Now

Stormshade purred as he sank into his nest. It had been a long day, and a tinge of satisfaction wormed its way into his stomach as he rolled onto his back, watching the stars overhead. 

"Goodnight," came a hushed whisper. A brown tom slunk past him, ears flicking. "Try not to snore this time." 

Stormshade chuckled. "Only if you don't kick me again," he murmured. Curling up, he added, "Sleep well, Swiftleap."

With that, he closed his eyes, allowing darkness to embrace him. 

Slowly, like a calming storm, the darkness receded, revealing a perfect, rolling field. Rabbits loped through the grass ahead, darting into a collection of lush ferns. The sun shone, but instead of blistering heat Stormshade felt a cool, soft breeze ruffling his fur.

"Welcome." An unfamiliar voice caught the WindClan warrior off guard. A grey tom was peering at him from ahead, his eyes bright. Stars danced around his paws.  

Stormshade flinched, his breath hitching. "You scared me!" Licking his chest self-consciously, he added, "Who are you?" 

"Your ancestor." The grey tom dipped his head, ears flicking.

I'm in StarClan?  Stormshade fell onto his haunches, paws tingling. "...Am I dead?"

"Fortunately not," the ancestor mewed wryly. "We wanted to tell you something." 

Stormshade paused to lick his shoulder fur, burning with embarrassment. He must be disappointed. "What is it?" 

An amused grin seemed to tug at the StarClan warrior's lips, though after a moment he restrained it with visible difficulty. "I have a warning for you." Padding to Stormshade's side, he gently steered him towards a shining pond.

"It's not good news." The StarClan warrior extended a paw, flicking a piece of debris from Stormshade's chest. It landed in the pond, causing the perfectly smooth water to ripple gently. "WindClan will face many challenges in the future," he explained. "Everyone will."

Stormshade's heart sank. "What should I do?" 

"Gather what remains," the Ancestor instructed, "And turn the embers into a raging fire. But first..." he broke off, leaning towards his descendant. Stormshade felt his soft breath billow into his ear. "Good intentions shall lead the noblest among you into darkness." 

Stormshade blinked, stumbling away from him. "What do you mean?" 

The Ancestor shrugged, dipping his head reverently. His frame began to grow transparent, and he merely dipped his head. "Make us proud." 

* * *

"Two fighting styles?" Hailpaw's mew was incredulous. "That's ridiculous!"

Stormshade was broken from his thoughts at his apprentice's words. Suppressing a sigh, he strolled around his apprentice confidently. "Hailpaw, we're tunnellers." Gesturing at the young tom's broad shoulders, he mewed, "Moor-runners are usually smaller than us, so they're trained to compensate for their smaller size."

"How?" Hailpaw tilted his head quizzically.

"They use our weight and momentum to their advantage," Stormshade replied matter-of-factly. "They like to do hit-and-run attacks, so it's very difficult to get a hit in. That's why, even though you're a tunneler, you still need to be quick on your paws."

Hailpaw scuffed the ground in front of him with a forepaw. "I guess."

"So," Stormshade meowed, "In other words, runners are both annoying in battle and in peacetime."

"I heard that!" A yellow-and-black tabby she-cat emerged into the clearing, roughly cuffing Stormshade over the ear.

"Ow!" Stormshade flinched. "It's a term of endearment, Beestream!"

"Yeah!" Hailpaw chimed in. "Stormshade calls Brambleblaze annoying all the time."

Stormshade stared at his apprentice pointedly. "No, that's different -- Brambleblaze is annoying." He then shifted his gaze back to Beestream, shifting on his paws. "You know," He murmured, "When I'm done with Hailpaw here, you and I can go hunting. Eh?" He wasn't so sure about these plans. His dream worried him, but at the same time, he didn't want to seem like he had bees in his brain.

She chuckled, shoulders rolling, and shoved him away. "You know I can't, Stormshade."

"Aw, why not?"

"What about Mouseleap?" Beestream murmured, more quietly.

"What about her?" Stormshade instantly felt a pang of regret for his words. Quickly, he added, "That all was a long time ago. I'm ready to leave it."

She stared at him disbelievingly. "Sure you are."

Hailpaw raised a brow. Stormshade peered at him and mewed, "I suppose I have stuff to do."

"I'll watch," Beestream offered, drawing a paw over her ear. Stormshade felt his pelt bush slightly, red under his grey fur.

"You wanna watch?" He asked haughtily, feigning confidence. Hailpaw prodded him.

"S'what I said," Beestream replied, ears pinned back teasingly. "Surely the great tunneler Stormshade won't mind an audience."

Stormshade gulped, shifting away from her to hide his nervousness. What if he did something wrong? I never do, he reminded himself, keeping his fur flat and his eyes almost naturally cool.

"Alright -- I'm teaching Hailpaw to fight moor-runners."

"Like me?" Bestream asked wryly.

"Yeah, but not nearly as pretty."

"Shut up."

Stormshade ignored her, crouching before Hailpaw. "Alright, Hailpaw. It's simple."

"I'm all ears!" Hailpaw mewed excitedly.

"I'm going to dart around you as quickly as possible, and you need to try and hit me."

Hailpaw nodded, but then his face scrunched up. "But you're a tunneler. That means you're a big target, and clumsy, and--"

Stormshade winced. "That's enough, Hailpaw."

"Sorry," Hailpaw shrunk away.

"I can do it!" Beestream offered, trotting over. "If Hailpaw's up to it, of course." She purred at the young grey tom, who hopped around her excitedly.

Stormshade nodded, secretly relieved, and he watched as they wove around each other. Stormshade's callow apprentice charged again and again, only to be toppled by the quick she-warrior.

Stormshade watched, partly ashamed at training his apprentice so poorly, and yet amused by his enthusiasm. It reminded him of happier times, when he was an apprentice. It reminded him of being mentored by Sunclaw. Was he as good of an apprentice? No -- Stormshade never could please his former mentor. And then he blinked.

"Beestream?"

Beestream looked up from where she was pinning a giggling Hailpaw. "Yeah?"

"Can you train Hailpaw for me? I need to talk to Cloudstar."

Then

Stormpaw felt blood seep from the rabbit's pelt as he passed the she-cat's apprentice den. Cloudstar had separated them when her only surviving daughter became an apprentice.

"Hiya," a brown tabby tom strolled in front of him, eyes narrowed. "Listen, Stormpaw."

"Bramblepaw, let me through!"

"Nah." Bramblepaw thrusted his face into Stormpaw's, mewing, "You see, Thornface wants me to catch a rabbit on my own. I was thinking I could take this--" he snatched the rabbit from Stormpaw's jaws, mew muffled by the new bundle of fur in his grasp, "And pass it off as my own."

"Hey!" Stormpaw hissed, swiping at Bramblepaw, who ducked away with a chuckle.

"Whoah!" He cried, raising his voice. He stared at Sunclaw out of the corner of his eyes. "Stop taking credit for my work, Stormpaw!"

Stormpaw's ears flattened. "Wait! Stop!" He hissed. "Take it! Just don't bring my mentor into this, alright?"

Bramblepaw purred. "You're the best denmate, Stormpaw." Condescendingly patting Stormpaw's head, he turned on his four heels and padded towards the elder's den.

Oh, how I hate him. Stormpaw suppressed a growl of frustration and started towards the female apprentice's den. Now I can't eat with her.

Looking both ways, he warily stepped inside, pausing to swiftly groom his fur.

A brown tabby she-cat was waiting inside, staring at him with wary amber eyes.

"Mousepaw," Stormpaw mewed. "What's up?" He padded up to her, pressing his nose against her cheek, but she ducked away.

Mousepaw shuddered. "Stormpaw..." she murmured longingly, "Cloudstar won't like this."

"I don't care what Cloudstar wants," Stormpaw mewed softly. "I care about you."

Mousepaw let out a pathetic mewl of sadness, before adding, "It just isn't meant to be. My mother... she just wants the best, don't you know?"

Stormpaw opened his jaws to give his reply, but a grey warrior burst into the den. "Stormpaw," he snarled. "I should've known you were in here. Chatting up she-cats again?" He snorted, padding in between the two apprentices. Mousepaw looked away, and Stormpaw shrank beneath his fur.

"Bramblepaw told me you'd be in here," Sunclaw continued rather gruffly. "Where is your rabbit? You told me you'd bring a rabbit!"

Stormpaw gazed at his paws, pelt hot, before murmuring. "Sorry."

"'Sorry' catches no rabbits. And neither do you, apparently. Why do I get stuck with the most arrogant and incompetent apprentice?" Sunclaw cuffed Stormpaw over the ear, before pulling him out of the den.

Now

"Shouldn't you take this to Cloudstar?" Goldentooth padded alongside Stormshade, clicking his tongue thoughtfully. "Or Mintfur?"

Stormshade stared at the deputy imploringly. "Mintfur will be a little awkward. And Cloudstar--"

Goldentooth chuckled. "I suppose she never did like you, did she, my friend?" Then his tone softened, and with a smooth, perfect sigh, he added, "I know that the cats of WindClan aren't entirely confident in her sanity anymore, especially with that tunnel plan of hers."

Stormshade recalled that mission, and he could suddenly feel clay and mud pressing tightly against his skin. With a choke, he gasped, "I don't want to talk about that."

"I understand. It was horrifying for everyone. But I promise you, I will undergo every effort to ensure your safety. Whatever grievances you have, I will bring them up."

Stormshade's shoulders loosened. "We're lucky to have a leader like you, Goldentooth."

"I'm not your leader."

"You are our leader, in all but name."

Goldentooth shrugged, settling underneath the shade of a fern near the edge of camp. "Maybe so, but..." he patted the ground next to him, gesturing for Stormshade to sit alongside him. "When I became deputy, I resolved to lift my cats up. Make no mistake, I am your servant, and you are in charge. Tell me about this--"

"Dream." Stormshade tucked his paws underneath him. "It was a dream."

"And what was in it, friend?" Goldentooth licked his shoulder, before freezing. "StarClan, how rude of me! Would you like me to fetch you something to eat?"

Stormshade didn't feel all that hungry--not one bit. "No, I'm good." With a gulp and a shutter, he murmured, "I dreamt of one of my ancestors last night." He closed his eyes, struggling to focus.

The Deputy of WindClan extended his golden tail and stroked Stormshade's back. "Try to remember, brother."

"I am." Stormshade took a deep breath. "He told me that WindClan is in danger. And he said something like..." He paused, eyes shining thoughtfully, before mewing, "'Good intentions will lead the noblest among you into darkness.'"

Goldentooth was silent for a few moments. Suddenly, briskly, he mewed, "Come." Without another word, he disappeared into the leader's den.

Then

Stormshade's eyes reflected the moonlight as he traveled across the moor. There was a sense of anxiety in the air.

Cloudstar had called every tunneler in the Clan to a private meeting in the most remote corner of the moor, and when the scents of his Clanmates flooded into his nostrils, Stormshade knew he had arrived.

Cloudstar and Goldentooth sat together at the head of the group, and Sunclaw, Swiftleap, Brambleblaze, and Shaleflame huddled around them.

Stormshade wedged himself into the huddle, and Shaleflame stepped aside to grant him room.

"ThunderClan's treachery has gone on for too long!" Cloudstar proclaimed, her black-and-white fur rippling along her spine.

"Our leader has a special assignment," Goldentooth meowed, dipping his head.

Cloudstar unsheathed a single claw, drawing a big, smooth, vertical arc in the ground.

"Imagine that this is the lakeshore." Then, she drew two straight horizontal lines. "And in between these two lines is ThunderClan's territory."

Swiftleap tilted his head, interested, while Stormshade hunched his back, leaning in to see the drawing.

"The Three Ancient Tribes made tunnels," Cloudstar's voice almost held a purr in it. "Tunnels which should run right along the lakeshore."

Shaleflame and Stormshade exchanged glances.

"Cause those tunnels to collapse," Cloudstar murmured, "And we can artificially flood ThunderClan's territory."

For a moment, the assembled tunnelers paused to confer, and surprised murmurs and curious mews filled the air, until Shaleflame spoke up.

"Why?"

"Yeah." Stormshade blinked. "That'd do nothing but harm."

Cloudstar scowled. "ThunderClan is poisoning our prey," she snapped. "Pure and simple. We need to retaliate -- and that means flooding their territory. If we can't eat, neither shall they."

We have no proof of that, Stormshade thought.

Brambleblaze scoffed. "That's the dumbest idea I've---"

Cloudstar glared at him, and suddenly Brambleblaze grew quiet.

Stormshade couldn't help but agree with him.

Now

It was stuffy inside the leader's den, and the floors were strewn with half-eaten corpses. An increasingly skinny Cloudstar was sitting in her nest, and a brown she-cat groomed her fur. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to look at Stormshade.

"I thought I made it very clear that I don't want you in here."

Stormshade dipped his head. He could feel the brown she-cat's gaze on his pelt, and, as he always did, allowed his muscles to flex slightly, making him appear more muscular. "Very clear, my leader."

"I hope you have come here for a good reason." She snorted, and added, "If you want to come into my den, the least you could do is try to look good." A hiss in her throat, she snapped, "Mouseleap, clean him up!"

"Yes, mother," the tabby she-cat choked out.

"No!" Stormshade recoiled, and instantly felt bad. Narrowing his eyes cooly, he continued, "That will be alright." He could feel Mouseleap's gaze sweep over him, and suddenly his muscles bunched, as if he was preparing to pounce on unwitting prey. Clearing his throat, he added, "There are much more important matters at paw."

Goldentooth stepped back, as if he was giving Stormshade room.

"Yes, a prophecy." Cloudstar snorted. "How convenient for you to have been chosen by StarClan. What did they say?"

"'Good intentions will lead the noblest among you into darkness.'" As Stormshade spoke, he could feel a pair of icy eyes inspecting him. Cloudstar growled, her voice as sharp as flint.

"Somehow, that comes as no surprise." She then pulled an expression that was almost motherly, turning to her daughter. Mouseleap's forlorn face seemed to fall even more. "Good intentions often tend to.... defile us. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course, mother." There was no conviction in Mouseleap's broken voice.

"But it's the noblest among us," Stormshade pointed out. 

Cloudstar followed his gaze. "Anything else of importance?"

Stormshade paused. "I mean..." I don't want her to think I'm arrogant. "...He said that WindClan will undergo an unprecedented collapse, and that I was to rebuild it."

Cloudstar stared at him. Her whiskers twitched, and suddenly she began to laugh. "Of course! Of course you would place yourself in such an important position!" With a shudder of what must've been anger, she snarled, "This is a trick. It's all been a trick!" Her lips peeled back into a hideous grimace. "You think I don't know what you want to do to my daughter?!" She rounded on Mouseleap, claws unsheathed. "You're in on it too, aren't you, Mouseleap?"

Stormshade leapt to his paws, diving in between mother and daughter. His eyes were narrowed. Cloudstar shook with uncontrolled rage. "Don't you dare hurt her!" He snapped.

"I wish you'd died in those tunnels," Cloudstar's venemous voice pooled into Stormshade's ears. "I'd expect an incompetent tunneler like yourself to have been buried alive."

Stormshade felt his skin run cold, and he became increasingly aware of Mouseleap's presense behind him. Through gritted teeth, he growled, "Excuse me?"

"Someone's poisoning our prey." Cloudstar's ears flattened, and suddenly she turned on her heels to peer out the den's entrance. "This whole time, I thought it was ThunderClan. Perhaps I was wrong."

"Goldentooth!" A grey tabby tom hobbled up to the entrance, eyes wide. "Goldentooth, I--"

Cloudstar narrowed her eyes. "Yes, Galetrot?" Her tail flicked impatiently.

"Uh--" Galetrot's wide eyes seemed to grow even more, and he choked out, "I guess you work too."

"You guess?"

"It's urgent!" Clearly looking to avoid the Clan Leader's wrath, Galetrot blurted, "It's ThunderClan! I think Brackenstar brought every warrior he had, and they're coming right to camp!"

Cloudstar's eyes became slits, and her body seemed to spasm. With a howl, she roared, "I had plans!"

Goldentooth was at her side in an instant, and without a protest, Cloudstar withdrew. "This is fine, Galetrot. We have the defensive advantage, and tunnelers. Stormshade, Mouseleap, follow me."

Mouseleap eagerly trotted forward, ducking away from Cloudstar's attempt to restrain her. The leader suddenly seemed old and weak.

Stormshade wriggled out of the leader's den, pausing at Galetrot's side. The young warrior's eyes shone. Without hesitation, he offered, "I'll lead a patrol, Goldentooth! I'll show these tree lurkers what WindClan's made of!"

"I appreciate it, brother, but we must make a plan." Goldentooth scrambled to the tallrock, and immediately every cat in camp froze, anticipating his speech. "Brothers and sisters, we are yet again faced with a grave threat, but no amount of blood shed is too much for our beloved Clan!" Clearing his throat, he proclaimed, "Have no fear! Any pain you endure will be temporary. Every warrior who lives shall become a hero! Every warrior who dies shall be with StarClan!"

His proclamation was met with a cheer from the warriors gathered around him, and Goldentooth wasted no time in continuing. "I will attempt to negotiate with them."

"And if they refuse?" Sunclaw sounded dubious.

"Stormshade will lead the tunnelers. Gather beneath them and attack the moment you hear the fighting begin." He pointed his tail at a russet she-cat. "Foxrunner, retrieve every hunting patrol and make a diversionary strike from the direction of the lake--but only if it looks like we're fighting. The rest of you, with me!" With that, Goldentooth leapt from the tallrock, charging out of camp with Galetrot, Winnowfall, Leopardheart, Tigerstorm, Claytail, Oceanbreeze, and Nightbreeze on his tail.

Stormshade raised his own tail, rallying the tunnelers, before leading them out of camp.

Swiftleap trotted to his side with a frustrated snort. "If only Cloudstar hadn't put us all in camp, we would've heard them coming by now."

"Yeah!" Brambleblaze seemed all too cheery. "ThunderClan cats are a bunch of heavy-pawed rabbit-brains. Their pawsteps are noisier than sheep." After a moment passed, he added, "I guess