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    Leafpool and Crowfeather paused beside the stepping stones that led across the stream into ThunderClan territory. Night had fallen, and a thin crescent moon rode high in the sky. They had traveled all day, only stopping at sunhigh long enough to devour a rabbit Crowfeather had caught on the moorland. Now Leafpool’s paws were sore and her heart pounded with mounting fear.

“Good-bye,” she murmured, pushing her nose into Crowfeather’s fur. “I’ll see you again when all this is over.”

“What do you mean, ‘good-bye’?” Crowfeather demanded.

"You need to warn WindClan," Crowfeather stared at her for a long moment, his hazel eyes confused but determined.

"You told me you loved me before we ran away," his claws sank into ThunderClan soil, it was strange to not feel the coarse moorland grass under his paws, "do you still?"

"I- yes, Crowfeather. I do. But out duty is to out Clans now."

"I want to join ThunderClan," Leafpool's gaze flickered to the black tom's lithe build and thin chest, but Crowfeather kept her gaze, "I was willing to run away with you once, will you let me stay with you now?"

"Crowfeather, you belong in WindClan."

"You didn't say that when you agreed to run away with me. I belong with you. If Firestar will have me, will you?"

Leafpool pressed her muzzle into his fur, twining her tail with his, "Of course I will, I love you."

Crowfeather followed closely as Leafpool lept from one stepping-stone to the next, she led the way down the slope and into the shelter of the trees. He had never set paw here before, but Leafpool moved like she'd been kitted and raised here. The woods felt oppressive to him, and his glanced back and forth, wary of badgers hiding in the trees, their scent was everywhere here, and not being able to see through the thick undergrowth set his fur on end.

“Badgers,” Crowfeather growled. The fur on Leafpool's back stood straight up, but she never paused. Instead, she picked up her pace until she was racing through the trees, Crowfeather keeping up easily. As they drew closer to the ThunderClan camp, he could hear the yowls of fighting cats and the much deeper roar of adult badgers. Crowfeather did not need to know exactly where the ThunderClan camp was to understand what had happened. The camp had been overrun!

As Leafpool slowed, a rustling sound came from the ferns along the ridge, and Crowfeather began to push Leafpool back when a cat wailed, “Not more of them! Oh, help!”

Leapool whipped around, eyes wide, while Crowfeather found himself staring at a cream-color cat with far less sense than any Clanborn kit. Had they been a badger, the she-cat would be dead now.

“Leafpool!” the grey queen he knew as Ferncloud exclaimed. “What—” her gaze wavered over Crowfeather's pelt, but she shook her head and waved them on, “No, don’t stop. Go and help the Clan.”

Leafpool led him down the slope to the entrance. What once had been an impressive thorn barrier was now trampled down by the attackers, leaving a gaping hole in their defenses. Beyond, badgers filled the cleanly-cut hollow, and Crowfeather could see many thick-furred shoulders in the fray, fighting viciously, without care for the cat's lives. This was no fight between Clans, the badgers would kill if they could.

Then, Crowfeather spotted the orange pelt of Firestar, flanked by Brambleclaw and another brown tabby warrior. Firestar motioned to his Clan as he cried out, “Follow me! Drive them out!” he then leapt at then nearest badger, a huge male with a scarred muzzle. Brambleclaw followed his leader, leaping at another, nearby badger before it could attack Firestar, springing up as it lowered its head and fastening his teeth in its ear.

Crowfeather saw no more, for Leafpool had moved on. Across the clearing, what one had been dens were not crushed piles of branches and brambles, Crowfeater could not make out one den from another, but Leafpool clearly could. Dodging badgers and warriors, they pelted toward the edge of the clearing.

Although he looked, Crowfeather did not see Midnight. He hoped the old badger was safe, perhaps she had gone to another Clan first, when ThunderClan needed her most. He did not pause to look too closely, because Leafpool lead them through the trampled thorns into the clearing that had once promised the safety of a camp.

Leafpool paused when an eerie shriek rose above the rest of the clamor, setting Crowfeather's fur on end. It came from the nursery, the only clump of thorns that remained standing. Leafpool turned to him, horror building in her green eyes, "Cinderpelt!"

As if her paws had wings, she streaked across the clearing, and would have been bowled over by a badger had Crowfeather not intervened. He raked his claw's over it's nose, and when a dark warrior appeared behind it, leaping on it's back, he let go and raced after Leafpool. If she hadn't noticed one badger, she wouldn't notice another. He was hard on her paws as she raced up to the nursery.

Just outside, a ginger cat was lying in the dust, a badger looming over her. Crowfeather didn't need Leafpool to recognize her. “Squirrelflight!” Leafpool yowled, and flung herself at the creature. Crowfeather followed, shoving Leafpool aside as he clawed at Squirrelflight's attacker's eyes. Already injured, it was too much for it. With a bellow of pain it reared back and lurched away, heading for the camp's entrance.

Crowfeather turned back in time to see Squirrelflight look to the nursery, "...Cinderpelt, with Sorreltail . . . kits coming. Badger . . . broke in.”

Leafpool's ears flattened, and she plunged past Squirrelflight into the nursery. The shadows inside were filled with the sound of vicious snarling, cut through with a wail of terror. Crowfeather nudged at Squirrelflight, who sat up with great effort, "Crowfeather, why are you here?"

"Midnight told us about the badger attack, we had to tell the Clans," Squirrelflight blinked hazily at him, but Crowfeather had no time to continue. As a grey warrior approached, he ducked into the den after Leafpool.

She was confronting a badger when he found her, and Crowfeather could scent the bloody wounds already on the massive creature. He slashed at it's muzzle and screeched, hoping that it was injured enough by whatever cats it had followed into the den to be reluctant to fight. The badger let out a howl of pain. Turning, it thrust Leafpool aside roughly and made for the nursery entrance, breaking down more of the brambles as it went. Watery shafts of moonlight filtered through the gaps, revealing the horrified faces of Squirrelflight and the grey warrior looking in.

“What’s going on? Is Cinderpelt hurt?” Squirrelflight asked hoarsely.
“I don’t know yet,” Leafpool replied. Her voice shook with fear. “I’ll look after her. You stay on guard.”

Squirrelflight nodded, and nudged the grey warrior back with her. Crowfeather knew he would be of no help to a scared queen. He touched noses briefly with Leafpool before following them. “Call me if you need me."

Outside was a disaster. When he appeared the grey warrior turned to stare at him, but Squirrelflight nudged his shoulder and shook her head, "this is Crowfeather. He's here to help us."

"We need all the help we can get, I suppose," nevertheless, he glared at Crowfeather, "I'm Ashfur."

"Crowfeather," Squirrelflight eyed him, and then turned to her companion, "stay here."

She darted directly into the badger which had spotted them, Ashfur pawsteps behind her. As they fought, Crowfeather backed into the nursery entrance, lowering his belly to the ground so as not to attract too much attention. He didn't need every badger in the camp coming for the nursery.
He didn't know how long he waited, and as he watched ThunderClan warrior being crushed under paws and beaten by the badgers, his paws itched to leap into the fight. Squirrelflight and Ashfur's badger was wounded already, but still twice as large as either of them. While Ashfur clung to it's back, Squirrelflight darted in circles around it. He forced his body closer to the ground, and instead of leaving the nursery to help them, he tilted his ears back to listen for Leafpool.

“Cinderpelt!” No badger was near, so he turned and ducked into the den. Leafpool was hunched over the dead body of the old medicine cat, and he crouched next to her.

“I’m sorry, Leafpool,” he murmured. “I know what she meant to you.”
“She taught me everything, and now she’s dead,” Leafpool wailed. “I don’t know what to do. I trusted Spottedleaf. She told me to follow my heart, but she knew Cinderpelt was going to die! How could she do that?”
Crowfeather pressed closer to her and drew his tongue over her face and ears with gentle, comforting strokes. “You did follow your heart,” he meowed. “Your heart told you to come home. You could never be happy away from your Clan.”

"Will you still stay?" she asked, and he saw the pain in her hazel eyes.

"So long as you will have me," he promised, touching his nose to hers. For a few heartbeats she leaned into him, as if borrowing his warmth and strength. Then she touched Cinderpelt’s fur with her nose.
“It’s all right,” she murmured, and Crowfeather wondered if she could sense her mentor's spirit, “I’ll stay here and take good care of the Clan, I promise. I won't leave my duty until I've trained a cat to take my place. One day we’ll meet again, walking among the stars.”

She paused for a heartbeat, and closed her eyes. Crowfeather said nothing, understanding that she mourned for her mentor, “your friend needs your help, can I do anything?”
“Just help the others keep the badgers off,” she was amazingly calm, and Crowfeather saw the medicine cat in her for the first time. “If you get the chance, ask some cat to show you Cinderpelt’s den and fetch me some watermint. But if you can’t, I’ll manage without it. It’s more important to keep the badgers out of here.”

Crowfeather dipped his head and slipped away, back up to the surface which rumbled with the paws of badgers. As he left, he heard her reassuring meow ,“don’t worry, I’m here now. Everything’s going to be fine.”

As Crowfeather emerged from the den, he was confronted by a nervous Squirrelflight, “what’s happening in there?” she demanded.

Crowfeather hadn't realized that someone had seen him leave his post at the entrance, and his meow sounded hoarse even to him when he answered," Cinderpelt's dead."

Squirrelflight stared through him, into the dark depths of the nursery. She took a half-pawstep forward, but stopped herself, "I'll stay with you."
Crowfeather nodded, and looked around. The hollow was emptying as if some of the badgers had been chased off, but the ThunderClan cats still weren’t winning the fight. There were too many unmoving heaps of fur sprawled on the ground, too much blood sinking into the paw-trodden earth.
A few fox-lengths away, Firestar and a brown tabby fought with the same large male badger, darting in unison to confuse it. It swiped at them, and although the cats were fast, eventually it would catch one of them. The brown warrior's pelt bled and Firestar seemed to move on will alone. The Clans would lose this fight.

Another badger lumbered out of the shadows, its jaws open to reveal two rows of pointed yellow teeth. It was bleeding heavily from one shoulder, and as it approached, Crowfeather stood to block it. Ashfur was faster, he leapt out to confront the creature before it got too close to the nursery, and Squirrelflight sprang up to follow. “Crowfeather, guard the entrance!” she yowled.

Before Crowfeather could decide if he would follow her order, a wail sounded, and Crowfeather spotted an apprentice in the dirt, beside what was once the barrier. Knowing that what he did could sentence the cats in the nursery to death, Crowfeather sprang forward to help her. He aimed outstretched claws, then pulled back without striking and stared up in disbelief.

"It's all right," he told the apprentice, "this is Midnight."
“Greetings, small warrior,” Midnight rasped.

Crowfeather didn't think that Midnight would harm them, after all, she had warned them about the badgers, and so he nudged the apprentice to her feet, "you're late."
Midnight nodded her great head, "my way is not fight. I bring help.”
She cocked her head to one side as if she were listening to something, then stepped aside to let a river of cats stream into the camp: strong, fresh warriors who fell on the badgers with yowls of fury. Crowfeather stared as he recognized his Clanmates. Onestar lead them, followed by Ashfoot, Barkface, Tornear, Owlwhisker, Weaselfur...he even spotted the queens Whitetail and Robinwing amid the patrol.

WindClan!

He turned, gathering the white apprentice with him, and bundled her back to the nursery. The badger that had been fighting with Firestar and Brackenfur staggered back, turned tail, and ran, Webtail and Firestar after it. Onestar aided Ashfur and Squirrelflight, and the badger that had come too close to the nursery fled as well. Crowfeather tucked the apprentice into the entrance of the nursery and moved to help, but the fresh patrol of cats was too much. All of the invaders were fleeing from the clearing. He watched them blunder through the broken branches that lay across the entrance to the hollow.

Glancing around, he spotted Squirrelflight and Ashfur dipping their heads to Onestar in thanks for his help. Brambleclaw stood a short way off, beside Whitetail, who bore a fresh scratch across her side. Across the clearing, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight's eyes met.

Onestar paused in his chase of Squirrelflight's badger as it scrambled over the remains of the thorn barrier and vanished into the trees.
“You came,” Brambleclaw meowed.
“Of course we came,” pride kindled in Onestar’s eyes. “There are four Clans in the forest, but we can still help one another.”

Crowfeather glanced back into the nursery, wondering if Onestar would be so generous after he lost a warrior. He pushed the thought of his former leader - and his mother - aside. ThunderClan would have no reason to turn him down after all of this. Other than Cinderpelt, he could make out at least two lifeless shapes in the clearing, and all were injured.
As the last of the badgers were disappearing with WindClan in pursuit. The exhausted ThunderClan warriors began to gather in the center of the camp around Midnight, who all gave a wide berth. Their eyes were stunned with horror, as if they couldn’t believe the battle was over.

As two warriors - Brightheart and Cloudtail - appeared from the crowd, fur soaked with blood and headed toward the medicine den, or what had been their medicine den, the white apprentice darted around him and ran to greet them. Three cats appeared on the highest rocks, and he recognized ThunderClan's elders, all wary of the scent in the clearing. The senior warriors of the Clan joined them.

Another cat came to Squirrelflight, asking, "Ferncloud? Birchpaw?" Crowfeather could see that he was ready to fall. Squirrelflight answered gently, and the cat collapsed on the ground, beginning to clean a wound in his shoulder.
Firestar staggered up and halted in front of Midnight, gazing up uncertainly as if he wondered why this badger wasn’t fleeing. As he tensed his muscles, ready to attack, Squirrelflight stepped forward quickly.
“Firestar, this is Midnight,” she meowed. “The badger we met at the sun-drown-place. Midnight, this is our Clan leader, Firestar.”

Firestar relaxed instantly, “the badger who warned us to leave the forest?” He dipped his head. “You’re welcome here.”
“Good is it to be here,” Midnight told him. “And to see again friends from journey. Yet I wish time was happier.”
“So do we all.” Firestar let out an exhausted sigh. “You knew about this, then? You came to warn us?”
“No, she came to warn us.” Onestar padded up to Firestar’s side. “And to ask for our help.”
“Attack come before I expect,” Midnight explained. “No use come alone to ThunderClan. Best to find more fighting cats first.”
Firestar blinked gratefully. “We’re very glad you did. Thank StarClan you found out what your kin were planning.”
“First in stars I see it,” the old badger told him. “Then I go to my kin, try to speak of peace, but they not listen, and little they tell me. They call me ‘cat-friend,’ and other insults more worse.”
Squirrelflight flexed her claws, looking angrier than before, “I wish I’d ripped a bit more fur off, just for you, Midnight.”
The badger shrugged. “Is not important. Except I might have got here more sooner. RiverClan they hate most,” she added. “Warriors there drive them out first.”
“We’d better send a message to Leopardstar,” Firestar meowed. “The badgers could still attack there.”
“No need,” rasped Midnight. “My kin in no state fight more. They think twice before bother cats again.”
“Thank StarClan for that,” Squirrelflight murmured. Crowfeather was wondering if he should join the growing thong of warriors when a muzzle touched his shoulder. Leafpool forced a smile for him, and then turned to her Clanmates, “Brackenfur? Is Brackenfur here?”

A amber warrior had been lying in a patch of ferns at the edge of the clearing. His blood was trickling into the dust and he looked barely conscious, but Crowfeather knew him well enough. He pointed to him with his tail, and Leafpool darted toward him. The warrior lifted his head as Leafpool came up to him.
“Sorreltail?” He lurched unsteadily to his paws. “It’s Sorreltail, isn’t it? Is she all right?”
Leafpool brushed against his pelt. She looked exhausted too. “She’s fine. She has four healthy kits.”
“Four?” Brackenfur’s tail curled up. “That’s great! Thanks, Leafpool.” He raced across the camp and into the nursery, not even noticing Crowfeather's presence at it's entrance.

Squirrelflight intercepted Leafpool on her way back, and the sisters nuzzled close. It was then that the WindClan warriors who had gone to see the badger's off returned. Whitetail and his eyes met, and Crowfeather stood to answer to his Clan.
“Look, it’s Crowfeather!” Whitetail exclaimed. “What’s he doing here?”

Onestar's head shot around to stare, and he stalked over to stand in front of him, “Crowfeather, you came back . . . but not to your own Clan.”
Crowfeather looked at him steadily, feeling free for the first time since they rejoined the Clans. "Leafpool and I came to warn the Clans about the badgers after Midnight found us. By the time we arrived, Cinderpelt was dead, and so Leafpool cannot leave her Clan alone. Instead, I wish to stay in ThunderClan, to be with her."

Onestar had no answer for that, but Firestar did. He came close to the WindClan cats, and they parted to let him pass, "Leafpool is a medicine cat, Crowfeather. She...the warrior code says she is not allowed to take a mate."

"I have never heard that part of the code, then," Crowfeather answered, "tell me what it says."

Firestar paused, but Onestar bit out sharply, "it is not in the warrior code itself. It is tradition."

"Then Leafpool would not be breaking the Code by taking me as her mate?"

"No medicine cat may take a mate and remain a medicine cat!" Onestar glanced around the two clans, and cats from each nodded. Crowfeather did not look at Ashfoot, who watched him with wide eyes.

"Then Leafpool must speak to her fellow medicine cats and to StarClan about remaining a medicine cat," Firestar meowed. "Crowfeather is right, it is only tradition which prevents a medicine cat from taking a mate."

"A leader's word is law!" Onestar spat.

"Only in his own Clan," Crowfeather pointed out, looking directly at Firestar, "and if ThunderClan will have me, I am a ThunderClan cat."

Firestar stared at him, as if he did not see Crowfeather but beyond him, "You are a worthy warrior, Crowfeather. You helped us to find out home, and all the Clans owe you their lives. If you wish to join us, we will have you. Your relationship to Leafpool can be discussed at a later time."

Onestar gave Crowfeather an unreadable look, "if we see you in our territory past sunset, we will treat you like an intruder."

Crowfeather nodded, and moved away to let Firestar address Onestar.

“Onestar, every cat in ThunderClan thanks you,” Firestar meowed. “Without you, StarClan would have gained many more warriors.”
“You’ve helped WindClan in the past,” Onestar replied. “It’s only right that we should come and help you.”
“We won’t forget—” Firestar began.
He was interrupted by a startled yowl from Thornclaw, who was closest to the camp entrance. Crowfeather stiffened. Had the badgers come back? But instead of badgers, two cats appeared, carefully picking their way through the scattered thorn branches. The first of them, a powerful warrior with a thick gray pelt, stopped at the edge of the clearing and looked around.
“This isn’t what I expected to find,” he meowed. “What happened?”
Gazing curiously around them, sleek furred and calm among the shattered Clan, were Stormfur and Brook.

~oOo~

“Stormfur! What are you doing here?” Brambleclaw called.
The powerful gray tomcat paced forward until he could touch noses with Brambleclaw. “It’s good to see you again,” he meowed. “I . . . I wanted to see if you’d found a place to live. But what has happened here?”
“Badgers,” Brambleclaw replied. He glanced around, and Crowfeather wondered if he felt watched in his own camp.

Beside Stormfur, the slender brown tabby she-cat for which he had given up so much brushed her tail against a long scratch on Brambleclaw’s shoulder. “You’re hurt,” she mewed.
“It’s nothing. Welcome to ThunderClan, Brook. I’m sorry you had to travel so far to find us like this.” He paused and looked from one to the other. “Is everything all right in the Tribe of Rushing Water? I never expected you to come visit us so soon.”
Stormfur shot a glance at Brook, so swift Crowfeather almost missed it. “Everything’s fine,” he meowed. “We just wanted to be sure you had found a new place to live, like StarClan promised.”
Crowfeather glanced around the shattered camp, it's warriors stumbling through the remains of their home, looking for lost Clanmates. Perhaps StarClan had been wrong after all. Why go through the entire journey just to have your Clan destroyed?
“You said badgers attacked you?” Brook prompted, sounding puzzled.
“They came here on purpose,” Brambleclaw explained. “StarClan knows where they came from, more badgers than I’ve ever seen in my life. They would have killed us all if WindClan hadn’t turned up.”
Stormfur nodded. “Don’t worry about telling us everything now. What can we do to help?”
A thin wail came from a trampled clump of ferns at the edge of the hollow as Brambleclaw spoke, “we need to find all the cats that have been badly wounded. Some will be on their way to join StarClan. The badgers came to kill, not drive us out.”
“Whatever they have done, I want to help," Brook meowed, "I have seen this kind of savagery before from Sharptooth, remember?”

Crowfeather's blood ran cold at the mention of the name, and for a moment, he wondered if he would have gone to RiverClan had Feathertail not died. He shook the thoughts from his head, and glanced at the WindClan cats. Most watched hismwarily, but Ashfoot sat and stared as if her world had broken apart. Crowfeather dipped his head to her in a way he had not to Onestar. He hoped dearly that she would be all right. He had paid little attention to the conversation between Brook and Brambleclaw, until Brook's voice rose.
“I thought you said the badgers had gone."

Everycat turned to follow her gaze, only to find Midnight nudge her way out of a clump of dead bramble. Stormfur reassured Brook as the badger came closer.
“Too late my warning,” she rasped. “Not enough could I do.”
“You brought WindClan to help us,” Brambleclaw pointed out. “Without you, our whole Clan would have been wiped out.”

Midnight bowed her head, the white stripe that ran the length of her snout gleaming in the faint moonlight. “Shame for my kin I feel.”
“Every cat knows this attack had nothing to do with you,” Brambleclaw told her. “You will always be welcome in this Clan.”
Midnight still looked troubled, but Crowfeather's attention was drawn back to Onestar as the WindClan warrior gathered. Whitetail nudged Ashfoot to her paws and stood close. He looked for Leafpool and found her beside Ashfur, who had been injured badly in his last fight against the badger who had wanted the nursery.
Firestar’s chest still heaved from the effort of fighting. His flame-colored pelt was torn, and blood was oozing from a long scratch along his flank. In spite of his injuries, Firestar’s eyes were bright and he sat up straight as he faced the WindClan leader, “the thanks of all ThunderClan go with you."

“I doubt you’ll have any more trouble with the badgers,” Onestar replied. “But I can leave a couple of warriors behind to keep watch, if you like.”
“No thanks, I don’t think we’ll need them.” The warmth in Firestar’s eyes revealed the long friendship between these two cats, and Crowfeather felt more than a little guilty that he would be a force in tearing them apart. “Do your warriors need the help of our medicine cat before you go? If any of them are badly injured, they’re welcome to stay here.”

Onestar paused to look at Crowfeather, eyeing the wound on his shoulder, but said nothing. “I think we’re all fit to travel, thank StarClan. If you’re sure you don’t need our help anymore, we’ll return to our own territory now.” Onestar swept his tail, gathering all his warriors together before leading them out of the camp.
“Thank you again!” Firestar called after them. “May StarClan light your path.”

Crowfeather glanced toward Leafpool, who had collected the she-cat with a ruined face - Brightheart, he remembered. If he was to live here he needed to remember their names - and padded toward what remained of the medicine den. Crowfeather did not follow. Instead, he sought out Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, who had found each other in the throng of cats.
“Can’t you see that it is?” Brambleclaw replied, then paused. “Sorry—”
Squirrelflight took a pace forward so that her pelt brushed his. She touched the tip of her tail to his mouth to silence him. “Stupid furball,” she whispered.

Both turned as he approached, and he nodded simply. Brambleclaw spoke first, "you've decided to stay with us?"

"Yes. Firestar said you needed all the help you could get," Crowfeather answered, and Brambleclaw nodded, his shoulders drooping in exhaustion.

“We’ll speak to Firestar and then get started.”
As they approached the Clan leader, Thornclaw staggered up to them. Blood trickled from a deep gash above one eye. “Stormfur?” he muttered, shaking his head in confusion. “No, it can’t be.” The golden brown warrior slumped to the ground, where he lay panting.
Squirrelflight rested her tail on his shoulder, urging him to lie still until his injuries could be treated. Brambleclaw led Stormfur and Brook up to Firestar.
The Clan leader ’s eyes stretched wide in surprise. “Stormfur . . . and Brook! What are you doing here?”
“There’ll be time to explain later,” Stormfur meowed. “For now, Firestar, put us to work.”
Firestar stared around the clearing as if he wasn’t sure where to start. “We should sort out the warriors’ den so the cats who have been hurt most can get some sleep . . . but we need to get the entrance barrier back in place, too.”
Crowfeather glanced around. The whole camp was devastated, and few of the ThunderClan cats were in any shape to start rebuilding. Ashfur was slumped on the ground, bleeding from flank and foreleg, while Leafpool patted cobwebs onto his wounds. Cloudtail limped up to her, holding one forepaw off the ground; blood trickled from where a claw had been torn out.
“Hi, Stormfur,” he mewed as he passed, as if this had been such an extraordinary night, the sight of an old friend was no longer a surprise. “Leafpool, can I have a piece of that cobweb?”
Sandstorm was close behind him, her head bent with exhaustion and her tail dragging in the dust. She stopped dead when she spotted Leafpool, then swung around to face Firestar, her green eyes questioning, gaze pausing on Crowfeather and eyes narrowing.
“Leafpool’s here?” she meowed. “What happened?”
Firestar shook his head to silence her. “We’ll talk to her later,” he promised. “For now, she’s home, and that’s all that matters.”
“Firestar!” A yowl came from across the clearing. “Firestar, have those crow-food eaters gone?”
Crowfeather turned to see the three elders, Mousefur, Goldenflower, and Longtail. It was Mousefur who had called out; she had lost some fur from one shoulder, Longtail’s tail was bleeding, and Goldenflower had a deep scratch down one side. She was guiding Longtail with her tail across his shoulders.
“Are you all right?” Brambleclaw asked, going to meet them.
“Fine,” Mousefur growled. “A badger tried to climb up to the Highledge, but we sent it back down the rocks faster than it intended.”
“What if they come back?” Goldenflower sounded distraught. Brambleclaw moved close to his mother and licked her ears.
“They’d better not.” Longtail flexed his claws, and Crowfeather saw dark tufts of badger fur caught in them. “I don’t need to see to fight badgers. I can find them by their disgusting scent.”
“Better let Leafpool look at those scratches,” Firestar meowed.
“Leafpool?” Mousefur’s voice was sharp as she swung around to stare at the medicine cat. “She’s back, is she? For good—or until that WindClan warrior starts sniffing around again?”

Crowfeather cleared his throat, and the elder's gaze fixed on him, "I'm a ThunderClan warrior now."

Half the Clan was now staring, and Firestar lifted his voice before an argument could start, "Crowfeather has left WindClan. For now, he will help set up the camp and hunt. After we've begun to recover, Leafpool and I will seek the advice of StarClan on what to do."
The answer didn't seem to calm Mousefur, instead, she turned her attention to Stormfur, "And who’s this? Stormfur? What’s he doing here?”
“Just paying a visit.” Stormfur sounded uncomfortable at the brown elder’s suspicious tone.
Mousefur grunted, as if she wasn’t completely convinced that Stormfur was a friend. “You were a RiverClan warrior before you left us. Why are you here and not over there?”
“Mousefur, don’t be so ungrateful!” Squirrelflight meowed indignantly. “We need every cat who’s prepared to help. Besides, Stormfur is half ThunderClan, remember?” Stormfur’s father was Graystripe, the ThunderClan deputy who had been captured by Twolegs before the cats left the forest, Crowfeather remembered. Feathertail had told him of how her father left his Clan for them.
Mousefur bristled at Squirrelflight, but before she could reply she was interrupted by a cry from Ferncloud, racing through the broken thorns that were strewn across the entrance to the hollow. “Dustpelt, where are you?”

Brambleclaw moved toward her, for it didn't seem Firestar could stand anymore.
“Brambleclaw, have you seen Dustpelt?” she demanded.
“No, not yet,” he admitted. “Come on, I’ll help you look.”
“I should have stayed with him!” Ferncloud wailed. “I never should have left the camp!”
“But Daisy needed you,” Brambleclaw reminded her, and Crowfeather filed the name away for the cream kittypet who had wailed and given away the location of the queens when he and Leafpool approached the camp. “She couldn’t have coped without a warrior to look after her, and it was much safer for you both to stay hidden outside the camp. Remember, Daisy hasn’t been in the Clan long, and she can’t fight well enough yet to defend herself and her kits.”
Ferncloud shook her head distractedly. “Dustpelt can’t be dead,” she mewed.
“We’ll find him,” Brambleclaw promised. Crowfeather glanced to where he had last seen the warrior, and called out.

"Brambleclaw, he's here," he stood next to the heap of tabby fur lying in the shadow of the rock wall. Dustpelt’s eyes were closed, but as Crowfeather stared at him his ears twitched and he let out a sneeze.

Ferncloud shoved past her Clanmates, not caring of the WindClan cat's presence, “Dustpelt! Dustpelt!”
At the sound of his mate’s voice Dustpelt opened his eyes and started to struggle to his paws. Ferncloud bounded up to him, brushing her pelt against his and covering him with licks. Dustpelt let out an unsteady purr.
Brambleclaw eyed the pair for a moment, and turned back toward the center of camp. Crowfeather followed. He suspected that Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Leafpool would be his only company for a long while. The kittypet had followed them into the camp and now stood, protecting her kits from Midnight. Leafpool was trying to talk sense into her, but Crowfeather doubted it would work.
“Don’t worry, Daisy,” she meowed. “Midnight’s a friend. Crow-feather and I met her when we were up in the hills. She warned us that her kin were going to attack, and she brought WindClan to help us.”
“But she’s a badger!” Daisy exclaimed.
Brambleclaw padded over to help Leafpool explain, “We met Midnight on our journey to the sun-drown-place. She wouldn’t harm us.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” Berrykit assured his mother. “I’ll look after you.”
“I bet you would, too.” Cloudtail limped up and gently flicked Berrykit’s ear with the tip of his tail. “It takes enough courage for a full-grown cat to face up to a badger. You’ll make a great warrior one day.”
Berrykit’s tail went straight up with pride. “Race you to the nursery!” he yowled to his littermates.
“No—wait!” Cloudtail called after the three kits. “You can’t go in there yet.”
“Why not?” Daisy asked, puzzled. “My kits need to rest.”

Crowfeather resisted the urge to claw her ears. The Clan was exhausted and broken, and she was worried about her kits? She was lucky they weren't dead, "Cinderpelt's dead." he announced, aware the eyes of the Clan were on him. "And Sorreltail kitted. Unless you want your kits to sleep on Cinderpelt's body, they can't go into the nursery."

Daisy pulled back, horrified, opening her mouth to object, but Leafpool seconded him. “I tried to save her, but she was already on her way to StarClan.”

The Clan froze for a heartbeat, and them Mousefur yowled, “She was only a young cat! She had her whole life ahead of her.”

Squirrelflight padded up and brushed her muzzle against Leafpool’s shoulder. “We won’t forget her,” she murmured.
Brambleclaw nodded, too shocked to speak. Leafpool stood with head bowed for a heartbeat, then nudged Thornclaw to his paws. “Come to my den.” Her voice sounded thin, as if she was keeping it tightly under control. “I have more cobwebs there.” She padded away, glancing back just once to be sure Thornclaw was following.

After a moment, Brambleclaw shook off the shock, and stood, heading toward a black warrior at the edge of the camp. Crowfeather followed, finding them standing over the limp body of a warrior. Crowfeather did not need to be a medicine cat to know he was dead, and while Brambleclaw searched for words, he licked the tom's eyes shut and murmered, "may StarClan light his path."
"He's Sorreltail's brother," Brambleclaw meowed hoarsely, "she just kitted, how will she cope?

"My mother kitted on the journey WindClan took when ShadowClan drove us from our home," Crowfeather answered him, "she'll be all right."
Both the younger cats were staring at Brambleclaw as if they were waiting for him to tell them what to do, but Crowfeather could see that it was too much. He could only imagine what he would feel like if his Clan had suffered so much, "carry him into the center of the camp, so we can have a vigil.”

"I’ll go and look for Rainwhisker," Brambleclaw agreed, and he staggered to his paws to begin his search.

Crowfeather left him to it, as the little white apprentice looked too small to truly help and Spiderleg was bleeding. With Whitepaw balancing the body, he and Spiderleg carried it to the clearing. They lay him beside the elders, who watched with wide eyes.

"Crowfeather?" Firestar called, he was dragging a branch across the clearing, and Crowfeather bounded over to help, "will you help me get these branches out of the clearing?"

"Sootfur's dead," he told the ginger leader, who dropped the branch and crossed the clearing on shaky legs to see what had happened. Crowfeather didn't join them. He picked up the dropped branch and began to take it to the small pile Firestar had began.
When he came back to look for another, Firestar, Squirrelflight, and several other cats stood around the black tom, their heads bowed. A grey warrior lay half on top of Sootfur, giving a low wail of grief and Cinderpelt's body had been brought to lie beside the warrior's.

He paused, unsure if he should join them. It wasn't his Clanmate they were grieving for. Instead, he found Spiderleg beside the camp wall, trying to rebuild the dens. Crowfeather moved to join him, helping the dark warrior to shore up what remained if the warrior's den so it could be rebuilt.

"Are you staying?" Spiderleg asked, as they dislodged a large branch together, and shifted it back into the position it had once been in.

"Yes," Crowfeather could see that Spiderleg's injuries were worse than his own, and so he took the weight of the branch as the other tom tried to secure it. "For as long as ThunderClan will have me."

"Good," Spiderleg determined, "we need all the help we can get."

"That's not what Mousefur thinks."

"Mousefur's bark is worse than her bite," Spiderleg told him, "she was my mentor before she retired. She's tough, but if you can prove you're loyal, she'll stick by you."

They worked until the branches were set up as well as any two cats could make them. It would take more warriors to finish it, but Spiderleg was satisfied for now. They were emerging from the inside of the den, shoving small branches in front of them, when Stormfur and Brambleclaw appeared from the gathering gloom.

Spiderleg sat heavily as he explained what they had done, Stormfur and Brambleclaw nodding along, "why don't you see Leafpool about your scratches, Spiderleg? You've done more than any-cat could ask for."

"All my kin survived and I'm hurt less than most others," Spiderleg sniffed his leg, "I'll check in with her and come back if she says it's all right."

"I'll look for something to keep up the edges," Stormfur meowed, and quickly padded toward the entrance of the camp. Crowfeather eyed the tabby warrior.

“Shouldn’t you be resting? You look very battered.”
“We’re all battered,” Brambleclaw pointed out, although exhaustion colored his eyes, “I can’t rest now; there’s too much to do.”
“There certainly is," Crowfeather agreed, "I'm glad to see Stormfur, I'm not sure what we'd do without him."
Squirrelflight trotted up just then, carrying a couple of mice by their tails. She dropped the fresh-kill at their paws. “There you are,” she mewed to Brambleclaw. “Eat. You need your strength.” She patted the second mouse toward Crowfeather. “You too. Where's Stormfur?”
"He's fetching thorns, I think," Crowfeather answered. His belly tightened at the thought of mouse, but he pushed it back to her. "I didn't hunt for ThunderClan, I shouldn't eat."

"Even if you were a part of WindClan at this moment, we'd feed you," Squirrelflight retorted, "we need our warriors at full strength."

"Leafpool and I ate before we came back," Squirrelflight rolled her eyes at him, as Stormfur returned with a bundle of thorns. Spying the mouse he shook his head.

"I ate on the way here too."
“Okay, if you’re sure, I’ll take it to the elders. I’ve found plenty of fresh-kill,” she added to Brambleclaw. “It’s a bit trodden on, but it’ll do until tomorrow.” With a whisk of her tail she picked up the spare mouse and headed for the elders’ den.
When Stormfur went back inside the den, Crowfeather followed. He didn't know much about dens, but he could follow directions well enough, and an extra set of paws would be valuable amid the broken branches an thorns. Brambleclaw soon followed, and together they shifted through the damaged thorns. By the time they stopped, Stormfur was panting and the wound on Brambleclaw's shoulder had begun to bleed.

They had gotten most of the interior cleared when Squirrelflight appeared again, holding a dripping wad of moss. All three paused to lap water from the moss, and then left Brambleclaw to sit with Squirrelflight for a moment in favor of scraping the bundled thorns out before removing the branches.

Once they had set the thorns out of the way, they let Brambleclaw pull the largest branches out. By the time that was done, Brook had appeared, "your elders are going to be fine,” she reported, “Leafpool has put cobwebs on Mousefur’s scratches, and given them all a few poppy seeds to help them sleep. Squirrelflight has gone to fetch them some water.”
“Thanks for your help, Brook,” Brambleclaw meowed, nodding at the ball of moss.
“I took it out of the elders’ den because it’s full of thorns. No cat could sleep on that. Can you tell me the best place to find some more moss?”
“Are you sure you’re not too tired?” Brambleclaw asked. “You’ve traveled a long way.”
Brook’s ears twitched. “I’m in better shape than you. Besides, we took it easy on the journey. It’s been more than a moon since we left the Tribe.”
“We thought we would never find you,” Stormfur meowed.
“How did you?” Crowfeather asked, he knew his voice was bitter when he asked, “did the Tribe of Endless Hunting show you the way?”
A glance flashed between Stormfur and Brook.
“I wish they had,” Stormfur replied. “We might have got here sooner. We wandered around in the hills until we came across a rogue who knew some cats who live with horses. Do you know them?”
“Oh, yes, the horseplace cats,” Brambleclaw mewed. “We’ve met them—in fact, one of them is here now, with her kits.”
Stormfur looked surprised. “Well, the rogue said they told him a huge number of cats had moved into their area. We knew that had to be you, and the rogue told us which way to come.”
“So you haven’t been to RiverClan yet?”
Stormfur shook his head, but before he could say anything else, Brook prodded Brambleclaw in the shoulder with one paw. “Moss? Your elders will be waiting.”
“Oh, sure. Let’s take these thorns over to the camp entrance, and I’ll show you.”

"I'll help Stormfur with that," Crowfeather offered, "you can help Brook."
Crowfeather and Stormfur dragged the branches across to where Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Firestar were working on the barrier. Brook followed with her bundle of moss and she and Brambleclaw left the camp together.

Leafpool padded up moments after they left, frowing after Brambleclaw, but didn't make to go after them. “Firestar!” she called, “I haven’t had a chance to look at your wounds yet.” She dropped golden leaves on the ground next to the Clan leader and began to examine his pelt.

Crowfeather spared her a glance, but didn't stop to talk, "let's shift the rest of the thorns out so Brook and Brambleclaw can put down the moss."

Stormfur agreed, and by the time Brambleclaw and Brook returned, they had managed to get most of the den livable. Brambleclaw sat at the entrance and divided the moss up while they placed it into the nests. That done, they all sat to admire their handiwork. Noticing their stillness, Firestar padded over to see what had been done.

“I think we’re done for tonight,” Stormfur meowed. “We’ve shifted the worst of the thorns, and put down some fresh moss. It might be a bit cramped, but you can all get some rest now.”
“What about you?” Firestar asked.
“Brook and I are still fresh. We’ll guard the camp for the rest of the night.”
“Thanks.” Brambleclaw touched Stormfur on the shoulder with his tail-tip, then slid past him into the warriors’ den. Crowfeather was tempted to join him. There was a clear space near the trunk of the tree, good enough for cats who were too tired to be fussy about where they slept. Spiderleg and Ashfur were already asleep; just beyond them, Dustpelt and Ferncloud were drowsily sharing tongues. Brambleclaw muttered a greeting to them, and sank into the moss and bracken.

When Stormfur left to find Brook, Firestar and Crowfeather were left alone.

"Why don't you find Leafpool?" Firestar asked, "I've spoken to her and we've decided that the most important thing is the Clan right now. Once we've recovered, we'll go to the Moonpool to talk to StarClan."

Crowfeather dipped his head, "thank you for letting me stay," he headed for the medicine den, where he found Leafpool sorting through the last few of her herbs.

"Leafpool? Are you ready to sit vigil?"

She put the leaves down and turned to him, tears visible in her eyes, "oh, Crowfeather, what have I done?"

"You've saved half of ThunderClan is what you've done," he replied, licking her ears.

"Cinderpelt and Sootfur are dead."

"Sootfur was dead before anycat found him," he replied, "and Cinderpelt may have died even if you'd been here."

"She knew."

"What? How?"

"StarClan told her. She knew and she let me leave with you because she didn't want to prevent me from following my heart," they sat for a long moment, Leafpool's muzzle in his fur, before he replied.

"Leafpool, look at me. If this was her destiny, there was nothing you could have done. Nothing at all. You think any cat could change the path of a cat's paws?" Leafpool didn't answer, but Crowfeather continued. "We'd all be driven mad if we could. If somecat could have changed Tigerstar's path or if Firestar could have been nothing but a kittypet. How can you blame yourself for Cinderpelt and not others for who they could have saved?"

Leafpool pulled away, searching his face for something he didn't know if she would find. Then she stood, "come on. Let's go to Cinderpelt."

~oOo~

It was dawn before Leafpool stirred beside him. Crowfeather sat next to her, sitting vigil with the Clan for Cinderpelt. Leafpool had tried to stay awake, but her exhaustion had eventually gotten the better of her. Firestar lay next to his daughter, their ginger pelts mixing. Crowfeather could just make out green eyes watching Cinderpelt's fur.
Leafpool opened her jaws to taste the air, then sat up, looking down at Cinderpelt as if her heart might break. Crowfeather glanced about. Although many cats had sat vigil, Brightheart and Cloudtail were curled on Cinderpelt's other side and Rainwhisker and Thornclaw had sat with Sootfur, only he and the Tribe cats had stayed awake all night. Stormfur sat outside the warriors' den and Brook nearer to the entrance.

As Leafpool sat up, the warriors began to stir, Brambleclaw and Dustpelt emerging from the warriors' den as Brackenfur appeared from the nursery to look at the cats in the clearing before vanishing back inside. Soon, it would be time for the burial.

Mousefur appeared first, the elders discussing softly how the burial would go, "the clearing is covered with branches and thorns, you might be hurt."

"I'm not a kit," Longtail retorted.
“Of course you aren't,” Mousefur agreed. “We’ll carry them together, don’t worry.”
Firestar rose from Cinderpelt’s side, his movements stiff from wounds and weariness. Whitepaw crept out of the remains of the apprentices’ den, glancing around nervously as if she wanted to make sure no more badgers had appeared. Thornclaw, who had been Sootfur’s mentor, sat up and pushed his nose one last time into the cold, gray-black fur.
“You taught him well,” Leafpool mewed softly, “he died bravely, fighting for his Clanmates.”
Rainwhisker slid between the cats who were clustering around the bodies, and Leafpool considered him briefly, “take it easy,” she warned him. “You’ll be limping permanently if you strain that leg.”
Rainwhisker nodded and spoke to Mousefur. “I want to help, please. Sootfur was my brother.”
Mousefur dipped her head. “Very well.”
She and Rainwhisker took up the body of Sootfur, while Goldenflower and Longtail carried Cinderpelt. Leafpool didn't move until Crowfeather placed his tail around her shoulders and guided her away. Squirrelflight pressed into her other side, and Leafpool leaned against her shoulder. All three sat and watched until the end of Longtail's tail disappeared.
The rest of their Clan stood with bowed heads as the elders made their way past the shattered thorn barrier and into the trees beyond.
Once they had disappeared, Firestar began to organize the patrols. Squirrelflight turned to Brambleclaw and the two cats headed back toward the warriors’ den, their flanks brushing. Leafpool frowned at that, and looked around. She fixed her gaze on Ashfur, and Crowfeather touched his nose to her ear.

She started, and Crowfeather blinked warmly, "I don't know what Ashfur and Squirrelflight had, but she and Brambleclaw were good together on the journey."

"I'm just worried about her," Crowfeather thought of Ashfoot for a moment, but pushed the feeling away. "I think StarClan wanted to tell me something about her before we left."

"Trust yourself," he replied, for he didn't know anything about messages from StarClan, except that he had trusted Deadfoot.

Leafpool purred, then padded to where Ashfur stood, “I need to check your wounds,” she meowed. “Especially that torn ear.”

Crowfeather stood, and moved to where Firestar was gathering warriors, as he approached, Firestar turned to him, "Crowfeather, would you go hunting with Sandstorm? Cloudtail is going to show Stormfur and Brook where to hunt."

"Certainly," he agreed, glancing at the pale she-cat, "are you ready now?"

"Yes," Sandstorm replied, ducking through the warriors toward the camp entrance, "have you hunted in forests before?"

"On the journey to the Sun-drown-place Stormfur taught us to catch fish and Brambleclaw taught us to hunt mice and birds," Sandstorm seemed pleased at that.

"Good," she lead with a quick step, and soon they had arrived in a secluded glade, far from the busy ThunderClan camp. Sandstorm paused to scent the forest, and then turned to him. "See what you can find. If we don't have any luck we can try hunting together."

Crowfeather did as he was asked, aware that Sandstorm was the mate of the Clan leader and a good word from her would mean much to the Clan. Although he missed the first two mice he found, he managed to catch a vole and a decent-sized squirrel before he decided to go looking for Sandstorm. He did hope she hadn't left him alone out here, as finding his way back wouldn't be easy.

He hid his prey and began his search by following the trail she had left, hoping he didn't stumble upon her hunt. He had just stepped away from the trunk of a great oak when something large fell from the branch. He darted backward, fur bristling warily, only to find himself looking at Sandstorm, fur covered with oak leaves, and a large bird under her paws. She smirked at him, and Crowfeather quickly composed himself.

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

"No, it's fine. Just, in WindClan, usually cats don't act like birds."

"Most ThunderClan cats don't either, it's a trick I picked up alone the way," Sandstorm laughed. "I caught a mouse before this, you get anything?"

"A mouse and a squirrel."

"Good job, they're fast," Crowfeather bit back the annoyance and nodded.

"I'll get them."

When Sandstorm said 'mouse' apparently she meant two mice and a vole, but Crowfeather was pleased to note that his squirrel was larger than the rest of her catch combined. It was mid-day before they made it back to camp, and dropped their catches on the fresh-kill pile. Crowfeather chose one of Sandstorm's mice and padded over to where Brook was lying in the shade. As he approached, she sat up.

"Would you share with me?"

"Of course!" Crowfeather lay beside her and let her take the first bite of the mouse, Brook passed it back, "Stormfur tells me that you and Leafpool have become mates."

"We're going to try, at least."

"He said that it is tradition for medicine cats to not take mates, and that even if ThunderClan accepts you, the other Clans will be angry."

"He's probably right," Brook studied him for a long moment as he passed the mouse over.

"I'm glad you found someone, Crowfeather. I'm sorry about what happened to Feathertail."

The mouse tasted like dust, but Crowfeather accepted it and took another bite. He didn't respond, but he could see Brook becoming uncomfortable, "So am I, but Leafpool has nothing to do with that."

Brook stood, touched her nose to his ear, and padded off to where Stormfur was dropping fresh-kill onto the pile. Crowfeather finished the mouse, and went to see if he could help with the repairing of the camp. He busied himself with duties inside and outside of the camp, and by the time the sun began to set, he was exhausted. He and Spiderleg delivered the last of the moss to Whitepaw and he set about looking for Leafpool.

When he didn't find her, he looked for Firestar, who he found in his den with Sandstorm and Dustpelt. Unsure of what to do, he called into the den, "Firestar?"

"Crowfeather, come in," he ducked into the den and blinked at the darkness. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't find Leafpool."

Anything Recognizable © Erin Hunter(s)
Cat Lines (signature beside Leafpool's chest) © LindsayPrower
Leafpool's Ginger Design

Description

    Leafpool and Crowfeather paused beside the stepping stones that led across the stream into ThunderClan territory. Night had fallen, and a thin crescent moon rode high in the sky. They had traveled all day, only stopping at sunhigh long enough to devour a rabbit Crowfeather had caught on the moorland. Now Leafpool’s paws were sore and her heart pounded with mounting fear.

“Good-bye,” she murmured, pushing her nose into Crowfeather’s fur. “I’ll see you again when all this is over.”

“What do you mean, ‘good-bye’?” Crowfeather demanded.

"You need to warn WindClan," Crowfeather stared at her for a long moment, his hazel eyes confused but determined.

"You told me you loved me before we ran away," his claws sank into ThunderClan soil, it was strange to not feel the coarse moorland grass under his paws, "do you still?"

"I- yes, Crowfeather. I do. But out duty is to out Clans now."

"I want to join ThunderClan," Leafpool's gaze flickered to the black tom's lithe build and thin chest, but Crowfeather kept her gaze, "I was willing to run away with you once, will you let me stay with you now?"

"Crowfeather, you belong in WindClan."

"You didn't say that when you agreed to run away with me. I belong with you. If Firestar will have me, will you?"

Leafpool pressed her muzzle into his fur, twining her tail with his, "Of course I will, I love you."

Crowfeather followed closely as Leafpool lept from one stepping-stone to the next, she led the way down the slope and into the shelter of the trees. He had never set paw here before, but Leafpool moved like she'd been kitted and raised here. The woods felt oppressive to him, and his glanced back and forth, wary of badgers hiding in the trees, their scent was everywhere here, and not being able to see through the thick undergrowth set his fur on end.

“Badgers,” Crowfeather growled. The fur on Leafpool's back stood straight up, but she never paused. Instead, she picked up her pace until she was racing through the trees, Crowfeather keeping up easily. As they drew closer to the ThunderClan camp, he could hear the yowls of fighting cats and the much deeper roar of adult badgers. Crowfeather did not need to know exactly where the ThunderClan camp was to understand what had happened. The camp had been overrun!

As Leafpool slowed, a rustling sound came from the ferns along the ridge, and Crowfeather began to push Leafpool back when a cat wailed, “Not more of them! Oh, help!”

Leapool whipped around, eyes wide, while Crowfeather found himself staring at a cream-color cat with far less sense than any Clanborn kit. Had they been a badger, the she-cat would be dead now.

“Leafpool!” the grey queen he knew as Ferncloud exclaimed. “What—” her gaze wavered over Crowfeather's pelt, but she shook her head and waved them on, “No, don’t stop. Go and help the Clan.”

Leafpool led him down the slope to the entrance. What once had been an impressive thorn barrier was now trampled down by the attackers, leaving a gaping hole in their defenses. Beyond, badgers filled the cleanly-cut hollow, and Crowfeather could see many thick-furred shoulders in the fray, fighting viciously, without care for the cat's lives. This was no fight between Clans, the badgers would kill if they could.

Then, Crowfeather spotted the orange pelt of Firestar, flanked by Brambleclaw and another brown tabby warrior. Firestar motioned to his Clan as he cried out, “Follow me! Drive them out!” he then leapt at then nearest badger, a huge male with a scarred muzzle. Brambleclaw followed his leader, leaping at another, nearby badger before it could attack Firestar, springing up as it lowered its head and fastening his teeth in its ear.

Crowfeather saw no more, for Leafpool had moved on. Across the clearing, what one had been dens were not crushed piles of branches and brambles, Crowfeater could not make out one den from another, but Leafpool clearly could. Dodging badgers and warriors, they pelted toward the edge of the clearing.

Although he looked, Crowfeather did not see Midnight. He hoped the old badger was safe, perhaps she had gone to another Clan first, when ThunderClan needed her most. He did not pause to look too closely, because Leafpool lead them through the trampled thorns into the clearing that had once promised the safety of a camp.

Leafpool paused when an eerie shriek rose above the rest of the clamor, setting Crowfeather's fur on end. It came from the nursery, the only clump of thorns that remained standing. Leafpool turned to him, horror building in her green eyes, "Cinderpelt!"

As if her paws had wings, she streaked across the clearing, and would have been bowled over by a badger had Crowfeather not intervened. He raked his claw's over it's nose, and when a dark warrior appeared behind it, leaping on it's back, he let go and raced after Leafpool. If she hadn't noticed one badger, she wouldn't notice another. He was hard on her paws as she raced up to the nursery.

Just outside, a ginger cat was lying in the dust, a badger looming over her. Crowfeather didn't need Leafpool to recognize her. “Squirrelflight!” Leafpool yowled, and flung herself at the creature. Crowfeather followed, shoving Leafpool aside as he clawed at Squirrelflight's attacker's eyes. Already injured, it was too much for it. With a bellow of pain it reared back and lurched away, heading for the camp's entrance.

Crowfeather turned back in time to see Squirrelflight look to the nursery, "...Cinderpelt, with Sorreltail . . . kits coming. Badger . . . broke in.”

Leafpool's ears flattened, and she plunged past Squirrelflight into the nursery. The shadows inside were filled with the sound of vicious snarling, cut through with a wail of terror. Crowfeather nudged at Squirrelflight, who sat up with great effort, "Crowfeather, why are you here?"

"Midnight told us about the badger attack, we had to tell the Clans," Squirrelflight blinked hazily at him, but Crowfeather had no time to continue. As a grey warrior approached, he ducked into the den after Leafpool.

She was confronting a badger when he found her, and Crowfeather could scent the bloody wounds already on the massive creature. He slashed at it's muzzle and screeched, hoping that it was injured enough by whatever cats it had followed into the den to be reluctant to fight. The badger let out a howl of pain. Turning, it thrust Leafpool aside roughly and made for the nursery entrance, breaking down more of the brambles as it went. Watery shafts of moonlight filtered through the gaps, revealing the horrified faces of Squirrelflight and the grey warrior looking in.

“What’s going on? Is Cinderpelt hurt?” Squirrelflight asked hoarsely.
“I don’t know yet,” Leafpool replied. Her voice shook with fear. “I’ll look after her. You stay on guard.”

Squirrelflight nodded, and nudged the grey warrior back with her. Crowfeather knew he would be of no help to a scared queen. He touched noses briefly with Leafpool before following them. “Call me if you need me."

Outside was a disaster. When he appeared the grey warrior turned to stare at him, but Squirrelflight nudged his shoulder and shook her head, "this is Crowfeather. He's here to help us."

"We need all the help we can get, I suppose," nevertheless, he glared at Crowfeather, "I'm Ashfur."

"Crowfeather," Squirrelflight eyed him, and then turned to her companion, "stay here."

She darted directly into the badger which had spotted them, Ashfur pawsteps behind her. As they fought, Crowfeather backed into the nursery entrance, lowering his belly to the ground so as not to attract too much attention. He didn't need every badger in the camp coming for the nursery.
He didn't know how long he waited, and as he watched ThunderClan warrior being crushed under paws and beaten by the badgers, his paws itched to leap into the fight. Squirrelflight and Ashfur's badger was wounded already, but still twice as large as either of them. While Ashfur clung to it's back, Squirrelflight darted in circles around it. He forced his body closer to the ground, and instead of leaving the nursery to help them, he tilted his ears back to listen for Leafpool.

“Cinderpelt!” No badger was near, so he turned and ducked into the den. Leafpool was hunched over the dead body of the old medicine cat, and he crouched next to her.

“I’m sorry, Leafpool,” he murmured. “I know what she meant to you.”
“She taught me everything, and now she’s dead,” Leafpool wailed. “I don’t know what to do. I trusted Spottedleaf. She told me to follow my heart, but she knew Cinderpelt was going to die! How could she do that?”
Crowfeather pressed closer to her and drew his tongue over her face and ears with gentle, comforting strokes. “You did follow your heart,” he meowed. “Your heart told you to come home. You could never be happy away from your Clan.”

"Will you still stay?" she asked, and he saw the pain in her hazel eyes.

"So long as you will have me," he promised, touching his nose to hers. For a few heartbeats she leaned into him, as if borrowing his warmth and strength. Then she touched Cinderpelt’s fur with her nose.
“It’s all right,” she murmured, and Crowfeather wondered if she could sense her mentor's spirit, “I’ll stay here and take good care of the Clan, I promise. I won't leave my duty until I've trained a cat to take my place. One day we’ll meet again, walking among the stars.”

She paused for a heartbeat, and closed her eyes. Crowfeather said nothing, understanding that she mourned for her mentor, “your friend needs your help, can I do anything?”
“Just help the others keep the badgers off,” she was amazingly calm, and Crowfeather saw the medicine cat in her for the first time. “If you get the chance, ask some cat to show you Cinderpelt’s den and fetch me some watermint. But if you can’t, I’ll manage without it. It’s more important to keep the badgers out of here.”

Crowfeather dipped his head and slipped away, back up to the surface which rumbled with the paws of badgers. As he left, he heard her reassuring meow ,“don’t worry, I’m here now. Everything’s going to be fine.”

As Crowfeather emerged from the den, he was confronted by a nervous Squirrelflight, “what’s happening in there?” she demanded.

Crowfeather hadn't realized that someone had seen him leave his post at the entrance, and his meow sounded hoarse even to him when he answered," Cinderpelt's dead."

Squirrelflight stared through him, into the dark depths of the nursery. She took a half-pawstep forward, but stopped herself, "I'll stay with you."
Crowfeather nodded, and looked around. The hollow was emptying as if some of the badgers had been chased off, but the ThunderClan cats still weren’t winning the fight. There were too many unmoving heaps of fur sprawled on the ground, too much blood sinking into the paw-trodden earth.
A few fox-lengths away, Firestar and a brown tabby fought with the same large male badger, darting in unison to confuse it. It swiped at them, and although the cats were fast, eventually it would catch one of them. The brown warrior's pelt bled and Firestar seemed to move on will alone. The Clans would lose this fight.

Another badger lumbered out of the shadows, its jaws open to reveal two rows of pointed yellow teeth. It was bleeding heavily from one shoulder, and as it approached, Crowfeather stood to block it. Ashfur was faster, he leapt out to confront the creature before it got too close to the nursery, and Squirrelflight sprang up to follow. “Crowfeather, guard the entrance!” she yowled.

Before Crowfeather could decide if he would follow her order, a wail sounded, and Crowfeather spotted an apprentice in the dirt, beside what was once the barrier. Knowing that what he did could sentence the cats in the nursery to death, Crowfeather sprang forward to help her. He aimed outstretched claws, then pulled back without striking and stared up in disbelief.

"It's all right," he told the apprentice, "this is Midnight."
“Greetings, small warrior,” Midnight rasped.

Crowfeather didn't think that Midnight would harm them, after all, she had warned them about the badgers, and so he nudged the apprentice to her feet, "you're late."
Midnight nodded her great head, "my way is not fight. I bring help.”
She cocked her head to one side as if she were listening to something, then stepped aside to let a river of cats stream into the camp: strong, fresh warriors who fell on the badgers with yowls of fury. Crowfeather stared as he recognized his Clanmates. Onestar lead them, followed by Ashfoot, Barkface, Tornear, Owlwhisker, Weaselfur...he even spotted the queens Whitetail and Robinwing amid the patrol.

WindClan!

He turned, gathering the white apprentice with him, and bundled her back to the nursery. The badger that had been fighting with Firestar and Brackenfur staggered back, turned tail, and ran, Webtail and Firestar after it. Onestar aided Ashfur and Squirrelflight, and the badger that had come too close to the nursery fled as well. Crowfeather tucked the apprentice into the entrance of the nursery and moved to help, but the fresh patrol of cats was too much. All of the invaders were fleeing from the clearing. He watched them blunder through the broken branches that lay across the entrance to the hollow.

Glancing around, he spotted Squirrelflight and Ashfur dipping their heads to Onestar in thanks for his help. Brambleclaw stood a short way off, beside Whitetail, who bore a fresh scratch across her side. Across the clearing, Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight's eyes met.

Onestar paused in his chase of Squirrelflight's badger as it scrambled over the remains of the thorn barrier and vanished into the trees.
“You came,” Brambleclaw meowed.
“Of course we came,” pride kindled in Onestar’s eyes. “There are four Clans in the forest, but we can still help one another.”

Crowfeather glanced back into the nursery, wondering if Onestar would be so generous after he lost a warrior. He pushed the thought of his former leader - and his mother - aside. ThunderClan would have no reason to turn him down after all of this. Other than Cinderpelt, he could make out at least two lifeless shapes in the clearing, and all were injured.
As the last of the badgers were disappearing with WindClan in pursuit. The exhausted ThunderClan warriors began to gather in the center of the camp around Midnight, who all gave a wide berth. Their eyes were stunned with horror, as if they couldn’t believe the battle was over.

As two warriors - Brightheart and Cloudtail - appeared from the crowd, fur soaked with blood and headed toward the medicine den, or what had been their medicine den, the white apprentice darted around him and ran to greet them. Three cats appeared on the highest rocks, and he recognized ThunderClan's elders, all wary of the scent in the clearing. The senior warriors of the Clan joined them.

Another cat came to Squirrelflight, asking, "Ferncloud? Birchpaw?" Crowfeather could see that he was ready to fall. Squirrelflight answered gently, and the cat collapsed on the ground, beginning to clean a wound in his shoulder.
Firestar staggered up and halted in front of Midnight, gazing up uncertainly as if he wondered why this badger wasn’t fleeing. As he tensed his muscles, ready to attack, Squirrelflight stepped forward quickly.
“Firestar, this is Midnight,” she meowed. “The badger we met at the sun-drown-place. Midnight, this is our Clan leader, Firestar.”

Firestar relaxed instantly, “the badger who warned us to leave the forest?” He dipped his head. “You’re welcome here.”
“Good is it to be here,” Midnight told him. “And to see again friends from journey. Yet I wish time was happier.”
“So do we all.” Firestar let out an exhausted sigh. “You knew about this, then? You came to warn us?”
“No, she came to warn us.” Onestar padded up to Firestar’s side. “And to ask for our help.”
“Attack come before I expect,” Midnight explained. “No use come alone to ThunderClan. Best to find more fighting cats first.”
Firestar blinked gratefully. “We’re very glad you did. Thank StarClan you found out what your kin were planning.”
“First in stars I see it,” the old badger told him. “Then I go to my kin, try to speak of peace, but they not listen, and little they tell me. They call me ‘cat-friend,’ and other insults more worse.”
Squirrelflight flexed her claws, looking angrier than before, “I wish I’d ripped a bit more fur off, just for you, Midnight.”
The badger shrugged. “Is not important. Except I might have got here more sooner. RiverClan they hate most,” she added. “Warriors there drive them out first.”
“We’d better send a message to Leopardstar,” Firestar meowed. “The badgers could still attack there.”
“No need,” rasped Midnight. “My kin in no state fight more. They think twice before bother cats again.”
“Thank StarClan for that,” Squirrelflight murmured. Crowfeather was wondering if he should join the growing thong of warriors when a muzzle touched his shoulder. Leafpool forced a smile for him, and then turned to her Clanmates, “Brackenfur? Is Brackenfur here?”

A amber warrior had been lying in a patch of ferns at the edge of the clearing. His blood was trickling into the dust and he looked barely conscious, but Crowfeather knew him well enough. He pointed to him with his tail, and Leafpool darted toward him. The warrior lifted his head as Leafpool came up to him.
“Sorreltail?” He lurched unsteadily to his paws. “It’s Sorreltail, isn’t it? Is she all right?”
Leafpool brushed against his pelt. She looked exhausted too. “She’s fine. She has four healthy kits.”
“Four?” Brackenfur’s tail curled up. “That’s great! Thanks, Leafpool.” He raced across the camp and into the nursery, not even noticing Crowfeather's presence at it's entrance.

Squirrelflight intercepted Leafpool on her way back, and the sisters nuzzled close. It was then that the WindClan warriors who had gone to see the badger's off returned. Whitetail and his eyes met, and Crowfeather stood to answer to his Clan.
“Look, it’s Crowfeather!” Whitetail exclaimed. “What’s he doing here?”

Onestar's head shot around to stare, and he stalked over to stand in front of him, “Crowfeather, you came back . . . but not to your own Clan.”
Crowfeather looked at him steadily, feeling free for the first time since they rejoined the Clans. "Leafpool and I came to warn the Clans about the badgers after Midnight found us. By the time we arrived, Cinderpelt was dead, and so Leafpool cannot leave her Clan alone. Instead, I wish to stay in ThunderClan, to be with her."

Onestar had no answer for that, but Firestar did. He came close to the WindClan cats, and they parted to let him pass, "Leafpool is a medicine cat, Crowfeather. She...the warrior code says she is not allowed to take a mate."

"I have never heard that part of the code, then," Crowfeather answered, "tell me what it says."

Firestar paused, but Onestar bit out sharply, "it is not in the warrior code itself. It is tradition."

"Then Leafpool would not be breaking the Code by taking me as her mate?"

"No medicine cat may take a mate and remain a medicine cat!" Onestar glanced around the two clans, and cats from each nodded. Crowfeather did not look at Ashfoot, who watched him with wide eyes.

"Then Leafpool must speak to her fellow medicine cats and to StarClan about remaining a medicine cat," Firestar meowed. "Crowfeather is right, it is only tradition which prevents a medicine cat from taking a mate."

"A leader's word is law!" Onestar spat.

"Only in his own Clan," Crowfeather pointed out, looking directly at Firestar, "and if ThunderClan will have me, I am a ThunderClan cat."

Firestar stared at him, as if he did not see Crowfeather but beyond him, "You are a worthy warrior, Crowfeather. You helped us to find out home, and all the Clans owe you their lives. If you wish to join us, we will have you. Your relationship to Leafpool can be discussed at a later time."

Onestar gave Crowfeather an unreadable look, "if we see you in our territory past sunset, we will treat you like an intruder."

Crowfeather nodded, and moved away to let Firestar address Onestar.

“Onestar, every cat in ThunderClan thanks you,” Firestar meowed. “Without you, StarClan would have gained many more warriors.”
“You’ve helped WindClan in the past,” Onestar replied. “It’s only right that we should come and help you.”
“We won’t forget—” Firestar began.
He was interrupted by a startled yowl from Thornclaw, who was closest to the camp entrance. Crowfeather stiffened. Had the badgers come back? But instead of badgers, two cats appeared, carefully picking their way through the scattered thorn branches. The first of them, a powerful warrior with a thick gray pelt, stopped at the edge of the clearing and looked around.
“This isn’t what I expected to find,” he meowed. “What happened?”
Gazing curiously around them, sleek furred and calm among the shattered Clan, were Stormfur and Brook.

~oOo~

“Stormfur! What are you doing here?” Brambleclaw called.
The powerful gray tomcat paced forward until he could touch noses with Brambleclaw. “It’s good to see you again,” he meowed. “I . . . I wanted to see if you’d found a place to live. But what has happened here?”
“Badgers,” Brambleclaw replied. He glanced around, and Crowfeather wondered if he felt watched in his own camp.

Beside Stormfur, the slender brown tabby she-cat for which he had given up so much brushed her tail against a long scratch on Brambleclaw’s shoulder. “You’re hurt,” she mewed.
“It’s nothing. Welcome to ThunderClan, Brook. I’m sorry you had to travel so far to find us like this.” He paused and looked from one to the other. “Is everything all right in the Tribe of Rushing Water? I never expected you to come visit us so soon.”
Stormfur shot a glance at Brook, so swift Crowfeather almost missed it. “Everything’s fine,” he meowed. “We just wanted to be sure you had found a new place to live, like StarClan promised.”
Crowfeather glanced around the shattered camp, it's warriors stumbling through the remains of their home, looking for lost Clanmates. Perhaps StarClan had been wrong after all. Why go through the entire journey just to have your Clan destroyed?
“You said badgers attacked you?” Brook prompted, sounding puzzled.
“They came here on purpose,” Brambleclaw explained. “StarClan knows where they came from, more badgers than I’ve ever seen in my life. They would have killed us all if WindClan hadn’t turned up.”
Stormfur nodded. “Don’t worry about telling us everything now. What can we do to help?”
A thin wail came from a trampled clump of ferns at the edge of the hollow as Brambleclaw spoke, “we need to find all the cats that have been badly wounded. Some will be on their way to join StarClan. The badgers came to kill, not drive us out.”
“Whatever they have done, I want to help," Brook meowed, "I have seen this kind of savagery before from Sharptooth, remember?”

Crowfeather's blood ran cold at the mention of the name, and for a moment, he wondered if he would have gone to RiverClan had Feathertail not died. He shook the thoughts from his head, and glanced at the WindClan cats. Most watched hismwarily, but Ashfoot sat and stared as if her world had broken apart. Crowfeather dipped his head to her in a way he had not to Onestar. He hoped dearly that she would be all right. He had paid little attention to the conversation between Brook and Brambleclaw, until Brook's voice rose.
“I thought you said the badgers had gone."

Everycat turned to follow her gaze, only to find Midnight nudge her way out of a clump of dead bramble. Stormfur reassured Brook as the badger came closer.
“Too late my warning,” she rasped. “Not enough could I do.”
“You brought WindClan to help us,” Brambleclaw pointed out. “Without you, our whole Clan would have been wiped out.”

Midnight bowed her head, the white stripe that ran the length of her snout gleaming in the faint moonlight. “Shame for my kin I feel.”
“Every cat knows this attack had nothing to do with you,” Brambleclaw told her. “You will always be welcome in this Clan.”
Midnight still looked troubled, but Crowfeather's attention was drawn back to Onestar as the WindClan warrior gathered. Whitetail nudged Ashfoot to her paws and stood close. He looked for Leafpool and found her beside Ashfur, who had been injured badly in his last fight against the badger who had wanted the nursery.
Firestar’s chest still heaved from the effort of fighting. His flame-colored pelt was torn, and blood was oozing from a long scratch along his flank. In spite of his injuries, Firestar’s eyes were bright and he sat up straight as he faced the WindClan leader, “the thanks of all ThunderClan go with you."

“I doubt you’ll have any more trouble with the badgers,” Onestar replied. “But I can leave a couple of warriors behind to keep watch, if you like.”
“No thanks, I don’t think we’ll need them.” The warmth in Firestar’s eyes revealed the long friendship between these two cats, and Crowfeather felt more than a little guilty that he would be a force in tearing them apart. “Do your warriors need the help of our medicine cat before you go? If any of them are badly injured, they’re welcome to stay here.”

Onestar paused to look at Crowfeather, eyeing the wound on his shoulder, but said nothing. “I think we’re all fit to travel, thank StarClan. If you’re sure you don’t need our help anymore, we’ll return to our own territory now.” Onestar swept his tail, gathering all his warriors together before leading them out of the camp.
“Thank you again!” Firestar called after them. “May StarClan light your path.”

Crowfeather glanced toward Leafpool, who had collected the she-cat with a ruined face - Brightheart, he remembered. If he was to live here he needed to remember their names - and padded toward what remained of the medicine den. Crowfeather did not follow. Instead, he sought out Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, who had found each other in the throng of cats.
“Can’t you see that it is?” Brambleclaw replied, then paused. “Sorry—”
Squirrelflight took a pace forward so that her pelt brushed his. She touched the tip of her tail to his mouth to silence him. “Stupid furball,” she whispered.

Both turned as he approached, and he nodded simply. Brambleclaw spoke first, "you've decided to stay with us?"

"Yes. Firestar said you needed all the help you could get," Crowfeather answered, and Brambleclaw nodded, his shoulders drooping in exhaustion.

“We’ll speak to Firestar and then get started.”
As they approached the Clan leader, Thornclaw staggered up to them. Blood trickled from a deep gash above one eye. “Stormfur?” he muttered, shaking his head in confusion. “No, it can’t be.” The golden brown warrior slumped to the ground, where he lay panting.
Squirrelflight rested her tail on his shoulder, urging him to lie still until his injuries could be treated. Brambleclaw led Stormfur and Brook up to Firestar.
The Clan leader ’s eyes stretched wide in surprise. “Stormfur . . . and Brook! What are you doing here?”
“There’ll be time to explain later,” Stormfur meowed. “For now, Firestar, put us to work.”
Firestar stared around the clearing as if he wasn’t sure where to start. “We should sort out the warriors’ den so the cats who have been hurt most can get some sleep . . . but we need to get the entrance barrier back in place, too.”
Crowfeather glanced around. The whole camp was devastated, and few of the ThunderClan cats were in any shape to start rebuilding. Ashfur was slumped on the ground, bleeding from flank and foreleg, while Leafpool patted cobwebs onto his wounds. Cloudtail limped up to her, holding one forepaw off the ground; blood trickled from where a claw had been torn out.
“Hi, Stormfur,” he mewed as he passed, as if this had been such an extraordinary night, the sight of an old friend was no longer a surprise. “Leafpool, can I have a piece of that cobweb?”
Sandstorm was close behind him, her head bent with exhaustion and her tail dragging in the dust. She stopped dead when she spotted Leafpool, then swung around to face Firestar, her green eyes questioning, gaze pausing on Crowfeather and eyes narrowing.
“Leafpool’s here?” she meowed. “What happened?”
Firestar shook his head to silence her. “We’ll talk to her later,” he promised. “For now, she’s home, and that’s all that matters.”
“Firestar!” A yowl came from across the clearing. “Firestar, have those crow-food eaters gone?”
Crowfeather turned to see the three elders, Mousefur, Goldenflower, and Longtail. It was Mousefur who had called out; she had lost some fur from one shoulder, Longtail’s tail was bleeding, and Goldenflower had a deep scratch down one side. She was guiding Longtail with her tail across his shoulders.
“Are you all right?” Brambleclaw asked, going to meet them.
“Fine,” Mousefur growled. “A badger tried to climb up to the Highledge, but we sent it back down the rocks faster than it intended.”
“What if they come back?” Goldenflower sounded distraught. Brambleclaw moved close to his mother and licked her ears.
“They’d better not.” Longtail flexed his claws, and Crowfeather saw dark tufts of badger fur caught in them. “I don’t need to see to fight badgers. I can find them by their disgusting scent.”
“Better let Leafpool look at those scratches,” Firestar meowed.
“Leafpool?” Mousefur’s voice was sharp as she swung around to stare at the medicine cat. “She’s back, is she? For good—or until that WindClan warrior starts sniffing around again?”

Crowfeather cleared his throat, and the elder's gaze fixed on him, "I'm a ThunderClan warrior now."

Half the Clan was now staring, and Firestar lifted his voice before an argument could start, "Crowfeather has left WindClan. For now, he will help set up the camp and hunt. After we've begun to recover, Leafpool and I will seek the advice of StarClan on what to do."
The answer didn't seem to calm Mousefur, instead, she turned her attention to Stormfur, "And who’s this? Stormfur? What’s he doing here?”
“Just paying a visit.” Stormfur sounded uncomfortable at the brown elder’s suspicious tone.
Mousefur grunted, as if she wasn’t completely convinced that Stormfur was a friend. “You were a RiverClan warrior before you left us. Why are you here and not over there?”
“Mousefur, don’t be so ungrateful!” Squirrelflight meowed indignantly. “We need every cat who’s prepared to help. Besides, Stormfur is half ThunderClan, remember?” Stormfur’s father was Graystripe, the ThunderClan deputy who had been captured by Twolegs before the cats left the forest, Crowfeather remembered. Feathertail had told him of how her father left his Clan for them.
Mousefur bristled at Squirrelflight, but before she could reply she was interrupted by a cry from Ferncloud, racing through the broken thorns that were strewn across the entrance to the hollow. “Dustpelt, where are you?”

Brambleclaw moved toward her, for it didn't seem Firestar could stand anymore.
“Brambleclaw, have you seen Dustpelt?” she demanded.
“No, not yet,” he admitted. “Come on, I’ll help you look.”
“I should have stayed with him!” Ferncloud wailed. “I never should have left the camp!”
“But Daisy needed you,” Brambleclaw reminded her, and Crowfeather filed the name away for the cream kittypet who had wailed and given away the location of the queens when he and Leafpool approached the camp. “She couldn’t have coped without a warrior to look after her, and it was much safer for you both to stay hidden outside the camp. Remember, Daisy hasn’t been in the Clan long, and she can’t fight well enough yet to defend herself and her kits.”
Ferncloud shook her head distractedly. “Dustpelt can’t be dead,” she mewed.
“We’ll find him,” Brambleclaw promised. Crowfeather glanced to where he had last seen the warrior, and called out.

"Brambleclaw, he's here," he stood next to the heap of tabby fur lying in the shadow of the rock wall. Dustpelt’s eyes were closed, but as Crowfeather stared at him his ears twitched and he let out a sneeze.

Ferncloud shoved past her Clanmates, not caring of the WindClan cat's presence, “Dustpelt! Dustpelt!”
At the sound of his mate’s voice Dustpelt opened his eyes and started to struggle to his paws. Ferncloud bounded up to him, brushing her pelt against his and covering him with licks. Dustpelt let out an unsteady purr.
Brambleclaw eyed the pair for a moment, and turned back toward the center of camp. Crowfeather followed. He suspected that Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Leafpool would be his only company for a long while. The kittypet had followed them into the camp and now stood, protecting her kits from Midnight. Leafpool was trying to talk sense into her, but Crowfeather doubted it would work.
“Don’t worry, Daisy,” she meowed. “Midnight’s a friend. Crow-feather and I met her when we were up in the hills. She warned us that her kin were going to attack, and she brought WindClan to help us.”
“But she’s a badger!” Daisy exclaimed.
Brambleclaw padded over to help Leafpool explain, “We met Midnight on our journey to the sun-drown-place. She wouldn’t harm us.”
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” Berrykit assured his mother. “I’ll look after you.”
“I bet you would, too.” Cloudtail limped up and gently flicked Berrykit’s ear with the tip of his tail. “It takes enough courage for a full-grown cat to face up to a badger. You’ll make a great warrior one day.”
Berrykit’s tail went straight up with pride. “Race you to the nursery!” he yowled to his littermates.
“No—wait!” Cloudtail called after the three kits. “You can’t go in there yet.”
“Why not?” Daisy asked, puzzled. “My kits need to rest.”

Crowfeather resisted the urge to claw her ears. The Clan was exhausted and broken, and she was worried about her kits? She was lucky they weren't dead, "Cinderpelt's dead." he announced, aware the eyes of the Clan were on him. "And Sorreltail kitted. Unless you want your kits to sleep on Cinderpelt's body, they can't go into the nursery."

Daisy pulled back, horrified, opening her mouth to object, but Leafpool seconded him. “I tried to save her, but she was already on her way to StarClan.”

The Clan froze for a heartbeat, and them Mousefur yowled, “She was only a young cat! She had her whole life ahead of her.”

Squirrelflight padded up and brushed her muzzle against Leafpool’s shoulder. “We won’t forget her,” she murmured.
Brambleclaw nodded, too shocked to speak. Leafpool stood with head bowed for a heartbeat, then nudged Thornclaw to his paws. “Come to my den.” Her voice sounded thin, as if she was keeping it tightly under control. “I have more cobwebs there.” She padded away, glancing back just once to be sure Thornclaw was following.

After a moment, Brambleclaw shook off the shock, and stood, heading toward a black warrior at the edge of the camp. Crowfeather followed, finding them standing over the limp body of a warrior. Crowfeather did not need to be a medicine cat to know he was dead, and while Brambleclaw searched for words, he licked the tom's eyes shut and murmered, "may StarClan light his path."
"He's Sorreltail's brother," Brambleclaw meowed hoarsely, "she just kitted, how will she cope?

"My mother kitted on the journey WindClan took when ShadowClan drove us from our home," Crowfeather answered him, "she'll be all right."
Both the younger cats were staring at Brambleclaw as if they were waiting for him to tell them what to do, but Crowfeather could see that it was too much. He could only imagine what he would feel like if his Clan had suffered so much, "carry him into the center of the camp, so we can have a vigil.”

"I’ll go and look for Rainwhisker," Brambleclaw agreed, and he staggered to his paws to begin his search.

Crowfeather left him to it, as the little white apprentice looked too small to truly help and Spiderleg was bleeding. With Whitepaw balancing the body, he and Spiderleg carried it to the clearing. They lay him beside the elders, who watched with wide eyes.

"Crowfeather?" Firestar called, he was dragging a branch across the clearing, and Crowfeather bounded over to help, "will you help me get these branches out of the clearing?"

"Sootfur's dead," he told the ginger leader, who dropped the branch and crossed the clearing on shaky legs to see what had happened. Crowfeather didn't join them. He picked up the dropped branch and began to take it to the small pile Firestar had began.
When he came back to look for another, Firestar, Squirrelflight, and several other cats stood around the black tom, their heads bowed. A grey warrior lay half on top of Sootfur, giving a low wail of grief and Cinderpelt's body had been brought to lie beside the warrior's.

He paused, unsure if he should join them. It wasn't his Clanmate they were grieving for. Instead, he found Spiderleg beside the camp wall, trying to rebuild the dens. Crowfeather moved to join him, helping the dark warrior to shore up what remained if the warrior's den so it could be rebuilt.

"Are you staying?" Spiderleg asked, as they dislodged a large branch together, and shifted it back into the position it had once been in.

"Yes," Crowfeather could see that Spiderleg's injuries were worse than his own, and so he took the weight of the branch as the other tom tried to secure it. "For as long as ThunderClan will have me."

"Good," Spiderleg determined, "we need all the help we can get."

"That's not what Mousefur thinks."

"Mousefur's bark is worse than her bite," Spiderleg told him, "she was my mentor before she retired. She's tough, but if you can prove you're loyal, she'll stick by you."

They worked until the branches were set up as well as any two cats could make them. It would take more warriors to finish it, but Spiderleg was satisfied for now. They were emerging from the inside of the den, shoving small branches in front of them, when Stormfur and Brambleclaw appeared from the gathering gloom.

Spiderleg sat heavily as he explained what they had done, Stormfur and Brambleclaw nodding along, "why don't you see Leafpool about your scratches, Spiderleg? You've done more than any-cat could ask for."

"All my kin survived and I'm hurt less than most others," Spiderleg sniffed his leg, "I'll check in with her and come back if she says it's all right."

"I'll look for something to keep up the edges," Stormfur meowed, and quickly padded toward the entrance of the camp. Crowfeather eyed the tabby warrior.

“Shouldn’t you be resting? You look very battered.”
“We’re all battered,” Brambleclaw pointed out, although exhaustion colored his eyes, “I can’t rest now; there’s too much to do.”
“There certainly is," Crowfeather agreed, "I'm glad to see Stormfur, I'm not sure what we'd do without him."
Squirrelflight trotted up just then, carrying a couple of mice by their tails. She dropped the fresh-kill at their paws. “There you are,” she mewed to Brambleclaw. “Eat. You need your strength.” She patted the second mouse toward Crowfeather. “You too. Where's Stormfur?”
"He's fetching thorns, I think," Crowfeather answered. His belly tightened at the thought of mouse, but he pushed it back to her. "I didn't hunt for ThunderClan, I shouldn't eat."

"Even if you were a part of WindClan at this moment, we'd feed you," Squirrelflight retorted, "we need our warriors at full strength."

"Leafpool and I ate before we came back," Squirrelflight rolled her eyes at him, as Stormfur returned with a bundle of thorns. Spying the mouse he shook his head.

"I ate on the way here too."
“Okay, if you’re sure, I’ll take it to the elders. I’ve found plenty of fresh-kill,” she added to Brambleclaw. “It’s a bit trodden on, but it’ll do until tomorrow.” With a whisk of her tail she picked up the spare mouse and headed for the elders’ den.
When Stormfur went back inside the den, Crowfeather followed. He didn't know much about dens, but he could follow directions well enough, and an extra set of paws would be valuable amid the broken branches an thorns. Brambleclaw soon followed, and together they shifted through the damaged thorns. By the time they stopped, Stormfur was panting and the wound on Brambleclaw's shoulder had begun to bleed.

They had gotten most of the interior cleared when Squirrelflight appeared again, holding a dripping wad of moss. All three paused to lap water from the moss, and then left Brambleclaw to sit with Squirrelflight for a moment in favor of scraping the bundled thorns out before removing the branches.

Once they had set the thorns out of the way, they let Brambleclaw pull the largest branches out. By the time that was done, Brook had appeared, "your elders are going to be fine,” she reported, “Leafpool has put cobwebs on Mousefur’s scratches, and given them all a few poppy seeds to help them sleep. Squirrelflight has gone to fetch them some water.”
“Thanks for your help, Brook,” Brambleclaw meowed, nodding at the ball of moss.
“I took it out of the elders’ den because it’s full of thorns. No cat could sleep on that. Can you tell me the best place to find some more moss?”
“Are you sure you’re not too tired?” Brambleclaw asked. “You’ve traveled a long way.”
Brook’s ears twitched. “I’m in better shape than you. Besides, we took it easy on the journey. It’s been more than a moon since we left the Tribe.”
“We thought we would never find you,” Stormfur meowed.
“How did you?” Crowfeather asked, he knew his voice was bitter when he asked, “did the Tribe of Endless Hunting show you the way?”
A glance flashed between Stormfur and Brook.
“I wish they had,” Stormfur replied. “We might have got here sooner. We wandered around in the hills until we came across a rogue who knew some cats who live with horses. Do you know them?”
“Oh, yes, the horseplace cats,” Brambleclaw mewed. “We’ve met them—in fact, one of them is here now, with her kits.”
Stormfur looked surprised. “Well, the rogue said they told him a huge number of cats had moved into their area. We knew that had to be you, and the rogue told us which way to come.”
“So you haven’t been to RiverClan yet?”
Stormfur shook his head, but before he could say anything else, Brook prodded Brambleclaw in the shoulder with one paw. “Moss? Your elders will be waiting.”
“Oh, sure. Let’s take these thorns over to the camp entrance, and I’ll show you.”

"I'll help Stormfur with that," Crowfeather offered, "you can help Brook."
Crowfeather and Stormfur dragged the branches across to where Sandstorm, Dustpelt, and Firestar were working on the barrier. Brook followed with her bundle of moss and she and Brambleclaw left the camp together.

Leafpool padded up moments after they left, frowing after Brambleclaw, but didn't make to go after them. “Firestar!” she called, “I haven’t had a chance to look at your wounds yet.” She dropped golden leaves on the ground next to the Clan leader and began to examine his pelt.

Crowfeather spared her a glance, but didn't stop to talk, "let's shift the rest of the thorns out so Brook and Brambleclaw can put down the moss."

Stormfur agreed, and by the time Brambleclaw and Brook returned, they had managed to get most of the den livable. Brambleclaw sat at the entrance and divided the moss up while they placed it into the nests. That done, they all sat to admire their handiwork. Noticing their stillness, Firestar padded over to see what had been done.

“I think we’re done for tonight,” Stormfur meowed. “We’ve shifted the worst of the thorns, and put down some fresh moss. It might be a bit cramped, but you can all get some rest now.”
“What about you?” Firestar asked.
“Brook and I are still fresh. We’ll guard the camp for the rest of the night.”
“Thanks.” Brambleclaw touched Stormfur on the shoulder with his tail-tip, then slid past him into the warriors’ den. Crowfeather was tempted to join him. There was a clear space near the trunk of the tree, good enough for cats who were too tired to be fussy about where they slept. Spiderleg and Ashfur were already asleep; just beyond them, Dustpelt and Ferncloud were drowsily sharing tongues. Brambleclaw muttered a greeting to them, and sank into the moss and bracken.

When Stormfur left to find Brook, Firestar and Crowfeather were left alone.

"Why don't you find Leafpool?" Firestar asked, "I've spoken to her and we've decided that the most important thing is the Clan right now. Once we've recovered, we'll go to the Moonpool to talk to StarClan."

Crowfeather dipped his head, "thank you for letting me stay," he headed for the medicine den, where he found Leafpool sorting through the last few of her herbs.

"Leafpool? Are you ready to sit vigil?"

She put the leaves down and turned to him, tears visible in her eyes, "oh, Crowfeather, what have I done?"

"You've saved half of ThunderClan is what you've done," he replied, licking her ears.

"Cinderpelt and Sootfur are dead."

"Sootfur was dead before anycat found him," he replied, "and Cinderpelt may have died even if you'd been here."

"She knew."

"What? How?"

"StarClan told her. She knew and she let me leave with you because she didn't want to prevent me from following my heart," they sat for a long moment, Leafpool's muzzle in his fur, before he replied.

"Leafpool, look at me. If this was her destiny, there was nothing you could have done. Nothing at all. You think any cat could change the path of a cat's paws?" Leafpool didn't answer, but Crowfeather continued. "We'd all be driven mad if we could. If somecat could have changed Tigerstar's path or if Firestar could have been nothing but a kittypet. How can you blame yourself for Cinderpelt and not others for who they could have saved?"

Leafpool pulled away, searching his face for something he didn't know if she would find. Then she stood, "come on. Let's go to Cinderpelt."

~oOo~

It was dawn before Leafpool stirred beside him. Crowfeather sat next to her, sitting vigil with the Clan for Cinderpelt. Leafpool had tried to stay awake, but her exhaustion had eventually gotten the better of her. Firestar lay next to his daughter, their ginger pelts mixing. Crowfeather could just make out green eyes watching Cinderpelt's fur.
Leafpool opened her jaws to taste the air, then sat up, looking down at Cinderpelt as if her heart might break. Crowfeather glanced about. Although many cats had sat vigil, Brightheart and Cloudtail were curled on Cinderpelt's other side and Rainwhisker and Thornclaw had sat with Sootfur, only he and the Tribe cats had stayed awake all night. Stormfur sat outside the warriors' den and Brook nearer to the entrance.

As Leafpool sat up, the warriors began to stir, Brambleclaw and Dustpelt emerging from the warriors' den as Brackenfur appeared from the nursery to look at the cats in the clearing before vanishing back inside. Soon, it would be time for the burial.

Mousefur appeared first, the elders discussing softly how the burial would go, "the clearing is covered with branches and thorns, you might be hurt."

"I'm not a kit," Longtail retorted.
“Of course you aren't,” Mousefur agreed. “We’ll carry them together, don’t worry.”
Firestar rose from Cinderpelt’s side, his movements stiff from wounds and weariness. Whitepaw crept out of the remains of the apprentices’ den, glancing around nervously as if she wanted to make sure no more badgers had appeared. Thornclaw, who had been Sootfur’s mentor, sat up and pushed his nose one last time into the cold, gray-black fur.
“You taught him well,” Leafpool mewed softly, “he died bravely, fighting for his Clanmates.”
Rainwhisker slid between the cats who were clustering around the bodies, and Leafpool considered him briefly, “take it easy,” she warned him. “You’ll be limping permanently if you strain that leg.”
Rainwhisker nodded and spoke to Mousefur. “I want to help, please. Sootfur was my brother.”
Mousefur dipped her head. “Very well.”
She and Rainwhisker took up the body of Sootfur, while Goldenflower and Longtail carried Cinderpelt. Leafpool didn't move until Crowfeather placed his tail around her shoulders and guided her away. Squirrelflight pressed into her other side, and Leafpool leaned against her shoulder. All three sat and watched until the end of Longtail's tail disappeared.
The rest of their Clan stood with bowed heads as the elders made their way past the shattered thorn barrier and into the trees beyond.
Once they had disappeared, Firestar began to organize the patrols. Squirrelflight turned to Brambleclaw and the two cats headed back toward the warriors’ den, their flanks brushing. Leafpool frowned at that, and looked around. She fixed her gaze on Ashfur, and Crowfeather touched his nose to her ear.

She started, and Crowfeather blinked warmly, "I don't know what Ashfur and Squirrelflight had, but she and Brambleclaw were good together on the journey."

"I'm just worried about her," Crowfeather thought of Ashfoot for a moment, but pushed the feeling away. "I think StarClan wanted to tell me something about her before we left."

"Trust yourself," he replied, for he didn't know anything about messages from StarClan, except that he had trusted Deadfoot.

Leafpool purred, then padded to where Ashfur stood, “I need to check your wounds,” she meowed. “Especially that torn ear.”

Crowfeather stood, and moved to where Firestar was gathering warriors, as he approached, Firestar turned to him, "Crowfeather, would you go hunting with Sandstorm? Cloudtail is going to show Stormfur and Brook where to hunt."

"Certainly," he agreed, glancing at the pale she-cat, "are you ready now?"

"Yes," Sandstorm replied, ducking through the warriors toward the camp entrance, "have you hunted in forests before?"

"On the journey to the Sun-drown-place Stormfur taught us to catch fish and Brambleclaw taught us to hunt mice and birds," Sandstorm seemed pleased at that.

"Good," she lead with a quick step, and soon they had arrived in a secluded glade, far from the busy ThunderClan camp. Sandstorm paused to scent the forest, and then turned to him. "See what you can find. If we don't have any luck we can try hunting together."

Crowfeather did as he was asked, aware that Sandstorm was the mate of the Clan leader and a good word from her would mean much to the Clan. Although he missed the first two mice he found, he managed to catch a vole and a decent-sized squirrel before he decided to go looking for Sandstorm. He did hope she hadn't left him alone out here, as finding his way back wouldn't be easy.

He hid his prey and began his search by following the trail she had left, hoping he didn't stumble upon her hunt. He had just stepped away from the trunk of a great oak when something large fell from the branch. He darted backward, fur bristling warily, only to find himself looking at Sandstorm, fur covered with oak leaves, and a large bird under her paws. She smirked at him, and Crowfeather quickly composed himself.

"I'm sorry if I startled you."

"No, it's fine. Just, in WindClan, usually cats don't act like birds."

"Most ThunderClan cats don't either, it's a trick I picked up alone the way," Sandstorm laughed. "I caught a mouse before this, you get anything?"

"A mouse and a squirrel."

"Good job, they're fast," Crowfeather bit back the annoyance and nodded.

"I'll get them."

When Sandstorm said 'mouse' apparently she meant two mice and a vole, but Crowfeather was pleased to note that his squirrel was larger than the rest of her catch combined. It was mid-day before they made it back to camp, and dropped their catches on the fresh-kill pile. Crowfeather chose one of Sandstorm's mice and padded over to where Brook was lying in the shade. As he approached, she sat up.

"Would you share with me?"

"Of course!" Crowfeather lay beside her and let her take the first bite of the mouse, Brook passed it back, "Stormfur tells me that you and Leafpool have become mates."

"We're going to try, at least."

"He said that it is tradition for medicine cats to not take mates, and that even if ThunderClan accepts you, the other Clans will be angry."

"He's probably right," Brook studied him for a long moment as he passed the mouse over.

"I'm glad you found someone, Crowfeather. I'm sorry about what happened to Feathertail."

The mouse tasted like dust, but Crowfeather accepted it and took another bite. He didn't respond, but he could see Brook becoming uncomfortable, "So am I, but Leafpool has nothing to do with that."

Brook stood, touched her nose to his ear, and padded off to where Stormfur was dropping fresh-kill onto the pile. Crowfeather finished the mouse, and went to see if he could help with the repairing of the camp. He busied himself with duties inside and outside of the camp, and by the time the sun began to set, he was exhausted. He and Spiderleg delivered the last of the moss to Whitepaw and he set about looking for Leafpool.

When he didn't find her, he looked for Firestar, who he found in his den with Sandstorm and Dustpelt. Unsure of what to do, he called into the den, "Firestar?"

"Crowfeather, come in," he ducked into the den and blinked at the darkness. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't find Leafpool."

Anything Recognizable © Erin Hunter(s)
Cat Lines (signature beside Leafpool's chest) © LindsayPrower
Leafpool's Ginger Design