It was quiet and cold at night. The moon was a ball of glowing ice in the blackness. The stars were shards of glittering glass.

"Is this where all the groups gather?" A small russet tabby hissed, his clumped fur fluffing up against the chilly air. The cat leading the small band of cats, an orange battle scarred she-cat with green eyes, nodded and murmured quietly, "yes, Brute. We shall announce our arrival to these Clans. We will ask them politely for permission around their territory so we can hunt and find food."

"Yeah, but what if they won't let us, Fire?" A small, weak kit, almost fully grown, asked her leader. Fire sighed. "so be it to them," she meowed lowly, glaring at the kit. "If they won't give us any of their territory, then we will make our home here, at the edge of Twolegplace. We will make them fear us. We will steal their prey and their medicine. We will give them a lesson for what they have done to us long ago." She padded into the forest, beckoning her 'Clanmates' with her stump of a tail to follow her. They stopped at the edge of a gorge, peering down as they saw many cats crowded around a boulder, where four cats stood, chatting about their everyday lives. 'Good', Fire thought, 'we can learn from them, find out their little secrets, and then wipe them out with their weaknesses.'

"Be ready," she whispered. She crouched down at the very edge, hoping the moon was enough for these cats to notice her. A few moments went by before someone from the crowd shouted, "hey, who's up there? Come out!" Fire jumped down from the edge and behind the four leaders. She startled them as she brushed her fur against theirs. She ignored as the others yowled in surprise as her Clan jumped down behind her. "Hello," she said, "I am Fire, leader of FoxClan." She explained that her Clan was formed many moons ago, but was driven out by rats. Now they needed territory. She asked if the other Clans could gladly give some of their territory to her Clan.

"Why should we believe you?" A silver tabby growled.

Why don't you go look elsewhere?" A tortoiseshell tabby asked, clearly trying to mask her threatening glare.

I am sorry," a ginger tabby meowed, "but I believe that this territory has been ours for many moons. We can't give it up if we run out of prey." A black cat with gold flecks said nothing but gave a look of apology to Fire.

Fire faked a plead. "Really? You would be so desperate to keep your land? We need it, too! We have sick queens and kits here. If they don't get enough food, they could die!"

The four cats at the ledge glanced at each other. The silver tabby smirked at the toirtoiseshell, but she shook her head. Fire pretended to moan in despair, which then turned into a growl. "Fine," she snarled, actually angry, "keep all your 'precious' territory. Then pay the price!" She climbed up the gorge, signaling her Clanmates to follow. They padded pack to Twolegplace.