Darkstorm's fur prickled self-consciously as Thinfur finished. "I..." she mumbled. I know when I was a kit I wanted to be leader, but now... She glanced up at the sky. But now, I don't think I can handle it. I already have to deal with a prophecy.

"You may all go," Treestar mewed in a tone that allowed none to object. Darkstorm looked to him. Rage fired in his eyes. And I've just made an enemy. "Wait. I don't suppose any of you know a way to get to the gathering island?" As nobody spoke, he sighed. "I'll contact the other leaders and see what will happen. I'll go to WindClan. Shadeflight, you go to SkyClan with Yowltail. You may need protection. Grassfang, you'll go to RiverClan." Oh no! Don't realize that I went there, Grassfang, don't find out... "Darkstorm and Orangetail, you go to ThunderClan. Badgerleap, I know you're an elder, but can you scout for a camp."

"Yep," Badgerleap growled. "I'm not that old, I can help if you need me to." Treestar nodded gratefully.

"Thinfur, you stay here. If a clan shows itself, run and find us. He's better now, yes?" Treestar asked, looking at Shadeflight.

"Yes."

"Well then. Everyone, get back quickly. We don't know who may attack, and we have to be prepared. Maybe the Twolegs will scare them off, but we won't take any risks." His eyes glinted. "And Orangetail, I am trusting you to go to ThunderClan." Orangetail dipped her head. "Then we'll go now." The cats scattered, Darkstorm and Orangetail going alongside Yowltail and Shadeflight.

"We'll separate at the border," Darkstorm mewed. Yowltail flicked her tail.

"There's something wrong with Treestar," she began hesitantly. "I think he's worried about the prophecy." She looked at Darkstorm pleadingly. "Try not to challenge his authority, please. I know you don't try to, but you were born a leader, and that never changed." Darkstorm blinked.

"Okay," she promised. "I'll try."

"We should go now," Orangetail mewed. 

"Be careful," Darkstorm pointed her ears to Shadeflight. "SkyClan is dangerous." Shadeflight nosed his littermate.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Orangetail and Darkstorm made their way through SkyClan territory.

"Hey!" Rainstar. Why is he patrolling? Darkstorm cursed herself and looked up.

"We're five tail-lengths-"

"Get out of here!" he snarled. "ShadowClan spies!" Darkstorm looked to Orangetail, who was calmly continuing on her way. Darkstorm's fur bristled.

"We're allowed to be here!" she spat, rivaling his unsheathed claws. Rainstar glared at her and waved his tail threateningly.

"It's my territory. I will say if you can be here." He struck out at Orangetail, slicing her side. She spun around, hissing defiantly.

"There are two of us and one of you," she meowed. "Let us go." Rainstar let out a bark of laughter and bared his teeth.

"I told you. Get out!" He leaped at her, Darkstorm pushing him away with her side. 

"Stop it or we'll fight," she warned. Rainstar scowled.

"You both have one life. I have nine." No, you don't, Darkstorm thought, I'm sure of it. You're too quick to fight. She snarled and pounced on him, pinning the SkyClan cat down. He rolled away and scraped his claws along her leg. 

"Hey!" Orangetail yowled. "That's my friend!" she sneered, joining the fight. Darkstorm shrieked as the leader flipped her on her back, rearing back to bite her neck. Orangetail leaped, her claws penetrating Rainstar's soft belly, and he flopped to his side. As Orangetail backed away, he jumped to his feet and rammed into her, aimed for the kill. Darkstorm heaved herself up and bit his back, digging her claws deep. He turned around and sliced her neck.

She yowled and stumbled back, pain sweeping through her body. As he flung himself at her, claws deadly and eyes sharp, a blur of orange shot past, swiping at his neck. Rainstar tumbled to the ground as Orangetail's sides heaved. Blood splattered the dirt.

"He's dead," she murmured. "I killed him!" Darkstorm comforted her wailing friend.

"He's a leader. He'll be back. What choice did you have?" She stroked her back with a long tail. He'll live, he has to, she thought. There's no way he's completely dead, and we have to get out of here. "We have to go," Darkstorm gently guided Orangetail to ThunderClan territory, and they sat down together, waiting for someone to find them.

"It'll be okay," Orangetail mewed determinedly. "He shouldn't have attacked us when we were obeying the code. He had no reason to." Darkstorm flicked her ears up.

"Patrol," she whispered. "Hello? ThunderClan?" she called. "It's Darkstorm and Orangetail, from ShadowClan," A patrol led by a ginger she-cat stopped in front of them.

"We have a message from Treestar, for Strikestar," Orangetail explained. "About the gathering." The ginger she-cat narrowed by eyes.

"Come," She eyed them distrustfully and flicked her tail. The patrol surrounded them as they made their way to the ThunderClan camp. "Strikestar! They have a message from Treestar!" Strikestar stepped out of a den. How do they live there? Darkstorm wondered, looking at the stone hollow. It must be cold.

"It's about the gathering," Darkstorm clarified. The patrol sat down, watching them. "Treestar wants to know where we should meet. It's impossible to get to the island now." Strikestar sniffed the air.

"Is that all?" 

"No," Orangetail jumped in. "We have to speak to Snarlfang." No! It's too suspicious, Orangetail! 

"Well then. Go talk. I know that unlike what the other clans think, ShadowClan won't break the code." He just wants to sound fair. But I really don't care why he listens. As long as he does, Darkstorm mused. She slowly followed Orangetail into Snarlfang's den, where a cat was yowling at him.

"Crazy warrior! You shouldn't even be a medicine cat! What kind of medicine cat name is Snarlfang? Just help her!" the grey tom shouted. Slatepaw? Slatepaw was sprawled on the ground, chest heaving, with a long scratch down her back.

"Mousesong," Snarlfang mewed. "I know you're upset, but she'll be fine."

"She'd better be!" Mousesong narrowed his amber eyes. "If my kit dies because of your incompetence, I'll... I'll..."

"I get the idea," Snarlfang retorted. "If you want me to help her, get out and let me do my duty." Mousefang's grey pelt bristled as he stormed out. Orangetail's claws pattered against stone as she led Darkstorm in.

"Snarlfang," she whispered. His eyes focused on her for a heartbeat before returning to their odd places. "I need to talk to you."

"I have a half-dead apprentice on my hands," he sighed and sat on his haunches. "A pair of Twolegs tried to grab her. Make her a kittypet, I reckon." He looked up at her and Darkstorm.

"You're the shadows," he snapped. "Help the clans." Darkstorm recoiled. I'm the shadows? Huh? Orangetail shook her head at Darkstorm. "You're part of the prophecy," Snarlfang clarified. "But that doesn't matter, not right now. I need marigold. The Twolegs ridded it from our territory." Orangetail's eyes widened.

"The Twolegs are dooming us," she mewed. Snarlfang closed his eyes, flattening his ears. 

"We have to leave. Strikestar won't listen to me." He chewed a leaf, spreading the mush on Slatepaw's scratch. It looks infected, Darkstorm thought. Will she live? 

"We do," she agreed. Snarlfang's eyes skitted to her.

"You're the one who can help us." His fur spiked slightly. "So help us. Quickstar and Coralstar agree. Coralstar was more stubborn, and Quickstar won't go without the other clans, but they do agree. We need to leave the lake." 

"Snarlfang," Orangetail mewed. "Don't worry. I'm helping her and Shadeflight, and I know for a fact that they want to go. Treestar and Rainstar are the problems.

"And Str-"

"Wait, can't Slatepaw hear us?" Darkstorm interrupted, Snarlfang rolling his eyes with irritation.

"She's far, far away," he murmured, his harsh tone softening. "I wouldn't get my hopes up." He popped a seed in the apprentice's mouth, forcing her to swallow. "Such a shame. Her ceremony was to be in a sunrise..." Orangetail rested her muzzle on his shoulder.

"It isn't your fault. But if she dies, then we know..."

"It's not Arrowheart!" Darkstorm whipped around. "We have to go. Treestar will want us. And we have to ask Strikestar what he thinks." Orangetail and Snarlfang's eyes locked briefly, and the ginger she-cat trodded after Darkstorm.

The ShadowClan forest smelled of Twolegs. It was unpleasant to know that the Twolegs were in the territory, stinking up the pines and cutting them down. But this isn't the lake dying. It's ShadowClan territory dying, Darkstorm realized with a shock. Which means that the worst is yet to come. She shivered and looked up at the Pinebranch. Treestar was sitting there, Yowltail beside him.

"Cats of ShadowClan," he rumbled. "Quickstar has told us that he knows no way, but he is willing to hold it on his territory. Yowltail?" Yowltail raised her tail as she spoke.

"Rainstar was missing. There was no news." Treestar nodded slowly.

"Coralstar thinks that we have to leave the lake," Grassfang mewed. Badgerleap shook her head slowly, as if wondering what would become of the senior warrior. "And she says that apaprt from swimming, she doesn't know how to get there." 

"We are not leaving the lake!" Treestar screeched. "We have a home here!" Seeming to relax, he looked at Darkstorm. "What about ThunderClan?"

"Er..." Orangetail paused.

"Strikestar said that he would be glad to have the gathering on his territory," Darkstorm explained. 

"Slatepaw seemed sick," Orangetail added. Darkstorm shot her a glare. It isn't Arrowheart! "Dying sick." Treestar tapped his claws against the branch.

"Interesting," he murmured. Orangetail! Darkstorm thought furiously. "We shall inform the clans to do it on WindClan territory. ThunderClan would be too smug, and we won't do it on ours. Face it, my clan." Darkstorm gasped as he continued, lashing his tail angrily. "We are weak."

What do you think? What's going to happen? The length of this chapter was good, I think. Do you have your guesses about the book and the prophecy? Please comment them!

-Shadowstorm