The wind dusted over a dry moor. Everything seemed to be still, even if the grass was swaying and the stream rippling.

Facing each other, were two groups. One was lean, with shortened fur and long legs. The other were broad shouldered and muscular.

In front of each, were their deputies. Both had sheathed claws, but their Clans knew that they would unsheathed at the flick of a tail.

"Firescar," a dark ginger tom twitched his ear at the mention of his name. "Enough of this. The stream is the border, and WindClan warriors seem to fail to realise this,"

"Badgertail, you fool! This territory should have been ours! We have more kits to feed than you, it's only fair that we have this stretch of land!" Firescar hissed at the black and white she-cat.

Badgertail clenched her teeth. "It's rightfully ours, and if you want to make this meeting violent, then make it. We don't want to use force, but we will fight to reclaim it,"

Firescar lashed his tail. "You want a fight? Well we'll give you one!"

As if on cue, all cats from ThunderClan and WindClan unsheathed their claws, bunching up their muscles and fluffing their fur out.

There was silence for a few heart beats, until the ThunderClan deputy unleashed an almighty battle cry, and the two Clans leapt at each other, browns mixing into greys, grappling at each other.

A white tom grimaced as he flung himself at a silver and white WindClan warrior. He lashed his claws across the warrior's face, attempting to dodge a blow to the leg.

It scraped the skin, and the ThunderClan warrior brought his jaws down on a grey paw. The enemy yowled and squirmed, racing away and over the stream, into WindClan territory.

"Cloudscar!" A tortoiseshell she-cat gasped. She was tussling with Firescar, him snapping at her face.

"I'm coming, Aspencloud!" Cloudscar yowled, knocking aside a WindClan apprentice with a powerful blow. He raced over, carefully avoiding the battling cats.

He bounded two paces forward before leaping and knocking Firescar off of his sister. He pinned the WindClan deputy down, claws digging into Firescar dark ginger fur.
"Admit it, Firescar," he yowled. "We've won!"

Firescar sneered, looking over his shoulder. "Have you?" he growled. Cloudscar followed his gaze, and then from that moment, everything was in slow motion.

Aspencloud was being driven back towards the cliff edge by a burly black tom. She slashed at him with her claws, only to be knocked over. She struggled to regain her balance, her back legs falling over the edge. She was hanging on with her claws.

"Cloudscar!" She shrieked, one of her claws ripping. Firescar stalked towards her, amber eyes ferocious as he looked down on her.

"This territory is ours," he hissed, slashing at her paws with his claws. She screamed and let go, freefalling into the river below.

"Aspencloud!" Cloudscar yowled in desperation, and without a second thought, he leaped off the edge after her.

There was a moment when there was nothing, just the rushing of wind and his own heartbeat. Then all air was rushed out of his lungs as he hit the water below.

It was colder than the first snow of winter, and Cloudscar could immediately feel his fur getting water logged. Gritting his teeth, he struggled to the surface, gasping as he broke free.

Twisting his head round wildly, he spotted a mess of ginger, black and white, and paddled towards it desparately. He raised his muzzle, attempting to keep it clear of the water.

Grasping hold of Aspencloud's scruff, he tried to drag her towards a large boulder in the middle of the river. He changed his grip, forcing her head above the water. The current was helping them along, and for once, Cloudscar was grateful of the speed.

They crashed into the boulder, and Cloudscar scrambled up, pulling Aspencloud up with him.

"Aspencloud, it's okay," he murmured, pressing his nose into his sister's fur. "You're safe now."

Aspencloud gave a cough, dampening the rock with the water that flowed out of her throat. "Cloudy, I want you to tell Pineleaf.. I love him."

Cloudscar shook his head, panicking. "No no, you are going to tell him that!"

Aspencloud gazed at him, their green eyes interlocking together. "I-I think we both know that this is my time, Cloudy. As f-for you," her body spasmed with effort as she coughed. "Look after my kits?"

"No, Aspencloud, no, stay with me Aspen!" He wailed, as the she-cat's eyes dulled and her heartbeat faded into nothing.