The next morning's sunrise was beautiful; Cottonpaw, who was dutifully fufilling his punishment of early morning watches, was the first to see it, and he took it as a promising sign. The early air was crisp, especially with the windchill, but no one seemed to notice. Everything was a-bustle with scurrying cats, trying to accomplish everything before Stonestar gave the signal to move out. Knowing her deputy would be swamped assigning everyone to their positions, Stonestar wove among her clanmates to help ease Aspfang's burden.

"Whitestripe, Windpaw: I want you to help carry the medicine bundles to disperse the load a little. Shadepaw will show you how to put them on."

"Ashwisker, you stay close to Graytail and help take care of the kits. I need Tanear at the rear to watch for enemies."

"Goldenpaw, you stay with me. You stick out in this terrain much more than I do, and I need everyone to be able to follow me closely. Snakeheart, you stay close behind us; I need Aspfang in the middle to help make sure everyone stays together, so I'll need another strong figher up here at point just in case."

Finally, once everyone had a place and a purpose in their closely packed group, Stonestar gave the signal for departure with her tail, which was held high in the air so as to be visable to everyone. Stepping out onto the trail, not one cat looked back at their makeshift home; it was time to move on to something better.

Starclan's pebbles, by this time, had been hidden underneath a fresh la
yer of snow, but Stonestar could still discern her scent from the first trip, so it was easy finding their way. However, as Stonestar had anticipated, the real trouble was that the going was much slower now than it was when she was alone, especially because they had two kits in tow. Even positioned in the center of the pack to protect them from the wind, their cold, unhappy squeals could be hearch echoing all around on the mountainside, making Stonestar extremely nervous.

Finally, around mid-day, she was forced to pull the group over so that Graytail could try to quiet the two. The area was not ideal for a pit stop; they were on top of a flat expanse of rock with no shelter or places to hide. To their immediate right was a flat, rocky cliff, and about thirty feet to the left the rock ended at a sharp edge, revealing a dizzying height that would kill a cat if they happened to take a tumble.

"I just can't get them to stop crying!" Graytail wailed as loudly as she dared while she cuddled and nosed at the flailing bundles of fluff. "They won't listen to me!"

The day had begun uneventfully. The cats had woken, energized by the prospect of a new home, and busied themselves for the trip to their new rest stop. Windpaw, particularly excited about getting on with their journey, purred at Stonestar's command and ran over to Blackpaw with a bright smile on her muzzle.

At first sight the contraption that Shadepaw had invented hadn't made any sense whatsoever, despite the apprentice's numerous attempts at explaining it. Finally, exasperated with the lack of progress, Windpaw just shut up and let the Medicine cat apprentice rope it around her neck, the vines chafing slightly. The weight rested by her chest, the feeling strange and something Windpaw wasn't accustomed to. However after a few minutes of walking around with it she felt quite comfortable in. The two packets bounced awkardly if she went too fast but Windpaw reasoned that with the kits they wouldn't be moving fast anyways.

Aspfang, grateful for Stonestar's aid, voiced her orders to anycat who had not been paying attention. Running about busily he almost forgot about Cottonpaw, who had not been assigned any duties yet. Sighing at the prospect of facing off with the stubborn apprentice Aspfang approached him cautiously.

"You can travel with me," he said with a small smile, unuse to this sort of action. "I'll need sharp eyes. Do you think you can make sure to notify me if anyone falls behind?" Hopefully giving Cottonpaw a rather important job would help mend the rift between them.

Not that there was much of a bond before, Aspfang thought uncharitably, though being kind to Cottonpaw was the least he could do.

Approaching Graytail with an enthusiastic purr Ashwhisker nudged on of her kits gently. Smallkit mewed and nuzzled her with young affection. "We best get going then," Ashwhisker mewed pleasantly to the gray she-cat, glancing down at a certain young kit who was playing with her tail.

That was a good sign. If the kits felt good enough to play and leap around they should be strong enough to make the trip today. 

When the sun was at its zenith the large group of cats stopped on a large plateau, their breaths clouding the chilly sky. Looking around Aspfang noticed that the kits were crying, and his heart wrenched at their plight. But there was little they could do but forge on until they made it off the mountains. Surely better times lay ahead.

"Let me help," Ashwhisker mewed gently, and curled up by the two kits. Now that they were protected by two adult cats they seemed to quiet down slightly, mewing gently as they shivered in the wind. Amber eyes gently Ashwhisker licked the top of the head of one kit, her fluffy tail cradling them.

"They won't survive much longer," she mewed bluntly, sympathy shining in her eyes for the despondent queen. 

*cough* Shadepaw, not Blackpaw *cough*

:P

Graytail, pushed to the breaking point with worry, snapped and turned hissing towards her comrade. "How dare you! They'll be just fine!"

The last word echoed menacingly, turning every head in the group towards the spat. However, no one thought about the dispute for long, because something strange happened: Graytail's angry screech, bouncing away down the ravine below them, was suddenly returned back, loud and clear.

Dumbfounded, dozens of ears picked up in surprise as all the cats froze for a moment in silence.

Then the noise came again, an insane, grating screech; this time, however, it came from above.

"Moutain lions!" Stonestar whispered, her worst fears realized. Whipping her head upwards, the frantic leader could see the tan, enormous body slinking down the cliffside towards them. With its massive size, it had no problem leaping from foothold to foothold, and in no time at all it had jumped over the cats' heads and landed directly in front of them, standing between the cats and the ravine.

"My, my, my..." It purred with a voice that somehow managed to sound both raspy and oily at the same time. "We shall be eating well tonight, I think..."

We!?

As if fate had suddenly completely turned its back on the ragtag Clan, another sandy colored head poked its way above the edge of the ravine. A quick leap and it was up, joining its mate. "Quite right, love. We haven't had a feast of this magnitude in ages. And look: there is a kit for each of us for dessert."

Until then, every cat had stood immobile with shock and fear. However, at that last sentence, Graytail let out a furious yowl that broke everyone out of their trance. Cottonpaw sprang forward and hissed, "Come and get us! We'll eat you for fresh-kill!"

The lions merely laughed as if Cottonpaw was some amusing joke and stalked forward a few steps.

Stonestar was not one to stand idly by and watch her Clan get slaughtered. They had not come this far to be eaten by animals of their own breed. She pushed her way up to the point position, to stand alone in no-cats-land between the two opposing parties. As she strolled past Aspfang she flicked him in rump and then in the muzzle with her tail, a silent message she hoped he would understand: Organize who will run and who will stay to fight while I stall. Aspfang would know that the Clan was too precious to risk in an all out battle, even if it might increase their odds. Besides, someone had to be left to protect the kits, and there needed to be someone wise enough to lead the survivors onward if Stonestar did not make it.

"Who are you to challenge us?" She snarled in response to the lion's jeering words. Stonestar, even when standing at her full height, was barely half the size of the mountain demons. This didn't particularly bother her; all of her thoughts were only on the survival of the Clan. "We might be smaller than you, but we outnumber you six to one! We are Warriors, and we will tear you to pieces!"

Ashwhisker dipped her head shamefully, knowing she had been out of line. Just about to apologized her ears were ravaged with the keening roar of the two mountain lions. Scrambling to her paws she felt her back bristle with fear, alarm coursing through her body.

Who would have thought that such a disaste would have happened just when everyone was feeling hopeful?

Narrowing her eyes Ashwhisker was about to step forth and attack one of the predators when Aspfang shoved her aside, his amber eyes glittering. "Protect Graytail and the kits," he hissed. "Take the apprentices and Tanear with you." Dark eyes brooking no comment Aspfang shoved her into Graytail before whirling around, barking orders.

"Cottonpaw, Windpaw, Goldenpaw, make sure Graytail gets out safely," he meowed in a harsh voice, keeping his eyes on the two mountain lions. Bundling them out before they could protest (for who knew what Cottonpaw was about to do) Aspfang turned his attention on the remaining warriors.

Most of them were bristling with fear, their eyes staring blankly at the two wild cats. Snakeheart, always the calm one, simply licked his flank quietly before turning his flat eyes on the pair in front of them.

"Honorable way to go at least," he commented quietly.

Letting out a growl Kestrelheart brushed up against Stonestar. "I'll take Shadepaw and get out of here as well. We'll stick nearby though, just in case." Turning to her apprentice Kestrelwing flicked her tail. "Gather the herb-carriers," she mewed in a low voice. "We'll carry them somewhere safe."

Turning to look one last time at the cougars Kestrelwing slunk to the back of the group, stopping next to Graytail. "Be safe, and pray to Starclan," she murmured gently, touching Graytail's head with her nose.

Growling Windpaw, rather uncharacteristically, stalked up to the cougars and glared at them defiantly. "You call yourself mountain lions?" she taunted bravely, despite the fact that she stood barely higher than half their leg length. "Preying on the weak and sick. You two are just mangy pieces of crow-food! No good, rotten, cowardly rats!" Muscles taught she bared her teeth in a snarl, quite ready to leap at the two and claw them to pieces. 

Cottonpaw, as much as he wanted to ignore Aspfang, for once decided to obey because it meant he could make sure Windpaw got out safely. However, somehow he lost sight of her in the confusion, only to notice she had slid her way to the very front near Stonestar.

"Windpaw!" Realizing what she was doing (because it was exactly what he would have done in her place), he took a massive leap over the heads of the cats in front of him and knocked her sideways just as a giant, clawed paw smacked down right where the defiant she-cat had stood.

That's when all hell broke loose.

"Go!" Yowled Cottonpaw agrily, his tone leaving no room for arguement. "We have to protect the kits!" Behind him, five cats were mounting their attack on the lions: Aspfang, Snakeheart, Duskheart, Whitestripe, and Stonestar. They had the numbers, but the cougars had the advantage in both size and strength, and it didn't look promising.

Right off the bat, Whitestripe had her right foreleg sliced by a sharp claw, leaving it practically useless. The cougar went in for the kill, but Whitestripe was RushClan, and she was too fast to be caught that easily. As she darted out of the way, Duskheart clawed his was up the tan cat's flank and began ripping up his back and shoulders while the creature flailed around trying to figure out a way to get him off. Finally the thing rolled over on top of him, knocking the wind out of him and gaining the upper hand once again.

The other cat was having trouble with Stonestar: her large size coupled with RushClan speed evened up the odds a bit, and she was landing blows and managing to dodge the counterattacks.

Meanwhile, Tanear, realizing the importance of his job as senior member of the escapees, was trying to herd the apprentices forward when they clearly wanted to go back and help."No, no, no!" His voice, normally so slow and calm, was loud and very strained as he shoved the resistant Goldenpaw forward once again. "RushClan must survive!"

Cottonpaw, the one Tanear thought would be most eager to join the fight, was mimicking Tanear's action's exactly, only with Windpaw instead of Goldenpaw. Working together, the two toms managed to push the anguished she-cats around the bend out of sight of the fight, but the angry screeches and yowls were driving the apprentices insane. They needed a miracle, or...

"Tanear!" Suddenly Graytail, who had gone ahead with the kits, suddenly came into view, running like there was a pack of dogs close on her heels. "We found the cave! The entrance is too small for a mountain lion to get through! If we can get everyone back here, they'll be safe!"

Looking over Graytail's shoulder, Tanear could see that Graytail was right. There was the little crack in the stony wall... A crack that he recognized, though no one else knew that...

"Everyone, in there, quickly! I will go fetch the others, and--"

"No. I will go." Goldenpaw stood, her amber eyes calm and filled with an unusual amount of intelligence.  "I'm faster, and I will be less of a loss to the Clan if something goes wrong."

There was no time to argue. Tanear nodded. "Go, and may StarClan be with you!" The golden she-cat was off in a flash, hoping that she would be able to deliver the message of safety before it was too late.

Scrambling to her paws after Cottonpaw had saved her life Windpaw didn't waste her breath on thanks, she simply dove after Graytail and the kits. Bolting past Tanear she nearly rolled headfirst into Ashwhisker, who had stopped in front of a seemingly plain stone wall. "What now?" she gasped, her flanks heaving.

Looking down at the apprentice quietly Ashwhisker promptly shoved Windpaw through a crack in the wall and went for Cottonpaw, pushing him in after the other apprentice. Casting around for the kits she noticed they were huddling where Graytail had left them. Not wanting to panic the queen Ashwhisker stood over them protectively, her ears flattened as the yowls of battle reached her. 

Back on the plateau Aspfang was watching a losing battle. Letting out a defiant caterwaul he dodged underneath the cougar Stonestar was fighting and raked his claws down its belly as he slid against the shafing rock. Flipping onto his paws on the other side Aspfang clamped his jaws around the cougar's tail, causing it to shriek painfully loud and whirl around furiously, carrying Aspfang with her. 

His mouth clenched over a mass of fur and flesh Aspfang was unable to breathe and he knew that he would have to drop off soon. However the cougar's wild movements would make such a decision almost certain death, or at least put him out of the fight.

Unable to help herself Kestrelwing pushed Shadepaw in the direction of the fleeing cats and ran towards the cougar that Whitestripe and Duskheart were battling. Whitestripe was injured and Duskheart winded. Sparing no thought for her life Kestrelwing raked needle-sharp claws down the cougar's muzzle, leaving wet crimson tracks behind. Letting out a screech the cougar lashed out with a paw, knocking Kestrelwing to the side.

"I won't give up," the medicine cat hissed as she stood up on swaying legs. Her entire left side was on fire and despite the heat of the moment she knew instantly that she had dislocated one of her hindlegs. Undeterred by the pain Kestrelwing forged forwards, desperate to buy time for the others.

Howling furiously Snakeheart latched onto Stonestar's opponent's leg determinedly, feeling himelf being kicked around by its mad movements.