"All clear." Chipmunk meowed. He has been assigned as one of the night guards for Blood and leered his partner away. Thunderclaw does not know what kind of tricks he has behind his paws but the brown tabby was thankful. The warrior slipped inside the prisoners den and sawn the red she cat curled up.

"Well well, who do I have here." Blood growled and Thunderclaw almost felt the ground shake. "Isn't this Twilightspeckle's beloved mate."

"The past is done." The brown tabby spat. "I'm here to make things right. And I'm doing this for some cat else."

"I'm doing this for some cat else." Blood copied him with a annoying voice that made Thunderclaw flex his claws. "Always Twilightspeckle your mate."

He shook his head. He allowed his fur to flame down and keep his temper. "I'm doing this for Snakefang, your father."

Blood twitched her ears. She opened her mouth a few times but closed it. "Snakefang? I thought he's dead!"

"He is." Thunderclaw met Chipmunk's gaze that the limited time was almost up. "We don't have time Blood. Come or stay as a prisoner."

The annoying red furred she cat stood up and sneered. Freedom was more important then worrying about the past. If she stayed as the Army's prisoner forever, she would be killed or starve to death. Thunderclaw gave a polite nod and signaled to follow. Chipmunk quickly and silently ran Raindrop at his heals.

They traveled silently until faraway from the Army's temporary territory. The dangers creeped everywhere as all senses of the five cats were cautioned. We did it. We weren't found. Thought Thunderclaw. He finally let his voice hear.

"I met Snakefang in the Dark Forest." The warrior began to explain. Blood listens carefully her pointy ears up.

"Thought you were a loyal MorningClan warrior." Thunderclaw gave a warning growl for the she cat to silence.

"He told me that if I got you to the clans and the clan give you a second chance, he'll help Twilightspeckle get back. She disappeared and according to your father she was brought to StarClan. If Lightpelt has never told you—,"

"Lightpelt told me everything about the annoying black fur ball." Blood interrupted. "And it seems like there was a spy."

Thunderclaw swallowed his gasp and lunged into battle position. He heard the leaves of a bush rustle. His claws unsheathe he waited for the opponent. From the bush, Dazzle appeared her dazzling blue eyes sparkling by the moonlight. For a second the warrior had a flood of relief, but when the bush wiggled again and leaped out of the bush, his relief was gone. It was Lemon and Zen.

Lemon is a cat whom Thunderclaw trusts. But Zen is a difficult cat to identify if he is loyal or disloyal to Vulture. Zen's silver fur gleamed by the white light. Zen mewed, "Thunderclaw take me with you."

The brown tom and the three traveling cats were shocked to hear the fourth commanders words. Zen shuffled his feet closer to his underbelly. Dazzle spoke up breaking the silence. "My father is trustworthy. He is a loyal cat, but he wishes to seek more ways how cats can be. He knows that the Army will still keep together without a fourth commander."

Dazzle's mew was cold to Thunderclaw. This was a different problem from this one. The brown tabby stared at Zen's gaze. He searched for guilt on every corner of the silver fur but found none. "How can I know you are trustworthy?"

Zen meowed with his fur forcefully flattened down. "All I saw the ways to live is the Army. The rest are loners and I do not like the loneliness how they live. I thought the Army was the most magnificent way to live, cats forming a group to take care of each other, having ranks to be respected and dreamed, and hunting parties done by groups. I have never have a thought to she cats. When my daughter told me the way you have lived, I gave a second look at the Army. It did not feel so special and the best anymore. I wanted to look at a new way to live, to the clans."

Nervously Raindrop raise her paw to speak. Thunderclaw nodded. "Do we have a choice? If we sent him back he will report us to Vulture, and if we kill him they Army will suspect us."

Lemon protectively shuffled next to Raindrop. Thunderclaw finally realized the two were kin, they both had the same kind of coat. Their eyes and face were somehow alike, although the tom could not identify what. Lemon gave a nervous mew.

"When I first met you I was confused. Even though I warned you, you acted though I haven't said any words. I was deeply in suspect and worry and I realized you had something else in your mind. About your mate." Lemon glanced at  Dazzle. The light yellow she cat must have heard everything about it from the gifted she cat. Thunderclaw wondered if they had a strong bond of friendship.

"Very well.' Thunderclaw decided. "But we have no time to lose, come."

So the seven cats, Thunderclaw, Blood, Lemon, Dazzle, Chipmunk, Raindrop, and Zen traveled until their paws almost fell off. During their walk, the warrior rethought if this really was a good idea. Chipmunk and Raindrop and Lemon were fine, but is betraying the warrior code by the orders of a Dark Forest cat, bringing back a memory digging super powered  cat, and a half trustworthy rogue the good of MorningClan?

His worry has made him keep his caution down. As if pointing that out, the ferns began to shake. And within a blink, the travelers were surrounded by well trained warriors. NoonClan warriors.

"Why are rogues here in our territory?" One of the cats in the patrol, the head of the patrol meowed.  Thunderclaw realized it was Eaglehaze, one of the fine skilled warriors. The bushy black furred tom was a fair warrior to reason with.

Before the MorningClan warrior can tell his true identity, a young cat that looks like a fresh warrior chirped in. "Isn't he Thunderclaw? The mate if daughter of StarClan?" Thunderclaw remembered Caveflames, a warrior that has been named in the gathering before he had left.

The NoonClan patrol began to murmur glancing at the dark brown tabby tom several times. Eaglehaze nodded. "I believe he is too Caveflames. What have you come for bringing six rogues including the follower of Lightpelt and a weird rogue scent?"

Thunderclaw's shoulder slightly relaxed satisfied that they knew him. NoonClan's hunting grounds was full of rich prey. And their scent almost made him wrinkle his nose. "My mate, Twilightspeckle has told me Blood's past. And things turned quite unexpected. I believe the whole story should be heard to your leader."

"Very well." Eaglehaze dipped his head politely. He swooshed his swift tail to follow as the three NoonClan warriors and seven travelers followed. The NoonClan territory was very unfamiliar to Thunderclaw. Whenever a breeze carried prey scent, his muzzle wrinkled. Chipmunk and Raindrop sticked together their fur brushing closely.

They soon found a hole. Not the camp. A hole. But when Thunderclaw sniffed closely at it, and smelled a strong scent of NoonClan. Was this what he was thinking?

Eaglehaze entered, than Caveflames. The two remaining NoonClan warriors told the travelers to go in. Wrinkling the tabby tom's nose, he entered the soil made hole. At his heels, Blood followed flattening out her ears. She didn't seem disgusted as him.

Thunderclaw could not believe his own eyes. It was impossible, the NoonClan camp, a camp that MorningClan never attempted to find, was under the earth. It was a cave, with a small stream trickling as water source. The tom always thought MorningClan was the best, fighting vicious as LionClan, and have a secured camp that no other clans well attempt to find. But perhaps NoonClan was clever. The MorningClan warrior knew he would never imagine a camp under his paws.

Cats started to clump out and whisper. Blood rudely hissed but the dark brown tom covered her mouth with his stumpy tail. Chipmunk and Raindrop remained silent, Zen for the first time looking scared, Lemon and Dazzle walking together protectively.

By the whispers, a cat came out from what it seems like the leader's den. Thunderclaw expected to see Runningstar, but some cat else emerged out from the den. Yellowbird.

"Greetings Thunderclaw." Yellowbird greeted politely. "Runningstar is dead and I have replaced his place with the name of Yellowstar. We have many things to talk about, and I assume you do not know what has happened to MorningClan and NoonClan."

Yellowstar has a warning growl in the corner of her mew that gave Thunderclaw a bad thought. He followed the new leader to her den as cats started whispering more. His traveling mate's seemed worried but he gave a sign that they were going to be okay. I wish that was true.

"Now," Yellowstar started. "Please tell me your story first."

Thunderclaw tried to choose his words wisely. If there was tension between his clan and NoonClan, he should not anger the leader. "I have gone beyond the clan borders to find Blood. She is one of the cats who has attacked the clans once."

The tabby tom peeked one eye to Yellowstar to read her emotions. She was still calm. He continued, "But I heard from my mate, Twilightspeckle what her past was. And she had a horrible past, no love, cruelty, has given her the choice to follow a wrong decision. Blood has never been approved, but Lightpelt has approved her and she fell in love. She was blind, and I wished to give her a second chance."

"But why have you brought rogues with you? Surely only Blood should have been coming with you if your plan worked." Yellowstar I interrupted. Thunderclaw explained,

"My plan was not easy than I thought. Blood was captured by a group of rogues calling themselves the Army. They view she cats as weak—,"

Yellowstar hissed. She was a wise fair leader, and a she cat. It was not a surprise she already hates the Army.

"I joined the Army for a while to gain their trust to free Blood. But while I was there, I met Dazzle, and she had a gift. A gift to see cats' memories. And she saw mine. She has told that to her strong bonded friends and father. They wanted to see the clans and have a new way to live. To view she cats equally."

Yellowstar gave a thoughtful moment to think. It gave Thunderclaw a chill to see her cold dangerous eyes. Finally the NoonClan leader replied, "Thank you for sharing your story. And I believe you want to here ours?"

Thunderclaw gave a small nod as the story started. "You see, Runningstar was quite mad about losing the daughter of StarClan. He gave a me warning but MorningClan did not take it. So we attacked but failed to do so by losing Runningstar's last life. It cost both the clans great damage. Our clanmates and yours are badly dangers, and one of your clanmates has died."

Thunderclaw wondered whom. He hoped that it was not a close cat to him such as Maplemouth, Quicksand, and Weaselwhisker. But overall he grieved deeply by his clanmates death.

"Well." Yellowstar finally meowed. "I see that you are heavily tired. Rest for a night as we will treat you as a guest. Your travel mates may stay." And unexpectedly she added. "If one or two of your travel mates decides they want to live in NoonClan, I will happily welcome them. But not all."

The dark brown tabby dipped his head for gratefulness. He was glad Yellowstar was a fair reasonable leader. Thunderclaw thought that he will be happier to see her leadership than Runningstar's.

When the two cats have left the leader's den, Yellowstar called a meeting. "Let all cats old enough to hunt their own prey join beneath the Carved Wall!"

Thunderclaw was fascinated to see the part of the cave have a shallow hole. It had claw marks showing it was carved. It had a stump for the new leader to sit on.

When all cats heard the yowl and joined, Thunderclaw settled himself beside his travel mates. They shuffled nervously but kept silent.

Yellowstar began the clan meeting. She mewed about his quest and told her fellow clanmates to treat them as a guest. Some cats gave a suspected growls but others approved their leader's choice. When the clan meeting was dismissed, Dazzle whispered loud enough for the traveling cats to hear.

"Is this your clan?"

"No. This is NoonClan, one of the rival clans." Thunderclaw answered.

Both Lemon and Dazzle gave a puzzled look. Lemon questioned, "Than why aren't they going to kill us?"

"We clans have a warrior code, a rule for all warriors to follow. One of the says that 'an honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win their battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or if it is necessary for self-defense.' So we are treated as visitors." Thunderclaw responded wisely. Zen purred.

"It's a relief to know my daughter won't be killed." The warrior sighed. These cats really don't know anything about the clans.

"We fight. And sometimes death is necessary. There is danger everywhere and warriors fight to protect their clan. That is also part of the code." Zen frowned and Dazzle rolled her pretty blue eyes. Raindrop seemed unmoved by the code and seemed happy to be with Chipmunk. And Blood—was gone.

"Where's Blood?" Thunderclaw gave a worried mew. He went even beyond the clan borders to find her, he wasn't going to lose her now. Cold wind carried the stench of NoonClan's smell and the fresh scent of ferns. 

Raindrop blinked and pointed to the right side of the camp with her claw. "She's talking to a cat."

The brown tabby blinked and saw Blood chanting words easily as the breeze to a tom. There were hints of evil smiles but overall she was purring. "When then Blood transformed into a non-sneering cat?"

All travelers shrugged. Chipmunk started to groom Raindrop's fur. Thunderclaw gave some soft licks on his paws and his back fur where it was hard to reach. He remembered that Twilightspeckle have always done that for him and gave murrow of laughter how ruffled it was. His gaze clouded by the thought of her once more. Will his grief ever end? 

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