Flurrypaw finished describing the dream with a thrash of his tail in excitement, they could finally find his brother.

Azurestar was silent for a moment, as if thinking, then something flashed behind her eyes, something Flurrypaw couldn't see, only feel. A memory and sadness that had been kept silent. Then she stood up, her claws unsheathed and digging into the dirt. "We shall leave at once!" She declared, and padded out of the den into the crisp morning. Flurrypaw followed her and looked up. Heavy rain clouds were piling up in the sky, promising a storm. His eyes were drawn to the High Rock as his leader leaped on top of it with a yowl.

"Let all old enough to hunt their own prey gather beneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting!" Smokewillow, who was on watch, came first, her white pelt shined when she sat in one of the spots of sunlight. Then came Cherryshade and her mate, Nightflame, their dark pelts were ruffled from the sudden announcement. Slowly, warriors, apprentices, and elders slunk out of their dens, shaking off their pelts or giving themselves a brisk wash as they waited for the others. Cedarnose came last, closely followed by her two kits, Dewkit and Snowkit.

As they settled into the clearing, Azurestar continued. "I have reason to believe that Sunkit is across ShadowClan territory in the barn!" The she-cat gazed down upon her Clan, and opened her mouth to speak, when the dawn patrol appeared from the grose tunnel. Antclaw, Flintpaw, Ebonywhisker, Lavenderpaw, and Songwing came into the clearing. Antclaw, at the head of the patrol, froze as they reached the middle of camp.

Azurestar glanced at him. "Anything to report?" She asked, ear twitching.

Antclaw shook his head. "All quiet on the RiverClan and ShadowClan borders." The warrior reported. Then he took a place in the clearing beside Copperspot. The rest of the patrol followed his lead, and soon the meeting continued.

"As I said, there is reason to believe that Sunkit is in the barn across ShadowClan territory," Once more she looked down on her Clan, as if studying them, learning each one of their strengths and weaknesses with a glance. "I will send Cherryshade, Twisterfoot, Robinpaw, Lichenfang, Sagewhisper, and Flurrypaw to go fetch him." Flurrypaw kneaded his paws in anticipation. He wanted to rescue his brother as soon as possible. "This meeting is at an end." Azurestar called. Then she hopped down from the High Rock in a graceful motion and returned to her den. Flurrypaw jumped when he heard Robinpaw behind him.

"Come on Flurrypaw! We're doing battle training!" The apprentice hurried out of the grose tunnel. Flurrypaw turned and followed her. Together they climbed up the ravine and raced through the forest. Robinpaw stopped suddenly, and Flurrypaw skidded to a halt beside her, spraying up dust. They had reached the sandy hollow. Twisterfoot was pacing across the soft dirt, while Sagewhisper stalked a mouse off to the side. The two apprentices appeared just as his mentor pounced. The mouse was quick, but not quick enough to escape the gray she-cat's grasping claws, and she killed it with a swift bite to the neck. Twisterfoot paused and turned to the apprentices when they appeared.

"About time!" He grumbled. "Now come on, we're going to practice different tactics for different Clans." Sagewhisper had buried her fresh-kill and joined them, her green eyes sparkling.

"Let's start with an attack that you would use on a WindClan cat." Sagewhisper then sped across the dirt, as quick as a WindClan warrior, and skimmed her paw across Twisterfoot's fur, then darting away again. Twisterfoot crouched, ready for the next attack. As Sagewhisper came in for another strike, the tom turned on her hissing, and swiped a sheathed paw across her face, then butted her side with his head, making her fall over. Twisterfoot planted a paw on her neck and side, and pinned her down. Then he stepped off of Flurrypaw's mentor and turned to the apprentices.

"WindClan is quick, but you have strength, use it." The warrior flicked his tail. "I want you to do what we just did. Flurrypaw, you be the WindClan cat, and Robinpaw, try and attack him like I attacked Sagewhisper." Twisterfoot instructed. Robinpaw nodded and took her position in a crouch. Flurrypaw darted across the soft ground, paws barely skimming the dirt he turned his head slightly and grazed his teeth across Robinpaw's ear, being careful not to draw blood. Then he rounded and circled the apprentice. He tensed as he came past her side the second time, aware this is when the other apprentice would attack. Sure enough, Robinpaw lunged at him. Flurrypaw ducked his head and put on a burst of speed, just barely whisking his tail out of the way of the apprentice's sharp teeth. Flurrypaw turned and faced her with a mock hiss. Robinpaw reared, ready to crash down on whichever side he tried to pass. Thinking fast, Flurrypaw darted between her legs, and the black apprentice lost her balance and fell to one side. Flurrypaw turned on his hind paws and finished the turn by planting his fore paws on Robinpaw's side. Quick as a snake, Robinpaw slid from his grip and grabbed his scruff, pulling until Flurrypaw fell and she pinned him down. The white apprentice let his body go limp in defeat. Robinpaw released him and padded to their mentors. Flurrypaw got to his paws and shook off the dirt wound into his pelt.

"What could he have done better?" Twisterfoot asked his apprentice.

Robinpaw flicked her tail. "He should have pinned me with a paw on the neck and side, rather than both paws on my side." She answered smoothly.

Twisterfoot nodded in approval, then turned to Flurrypaw. "Remember that for next time." He concluded.

Flurrypaw kneaded his paws at the head of the camp, eager to get going. He glanced at Sagewhisper, Robinpaw, Cherryshade, and Lichenfang, who were going on the journey with him. Almost all of them were getting ready. Robinpaw was helping Lavenderpaw putting more thorns around the barrier of gorse. And Cherryshade had just come back from the forest with a sparrow, Sagewhisper followed her, a shrew in her jaws. Lichenfang was sitting quietly in a dark corner of the camp, murmuring to herself. He shuddered at the sight of her white eye, scratched blind when she bravely leaped into a fire to save Storkmask, who had thought she was one of the rogues and scratched her eye, Lichenfang still dragged him out of the fire, but her eye was blind forever, and Storkmask had been horrified to see what he had done and who she was. From then on, Storkmask avoided her at all costs. The afternoon sun blazed down on his back, although the air was still cool, and he could see his breath, coming like white mist from his mouth. Suddenly Sagewhisper came up beside him.

"Ready?" She asked. "Remember, we may have to fight if we run into ShadowClan or those rogues."

Flurrykit shuddered at the thought of fighting one of the full grown, bloodthirsty rogues. "I know."

A cool wind swept over him, ruffling his thick white fur. Even though the weather was cold, he couldn't wait to venture out of his own territory and rescue his brother. His tail quivered in excitement and fear.

"Here." Adderpaw mewed from behind him. Flurrypaw whipped around to see the dark brown tom offering an assortment of herbs. "There's Sorrel, Chamomile, Daisy, and Burnet to keep your strength up and your belly full. For a while, at least."

"Thank you." Flurrypaw replied, bending down to lap up the bitter tasting leaves. The medicine cat apprentice moved on to Cherryshade with the traveling herbs. A moment later, Snowkit and Dewkit came up to him.

"Come back safe!" Dewkit mewed, eyes sparkling.

"I wish I could go." Snowkit sighed. "What I wouldn't give to rip some fur off some ShadowClan cats."

Then their mother came beside them, brushing her tail across Snowkit's ear. "That's enough. Remember, this journey is to retrieve Flurrypaw's brother, not attack ShadowClan." She told them. "Come back to the nursery now." The two kits' protests faded away as they disappeared into the sheltering bramble bush. Flurrypaw, now fidgeting even more, turned to the camp entrance. Twisterfoot padded to the gorse tunnel, being the eldest and most experienced of the traveling group, he was leading the expedition.

"We will now go to ShadowClan's territory and we will take back Sunkit." He announced, his gaze looking over each one of the travelers. "And no cat will stop us!" Flurrypaw waved his tail in silent agreement.

"May StarClan go with you." Azurestar concluded in a soft voice. Twisterfoot dipped his head to his leader, then led his patrol out of the gorse tunnel and into the green forest. As they made their way to the ShadowClan border, Flurrypaw took a look at his surroundings.

Fallen leaves littered the ground in the colors of dawn and dusk, spreading color around the forest floor, while the remaining leaves fluttered peacefully in the faint cool winds. Above, the sky faded from the soft rosy pink of sunset into the darkness of night, and the dim moon began to light the forest. In the distance, he could make out the scuffling of a mouse searching for seeds among the leaf-mold. But he didn't pause to stalk it, his belly was as full as the river, the strengthening herbs Adderpaw has given him seemed to be doing their job. Suddenly a strong stench reached his nose, and he curled it up in disgust. He recognized that smell, it was the thunderpath. He remembered dimly that it was the border between them and ShadowClan. Across the stone was a vast expanse of pine and mud. Thunder rumbled distantly in the rapidly darkening sky.

"Twisterfoot!" A yowl pierced the wind, now fierce and howling as a storm came closer. Flurrypaw turned to see Cherryshade crouched beside the thunderpath a few foxlengths away. Beside her was a lump of fur, at first hard to identify because a cloud had rolled in front of the moon. Quickly the patrol came over. Flurrypaw felt panic grip him with icy claws when he recognized Sunkit's tortoiseshell fur, mixed with red. His body was limp, and barely breathing. To make matters worse, rain began to pour from above, splattering across the grass and soaking their fur.

"Come on!" Twisterfoot called, now beside a thick bramble bush. "Under here, and bring Sunkit!" Cherryshade bent her head and gently picked up Sunkit by his scruff and carried him across the grass and into the shelter of the bramble. The rest followed with Twisterfoot coming in last. It wasn't perfect; it was big, but still quite cramped with so many cats sheltering inside it, and droplets of water dripped from gaps between the branches. But it was better than out in the storm, the winds getting stronger, tugging at the tussocks of grass beside the thunderpath and torrents of rain relentlessly battering across the tree trunks and soaking the ground. Flurrypaw crouched by Sunkit, nuzzling his fur.

"Will he be ok?" He asked Twisterfoot, who was surveying the storm raging outside.

The senior warrior turned to him. "We'll get him to Berryheart as soon as there's a window in this storm." He replied without really answering the question. Flurrypaw sighed and began to watch the storm with the older warrior, and slowly began to let his eyes close for longer and longer.

"Flurrypaw!" A hiss and a prod in the side startled him awake. "Wake up, there's a break in the storm!" After a moment he recognized Robinpaw's voice. He opened his eyes quickly and clambered to his paws. With a glance outside, he saw the apprentice was right, the wind was now a small breeze in the treetops, and the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Twisterfoot was sticking his muzzle out of the bush, examining the sky.

"We'll have to hurry." He muttered. "More storm clouds are on the way." He informed. Cherryshade had Sunkit by his scruff and was nosing her way outside, Lichenfang and Sagewhisper followed her. Twisterfoot stood still for a moment, then beckoned to the two apprentices with a flick of his tail and disappeared into the underbrush after the others. Flurrypaw followed with Robinpaw at his side. His paws skittered on the soggy leaf-mold. He leaped over a fallen log with rotting wood and heavy moss, landing with ease on the other side and continuing to race toward camp. Taking the lead now, he brought the patrol through the trees until they were all panting and breathless, especially Cherryshade, who was breathing heavily through Sunkit's thick fur. Mustering up the last of his energy, he stumbled on until he reached a wall of brambles. Relief swamped him and he ducked through the entrance. Ebonywhisker was nosing at the fresh-kill pile, searching for a vole.

"Quick! Where's Berryheart?!" He called urgently to her. Surprised, the she-cat turned around. Not a moment later, the rest of the patrol burst through the entrance, panting.

Ebonywhisker widened her eyes in shock. "He- he's out gathering herbs!" She informed. For a moment, panic threatened to overwhelm him, until Adderpaw stuck his head out of the medicine den.

"What's happening, why do you need Berryh-" He stopped short and gasped when he saw the limp Sunkit hanging from Cherryshade's jaws. "Quick, bring him in here!" He ordered.

* * *

Once Sunkit was treated, Flurrypaw visited him inside the medicine den, he laid down next to his unconscious brother.

"Please wake up soon." He whispered.