Crowpaw, Rudy and Flint arrived back at camp after a short walk, Leo spotted the trio and quickly padded up, looking at Rudy's wounds. They weren't deep and stopped bleeding during the walk, but they looked nasty. "What happened?" Leo questioned, looking at his mate with concern brewing deep in his eyes.

"Ran into Ripper and one of his rogues." Rudy explained. "Crowpaw thinks they're trying to start a fight."

Leo tensed and looked at Crowpaw. "You do?"

Crowpaw nodded. "Both of them threatened us, they think we're hoarding the prey."

"Which we're not." Flint put in. "They're mouse brained, we barely have enough prey to keep ourselves fed."

"Hunting is probably harder in the twolegplace." Crowpaw pointed out. "They keep picking fights with us and think that we're the hostile ones." He sighed. I don't know what to do here. He thought. This would be like if LichenClan was trying to steal our prey, but these aren't Clan cats. There's no borders, no warrior code. "We should talk to Cooper."

"I'm pretty sure he's sharing prey in his den with Ivy." Leo pointed out, he nudged Rudy with his large muzzle. "You should have Ivy treat your injuries."

"I will." Rudy purred. "Come on," She motioned at Crowpaw who followed behind her. He felt nervous about talking to Cooper, he was a leader, yes, but what would he do? Rudy and Crowpaw stepped into the den. "Cooper?" She called in as they walked in.

Sure enough, Cooper and Ivy were sharing a vole. Ivy looked up, her eyes sparkling at Crowpaw, for a moment he forgot why he even came here. "What is it?" Cooper's eyes travelled to Rudy's leg. "What happened to you?"

"Ripper." Rudy replied. "He and another rogued tried to steal the vole that Crowpaw caught, we chased them off but they threatened us."

"Threatened?" Cooper narrowed his eyes. "How so?"

"They told us that we couldn't keep hoarding the prey, and they said they're going to take it and slaughter any cat who gets in their way." Ivy tensed as Crowpaw spoke.

"I see." Cooper flicked his tail and stared at his paws for a long time, after a moment he lifted his head. "Ivy, go treat Rudy's wounds. Crowpaw, we're going to discuss this with the others."

Ivy nodded and looked at Rudy. "Let's go, it doesn't look bad but we don't want any infection." As Ivy walked out of the den, her pelt brush against Crowpaw's, leaving sparks along his fur. He wasn't sure if she intended to do that or not. Crowpaw noticed Cooper staring at him suspiciously. Did he notice that? Crowpaw and Cooper followed them out, but went into the clearing.

Cooper sat down and raised his voice. "Can I have everyone's attention?" The scattered loners looked up from what they were doing to focus on Cooper, Crowpaw felt awkward sitting next to him so he moved to sit beside Raindrop. "Rudy, Crowpaw and Flint got into a scrape with Ripper and another rogue and in this fight they threatened to attack us and take our prey, and said they wouldn't hesitate to kill us."

Sabra wrapped her tail around Starlight and Firefly, alarm flashing in her eyes. That's right, these rogues don't follow a code. They'll kill kits. Crowpaw shuddered at the thought. I won't let that happen.

"We need to decide what to do." Cooper continued.

"We have no idea how many rogues they have behind them." Raindrop called out. "We are a very small group, and we have four kits to protect."

"I was thinking the same thing." Cooper nodded. "It may be best for us to relocate."

"What?" Crowpaw couldn't stop himself from speaking out. "You're going to leave?" He stared at Cooper. "This is our home!"

"It's frustrating, yes, but it's not worth a fight."

Crowpaw flattened his ears. "Of course it is." Crowpaw stood up, lashing his tail. "You've lived here for how long? Ivy was raised here! Those four kits were born here, they should grow up here!" Cooper narrowed his eyes slightly. "Clans fight for their territories, they aren't simply driven out by a group of scrawny rogues.

"We aren't a Clan, Crowpaw." Crowpaw couldn't help but notice Cooper raised his lip slightly at him. "We're loners who work together."

"I know you're not a Clan." Crowpaw argued. "But that doesn't mean you should let rogues drive you out!" He looked around, the cats were listening intently to him. He turned back to Cooper. "I'm not telling you to make borders or turn into a Clan, I'm just asking you to defend what you've built here. Fight back! Prove what's yours, prove to them that you'll not be easily scared off. We're not prey, we're cats. We fight, we don't turn tail and run."

Cooper closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, it almost looked like he was trying to calm himself down. Did I make him mad? Crowpaw wondered briefly, he took a small step back. Cooper opened his eyes, Crowpaw found himself unable to read the tom's expression. "As always, I don't speak for everyone here." He lifted his head. "We'll hold a vote." Crowpaw sat down. I get to vote too. Cooper looked over his shoulder, Ivy and Rudy were standing in the entrance of Ivy's den, they had probably heard the entire conversation.

"Those in favor of fighting stand up." Crowpaw instantly stood up, he looked over his shoulder and saw that he wasn't alone. Every other loner in the clearing was standing, their eyes shimmering.

"This is our home." Sabra mewed from where she stood. "Crowpaw's right, we should fight for it."

Cooper stared down Crowpaw, but he held his ground. I understand not wanting to fight, but this is my home too! I was raised as a warrior, and warriors don't turn their backs on a fight, not even MoonClan cats.

"Very well," Cooper dipped his head. "I will fight alongside you, but we need a plan." He rested his eyes on Crowpaw. "Since this was your idea, you can come up with one."

Crowpaw tensed slightly, he had to come up with a battle plan? He swallowed nervously, and took a deep breath to clear his mind. I can do this. "First of all," Crowpaw addressed the rest of the rogues. "We need to figure out what we're up against. I suggest some of us venture into the twolegplace and try and find out how many rogues are rallying behind Ripper."

"I know the twolegplace the best." Raindrop spoke up. "I can go."

"I'll go too." Crowpaw offered. "Two of us should be enough, we're just there to learn." Crowpaw looked over the four kits. "We need to hide the kits, rogues won't hesitate to hurt them."

"Me and Ivy can guard them." Rudy offered, approaching the crowd with Ivy on her tail. "We'll keep them in Ivy's den and we'll fight any rogues who get near. That way, Ivy also has quick access to her herbs in case one of us gets badly hurt."

"I have a suggestion," Sabra looked up from her kits. "While you two are in the twolegplace, perhaps you could get some other loners to help us. If we're up against more rogues than we can handle, we could offer them a safe place to live and hunt in return for them fighting for us." Sabra looked over at Cooper who was watching silently. "If that's okay with you."

"I do not control you," Cooper spoke. "I told Crowpaw to figure out a battle plan, I will follow his word. If we find some cats who wish to join us, then I'll allow it as long as they help."

"We should get some extra training in." Flint added. "We need to make sure we're ready."

"We should also have a nightly guard." Leo suggested. "Someone to keep watch so they ambush us while we're sleeping."

Crowpaw couldn't help but think that they were truly acting like a Clan. We're small, but we won't be toyed with! "We should get to the twolegplace as soon as possible," Crowpaw mewed, turning to Raindrop. "When will you be ready?"

"I'm ready now if you are."

"Be safe." Ivy mewed. "We don't want you two against all those rogues."

"We'll be safe." Crowpaw promised with a purr. He held Ivy's gentle gaze for a long moment before he and Raindrop set out into the forest.

They ventured deep into the trees, and Crowpaw's paws tingled. This had to work, he could tell that Cooper wasn't happy with him. I have to prove to Cooper that we can fight and win this, we have to.

"You and Ivy seem to be as close as ever." Raindrop's voice pulled Crowpaw's head out of the clouds. His pelt burned at the comment.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose." He dropped his head. "Ivy's great."

"Why don't the two of you just come out and be mates already? Everyone can see it."

Crowpaw flattened his ears. "I don't know." He sighed. "I don't think Cooper is very happy with me right now, he kept glaring at me the entire time."

"Cooper is an old cat who doesn't like change." Raindrop explained. "When Heather died, he dedicated everything to keep Ivy safe. He is very protective over her, you can't blame him. He doesn't want to put her in danger, and this fight is going to put all of us in danger."

"I just can't leave, it's not who I am." Crowpaw told her. "We have every right to live here, we never gave them any issues. We shouldn't just run away." I've already done too much running in my life. I'm not running again.

"You are a very passionate cat, Crowpaw." Raindrop mewed softly. "Despite being so young, you seemed to take charge quite well. You are a natural leader."

Crowpaw blinked, being a leader is something that never crossed his mind. "I suppose." He muttered, not sure what to say next. Being a Clan leader was a thing of the past for him, and he wasn't look to lead this group of rogues. I don't need to be a leader, I just want a safe place to live.

Raindrop let the conversation go and the two of them arrived at the border of the twolegplace, Raindrop's blue eyes scanned the area. "Follow me, I'm taking us to a twoleg nest. There's two very kind kittypets who live there."

Crowpaw followed Raindrop as the queen snuck her way into the twolegplace, staying silent, yet moving quickly. She's done this before. Crowpaw noted, and kept following her until they reached a twoleg nest. It was tall and a pale yellow, Crowpaw caught a sweet scent on the air as they neared but he couldn't quite place what it was.

Raindrop jumped on the fence, Crowpaw didn't know how she could be comfortable. Even after everything he had done, Crowpaw still hated twolegs. Raindrop let out a quiet meow, and kept doing so until they spotted movement. Crowpaw lowered himself closer to the ground, tensing until he saw two heads pop out from around the nest.

One was a mostly black tom with a white belly and paws, the other was a mostly white she-cat with several black spots. Both of them wore brightly colored tendrils around their necks that jingled when they moved. "Good afternoon." Raindrop greeted.

"Hello there, Raindrop." The she-cat mewed, then rested her eyes on Crowpaw who hadn't ventured closer yet. "Who's this?"

"This is my friend, Crowpaw." Raindrop purred. "He's not used to housefolk." Raindrop motioned with her tail at the kittypets. "Crowpaw this is Lou and Lola, they're good kittypets."

Crowpaw relaxed slightly and approached the fence. "What brings you two to our home?" Lou questioned, licking a forepaw. "You usually don't come around these days."

"That's because I've taken up a home in the woods." Raindrop explained. "I live with a few other cats. You know Ripper, right?"

Both kittypets nodded. "That dreaded rogue?" Lola shuddered. "He creeps around here all the time, but lately he's been hanging out with a bunch of other rogues. They always look at us like we're food."

"Do you know how many other rogues?" Crowpaw questioned.

Lou thought for a moment. "There's a brown she-cat with a broken paw, Twist is her name, I think. Then there's Mint, Oak, King and a few others I think. I don't know all their names, but they all look mean. We try to avoid them."

"They're trying to drive us away." Raindrop explained. "We're trying to find out how many of them they're are, so thank you for that information."

"No problem." Lola purred.

"By the way, you two wouldn't happen be dreaming of living in the forest would you?" Raindrop questioned hopefully.

Both of them shook their heads. "No thanks, we like our housefolk." Lola mewed. "But I bet there's a few cats around here who will. There's a few loners who come by, you should ask them."

"There's Peach, she's a sweet little loner but has some sharp claws on her. She got into a fight with Mint and sent the rogue running back into the streets." Lou mewed. "There's also Omega, he's a quiet loner, and has some nasty scars, but maybe he'd like to get out into the forest."

"Oh, and Merlin too. He lives on the edge of the twolegplace, he's kind but I've seen him defend himself before. You should ask him too."

"We will be sure to do that." Raindrop bowed her head. "Thank you for all your help."

"Of course!" Lola chirped. "Come and visit us again soon, Raindrop!"

Raindrop and Crowpaw started walking away from Lou and Lola's nest, Crowpaw felt more enlightened by their information. "I think it's safe to assume that Ripper's group is as big, or even bigger than ours. So getting some extra paws will be good."

"Let's try and find these loners."

Raindrop and Crowpaw skirted along the edge until they came across a lean white tom. He had a long scar that nearly wrapped around his whole muzzle, and another one that went down his shoulder onto his foreleg. "Think that's Omega?" Crowpaw questioned.

"There's only one way to find out." Raindrop stepped out of the shadows and Crowpaw followed her. As they approached, the white tom turned to face them. He bared his teeth and showed his claws, but it seemed more defensive than hostile.

"How many times to have to chase you rogues off?" He spat.

"We're not rogues." Raindrop explained. "My name is Raindrop, and this is Crowpaw. Are you Omega?"

He flattened his ears. "What do you want from me?"

"We're currently under threat from a rogue named Ripper, do you know who he is?"

The tom snorted. "Of course I do." He lashed his tail. "How do you think I got this ugly scar on my face." Is there any cat here who Ripper hasn't hurt? "If you're not rogues, then who are you? Where do you come from?"

"We live out in the woods." Crowpaw replied. "We live in kind of a small group, we hunt and provide for each other. We're not hostile, but Ripper seems to think we are. He's going to try and drive us away."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"We're trying to get some help, in exchange for helping us defend our home, you can live alongside us. We hunt for each other, provide safety and food. You can come and go as you please, but there's plenty of us there to give you a home."

The tom narrowed his eyes, but he seemed to be thinking it over. "Do you have a cat who tells you what to do?"

Raindrop shook her head. "We have Cooper, who sort of acts like a leader for us, but he doesn't control us. It's just a safe haven for loners."

"I'll think about it." Omega sat down. "If I come by tomorrow morning, then you'll have my answer."

"Thank you," Raindrop dipped her head. "Even if you fight with us, you don't have to join us. We're just looking for some help."

Omega just nodded and Raindrop and Crowpaw continued on their way. They came across a cream-colored she-cat hunting along the twolegplace. "Excuse me," Raindrop called out to her. The she-cat looked up, she looked on edge but didn't look like she was going to attack. "Are you Peach?"

The she-cat flicked her tail. "Who's asking?"

Raindrop went on to introduce her and Crowpaw and explained the entire situation with Ripper. After she finished, Peach scratched her ear. "Sure," Crowpaw was shocked that she agreed so easily. "These flea-bitten rogues have been making my life a huge pain lately. I may not look it, but I can leave some nasty scars. Just ask Mint." Peach tilted her head. "Can I come with you now?"

"I don't see why not." Crowpaw mewed and they moved on ward. With Peach's help, they were able to locate their next target, a cat named Merlin. When Crowpaw saw Merlin he was uncertain that this cat could help. The tom had long, fur with shredded ears and gray growing against his white pelt.

He was old, so Crowpaw wasn't sure he could fight, but there wisdom written all over his face. "Been a while since I've seen new faces around here." He mewed. "Who are you?"

"My name is Raindrop, and this is Crowpaw."

"Crowpaw, huh." Merlin purred. "I never heard a name like that before."

"Most cats haven't."

"You're not from here, are you?"

Crowpaw shuffled his paws. "No, I come from far away. How can you tell?"

"The way you speak," Merlin waved his fluffy tail. "Your voice is different from the cats around you. I'd love to learn about where you come from, but something tells me that's not what you came here for."

Raindrop shook her head and once again detailed everything that was going on with Ripper. "I would love to assist you." Merlin mewed.

"You would?" Crowpaw mewed.

Merlin nodded. "Don't let my gray fur deceive you, I still have plenty of fight in me. I've lived just about every life you could imagine, kittypet, loner, rogue, all of it. Though I've never lived in a group like you've described, it sounds nice to be surrounded by such friendly cats, plus I wouldn't mind giving these rogues a taste of my claws. They're nothing but trouble makers."

"That means a lot." Raindrop bowed her head and turned to Crowpaw. "Shall we go? We have a lot of training to do." Crowpaw agreed and with two new cats with them, they set back home. We can do this. I know we can.