Chaosclan Writing Thread

[Kazin]

"We don't have any food." It was not a statement any of the cats wanted to hear. But it was a statement that none could avoid. While the hunting patrols had come up with a fine assortment to last the separated cats a few days, the reality was there weren't enough healthy cats left to keep hunting. Too many were injured, however slightly, beaten down by their own emotions. Once Raptorstar decided to truly open his eyes and see the cats in his clan, he realized how much they needed him. Even Songbirdstar, usually authoritative and level-headed, was subdued by the recent events. Separated from her kits, separated from her mate, she became closed off. For once, Raptorstar understood why so many of his cats hated him. It did nothing good for the clan when the cat who was supposed to lead them shut themself away, refusing to do what they were supposed to do or even tell someone else to do it. It was like a light switch had turned on in his mind, and he could finally see himself as what he was - stupid.

He tried not to sigh at the cat in front of him, but he was never good at hiding his frustration. "I know," he snapped, narrowing his eyes at the dirt. "We need... more cats who can actually do something. I..." Raptorstar trailed off, closing his eyes and letting out another sigh. "I'll lead another patrol. I'll go alone if I have to. Just... keep working on getting Songbirdstar up and moving, alright?" With a wave of his tail, he effectively dismissed Amberdawn. She glared back at the leader, but said nothing. There wasn't much to say, anyway.

I need to find more food. I need to find something. I need to find out where we are...

Raptorstar ignored all the other cats milling around in their makeshift camp. He didn't want to deal with anyone else right now, even if any of them were up for hunting. He could find something on his own. He would... well, he wasn't really sure, but he knew he needed to get away, to be alone. But maybe being alone was exactly what he didn't need right now.

He had let his mind wander too far. He wasn't aware of his surroundings, and his injured ear and sightless side got taken advantage of. He only saw a blur of fur, not able to even make a sound as the wind was knocked out of him, as a small badger body slammed him, pinning him with its strong muscles. As it raised a paw to take one slow swipe, Raptorstar barely had time to process a second bundle of fur blurring past his vision, effectively knocking the small badger off of him before it had the chance to do anything. With a cry of frustration, it was gone, lumbering away into the forest.

"What are you thinking, mouse-brain?!" Huffed the cat that had rescued him. Raptorstar shook off the dirt from his pelt as he got himself right side up again, but said nothing. He still didn't want to speak with Buzzardshade, however wrong he was the first time for exiling him. He did, however, notice the cold glare of the smaller cat beside Buzzardshade. Twigpaw. The young cat had made no move to help, and the glare that he was giving Raptorstar was almost... unsettling. A twinge of fear poked at Raptorstar's heart - he had never felt such malice coming from any cat, not even Buzzardshade.

"Thanks for... saving me," Raptorstar finally ground out, giving a tentative nod in his brother's direction. "I was..."

"Hunting?" Buzzardshade finished, raising one eyebrow in amusement. "You don't seem to have much prey to show for that. Nor did you really seem intent on catching any. No, really it looked like you were just going to let that badger kill you."

"I wasn't..." Raptorstar shook his head, letting out a sigh. "No. I wasn't. I'm going to go hunting now, and you can go back to the camp."

"Wait," Buzzardshade said, rolling his eyes. "Twigpaw and I already caught some food, so you don't need to worry about it. We all need rest, though, and you should come back with us?" Buzzardshade phrased his last statement more like a question. Both brothers were still unused to being on speaking terms, however rocky those terms still were.

Silently, Raptorstar nodded, fatigue biting at his brain and at his paws. And though he would never admit it, the thought of running into the badger again was not something he wanted to deal with...

____________________________________________________________________________

Still nothing. Not even a hint of the missing cats. No fur, no scent, nothing. It was as if they really just disappeared, like the Twolegs apparently did all those moons ago, back when Crowcatcher was still young. It didn't make any sense. How could one storm cause so much damage to one clan? How could it make cats disappear without a trace?

She let out a growl of frustration, unaware that many miles away her leader was doing the same thing. Equally frustrated, equally as desperate for reuniting their camps...

Not for the first time, Crowcatcher felt herself thinking of Wrenbreeze... How much easier it would be if her mate were beside her now. A harsh pang of longing and pain found its way to Crowcatcher's heart, and she nearly let out a pitiful mew of sadness. She couldn't do this alone...

But you're not alone...

The whisper, it was so familiar that it sent another pang through Crowcatcher's heart. Wrenbreeze. She was right. Crowcatcher was not alone, and she had nearly an entire clan of cats by her side. They were looking for the lost cats even as she sat in her den, and she hardened her gaze. She should be helping them. And so she would.

Chaosclan was strong. Chaosclan was tenacious. Whatever life threw at them, they would handle it. They would come back stronger than ever.

[Kazin]

A lead! It was exactly what the cats had needed. Crowcatcher hadn't slept since the arrival of their new scout. She was incredibly helpful, and turned out to have a remarkable memory. Acaciapatch, as she was now named, told Crowcatcher of a group of cats she saw on the other side of the Twoleg town. She mentioned that she hadn't gone up to the group because the leader looked awfully stern and grumpy, not to mention intimidating because he had heavy scarring on his face...

Immediately Crowcatcher's heart soared. Raptorstar! There was no way it wasn't him! Without wasting a moment, Crowcatcher was assembling a team of cats to follow Acaciapatch beyond the Twoleg town. With their own hopes in front of them, it wasn't hard to find cats jumping at the opportunity to potentially see their families or mates again - and soon Crowcatcher, Starlingblink, Flameraven, Nightshadesting, and Snowbriar were well on their way alongside Acaciapatch to find their lost clanmates.

The cats were holding a steady pace, already almost to the outskirts of the Twoleg town as the sun reached the peak in the sky. Conversation was light, all the cats too focused on getting to the others to want to waste time talking. But Crowcatcher knew they couldn't keep going the way they were forever, and would have to take a break. "We need to rest here," she announced as they neared a small stream on the edge of the village. "We'll take a few moments to gather ourselves, get a drink, and maybe find a mouse to snack on before continuing. Make sure you ask for rest if needed, I don't want to take any risks now that we're far from camp." No one argued, no one complained. They all trusted her, a thought that simultaneously terrified Crowcatcher and filled her with pride.

Crowcatcher settled down next to Acaciapatch, gazing around at the others who had finally initiated their own conversations, their tones hopeful and bright. It was such a start mood difference from the last couple of moons that Crowcatcher couldn't help but feel giddy herself. "Hey, Acaciapatch," she said suddenly, looking over to the she-cat next to her. "When you saw the cats... could you tell if they looked healthy?" Sudden worry had gripped Crowcatcher in the lull of activity, and her anxiety spiked as she thought of what could lie in wait for them once they did reach the missing cats. Her mind thought of the lost Leafbare patrols, of Ravenstrike who had lost his life after that patrol was separated, and she shuddered thinking of what could happen.

"Oh, they looked great, actually. I saw a small prey-pile from the treeline, and there looked to be a good amount of cats. Even a couple younger looking ones that were practicing fighting, I think. I don't remember seeing anything that looked out of place or anyone that looked injured, but like I said before, I didn't really get close." Acaciapatch gave Crowcatcher a small smile of encouragement. "If they're anything like you lot, I know they'll be just fine. You're all fighters, and I am too. They wouldn't just sit back and let themselves grow cold or hungry, especially Raptorstar, it sounds like. I can't imagine he'd let anyone starve."

The young deputy let out a sigh. "Yeah, you're definitely right on the nose there. Thank you."

__________________________________________________________________________

It was nightfall, and Gilaspike could only be thankful that the night was clear and their watch was on this night. Through a bit of luck, and perhaps a bit of good-naturedness on Raptorstar's part for once, they found themself on watch with Zephyrsnap, of all cats. Though he took his duties incredibly seriously, it was still comforting to have his presence beside them. Gilaspike often found they were a nervous wreck attempting to keep watch with other cats they didn't know well. Others would often get grumpy that Gilaspike pointed out seemingly random things, or that they would not alert them to things they saw. They could never truly understand what others wanted them to share, but Zephyrsnap was different. Zephyrsnap and Gilaspike had their own strange connection, able to sense what the other was looking at without having to say anything except the occasional soft word. It was how Gilaspike preferred things - silent, but a friendly silence.

When Gilaspike caught sight of movement in the shadows, they didn't need to alert Zephyrsnap. He could already sense their change in position, their tense body as they saw the movement. But the shadows didn't seem hostile... no, instead they seemed eager, almost. Zephyrsnap put his tail protectively in front of his mate, standing his ground as the shadowy figures came closer and closer, his guard only dropping once Gilaspike let out a whisper that sailed across the clear night with ease. "Crowcatcher?" They breathed in disbelief, recognizing the small brown tabby anywhere. Gilaspike's eyes widened and they took a tentative step closer, scenting the air. Yes! They were found!

Zephyrsnap needed no encouragement to race around the makeshift camp, rousing cats from their sleep, herding them over to Crowcatcher's small group. Once Raptorstar himself emerged, Gilaspike slipped back into the shadows to reunite with Zephyrsnap, watching the interaction between leader and deputy.

"You found us," Raptorstar said incredulously, his eyes wide. "How?"

"I'll tell you on the way back," Crowcatcher said, her heart buzzing. "I'm so glad you all seem to be safe. Is everyone alright? Do you think we should leave now? I know everyone back at camp is dying to know if everyone is okay."

He took one small glance back at the cats that had gathered, the cries of friends reuniting, families checking over each other, and mates catching up on all that had happened. Not one cat was left in their nest, and most glowing eyes were watching Raptorstar expectantly. He could tell what they wanted, and he couldn't agree more.

"Let's go." He fell into step beside Crowcatcher, a sense of calm finally settling over him for once since the separation from main camp. "How are things back at camp?" He asked casually, thinking of all the cats that might be lost... He bowed his head as Crowcatcher and he shared the names of those that were deceased, but remained hopeful that the numbers were relatively low. "We'll have a ceremony once we're all together again to honor those that we lost," he vowed, his heart heavy. Too many lives lost, but many more lives were going to be happy once they could be reunited. "Were you leading the camp on your own?" He asked after a short pause, after the loss of Fallencrow panged heavily on his heart. He and Songbirdstar, along with Zephyrsnap, were separated, leaving Crowcatcher the sole cat in leadership back at the main camp. He couldn't imagine how she would have done it...

"Oh. I, uh, well, I chose another soldier to help me out... I understand if you want to demote him again, but he's been helping me a lot. Atlasrain," she added, noting the nod Raptorstar gave her. "He even has his own kits to take care of that he found, but he's still been an incredible leader and a lot of the cats look up to him."

"You made a good choice," Raptorstar amended, tilting his head slightly. "I see no reason to remove him from the position. You've done well, Crowcatcher. Thank you for finding us."

Crowcatcher let the praise wash over her as the conversation lulled, Raptorstar hanging back to go talk to Songbirdstar and Starlingblink. It felt good. She had done good for her clan, and she vowed she would continue doing all that she could to make her clan better than ever.

[Kazin]

It didn't take long at all for things to settle back into a normal rhythm. It would never feel like they never left, how could it when so many cats were gone? But it did feel like the separation had made the clan grow closer together, had made them unified. Most of the cats even noted the positive attitude change from Raptorstar, his attempts to spend more time with more cats becoming clearer to everyone. Most cats enjoyed it, but there was still one that watched him from the sidelines, a scowl on his features. He was plotting, though he couldn't let anyone know. He needed to keep a sense of normalcy around, and so he feigned interest in mock fights, in games of mossball, in training, even... but his only interest was revenge. It was the only thought that kept him going forward, the only thought that surfaced in his mind.

And now, he had a plan.

It was nothing that would ever harm another cat. He vowed he would never do what Raptorstar did, he could never rip a family apart, even if it meant causing Raptorstar pain. He needed to get him out, to separate him, to have him exiled just like he did to Buzzardshade. The only thing left for Twigpaw to do was find others willing to follow him, others that weren't so happy with their leader even after his change of heart. There were plenty of unenthused cats, rolling their eyes at Raptorstar's attempts to make amends and make friends. Twigpaw was finding those cats and befriending them, and he just needed to bide his time. He needed to be a warrior first, because no one took apprentices seriously. But he would get his revenge, and he would see to it that Raptorstar was never allowed back inside Chaosclan again. He didn't deserve to be here.

___________________________________________________________________________

"They're so small," Skippercloud remarked for the third time since dawn. He hadn't taken his eyes off of the small kits, blinking in fear whenever they came to close, too bewildered to do much other than flick his tail for them. He didn't understand them. He had never wanted to spend much time around kits, at least not until recently. He found himself... oddly enjoying their company. And more than definitely enjoying the company of their father.

Atlasrain watched Skippercloud play with the kits with a tentative smile around his face. He wasn't sure how the clan would react to his kits, a shock even to himself when he found out he was going to be a father, something he never thought he'd have. But he found himself growing fiercely protective of his sons and daughters, loving them as soon as they met his gaze. He wanted to keep them safe, and he wanted them to grow up in this clan.

What he didn't realize until now was that he didn't want to raise kits with anyone else but Skippercloud. The other tom was incredibly caring, and showed more kindness than Atlasrain ever thought he deserved. Skippercloud never left his side.

When the kits scrambled back to the nursery, yawning and complaining that they needed a nap in their squeaking voices, Skippercloud and Atlasrain found themselves alone. A rare moment nowadays, what with the extra duties Atlasrain was taking on because of his appoitnment as a soldier, but a well-deserved moment. The two toms walked side by side into the forest, enjoying peace and quiet, and solitude.

"Can I ask you something?" Atlasrain was barely aware he had let the words come out of his mouth, and nearly clamped his tail over his mouth to keep himself from saying something stupid. Skippercloud looked over at him with a slightly tilted head, his eyes searching Atlasrain's features expectantly. Atlasrain looked away, shaking his head at himself.

"Ask away," Skippercloud said softly, prodding Atlasrain with a paw. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"I... I..." Atlasrain stammered, heat creeping up his face as he tried to admit his feelings. Emotions were hard, and even harder around the cat that he knew he loved...

Skippercloud smirked suddenly, reading Atlasrain better than Atlasrain could read himself. "I think I know what's on your mind," he said in amusement, pressing his side against Atlasrain's. "And your answer is yes. I have always loved you, Atlas. And I've wanted nothing more than to be by your side, whether that be as your mate or as your friend."

"You... you... really?" Atlasrain stammered, unable to get his thoughts together enough to put together even a single sentence. His heart was racing, his emotions soaring to new heights.

"Of course," Skippercloud purred, looking up at the clouds. "I care about you a lot. And I care about the kits... Atlasrain, let me say the words that I know you're too scared to say. Will you be my mate?"

The answer would always be yes.

[Kazin]

He was at the nursery again. He couldn't stay away, and who could blame him? His kits, though it still felt strange to call any kit his kits, were adorable. And spunky. And playful. And they kept his life interesting, and fun. Almost the entire nursery would crawl all over him while the queens watched in amusement, their excited cries giving him all the more reason to keep coming back each day. A lot of the older kits had started calling him 'dad,' especially since his own kits had grown used to the title as well. He sheepishly looked over at the queens whenever it happened, but none of them seemed to mind. It was Cindersong who pointed out to him that many of them didn't know their fathers and probably never would, and it was nice to know they had such a good role model in their lives to be like a parent to them. It was a title he never expected, but one he gladly accepted. Even if none of the kits were actually related to him, he was happy to be their dad, or one of their dads.

Today was a warm day, even for Leafbare. The approach of Newleaf was on the horizon, and it was making the spirits of the clan cats high. The prey-pile, looking alarming for the past few moons, was finally starting to fill up again. And for the first time in a few moons, the cats were all together again. No one was lost, no one was still missing because of the storm, and nearly everyone was happy. Skippercloud wouldn't have it any other way.

"Do you all want to play a game of hide and seek?" He asked, seeing that the kits were growing tense with their current game of 'don't let the feather touch your tail.' His question was met with cheers of joy, for it was one of their favorite games - and one that they didn't get to play that often. "Ok, you all have to ask your parent for permission. I don't want you disappearing without them knowing." Skippercloud made sure to stare each and every kit in the eyes to get them to nod, watching each scurry back into the nursery to stumble over each other and ask for permission. He mouthed a quick sorry to Cindersong, who caught his eye, and she rolled her eyes in amusement as the older kits talked over each other. She gave him a smirk that said don't apologize to me - my kits are still too young to walk. Skippercloud chuckled to himself as a familiar scent washed over him and he started purring.

"We're about to start a game of hide and seek," Skippercloud said to Atlasrain, intertwining his tail with his mate's. "Would you like to help me seek them out?" The kits were starting to come bounding back to Skippercloud, each talking animatedly to each other about where they were going to hide, unaware that Skippercloud was able to hear them. He smirked as they shushed each other only when they came within a couple tail-lengths. Perhaps he would have to teach them about how far away cats could hear before they became apprentices and scared away all the prey...

Carefully, he counted how many kits were playing. Eleven. Perfect. Agavekit was still unsteady on her feet, but her eyes were bright as she squeaked excitedly about being able to play for the first time. He would keep a close eye on her, and beckoned Pyrekit over to do the same. He had shown himself to be a responsible kit with an eye for keeping the younger kits safe, and Skippercloud often relied on him to be responsible and report back if a problem came up. "Alright, everybody ready? Remember you aren't allowed outside of the camp, so you have to stay on the Thunderpath. The edge of camp is where the dens stop, remember?" Each small head gave a tiny bob, each kit almost vibrating in excitement. "Ok... on your marks, get set... go!" He closed his eyes and smiled as he heard paws scramble over the pavement, kits arguing with each other the entire way to find their hiding places.

Atlasrain watched the kits with a soft smile on his face, softly letting his mate know when all the kits seemed to have hidden. "Ready or not, here I come!" Skippercloud's voice rang out across the clearing, turning a few heads. Most smiled, careful to let their eyes give away some hiding places with a short laugh. It was always a treat for most of the older cats when the kits came out to play, most stopping what they were doing to help play with the kits and distract them once they were found before sending them back to the nursery to report to their parent. A few of the warriors preferred to hide away themselves once the kits came through camp, preferring silence and solitude to the sounds of playing kits. A mere few moons ago, Skippercloud would have counted himself among those that would have preferred to stay away, but he had grown fond of the small bundles of fur, even when they were loud and seemingly annoying. He remembered he was a kit once, too. Though he did admit he preferred talking with the kits over playing with them, enjoying softer and deeper conversation, he couldn't help but enjoy laughter and their energy.

It almost always came down to Inkkit being the last one to be found. Her dark pelt gave her an advantage over the bright colors of the other kits, and the only thing that often gave her away was her eyes. Chocolatekit was close to being as sneaky as her, but he was too excitable and would often reveal himself with a small laugh, taking the bait whenever Skippercloud pondered aloud where the kit could be. Inkkit, however, knew how to play the game. She would close her eyes, even, when the seekers came near. Skippercloud was always impressed with the she-cat, and even went so far as to tell Raptorstar what a great hunter and tracker she could be in the shadows.

He had to rely on his nose to find Inkkit. As Atlasrain led Tempestkit away, the second to last kit from being found - Skippercloud took note of his wits as well, for the young kit was an expert at choosing spots, he just had the unfortunate addition of bright white to his pelt that Inkkit didn't have - Skippercloud sat in front of the monster that Inkkit was hiding under. "Guess she's the last one again," Skippercloud mused, blinking over in the direction of her hiding spot. "But I think I know where she is," he continued, taking a few steps over to the monster and peering down into the shadows, seeing eyes blink back at him.

Only it wasn't just Inkkit's eyes blinking back at him. Had he miscounted how many kits he found already? No, he was certain Tempestkit was the tenth he found, making Inkkit eleven. Did another one of the kits sneak away from the nursery and try to hide? That didn't make sense, their parents were extremely keen on them following the rules to keep every kit accounted for. Who, then, was the second pair of eyes?

Skippercloud coaxed Inkkit out, who looked abashed as the ginger tom glanced back at the monster. The other kit wasn't keen on coming out. "Who's your friend?" He asked Inkkit softly, trying to not let the mystery kit out of his sight as he turned to talk to Inkkit. "Did you find them there?"

"No..." Inkkit admitted slowly, looking down at the ground. "I've been playing with him a lot recently. He's been hiding in camp for a while, and I hide with him to play with him. He's my friend," she added indignantly, as if Skippercloud was going to send him away or tell her she couldn't play with him anymore.

"I know," the tom said, still shocked at the presence of a kit that no one had noticed for a few days. "Why don't you ask him to come out? We can give him some food, and let him stay. I'm sure no one would mind." After all, what was another kit to add on to the ever-growing nursery? There was no shortage of willing parents to look after another kit, either.

Inkkit stared at Skippercloud for a long while, judging if he was going to be true to his word. He held his ground, looking back into the black she-cat's eyes before she seemed to make up her mind, nodding and turning her attention to the shadows. "Skippercloud's really nice, he's my dad! You can come out and say hi."

Slowly, ever so slowly, a dark kit emerged. Skippercloud blinked at the new arrival, taking note of his unusual appearance. He could understand the kit's reluctance for coming out. "Hey there," Skippercloud said softly, giving the kit a small smirk. "Do you have a name? And do you want food? I can take you to get something." The kit was skinnier than Skippercloud would have liked, and he felt a pang of protectiveness surge through him. He was going to help this kit. No matter what.

"Shadow," the kit whispered, his dark eyes meeting Skippercloud's own green ones very briefly. "And... yes please," he whispered, a spark of hope lighting his eyes.

Skippercloud smiled again, flicking his tail to beckon the kit forward. "Follow me." As the young kit tentatively stepped towards Skippercloud, the warrior turned his attention briefly to Inkkit. "Can you get Atlasrain, and tell him we have a new member of the clan?" As Inkkit scurried away, and Skippercloud led his new charge to the nursery, careful to avoid too many staring eyes, he couldn't help but shake his head at the weirdness of it all. Chaosclan really did have a plethora of kits, and he found he didn't want it any other way.

[Kazin]

The moon was well past it's peak, camp filled with the sound of soft snores and gentle breathing. It was, perhaps, Flameraven's favorite part of the day. He didn't have to pretend to like anyone anymore, and he was free to let his thoughts wander to his parents... oh, how he missed them. It didn't get any easier, that was for sure. But in the night, he felt that he was closer to them both. He could almost hear their gentle bickering echoing through the breeze, and he could see his father's slight smile if he closed his eyes. Yes, he knew they were still here with him. We always will be.

There it was - the whispers in the breeze. Flameraven allowed himself a smile, closing his eyes and letting his guard down. Not much happened at night, which was another reason he often found himself asking for night watch duty. He wasn't without company, not with the whispers of the Starclan cats surrounding him, and it wasn't as if he was alone to Chaosclan cats either - four cats were always assigned duty each night. Not many chose to remain on their night duties, not as keen to the quiet as Flameraven was, but there was always someone he trusted. Tonight, it was him, Minkbriar, Starlingblink, and Sharkfrost... and while neither were aware of each other's thoughts, both Flameraven and Sharkfrost had similar dreams running through their heads.

Sharkfrost thought of Sealshine often. Her gentle laughter, her calming presence. He knew he was a better cat because of her, and he always would be. He was kind because of her, he was brave because of her, and most of all, he was confident in himself because of her. While others had said Sharkfrost wouldn't make a good warrior, that he would have to retire nearly as soon as he received his warrior name, he had proved them wrong. He had shown that he was strong. He was brave. He was important.

He felt her everywhere - in Skatetooth's laugh, so similar to their mother's. In the presence of the new queens in the nursery and their gentleness towards their kits - especially Cindersong. He swore he could still hear her voice, drifting through the wind, encouraging the other cats when they needed it. He vowed that he would always speak her words, that he would always encourage others, just as she had done for him. He would always carry her with him. I will always be with you.

The wind worked in mysterious ways.

__________________________________________________________________________

He had finally found what he needed. A friend. Ratscratch was incredibly willing to jump aboard the cause - he felt hurt by the cats' inability to include him on their activities, though Twigpaw didn't have the heart to tell him it was nothing personal. Each of the cats Ratscratch's age were mourning the loss of different cats, too caught up in their grief to spend energy on building a new relationship with the newcomer. But Twigpaw had plenty of energy, and plenty of time. He knew he could get Ratscratch to see that it was Raptorstar fracturing the clan, that they needed to get the rest of the clan to see that too...

The only trick was going to be how they got the others to understand, to rally behind Songbirdstar as the sole leader of Chaosclan, as it was meant to be. To remove Crowcatcher, so blind in following Raptorstar's leadership, from her deputy position. They needed better leadership.

As the days passed, Twigpaw's plan grew. He was sure that he could get a decent number of cats to follow him, but none would give him any notice while he was still an apprentice. That was where Ratscratch came in - the suave tom already reported that Daisymask had expressed her dislike of Raptorstar as well. Perhaps things would fall into place better than he ever thought possible...

Now he just needed time, and a warrior name.

[Kazin]

He was tired of living on the outskirts of clans. He was tired of running away from relationships. He was simply tired of being on his own, and that was ok. Change was a good thing... right? Normally, Ratscratch would have wholeheartedly accepted this statement. Normally. But not now. Fate was cruel, and change seemed to be a terrible idea. Why did bad things have to happen to good cats? ChaosClan seemed like the perfect clan for him on the outside - full of cats that he could befriend, the different personalities a goldmine for someone as adaptable as him. All seemed perfect, even down to the camp tour he received from the leader - no nonsense and straight to the point, Ratscratch was impressed with Raptorstar's strict and concise statements. He could tell some of the other clan members gave Raptorstar a wide berth, but Ratscratch knew he would enjoy being under this cat's leadership. Or enjoy tearing it down, piece by piece, alongside Twigpaw. Chaos was in the clan's name, after all... Yes, perfect... except for the cat that he knew. Shriketuft. Of course he was here. It made things very complicated for the past couple of moons he had been here.

Shriketuft was the one cat Ratscratch had been sure he loved. Yeah, maybe he had been young. Maybe he had been a bit naive to think that Shriketuft loved him back. Ratscratch was sure he could live with the fact that Shriketuft wasn't meant for him, but to be blindsided by the fluffy gray tom's pelt, his stoic amber eyes staring at him from across the camp, it almost made Ratscratch change his mind. There was also a small amount of fear in his heart that Shriketuft would know what he had done to his former clan... the clan Ratscratch almost joined... ShiningClan cats died because of Ratscratch. Not that anyone knew, or at least he thought, but there was only so much he could keep away from Shriketuft. Sooner or later, the truth would come out. He could only hope that it would be later. Or never.

When Ratscratch saw one of the newcomers, he could tell he was lost. It was an emotion the tom felt often enough, especially in the moons between his joining of ChaosClan and watching the clan cats from the forest, from the shadows. Graystone, as the newcomer was called, was clearly lost. His eyes displayed his confusion, his longing for something he didn't yet have. He was missing someone. It was with this knowledge that Ratscratch approached the young tom, already seeing a potential member for Twigpaw's cause.

"Hey," Ratscratch smirked, eyeing Graystone slyly. "You're the new cat on the block, right? The name's Ratscratch, and it's a pleasure to meet you, new cat. You like it here so far?"

Graystone's nose wrinkled in disinterest for a split second before the tom was able to wipe the emotion from his face, going back to stoic and almost unreadable. Ratscratch found himself thinking of Shriketuft, his keenness to do the same thing. It seemed he was always going to notice gray toms with an affinity for apathy. "My name is not new cat," Graystone replied slowly, shaking his head slightly. "It's Graystone. And yeah, it's fine here."

"You sound like you're trying to convince yourself of that still," Ratscratch joked, tossing a mouse from the fresh-kill pile to Graystone in a perfect arc. The gray tom watched the mouse with disdain, taking his time to bend down and take a bite. "Let me tell you, something about the cats here is just killer. Very... cliquey, I guess you could say. I bet no one has really made an effort to talk to you, have they?" Graystone grunted in reply, averting his gaze. Ratscratch smiled again in glee, knowing he had hit the mark. After all, he experienced that himself, even if he was more outgoing. He could only imagine a quieter cat like Graystone would have trouble finding cats to talk to right away. It would take a couple moons for him to settle in... and Ratscratch knew he could get to the tom before the others had a chance to get to know him. He would do it for Twigpaw, for the cause. Even if he wasn't sure he believed in the cause Twigpaw was fighting for, he learned he believed in chaos. "Let me introduce you to Twigpaw. We'll be happy to be your friends."

___________________________________________________________________________

The new kit was very quiet, very reserved. Flighty, even, darting away from conversation at any chance he could get. He wasn't even nervous of new cats, just uncaring in what authority figures had to say. Most of the other cats in the nursery gave him a wide berth, seemingly uncaring if he were to leave and simply not return, blend into the forest as easily as the day he was found by a patrol. It wasn't uncommon to lose track of the tiny tom anyhow, the ginger kit disappearing for nearly entire days before just showing back up in the nursery, ignoring questions like he had never left. There was something about the kit that Frostlight wanted to understand. Something that intrigued him. Mostly, Frostlight really just wanted to hear Rabbitkit speak. To say something, to care about something other than being by himself. The parent could tell there was something Rabbitkit seemed to be missing, something he was searching for, and Frostlight was determined to figure out what that was.

"Hey, why don't we go take a stroll in the forest?" Frostlight tossed up the suggestion once the other queens had let their kits go play, taking time to rest and have time to themselves. Just Glacierkit, Polarkit, and Rabbitkit were left in the nursery, the others enjoying a game of moss ball with Skippercloud and Atlasrain. Yuccagrowl and Cindersong were already fast asleep, their gentle snores filling the nursery with a sense of calm. Really, he was hoping that Rabbitkit would be more inclined to open up - whether it be to himself or to either of his kits - once they were in the forest. And it was going to be a bit of a selfish reason as well, for Frostlight really hadn't gotten the chance to be out and about in the forest since he had had his kits. He longed to hear something other than the meows of other cats, the sounds of kittens playing, and longed to feel more grass under his paws rather than the cold pavement of the Thunderpath ChaosClan called home.

Frostlight's suggestion was met with enthusiasm, and it wasn't hard to get any of his three kits out into the forest. The quartet of cats stuck close to the camp, walking a perimeter around the area. Just far enough away that the cats in the camp were no longer audible, but close enough that Frostlight could get one of the kits to get help if needed. Or get help himself. For the first part of the walk, everything was quiet as the kits enjoyed watching and listening to the birds, the occasional talk of what the bird might be from Frostlight, echoed by Glacierkit. If Glacierkit and Polarkit hadn't been further away, talking to each other about the eagle they just saw overhead with excitement, a rabbit clutched in its talons, Frostlight might have missed Rabbitkit's quiet words.

"Hare always loved eagles." Frostlight had to double take to make sure he knew that it was Rabbitkit speaking. The young tom had a far off look in his eyes, not unlike his normal expression.

"Who's Hare?" Frostlight asked casually, inching closer to the kit. Rabbitkit blinked absently, turning his head slowly towards Frostlight as if just remembering his presence.

"My sister," Rabbitkit whispered, turning away from Frostlight with a small sigh, looking out into the forest. "I lost her when the dog attacked..."

A sister. "We'll find her," Frostlight vowed, resting his tail on Rabbitkit's head lightly as a sign of affection for the young kit. "I'll help you find your family, Rabbitkit. I promise."

____________________________________________________________________________________

Twigpaw really wished rolling his eyes was an option. He hated listening to Raptorstar explain their tasks. He wasn't even truly paying attention any longer, instead judging his brother for his attentiveness towards their incompetent leader. Shrikepaw seemed to be eating up every word Raptorstar said. To say the pair had drifted apart recently would be an understatement - Twigpaw felt himself resenting Shrikepaw with each day, watching his brother gain more of a relationship with Buzzardshade as the days passed, feeling isolated from who he thought was his family, biological or not. Twigpaw was slowly coming to the realization that he only had himself - and maybe Ratscratch. Daisymask had been a good friend to him so far as well, lamenting about how Raptorstar made her feel unwanted in this clan. Yes, there were others like him, but they weren't the cats Twigpaw wanted to be around. Who he really wanted was Buzzardshade.

It was his father who he sought out while he waited for Shrikepaw to finish his assessment. Apparently only one apprentice at a time was allowed to take their assessment in the forest, out of fear that each may sabotage each other. Not that it wasn't something Twigpaw had considered, but he had better things to do than cause his brother to wait to take on a warrior name. The thought did make Twigpaw roll his eyes, but at least no one was around to see it.

Fortunately for Twigpaw, Buzzardshade never really went far. He was almost always with his kits, or hanging out in the grassy patch that had grown on the Thunderpath, shaded by a couple of monsters. On this moment, it was just Buzzardshade and Nightingalepaw talking with each other, sharing a rabbit.

"Can I talk to you?" Twigpaw had been avoiding Buzzardshade for a few moons, so the request came as a shock to his adoptive father. Nightingalepaw gave Twigpaw her own nod, a curious look crossing her features before she bid her father and brother farewell. Twigpaw had never been close to Nightingalepaw, but he felt a pang of sadness at her coldness towards him. He really was drifting away from his family. Buzzardshade gave his son a nod, beckoning for Twigpaw to take the spot Nightingalepaw had just vacated. He pushed the rabbit closer to the apprentice, and Twigpaw tentatively took a few bites, if only to stall what he wanted to say.

"I was beginning to think you were going to hate me forever," Buzzardshade said quietly, a half-joking tone in his voice... though his eyes betrayed the sadness the older tom felt. "It's been a while since you've wanted to talk to me."

Twigpaw glared at a nearby patch of dirt. Of course he hadn't wanted to talk to him. He had made up with Raptorstar, who had gotten Petalsong killed. It was as if Petalsong meant nothing to him anymore. "I haven't talked to you because you forgave Raptorstar," Twigpaw finally ground out, realizing there was no reason to hide the truth. "I was hoping I could understand... why. He got mom killed. He killed her himself. And yet you're... you're letting him get away with it! With everything!"

Buzzardshade glanced back at Twigpaw as he ranted, the sadness creeping into his expression, all joking set aside. "Raptorstar never meant to hurt her. He loved her, even if she didn't love him in the end. We were both at fault, Twigpaw, me and Raptorstar. I can't place full blame on him when I, too, was being immature. I let my hatred of my brother cloud everything else, and I was wrong to do that, and it got Petalsong killed. Raptorstar is making amends for what happened. And I am too. Petalsong deserves to rest peacefully, to not have to watch us all fight each other anymore..."

"And you think that's what she truly wants?" Twigpaw's voice was deathly quiet, an icy chill crossing the air. The rabbit lay forgotten between the two of them. Buzzardshade let out a sigh, nodding firmly over to his son. "Fine." Twigpaw narrowed his eyes, tail lashing as he stood. "I can't believe I was naive enough to call you my father. You are no father of mine, and no one who supports Raptorstar has any right being in my life!"

He vowed to never talk to Buzzardshade again. Not ever. Instead, his focus would be on usurping the inept leader. He needed to see Raptorstar pay for what he did to Twigpaw, for what he did to Petalsong. He would make Buzzardshade pay as well. They all would pay.

[Kazin]

"Enter." Raptorstar was not in the mood to deal with this. Really, he was never in the mood to deal with anything, but now he was wondering why his clan couldn't be happy and normal for just one season. That was all he wanted. To not have to deal with all of these problems. And now, he was the root of his own problem, and his clan was too big to even figure out what was happening. His tail was twitching in annoyance as he thought of this 'resistance' Atlasrain and Crowcatcher had been hearing whispers about. They weren't the only ones - just recently Songbirdstar had caught wind of it, and earlier Longbranch expressed concerns from what he had heard as well. What a time to be alive.

Buzzardshade looked exhausted. Moreso than Raptorstar felt. It was enough to throw the tom off, to catch his anger off guard for a few moments. "What's wrong with you?" He asked in surprise, something akin to concern crossing the tom's normally scowling features before he could stop it.

A small half-smirk danced across Buzzardshade's mouth. "Nice to see you too, brother. Why did you call me here?" He wasn't in the mood for answering questions.

"I asked you first," Raptorstar growled, rolling his eye at Buzzardshade's change of topic. Buzzardshade only raised his eyebrows, waiting for Raptorstar to continue. "I need to know about this resistance I've been hearing about. For some reason, all the cats have given me your name when I've asked about it, and I needed to know why that is."

A heavy sigh from Buzzardshade as the tom closed his eyes. "That's why I've been up for so long," he responded tiredly, eyes falling to the ground. "I had a hunch that it could be Twigstorm, but after watching him for the last moon... he doesn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary. I don't know how much my word means to you right now, but I can without a doubt say I am not leading any sort of resistance against you. I'm too old to deal with that stuff, and if I didn't want to be under your leadership, I would simply leave. I'm just as peeved that this is happening as you are, trust me."

Raptorstar gave a sigh of his own, sitting back on his haunches and screwing his eyes shut tight. "I know you aren't the root, I was just hoping you had some sort of answer for this." Buzzardshade shook his head, defeated. "Keep your ears open, then," Raptorstar grumbled, dismissing his brother. They needed to get to the root of this uprising before it does some real damage. Raptorstar was tired of hurting his clanmates, his comrades... the cats he could even call his friends and family. There had been too much loss in ChaosClan already.

____________________________________________________________________________

The forest had always been the perfect place to hide. Not that cats didn't see them, or that it was unused - no, the hunting and border patrols came here regularly. But no one suspected anything, especially since the cats weren't exactly hiding. Rather, Twigstorm kept his entire operation in the open, ordering his subordinates around in plain site. What he had done in secret, however, was a system of codes - mostly ways of asking who Graystone, Ratscratch, or Daisymask had been able to get on their side. It was a perfect set up, at least in Twigstorm's mind. He kept himself on the outskirts of the forest, on the pretense of finding the sun's rays through the gaps in the trees without having to be in the main part of camp. Ratscratch did the opposite, the medium between the other three, stationed in the exact middle of the main camp. Graystone was somewhere where Twigstorm couldn't see, though both Ratscratch and Daisymask could. Daisymask was in Twigstorm's sights too, hanging out in an abandoned Twoleg monster that no one had claimed as a den thus far.

The young warrior could see that Buzzardshade has his own group of cats following him. He could see that Buzzardshade's gaze still followed him wherever he went, as the whispers of the resistance were still in the air. Twigstorm could say with confidence that while his father was still suspicious of him, he had no proof. What Buzzardshade saw was that Twigstorm spent a lot of time on his own, which was exactly what the tom wanted his father to see. As Raptorstar and Buzzardshade started to suspect him, Twigstorm told his growing resistance to stop the rumors. No one should know, but keep the clan on alert. Make them worried.

He could see that his plan was working just based off of the wary and exhausted look that both Raptorstar and Buzzardshade shared. It was enough to make the tom want to smirk to himself, but he knew that he couldn't. Buzzardshade surely had someone keeping tabs on him right now, but he would remain in his small grassy patch. He would continue sending small flicks of his tail, a twitch of his paw, to Ratscratch, asking who else was on the side of the resistance. Really, his three friends had done quite well. His resistance had well over twenty cats in it, a thought that made Twigstorm unsheathe his claws in anticipation of what he could do, of how he could easily overpower Raptorstar and remove him from power.

_____________________________________________________________________________

ChaosClan was not a new clan. It had been established for over half of Raptorstar's life, and he had clanmates who had been here their entire lives. It was truly a home now, and he would never let a resistance, regardless of if he had doubts that he should be leader anyhow, lead it to shambles. If they wanted him to step down, they could find him and talk to him like adults. There was no need for this kit-like games, expecting him to be scared of what they would do. Instead, Raptorstar prepared himself to fight back.

"We need to realize that a fight is inevitable at this point." Raptorstar had gathered multiple of his trusted warriors, alongside Songbirdstar, the medics, and the three soldiers. Amongst them was Buzzardshade, Longbranch, Otterleap, Cinnamonflight, and Marshminnow. Cats who had been here nearly since the beginning. A low murmur spread across the group, but Raptorstar could see the hard look in nearly everyone's eyes - they were ready to fight. "I am trusting you all to be the heads of the defensive. We are not going to let this futile attempt at mutiny break the clan apart, and I want to deal with this as quickly as possible. These cats that are rising against us cannot stay hidden for that long, not if they truly want to plan an attack like we've been hearing about."

Buzzardshade let out a low growl, his ears pinned back. "Let them fight," he said in a low whisper, claws digging into the seat of the monster they gathered in. "ChaosClan will not fall to them, no matter who it is." Louder murmurs of agreement surrounded the gathering of cats, though there was one among them who didn't seem so sure. They whispered into Marshminnow's ear, frowning slightly.

Marshminnow waited until the cats had quieted down, giving his partner a firm nod. "Cinnamonflight brings up a great point," the tom began, nudging Cinnamonflight's shoulder with a smile. "What are we going to do with the cats of the resistance once they do come out of hiding? Banish them in the middle of Leafbare?"

"I say we do," Buzzardshade grunted, tail lashing. "They've caused enough trouble, whoever they are, and they don't need to be here if they don't want to be."

Arguments broke out at that statement, and both Raptorstar and Songbirdstar let them continue as they looked at each other. For once, the leaders seemed to be on the same page. "No," Songbirdstar said, ceasing the arguments. "We cannot stoop to their level."

"If the cats of the resistance are willing to back down when the fight does happen, we let them stay. Bloodshed and exiles are unecessary." Raptorstar's statement was met with blinks of disbelief from nearly all the cats. "A few moons ago I would have said the opposite, sure, but ChaosClan needs to be unified, and we need to show each other that we do care about all the cats in our clan. At the end of the day, this resistance is led by ChaosClan cats. I am willing to talk with each and every one of them, see their true intentions of why they did this, and go from there. If they are truly unwilling to be a part of the clan and be under my leadership, we can banish them then." Buzzardshade let out a sigh, but nodded alongside the others as Raptorstar finished. It was going to be a tough few moons, that was for sure.

[Kazin]

Nightfall arrived as the cats started arriving. Cloaked in the shadow of the new moon, cats started pouring into the small clearing Twigstorm decided to use as the base for the resistance. They had enough cats now. They were nearly ready to go. The only thing they lacked now was a unified plan. He beckoned Daisymask, Ratscratch, and Graystone to be beside him, not even noticing the uneasy look in Graystone's eyes. He was too caught up in his own plans to see the other tom's rising discomfort at being part of the resistance. He couldn't see the change in the cat's allegiance, even after his family had arrived. But Graystone himself was too scared to remove himself, too deeply involved at this point. He hadn't slept, keeping his emotions hidden from everyone around him. Even Ratscratch and Twigstorm, cats he thought could be his friends - though he realized how deeply wrong he had been to trust them.

"Cats of the resistance," Twigstorm's voice carried out into the forest, uncaring if the cats back at ChaosClan's camp could hear them. He was sure that they were far enough away from the territory to be overheard by anyone sleeping, and at this point if someone had been followed it was too late anyway. Let the fight start now if it had to. "Welcome to our new home. We will not be staying here until our first attack, which I plan to be at the full moon, cloaked under the moonlight to give us light to see." A small cry was brought up, but Twigstorm silenced it with a flick of his tail. "I do not want any bloodshed at this first attack - instead, we will just be revealing ourselves as frustrated with Raptorstar's leadership. That is, after all, what this is about - his inept ability to lead a clan."

Twigstorm smiled at the cries of agreement, allowing them to continue for a short time. He had gathered those unhappy with Raptorstar's leadership. He had done it. They were going to usurp the leader, he was sure of it. "Let me introduce you to your sqaud leader then." The warrior beckoned Graystone to stand first. "Graystone, a close friend of mine who has been a huge asset in keeping this resistance hidden from those that wish to quiet our voices and force us to deal with the tyrant that is Raptorstar. Graystone will keep those that I feel are most valuable to the resistance back with him, only attacking if he needs to." Graystone blinked, a small weight lifted off his shoulders at that statement. At least he wouldn't have to fight... most likely, anyhow. "Ratscratch will be mainly leading the attack alongside me. And finally, Daisymask will put what we are going to call decoys in main camp. She herself will be a decoy, and your job is to gather information on how the cats back at main camp are preparing to defend Raptorstar. There will only be two or three of you total, and I will discuss with Ratscratch, Graystone, and Daisymask on who we think that should be. For now, this meeting is adjourned - filter yourselves back into ChaosClan camp, but be prepared to leave at anytime. I will come to you if you are to remain. Remember, do not give away your true intentions."

__________________________________________________________________________________

"Shouldn't he be happy to see us after all of these moons without him?" Bluepaw was angry, rightfully so, at the avoidance he and his family had been getting from their lost brother. Graystone didn't seem happy at all to see them - but rather quite horrified. "He's barely spoken two whole words to us this entire time."

Jaypaw sighed in agreement, wishing he could talk to his brother. Like Graystone, Jaypaw had always been quiet, but not around his brothers. He always felt comfortable with them, especially Graystone when they were kits because Graystone didn't feel thee need to fill every silent gap with words. "We need to find out what's happening," he finally whispered, surprising even himself. He wasn't usually one for making plans, especially plans like this. But he was worried. "I think he got caught up in something terrible, if these rumors are true. I have... a terrible hunch."

Bluepaw wrinkled his nose in agreement. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that Jaypaw, because I have the same feeling. I think Graystone is caught up in this resistance thing, and we need to figure out how we help him. If he truly wanted to be a part of it, I think he would have tried to get us to join too. We have to help him."

The next morning, the two apprentices were set to take assessments set forth by the clan leaders. Both had come up with the plan to go on a little side mission during their assessment, and find Graystone. They had noticed him going into the forest more often, which was exactly where they were going for parts of their assessment. Though it was only to be one cat at a time in the forest, Bluepaw had a plan on how to shake his assessor and find Graystone. He would follow his scent to his location, which was exactly where he found himself.

Graystone was staring out over a small pond, and Bluepaw approached him cautiously, keeping a fair distance away. He checked back over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't been followed by Crowcatcher, the cat delivering his assessment, and let out a small greeting. Graystone jumped, nearly falling into the pond as she scrambled to turn around. Had this not been such a dire situation, or at least what felt like it to Bluepaw, the young tom would have laughed at the look on his brother's face. But not now. Not when so much could be at stake.

"Why do you come here so often?" Bluepaw asked, sitting back on his haunches as Graystone collected his thoughts. "And why have you been avoiding me and Jaypaw, and mom and dad? I thought you'd be happy to see us after so long. We were close as brothers... and I can tell something's happening to you."

Graystone shook his head, not daring himself to speak. If he opened his mouth, he knew all of Twigstorm's secrets would come tumbling out, and he didn't want to find out what the repercussions of that would be.

"Are you part of that resistance we've been hearing about?" Bluepaw felt his voice rise in anger, willing Graystone to talk to him. "Just tell me! I hate that you won't talk to us Graystone! We are here for you, we joined this clan because you're here! But if you don't want us here, maybe we should just leave and find somewhere else to stay."

"No!" Graystone couldn't keep himself from talking, closing the gap between him and Bluepaw in a few quick strides. "No, please don't leave. I... can't tell you why I can't be happy that you're here but... I've made a mistake, Bluepaw. A bad one, and I can't get out. I'm sorry." Before his brother had a chance to react, Graystone was sprinting out of the forest, leaving Bluepaw stunned. As Crowcatcher's voice drifted through the trees, trying to find Bluepaw again and congratulating him on passing the stealth part of his exam, Bluepaw allowed himself a sigh before greeting Crowcatcher.

Graystone was in the resistance, and now he needed to figure out how he and Jaypaw could get him out.

________________________________________________________________________

"I just want this to be over with." Lemonwing was the first of the small gathered group to speak, her voice laced with frustration. "I'm so tired of everyone being so jumpy and so on edge. I just want things to be normal again."

Cascadefreckle gave a sigh of her own, looking over Cicadaskip. "Me too," she affirmed, nudging Cicadaskip with her nose. "Then maybe Cicadaskip can stop being so grumpy and on edge too."

"I am not grumpy," Cicadaskip said, frowning. "But I've just been... anxious, I guess. Usually there are a lot of things that I can do to keep busy, but lately it seems Raptorstar and Songbirdstar only want to talk to the senior warriors and to their soldiers. I've just been confused about what's going to happen, and I hate it."

"I'm confused too," a small voice sounded on the other side of the monster the trio had gathered next to, causing all three cats to jump. Cicadaskip rounded the corner to see one of the new cats sitting sheepishly on the other side, flanked by the other two new arrivals from the past moon. "I'm so sorry," the she-cat squeaked. "We were just walking by and heard you and I couldn't help myself."

Cascadefreckle smiled down at the three cats, beckoning for them to join the small group. "It's not a problem, I don't want you to think you can't talk to us. It's going to be a confusing time for a little bit longer, I'm afraid... You're Aurorafreckle, right?" The young she-cat nodded, offering Cascadefreckle a smile. "That makes you Mallowpetal and Elmwink?"

"In the fur," Elmwink said, giving Cascadefreckle a small wink and a small bow. "ChaosClan seems to live up to it's name, huh. Guess we all should have expected that."

Rolling her eyes, Cicadaskip looked over at the short-legged cat. "It's usually not like this," she told them, tucking her legs underneath her. "Some cat is just deciding ChaosClan should live up to it's name."

"Maybe Raptorstar should have chosen a different name... like GoodClan or HappyClan or something." Mallowpetal was the one to make the dry suggestion, though the now six cat group broke into small bits of laughter. While everyone was still on edge, at least there were still bits of goodness among the chaos, and new friendships to be made.

[Kazin]

--The first attack planned on Raptorstar is enacted, though no one is hurt... for now. The clan starts to fracture into two different pieces for a little while as Twigstorm and Ratscratch retreat with their followers to a separate secret location.
--Raptorstar and Buzzardshade plan their defense for when the resistance attacks again, knowing it will be soon. There is a long discussion with Raptorstar, Songbirdstar, Buzzardshade, Atlasrain, and Crowcatcher about what should be done with the cats of the resistance. It is Buzzardshade and Atlasrain who make the case that they themselves would turn into monsters if they aimed to kill or exile Twigstorm and his followers into Leafbare weather. In the end, the conclusion is reached that the cats may stay if they back down without problem.
--Many of the warriors know this may be a harrowing fight, and families spend time together, knowing they may not be able to gather with everyone again.

[Kazin]

--The final attack from the resistance on ChaosClan's camp.
--A word from Songbirdstar about exiling any who refuse to talk about what they feel is wrong, rather than fighting.
--Twigstorm sees reason after Jayspring and Bluepuddle are able to talk some sense into him. He and Ratscratch are allowed to stay for now, provided they pass their trial period. Both are stripped of their warrior duties and are forced to take on apprentice duties for the next few moons.