan cat. But still… I guess the kin for both of them felt the need to follow them. It seems as if the battle between kin has just started."

Russetstripe worked her claws into the ground. "You'll need all the support from StarClan and the gods to help you win a battle against your own kin, then. No one fights more brutally than kin," she murmured, staring at her paws. "Only families know each other's weaknesses… the exact placement of the heart. It's tragic that cats can still live with the force of hatred, but even still be born and attached to one another, because kin lasts through life and death. It's unchanging no matter how great the misdeed or betrayal. Blood can't be denied… and maybe… that's why we all fight tooth and claw… trying to pull apart what the gods brought together." Her body shook, and she stared at Sedgefall. You know what I mean, don't you.

Sedgefall met the orange she-cat's gaze – a look that only the two of them understood. Then she nodded. "Betrayal is never easy to handle, and there is no right way to accept it."

"Do you know how Rootstar will take the news?" Russetstripe asked Winterfall, not wanting to talk anymore about the betrayal of family. I know that, too well, she thought, her mind flashing back to Adderstripe's rebellion. And I was the cat who killed him.

"I'm not sure," Winterfall confessed, his shoulders tensing. "Peartuft is Rootstar's brother, after all. Maybe they'll find a way to track them down."

"I'm coming," Russetstripe insisted, her eyes blazing with determination. "WindClan or not, I want to help." WindClan still doesn't need me… they're not shedding any tears. "If Rootstar will allow me, of course."

Winterfall's eyes widened. Then he nodded. "I can't talk you out of that," he purred. "And… I don't think there's anyone on my side I'd like more."

"Ha." Russetstripe chuckled. And to think, so many years ago, we were at each other's throats. Now… I feel like you're my friend, Winterfall. Although I'd never catch myself saying that out loud.

"Houndheart was wrong, you know," Winterfall told her, his blue eyes deep. "Don't listen to him."

Russetstripe twitched her tail, not saying anything. Was he wrong or not? She didn't know. The silver tabby gazed at his paws. "...I wonder if Emberflame was right."

"What?" Sedgefall gazed at Winterfall, puzzled.

"About not trusting… well… the cats close to you," Winterfall explained, his eyes taking on a far-away glaze. "Houndheart was Emberflame's mentor, after all."

"Emberflame is insistent about not trusting anyone," Sedgefall meowed, twitching the tip of her tabby striped tail as she held Winterfall's gaze. "From what Roseheart has told me. You dare say you do not trust the cats close to you?"

Winterfall shrugged. He got to his paws, clearly not willing to further the conversation – even though he had been the cat to bring up the topic about distrust. "No matter what happens, patrols need to be organized. The borders need to be checked, and the Clan has to be fed. Thank you, Sedgefall, for telling me what happened. I'll make sure your herb stash is full, and you can still have Roseheart as your assistant."

Sedgefall lowered her head deeply. "By your say, Winterfall."

Winterfall shuffled his paws uneasily. "Don't say that," he muttered. "I'm not ThunderClan's leader or deputy." He turned on his heel to leave the den, Russetstripe behind him. When the two cats exited the den, Winterfall looked at his paws. "I need to address the Clan."

"Yeah." Russetstripe nodded. "You've got to unite them. They're probably scared and they need your support." Russetstripe remembered the last time one of her Clanmates had tried to rebel – Adderstripe, her half-brother. And he hadn't succeeded. Russetstripe shuddered. But Peartuft did.

Winterfall leaped onto the Highledge and called out the ancient cry so his Clanmates gathered underneath him. Frostfang and Blossomfawn left from the warriors' den, looking hesitant. Koiwatcher swallowed a lump in her throat, and worry was written all over Roseheart's face. The camp was much barer than it had been before, now that a good chunk of the Clan had left with Peartuft. But why?

Winterfall was bracing his shoulders, standing tall, a beacon of hope. "Listen, all of you!" he yowled, his silver tabby fur illuminated in the rising sun. "We face a challenge. Our Clanmates have now become our enemy. But the way I see it… I see the betrayal making our warriors fight harder. I, myself, have full confidence that if we all unite and fight, we can defeat any difficulties that come our way! We will ride out the storms of war and defeat the tyranny. We will defend to death our Clanmates and our territory. Even though many of our cats have fallen to Peartuft's paws... we still shall fight with growing confidence, with strength, and we will not fail or falter! We shall never surrender! It is better to die ten thousand deaths than to fall at the claws of our enemy!"

Cats were exchanging nervous glances, clearly not boosted by Winterfall's words, Peartuft's betrayal having hurt them much more than what some encouraging words could heal. Winterfall swallowed a rock in his throat, but Russetstripe met his gaze, imploring him to go further. Just say a few more things. A few more words, and you'll have them, she told him silently. Don't give up.

Winterfall cleared his throat and went on, determination blazing in his eyes. "No matter what, ThunderClan shall endure, and I implore to all of you, fight. Fight with me, fight for ThunderClan. Let us therefore embrace our duties as a warrior, so even when our stories are passed down, generation from generation, they will say, 'these warriors are the ones of legends.' We cannot be separated from each other in this time of war! We stand together until the end. We must fight!"

Suddenly, the light of battle started to return to a few cats' eyes. But some were still hesitant. Bearstep clenched his teeth and looked at the ground, and for the first time, Russetstripe noticed that one of his eyes was laden with cobwebs and herbs. Lightningfang looked at his paws, shuffling them nervously. Even Quailpool looked hesitant.

Winterfall let out a low growl. "However..." The silver tabby's voice turned grim. "If you do not want to... do not come." He gazed down at the ThunderClan warriors, his shoulders squared. "If there is even a kindling of fear in your heart, do not bother. Stay where you are. There is no room for cowardice when facing our greatest enemy."

Russetstripe glanced around camp, hoping that there were some cats at least willing to fight. She could see the light of battle in Goldensky's pale eyes, and even Sweetfern had her claws unsheathed, clearly ready to wreak revenge on Peartuft. Foxdapple had curled her lip, and Stormwing was lashing his tail back and forth. At least there are some cats who are willing to fight, Russetstripe thought, relieved.

"Whoever wants to come with me, come." Winterfall leaped off of the Highledge and started to walk out, towards the exit of camp. Russetstripe was on his heels, wondering what exactly he had in mind.

"Fine speech," she commented wryly. "Let's hope it's enough."

Winterfall shrugged, the morning sun dappling his silver tabby pelt. "I can't have any cat who hesitates. Hesitation will have them killed if we're spotted. Others may break, but I will stand steadfast. I have to. We just have to see where they've gone."

"I respect that," Russetstripe meowed, admiring Winterfall's loyalty. She let out a small sigh. "We've been fighting this chaos together, haven't we?"

"I'm grateful for your help," Winterfall said.

"We have to remain strong," Russetstripe decided. "It's up to us to defend this land and your Clanmates. And I won't abandon your side, no matter what dangers come across us." She looked over her shoulder to see several of Winterfall's Clanmates crowding behind him. "Can we really take those many cats with us?"

"You're right." Winterfall tilted his head. "It's not that taking all of us to Peartuft will help, we need to continue Clan duties." He raised his voice to give orders. "Lightningfang, Quailpool, and Stormwing. All of you need to guard camp – we'll have to double the guards now that we know Peartuft is after us. Frostfang, I need you to lead a patrol to ShadowClan to make sure they're not after us. Goldensky, you need to go to WindClan with your own patrol. Koiwatcher, with the leftover cats, go on a hunting patrol."

Seemingly content with orders, the ThunderClan cats dispersed. Winterfall nodded to Russetstripe and the two cats left camp, into the forest as they tracked Peartuft's scent. None of them had slept or eaten since before the Gathering, and exhaustion and hunger was tugging at Russetstripe, but she didn't want to slow down or be a burden to Winterfall. They reached the WindClan border, and Winterfall skidded to a halt.

"Their scent goes past the border," Winterfall said. "Can we cross?"

"Yeah." Russetstripe scaled the stream easily, remembering how so many years ago it had been so hard to cross the stream. But now it was as easy as running through WindClan territory. "If any cat tries to stop us, I'll pull rank."

"Mm." Winterfall's whiskers twitched as the two cats climbed the hills and followed Peartuft's scent, past the stream bank and into remote territory. The only thing around them were hills as the freezing wind buffeted in their fur and made it hard to hear each other as they spoke amongst themselves.

"Are you all right?" Winterfall asked Russetstripe as she felt herself shaking with exhaustion.

"Yup." Russetstripe quickened her pace as they continued their descent down the hills. The two cats stopped as the scent of ThunderClan became thick – and it wasn't coming from Winterfall. They exchanged a hesitant glance and crouched down, using the long grass of the hills to conceal their movements as they tracked the scent further. Just as they approached a long clump of grass, two cats leaped out of the greenery. Russetstripe stepped back as she recognized the pale golden tabby pelt of Lionflight and the ginger tabby pelt of Firefall. Russetstripe crouched down, unsheathing her claws and hissing until Winterfall put his tail in front of her. Just as Russetstripe took a closer look at the two toms, she realized that fear and distress were making their eyes stretch wide and their faces void of any color.

"They're not here to attack," Russetstripe realized. "They're…" Regretful.

Winterfall bunched his shoulders and leaped out of the foliage. Firefall and Lionflight turned on their heel and stared at Winterfall and Russetstripe, their eyes wide with horror. "Firefall, Lionflight, just what in all the hells are you doing?" he asked, his fur bristling.

"We made a mistake," Lionflight blurted out. "A stupid, stupid mistake."

"Breezeflower tricked us!" Firefall exclaimed, his ginger fur bristling. "We fell for her trap. But we realized that we don't want to do this. The minute we walked in, the minute we saw how Peartuft was really like… Lionflight and I both want to come back home."

Winterfall eyed Firefall darkly, his blue gaze running him up and down. Russetstripe inhaled sharply, and from the desperation seeping in the two toms' voices, she realized that their feelings were genuine. Firefall and Lionflight gazed at the two older warriors, and for the first time, Russetstripe could see them trembling.

"Please, help us!" Lionflight begged. "I promise we are loyal to ThunderClan. We just want to go back!"

"Is that so?" A deep, commanding voice resonated from behind him, and the two young warriors froze as they looked over their shoulders. Peartuft was walking over to them, his dark tabby fur sleek, his yellow eyes blazing with an authoritarian light that Russetstripe had never seen before when he was in camp.

"Peartu – oh, I mean, Pearstar!" Firefall exclaimed as the tabby tom stalked over to them, crouching down with his tail behind his legs.

"Pearstar?" Winterfall echoed dubiously, lifting his head to meet Peartuft's menacing yellow gaze. Peartuft focused his gaze on Lionflight and Firefall.

"I knew you two weren't loyal," he scoffed. "That's why I set you up as our guards. I wanted to see if you could handle the pressure." The words came out slowly, soft but sinister.

Winterfall lashed his tail and Russetstripe unsheathed her claws. Peartuft turned around to assess them. His eyes blazed with hatred, but he made no move to attack. Instead, he snarled, "Get out of my territory. All of you. You're far outnumbered and outwitted, I'm afraid. Perhaps it's in your interest to take a rain check on a battle for now." His claws glinted in the rising sun as he looked more formidable and powerful than ever.

Lionflight and Firefall scampered towards Russetstripe and Winterfall, while Peartuft's gaze stayed trained on them. "You'll never be allowed here again. Firefall, Lionflight… you just made the biggest mistake of your entire lives."

Gah… Russetstripe stepped in front of the two young warriors to protect them, glaring furiously at Peartuft. "You think you can get away with intimidating the Clan's youngest warriors?" she snarled. "You won't put a claw on them as long as I'm still standing."

Peartuft stared at her and then let out a hiss. "They came of their own accord," he snarled. "They each have a brain. Well, perhaps only one brain between the two of them. They could have backed out at any time. They came because they saw the potential of our little Clan and looked up to me as their leader. But now I see they are nothing but spineless cowards!"

Russetstripe arched her claws. Firefall muttered, "I did go with them because I wasn't sure what I wanted. I'm sorry, Winterfall."

"But I was manipulated," Lionflight argued, clearly disagreeing with his brother. Whatever they said, there was no disputing the fact that both of them were just scared, young warriors, who had been manipulated, deceived, and tricked throughout the entire process. "By Breezeflower."

Winterfall didn't move from them as he glared at Peartuft. "Harm any of them and you'll be dead," he growled.

"I don't think your little threat will go anywhere," Peartuft laughed at Winterfall. "You've always been weak. It showed when your failure to lead ThunderClan in Rootstar's absence caused it to melt like thin ice on a sunny day!"

Hey! Russetstripe's fur bristled, and she yowled at Peartuft, "It's not his fault that you betrayed your Clan! How could you turn on your own blood, the Clan that raised you since you were a kit?" Like my own half-brother did?

"My 'Clan' you speak of rarely paid me any attention. It was all about my brother and all his ridiculous antics! I was left to fend for myself, wondering where it all went wrong," Peartuft's voice was scathing. "You don't know anything about what I went through, WindClan warrior. I wouldn't expect you to understand what it's like to live in the shadow of another cat, who received everything that you deserved!" His voice rose to a crazed yowl.

Russetstripe's eyes widened. "Shadows or not, it is a crime to turn on your Clan. You expect any cat to give you sympathy, to let you rise through the ranks? To me, Peartuft, it seems as if you are the fool here!" And, actually, I do know what it's like to live in the shadows of a cat who's much more loved than you are. Trust me on that.

Peartuft tossed his head at her. "Who cares what you think? You're not even a member of ThunderClan." He turned to Houndheart, who had scampered up to them with burning yellow eyes. "Let's go. These cats are about as worthless as a tick on a rat's hindquarters."

As the two cats stalked away, Winterfall ushered Firefall and Lionflight away from the traitors. "Go," Winterfall hissed at them. "We'll take the rear."

Firefall nodded timidly and took off with his brother right behind him. Just as Winterfall and Russetstripe pelted away, Firefall breathed rapidly, "Peartuft plans to recruit more cats! More dangerous cats before."

Winterfall stared at him. "Gods," he hissed, but his voice was tight and trembling. Russetstripe could tell that he didn't want to speak to Firefall or Lionflight any longer that he had to, not at that moment. "Get to the other cats. We'll speak more later."

Russetstripe watched the Clan's proceedings, her breath quickening as she realized just how deep the turmoil in ThunderClan stretched, and how dangerous Peartuft was now. I... I don't get it... how could this have happened...?

Lionflight stared sadly at Winterfall. "I'm so sorry, Winterfall..." He broke off into a coughing fit and stepped away.

Winterfall's blue eyes were wide. "Are you sick?" he demanded. He turned to Firefall, who was gazing at his brother, his jaw dropped.

"I feel fine," Firefall exclaimed. "Oh, Lionflight! How did you get sick?"

Lionflight was trembling – whether it was from fear or from the illness, Russetstripe didn't know. "Breezeflower said I would get worse if I stayed behind... that's why... that's why I went...!"

Russetstripe gazed at the two cats, feeling a pang of sympathy. They were just young, misguided cats who had been manipulated by a cat with a slippery tongue. She hoped Winterfall wouldn't punish them, and when she turned to look at him, he let out a resigned sigh. "Whatever. Let's just go home."

And, with that, the four cats bolted off into the direction of ThunderClan's camp, where everything had changed.