Broken Reflection

Chapter 12

Gravelpelt spoke up next to the DawnClan leader. "They told us that Rainstar had a message to give to us."

"A message ?" Twilightfoot asked, eyes narrowed in disbelief.

Eveningstar nodded, brown eyes burning. "They told us they would give us our kits back only  if we surrendered our territory."

The clearing fell into a shocked silence. After several heartbeats and many horrified and furious looks, Hailstorm sputtered, "They what ?"

"They can't do that!" Spruceclaw exclaimed, tail lashing.

Goldheart let out a hiss, and Yellowflower snarled, "Have they forgotten the will of StarClan?"

Sparktail stepped forward. "I don't think Rainstar cares what StarClan thinks anymore."

"What did you say to the DayClan patrol?" Aspenleaf asked quietly, as if talking too loud would bring the DayClan cats right to the camp.

"We told them we'd never surrender our territory to them, and that they'd give us back our kits now, or pay," Eveningstar spoke up to the angry crowd.

Sunfur shuddered. "They... they just laughed."

Rustypelt nodded. "They told us they'd already been to DuskClan with Rainstar's message, and they said that Orangestar had refused as well. There was something about Bristlepine's voice that suggested that if we refused to give up our territory like DuskClan supposedly had... something bad would ha—" She broke off, shivering.

Hailstorm shared a worried glance with Clovertail. What would  DayClan do when DawnClan refused to surrender to them?

Sagetail wailed. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, we can't surrender!" yowled Moonshine.

"What we do we do then?" Bronzepelt spat. "Nothing ? And risk my kits' safety?"

"Well, when we told them no, they said they'd give us one day to reconsider. They said to meet us at the border tomorrow at sunhigh to give our answer," Sparktail murmured with a shudder. "If we don't surrender, they said we'd suffer the consequences."

"What consequences?" Creekfall snorted. "It's not like they can attack us! It'd be like the last battle; the other three Clans all against DayClan! They'd be outnumbered and we'd win!"

"We won, yes, but we lost Twigfoot, and NightClan lost many cats too. How many more lives would we lose if DayClan attacked us again?" Sunfur murmured.

That silenced the clearing. Hailstorm felt a stab of pain in his heart at the mention of his dead father.

"Never underestimate DayClan," Meadowheart muttered darkly.

"So what should  we do?" Clovertail asked.

"We won't actually meet them at the border tomorrow right?" Eaglefeather asked.

"We have  to," Eveningstar meowed, claws tearing at the grass. "And we'll tell then that we have no intention of surrendering."

"No!" Sagetail cried out. "No! What about my kits! My k—"

"Sagetail, it's alright. It'll be alright," Sparktail soothed.

"But—"

"They've asked for the same thing from DuskClan and NightClan," Rustypelt meowed. "And if both other Clans refuse to give in, they are outnumbered. They can't demand territory from all of us if we all refuse."

"But they've got to have a backup plan," Copperleaf added quietly. "Rainstar's always had one for every plan she's ever had."

Sunfur nodded at Copperleaf, looking worried. "We'll just have to see tomorrow."