((Anywhere. Since his parents are elders, anything could've happened... It's great to have you back and running. 8D))

Stormblaze landed sturdily, if not gracefully. He tried to stay standing even in the goopy mud. He gave a warning snarl to the fox. "DarkClan!" he exclaimed. "We have to tell them." he said. Without waiting for a reply, he pelted after the beast.

Gorsepaw gave a tiny nod. She would be staying behind. The she-cat turned and began to prepare some strengthening herbs for some of the cats, especially the elders. As she made the bundles, she felt a little proud for being trusted in the Clan. Even with a sick warrior. She would please her mentor by healing him.

Eagletalon shifted. He ate the herbs by his nest and felt a bit better. The tom felt his teeth crunch against something small. Poppy seeds. Their scent had been disguised by the catmint and Crea. He gave a sleepy yawn and settled into his nest.

Gorsepaw groomed the kit again. She turned the little she-cat over to do the other side. Gorsepaw made sure that the kit was safe in the nest before cleaning her.

Marshtail, tore after Stormblaze into Darkclan territory. "I smell a patrol, a large one at that" she said nervously. "Fox dung!" Marshtail cursed. "It's gathering night! Willowstar must be furious!" she said, keeping pace with Stormblaze. "Gladestar will be with the-" Marshtail was cut of by a vicious yowl...

"Terraclan!" Gladestar yowled, skidding to a stop in front of the Terraclan duo. "What are you doing in  our territory?" she snarled, her eyes blazing with fury.

Minkclaw hissed at Marshtail, knowing very well that she had killed one of his best friends, and Shadowpaw's mother. He cast a side glance at Shadowpaw, worried that she would attack before command. He knew very well about her thirst for vengeance.

Dreamcloud gazed at Stormblaze and Marshtail with wonder, curious as to their being here, and to Marshtail's fresh wound.

Ashflight glanced at Shadowpaw, sharing Minkclaw's concern. The tension between the two cats was no secret.

Minnowfoot snarled in the general direction of the Terraclan cats, his wide eyes glittering in the darkness. His coat was getting wet, he was sure if was bothering the other cats too. Good.

----

Pinebloom sat in Terraclan, her tail twitching. Marshtail and Stormblaze weren't back yet...

---

"Cloud?" Pepper called, poking her head into her leader's den. "Are you there?" 

Shadowpaw's ear twitched angrily. She tried, tried, tried to remain calm. "Reaaowwrr!" she growled warningly at the intruders. Her eyes flashed; she wouldn't be able to control herself for much longer.

Stormblaze took a deep breath. "There's a fox in you-" he mewed before being cut off by a twig snapping. He heard a soft growl, as if the fox was pleased at what it had scented.

Cloud opened an eye. He got up. "Yes?" the tom asked, tail swishing back and forth on the damp earth. It was still raining. Ugh.

The fox licked its lips. Shadowpaw was the smallest cat there; therefor the easiest prey in his mind. He let out a fierce bark and leaped at the little black apprentice, his jaws opening to reveal sharp teeth and rancid breath.

Minkclaw's heart jumped. There was nothing her could do! in the next few seconds, Shadowpaw would be mauled by a fox, and he was too far from her to stop it.

Marshtail didn't think. She jumped over Gladestar and intercepted the fox before it could hit Shadowpaw. She fell awkwardly because of her twisted paw and nearly fell over. She had served her purpose. She had knocked the fox away. She braced herself for Shadowpaw or any of the other Darkclan cats to attack her.

Gladestar stopped worrying about who was in whose territory, the fox was the biggest threat. She ran over to check on Shadowpaw and then tackled the fox, jumping onto its back and tearing at its thick neck fur.

The fox snarled defiantly and curled his head around to his back. He grabbed Gladestar in his jaws by her hind legs and bit down hard and without mercy before throwing her against the tree.

Applesong padded up to Gladestar, keeping an eye on the fox. "Find me some cobwebs" she ordered Dreamcloud swiftly. She swiftly obeyed.

Minkclaw charged at the fox with Ashflight on his tail. They took the fox from either flank, biting at his ears and legs. Ashflight climbed on top of the fox, and before he had time to react, bit down as hard as she could on the neck of the fox.

With a final bark of anguish, the fox dropped all defense and perished.

Minkclaw and Ashflight sat in front of the fox.

Marshtail was out cold... 

---

Pepper smiled. "Oh, there you are." she said. She sat down just inside the den so she didn't get more wet. "I came to inform you that it's a full moon, the clan cats will be at their gathering tonight, and it'd be a great time to mark their boundaries." 

Shadowpaw's eyes flashed in terror. The next few moments seemed to pas.s by in slow motion. Thenit picked up again. She cringed and collapse, trying to get up in the thick muck. Marshtail had saved her. Marshtail.

Gorsepaw saw the whole thing. Her jaw dropped and she let out a little gasp. Her tail rose in interest.

Eagletalon's eyes widened in amazement. He knew very well of the Shadowpaw and Marshtail situation. He felt sick... Again. 

Cloud purred. "You are very cunning." he praised. His tail flicked. "Gather the others." he said, getting up. "I'll have Scar take care of the rest." he added, meaning the whole telling-them-about-it thing.

Shadowpaw finally got up after her fifth try. She was covered in mud. The she-cat scrambled over to Marshtail. "Wake up..." she pleaded.

Gorsepaw sprinted out of the medicine cat den, herbs clutched safely in her mouth. She placed them carefully at ehr paws. "Any wounds? Injuries? Casualties? Anything?" she demanded.

Eagletalon gave a loud groan of exasperation. He wanted to be healthy and be outside, fighting a fat red fox... Okay, not fat, but it was large!

((Nothing yet. Marshtail was out in the rain and got attacked by a fox. Stormblaze helped her chase it into Darkclan territory. Gladestar and the gathering patrol met them on the way to the gathering, and challenged them. Then the fox came. Gladestar is about to send Marhtail and Stormblaze back to Darkclan with escorts. Then she'll go ahead to the gathering and tell what happened.))

Applesong looked up. "Over here Gorsepaw, Gladestar is heavily wounded." she stated.

Gladestar groaned. Everything was fuzzy. "Applesong..." she murmered weakly. "Let me go, I have other lives."

Applesong clenched her teeth in frustration. "It doesn't have to be this way Gladestar!" she said angrily, wrapping her wounds tightly. 

Gladestar gazed up at Applesong silently, then her eyes closed.

"Fox dung!" Applesong hissed, sitting down with a thud. "She is with Starclan now" she mumbled. This was only the frst life Gladestar had lost, but that didn't frustrate Applesong any less.

Marshtail moaned. "Hmmm...?" she said, dazed. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw a young black she-cat. Her mind was too jumbled up to recognize her. She closed her eyes again and yawned. 

---

Pepper nodded and went to the den beside  Cloud's. "Venom!" she called into the darkness. "Have you any idea where Jay is? We are patrolling now."

Gorsepaw gave a sigh. "She'll recover" she mewed. "But what about the Gathering?" she asked. Her tail flicked impatiently. The other Clans were waiting for them.

Shadowpaw gave a huff. "Come on, Marshtail. The Gathering." she mewed, trying to coax the she-cat awake.

Marshtail blinked awake moodily and sat in a normal position. Her paw hurt. She didn't bother trying to stand up. "What happened to the fox?" she said staring at the dead body of the canine animal.

Applesong shrugged. "I suppose we wait until she wakes up and then go." she said. She looked at Stormblaze.  "Shadowpaw, you, Spottedaw and Crowpaw are to escort Marshtail and Stormblaze back to our camp. Gorsepaw, you see that they are rested and that their injuries are tended to." she said. "Minkclaw, if you and Dreamcloud could carry Gladestar back to camp, that'd be great. Ashflight, Minnowfoot, you can go back to camp too."

Spottedpaw's chest swelled with importance as she trotted over to Stormblaze. "Let's go! you'll love our camp!" she squealed.

Crowpaw rolled his eyes at Spottedpaw, but smiled at her enthusiasm and pride for Darkclan. He padded over to Shadowpaw and Marshtail. "Do you need any help walking?" he asked Marshtail.

"Why would I need-" Marshtail glanced at her bloody paw. "-oh. I think I can make it to camp, as long as I don't run." she said.  Willowstar will be beside herself with rage...

Stormblaze blinked a few times, but reluctantly followed the apprentices. "I'm sure it looks wonderful." he mewed, grinning.

Gorsepaw nodded dutifully. She trotted after Spottedpaw so that she could help the TerraClan cats. Hopefully they weren't hurt or anything.

Willowstar suddenly knew something was wrong. Bounding out of the Hailclan camp, leaving Hawkkit behind in her thoughtlesness, she ran straight to the Darkclan border. Great Starclan! I forgot about the fox! how could I... Oh, if somecat gets killed, it'll all be my fault! She wailed mentally, suddenly reminded how young she truly was. Whipping her head around, the whites of her eyes shown and Willowstar truly knew the meaning of FEAR.

Shadowscar heard the commotion and padded out to see what was going on. dipping his head towards Applesong and the two apprentices, he gruffly mewed, "Who's this? A prisonor? Or some cat who wants an audience from another cat?" Looking down at Marshtail. His eyes fell on Marshtail's bloody paw. "Fox eh? I'll get some cobwebs for her." He mewed tartly, padding off towards the medicine cat's den.

EagletaStormblaze gave a huff. He wasn't a prisoner. He was the one that practically saved their tails! Up until the DarkClan cats decided to leap onto the fox, of course. "The Gathering." he mumbled.

Hawksatar lied down. He yowled to his Clans, "Go sit amongst the trees; I don't want any of you getting sick." His tail flicked.