A Dim Light of Hope

Iceshadow rushed into the Leader's den, panting. "Cloudstar... Attack.." Not wanting to alarm his Father, though the tom didn't do so much as look at him, he collected himself. "I mean, with StellarClan and DuskClan." He waited for a response, but heavy silence filled the room. "Cloudstar?" He asked again. In the gloom, Iceshadow could see two vibrant blue eyes slowly open. Heaving out a sigh of relief, he continued. "StellarClan and DuskClan are fighting again." He meowed, hoping that his father would actually reply this time.

The old leader opened his mouth, then closed it, as if rethinking of what he wanted to say. "Why?" He rasped, and Iceshadow looked at his father in surprise. Had his leader also gotten his memory swipe, a side affect from Snowfall's death?

"Well, uh-" The young warrior stuttered, not knowing how to react to that. "Well, I suppose DuskClan or StellarClan wants something that the other Clan has." He meowed, his expression thoughtful.

Cloudstar tilted his head. "Such a petty argument." He then turned his back on his son, and curled his tail over his nose, returning back to sleep.

Iceshadow stood, stunned at what his father had become. Will he ever come back? Will he ever resurface from the darkness that has engulfed him?

~*~

Iceshadow stood in Fallenpath's den, with Goldenbreeze flanked at his side. "Cloudstar isn't doing any better. He still hasn't gotten over my-" He blinked his eyes in sadness. "My mother's passing. Isn't there anything you could do for him? The Clan is getting suspicious... And he still hasn't made up his mind on whether we are leaving or not."

Fallenpath looked up from where she was organizing the herb store. "I'm sorry, but there is no herb that helps you forget... All we have to do is give Cloudstar time."

"But there isn't enough time! The rogues only gave us-" Fallenpath held her tail up to quiet Iceshadow.

"Yes. I know." She turned towards Goldenbreeze. "Cloudstar isn't in the right state to make these kinds of decisions. I know that you're just the deputy, but right now, you must act like the leader that Cloudstar cannot. You must make the decision." The she-cat remained her gaze, though Iceshadow could tell that she was as frightened as him. 

Goldenbreeze let out a breath. "I-I know... It's just that... I kept on telling myself that I wasn't ready, and that Cloudstar should still make the decision. But I guess.. I guess that it is time." She nodded her head. "OakClan will never back down." Goldenbreeze meowed, as if she had already knew what she was going to say. "When the time comes, we will face the rogues."

(Omigosh I am so sorry! I am a horrible blogger ;_; Bwah D8 But, here is the post!~ So just pretend that Goldenbreeze made a clan meeting and told the Clan that preparations for the battle will begin immediately. Which means we need our dens to be rebuilt, fresh-kill pile stocked, and battle training to be doubled. Alright? Go!)

A New Hope, and Old Worries Return

Goldenbreeze steadied herself on the Oak Branch, liking the feel of the smooth, soft wood. I don't know how Cloudstar springs so easily onto this thing... I could barely keep a grip! She thought, wondering how the frail tom was doing. It had been a few sunrises since the attack, and the leader still kept himself shut inside his den, not wanting to face his clanmates. The only time he ventured outside was the night for Snowfall's vigil, which he stayed out all night, and looked as if he was going to bite the heads off the elder's when they came to bury her. Poor Cloudstar... I do hope he goes back to his duties soon... I can't keep on telling the Clan that he's still injured... They might get suspicious soon. She shook her head. I mustn't think these unhappy thoughts! This is a good ceremony, and I must show the Clan that I am strong. Fallenpaw and Honeyfrost had come back from their journey from the Moon(thing) at moon-high yesterday, and now they were holding the meeting. And along the way, they had met a few wary travelers, who agreed to join the Clan.

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Oak Branch for a Clan meeting!" Cats began to emerge out of the dens, but most were already beneath the tree. News of Fallenpaw's return passed through the Clan quickly, and they were eager to hear what StarClan said. Once the cats were settled, Goldenbreeze's began, her voice confident as it rang throughout the clearing. "Fallenpaw and Honeyfrost came back from the Moon(thing) last night, and it is time to share if StarClan has granted her wish of being a full Medicine Cat." She nodded towards the small she-cat, gesturing for her to speak.

Fallenpaw straightened up, and began to speak. "Yes, StarClan has accepted my wish and I am now a full Medicine Cat. They have named me Fallenpath." She meowed, her voice quiet but her eyes brimming with determination.

Cheers erupted through the crowd, as if the Clan had forgotten all other troubles. "Fallenpath! Fallenpath!" Was heard in the cheering.

Goldenbreeze nodded towards Fallenpath, relief in her chest. "Good. And while they were traveling back, they came across some cats who have decided to join OakClan." She meowed, though cats seemed suspicious as they eyed the newcomers, and began to wonder if they were rogues or not. As the three cats came to stand in front of her, she began the ceremony. "Ember, Aerial, Tern, do you promise to protect and to defend this Clan, even with the cost of your life?"

"I do." They meowed, their voices strong and clear.

"Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your new names. Ember, you will be known as Embersky. Aerial, you will be known as Aerialflight. And Tern, you will be known as Ternfoot." The cats nodded, and even though the Clan was still a bit wary, they cheered their new clanmates names. Goldenbreeze waved her tail for the cheering to end, as she still needed to announce on last thing. "Honeyfrost also happened to stumble upon a kit, who will be known as Rainkit." The Clan nodded, more relaxed that it was a young cat, and welcomed her warmly.

"That is all! Meeting dismissed." But just as she was about to smoothly jump off the Oak Branch, a cat called out,

"Wait! Are we really leaving our territory because of the rogues?"

The Warning

Cloudstar struggled to breath. A weight was on his chest, and however much the leader squirmed, it wouldn't budge. I've been beaten. A voice in his head reminded him, though Cloudstar willed it not be true. He begged himself not to return, not to find out what had happened to his Clan, and what lay ahead. I've been beaten! The voice returned, stronger now, and Cloudstar began to resurface, and was welcomed back by his clanmates screeches. "Cloudstar!" One yowl stuck out to him in particular, a very familiar one. Iceshadow? The old tom wanted to ask, but the weight was still heavy on his chest, and only a ragged breath escaped from him.

"Oh? So the old tom is still alive?" A cat sneered and as Cloudstar slowly opened his eyes, he saw a face peering down on him, the eyes icy and unfriendly. "I thought I had you beat." The black tom said flatly, as if he didn't care if the leader lived or not. He released his paw from Cloudstar's chest, but warned him not to try anything with a low, menacing growl. He turned to the rest of the cats who had stopped fighting after their leader had lost a life. "You cats are done here." He snarled. "It is our turn to move in to this territory." Many hisses were delivered to the jet black tom, but he only gazed back with triumphed in his eyes. "We have won your land fairly. Now we will give you a half-moon to move elsewhere, or this won't be last time you have seen us." Flicking his tail, the rogues separated themselves from the clan cats and followed there leader into the dense undergrowth. The Clan stood still for a few moments, shock, bewilderment, and defeat in their eyes. What now? They wanted to all say, though no one spoke a word. Cloudstar stayed where he was, shame hanging over him like a cloud. Cats glanced over at Cloudstar, worry and panic in their eyes.

"What will we do?"
"We can't leave!"
"Great StarClan... How could this happen?!" Were some of the yowls that broke out, until Goldenbreeze was able to calm them, for now.

"I want two patrols to go out hunting, and for some cats to stay and fix up the dens that were trampled!" She ordered, and cats seemed glad to have someone telling them what to do.

Slowly, very slowly, he made his way over to the Medicine Cat den, where Fallenpaw was positioned outside with  Goldenbreeze, as they exchanged worried whispers and glances. As they heard Cloudstar approach, Fallenpaw was the first to speak. "Cloudstar! I should take a look at your wounds..." Cloudstar flicked his tail at the young she-cat.

"Has everyone else been treated?" He asked, and Fallenpaw nodded. "Then I suppose..." His voice trailed off, and Fallenpaw scurried into the Medicine Cat den to get the herbs she needed. "Where is Goldfeather?" Cloudstar asked. "Certainly she hasn't left Fallenpaw to do all the work!" Goldenbreeze looked up from where she was staring at the ground, fear and sorrow clouding her eyes.

"Cloudstar... Goldfeather is dead. And so is Snowfall."

~*~

(Hi guys! I'm back! :D Sorry that this is a short post... I JUST got back from vacation, so it will take a while to get used to things. If you want your cat to die either of the sickness or the battle, just let me know in the comments, or you can RP their death or something. xD And I'm sorry DawnDragon, but my Clan needs an active Medicine Cat... Your other cats will remain sick for a little more time, but after about a week, they will have to go... So please come on and sort things out. Oh! And Stella, would you rather want Fallenpaw to be a full Medicine Cat or still be an apprentice?)

The Outlaws Attack

"Now, you want to make sure you dig at the base of the tree, so that you're right under the roots." Iceshadow instructed. "You want to scoop large pawfuls at a time, so that you're not stuck here forever, remember." He meowed as he surveyed a group of apprentices trying out Shadowsplash's technique of getting water out of tree roots. He was there with Blueflower at his side as they both tried to teach the group of apprentices.

"Like this?" Dragonpaw said excitedly, and started to dig vigorously near the tree, spraying dirt everywhere.

"Well... Yes." Iceshadow meowed, flicking a clump of dirt off his ear with his tail-tip. "But try to do it a bit more slower so that the dirt doesn't go flying everywhere, since we need to cover up the holes after we're done."

"Why?" Dustpaw asked inquisitively, as what he was doing throughout the whole lesson. "Wouldn't it just be easier if we left them open to come back to some other time? If we didn't, we could have to dig the hole all over again!"

"Good question." Blueflower replied this time. "We have to cover the holes so that cats don't fall in, and wrench their shoulder or something. Though it might be easier to leave the holes open, it is safer to cover them." The apprentices nodded, then went back to work on the large oak tree.

As Iceshadow went about the apprentices, giving them some hints and tips, a strange scent traveled through the clearing they were in. "Huh. Blueflower, do you smell that?" He said quietly to the she-cat, not wanting to disturb the apprentices.

"Yeah... A bit. I think it's coming from over there." The she-cat pointed to the other side of the hollow, and Iceshadow nodded.

"Alright, Blueflower and I are going to do hunting while you continue to dig up the tree roots. We'll be right back, we just spotted a juicy rabbit nearby, that's all." He informed them, cautiously following the scent trail. "It smells like cats... But not StellarClan or DuskClan..." So who must it be? Giving a worried glance towards Blueflower, he crept on, making sure that the wind didn't draft their scent over to the potential trespassers. As he crept around a holly bush, he started to hear voices.

"There's no water here, either." A dark, husky voice sounded. "Why don't we try over there?" Iceshadow saw the tip of his dark tabby tom flick over to DuskClan's side of the border.

"Mouse-brain! Do you know how flooded that territory is? Plus I heard from Chip that they had a huge battle last sunrise or something. I'd rather not get tangled up in that." Iceshadow could see this tom more clearer than the other one. He was a scrawny, dark ginger and white tabby with ragged fur. "There's plenty of prey over here, why don't we settle here?"

"Are you all a couple of dumb rabbits? There are cats everywhere, can't you smell them?!" A low hiss sounded from a burly, black tom who crept out of the shadows. "And I thought you were some of my best cats." He lashed his tail, his amber eyes dark. "But yes... We could use this for a while. But we'll have to chase out those runts that already live here. It seems easy, though. Seeing that there is hardly any water here... They are probably just a bunch of weaklings. Come on, we're going back to the others to tell them the plan." One by one, the cats emerged from their hiding place and followed their leader, and Iceshadow's eyes widened as big as moons.

"Blueflower! Go back and get the apprentices, I'll get back to camp and inform Cloudstar!"

~*~

"Rogues?! On our territory?!" Cloudstar snarled, lashing his tail. He had fully recovered from losing his life which was just a few sunrises ago. "How many?" He demanded as Blueflower and Iceshadow sat in his den, with Goldfeather nearby.

"Well, we only saw three. But by the way they were talking, we should be suspecting a lot more." Iceshadow replied, recalling the cats."Their leader is this big, muscled, black tom." Cloudstar nodded, letting the information sink in. 

"So that's what I smelled!" Goldfeather exclaimed, her eyes wide. As the three looked at her with curiosity, she explained. "When you informed me that Cloudstar had lost a life, I scented something out of the ordinary... But since we were in that situation at the time, I had no time to think about it. And by the way they are describing the scent, I believe it was the same one I smelled." Cloudstar nodded, listening intently.

"Okay. I want the apprentices out for battle training, just in case. These rogues sound fierce. I also want the fresh-kill pile-" His meow was cut off by a screech, and then hissing and snarling.

"Rogues!" Iceshadow recognized Mistyfur's yowl.

"What?! How are they attacking so quickly?" Iceshadow barely had time to think before he was out in the camp clearing, battling with a broad-shouldered gray tom. Great StarClan! This is much more cats than I had imagined... He looked over to the nursery, seeing that Shadowsplash had just sent a calico tom running. Even the Queens are fighting... He looked over to the Medicine Cat den, and saw that even his sick clanmates were fighting. StarClan be with us today...

The End?

"Cloudstar, Sparkfire has fallen ill." Cloudstar nodded, not facing the Medicine Cat as he sat in his den, facing the hard, stone wall.

"That makes six, then." He murmured, his eyes hollow while he thought of Hawkeye, Ravenpaw, Birchfire, Riverfang and his mate, Snowfall. "How's Snowfall?" He meowed, pricking his ears.

"She's alright. I can't do much for any of them though, unless we have water." Goldfeather meowed softly, realizing how fragile Cloudstar seemed right now. Cloudstar nodded, still not caring to face the Medicine Cat.

"Do you think StarClan has abandoned us?" He asked, almost in a whisper.

"Of course not!" Goldfeather almost gasped, but kept her fur from prickling. "Just because we have a drought, does not mean that they have deserted us." She meowed, her eyes wide.

"Then why is this happening to us? I am stuck in the middle of a war, Goldfeather." This time he stood up, and turned himself around to face her. "I can't even say hello to a DuskClan patrol without them thinking that we are on their side. We need water, and we can't get it!" So close... Yet so far away. "Have you had any signs recently?" He meowed, waiting for an answer.

Goldfeather swished her tail in nervousness. "Well... No. But that doesn't mean StarClan have left us!" Her sudden outburst surprised Cloudstar, and he eyed her with curiosity. "Why do you think we see Silverpelt every night? Or why that every Kit in the Clan is healthy?" She meowed. "Because StarClan watches over us! They can't stop every bad thing from happening, they don't control these type of things. StarClan will always be with us." She meowed, seeing how Cloudstar would react. The old tom nodded slowly, then turned back to us position facing the wall, flicking his tail to show that she was dismissed.

~*~

"Fallenpaw, is there any goldenrod left?" Goldfeather meowed while sticking her paw through a cleft in the wall, rolling out juniper berries. About four of these are good... I should go out and collect some more, though.

"Yes, plenty." The young apprentice meowed, surveying the supply of herbs. "Though we need more Horsetail and Fennel." Goldfeather nodded, thinking of the best places in the territory which grew them.

"Come on, I'll show you the best places for them." She meowed, already padding out of the den.

"But Goldfeather... What about them?" Fallenpaw looked uncertainly at the three sick cats, Hawkeye, Sparkfire, and Snowfall.

"They're sleeping, and we'll be back soon. Don't worry." She meowed, waving her apprentice over with her tail. "Let's go."

~*~

"Now make sure to only get the perfectly round ones, those ones are the best. The shriveled ones we can leave for the birds. We don't want them to go hungry now." She joked. "But only collect a few, since that's all we need. We'll save some for next time." Fallenpaw nodded, listening to her mentor's advice. They had already gotten the fennel, which grows best near the StellarClan border. 

"Goldfeather, how does this one look?" Fallenpaw meowed, eying a juniper berry. "I can't tell if it's good or not."

"Let me see.." She meowed. "I suppose it's oka-" Her voice was drowned out by the crackling of bracken, and a cat exploding through the bushes. "StarClan's kits! Iceshadow, what?" Goldfeather meowed, her eyes wide.

"Cloudstar's losing a life!" He meowed, his eyes wide with fear. "Please help!" Goldfeather nodded, then turned to Fallenpaw.

"You stay here and collect those juniper berries, and then come back to camp." She meowed, running after Iceshadow. "Be careful!" She turned to the leader's son. "What happened?" She blundered. "He was fine when I left camp!" Iceshadow shook his head.

"I don't know. I entered the den, and I thought he was asleep.. But he wasn't..." He voice trailed off, and Goldfeather nodded with understanding.

"Don't worry - Everything will be okay." As she said that, another scent tickled her nose, but she shrugged it off. We must get to Cloudstar!

~*~

"Well he doesn't have any wounds on him... I wonder what caused this." Goldfeather murmured, mostly to herself. She was in the den with Snowfall, Goldenbreeze, and Iceshadow, though she tried to make Snowfall stay in her nest, she still wanted to see her mate. They hadn't gotten back to camp quick enough to stop Cloudstar from losing a life, so for now, they waited. 

"Cloudstar has been giving up his share of the grass Goldenbreeze and I found, along with what's rest of the stream to the Queens and Elders... Maybe he died-" He stopped himself. "Lost a life because of dehydration..." Goldfeather nodded.

"That's probably it..." She said grimly. "After he wakes up, I want him moved to my den where I can keep a close eye on him, and make sure that he is getting his share of water." She turned towards Goldenbreeze. "And I want a cat assigned to making sure that no one is giving up their water. Though it may be noble, I don't want to lose another cat." The deputy nodded, padding out of the den to find someone. Just then, a cat bounded into the den. "Snowpaw? What happened?" Goldfeather demanded.

"Honeyfrost sent me. The stream is dried up! There is no water..." The new apprentice meowed, panting. Goldfeather felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Great StarClan... This has turned into something more than a little dry spell... Please let OakClan survive!

Trouble on the Rise

Iceshadow padded through the forest with the rest of his patrol, his ears flat. DuskClan and StellarClan were at war, and by the sound of it, StellarClan had just launched their first attack.

"Are you sure we shouldn't go help them?" Iceshadow recognized the soft mew of Honeyfrost coming from the back. Iceshadow sighed.

"There's nothing we can do. If we go and help DuskClan, they will just think we're on their side, and then we will have to participate in this war. Let alone that we would also lose StellarClan as an ally." He saw Honeyfrost nod, deep in thought, but he doubted that he convinced her. Cloudstar won't be happy when he hears about this. I wonder how long this war will go on... And how much blood will be shed.

Stoneheart's meow broke his train of thought. "Hey, does anyone else smell that? I think there are cats nearby! Maybe their friendly and we can say hello!" He saw the tom scenting the air excitedly, not even daunted by the war going on. Curious, Iceshadow scented the air himself.

"Stoneheart's right... There are cats nearby..." He scented again, smelling the familiar smell of a nursing Queen's milk. "Kits!" He meowed, bewildered. "They're nearby. I wonder if their mother is here too... If you see a strange cat, don't attack them. It might be a Queen." The patrol murmured to show that they heard him, but Honeyfrost stepped forward.

"Um.. Iceshadow? Do you think I should look for the kits? I'm just afraid my scars will scare them and all..." The she-cat shuffled her paws nervously.

"What? No, your scars are -" His mew was cut off as a cat barreled into him, knocking him to the forest floor. What?! Who's attacking me?! His first instinct was to unsheathe his claws and battle his attacker, but he noticed a milky scent wafting around her, and he realized she was the Queen. Careful not the hurt her, he slowly heaved her off of him, though she was still hissing and spitting.

"I'm sorry if we surprised you." He said, blood welling on his shoulder. "We mean no harm to you or your kits." The calico she-cat nodded, wrapping her tail protectively around her three kits. "I am Iceshadow, and I belong to OakClan." The she-cat nodded, looking tired and defeated.

"I'm Shadowsplash. We're just passing through here... We should get going." Her tail had drooped, and Iceshadow could tell that she had been walking for long enough.

"Why don't you come back with us? The sky is darkening, and night can be dangerous. Our leader won't mind. Kits liven up the place." He added, joking. After a few heartbeats of silence, the Queen answered.

"I suppose. But I don't want to be a burden..." She looked down at the ground, shuffling her paws.

"Nonsense! Welcome to OakClan."

~*~

"Iceshadow! You know we can't afford to have more mouths to feed. You just put our Clan in more danger!" Cloudstar meowed, pacing around his den.

"Father, what was I supposed to do? Turn her away? The kits would be dead by now if it weren't for us." Iceshadow meowed, lashing his tail. Cloudstar nodded, sighing.

"I know. I would have done the same... Though this is the last thing I need to think about with the war going on.. But I suppose I should introduce her to the Clan." He flicked his tail to his son, signaling that he was dismissed. "Shadowsplash is her name, yes? Send her in please."

~*~

As the Queen entered the den, Cloudstar motioned her over with his tail. "Come and sit. I just want to chat." He reassured her. The calico she-cat nodded, sitting down about a tail-length away from him. "So. I see that you have a Clan name, along with your kits. Where were you before you came here?" The she-cat looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"If you think I'm a spy then you're wrong. Things just didn't work out in my old Clan, that's all." She turned her head away from him, a faraway look in her eyes. Cloudstar nodded, seeing that she didn't want to talk about that anymore.

"I would never suspect that. Now, if you wish to stay for a few sunrises or more, then feel free. You and your kits can share the nursery with Mistyfur, one of our other Queens. Her kits are -" His mew was cut off from Shadowsplash.

"Shouldn't I just return as a warrior? I can help out a lot here, and besides, my kits don't need taking care of. They're fine, Mistyfur can look after them for all I care." She meowed, her tail tip twitching. 

Cloudstar was taken aback from her meow and outlook on her kits. "Well of course not. Your kits hardly know Mistyfur. She is very nice and sweet, but I'm sure they would love to have their mother nearby for comfort and support." Shadowsplash snorted, but said nothing more. "Now that that's settled, let's go introduce you to the Clan."

~*~

As he stepped out of his den and bounded up the Oak Branch, he saw that most of the Clan was already gathered around, with surprised murmurs coming from down below. 

"Who's that she-cat that came in with Iceshadow?"

"Why was his shoulder bleeding?"

"Did he get into a fight? Did DuskClan attack?"

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join under the Oak Branch for a Clan meeting!" He yowled, getting his clanmate's attention as they looked up with curiosity. "I know that many of you are wondering who Iceshadow brought in today, so I will tell you. Her name is Shadowsplash, and her kits are Badgerkit, Clawkit, and Ravenkit." Suspicious meows rippled along the crowd.

"Why do they have Clan names?"

"How long will they be staying with us?" Cats yowled.

Cloudstar held up his tail for silence. "They used to belong to another Clan, but Shadowsplash decided to leave. I see no problem in that. And they will staying here for as long as they need."

"But what if she is a spy?" A cat challenged, and Shadowsplash lashed her tail in annoyance.

"And why would a Clan send a nursing Queen to us as a spy? OakClan has no quarrels with other Clans, we are perfectly safe." The Clan nodded, feeling reassured. "But now, onto another important matter. As you have probably already heard, StellarClan is attacking DuskClan." Outraged mews rang throughout the clearing.

"I knew StellarClan were just a bunch of fox-hearts!" Sparkfire meowed, lashing his tail.

"They had a right to attack! DuskClan refused to give them herbs!" Birdpaw argued, and the Clan continued to bicker.

"Stop! OakClan will not join in on this war, and that is final!" Cloudstar yowled, his eyes dark.

"But Cloudstar... How long can we keep up with no water?" Goldenbreeze meowed, voicing his fears.

Cloudstar shook his head. "Hopefully long enough, Goldenbreeze." Hopefully until StellarClan and DuskClan come to their senses...

 

Sickness and Time to Choose

Cloudstar paced restlessly outside of the Medicine Cat Den. "Cloudstar, you know that will just wear you out." A soft mew spoke behind him, and the leader whipped around to see Fallenpaw.

"I don't care if it'll wear me out - it takes my mind off of things." The tom sighed. Fallenpaw shook her head, but said nothing more as she entered the den. Goldfeather's head then appeared.

"Cloudstar, you can come visit your mate, you know." The she-cat rolled her eyes. "She just dehydrated and I wanted to move her into my den so I could keep a close eye on her."

"I know, I know. It just... Pains me to see her like this." His shoulders sagged. If Snowfall is gone... I don't know what I'd do! The Medicine Cat wrapped her tail on his shoulders.

"She'll be alright." She said, trying to comfort the distressed tom. "Now instead of sulking around here, go get her an appetizing meal!" Cloudstar nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I should stop thinking like this. Thanks." The tom trotted away towards the fresh-kill pile, his mood brightening.

~*~

"Goldfeather... I'm starting to get worried." Fallenpaw meowed quietly to her mentor. "It's been a few sunrises, and Snowfall still isn't better. In fact, we even have a few more cats in here!" The calico she-cat's eyes widened with worry. "What if they don't get better? Cloudstar would be crushed!" Goldfeather silenced her apprentice with a soft hiss.

"Don't speak of this that way! We must have hope - StarClan will give us a sign." Goldfeather meowed, seeming as if she was trying to convince herself that too.

"Yes, I know. StarClan will always be with us. But we're almost out of water, and then our warriors will be too weak to hunt or care for the Clan. Shouldn't we ask DuskClan for help?" Fallenpaw mewed, sinking her claws into the dirt.

"No! We mustn't do that. StellarClan and DuskClan are at war. If we go to one of them, they will think we are on their side, and that we will fight with them. We are in no state to get into a war - or lose one of our allies." Goldfeather shook her head, misery in her eyes. 

"But if we don't we'll die from thirst!" Fallenpaw argued. "We must do something!" Fear pulsed from the young she-cats pelt. What is OakClan becomes no more?! StarClan wouldn't let that happen!

Goldfeather slowly nodded her head, seeming defeated. "Sadly, you are right. OakClan... Must choose sides. We must decide who is right in this war."

(Hi guys! I hope you like the post! So yeah, some cats are sick - so be free to be those ones cooped up in the Medicine Cat den. xP Not too many though, please! x3 Oh, and feel free to have your cats pick sides on the War. Have fun!)