Tidepool trudged along, feeling tired. He didn't get enough sleep last night. He was on a patrol now. Flowerstar wanted to send a patrol to each Clan to ask them about rogues. They were about to reach the WindClan border, but then they'd need to wait for a patrol to show up.

Reedwhisker stopped at the edge of their territory, which broke off to moorland. He paced back and forth. "Ok, we just have to wait for a WindClan patrol so we can go and talk with Gorsestar," he meowed.

Flintspark sat down, and Mistyfoot crouched, her eyes narrowed. Tidepool sat down beside Flintspark, his whiskers twitching. "Tired?" He asked.

"A little," Flintspark answered. 

Tidepool sighed. "I'm going to watch out for a patrol," he meowed, turning. Tidepool padded towards the edge of the border. 

"You ok?" 

Tidepool saw Reedwhisker, then sighed. "I'm fine," he answered. 

"I was just worried that you-"

"Hey! What are you doing?" 

Tidepool turned, seeing a WindClan patrol approaching them. Breezepelt was in the lead, along with Sunstrike and Ravenstorm behind him. 

"What are you RivenClan cats doing here?" Breezepelt growled, lashing his tail.

"Waiting for a patrol to pass by. We must speak with Gorsestar," Reedwhisker meowed, stepping closer. He flicked his tail.

"Flowerstar could've just come down here herself," Breezepelt growled.

"Well she decided not to. Just take us to Gorsestar, we need to speak with him. Please," Reedwhisker meowed.

"No," Breezepelt meowed firmly. "If you'd want to speak, then bring just Flowerstar and yourself, not others," he meowed.

Reedwhisker flattened his ears. "But this is very important!"

Ravenstorm stepped forward. "You heard what Breezepelt said. No means no. No get your fish faces out of here before we chase you out ourselves," he hissed.

Reedwhisker huffed, then turned. "Let's head over to ShadowClan now," he meowed to his patrol.

Tidepool felt numb. Reedwhisker was deputy, and Breezepelt seemed to not trust him to come onto their land.

Mistyfoot sighed and began padding towards the river. Flintspark followed her. Tidepool turned slightly, seeing that the WindClan cats were watching them go. He sighed, picking up his pace.

Reedwhisker dove into the water first, his fur sparkling with drops of water. Mistyfoot went after him. Flintspark jumped in the water, fighting against the water.

Tidepool slunk into the water, his paws working against the water. He swam past Flintspark, then past Mistyfoot. His pace matched with Reedwhisker, who churned his paws against the current. They were approaching the other side. Trees stretched tall; oaks, birch, and pines.

Tidepool was the first one out of the water. He stepped onto the pebbly shore, then shook out his pelt. He was the faster swimmer in RivenClan.

Reedwhisker slunk out of the water, then shook his pelt. He waited for Mistyfoot and Flintspark. Let's go now," he meowed. "And we aren't waiting by the border this time, we're going straight to the camp to speak with Tigerstar," he meowed.

Tidepool glanced at his father, unsure. He followed after him anyway. His ears pricked soon at the sound of cats screeching. "Do you hear that?"

Reedwhisker bristled. "I think ShadowClan may be in trouble! Follow me!" He ordered. He raced ahead in the pine forest, his paws skidding on the pine needles that littered the floor.

Tidepool raced after him, his ears flattening. It sound as though cats were fighting! He could smell rogue, then realized that the rogues must be attacking ShadowClan. He curled his lip, jumping over a small dip in the earth. Filthy rogues! 

"I smell rogue! The rogues must be attacking ShadowClan!" Reedwhisker huffed. He bounded forward, heading toward the camp.

Tidepool ducked under a low branch, his claws unsheathing. Soon, they burst through the ShadowClan camp entrance. 

Reedwhisker, without saying anything, leaped onto a rogue nearby. He yowled, slicing the rogue's cheek.

Tidepool crashed into a rogue, his tail lashing. He hissed at the rogue, his paw lifting. But the rogue slashed Tidepool's muzzle, then kicked him to the ground. Tidepool growled and let the rogue pin him.

"RiverClan!" The rogue huffed. "You think you can help your little Clan buddies?" He growled.

Tidepool hissed and kicked the rogue in the stomach. He jumped up and pinned the rogue down, his tail lashing. He sunk his claws into the tom's shoulders. "Leave now, before I kill you," he growled.

The rogue smirked slightly. Tidepool clawed his muzzle, then hooked his claws into his shoulders more. He slammed him down. "Leave!"

The rogue growled and kicked Tidepool off, his claws striking his belly fur. Tidepool groaned as he felt scratches on his belly. It felt wet with blood. He was pinned by the rogue. 

The rogue glared at him. "Why don't you leave?" He growled, lifting his paw.

Tidepool stared back, then gasped as something crashed into the rogue on top. ThunderClan scent flooded his nose. He got up, seeing Ivypool slicing the rogue's shoulder roughly. She grabbed his scruff and started to pummel his spine with her hind paws.

The rogue yowled and fled, leaving behind a trail of blood.

Tidepool glanced at Ivypool. "ThunderClan is here?" He asked.

"Yes," Ivypool huffed. "These rogues don't seem to give up. ShadowClan's weaker cats were sent to ThunderClan to be safe, and we heard what happened, so we came to help. Why is RiverClan here?" She asked.

"Flowerstar sent out a patrol to warn the other Clans that the rogues aren't caring about boundaries," Tidepool meowed. "We were just heading over here, but we heard fighting."

Ivypool then growled. "Behind you!"

Tidepool turned, lashing out blindly. His claws struck the throat of a rogue.

It was some silver rogue. Tidepool flicked as blood spattered his face. He glanced at the gash in the rogue's throat. 

"Retreat!" Darktail yowled, fleeing. 

"Run away and stay out!" Tawnypelt growled, chasing the rogues. She slashed Darktail one last time before standing still, watching the rogues leave.

Tawnypelt then collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around her. She lay still.

Tidepool rushed over.

"Tawnypelt!" Flametail gasped, racing toward his mother. Dawnpelt rushed forward. Where was Tigerstar? 

The ground was stained with blood, and Tidepool stepped over the dead body of Adderstone. He looked around, his eyes clouding. He spotted Ratscar's body, and saw Snowbird crouched over him, whimpering.

Pinenose lay on the ground, unmoving, as blood stained her black pelt. Tidepool spotted another body. Yarrowleaf. Spikefur also lay still, a gash in his throat. 

"She's dead," a small whisper came from the center of camp. Flametail crouched over his mother's body. Dawnpelt had her muzzle in her mother's fur. Tidepool felt bad. Then his eyes came across a large dark brown body. 

Tidepool gasped, his body shaking. It was Tigerstar. His body was covered in wounds and stained with blood. There was a deep gash in his throat, and gashes ran along his belly. Blood pooled under him, and his amber eyes, now dull, starred blankly at the sky. "Tigerstar!" He gasped.

Every cat rushed toward him, gasping as they saw their dead leader. They whimpered and whispered.

"Who will be leader?" One cat yowled.

"Our deputy and leader are dead!"

"ShadowClan will fall apart!"

"We're done for!"

"This is the end of ShadowClan!"

"That's enough!" Squirrelstar padded forward. Her pelt was stained with blood, and she looked exhausted. "Stop panicking or you'll make it worse," she meowed.

"Of course ThunderClan wants to be in charge!"

"You aren't our leader!"

"Since when did Squirrelstar become leader of ShadowClan?"

"This is no time for your useless bickering, ShadowClan!" Squirrelstar hissed. "Your medicine cats need to go to speak with StarClan to see if one of you is worthy of being leader," she explained. "I will send my medicine cats down here to treat all the injured warriors," she added.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here," Flametail meowed. "My mother and brother have just died, and I never even got the chance to say goodbye!" 

"You can stay then, but the other medicine cats must go," Squirrelstar meowed.

"That's not how it works," Leafpool suddenly padded into camp, Ivypool at her side. Twistedfoot and Flamedawn were behind her. 

"How did you get here so quickly?" Squirrelstar asked. 

"Ivypool came to fetch us and we hurried as quick as we could," Leafpool meowed.  "StarClan won't tell you what your leader should be. They want ShadowClan to decide that themselves. Only ShadowClan knows what cat they have that is loyal, caring, and strong. Only ShadowClan knows which cat in their Clan has the qualities of a leader," she pointed out. 

Turtlepatch glanced around. She glanced at Strikestone. "Strikestone fits your description," she suggested. "Snowbird would make a good leader too."

"What about Scorchfur? He's an amazing cat," Snowbird suggested. 

"That's for you to decide," Leafpool meowed. "Who should be the leader?"

"I'll be the leader," Snowbird meowed. "I... I'll make a great leader of ShadowClan, I know I will. I have my kin to support me. Those rogues killed my brother, and I want to make them pay," she meowed.

Cats began to murmur in agreement that Snowbird should be the new leader.

Flametail sniffed. "Why are you all acting as though Tigerstar isn't dead? He lost all his nine lives and it feels like no cat cares!" He growled.

Snowbird turned. "Flametail, we do care. But we have to have a new leader to keep things in check. When I return with my nine lives, I promise we'll all grieve for our fallen ones." She rested her tail on his shoulder.

Tidepool's eyes clouded with sadness. He glanced around, looking for his Clanmates. They probably shouldn't be here right now.

"Let's get your wounds treated before you leave," Leafpool meowed to Snowbird.