EyrieClan Camp:

Eyriestar looked over from his camp. "Look here Lightningtail, what's DuneClan doing at Painted Rocks. We should really send a patrol." Shrillpaw stopped, and saw that indeed, DuneClan cats were seated all around the gathering place.

"It looks like a battle. Shrillpaw, do you think we should intervene?" asked Eyriestar. Eagletalon groaned at their leader taking the advice of an apprentice.

"Uh, let's leave them to fight it out. Maybe while they're distracted, we could try attacking their camps!"

"Good plan kitto!" said Eyriestar. Eagletalon thumped her head against a rock over and over again in frustration.

"Thanks Eyriestar!" Shrillpaw mewed, then turned to his sister. "I told you I'm smarter than you are."

"Actually," said Eyriestar thoughtfully, "everyone gather under the Sunkissed Stone for a clan meeting." He got into position and waited for the other cats to come. Dahliapaw and Shrillpaw waited quietly under the huge rock, which was living up to its name.

"As your old mentors have recently retired to the elders den, I have decided that these two apprentices shall receive new mentors!" Eyriestar shouted. "Shrillpaw, you're up first."

Shrillpaw's eyes widened "REALLY!?" He yowled

"Yup," said Eyriestar, before taking a deep breath. "Shrillpaw, your creativity and energy will make you a great asset to your clan one day. Blah blah honour, blah blah warrior code. In order for us to fully develop your potential, I have decided that I will become your mentor." Eyriestar gave Shrillpaw a wink.

Shrillpaw smiled widely and broke into a loud purr. He touched noses with his new mentor happily. "Shrillpaw, Eyriestar! Shrillpaw, Eyriestar!" shouted the clan.

Eyriestar touched his nose to his apprentice. "You're gonna be great," he whispered. Then he clambered back onto the Sunkissed Stone. "Alright, Dahliapaw, you're up next." Dahliapaw stepped forward.

Eyriestar cleared his throat again. "Dahliapaw, your intelligence and obedience will make you a great warrior. Blah blah blah, respect, blah blah blah hard work. For a cat like you, Stormclaw would make a great mentor!"

"Thank you!" Dahliapaw mewed as she touched noses with the she-cat

Eyriestar waited until Stormclaw had finished touching noses with Dahliapaw. "Alright you lot. Since it's almost noon, why don't you two take a nap? It'll make me feel less bad about myself," said Eyriestar as padded off to the Leader's den. Eagletalon sighed loudly.

"But I'm not tired!" Shrillpaw and Dahliapaw meowed simultaneously

Eyriestar turned back to look at the two of them. "Okay, what do you want to do?"

"I want to train with my new mentor!" Shrillpaw yowled excitedly.

Dahliapaw mewed, "I just don't want to sleep."

"Ok, I guess we can go over some battle moves," yawned Eyriestar. "Dahliapaw, why don't you go hunt with old Eagletalon." Eagletalon glared at Eyriestar as if she were about to murder him.

Dahliapaw happily skipped through the camp, waiting for the older molly to follow her. She smirked to herself as she conjured a little cockroach crawling along the ground towards her paws.

Eagletalon slowly followed the young apprentice, then shrieked as the cockroach climbed all over her paws. "Eek, get it off, get it off!" she yowled as she spun around and around, trying to dislodge the bug.

Dahliapaw smiled as the cockroach disappeared. "GOT YOU!"

Eagletalon glared at Dahliapaw. "How disgraceful," she huffed.

Eyriestar laughed at his deputy. "Anyway, Shrillpaw, what move would you like to learn first?"

"Stormclaw!" called Eagletalon, stomping back to the den. "Kindly take your apprentice on patrol, or hunting, I don't care! I just want her out of my fur!"

"Alright, alright. Sorry. Come on Dahilapaw, let's go hunt," Lightingtail mewed. Dahliapaw followed her mentor back out into the territory.

"I don't mind. I just want to be the best warrior ever!" shouted Shrillpaw.

"That's a good goal," laughed Eyriestar. "Why don't you show me what you can do; try to knock me off my feet."

"Ok." The young tom bunched his legs, faking a jump upwards, and then slid under his leader's belly once he was distracted, tapping the tendon on the back of his leg sharply so he collapsed.

"Oof" grunted Eyriestar. He fell on top of Shrillpaw, burying him in his long fur.

"Stormclaw!" called Eagletalon. "Kindly take your apprentice on patrol, or hunting, I don't care! I just want her out of my fur!"

"Alright alright. Sorry. Come on Dahilapaw lets go hunt." Lightingtail mewed.

GroveClan Camp:

"Clan meeting!" Grovestar called out.

Rosepaw woke from the medicine den. "Meadowpaw, get up! It's time for a Clan meeting," she said. Meadowpaw's body didn't move. Rosepaw shook her, but nothing happen. "Fine, be a sleepy-slug, see if I care!" said Rosepaw, padding over to the Clan meeting.

"Meadowpaw has unfortunately....died....we will hold her vigil tonight. In the meantime, in revenge of Meadowpaw we are attacking DuneClan NOW. My Clan with me!"

Rosepaw was left behind in the rush to attack. She looked around at her remaining

clanmates. "But Meadowpaw's alive. She's sleeping in the medicine den, isn't she?"

Firestrike grumbled at Rosepaw. "SHE'S DEAD! OK? MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE!" Firestrike went back towards the den, trying to hide his tears over the death of Meadowpaw.

Rosepaw forced herself to look at Meadowpaw. Suddenly nothing could hold back the sobs. Eventually she took a deep breath. "You're right, she's gone." She glared at Firestrike. "She's gone forever because you wouldn't save her."

Firestrike clawed her cheek, a permanent slash there. Rosepaw cried out and fell back to the ground. She touched a paw to her wound and found only blood. Many of the other cats glared at Firestrike, whispering things he couldn't quite hear.

DuneClan Camp:

Breezewing was very skinny for the prey storage was short. Two border patrols a day and as many hunting patrols, she thought.

She announced the following patrols to the clan.

1. Border Patrol: Breezewing, Brokenleg, Silverstep

2. Hunting Patrol: Thornstrike, Larchfang, Minnowpaw

3. Hunting Patrol: Gorsepaw, Breezewing, Brokenleg

4. Hunting Patrol: Silverstep, Thronstrike, Larchfang

5. Hunting Patrol: Minnowpaw, Gorsepaw, Breezewing

6. Border Patrol: Brokenleg, Silverstep, Thornstrike.

"Do you understand?" Breezewing asked. "Then Brokenleg and Silverstep, let's go on the border patrol."

Silverstep shook some sand out of her pelt. "Can't we ask Grovestar for some prey? I have been on two patrols every day this week and I still haven't caught anything!"

"We can't bother Grovestar unless it's important, if we want to live in this territory we need to survive on our own!"

"And look how well that's going!" yowled Silverstep. "If we don't do something different all of us are going to starve to death!"

"That's not going to happen, once Dunestar is dead, we'll be able to go back to our territory, but until then-"

Grovestar came up to Breezewing and Silverstep. "We are attacking DuneClan." Grovestar said. "Go get the rest of the Clan!

"Grovestar told the rest of the Clan about the attack, we set out NOW!" she said, and went towards the Painted Rocks. Many of the warriors grumbled, but did as their leader commanded.

Painted Stones:

Dunestar paced around. Sunscar came up to her. "Dunestar, Nightflame and I have been harassing the invaders all this week. Do you think it's finally time to drive them out?"

Tinywing nodded. "I've been worrying about this for long enough. I want my old home back." NIghtflame nodded as well.

Before she had a chance to reply, Grovestar and her Clan came up to Dunestar. "Nice to see you here. ATTACK!" Grovestar leaped at Dunestar.

Dunestar bared her teeth, leaping out of the way and piercing the other leader's face with a sharp rock.

Sandyflight tackled Silverstep to the ground. Sunscar slashed at Thornstrike's face and he fell back with a yowl.

Grovestar was bleeding yet she grabbed Dunestar's tail and yanked it with such force that Dunestar was thrown off balance.Tinywing, not sure how he could help with his sticks for legs, tried feebly to jump onto Grovestar instantly being knocked back.

"Hope, help me!" called Sunscar as Larchfang moved to gang up on him. The cream she-cat leaped up next to her deputy and lashed at the enemy cats, sending them reeling backwards in pain.

While Dunestar was down, Grovestar jumped on Sandyflight and sank her teeth into their fur, causing them to almost yowl.

Breezewing jumped on Sunscar, rearing up on her back legs and pouncing down on Sunscar over and over again. Sunscar turned, and grabbed Breezewing by the scruff of her neck. He thrust her into one of the Painted Rocks until she lay stunned and unconscious. Silverstep leaped forward, protecting her deputy from harm's way, dragging her back to the woods.. Sandyflight tried to break out Grovestar's grip. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" they yowled.

Hope tried to reach Grovestar, but couldn't get past the knots of tussling cats, so instead, she turned and fought that way.

"UNTIL YOUR LEADER IS DEAD!" screamed Grovestar, smacking their head

on a rock.

Sandyflight fell unconscious. Sunscar pounced on Thornstrike. Many of the GroveClan cats fell back, unsure about how to feel about their leader viciously attacking a medicine cat. Dewpaw leaped at the first cat he saw.

Dunestar got up, tearing Grovestar's ears. She opened her mouth as much as she could. Grovestar turned onto her side, slipped under Dunestar's belly, raked it with her claws, then swiftly turned back onto all fours out from under Dunestar. Dunestar bared her teeth, leaping onto Grovestar's back and deeply raked her back.

Sunscar, Hope and Nightflame began to push back the rest of the GroveClan cats. Tired and starving, they raced back to GroveClan. Grovestar found herself surrounded by enemy cats.

Hope bared her teeth in a hiss. "Get OFF our land!" She meant it for both DuneClan and the Children.

"Retreat!" yowled Grovestar.

The GroveClan cats pretended that they had just been following Grovestar's orders and raced away even faster. Silverstep was the last to leave, hissing at the DuneClan cats as she carried Breezewing back with her.

"Weaklings." Dunestar rolled her eyes. Stars began to flood the surrounding, turning day into the darkest night. Stars began to rise up, the silhouette of a cat suddenly there with them. Glowing purple eyes appeared, then a thin gray tabby body.

The DuneClan cats gazed in awe at this spectacular sight and bowed their heads. The mysterious cat raised his head, glaring at both of the Clans with disappointment. "This is no way to live on The Oracle's land," he meowed softly, yet aggressively.

Tinywing finally recognised the shape, and bowed even deeper.

Specifically, the cat looked at Grovestar. "Give these cats their land back. You will not survive in any way." Then he turned to Dunestar. "I expect you to keep your peace with the other Clans as well."

"Who are you?" Dunestar raised a brow.

"He's a StarClan cat obviously!" Grovestar spat at Dunestar. "And fine you can have the land back." Not if I kill you first, she thought.

The cat hissed at Grovestar. "No cat is killing anyone!" he spat. "I don't want to come down here again to see this. Next time I come, I better see peace."

Sandyflight kept their mouth shut. They didn't want to anger the StarClan, and they even agreed with the spirit, but being sarcastic was so tempting. Sunscar nodded too, although in his heart he wanted revenge on GroveClan

The cat narrowed his eyes. "Now," he meowed. "I'm going to leave you be. My eyes are on you as always." He suddenly faded.

Dunestar looked at Grovestar. "You heard him, leave."

"I'm not going to listen to you," she spat.

"But you'll listen to a StarClan cat, and he gave us our land back. Now GO."

"You dare disrespect StarClan?" Nightflame growled. "You don't deserve the title of leader then," he spat at Grovestar's paws, his eyes full of defiance.

Grovestar hissed at the DuneClan cats, and the vision vanished, leaving all of them back at Painted Stones.

"Nightflame, you fought really well today," said Sunscar, patting him on the back with his tail. "Hey Dunestar, can we go back to our camp now?" Nightflame dipped his head gratefully at Sunscar's compliment.

Yes please!" Tinywing mewed

Dunestar nodded. "Yes. We'll need to fix our dunes and traps that we set up, though." Her clanmates set out to do just that.

GroveClan pt. 2

Grovestar looked at her Clan. "That was unacceptable!" she said. "We need to keep battle training. We will try again after we heal. And don't be afraid to hurt and kill other cats."

"Even medicine cats?" asked Thornstrike.

Silverstep raced over to Rosepaw. "Grovestar, come quick! Some rogue has attacked my poor little kit!"

"Not medicine cats, unless they attack you. And Firestrike, I know you hurt Rosepaw and heal her now!" hissed Grovestar.

Silverstep gasped, and stared at Firestrike. Rosepaw didn't seem to have registered the attack, and stared at the blood seeping out of her pelt. Thornstrike nodded to Grovestar and brought Rosepaw to Firestrike.

Firestrikw turned away. "I rather feed myself deathberries then heal that mouse-brained furball."

Silverstep glared at him. "Grovestar, what use is a medicine cat that injures his clanmates but won't heal?"

"Firestrike, fix her up right now, or I'll put you back as a warrior," threatened Grovestar.

Firestrike grumbled, but put the cobwebs on Rosepaw's face, throwing one on Silverstep's and Grovestar's faces. Firestrike needed to get away from this camp to go to the Moonmirror for the halfmoon gathering, he didn't have the energy for this.

"Firestrike, you look tired," said Larchfang sympathetically. "Maybe you should rest for a bit before you go to the Moonstone." He guided the medicine cat to his den.

"I DON'T NEED NO-" Firestrike fell asleep.

Firestrike found himself in a misty forest, a dim sun shining through the grey. Out of the mist, Firestrike saw a pair of purple eyes staring back at him. "Firestrike, I have a message for you," boomed a mysterious voice.

"What is it?" he snapped.

"Straight to the point and impertinent as ever, I see," chuckled the voice. "Then again, that energy is exactly why I have chosen you to be my messenger. That is why you are the first to hear my prophecy."

Firestrike's ears perked up. "What is it?" he asked.

The purple eyes seemed to blaze, and the mist grew darker around Firestrike. The words came from nowhere yet everywhere.

"A fire light's a collar left on the sand,

6 will be chosen when all seems lost,

3 to preserve, 3 to destroy.

If 3 become one, the clans will die,

But only their sacrifice will heal the poison of hate."

The purple eyes narrowed and suddenly vanished. Firestrike was thrust awake.

Firestrike panted, running out of the den to the Moonmirror, so fast dust almost went into his eyes.

DuneClan Camp pt. 2:

Sandyflight stomped into DuneClan camp. "It looks like even more of a dump than usual," they complained.

Tinywing smiled at his mentor, "At least you'll get a good night's rest now."

They snorted. "Better night's rest maybe. Come on Tinybrain, help me sort out the mess they've made of the medicine den."

While Tinywing cleaned the den, Sandyflight padded over to Sandsky. "You all right?" they asked, "The fighting was pretty fierce and the last thing I need right now is an infected wound to deal with."

"Yeah I'm fine just a couple of scratches but nothing big." Sandsky told Sandyflight.

Sandyflight grunted. "Let me see those 'scratches' and I'll decide for myself." They looked at Sandsky's wounds, clicked her tongue and searched for some cobwebs from the medicine den. "These are pretty much the only thing I've got more of in my den since GroveClan was here. They may be just scratches, but apply some of this to the worst ones just in case."

Sandsky nodded. "Thanks Sandyflight."

"Don't mention it," they said, and went back to their den to scold Tinywing again. Sandyflight poked their head into the medicine den. "All done in there, Tinytalent?"

She heard no response then tried again. "If you're quite done in there, it's about time we got going to the halfmoon gathering," shouted Sandyflight, "Are you finally finished Tinywing?"

"I'm done, I'm done!" The young tom mewed as he stepped out of the medicine den. "I would've been faster if you were helping, though." He added.

"I was busy patching up all our clanmates' injuries or did you forget, Tinybrain?" Sandyflight teased, ruffling up the fur on Tinywing's head with their paw.

Tinywing smiled fondly at his mentor "Of course I knew, because you were yelling at them."

Sandyflight gave a rare laugh. "Hehe, fair enough. Follow me, maybe we've still got a chance to get there in time." Tinywing pulled his head away from his mentor and laughed as he followed them out of camp.

Sunscar crept up to his leader, checking to see if he was disturbing her. "Dunestar, can we talk?"

Dunestar flicked her ear, curling up in a ball. She closed her eyes tight.

Sunscar sensed his leader didn't want to be disturbed, and got out of the leader's den. He walked over to Hope. "You handled yourself pretty well out there Hope. If I didn't know better, I'd think you'd have been battle training for years, not just the past few moons."

"Thank you, Sunscar." The cream she-cat dipped her head. Hope waited for the deputy to go, then padded quietly out of the camp, not running into any cat. She was lucky tonight. The moon shone above her as she made her way to the Prophecy Cave to attend the Summoning. She hoped she'd be able to stop and greet Delilah and Finch there, maybe even Wolf after seeing him on the border.