Littlescent stepped out into the bright night sky. She shook her fur through the faint breeze and looked up at the stars expecting to find a crescent moon, only to find many beams of light panning back and forth across her view. She knew what they were searching for.

"It still smells like smoke out here," Littlescent said.

"It's only a little," Fleetheart responded. "I swear you're the only one in the whole clan who hasn't gotten used to that smell."

"Well that doesn't sound like you."

"Sorry. It's just that leading always makes me anxious."

"But not alone," Fleetheart responded. "And I was in the medicine den thinking about all that's happened with the wildcats. Then there was who to take. My patrol would've been an easy choice, but then I wanted my friends to go with me and the apprentices to come and learn and Panzer tried to sneak onto my list and the queen attacked me... long story short it's just the two of us on this one."

Littlescent's ears perked. "Really? Just us?"

"Well, yeah. I couldn't decide. And then Panzer gave me an idea." Fleetheart curled her face and hunched over. "Why not take your rat-brained friend," she said in a deep voice. "At least if you get attacked, she keeps swinging until she's down. Plenty of time for you to run, something claw-swingers never think to do in a fight... except for that little runt one you like."

She shook, the curls quickly leaving her face. "Wow her face is tough... anyway, and I said 'Great idea!' And here we are. Now if anyone gets hurt it's just us, you see."

The two walked along the large thunderpath that bordered the two rival clans, carefully staying close to their own side of it. They slipped past the cross section and into open territory, technically claimed by LeafClan. The border reeked of the fresh scent of LeafClan marking teams. Fleetheart looked around as they crossed the thunderpath towards the snake-monster's path.

"Yeah I know, not the best plan, but you know how much I hate being in charge of large groups. At least my patrol was pre-made of experienced warriors. What happens when I have to bring apprentices outside of the borders? I always hate seeing cats get hurt, especially when I'm the one giving the orders."

"Well that's where I come in and defend them," Littlescent responded. "That's why you bring more warriors along."

The apprentice nodded her head. "Yeah. But still, it's kind of like treating my own injuries if they get hurt while I'm in charge... you're brave like that. Being in charge? I'm sure it wouldn't matter to you because you'd make a great leader. Oh, you could even be the next clan leader! It would suit you well, Littlestar the Scentless."

Littlestar the Scentless, she thought. I already live up to the 'scentless' part. But the 'star'? I don't think it's for someone like me.

Littlescent looked ahead, checking the upcoming foliage for other creatures. Across the snake-monster tracks were the intact Twoleg structures. She looked back at the lights that hovered over the area, panning back and forth through the sky in search of more attackers.

Fleetheart swiped at her tail. "Hey, you sure do look at the sky a lot. Are you looking for sky monsters? Because if there were any, the Achse will find them. Assuming they get reinforcements. Our Twoleg warriors don't seem to be doing a very good job."

"Reinforcements? From where?" She danced her tail around, making Fleetheart more interested.

"Well, she showed me something that she said she threw away when she first left her owner's nest, but I knew she didn't. And it turns out she actually did keep her collar. I knew it! Then she reminded me where she comes from. A faraway land that is only possible to get to on a sky-monster! She said it was much like Hamburg, but there was lots more snow."

Littlescent looked around at spaces large enough to hide a cat before continuing.

"So there are other Twolegplaces as big as this one?" Littlescent asked.

Fleetheart shook her head. "She also said that you should start calling this place by its true name. And she said that it's much like this place because Twolegs were always fighting there, too. She said she hated it, and so did her owner. They left before it got worse. Who knows what it looks like now."

I never would have guessed Panzer had seen a place like this, even when so far away from here. I wonder why she only tells Fleetheart these things...

"Is that why she's so quick to hate fighting... although, you wouldn't know it from how she acts."

"Maybe. But I always wonder how she's picked up so much on Twoleg things. I know she's old, but she even learned the medicine they use! Still surprises me. She probably knows more about them than the war dogs that used to be around... hey, why haven't we seen any wildcats yet?"

Littlescent glanced across the snake-monster's path, intersecting with the normal thunderpath. "They're probably around. We're upwind, anyway. If they're here I'd be hard to find them through this breeze. That smoke scent doesn't help either."

The two cats kept walking, Fleetheart losing interest in her friend's tail. "Aw come on. We're so far away from that stuff. Don't tell me you can still smell it?"

Littlescent shook her fur again. "It sticks, and it'll be there until next sunhigh, I bet."

Fleetheart reached her tail over and began poking her gray and white friend. "It's been around since we were kits. You have to get used to it eventually."

She continued tapping on her friend's flank with her tail. Littlescent ignored it, watching for movements as the pair crossed the snake-monster tracks and weaved around the silverthorn barrier. They ended in a large clearing on stone ground. In the center was the same meeting area where the clans held their gatherings.

They ran across the circular thunderpath and up to the raised area in the center. Tall trees blocked their view of the inside, but both cats still detected the wilcats, being so close to them. The two leaped into the enclosed area and crawled through the bushes, exposing the bright rock in the center. Only then did Fleetheart stop poking her friend.

"So what was the point in poking me?" Littlescent asked.

"Eh," Fleetheart responded, "I don't know. It was fun."

Littlescent raised her nose and began sniffing around for other cats. She stopped to shake her fur briefly before continuing her search, looking to her right to see that Fleetheart had reared up onto the rock.

"Well then I'm going to poke you all the way back to camp."

The apprentice turned back towards Littlescent.

"That'd just be weird." And she leaped onto the rock.

Of course it would, Littlescent through, leaping onto the rock herself.

From her new spot, the stars were visible to her for the first time that night, unblocked by thin hazes and clouds. The thick trees occasionally parted to show her more and more of the sky, unobstructed by the Twoleg's search lights.

She walked to Fleetheart's side, looking first at the familiar bright pelts of Whitetail and Yellowstar, and the dark-tinted Blueclaw. Whitetail nodded at her once he met her gaze, and then looked back at the group of LeafClan cats.

A wildcat warrior sat at the side of an old gray and black striped wildcat. Her bristly tail was curled around her legs, completely covering her front paws. Her small ears constantly twitched, the wind revealing some small, thinning areas of her pelt.

"Where's Panzer," she asked. "Looked forward to seeing her."

"Sorry, Mousetail. She couldn't make it," Fleetheart responded. "So Longstar sent me instead. Fleetheart, at you service!"

"So old blue one died?" A large, white wildcat responded. Flyfoot had turned her attention back from the search lights in the distance.

"Of course not! She's just not coming this time. I'm sure she'll show up next time." Fleetheart twitched her tail across the wildcat apprentice's vision.

"Shame. I had choice words for her. Still not letting her get away with what she said about us."

"Anyway, sorry about her words." Fleetheart lowered her head. "Panzer just likes to say what's on her mind, to be honest."

"I want to hear her say it, hyper one. No honesty in her words. Not a bit."

Another wildcat poked his head over the edge of the rock, motioning to the one at Mousetail's side.

"Area clear. No other cats," he said.

"Thank you. But I still think it not necessary," Mousetail responded. The wildcat at her side jumped down from the rock with the other one, leaving Mousetail and Flyfoot by themselves.

Flyfoot turned her red eyes towards Littlescent, examining her undersized figure.

"So Longstar only sent one warrior? And the small, scentless one at that." She cringed her tail at her last statement.

"Flyfoot, we here to learn," Mousetail scolded. "These cats not Panzer. Save anger for her, if you want."

Littlescent's ears perked up to the sound of rustling plants, too loud to be wind. She turned around and peered into the green eyes of a wildcat, standing on the ground near the rock. He quickly turned away and darted into the grass from where they first entered.

"Don't mind them," Mousetail said. "Wolfstar sent them. Thought there would be more warriors from your clan. Said he wouldn't take chances. There eight of them hiding here. They not listening to us."

"Longstar would never ambush lone medicine cats," Fleetheart responded. "I don't even think Panzer would do something like that."

"Sorry, apprentice. It's just normal patrol for us." The LeafClan medicine cat turned her attention back towards the others. "We lost cats to ground-shakers recently, so Wolfstar defends borders more aggressive. Doesn't want to show clan's pain to others."

"That is actually what I wanted to discuss." Yellowstar held her head up and looked at Mousetail. "But first, your clan has begun large patrols in three different borders this moon. We are now concerned about our clan's ability to allow sanctuary to pets in the deeper areas of the more inhabited—"

The low roar of a blurred shadow interrupted as it flew over the rock. The cats were only able to see the sky-monster's silhouette, a small single-nosed one, as it flew overhead. A gust of wind blew in the opposite direction as it flew off towards the lights.

The cats paused, waiting for the alert from the Twolegs that it was an attacker. But the high-pitched wails never came.

Fleetheart decided to break the silence. "Must be another Achse monster. It could be trying to look at the damage from the fires earlier today."

"I do not think they see at night as well as we do," Blueclaw responded. "Both of us knew how dangerous that place has become, first paw. Take it from us; you do not want to be a pet in that area right now. Owners leave without warning. Many of the pets have already been killed by sky-monsters. Roaming this place alone, they will share the same fate at the paws of rouges, Twoleg dogs, or the Achse warriors themselves."

The lingering cries of two more sky-monsters could be heard overhead, this time much further up. The cats stopped briefly to try and find them, but couldn't see them.

"Concerns justified, Blueclaw," Mousetail responded. "Territory hasn't expanded. We only patrolling territory we owned since Pact. Never needed to watch it before. But now food scarce, too many cats, fire-faller attacks ruining everything."

"Patrolling it is one thing." Yellowstar shook her fur through the light gust of wind before continuing. "But StoneClan reports that LeafClan warriors have been attacking pets on sight. One area you have begun patrolling near the still occupied Twoleg dens has been a safe route for pets to take to the edge of StoneClan territory. Moving through your territory kept the rouges and strays away from them, without a Twoleg in sight."

The LeafClan medicine cat looked away from the group. "Kittypets will not enter that territory again. Last moonhigh made sure of that. Makes you feel any better, Wolfstar punished cats that attacked pet without warning. Won't see them again, either."

Flyfoot moved her head closer inward. "If you want the kittypets again, go get them yourself. Not like you have territory to defend, anyway."

"We are unable to make move deeper in at this time," Whitetail started. "Our numbers are few and our warriors are still mostly pets who have no real experience. Only four of us, as it stands now, are clan-born, and we are expecting no kits. The rouges greatly outnumber us."

"Oh, we could help you with that!" Fleetheart bounced to her paws and stared straight at the bright orange cat. Littlescent waited for her to continue for a moment, and then spoke herself.

"We own territory that goes straight from the occupied Twoleg dens to your current territory. And I've only found a few rouges running around searching for food. I bet Longstar wouldn't mind it at all."

"I was going to suggest that next." Fleetheart sat as Yellowstar stared off at the search lights in the distance. "We want the pets to be safe, and we need our numbers to rise if BreezeClan is to remain relevant. But most importantly, the wishes of StarClan must be honored. They would never want us to abandon a cat in danger; rouge, clan cat, or pet.

Yellowstar turned back towards the group. "What I propose is a guarded escort of the pets from their Twoleg nests. All of them. StoneClan cats would create a safe route with their presence all the way through their territory. Our warriors will help, of course, but it is the numbers and experience of the StoneClan warriors we need to ward off the rouges and other possible obstacles. That way, we can still save the pets without disrupting LeafClan."

Littlescent looked at Fleetheart, who nodded in agreement to the idea. But she was more concerned with the others. She stared at the LeafClan medicine cat, her apprentice scowling at her.

Mousetail shook her head at her, and turned to address the others.

"Noble idea Yellowstar. I remember you say you had this message from Stars many moons before their silence. But not good for us. Food scarce. We hunting things that normally hunt the small stuff themselves. The grass area near StoneClan old camp is still our unpatrolled territory."

Mousetail looked around the area, watching bushes lurch around from the wildcats below. "Even now, our warriors hunt. It's our best hunting ground now. Plenty of small stuff to kill, but not enough for entire clan. Adding to BreezeClan now only make it harder to hunt."

"We will honor the Pact, as we always have," Yellowstar replied. "We will not hunt in your territory. We are only concerned with seeing the safety of the pets."

"Kittypets add to our problem." Flyfoot hopped to her paws, her teeth barely showing as she angrily glared at the others.

"Save kittypets, more cats. More cats nearby, less prey. Border regions near stone cat territory empty when they moved closer. Twoleg nests in our camp hunted clean. Now you ask us to let more cats into the last good hunting area we have left? Our clan too large. We could starve easy if amount of prey drops again. That mean anything to you cats? Why do the other clans get more prey with less, smaller cats to feed?"

Fleetheart's ears fell back and her tail hung motionless over the edge of the rock as she nervously met her gaze.

"I'm... I'm sure we can work something out with the whole food thing. There's—"

"No!" Flyfoot spat. "We not take from other clans, we get our own!"

"Enough, Flyfoot. Stay silent." Mousetail motioned with her tail for her to sit. She did so, continuing to bear her teeth at Fleetheart.

"Wolfstar would never allow us to take from other clans. Imagine that, telling wildcats another clan must feed them."

Mousetail's ears perked up at a deep rumble over the city. The cats looked towards the bright search lights again as they panned the sky franticly searching. Another rumble rang out before the sirens began screeching their warning to the cats. The warriors around them froze, all of them yelping out their positions.

"Littlescent," Fleetheart whispered.

"No," she answered. "We should stay here and finish talking to Yellowstar."

"But what about Longstar's rule?"

"Look at the sky," Littlescent responded. "Listen to the thundersticks. They aren't the four-nosed monsters that normally attack. It must be the fast two-nosed ones again."

The cats sat back and listened for deeper rumbles, the ones they only heard when the monsters hit back. The thundersticks tore at the sky over and over, seeming to hit nothing.

A high-pitched noise took the groups attention over the outskirts. The sound quickly drew closer and louder; the monster made a sound like a cat screaming in pain. And as quickly as it came, it left in the direction towards the lights. A loud crack went with it, kicking up a cloud of dust through the stone it pulverized.

"Those sounds are not from the four-nosed ones," Yellowstar said, shaking out her fur and coming to her senses. "We have almost nothing to fear with the two-nosed ones. Just something to be annoyed about, with these sirens and all."

Fleetheart shifted around in the breeze and looked towards Littlescent. "Alright, we'll stay, if you say it's safe."

"You should listen to kit-sized one, apprentice," Flyfoot said. "She clearly know more about fire-fallers than you."

"Well then, should we get back to our agreement?" Yellowstar turned to address the LeafClan wildcats.

"We have to get the pets out of there, it is our duty. StarClan would not want us to abandon them, and we should not wait on them to act. I am sorry this possible arrangement inconveniences LeafClan, but it is what we must do. And after it is done, we are willing to assist your clan with all available resources. I can promise you that."

Whitetail looked at Yellowstar, who kept her sincere gaze on Mousetail, ignoring Flyfoot's scowl. He looked at the lights off in the distance, watching the thundersticks aimlessly firing into the night sky.

I know you're concerned. You just want to see everyone safe, just like me... I want to agree with her, I really do. But...

Mousetail glanced back towards the lights as the siren's wail reached the high point, her ears cringing back as she turned her attention back towards the others. "Fire-fallers will ruin us all," she whispered.

Turning to address the BreezeClan medicine cat once more, she motioned with her tail for her gray-striped apprentice to remain silent. "Yellowstar, have you ignored what I said? Your intentions good-hearted. But it only hurt us. Other cats killing prey, monsters killing prey... monsters killing cats, too. Less than yours, but they still do."

Mousetail straightened her posture, addressing all of the cats.

"I not speak for Wolfstar, but he'll say this anyway when I tell him. We won't interfere. But we'll not wait while clan suffers. There kits in our clan, at least five litters, and more coming. Warriors will go thin, queens will starve, kits will die. They're hungry, angry, and there's nothing we can do. We need warriors for defense. The sky is against us. Stars are silent now. But we not need them to prevent our own destruction... remember last prophecy Stars sent us..."

She glared at Yellowstar, who was interpreting