Alpinefog turned sharp, slitted green eyes on her.

"No... It can't be." Water dripped from his chin.

Crescentpaw nodded, eventually meeting his gaze through the haze of rain.

"Yes. We saw her outside of a Twoleg nest while we were trying to find our way back. We made her tell us where the lake was."

Quietdew gasped, "The nerve! Golden-heart? What a pathetic excuse of a warriors name for a cat like that." She snarled, water flicking from her whiskers as she shook with repulsion. "She doesn't deserve a clan name!"

Raccoonstripe's shocked copper eyes showed deep brown in the gathered shadows of dusk. The fur atop his head was slick with rain. He got up and moved to a drier patch of earth, his paws causing a squelching sound.

"You should've made her come back," Rowanpaw chimed in, but her gratuitous comment was overlooked.

Lagoonstripe nodded at them respectfully. "At least we have two more loyal Riverclan cats that did whatever it took to return." Her ears were flattened to prevent water from trickling into her ear canals.

"I never thought of Goldenheart as a traitor. We assumed she had died on her way to the Moonpool, but now that we know for a fact she's chosen to leave us..." The Riverclan warrior sighed despondently. "Well let's just say that I regret the sincerity of that vigil."

Raccoonstripe snickered, his teeth flashing off-white through the drizzle.

"And to imagine her soaking up the kittypet life while we fought for our Clan against this carnage."

"But this news just makes taking a course of action all the more necessary," Alpinefog interjected. "Starclan hasn't sent us a sign to replace Goldenheart's position yet. They might be waiting for us to come to them."

Crescentpaw turned her head to look at each warrior in turn, ignoring Lagoonstripe's praise. "You mean... you all haven't done anything?" The rain trickled down her face and past the corners of her eyes. She shook her fur out quickly enough to hear their response.

"Apart from having me organize the mini-patrols each morning, no." Lagoonstripe sighed, her green eyes half-closed with stress. Clouds were knotted together above the moon, blocking out most of the light that they'd had.

"At this point, none of us are certain what to do. There's just not enough cats left to sustain Riverclan. We can't even elect new warriors or apprentices without a leader." An owl hooted in the trees beyond their camp, it's "Hoo! Hooh!" Echoing throughout the marsh forest.

"And with no medicine cat there's no one to treat our wounds! I hardly know what comfrey is for, let alone the rest of them." Quietdew whined.

"I miss when Riverclan was a real clan," Rowanpaw scowled. "I bet some of us could make it great again here."

"Oh Houndspots, be a dear and fetch me that squirrel." Quietdew commanded, while Lagoonstripe and Crescentpaw continued to look distressed. The two she-cats licked at their sodden chest-furs, then peered over at one other. Houndspots went to go pick up the squirrel beside its decimated fish companion, his brown-and-white pelt rippling as he stepped between them.

"Well, if we're being honest... We probably could've done more to try and reach the other clans or make it to the Moonpool. But we just assumed that they had already tried the same." Alpinefog nodded agreement at Lagoonstripe's words, while Crescentpaw felt the fur along her slicked-down pelt ripple with unease. That's odd. Why have we still not heard from the other clans? They must've had the same ideas as us, surely? She watched a few fireflies flutter over the stick-wall boundary. They recurrently glowed on and off again every few seconds, drifting loftily in and over the camp. Could the other four clans all be dead or scattered?

"And I've encouraged our remaining warriors not to leave the territory, where they're most exposed and vulnerable. Not to mention the new rule that no cats are allowed out of camp after dark. Well, unless they're chasing out wolves." Lagoonstripe's tone was calm and composed. A few tree branches trembled above, rattling against one another as the rain poured.

Normally the Riverclan cats would've been inside their dens. But they weren't afraid to get a little rained on when the situation called for it.

It almost sounds like excuses. She thought, but couldn't bring herself to deject them by saying it aloud. And yet deep down I can sort of see where they're coming from. There's no real guidance for us. No cat to tell us what to do, and no cat willing to throw their life away in a blind display of last-attempts.

"Wouldn't want to lose one of our last six warriors, you know..." Alpinefog mewed, his voice turning heavy and emotional.

"But it's easy! Just send two cats to the Moonpool. Me and you, Alpinefog. If two cats go then one could have a chance at living and bringing back Starclan's message!"

An immediate pause in the conversation occurred, an awkward silence ensuing. Frogs croaked in the wet puddles beyond camp, and rain dripped off of whiskers as they all stared in wonder at Rowanpaw.

Why would she say that? Crescentpaw swished her tabby-and-white tail behind her uncertainly. Her sister's idea was foreboding. Was she trying to say that if given the choice, she'd save herself over her mentor in order to reach Starclan? The "one could have a chance" part was unnecessary. And yet Rowanpaw sat obliviously before them, her ears pricked in eager expectation of a response. When she realized that nobody was going to answer her, she flattened them with an attitude.

"Right," Houndspots said. He looked over at his apprentice Tinypaw approvingly. "Welcome back, you two. It's great to hear that you were captured instead of fleeing the clan willingly." He shot an unimpressed look at Rowanpaw, to which the young she-cat scrucnched her face up.

"Thanks, Houndspots." Crescentpaw nodded but didn't move from her spot, still worried about their next course of action.

"But we have to do something. Can't we at least reach the other clans somehow? Haven't you all at least seen them across the lake and on patrols?" Crescentpaw's gaze was level with each warrior as she questioned them. Oddly enough they didn't mind the take-charge apprentice giving her input.

Now that the leader and deputy were gone, no cat had any real jurisdiction over another- besides mentors over apprentices. And my mentor is dead.

"Not really," several of them shook their heads. "Their scent markers have also been fading into oblivion," Emberfawn advised.

"I saw a few cats on the lakeshore of Skyclan territory, but we haven't came across any Shadowclan cats in a moon. And never soon enough to ask them about anything." Raccoonstripe gave his input. The young tom's stripes shone obsidian against the wet terrain.

Frustrated, Crescentpaw threw her head back beneath a pouring sky. Droplets bounced against her closed eyelids, but most of them were distorted by the tree's overhanging branches.

"Then someone has to go to the Moonpool or try to cross over into another Clan." She mewed in unyielding tones. "Traversing the clan territories first might be safer; since there's a lot more trees along the way. We could try to find the other clan cats and join forces, then visit Starclan." she advised them.

Alpinefog nodded, his deep mew rumbling as he agreed. "It's been too long without the five warrior clans interacting."

She wondered what remained of the other clan's camps. Windclan's would be the worst because they've got sparse trees and no woodland. Crescentpaw then restrained herself from wincing, realizing that she could not climb a tree to avoid the savage predators. Somehow I'm worse off than a Windclan cat.

"I can go," she offered up on her own accord. Whether it's a death wish or not, I'm one of the most disposable cats here.

But of course several Riverclan warriors shook their heads.

"We won't send apprentices. It's too high-risk. But, well... I suppose we could try sending one warrior. That's all we can spare right now," the striped she-cat sighed. "It has been awhile since we tried sending any cat out of the territory." Lagoonstripe flexed her whiskers, looking further troubled.

"So are there any volunteers?" Her mouth moved as she mewed. "A journey around the lake would be perilous, so be aware of the hazards before you answer." No warrior spoke up, and so- naturally, Lagoonstripe huffed and slanted her eyes through the rain.

"Well, then take a few days to think about it. If no cat elects to go I suppose I'll send myself on the second sunrise after tomorrow." Puddles were beginning to form around their paws as she straightened. Water trickled down Crescentpaw's spine, causing it to twitch involuntarily.

The tabby-and-white she-cat checked on Cheetah. She was standing next to Tinypaw, her golden gaze fixated on them with utter concentration. I'll have to really hammer it home about that eavesdropping thing, won't I? It was fine in this situation, but Crescentpaw had a feeling that Cheetah was the type to listen in on clan leader's conversations. Not that they had one to be participating in any, mind you.

"Now brings us to the issue of the kittypet you two apprentices brought back." Alpinefog didn't look impressed to be saying so, and Lagoonstripe seemed to share his level of condemnment. Both of their gazes turned stern. Their twin pale-green eyes could glower the bark off a tree.

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Alpinefog