"I can hear them fighting..!" Sparkfur breathed in quickly, glancing around at the all the she-cats from where she lay; they were holding their young kits close to them to attempt to keep them warm. The screeches of battling cats filled the forest that was her home. They stood along the edge of the dense bushes, tall grass ticking her unkempt fur.

      "Come on, we'll be better protected from the wind in the forest." she urged them from below eye level. A little less than half of the she-cats had decided to return to their twolegs at the beginning of the move, and the remaining queens struggled to carry all of their kits.

       "But I can hear the rebells fighting!" Whispered a black she-cat again, she was laying down so that her three kits were close to her warm body.

      "Then we'll stay away from the area that the sounds are coming from. There are rain shelters around the territory that can protect you from the cold and from outsiders. Come on, before the injured cats start leaving the fight!" Sparkfur meowed, getting into a sitting position. The black she-cat swallowed before standing up shakily. She picked up the smallest of her kits, a dark brown tabby.

       "Alright, queens with newborn kits will go to the safest most well-hidden spot, which is not far from here. We'll all help each other!" Arden spoke from where she stood, her kit at her silver paws. Sparkfur had told her where every rain shelter was during a break in the short journey to the forest.

      The queens nodded in agreement to the leader-like queen, and started back up in their journey into the woods. Grey gently nudged Sparkfur, who was still laying down.

      "Come on, we're moving." She purred around the scruff of her cream colored kit.

"Yeah, I'm coming..." Spark murmured, getting to her aching paws. She slowly reached down and picked up Briarkit, who mewled pitifully. He was freezing.

"We're falling behind." Grey noted worried, looking ahead as the last cat disappeared into the bushes that bordered the woods.

"I know my way around the forest better than any of you rouges.." Spark growled, slightly agitated. Grey's ears pinned back.

"Right. Then get me to a shelter." The warrior flicked her tail and limped lightly into the bushes.

She relished in the frosty, earthy scent. She was covered up by the shade of the tree tops. The temperature seemed to drop instantly.

"You said it'd be warmer in the forest..." Grey murmured as they followed the trail of the she-cats. The sounds of fighting cats was louder, echoing through the trees. She adjusted her grip on Briarkit's scruff.

"No, I said it would protect us from the wind." She fluffed up her fur, taking soft steps.

She flicked her ears as she felt pummels in the earth: a cat was running. "Quick, get under that bush." She pushed the tortoiseshell cat under some foliage just in time as a bloodied rouge raced past them. They came out slowly, Spark with ears pricked.

Grey would have no idea how to know when there was danger, which made her that more useless to the clans. They'll probably accept the queen's who spent time in training, and all the kits for certain. Mintstar's always made promises about growing the clan. But nobody wants to feed dead weight.

"This way." Spark instructed, veering off west slightly.

"But the others are going straight." Grey murmured.

"That's the direction the rouge came from. I'm sure they'll figure it out." She flicked her tail. But if Grey didn't even know the rouge was coming, how could they?

Spark stopped suddenly.

"Here, take cover under the bracken over there with your kits." Spark gently set the dark brown kit onto the moist earth. "I have to go" she sighed and looked up at Grey.

"But Flora is carrying Hazel, and Nina is carrying little Florence!" Grey whined. Spark sighed inwardly.

"Take care of the kits you have now. I'll come back for you." She turned, looking over her shoulder. Grey was pulling Briarkit into the bracken where she had already set down the cream she-kit.

"Spark!" the tabby warrior looked over her shoulder as the tortoiseshell called her name. "Be safe."

"You too... May StarClan light your path." Grey's amber eyes softened and she nodded, trying to understand the ancient phrase whose meaning had been lost over time. I barely even understand it... Is StarClan even watching now? Guiding my own path? ...Is Ryeheart guiding my path? Is Cherryflower?

Sparkfur set off, planning out her next move she'd have to make. I need to get to the battle scene. Find someone who'll know what to do-- I'm such a mess... Mintstar or Berryfoot would know what to. Maybe. Probably. Hopefully.

She checked the air as she padded closer to the sound of fighting, but it seemed impossible for her to untangle the strong scent of the terribly familiar rogues (she could place a name to a few) with her own clanmates (which she couldn't place a name to too many).

      "Spark!" Sparkfur turned her head. A chocolate she-cat, folded ears. Bray. Her thick furred pelt was all clawed up, blood dripping down her heavy frame. Spark checked her own pelt quickly. No reopened wounds. You're okay. If she attacks you, you can take her down easy.

     "Bray!" The tabby breathed in, faking a smile. Bray always loved smiling faces and smiling herself. The quirky rebel wasn't smiling now.

      "What happened to you? It must be a lie... All of it? There's no way you're one one them... Remember? You had a mate who died, and then we found you trying to hunt? Warriors can hunt, so that means what Daisy told me is all a big lie," she looked up with hopeful yellow eyes, begging for what she said to be true, "...unless... you are one of them...?"

       "I'm sorry, Bray...!" Spark swallowed. She couldn't lie, not this time. Not to Bray, who never deserved such a thing.

      "I-it's okay, Sparky?! Remember, we used to call you Sparky during training..? It was only just a few days ago that we last trained together so I don't see how you could forget--"

      "Bray! I have to go now.. I have to go save my clan." Why not tell her my real intentions? I'm proud to do this.

      "Please.. Don't! Don't make me fight you! If you try to go there and hurt rebels, cats who've trusted you for the past moon or so, I.. I won't let you!"

      "Then they shouldn't have trusted me. My loyalty lies with my clan, and I'm fighting to keep rouges from murdering my clanmates. What are you fighting for?" She narrowed her emerald eyes challengingly, and Bray seemed to stagger. She didn't know. She was just following the orders, which were from Spruceclaw. Spruceclaw... He doesn't deserve a warrior name.

      "I'm fighting for the Rebels! We're taking the forest so that we can have plenty of prey and space to raise our kits, so that maybe one day we can have a better safer syste--"

      "No, Bray! The leader of your group, which you don't even know the name of, by the way, is trying to get revenge because he's got a petty grudge against a sickness that killed his mate!" Her voice had raised. "And I'm going to help fight this battle, for my clan." Bray narrowed her eyes now.

      "Take one more step toward the battle field, and I'll tear you apart." She growled.

      "I don't have time for this!" The warrior growled. "Just get out, Bray! Go back to whatever hole they dragged you out of. You don't belong in a bloodbath, you belong cracking jokes and being coddled by twolegs!" There was the in mistakable sound of claws unsheathing, and an angry growl as the shorter, but heavier, cat flung themselves at the slim golden tabby. For a brief moment, her face was smashed into the leaping warriors chest fur, the huge brown paws clawing at her shoulders for a grip as she landed on top. Spark breathed and kicked her hind legs into the rouge's belly fur, backing in all the strength she could and pushing her off.

      She got to her white tipped paws, unsheathing her claws. Bray stood up and turned to face Sparkfur, but she drug her claws across the fold's cheek just as quick.

      "Go home, Bray." Sparkfur repeated. Bray shook her head, drops of blood flinging into the surrounding green foliage.

      "No! I'm here to defend my clan!" She growled, "and I won't stop!" She swung out fiercely. Spark knew everything: how the rouges fought, how Bray fought. She always favors to the left, and the rouges don't know how to do any of the more complex battle moves.

"Bray please, stop!" Desperate strikes were easily defended with simple speed advantage, one hit scraping her hind leg. "Stop it, Bray! You're bleeding everywhere from the battle, go home and get some help!" More hits and jabs came her way, but she didn't allow herself to be hit. She couldn't, she had a battle to attend. A hit to her brow, blood flowing out and blinding the warrior for a moment, making her thwack Bray as hard as she could.

She stood for a moment, blinking as many times as she could until she was no longer seeing the blood that dribbled down her face. She breathed and looked over. The chocolate she-cat was laying motionless in some weeds the sprout along the moist earth path.

"...Bray?" She came closer, touching a paw to the fold's chin, pulling her head up. It fell to the ground as soon as she let it go. She pulled her own paw close to her body, eyes huge and round.

She took a step back, then two more.

She ran.

_

AN
Okay I accidentally hit publish before I had gotten to re-read it and I think it's okay grammerly wise, but yeah. Longer chapter than usual, I usually aim for 1000 words, or a little above, but I overshot by about 600 words.
Oops.

Edit:
Omg I just re-read this, I'm laughing because I totally went from her saying "I'm going to go guide them" to "I'm going to find Berryfoot lol" I'm so going to have to go back and edit through this book. OOPS AGAIN.