"I'll go," Cliffwalker called out.

Burnstalk- no, Renegade turned to face him. The light tan-brown cat spotted him as he stood up. Renegade frowned.

"Uh, are you a warrior?" He asked.

Cliffwalker shook his head. "An elder."

A few cats chuckled. "An elder can't go," he heard someone sneer.

Renegade cocked his head. "Maybe a warrior would be a better volunteer," he suggested, glancing around. "Does anyone want to come?"

Shardstar glared. "Leave, Renegade. None of our cats are coming with you. Come on, Darkclan, we're leaving."

"Sunclan too," Fawnstar said. "The Gathering is over."

"Wait!" Renegade shouted. "I will be outside Lightclan territory in the field tomorrow at sunhigh. If you truly love your clanmates and your family, you will come. If nobody is there by sunhigh... Then you are all heartless foxes."

With that Renegade spring off the Starstone and disappeared past the Lightclan tree. Cliffwalker frowned as his tail tip vanished.

Shardstar leaped onto the ground and lead the Darkclan cats out of the Gathering place. The quiet nervous cats barely said a word as they clambered over the light undergrowth, draped over by trees. Cliffwalker glanced up as a cat brushed his shoulder. "Oh, hi, Shardstar." His voice slightly echoed, so he lowered it. "Do you need something?"

"Cliffwalker," Shardstar murmured. "Why did you volunteer to a rogue?"

The elder fixed his gaze on the red and white cat. "Because I'm an elder."

"Do explain."

"If we sent out a warrior, they are in risk of death. Renegade wanted warriors for some reason. And I am an elder... If I die, you'll still have strong healthy warriors, and at least Flowerpath will know I'm waiting for her. She'll be up there soon."

"Cliffwalker, Flowerpath is not going to die. She's in good paws..."

"She's been sick for the past twelve days and has only gotten worse. It's Greenleaf, Shardstar. She doesn't have Greencough. There's no need to tell me she's not going to die. It's just life."

    Shardstar fell silent. Then he murmured, "we can talk it over with the deputy and medicine cat."

    Cliffwalker exhaled and turned away. "If you say so, Shardstar."

<><><>

    "Cats of Sunclan, if you went to the gathering, you know what the rogue Renegade has said," Fawnstar called from the Highrock, looking down at the crowd. "He claims to know where the missing cats have gone. He has also asked for cats to accompany him to bring them home."

   Concerned murmurs rippled through the cats.

    "He is only giving us a day to decide. Tonight he has asked for us to send warriors or apprentices with him."

    Thornpaw glanced sidelong at Aquapaw. The she-cat was staring at her paws.

    Fawnstar inhaled. "And, we have decided... Does anyone here wish to go?"

    The cats looked shocked, but nobody said a thing.

    Except Thornpaw.

    "I'll go," he called.

    Fawnstar pricked her ears. "Why?"

    "Well... Foxstorm... She's a good warrior. We need her back. And I want to get her back so she can let us know what happened, so this can't happen to anybody else."

    Fawnstar met his gaze. "You make a fair point. But please understand this is dangerous, going off with a rogue who was exiled for attempting murder."

    Thornpaw didn't look down. "I do understand, Fawnstar." I'm doing this for Aquapaw.

   The leader dipped her head. "I see. I will send someone to escort you at dawn tomorrow."