A/N caution! This chapter switches POV a few times. Some people have expressed confusion, so just look out for the ~~~

"Cedartail!" Cloudstream sobbed, burying her nose in his cold pelt. "No, no.." Her heart broke into a million pieces. Ever since her mother had died he had always looked out for her, as if he was her father. Later on, he became her mentor, and she owed all she had to him. Her tail drooped and she lay over him, howling her laments to the darkening sky. She barely looked up when a MistClan patrol appeared around her. She heard several gasps and a cry of sadness but she could barely function as it was.

Mousewing, a small brown she cat nosed her up and supported her back to camp. Cloudstream walked stiffly, steeling her heart. It had been broken too many times in the last day, she would let nothing touch it now.

Cloudstream walked in. A reddish tom, Redstorm, walked up worriedly, "Mousewing, Cloudstream, is everything alright?" His eyes flicked behind them and he froze. He gasped and looked down, tail drooping. Sunpaw and Lionpaw dragged in Cedartail's body. Cloudstream curled up in a corner of the camp, shadowed by brambles. She shut her eyes as cries of astonishment, anger, and loss filled the air. Silverstar jumped up onto the Great Rock, a large rock in the center of the camp where she addressed the clan. Tonight, there was no need for the call to order. Every cat looked up expectantly.

"Cats of MistClan. Another tragedy has befallen our forest." Her voice was hollow and slightly cracked. Cedartail had been one of her senior warriors and a good friend. "Rouges have taken Icepaw, wounded Flamewind and Ashpaw, and now they have taken Greyflower, Rowanpaw, and-and killed Cedartail." Those who had not seen, yowled to the dark sky. And all mourned for the loss of three MistClan cats. "Sadly." Silverstar continued. "His vigil cannot be observed immediately, but will take place after the gathering. If any cat would like to stay instead they are welcomed to do so." She stepped slowly down from the Great Rock and turned bleak eyes to her gathered warriors. With a flick of her tail they bounded out of camp towards the Gathering Place to meet with the other clans.

Cloudstream watched them go from the shadows of the brambles. She crept forward and sat by Cedartail's body with a few other cats. She padded to the medicine den and lay close to Flamewind. "I need you now brother. More than anything."

~~~

Silverstar's heart thudded against her chest. Four of her cats, her responsibility were gone, captured or worse. Two were injured and one, one was in StarClan. She paused at the rise of the hill leading to the Gathering Place. Riverpelt brushed her side reassuringly. She took a breath and signaled to her clan. They ran down and she jumped to the top of the Old Tree, a large tree stump where the leaders called the meeting. Mudstar, a dark brown tabby tom and the leader of StormClan nodded respectfully to her, she did the same. Sandstar, the EarthClan leader, a pale yellow she cat with light brown stripes flicked her tail impatiently. Silverstar looked around and noted with surprise that RainClan was not there yet. "I hope nothing stopped Sootstar and his cats from coming." She murmured to Mudstar. The tom nodded.

"How long are we to wait for them?" Sandstar said impatiently. Secretly, Silverstar felt the same way. There was pressing news she had to share with the clans. She nodded to the other leaders and Sandstar yowled in the customary manner, "Cats of all Clans! Gather here before the Old Tree so we may talk together in this night of peace." The cats looked up at the leaders, but there were some murmurs that they would start without RainClan. Mudstar stepped forward.

"The night grows old and we must begin without RainClan for the time being." He cleared his throat and began, "StormClan is strong and prey is good. We bring with us today new warriors, Frostwing, and Shadewhisper." Two young warriors shine with pride as eyes turned to them.

Silverstar cleared her throat and stepped forward. "MistClan is plagued by rouge packs. Four of our cats have been taken, two injured, and one has been sent to StarClan. We all mourn the death of a good and noble cat, Cedartail who has met his end far before his time." There was a collective gasp from the other clans, and the MistClan cats looked down, saddened by the news.

Sandstar spoke up. "We have seen no rouge detachment from our clan."

"Nor StormClan." Mudstar said. Silverstar furrowed her brow. Perhaps they came from RainClan? She thought. Just then a silky, menacing voice cut through the night.

"We did not come from one of your puny clans." It said. Cats gasped and moved away as outlines of cats appeared on the rise above the hollow. You could see their silhouette because their pelts were blacker than the night itself.

"Who are you?" Sandstar spat. "You have no authority here! Begone!"

The cat just laughed, a malicious and evil sound that sent chills up silverstar's spine. "We are the Raiders of the Night. We are the death of your clans." The massed cats behind him ran hissing and spitting into the crowd of cats below.

Silverstar looked around wildly for a moment before throwing herself on top of a rouge cat that was about to leap on Sandstar. She growled and ripped her claws over his muzzle and he ran off howling. She yowled as a rouge jumped on her from the side, sending them both flying. She hissed in pain and lashed out blindly with her claws. Her paws met open air and pain exploded in her shoulder as the rouge bit down. Silverstar yowled in pain and kicked at the cat's belly, but it wouldn't loosen its grip. Suddenly in a flash of gold the rouge was knocked off of her. Sunpaw was writhing on the floor with it, clawing it down the length of its back. The cat ran off squealing. Silverstar nodded to the apprentice. She nodded back and ran off to where her brother was fighting a full grown warrior. Silverstar stood and saw the new StormClan warrior, Frostwing, staring at the rouge leader. They didn't seem to be doing anything, but the young she cat's face was contorted in pain and concentration. The tom began to chant in a dark language and to the blue cat's horror, Silverstar saw Frostwing's pelt begin to darken, turning from white to grey and counting. She tore across the clearing despite the loud objections from her shoulder and flank, and jumped on the leader, bowling him over. Frostwing gasped and collapsed, sweating and shaking. The huge tom growled and raked his claws over her shoulder. She hissed in pain but bit into his tail savagely. He yowled and shoved her off. "Enjoy your freedom while it lasts!" He spat, and with a flick of his bleeding tail the rouges ran out of the clearing into the forest.

Silverstar looked around and saw, to her dismay, three cats lying motionless on the ground. She turned at the sound of yowls. The silver-grey cat pushed her way through a circle of cats to find Riverpelt and Falconwing, an EarthClan warrior, pinning down a thrashing rouge. "Who are you? Where is your base?" Falconwing yowled between breaths. The rouge hissed at them, but he was bleeding badly and his movements were getting increasingly weaker. Soon the movements died out and the rouge passed. Riverpelt panted and got up scowling. Silverstar turned away but whipped around at several gasps. Her own breath caught, for the rouge's pelt was getting lighter, turning a tawny bronze with brown stripes. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, unwilling to trust her eyes. "Dustclaw." She breathed. Riverpelt and Falconwing looked horrified. They had unwittingly killed the deputy of RainClan.

Soon the cats began to disperse. "Come on." Silverstar said, nudging Riverpelt. She led her cats briskly out of camp. She picked up speed when a frightening thought reached her mind. The camp had been left relatively unguarded. Riverpelt followed blindly, tail drooping and head down. That cats burst into the camp and Silverstar went immediately to the Great Rock and called to her clan.

~~~

"I need you now brother. More than anything." Cloudstream sighed.

Flamewind was aware first, of the pain. Hot claws down his face, back and leg. He moaned and twitched in his stupor. The orange tom blinked and opened his eyes. Green eyes met the frantic blue of his best friend. "Cloudstream." He mumbled and winced.

Cloudstream looked at him. "Flamewind! How do you feel?"

"Fine." He said smiling faintly, but it turned to a grimace of pain.

"Oh!" She said scrambling up. She ran out of the chamber and into the main den. She ran to a small underground alcove and sniffed along the shelves. Recognizing the sweet scent at last, she pulled a poppy head from the shelf and jogged back to Flamewind.

The tom looked up and swallowed the seeds gratefully. Flamewind sighed the pain numbing. His eyes flew open in a flash. "Cloudstream! Ashpaw! I never saw--how is she?!" He attempted to get to his feet but his friend pushed him back down.

"She-she is..fine..." His friend said slowly. Flamewind looked at her suspiciously. He knew she want telling him everything. She sighed. "She won't wake, but she seems physically fine. Mintleaf doesn't know what's the matter with her."

Flamewind lay in shock, a thousand thought racing through his head. He looked down. He had failed her, his apprentice. What if she never woke? She was his responsibility, and he had let the rouges steal everything from her and her family. He looked up at Cloudstream with bleak eyes. "Why her?" He said imploringly. "She was going to be a great warrior." He lowered his head. Flamewind pricked his ears at the sound of paw steps in the camp.

"The gathering must be over." Cloudstream said standing. Their interest turned to alarm at the strong fear scent on the air. They heard Silverstar's yowl and he tried to get up. Cloudstream assisted him, and together they made their way from the med cat den.

Flamewind gasped at the bloody and bruised cats filling into the clan camp. Mintleaf and Rosepaw rushed over. "Good you're awake." He said briskly. "I don't have time now, if you're up you're fine." He brushed past them and Rosepaw bounded out, herbs in her mouth.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here before the Great Rock and hear this news from the gathering!" Silverstar yowled and cats began to gather in the center of the camp. "The rouge group that has been terrorizing our clan now poses a threat to the whole forest." She began.

Flamewind's eyes widened and his apprehension and fear grew as she went on. "Oh StarClan help us." He heard Goldberry mew, curling around her tiny kits. He couldn't help but agree with her.

A/N    Ahh! XD we're getting back to Flamewind POV again :) soooo what did you think? Good? Bad? Constructive criticism is always welcome!