Ashstar, Flowerstar, Mothwing, Willowshine, Duskpelt, Reedwhisker, Sappaw, and Pinepaw all started to walk over to RiverClan territory. The river could be heard gurgling by. 

Flowerstar looked grim, her head a bit low. 

"Why aren't you happy?" Ashstar asked her. "You're the leader of RiverClan!" 

"I- I'm expecting Rust's kits," Flowerstar muttered. "But he's in ShadowClan," She sighed. 

Ashstar bristled. "What? Why didn't you think about this?" He growled.

"I love Rust, but," Flowerstar began. "I just wish he would come to RiverClan with me to see his kits be born," She sighed.

"Well, talk to Tigerstar about it and see if he'll allow you to have Rust," Ashstar meowed. 

Flower's head drooped a little. "But what if he doesn't allow Rust to join my Clan?" She asked.

"ShadowClan is still nesting in my camp since we haven't chased the rogues off their territory yet," Ashstar meowed, looking to the side. "And you'll have to be careful because the rogues could try to take your territory, and you don't have many warriors," Ashstar pointed out.  

"Rust would be amazing if he was over here!" Flowerstar purred, her tail flicking. 

"Yeah," Ashstar muttered. 

RiverClan's camp was neat. It had many dens and a big clearing. A tall tree stretched to the sky and a hollow had been wounded under it with roots screening the den. 

All of a sudden, he heard paw steps running towards them. A muscular white tom with a torn ear and blue eyes shot from the grass on the far side. His pelt was stained with blood.

Ashstar arched his back and unsheathed his claws. He hissed at the white tom and lashed his tail. For some weird reason, this tom's scent seemed sort of familiar.

"Ashstar! It's me, Ice! From the Tribe of Rushing Water!" The white tom cried. 

Ashstar then gasped in surprise. "Ice? What are you doing here? You live in the mountains!" He added. 

"The rogues from your old territory!" Ice cried. "They came in the cave and fought us! Most of us were killed," He whimpered.

"Is any other cat with you?" Ashstar asked.

Ice flicked his tail. "Y'all can come out now," Ice called to the bushes behind him.

More cats stepped out of the bushes. Ashstar recognized all of them. Flower, Ant, Fire, Leaf, Storm, Lightning, Cloud, Orange, Morning, Rock, Bug, Puddle, and Star. All of them were covered in scratches. Flower had scratches covering her eyes and blood trickled down her face and dripped from his whiskers and muzzle. Her ear was torn and two deep scratches were across her shoulder. 

Ashstar heart stopped as he realized Stoneteller wasn't here. He knew that Rain was Stoneteller's mate, but she wasn't here. Flower was Stoneteller's mother; Flower was pretty old. Ant was Stoneteller's son. 

"Where is Stoneteller?" Ashstar gasped. 

Ice's eyes turned dull and he looked at his paws. In fact, every cat's eyes turned dull, and they studied their paws, not meeting Ashstar's intense stare. 

"He," Ice choked out. He looked up, his eyes reflecting a lifeless body as if he was playing through memories. "He was killed by Darktail," He whimpered. His voice was shaky and his eyes stared through Ashstar as if he could see past him.

Ashstar knew that Stoneteller was Ice's best friend. They'd grown up as kits together. He saw anger in Ice's eyes. 

"Darktail," He snapped out the name. "He's such an evil cat!" He growled. "Killing other cats without mercy!"

Ashstar wished he could find Darktail and put his life to an end, but he knew it wasn't possible. 

"Hawk and Snowflake blamed me for Stoneteller's death!" Ice hissed. "I let them leave and now they're kittypets," He growled. 

"Wow, sounds like you've had a rough time," Ashstar sighed. 

"We need your help," Ice added, blinking.

"To chase off the rogues?" Ashstar gasped. "We would lose many of our cats!" He growled. 

"No, we need shelter. Some of us are staying until the rogues are gone, and some of us would like to stay... forever," He added. 

"Well separate your apprentices and warriors," Ashstar meowed.

"What?" Ice asked. "We don't have those, but we can separate our Cave-Guards, Prey-Hunters, and our To-Bes," He meowed.

"Ok, well separate those," Ashstar sighed. "Put your Cave-Guards to the right side, put your Prey-Hunters to the left side, and put your To-Bes in the middle," He ordered.

Ice nodded, then turned to his cats and instructed them.

Flower, Leaf, Fire, and Grass were on the right side. Cloud, Orange, Rock, Morning, Storm, Lightning, and Ant were on the left side. Bug, Star, and Puddle were in the middle. 

"Mothwing, Willowshine, go out to fine some herbs and cobwebs for them," Ashstar ordered. 

The two medicine cats rushed into the bushes. 

"Shouldn't a warrior accompany them? What if they run into rogues?" Flowerstar asked, turning to Ashstar. 

"I think they'll be fine," Ashstar meowed. He turned to Ice. "We might as well hunt.  You must be starving," He meowed. He turned to Reedwhisker. "Reedwhisker, take Sappaw and Pinepaw hunting. Try to find as much as you can," Ashstar ordered. 

The three cats headed off into the forest. 

Ashstar turned back to Ice. "Well, we need to see what Clans you want to be in," Ashstar began. 

Puddle jumped up. "I want to be in ThunderClan!" He mewed, his eyes shining. 

"I'll be in ThunderClan," Ice meowed. 

"I'll be in RiverClan," Storm meowed. 

Lightning padded up to his brother. "I'll be in RiverClan, too," He meowed.

"I'll go to ThunderClan," Flower meowed. 

"We'll go to WindClan," Cloud and Orange meowed.

"We'll go to ThunderClan," Fire and Ant meowed. 

"And we'll go to ShadowClan," Bug and Star meowed. 

The only cats left that hadn't made a decision were Rock, Grass, Leaf, and Morning. 

"Do you know what Clan you want to be in?" Ashstar asked them. 

"Uh, I'll be in ThunderClan," Leaf meowed. 

"I'll go to ShadowClan," Morning meowed. 

Rock sighed. "I'll go to WindClan," He muttered. 

"And I'll go to WindClan as well," Grass sighed. 

"Well, I guess that's settled," Ashstar meowed. 

Reedwhisker returned. He was carrying a blackbird in his jaws. 

Sappaw and Pinepaw each carried two mice. 

"We'll have to share," Ashstar meowed. 

"We caught more, but we'll have to go back and get it," Reedwhisker meowed after setting his catch on the ground. 

"Go ahead and get it," Ashstar ordered, flicking his tail. 

Reedwhisker turned, Sappaw and Pinepaw following him. 

Mothwing and Willowshine appeared, cobwebs wrapped around their paws and herbs in their jaws. 

"Let me help with healing," Ice meowed. 

"What?" Willowshine meowed.

"I learned healing," Ice explained. 

"But you were a deputy," Mothwing pointed out.

Ice sighed and sat down. "Well, never mind, I don't think I know any herbs down here," He muttered. 

"Yes, so let us do the healing," Mothwing sighed, flicking her tail. 

"You won't be able to be a warrior," Ashstar told Flower gently. 

The creamy she-cat flinched. "So, what would I be, in a Clan?" She asked. 

"An elder," Ashstar answered. "Our apprentices take care of the elders. They bring them food, bedding, water," Ashstar explained. 

"I'm not sure I'd like being an elder. I serve my Tribe and stand up for them, no matter how old I am," Flower meowed. 

"Well, this isn't a Tribe," Ashstar pointed out. "You're too old to be fighting and hunting. Something could kill you easily," He meowed. He had no idea how this old cat was still alive. She was older than Stoneteller, and Stoneteller had been pretty old. 

"Alright, I'll be an elder. But if you go to fight the rogues, I'm going to fight with you. I'll die fighting them, I'll stand up for my Tribe," Flower meowed.

Ashstar sighed. 

Mothwing moved over to Flower. "Alright, Flower, you're the last cat to get treated," She meowed gently. She looked at the scratches running deep across Flower's eyes. Her blue eyes were dark and red and swollen where the scratches cut into her eyes. 

Mothwing patted cobwebs on the scratches and chewed up a herb. She spat out the poultice into the scratches on Flower's eyes. 

Flower hissed and whimpered. "Ouch!" She muttered. "It stings!" She whimpered. 

"Flower, I'm sorry but these scratches are infected," Mothwing meowed gently. 

Flower's eyes dulled. Her blue eyes had redness swelling around the scratches. 
"Do- do you have to remove  my eyes?" She asked. 

Mothwing flinched. "I'm not sure, but you are blind," She pointed out. "Let me get Willowshine," She padded off to where Willowshine was crouching, eating a mouse with Reedwhisker. 

Flower slumped on the ground, putting her paws on her head. She started muttering under her breath. She began to whimper in pain. "I can't see, my eyes sting," She whimpered. 

Ashstar looked over to where Ant sat. He looked sad and lonely. Ashstar padded over to him. He touched Ant's tail with his shoulder. 

"Listen, I know you lost both your parents, but could you go and comfort Flower?" Ashstar asked. 

"Ok," Ant meowed. He slowly got to his paws and padded over to Flower. He crouched beside her, tucking in his paws. 

Ashstar watched at the two of the talked together, then he padded over to where Flowerstar crouched.  She was eating a mouse. Ashstar began to eat the mouse with her.