MOUSETAIL SAT AT the edge of the camp, wistfully daydreaming about going on patrol soon, when her kits were born. But she knew that it would take a long while of waiting to finally be a warrior again. She longed to feel the wind through her fur and the sunshine warming her pelt as she raced through the plains. But for now, she had to stay put in camp. It was torture. For Mousetail, at least.

"Hello, there, Mousetail." It was Whitefoot, coming for his daily check-in. He had a vole in his jaws. He carried it over and dropped it in front of her paws. "I brought a vole for us to share. I know it's your favorite. How are you doing?"

"Hey, Whitefoot. I'm doing fine. And thanks. How about you?" She took a hungry bite of the vole.

"I'm doing okay. Just worried about the Gathering last night. I can't believe MoonClan would target ThunderClan and RiverClan, too. It just seems unfair, don't you think?"

"Yeah. Wait-what happened to RiverClan?" Mousetail asked.

"Moonclaw was captured, too. It sounds like MoonClan captured her for the same reason as they did Dovesong."

"Why would they capture Moonclaw? I wouldn't think she's of any use to them, especially considering she left them seasons ago," Mousetail mewed, confusion filling her voice.

"Well, I'm not sure why they would capture her, either. But Mapleleaf said that Dovesong came to her once with concerns about Moonclaw. So Dovesong knows something we don't." Whitefoot's midnight blue eyes flickered with unease.

"Too bad we can't get to her," Mousetail mumbled. "Someone needs to go and get them back! MoonClan is winning, and we can't let them."

"I know. Spottedsong tried yesterday, and she's in the medicine den with a head injury. So it's obviously dangerous to just run into their camp. We need a plan, but with everything going on, it's hard to make a good enough plan," Whitefoot explained.

"Why can't any of you just try?" Mousetail asked angrily and desperately, causing Whitefoot's eyes to widen. "It's our medicine cat-my sister-we're talking about! Why don't we do something?"

"Mousetail."

"Please just do something! I would do something, but I can't, which means the Clan has to take matters into their own paws."

"Mousetail, listen to me."

Mousetail barely heard him. "Dovesong could be hurt! And we're doing nothing about it! The Clans are in danger! And, again, we're doing nothing about it!"

"Mousetail, listen," Whitefoot mewed urgently. Mousetail looked up at him. "I know you're upset. Most of us are. But MoonClan is just too dangerous. We could die out there."

Mousetail shot him a glare. "I would fight for Dovesong, even if it's the last thing I do! You just don't know what it's like to have a littermate, so you would never understand."

Whitefoot fell silent. "I did have a littermate. And I know what it's like to lose one." His voice thickened with grief. "I understand that you're wanting to save her. But we just can't."

"We could if there were more warriors willing to fight! Am I the only one who stayed true to the oath I took when I became a warrior? The promise was to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend my Clan, even at the cost of my life. I will not break that oath." She gave Whitefoot a hard, challenging stare.

"We all took that oath, and we'll all keep it," Whitefoot told her gently.

"If you took that oath, why don't you keep it?" Mousetail asked. "'Uphold the warrior code' and 'protect and defend your Clan at the cost of your life' were the promises. You're not keeping the promise by refusing to help Doveosng and Moonclaw!"

"Mousetail, I would fight if I could. But I am not all-powerful. Neither are any of my Clanmates. We cannot fight MoonClan and expect it to be easy," he explained.

"Then why don't you start planning?" Mousetail asked.

"It's not as easy as you think," Whitefoot pressed.

Mousetail returned his gentle look with an angry glare. "Can I be alone for a while?" she asked, silently hoping that in her alone time she could plan helping Dovesong and Moonclaw escape.

"Sure. You can have the rest of that vole, if you like." He dipped his head to Mousetail and left. Mousetail stared after him, then took a vole in her jaws and took it into the nursery. She began to finish it off as she thought about ways to save Dovesong and Moonclaw.

If my Clanmates are too scared to take MoonClan on alone, then maybe I should recruit some other cats who are more willing to help. Like cats from different Clans. Friends that are always there for me.

Mousetail smiled at the thought. She began to think of hers and Dovesong's friends that would be more than willing to help.

Creamfrost, Hollypool, Jaywhistle, Finchflutter, Swallowpaw, Gingerstripe, Silverfoot, Amberdawn, Reedtail, Featherbreeze, Whitecloud, Goldenheart, Jayflight, Robinfeather, Larkflight . . . Maybe some of my Clanmates would help, too. Skystorm, obviously, Hollyfern, Cloudsky, Frozenfang, and I would say Spottedsong but she's hurt . . . Yep, I have a good list of cats to choose from.

Mousetail smiled again. They all seemed like strong, willing cats that would help. But then, what if any of them were harmed when they went to MoonClan? No, Dovesong could heal them, right? They would be fine.

Perhaps I could send a message to them. Or go to them. But what about my kits? No, if I go slow and steady, I would be able to get to at least one of them and be able to back at camp before moonhigh and before my kits are harmed. Or I could send Skystorm or Hollyfern to send the message. No, this is something I have to do myself.

Mousetail finished off the last morsels of the vole, swept them away with her tail, and looked up, scanning the camp. She saw Skystorm sharing fresh-kill with Hollyfern. But she didn't want to disturb them. Skystorm must have been out all day. She didn't want to disturb him with her own worries. Not yet, anyway.

She stood up and walked out of the den. She was just about to leave the camp when Cloudsky asked, "Hey, where are you going?"

She looked around at the white tom. "Just going for a walk. I need some fresh air after being stuck in camp all day."

"Okay. Have fun." Cloudsky whisked his tail, dipped his head, and left.

Mousetail left the camp and headed toward the direction of the ThunderClan border. First, she would visit the four young ThunderClan warriors.

***

After walking all the way to the border, she was immediately met with a patrol. It consisted of the four warriors that she had hoped to talk to, but also a young apprentice. "Hello," she greeted them, dipping her head politely.

"There's no need for formalities," Robinfeather meowed. "What are you doing all the way out here? Are you expecting kits?"

Mousetail looked at her, embarrassment washing ove there for a heartbeat. "Um, yes. But I really need to talk to you four. This apprentice can hear, but I would rather him not to." She looked at the young tom, who was gazing at her with wide, curious amber eyes.

"Mudpaw can keep a secret," Goldenheart mewed, whisking her tail. "What is it you want?"

"It's about Dovesong and Moonclaw," Mousetail explained. "I want to get them back, but my Clanmates are too scared to go to the MoonClan camp."

"They have a good reason," Larkflight muttered. "MoonClan is scary."

"And ruthless," Jayflight added. "Maybe Dovesong and Moonclaw can find their own way out. They're both pretty smart, right?"

Mousetail blinked at Jayflight. "Yes, but MoonClan is even smarter," she replied grimly. "They knew how to capture them, and they know how to keep them contained."

The four cats fell silent, glancing at each other, fear filling their eyes.

"Can you please help me spread the message to some other cats? They're all from different Clans, but I think you can do it," Mousetail pleaded. "I need you four to listen and obey, too. This is important."

"I don't have a good enough reason to break the code to help," Robinfeather meowed firmly.

"It's not breaking the code if you wait for a patrol to escort you to their camp," Goldenheart pointed out.

"And as long as MoonClan has Moonclaw and Dovesong captive, they are stronger than ever. They are capable of destroying not only FrostClan, but all of the Clans," Mousetail added.

Robinfeather looked at Mousetail courageously. "Fine. I'm in."

"Me too," Larkflight concluded after a long moment of thinking.

Goldenheart flicked her tail excitedly. "Me three!"

"Sure," Jayflight mewed, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"I don't know about this," Mudpaw mewed, "but I know I was never in the plan in the first place, thankfully."

The five warriors glanced at the apprentice, eyes glittering with amusement.

"Okay. I want all of these cats prepared to meet me at the Gathering island in two moonhighs. Larkflight and Jayflight, I want to assign you with the job of getting Creamfrost, Hollypool, Finchflutter, Swallowpaw, and Jaywhistle of WindClan and telling them to meet me and all of the other recruits at the Gathering island," Mousetail ordered.

Jayflight and Larkflight exchanged uncertain glances, but then they nodded. "Let me get this straight. You want us to get Creamfrost, Hollypool, Finchflutter, Swallowpaw, and Jaywhistle to meet you at the Gathering island in two moonhighs. Right?"

"Right. You can go now if you like."

The black tom and the gray tabby exchanged excited glances before darting away in the direction of the WindClan.

Mousetail turned to Robinfeather. "Can you get Featherbreeze and Whitecloud of RiverClan and tell them to meet me at the Gathering island in two moonhighs?"

"Sure." Robinfeather dipped her head gratefully and ran away toward ThunderClan's border with RiverClan.

"And Goldenheart." Mousetail turned to the young yellow she-cat. "Can you get Reedtail, Amberdawn, Silverfoot, and Gingerstripe from ShadowClan? You can take Mudpaw along or drop him off at the ThunderClan camp."

"Sure. Come on, Mudpaw," Goldenheart instructed her apprentice. Mudpaw turned to her and they ran off in the direction of the camp.