Cloudtail and Sandstorm carry Brindleface's body back to the camp, but there is no time for the mourning rituals. Apparently she had gone out hunting alone very early, and the other cats have only just noticed that she was taking a long time to return. Her burial is a hurried affair, carried out by Cloudtail and her two kits, Fernpaw and Ashpaw, while Graystripe summons the Clan together.

They return as he stands at the foot of the Highrock waiting for the rest of the cats to gather. Cloudtail paces back and forth, his tail lashing fiercely.

"I'll flay Tigerstar!" he vows. "I'll scatter his entrails from here to Highstones. He's mine, Graystripe, and don't you forget it."

"And don't you forget that you're under my orders, "He tells his former apprentice. "Right now we have to deal with the dog pack. We'll worry about Tigerstar later."

Cloudtail bares his teeth with a hiss of frustration, but does not argue. Meanwhile the rest of the Clan are huddling in a shocked and silent crowd around Graystripe.

Cinderpelt appears from Bluestar's den and limps rapidly across to him. "Bluestar's asleep," she meows. "Better to tell her about this when we've worked out a plan, don't you think?"

He nods, wondering how his leader will react when she found out that all her fears about Tigerstar were true. Would the dreadful knowledge drive her into madness once again? Pushing his fear aside, Graystripe turns to address the Clan.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he begins. "This morning we discovered that there's a pack of dogs on our territory, living in the caves at Snakerocks."

Murmuring breaks out among the assembled cats, along with a few yowls of defiance. He guesses that they scarcely believe him, but there is worse news to come. He can't help but stare at Darkstripe, the dark warrior's expression is unreadable, and Graystripe has no idea how much he already knows.

"Tigerstar has been feeding the dogs," he goes on, struggling to keep his voice calm, "and he has laid a trail of dead rabbits to lead them right into our camp. You all know what lay at the end of that trail."

He dips his head toward the place outside the camp where Brindleface has been buried. He has to signal with his tail for silence as a chorus of wailing breaks out. He can't help noticing Goldenflower crouching with her head down as she listens to what Tigerstar has done, and he looks instinctively for the two newest apprentices. Tawnypaw is staring at him with horror in her face, along with Bramblepaw.

When he can make himself heard again, he continues, "We have tried to break the trail, but the rabbits have lain there all night, and the pack will follow the scent they left behind. We must all leave— elders, kits, everyone. If the dogs come to the camp they must not find us here."

More sounds of dismay, this time a low, anxious murmuring. Dappletail, an aged, once-pretty tortoiseshell she-cat, calls out, "Where shall we go?"

To Sunningrocks," Graystripe replies. "Once you're there, climb the tallest trees you can find. If the dogs follow you, they'll think they lost the scent on the rocks, and they won't look for you."

To his relief, the Clan grows quieter now that he has given them definite orders, though the cats still crouched in grief for Brindleface. Her kits, the apprentices Fernpaw and Ashpaw, are pressed close together with looks of stunned horror on their faces. Graystripe thanks StarClan that the day, although gray and chilly, is dry, and that there are no sick cats or very young kits to make the journey.

"And what about the pack?" Dustpelt asks. "What are we going to do about them?"

Graystripe hesitates. He knows the pack is too strong for his warriors to attack directly. Tigerstar would never have led them to the camp unless he had been certain of that. StarClan help me, he prays silently. As though his warrior ancestors have heard him, an idea flashes into his mind.

"That's it!" he whispers. "We'll steal the trail."

As the cats close by stare at him, he repeats more loudly, "We'll steal the trail!"

"What do you mean?" Sandstorm asks, her green eyes wide.

"Just what I say. Tigerstar wants to lead the dogs right to our camp. Fine. We'll let him do that. And when they arrive, we'll be waiting—to take them to the gorge."

Not far from Fourtrees, on the far side of Thunderclan's territory, the river foams between sheer-sided cliffs. The current is fast and strong, and there are sharp rocks concealed just under the surface. If cats have drowned there, why not dogs?

"We'll need to lure the dogs over the edge," Graystripe goes on, the details of the plan taking shape in his mind as he spoke. "I'll need warriors who can run fast."

His dark amber gaze sweeps through the cats around him.

"Brackenfur, Sandstorm, Mousefur and Longtail. Dustpelt. And I'm going myself. That should be enough. The rest of you gather by the camp entrance, ready to move out."

As the cats he had not named begin to obey his orders, Fireheart sees Fernpaw and Ashpaw pushing their way to the front of the crowd.

"Graystripe, we want to help," Fernpaw begs, fixing her shocked, pleading eyes on him. "I said warriors," Graystripe reminds her gently.

"But Brindleface was our mother," protests Ashpaw. "Please, Fireheart. We want to do it for her."

"Yes, take them with you," Whitestorm puts in, his voice grave. "Their anger will make them fearless."

He hesitates, then sees the intensity in the white warrior's eyes and nods. "All right."

"And what about me?" Cloudtail demands, his tail beginning to lash again.

"Listen, Cloudtail," he meows. "I can't take all my best warriors to lure the dogs. Some of you have to look after the rest of the Clan."

Cloudtail opens his mouth to argue, but Graystripe continues quickly: "I'm not giving you an easy job. If we fail, you're likely to find yourself fighting the dogs—and maybe ShadowClan as well."

"Think, Cloudtail," he urges as the warrior still looks unconvinced.

"What better revenge could you take on Tigerstar than to make sure that his plans fail and that ThunderClan survives?"

Cloudtail is silent for a moment, his face twisted in grief and anger for Brindleface.

"Don't forget Brightspirit," he mews quietly. "She'll need you now more than ever."

Owlpaw bounds up to them, "I can take care of Brightspirit. Cloudtail should go. His anger and grief will make him fierce when leading the dogs to that gorge you mentioned."

"Alright Owlpaw, Cloudtail can come." Turning to Whitestorm he mews, "Take care of Bluestar."

Calling to Brackenfur he tells him, "Brackenfur you go with the clan instead. They'll need a calm head to keep them from panicking and Cloudtail wants to go."

Brackenfur nods, "I will do my best Graystripe."

"I know you will." He purrs.

He addresses the other warriors he has chosen to run ahead of the pack.

"If you haven't eaten today, I suggest you eat now," he meows. "You'll need all your strength. We'll go soon, but first I have to talk to Bluestar."

As Graystripe turns toward Bluestar's den, he realizes that Cinderpelt is beside him.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asks. He shakes his head.

"No. Go and help the others get ready to leave. Do what you can to keep them calm." "

"Don't worry,Graystripe," the medicine cat assureshim. "I'll take a few basic remedies with me, just in case."

"Good idea," Graystripe meows. "Get Tawnypaw to help you. You can leave as soon as Bluestar is ready to join you."

When he looks into Bluestar's den, his leader is awake and grooming her fur.

"Yes, Graystripe? What is it?"

He pads into the den and dips his head.

"Bluestar, we have discovered the truth about the evil in the forest," he begins carefully.

"And what is it?" Bluestar sits upright, alarmed and alert. Graystripe quickly tells her the events of this morning and how Tigerstar has been using the dogs to get his revenge.

"So Brindleface is dead," she murmurs when he has finished.

"So what is your plan? Tigerstar is cunning and these dogs seem too strong for Thunderclan to handle."

"You must lead the Clan to Sunningrocks. I have other cats alongside me who are going to lure the dogs to the gorge away from the camp."

Bluestar's ears flick. "And what good will that do? We can't live at Sunningrocks, and even there the pack will hunt us down."

"If my plan works, you won't be there for long."

"I understand. I will lead the clan to Sunningrocks. They will need my guidance and we should go now."

Bluestar leads the way out of the den. The bulk of the clan—all the cats Graystripe has not chosen to come with him—are already huddled together near the entrance to the camp. As Bluestar goes to join them, Fireheart flicks his tail to call Whitestorm. "Stay beside her," he mews softly again to the white warrior. "Look after her."

Whitestorm dips his head.

"You can rely on me, Graystripe."

The glance he exchanges with Graystripe shows that he understands perfectly how fragile Bluestar's mind is. He pads at Bluestar's shoulder as she leads the way out of the camp. Seeing the white warrior, old but still vigorous, beside her, Graystripe is relieved that Bluestar looks more like herself. Her presence among them will reassure the other cats, especially the elders. He hopes this event doesn't cause their leader to go back to paranoid cat she was for a few moons/

When the last of the Clan has filed out into the ravine, Graystripe turns to the warriors who remain, crouched beside the burned stalks of the nettle patch. Longtail and Sandstorm meet his gaze, their eyes filled with resolution and fear in equal measure. He is reminded of the last time he evacuated the camp, when the fire came, and how three cats have never returned. But he knows thoughts like that will only push him into panic. He has to be strong for the sake of his Clan. Padding over to his warriors, he meows, "Are you ready? Then let's go."