| the clan from down under |

Prologue

"End tunneling?" Gasped a black she-cat her fur bristling with alarm.

"I understand this is hard for you everycat but this is what's best for the clan." meowed Heatherstar attempting to calm the bewildered clan.

The black she-cats alarm quickly turned into anger as her tail swept protectively over her swollen stomach.

"Fox-dung Heatherstar! My ancestors have tunneled for generations, why should we stop now?" She challenged tilting her head up.

"Yes, why should we stop after moons upon moons of tradition?" Agreed a dark brown tabby Tom padding out of the crowd to stand beside the black she-cat.

"I understand this is hard for you," Heatherstar meowed addressing the Tom. "But we have lost far too many cats these past few moons to the tunnels."

"That's how it's always been!" Protested the black she-cat baring her teeth. "You expect me to raise my kits to be- moor runners?" She spat out the term furiously.

"Shadefur calm yourself, Windclan will always value your service but being a tunneler is no longer your profession." Heatherstar said finally narrowing her eyes.

Several tunnelers had now leaped to their paws, including Shadefur's mate Burrowfoot yowling with outrage.

"Please every cat calm down!" Yowled Heatherstar a desperate attempt to get the clan to calm as they began arguing among themselves

Shadefur turned to address the clan rather than her leader. "If this is what Windclan has come to, count me and my kits out!" She hissed lashing her tail.

"I agree with Shadefur!" Yowled the senior medicine cat Poppyseed rising to her paws, her former apprentice Hawkheart swung his gaze to her in shock

"Tunneling has been in our clan for generations, why should we stop now? Loss has always been apart of tunneling." Poppyseed meowed, the entire clan hushing as she spoke.

"If you cannot accept the traditions of the clan, then I don't believe I can respect you as I once did." Poppyseed concluded, turning her gaze to Heatherstar.

Shadefur nodded to the medicine cat before turning to glare at Heatherstar lifting her head in defiance. "My family will tunnel with, or without Windclan."

Reedfeather's eyes widened with horror "Shadefur please! Think of what you are saying." He begged the dark-furred she-cat.

The entire clan went silent as they stared at the expectant she-cat, her mate Burrowfoot shoved his way to the front to stand beside her, not a moment later Poppyseed joined them.

Several other cats began shoving their ways to the front aswell, including Wetpaw and Glowpaw two tunneling apprentices..

"What?" Came a small voice from the assortment of cats as they watched their clan mates set out without another word.

"Heatherstar, you appear to be down several warriors" meowed Sunstar blinking at the small assortment of Windclan cats, "did something happen to Poppyseed?" Called up one of the medicine cats

Heatherstar hung her head "heatherstar?" asked Hailstar suspiciously.

"Several of our clanmates including Poppyseed, Burrowfoot, Glowpaw, Wetpaw. . ." the clans stared in shock at how long the list was getting

"And Shadefur" the clans erupted into whispers and shocked exclamations.

"A queen left the clan!?"

"Theyre simply young cats swayed by the interest of the outside theyll come crawling back soon enough!" yowled a thunderclan elder.

Each of the leaders glanced to Heatherstar expecting her to seem as though she truly believed theyd return.

But Heatherstar's gaze betrayed her defeat, as she didn't meet any cats glance.

These cats were truly set on leaving their clan, and had no intentions of returning.