Mapleshade, barely invisible against the dark rocks behind her, looked down at the gathering Clans. Her eyes burned with many countless moons of hatred as she looked at each cat. The Dark Forest had won and had managed to take over the entire forest. (There was another unexpected big battle soon after the Great Battle ended, making the Dark Forest succeed in their plans.)

The cats were in the tunnels which were lightened up slightly since the sun was out. It was still dark and was hard to see what lay before a cats' eyes at the other side of the area. The Dark Forest cats' spirits were more noticeable than an average living cat.

Icecloud felt nervous as she had decided to enter herself in more than once. She wanted more fresh-kill to be in ThunderClan as prey was scarce. Cats had starved more than ever and only the weakest died. It was hard to not take all of the prey.

"Cats of all Clans," Mapleshade began. "This is the first annual Slaughter Games. Five warriors from each Clan will be picked to fight for their survival to earn the never-ending supply of fresh-kill for their kin."

Icecloud liked the idea of winning the Slaughter Games if she were picked. Although Mapleshade only mentioned kin, Icecloud knew the Dark Forest leader meant only your closest of all kin; mother, father, and littermates.

"There's no way there'd be a survivor," Lionblaze whispered as if he were talking to Icecloud. The snow-white she-cat looked to the side of Lionblaze, the love of her life, and saw Cinderheart sitting close to him so that her pelt touched his.

Cinderheart noticed Icecloud staring at her as she turned her head, giving the look of 'he's mine now fox-dung'. Icecloud felt angered by this. Lionblaze deserved better than Cinderheart, the cat who often acted dramatic about the whole Power of Three.

What does he see in her? Icecloud asked herself. She's using him just to make me feel jealous. ". . . claw will start with SkyClan." SkyClan had been dragged back to live with the four warrior Clans as the Dark Forest wouldn't stand for them living happily. Because of this, there was less territory for a single Clan.

"The warriors who be participating in this season's games are," Thistleclaw began as he looked down at a leaf. Each claw mark was different so it wouldn't be hard to tell who was who, "Sharpclaw, Waspwhisker, Rabbitleap, Frecklewish and Leafstar."

A deputy, leader and medicine apprentice, Icecloud thought as she watched the chosen SkyClan cats walk up to Snowtuft and Clawface. They're not letting any apprentices or kits in.

"From WindClan, we will be having Heathertail, Breezepelt, Crowfeather, Sunstrike and Leaftail." The WindClan cats joined the SkyClan cats but remained a few whiskers away from them. Breezepelt looked as if he were waiting for that moment by the look in his eyes.

"RiverClan," Thistleclaw announced. "Hollowflight, Heronpaw, Mossyfoot, Dapplenose and Mistystar." An elder and apprentice? Icecloud was surprised to hear an elder being forced into the Games. An apprentice surprised her slightly as Mapleshade only said warriors were supposed to be going in. That's the Dark Forest for you.

"ShadowClan," Thistleclaw went on. "Tawnypelt, Snowbird, Smokefoot, Ratscar and Toadfoot." Mapleshade stopped Thistleclaw from continuing further as this was now ThunderClan's turn.

"I'll do the honours for ThunderClan," Mapleshade told him. "We have Lilykit, Cinderheart, Daisy, Ivypool and Icecloud." Icecloud could feel Lionblaze stiffening. What sickened Icecloud more was how Mapleshade would send in a defenceless kit.

"I volunteer for Cinderheart!" Lionblaze yelled. Mapleshade's ears pricked and her gaze fixed onto him.

"We'll have no cats like you, Dovewing and Jayfeather volunteering," Mapleshade replied. "You'll obviously win with your little powers. I have something more. . . special for you three." Icecloud could tell by the she-cat's voice that that 'special thing' was not going to be good.

"Get back to your Clans," Thistleclaw ordered. "You have must wait for the next full moon for the Games. Until further notice, you will remain in your territories." Icecloud noticed the warrior's fierce gaze turning to Dovewing. Was the pale grey she-cat hiding something, perhaps?

As cats began to leave the clearing, Icecloud followed after a few of her Clanmates and found Toadstep joining her side. "Hey, good luck for the Games," he mewed.

"The Games aren't going to start until the full moon," Icecloud replied. "You should be saving it for that night."

"Well, it's just in case I don't get around to seeing you," Toadstep answered. "Anyway, I'll be cheering for you back at ThunderClan. You'll make us proud, I'm sure." Icecloud felt uncertain.

It didn't take long to get back to the ThunderClan camp as the tunnels were practically in ThunderClan's strip of territory. "It's so hard these days," Blossomfall sighed as she propped herself onto the dusty ground. "I'm starving really bad."

"We all are," Rosepetal sighed. "I wish we killed off every Dark Forest cats' spirit so we wouldn't have to go through this."

Icecloud could agree with both she-cats. "You shouldn't say that though. They could be watching us right now," she reminded.

"How would they?" Rosepetal questioned, looking at the white cat. "They didn't follow us out of the tunnels so how would they be watching over us?"

"It's possible," Icecloud replied. "They could have been a few badger-lengths behind the last cat."

"I'm not in the mood for arguing," Rosepetal decided. "Tough luck about having to go into the Games though."

"I know." Icecloud exhaled a long sigh. "I'm doing it to bring pride into ThunderClan. I know we're supposed to - the victor, at least - share prey with our kin, but I want to share it with the whole Clan. It isn't fair how they have to watch their Clanmates eat all they want."

"That would be nice of you." Blossomfall's eyes brightened up. "ThunderClan needs all the prey it can get. You'd be like a gift from StarClan."

"I'm not sure about that. . ." Icecloud trailed off. The only gift from StarClan was the Three but not even their powers could stop the Dark Forest a second time.

"Anyway, haven't you noticed Toadstep's been mooning over you lately?" Rosepetal asked Icecloud. "He talks to you more than any she-cat in the Clan."

Icecloud felt surprised for a few heartbeats. She had only thought of Toadstep as a friend but nothing more. It would surprise her more than anything to know he was mooning over her.

"He does?" Blossomfall sounded surprised herself. Rosepetal nodded.

"I remember when you used to moon over him though," she mewed which seemed to make Blossomfall annoyed as if Rosepetal were actually teasing her. "Bumblestripe and Briarlight always teased you."

"I never mooned over Toadstep!" Blossomfall protested. "Yuck! There's better toms to be mooning over than that."

"Like Thornclaw?"

"StarClan, no!" Blossomfall replied quickly. "He's so old he should already be in the elder's den like Greystripe, Dustpelt and Sandstorm."

Rosepetal narrowed her eyes. "Then who is better to moon over?" she questioned. "If it's not the obvious Toadstep and Thornclaw, who'd be way better than them any moon?"

"You moon over Foxleap," Blossomfall told her as if she were trying to get the question to be forgotten.

"He's with Ivypool," Rosepetal reminded. "I always knew he'd choose her over me any season."

"Well, you must moon over some other tom, then." Rosepetal hesitated to answer. "Tell us then," Blossomfall pressed.

"Well, I guess. . ." She paused for several heartbeats. "I guess Bumblestripe is kind of more noticeable than any other tom." Both Icecloud and Blossomfall were surprised.

"Bumblestripe?" Icecloud echoed. "But he's Dovewing's mate! How could you moon over him when he's already taken?" She could tell Rosepetal felt embarrassed about saying that.

"He's really loyal, sweet and he's also the best warrior ever," Rosepetal answered. "I've overheard Ivypool telling Lionblaze about Dovewing seeing Tigerheart behind Bumblestripe's back."

"Dovewing what?" Icecloud couldn't believe what her ears had taken in. Why would Dovewing break the warrior code and be betraying her mate for a ShadowClan cat like Tigerheart?

"That's right," Rosepetal meowed, "she's been seeing Tigerheart behind Bumblestripe's back, as I heard Ivypool say."

"She should be grateful to have a cat who loves her." Icecloud felt angry at Dovewing.

"I told you she was just using Bumblestripe," Blossomfall mewed with the 'I told you so' look. "She only set out to play with his tiny heart."

"I wouldn't do that to my mate if I had one," Rosepetal mewed.

"Icecloud, you never told us --" Foxleap's mew cut Blossomfall off and Icecloud was relieved.

"Dustpelt says he wants to talk to you," Foxleap told his sister.

Icecloud gave a nod. "Okay." She turned and began heading towards the elder's den where Dustpelt would be in. She slid into the den and saw her father's head go into the air.

"It's good to see you," he rasped. Icecloud settled herself onto the ground, ears pricked as she was ready to listen to the elder. "I'm sorry you're going into the Games."

"It's not your fault," Icecloud told him. "I put myself forward for more fresh-kill for the whole Clan rather than just sharing it with my kin."

"I'm sure the Clan will be grateful to you for that," Dustpelt mewed. "But I don't want you to get hurt in battle. I couldn't stand to lose another cat close to me." Sadness clouded in his amber eyes and Icecloud immediately knew he was thinking of Ferncloud.

"But I want to do this," Icecloud meowed. "I don't want more cats to starve to death just to satisfy the Dark Forest."

"More cats join StarClan every sunrise," Dustpelt began. "The Slaughter Games will send away more. You've got to be safe out there and not do anything mousebrained."

"I'm a warrior and I was trained to fight within the warrior code," Icecloud reminded. "I'm not a kit or an apprentice."

"The warrior code is nothing anymore. As long as Tigerstar's troops rule, there will be no laws we have to obey that StarClan set out for us. They're nothing but scraps and bones and just rot every heartbeat."

"But StarClan isn't gone," Sandstorm spoke up. "They're still strong. We should still follow the code despite what the Dark Forest say."

"They can't stop us from being honourable warriors," Greystripe agreed.

"What's the point?" Dustpelt sighed. "We don't stand a chance against the Place of No Stars. We may as well just beg of StarClan to take us with them."

"Maybe we could do something," Icecloud murmured half loud to herself. "Maybe we can ruin the Games and make the Dark Forest know they can't control us."

"That's mousebrained!" Dustpelt replied. "A cat who thought they could stand a chance against the Dark Forest will only die. You know what happened to Ferretclaw."

Ferretclaw, a warrior of ShadowClan, had protested against the Dark Forest. In a result of disobeying them because he stated the warrior code could never die and that the Place of No Stars couldn't control a cat's actions, he was brutally murdered in front of his whole Clan.

"I know, but we can't be ruled by darkness forever," Icecloud mewed. "What about future generations? There might not even be any Clans if we don't do something!"

"That's for you to do," Dustpelt told her, putting his head onto his paws as he lay on his bedding. "We're old; we're not any use for anything anymore." Icecloud then walked out of the elder's den.

"Icecloud!" Icecloud noticed Lionblaze approaching her, looking worried. "Have you seen Cinderheart? She hasn't been here since the meeting."

"No," Icecloud replied. Cinderheart. Should have known she'd be involved. "Perhaps she went out training or something?"

"I'll check," Lionblaze answered. "Thanks." Icecloud watched as the golden tabby shot past her. She drew out a sigh and then focused back onto the camp.

Bramblestar, ThunderClan's new leader, was sitting out of his den talking to Squirrelflight. Leafpool was returning to the medicine den after she had asked Bramblestar about returning to her medicine duties, making an unhappy Jayfeather her apprentice again. Then again, Jayfeather always seemed to be unhappy.

Ivypool was lingering around the camp like she normally did. Icecloud felt sorry for the silver-and-white tabby for still being left out on things. Although risking her life in the Dark Forest had made her slightly more respected among the Clan, she was still left out, but a bit more noticed. The only cat, however, who seemed to notice her was Foxleap.

Maybe I should go talk to her. Icecloud decided to approach the tabby. Ivypool lifted her head, her dark blue eyes brightening up as soon as she noticed the white cat.

"Hi," Icecloud greeted. Ivypool returned her greeting. "Would you like to train with me since we're both picked for the Games?"

Ivypool nodded. "Sure," she replied. "I have nothing better to be doing anyway." Her gaze casted elsewhere and Icecloud looked to see Dovewing sharing tongues with Bumblestripe, who seemed to have something on her mind.

"Is it true?" Icecloud questioned. "I mean, the whole Dovewing sneaking out to see Tigerheart behind Bumblestripe's back?"

"Yeah," Ivypool answered with a sigh. "She's been seeing Tigerheart since she was an apprentice. I told her she couldn't see him because she has a mate but Dovewing just retorted I was jealous, as usual."

"We should tell Bramblestar about this," Icecloud suggested. "She's breaking the code and betraying her Clan. Maybe she'll be less respected for that."

"I couldn't do that to her," Ivypool replied, "but. . . Okay, we should maybe tell Bramblestar. All she ever does is take credit for whatever I do. She stated she saved the Clans when I did because if it weren't for me, the Clans wouldn't know about the battle until it was sprung on them."

"Come on," Icecloud announced. "We better get over to Bramblestar before he goes somewhere." Ivypool nodded, and at once the two she-cats began trotting over to the leader's den. They hopped onto some rocks and began to trot along the Highledge. They then stood outside an entrance.

"Bramblestar?" Ivypool called in. There was a long silence before Bramblestar's voice replied with, "Come in".

The two warriors did what Bramblestar invited them to. The dark tabby's amber eyes fixed onto them as he had his ears pricked, ready to listen. "What is it?" he asked.

"It's about Dovewing," Ivypool began slowly as if she weren't sure what to start with. Bramblestar blinked.

"She's been seeing Tigerheart - Tigerheart of ShadowClan," Icecloud went on.

"She's been doing that since she was practically made an apprentice," Ivypool added in. "She thinks she's not breaking the code but she is."

"Dovewing? Is she really doing that behind her Clan's back?" Bramblestar's mew was full of surprise as if he never expected the pale warrior to betray her Clan. Icecloud knew Dovewing was one of his favourite cats in the Clan. She was the only warrior picked for most things.

"Yes," Icecloud replied. "She's been doing it lately, too."

"Ivypool, Icecloud, why couldn't you have reported this to me sooner?" the ThunderClan leader questioned, his gaze darkening.

"I'm sorry for not telling you straight away," Ivypool replied. "I - it's just that. . ."

"You don't want Dovewing to be mad at you?" Bramblestar guessed. Ivypool nodded. "I wouldn't want Tawnypelt to be mad at me in any situation. I can understand how you'd feel. However, it took a lot of courage to tell me this even if your sister would hate you for a long time. Where is Dovewing right now?"

"In the camp," Icecloud replied.

"I'll tell her to come here," Ivypool offered. Bramblestar nodded and at once Ivypool went out of the den.