Fogface had never heard RushClan this animated. Last night when they'd departed the Gathering, every cat had been silent, taking in the news. Wondering what it would mean. But this morning things were different. Fernstar hadn't sent out any patrols. She hadn't left her den. No doubt she was stressed. Fernstar always was. Mudfishleap was with her, and so was their mother, Greyheart. Fogface fought the urge to growl. Greyheart always used to comfort her, until her sister became the Chief.

"Fogface, are you feeling up to leaving the den?" Stormspark asked, licking the top of her head as if she were a kit.

Fogface nodded. "The herbs helped. I'm not up for leaving camp though. You know how tired anxiety makes me."

Stormspark nodded. "I'm sorry you had to see her." She trailed her tail over Fogface's back. "It's cruel that BeechClan took her in after she was exiled."

Fogface got to her feet. "Let's stop talking about Frecklepelt. We have bigger things to worry about." She flashed a weak smile at her mate. "I know you want to talk about it."

Stormspark purred, jumping up. "You know I do! Can you believe what's happening? It's a disaster. It could be the end of RushClan." She raced out of the den, pausing for a moment to look back at Fogface.

Fogface staggered out of the warrior's den, looking around at her Clanmates. Everyone was talking and arguing. For once no one was giving her any pitying looks or concerned glances. She settled down beside Softears, one of her best friends.

Softears welcomed her with a tense smile. "Can you believe it? This ForestClan?"

Fogface shook her head. "In all my moons, I never saw this coming."

Softears pelt bristled. "I'm terrified that ForestClan will attack our Clan. If they do, we don't stand a chance." She stretched her green eyes wide. "Myrtlepaw, Possumpaw, and Blackpaw are so young. How can they protect themselves?"

Fogface lifted her paw, sitting it over her friend's. "Your kits are nine moons old now. They're old enough to defend themselves; you don't need to worry. They can run away if it comes to that. And Fernstar will never let that happen."

A loud voice carried across the camp, capturing Fogface's attention.

"In my opinion, we need to act now. We don't have time to think of the what-ifs. We're under threat right now. If we don't act immediately, ForestClan will only get stronger." Stormspark stood at the centre of camp, cats gathering around her. She stood tall, tail whipping from side to side. "Keastar is blind to Spiderstar's true intentions. But we know better, we know how manipulative Spiderstar is. He doesn't care about peace; he'd love to see RimuClan killed. He's doing this to grow his power. And then he'll move onto us."

Fogface's pelt prickled. What was she doing? She should wait until Fernstar was ready to command the Clan.

"You're forgetting how many cats Spiderstar has lost over this battle. Maybe he does want peace. At least if RimuClan and BeechClan join, they'll leave us alone," Echoslip piped up.

Stormspark leaned in close to her, green eyes blazing. "Are you really that keabrained? Do you think Spiderstar will leave us alone? He'll lead a massive group of cats. He'll slaughter us easily. They're his own legion," she hissed, retracting her neck. "Spiderstar is cruel. He'll do anything for personal gain. We all know that." She nodded at Fogface.

"Just because he let Frecklepelt join BeechClan doesn't mean he'll attack our entire Clan! He wants to end war, not start another one," Pokakaclaw argued.

Fogface flinched. She stood up and joined the crowd, raising her voice. "I don't think we should be arguing about it like this. We need to wait until Fernstar speaks, and while we wait, we need to hunt. Our needs don't end when the earth falls out from under our feet."

"Yeah, and ForestClan won't go away while we wait for Fernstar to pull herself together," Gullheart hissed at her. "If Stemstar had made Totarascar the Chief instead of her, we would be acting already. Warrior, if he was the Chief, Spiderstar wouldn't see us as so weak. He'd never have dared to pull this kind of dung with us!"

Fogface bristled. "Fernstar is the best Chief we could've hoped for. Who are you to insinuate that she's weak?"

"Be quiet, all of you!" A commanding voice rang out. "Fernstar is ready to speak."

Fogface turned around, taking in her mother's snarl. Looking beyond her, she saw Fernstar picking up the morepork feather, signalling she was about to address the Clan. Her fur was ungroomed, tufts sticking up in all directions. Her eyelids fluttered, almost closing.

"ForestClan is a direct threat against us and our way of life," she began. "Our most immediate issue is the size difference between our Clans. ForestClan greatly outnumbers us; they're twice the size of RushClan. So we have to ensure we have allies if we come to battle."

She paused, jaw clenching as she suppressed a yawn. "Protectors will go out to try to make allies with local rogues, loners, and even kittypets. I'll be choosing two additional patrols to join them. One patrol, lead by Dewfrost, will have Leafshade, and Greyheart. Inankapelt's patrol will have Sandheart, Possompaw, and Barkwhisker. The last patrol will be lead by Flaxheart, and have Hollysplash, Honeydapple, and Mudfishleap." She paused, letting the Clan discuss this.

"Now, the rest of you will need to get on with normal duties, like hunting. In the next few days, we'll start battle training in preparation of any future battles. I want to avoid that, I don't want to be on the defence. I'll go and discuss this matter with Spiderstar and Keastar and try to get them to see reason. The most we can do is be prepared for what may happen, and try to prevent it in the first place." Her gaze swept around the group of cats. "I know how easy it is to lose reason to emotion. I know you're all angry. I am too. But we must try to stay calm, we mustn't act rash. Whatever we do, we mustn't allow ForestClan to splinter our Clan and cause discord. We're strongest together. We're RushClan! We cannot be destroyed!"

"We're RushClan! We cannot be destroyed!" The Clan echoed.

Fernstar dipped her head to them and dropped the feather. Fogface rushed over to her. "Are you okay? You look exhausted."

Her sister nodded. "I didn't sleep at all last night. I stayed awake worrying." She licked Fogface's ear. "Thanks for standing up for me back there. I heard what Gullheart was saying." Her face fell. "He's right though. I'm a weak Chief."

Fogface wrapped her tail around her. "No, you're not. You're a fantastic Chief. If it was Totarascar, we'd probably all be dead by now. We both know he's too battle-hungry. And a useless father."

Fernstar's laugh was brittle. "He sure is. I'll go sleep in the medicine den. I need to look like I'm doing something, or Gullheart would be all over me. Dotterelsong won't mind me using her as a cover." She walked away. Fogface stared after her.

"Don't worry about her. Mudfishleap and I were with her all night. She's feeling better."

Fogface jumped, looking behind her to see her mother. "She still seems so anxious."

"She's feeling better, trust me." Greyheart rubbed her cheek against her daughter's. Fogface's green eyes followed her as she went to join her patrol.

She shook her head. Anger began to bubble inside her stomach. It wasn't fair. How could Spiderstar do this to RushClan? Fernstar shouldn't have to deal with this. She stalked over to Stormspark, weaving through the crowd. "Come on, let's hunt," her voice came out as a growl. Stormspark nodded. Her fur lay flat again.

They trailed around the territory in silence, both lost in their thoughts. By sunhigh, they'd only caught a mudfish between them.

"It isn't enough," Stormspark broke the silence.

"What, the mudfish?"

"No. This ForestClan thing."

Fogface flashed her a look. She knew what her mate was getting at. "Well, what would you do?" She snapped. "You, Gullheart, so many others keep on criticising Fernstar. But what else can she do? She can't stop Spiderstar and Keastar from doing this!"

"She can't. But we can." Stormspark met Fogface's eyes. She was surprised to see the intensity in her hazel gaze, dark and wild like a thunderstorm.

"What do you mean?" Fogface asked.

"Fernstar has to keep up a facade of the perfect leader, the image of strength. She needs to please RushClan, to take precautionary measures, to give ForestClan no reason to attack. She has to make us seem like we're no threat, but also show that we can't be defeated. With all that, she can't do anything."

"She's going to speak with Spiderstar and Keastar and try to dissuade them," Fogface argued.

Stormspark snorted. "You don't honestly believe that will do anything, do you?"

Fogface stood, tail lashing behind her. "So if nothing Fernstar does is going to help, what will? You can't criticise without having a solution."

A smile curled on her face. "That's what I'm saying. I have a solution. I know what can stop ForestClan."

Fogface's tail stopped whipping around her, falling to the ground. She sat down again. "What's your solution?"

Stormspark paused, swallowing. "Well...you won't like it. It's dangerous, I know. But RushClan's future is at stake."

Fogface stared at her, unable to speak.

"RimuClan and BeechClan aren't happy about ForestClan either. Well, most of them. At the gathering, I was talking to Robincry. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but she looked angry. When Spiderstar made his announcement, I looked around, and a lot of RimuClan and BeechClan cats looked the same. They don't like ForestClan any more than we do." Stormspark's hesitation gave way as passion snaked into her voice. "I don't know what Spiderstar and Keastar were thinking! They can't just change the entire lives and future of their Clans without them wanting it." She thrust her muzzle into Fogface's face, voice dropping to a whisper. "And you know what happens when leaders make a sudden change that their Clan doesn't want? They revolt.

"

Fogface blinked, trying to comprehend what Stormspark was saying. "You mean...you mean Forestclan is going to rebel?"

"Think about it!" She stood up, pacing back and forward. "The power is in the Clan. The warriors. We have the strength. We can make a change. Leaders can talk and order as much as they want, but they can only achieve things with the consent of the Clan. So if ForestClan rises against their leaders, if they say no, ForestClan can't go ahead!"

Fogface backed away from her, looking alarmed. "I don't understand your point. You're notsupprting this idea, are you?"

Stormspark nodded. "Why would RimuClan and BeechClan want this? They've been at war for seasons. They despise each other. They have completely different lifestyles; they'll have to make changes if they want to unite. Trust me, they have no reason to want to be part of ForestClan. And RushClan hates it. So why not bring power to the warriors? We should be in control! We need to gather any RushClan cats who'll be interested, and figure out which ForestClan cats would join."

"We?" Fogface's breath shuddered.

"Me and you. I want to start this rebellion. I want to lead it."

Shaking her head, Fogface stood up. "You're not thinking this through. There are plenty of ForestClan cats who want this. They like power. Will we have big enough numbers to make a rebellion? Not only that, it's so dangerous! You only have to tell one wrong cat, and RushClan is seen as a threat and attacked."

"That's why I need you." Stormspark stretched out her paws and cupped Fogface's with them. "I'm a good leader. I can persuade cats to join, and I can plan our action. You're like a council of elders. You're good at anticipating problems and thinking of solutions. You can pull me back when I go too far. You're a thinker. I'm a doer. We're a perfect team to lead this!"

Fogface shook her head. "No, Stormspark, we can't! It's too dangerous. And we can't lead! Yes, you're persuasive, but...but I can't...we're too inexperienced! Don't you know how massive this would be!"

"Who else is better to lead it than us? You're the Chief's family. The Spirit runs through you. The Gods favour you. You've got to lead."

"Keastar has high Spirit too. So does Spiderstar. That's not enough to prove we can do this!"

A growl pierced the air, rumbling from Stormspark's throat. "This is the only way to save our Clan! We have to take action. If you don't agree, I'll do it anyway. I won't stand by and let Spiderstar's greed destroy RushClan. He turned away from the Gods a long time ago. He doesn't care what he does." She lifted Fogface's chin with her paw. "Aren't you angry?"

The anger that coiled in her belly ravelled itself tighter. Yes, she was angry. But a rebellion was too much. Stormspark was caught up in her new idea. She needed to think, to reason. That's what Fernstar had said.

"Of course I'm angry," Fogface replied, voice taut. "But I'm smart enough to have restraint. Don't leap before looking. It'll only get you hurt. And I couldn't bear that." She turned around, picking up the mudfish she'd managed to catch. Her paws carried her back to camp, away from Stormspark and her betrayed expression.

The next few days went by in a blur. RushClan gathered some allies among the local kittypets and loners, but the majority wanted to stay out of Clan drama.

"At least we won't have to deal with their constant fighting. They'll calm down and be less aggressive. If they go some time without fighting and get a taste for peace, they'll be more reluctant to go back to that warring state," Brindlefrost said.

Leafshade rolled his eyes. "Fighting is their nature. They'll turn on us the moment they get the chance. They'll never settle for peace, they'll only crave bloodshed."

"You forget who's leading them." Redthroat's eyes flicked from cat to cat. "Spiderstar is the most cunning cat I know. And Keastar loves blood on her claws."

Fogface blocked out the sound of the arguing. It seemed like the only thing her clanmates were talking about. And she couldn't get ForestClan off her mind.

Paws crunching against gravel made her open her eyes. Fernstar walked into camp, tail dragging behind her. She bent down and gripped the morepork feather between her teeth. The noise died as cats watched their leader in anticipation. Fernstar lay the feather at her feet.

"I've spoken with Keastar and Spiderstar." She clenched her teeth. "They didn't listen. They don't care about what RushClan thinks. They never have! They see us as outsiders, all because we don't live in their forests." Her voice shook, growing more high-pitched and loud.. "I told them about our concerns, and how the consequences of ForestClan could be devastating to RushClan. Keastar didn't even try to be diplomatic or put on a front. When I told them about their Clan having double our numbers, she sneered at me and told me we should start having more kits."

A chill travelled down Fogface's spine. Was Keastar implying that ForestClan would be a threat?

"Spiderstar told me ForestClan would never dream of hurting RushClan, but I'm not stupid. Even if he and Keastar don't try us, he can't speak for future generations." She dropped her head. "We need to take this as an act of war. We need to start preparing. Increase our battle training. We won't make a move against them - we need to make more strategies." She raised her round head. "But I did learn one helpful thing."

Fogface leaned forward, ears pricked. What could possibly be helpful about this?

"ForestClan is in motion. Keastar and Spiderstar have set up a group with cats from both BeechClan and RimuClan and are running the Clan as ForestClan under the leadership of Greeneyes and Mataiclaw, who's been appointed deputy. It's like an experimental group to see how ForestClan will work and how to combine the cultures. So we know ForestClan is underway."

"That's odd," Fogface whispered to Softears, who sat next to her. "That Spiderstar and Keastar aren't running this ForestClan group, but have left it to their deputies."

"And RimuClan have already appointed a deputy. Do they still have a council of elders?" Softears whispered back.

"We need to figure out strategies. I will go and consult our council." Fernstar swept her tail put behind her as she walked away. Several elders stood and followed her.

Immediately chatter broke out in the camp as cats digested this news. Fogface turned to her friend. Softears eyes were wide. "No." She shook her head. "Oh Gods, no. It isn't fair. What have we done?" She stood up, racing over to her kits. Myrtlepaw and Blackpaw sat together, staring after Fernstar. Softears. She pulled her kits in towards her, licking their ears. Blackpaw pulled away, but Myrtlepaw leaned into her mother.

Fogface looked away from her friend. Her eyes locked on her mate's. Beseeching eyes, honeyed, soft, promising. Fogface knew Stormspark too well. She could see the ravenous hunger gnawing below the surface.

She turned her back on her, pushing down the bitterness that festered inside her. A starving animal, it bared its teeth. Spiderstar harboured Frecklepelt even after Fernstar had told him what she'd done. He'd shown her no mercy, he'd never grant it to RushClan. Fogface pinned her ears back to her skull, suffocating that ugly feeling. Every cat was angry. Every cat was angry, every cat was furious. That didn't allow for stupid risks. Fogface could control herself better than that.

She shook her head at Stormspark and padded over to Softears. Stormspark could do what she liked, but Fogface wouldn't help her.