Thank you for 200 reads!!!!! I'll make it up by making this chapter INCREDIBLE and AMAZING. My dream is that sierra_writes reads this and comments.....

She gazed at the body, almost feeling them pain it fought. It's lungs rattled with numbered breaths, breaths that Cranefrost would cherish like a memory.

This cat did not deserve to die. He was a noble warrior. Friend. Teacher. Mentor.   

Sunspirit, the most noble, loyal, friendly and somewhat senior warrior was lost. And whose fault was it? That was the thing...

It was unknown.

***

Cranefrost had woken up that morning with the sound of a yowl from one of the other warriors.

"Where's Sunspirit?"

Patrols had been sent, everyone had looked for the missing warrior. But that moonhigh, Cranefrost had found him.

And the place she'd found him was not a coincidence. Cranefrost had found Sunspirit's dead body in the place her mother had died. With the same wounds. In the same position, gazing at the stars. The dark warriors had attacked again.

With a sorrowful heart, Cranefrost had tried to carry Sunspirit's limp body, and she collapsed when she got back. Her mother, and now her beloved mentor.

Apparently, Cranefrost had missed the vigil because she'd been out cold. Clearpaw, Fallingpaw and Brackenshade had visited her during the apprentice den.

"The gathering's soon... if you're up to go..." Clearpaw suggested quietly. She was in the process of recovering and so far was the only cat to survive an attack of the dark warriors... unless another cat had without Cranefrost knowing. 

"Yes... In fact, I'm going to ask Redstar now if he can address all of the clans and tell them how Thunderclan are repeatedly getting attacked... maybe they're too. Then we can all team together and-" Cranefrost didn't have anytime to say as Fallingpaw cut in.

"This isn't one of the elders' tales. Not everything has happy endings. Don't get your hopes high."

Clearpaw and Brackenshade both shot him an annoyed look but continued. 

"I'm going to go and ask Redstar now." Cranefrost told them, ignoring Fallingpaw's pessimistic comment.

Cranefrost padded to Redstar's den, a familiar place she'd been to multiple times. She could smell the scent of the thousands of generations of cats who'd been there before her and faced the same hardships as her. It was comforting to know that Starclan was watching her. Sunspirit was watching her. Her mother was watching her. 

When Cranefrost explained her plan to Redstar, she could tell his reaction was exactly the same to Fallingpaw's. He didn't say it, though.

"I'll consider your idea." he said with a nod and a flick of his tail. "I also have chosen you, Fallingpaw and Clearpaw if she's feeling better to go to the gathering tonight." He added.

***

At the gathering, there were more cats than usual. The 5 leaders, Redstar, Honeystar (Sky), Nettlestar (Wind), Minnowstar (River) and Clawstar (Shadow) gathered on the rock, peering down at each cat with interest. 

Cranefrost met Jackalflame and they exchanged a few quick glances, but that was it. Then, the gathering started.

"Riverclan will start," Minnowstar meowed. "Prey is good, a fox attacked our camp, killing Scaleshine, one of our finest warriors. We had a vigil and then I sent a team to locate the fox and it's den, and then kill it. It was successful although we all grieve for Scaleshine." Minnowstar bowed his head and so did all of the Riverclan cats below.

"In Windclan, Rabbitleap had 4 healthy kits, Palekit, Dustkit, Skipkit and Grasskit. We have 2 new apprentices; Stonepaw and Gustpaw." Nettlestar reported.

"Shadowclan has 3 new warriors, Pikefern, Oakwatcher, and Silentbreeze." Clawstar meowed proudly.

"Oakwatcher!"

"Pikefern!"

"Silentbreeze!"

Skyclan went next.  "Sadly, Freckleberry drowned in the river. It is said that a cat pushed her in, but there were no scents left behind and no one saw it happen. If anyone knows about this, please tell us immediately. Thank you." Honeystar bowed her head nonchalantly. 

Finally, it was Thunderclan's turn. All of the Thunderclan cats went silent, knowing exactly what Redstar was going to say.

"Firstly, I would like to announce that Thunderclan has a new warrior, Cranefrost." He started.

"Cranefrost!"

"Cranefrost!"

"Next, Clearpaw is seriously injured by one of the rogues in the forest.  She was treated by Aldercoat, but still, rogues cannot hurt our cats! If anyone sees this rogue, please chase it out. It was huge and dark and dangerous. Also, Sunspirit was found dead with many wounds in the forest this morning. Recently, some of our cats have gone missing and never been found. Have any other clans had this problem?" Redstar asked.

The cats below muttered amongst themselves. One cat called out; "Shallowwater went missing last moon!"

"So did Silverbrush!"

One by one, each cat called out lost cats that had gone missing.

"So we weren't the only ones." Clearpaw muttered from behind Cranefrost. 

"Wait. Is this the new warrior? You're barely an apprentice! One of the kits in the nursery could beat you!"

Cranefrost napped her head in the direction the insult came. Her eyes rested on a huge, furry black Shadowclan cat with amber eyes. 

"Wanna try? You look like you might fight as well as a kit!" She  hissed at the cat, unsheathing her claws and arching her back.

"Don't..." Jackalflame whispered, appearing at Cranefrost's side.

"I already told you! I'm not an apprentice anymore! Will anyone just believe me? I can manage on my own. Watch me prove myself. Watch!" And with that, Cranefrost leapt at sneering warrior. The warrior was unprepared for a fight, thinking Cranefrost would just give in.

As Cranefrost dug her claws into the cat's skin, she could feel the coldness transferring from her claws and into the cats skin. 

I hope he feels pain, she thought. And he did. Yowling in pain, the Shadowclan warrior blindly attacked, swiping the air above Cranefrost. 

Cranefrost kept attacking the warrior. She watched as, with each attack, a bit of his fur turned frosty and cold. Other cats around Cranefrost were staring, wide eyed. Clearpaw watched helplessly and Cranefrost felt contentment rise. Satisfaction. She was a warrior. She was strong. And she'd just proven it. She sat down again, staring at her opponent. He was a lump of half-frozen flesh on the floor, barely moving.

"What did you do?!" yowled Clawstar from where the leaders stood. He hopped down and circled around the warriors body.

"What did you do?" He repeated, anger rising.

"He doubted me. I showed him." Cranefrost answered simply. She knew she was in heaps of trouble. So she was going to play it cool.

"Someone get the medicine cat!" Honeystar yowled.

"Swiftbreeze! Go!" Urged Nettlestar to her fastest warrior. The warrior nodded and ran toward the Moonpool.

"How is that even possible? How is he frozen?" The cats watching were beginning to talk amongst themselves.

"Shadowclan will leave now. Thank you for this amazing gathering." Clawstar gritted through his teeth. "Wolfbane. Jackalflame. Lift Baredfang up and carry him to the camp."

"Thunderclan will go as well. Cranefrost will be severely punished, I promise." He bowed his head sorrowfully.

And they walked back to camp.