Cloudstar and Buzzardtail, his deputy, are out patrolling the SkyClan/ThunderClan border. Seedpelt, ThunderClan's deputy, catches them and mocks Cloudstar for doing the patrol himself. Buzzardtail is upset with the way Seedpelt is talking to his leader, but Cloudstar smooths things over. Buzzardtail bemoans how Duskstar gave away part of their territory to ThunderClan. Cloudstar stands by their former leaders decision, stating he had his reasons and ThunderClan might have starved if Duskstar had not done it - and there needs to be five clans. Back at the camp the hunting patrol returns with only one squirrel. They are upset, blaming the twolegs and their monsters on the edge of the territory for scaring away the prey. Stoatfur tells Cloudstar that he thinks they shouldn't hunt by the monsters anymore. Cloudstar assures them it was just a bad hunt and things will be better tomorrow.
Cloudstar dreams of StarClan and three SkyClan leaders who have passed over - Maplestar, Rowanstar, and Duskstar. He questions Duskstar's decision to give away the land. Duskstar states he could not let ThunderClan starve, and it is the duty of a leader to preserve the five clans. The cats tell him that SkyClan will endure forever. Fawnstep wakes Cloudstar, wishing to speak with him in private. The medicine cat tells him of signs she has read, speaking of problems for their clan. Cloudstar tells her not to worry, that StarClan visited him in his dreams, assuring him that the clan is going to be fine.
Cloudstar takes the apprentices out to train them on climbing trees and jumping from branch to branch. They move through the trees and find themselves by the twolegs and their monsters. Cloudstar orders them to turn back but before they can the tree they are in is attacked and falls down. Cloudstar protects the apprentices then helps pull them from the rubble. Mintpaw is injured. Cloudstar carries her as everyone runs back to camp.
Back at camp Cloudstar tells everyone what happened while Fawnstep treats everyone. Buzzardtail asks if they have lost that border and Cloudstar tells him they have. Everyone is panicking over the future of their clan. Cloudstar calms them down and that night he takes a patrol to assess the damage, which is extensive. The warriors in the patrol are afraid of what will happen next. Cloudstar insists that everything will be fine and stays to watch the border during the night.
Cloudstar returns to camp the next day, informing everyone that the twolegs are now dragging the trees away. He asks Fawnstep if she has had any more omens, finally acknowledging that there might be a problem, but she has had none. Later he has to go on a patrol along the ThunderClan border with Stoatfur. Redstar, the ThunderClan leader, sees Cloudstar and tries to get information out of him about the monsters and why Cloudstar is leading a patrol, but Cloudstar gives the rude leader nothing. When they leave Redstar, Stoatfur suggests asking for their territory back but Cloudstar feels that would be disrespectful to Duskstar. He assures his cats everything will go back to normal soon. However, when they get back to camp Cloudstar sees how little prey there is. He goes out hunting by himself but isn't able to catch much. He decrees that cats can only eat once a day now, as prey is too scarce. Buzzardtail is upset with this decision as it means the cats might starve. Upset, Cloudstar snaps at his deputy then retreats to his den.
Poor Cloudstar. He has such faith in StarClan to solve their problems but it isn't going to work. On the other hand it is interesting to see ThunderClan as the bad guys for once. Redstar and Seedpelt are pretty disrespectful towards Cloudstar, who just wants to keep the peace. They seem the vultures waiting to pounce the moment SkyClan falls. I suppose they know SkyClan's territory will become their own. One would think, however, that they would fear being the next to be driven away. After all, why stop with just SkyClan's territory? ThunderClan is right next door. It doesn't work out that way, though. ThunderClan will get to expand.
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