Nightclaw's screech echoed through the camp. Soon after, a wail seeped out from the nursery.

"Noooooo!" Moaned mindwhisker, "my kits!" Eeveelutions flooded out of the dens. Lightstar lept up onto the high rock.

"Let all Eevees old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" She cried. The gathered beneath the rock, sitting down and staring expectantly up at lightstar. A round glaceon tottered out of the nursery, guided by mind whisker. Her kits raced around the espeons paws, but mind whisker shooed them away.

"Leave frost leaf alone!" She barked, "her kits are almost ready!" Nightclaw bent low to the ground, shuddering. Sparkfang the deputy strode over to her and lay a comforting paw on her back.

"Get up," the jolteon soothed, "it's ok." Nightclaw blinked up at him in astonishment. He was being kind to her! She scrambled to her feet and trotted over to the crowd, sparkfang only a few tail lengths behind. Lightstar blinked approvingly at her deputy, before addressing Nightclaw.

"Nightclaw, I trust you made this discovery?" The umbreon jumped at being addressed openly by her leader, but sparkfang gave her an encouraging nod.

"Lightstar," she began, "I was going out hunting, as you know, when I smelled houndoom. I crawled up a tree and looked down. I saw to large ones, but I could scent more." Eeveelutions began to mumer worriedly, looking at Nightclaw, and then the tunnel. "They were headed right for camp!" She finsished. Lightstar was about to speak when umbreon pricked her ears. "Quiet!" She barked, "did you hear that?" All the eevees looked at each other.

"No." A flareon sniffed.

"No, there it is again!" Gasped umbreon, her large ears swiveling, "barking!" Lightstar gasped.

"Shut up blazeclaw! Everybody knows Nightclaw has the best hearing! Nightclaw, blazeclaw, sparkfang, Wavetail, and Iceynose," the leader addressed the eveelutions, "go and try to delay or chase away the houndoom. I'll send backup if you need it." The eevees nodded and started towards the tunnel. The kits raced after them.

"Come back here!" Growled mindwhisker,

"Mooooom!" Moaned the kits, as the Warriors ran out of camp.

Nightclaw raced out, leading the patrol. The got a few vulpixlengths away from the camp, when a vicious growling came out from all around the patrol.

"What?" Began Iceynose, when five houndoom burst out of the bushes. The patrol was surrounded.

"Attack!" Shreiked Nightclaw, leaping at the head houndoom. She tore at its fur, and bit its nose. The large dog swat her away as if she was a kit. She gasped, and leapt onto its back with a screech. She could hear howls of the patrol around her, and growls and yipes. Nightclaw shredded the Houndooms back, and leapt on one about to bite blazeclaw.

The flareon turned around in astonishment as Nightclaw battled the hulking dog.

"You saved my life!" He managed.

"Keep fighting!" Nightclaw replied, gasping as the houndoom flung her off. She sailed through the air, thudding against a tree. She blinked her eyes twice before they cleared. And she saw the huge houndoom marching towards her. She tried to scramble up, but her paw was wrenched under a root. She let out a small wail. The houndoom reached her, and pressed its paw on her chest. It's claw was digging into her.

"No!" She cried. The houndoom growled and shoved down on her stomach. Nightclaw screamed in pain. Sparkfang looked over,

"No, Nightclaw!" The houndoom swung his head to look at him, then back at Nightclaw, he barked, and started tearing at her flesh. Nightclaw screamed. He blasted flame at her, bit her throat, and ran away, the Houndooms running with him.

Nightclaw moaned softly. She was aware of the patrol running towards her, but blood was in her eyes and she couldn't see.

"Nightclaw..." Whispered Wavetail.

"Is-is she dead?" Wondered Iceynose.

"She saved my life!" Gasped blazeclaw. Sparkfang just stared at the umbreon in dismay. Nightclaw tried to speak, but coughed up blood instead.

"No! Don't speak!" Gasped sparkfang, turning to the others he added, "we have to get her back to camp. Nodding, blazeclaw grabbed her scruff and started tugging. Spark nose grabbed her leg in his teeth and wrenched it out from under the root. Iceynose and Wavetail looked on.

"I wish an espeon was here." Grumbled Wavetail. They managed to drag Nightclaw into camp. Lightstar gasped when she saw Nightclaw.

"What happened?!" She yiped. The kits tumbled out of the nursery and sniffed Nightclaw.

"Is she dead?" Asked briar kit. Mindwhisker picked them up with her physic powers and bustled them into the nursery. Snow kit stared out.

"Mama, is she okay?" She asked worriedly.

Nightclaw opened her eyes weakly. Sagepelt was in front of her. Lightstar was a little ways away, and sparkfang was pacing anxiously. Sagepelt stepped back.

"She's alive." Was all she said. Sparkfang looked over.

"Her eyes are open!" He gasped, rushing towards her side, "you fought so bravely.." He murmured in her ear. Nightclaw tried to talk, but all that came out was a moaning sound. Her eyes widened. Everything was blurry. "Will she live?!" Demanded the jolteon, whipping around and staring at Sagepelt.

"I don't know." Was all she said. Lightstar came over and rested her tail across sparkfangs shoulder.

"I know you don't want to lose her." She soothed. Sparkfang stared at the ground.

"She's just so brave." He looked up straight into his leaders eyes. "L-lightstar, I think I love her...." Lightstar dipped her head.

"I know," she replied. She started to pad out of the medicine den. "I'll leave you two alone." Sparkfang gave her a look of thanks, before lying down next to Nightclaw.

"You fought so well," he choked, tears welling in his eyes, "blazeclaw would've died if it wasn't for you... But now you might die." He sighed, and continued, "I know you try to fit in, even if the eeveelutions don't always like you..." Nightclaw closed her eyes, "but I like you," he whispered, "I love you..." Nightclaw felt her body slipping away. Starclan no! She thought, panic rising.

"Nightclaw." Said a voice. Nightclaw whipped around. She saw her body beneath her,

"No!" She screamed. The strange Eevee put a paw on her mouth.

"You're not dead yet. It's not your time!" Nightclaw felt herself spinning around, and then she was back. Sparkfang was crying.

"She stopped breathing, she's dead... She's dead..." He whispered.

"I-I love you to...." Nightclaw managed to rasp. Sparkfang raised his head from her fur.

"Nightclaw?!" He gasped. She blinked her eyes open. He buried his muzzle in her fur, "you're gonna be ok." He said, "you're gonna be ok."