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Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Allegiances

Thunderclan

Leader: 

Firestar (M) -bright flame colored tom with lighter chest and vibrant green eyes

Deputy: 

Brackenfur (M)-golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Toadpaw

Medicine Cats:

Leafpool (F)-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Jayfeather (M)- light gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Warriors: 

Dustpelt (M)-dark brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes

Sandstorm (F)-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Graystripe (M)- dark gray tom with stripe of darker fur along his back and yellow eyes

Cloudtail (M)-long-haired white tom with bright blue eyes

Thornclaw (M)-light golden-brown tabby tom with darker chest and blue eyes

Brightheart (F)-white she-cat with ginger patches and a dark blue eye

Brambleclaw (M)-dark brown tabby tom with orange eyes

Ashfur (M)-light gray tom with scattered darker spots and  ice blue eyes

Squirrelflight (F)- bright auburn she-cat with white front paw and green eyes

Sorreltail (F)-ginger and black splashes with white belly, chest, paws, and muzzle and yellow eyes

Spiderleg (M)-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Brook Where Small Fish Swim (F)-brown tabby she-cat with purple-gray eyes

Stormfur (M)-dark gray tom with yellow eyes

Birchfall (M)-light brown tom with lighter back and darker stripes and paws and amber eyes

Berrynose (M)- cream tom with dark amber eyes and short tail

Hazeltail (F)- gray and white she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Apprentice: Rosepaw

Honeyfern (F)- golden she-cat with bright blue eyes

Poppyfrost (F)- white she-cat with orange and black splashes and yellow eyes

Cinderheart (F)- gray tabby she-cat with deep blue eyes

Lionblaze (M)- light golden tabby tom with dark amber eyes

Hollyleaf (F)- jet black she-cat with striking green eyes

Icecloud (F)- snowy white she-cat with bright blue eyes

Foxleap (M)- dark red tabby tom with lighter muzzle and paws and green eyes

Apprentices:

Toadpaw (M) (Mentor: Brackenfur)- black and white tom with yellow-green eyes

Rosepaw (F) (Mentor: Hazeltail)- lithe pink-tinted cream she-cat with amber eyes

Queens and Kits:

Ferncloud (F)- pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and light spring green eyes

(Mate: Dustpelt) 

Daisy (F)- long-furred cream she-cat with lighter chest and light blue eyes

(Mate: Spiderleg) 

Millie (F)- gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

(Mate: Graystripe)

     Mother To:

          Briarkit (F)- sleek dark brown she-cat with sky-blue eyes

          Bumblekit (M)- very pale gray tom with black stripes and amber eyes

          Blossomkit (F)- white she-cat with black, auburn, and brown splashes across her back, tail, and head and white spots, yellow-green eyes

Whitewing (F)-white she-cat with green eyes

(Mate: Birchfall)

     Mother To:

          Dovekit (F)- light gray she-cat with green eyes

          Ivykit (F)- white she-cat with gray tabby patches and blue eyes

Elders:

Longtail (M)- pale brown tabby tom with black stripes, scars across green eyes

Mousefur (F)- small dusky brown she-cat with orange eyes

Shadowclan

Leader: 

Blackstar (M)- large white tom with huge jet black paws and piercing yellow eyes

Deputy: 

Russetfur (F)- dark ginger she-cat with light green eyes

Medicine Cats:

Littlecloud (M)-small white tom with warm gray back, tail, and head and blue eyes

Apprentice: Flamepaw

Flamepaw (M)-ginger tom with bright blue eyes

Warriors: 

Oakfur (M)-light brown tom with dull green eyes

Apprentice: Tigerpaw

Rowanclaw (M)-dark ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Tawnypelt (F)- bright orange and black she-cat with white muzzle and chest and green eyes

Smokefoot (M)-long-legged black tom with dark green eyes

Ivytail (F)- long-furred white she-cat with orange, brown, and black along her back and tail and dark blue eyes

Apprentice: Dawnpaw

Owlclaw (M)- light brown tabby tom with yellow-green eyes

Toadfoot (M)- dark brown tom with pale green eyes

Crowfrost (M)-black and white tom with gray eyes

Apprentice: Olivepaw

Kinkfur (F)-long-furred golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Ratscar (M)-brown tom with long scar along back and dark green eyes

Apprentice: Shrewpaw

Snaketail (M)-dark brown tom with tabby tail and bright yellow eyes

Applefur (F)-mottled brown she-cat with orange eyes

Whitetail (F)-long-furred white she-cat with gray eyes, one blind eye

Apprentice: Redpaw

Scorchfur (M)- dark gray tom with ragged ears and orange eyes

Apprentices:

Olivepaw (F) (Mentor: Crowfrost)- black she-cat with orange spots and gray eyes

Shrewpaw (F) (Mentor: Ratscar)- gray she-cat with black paws and amber eyes

Redpaw (M) (Mentor: Whitetail)- mottled brown and ginger tom with yellow eyes

Tigerpaw (M) (Mentor: Oakfur)-dark brown tabby with amber eyes

Dawnpaw (F) (Mentor: Ivytail)- cream she-cat with yellow-green eyes

Queens and Kits:

Snowbird (F)-pure white she-cat with light green eyes

Elders:

Cedarheart (M)- dark gray tom with brown eyes

Tallpoppy (F)- long-legged light brown she-cat with pale light green eyes

Windclan

Leader: 

Onestar (M) -light brown tabby tom with white chest and yellow eyes

Deputy: 

Ashfoot (F)-medium gray she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cats:

Barkface (M)-short-tailed brown tom with amber eyes

Kestrelflight (M)- mottled gray tom with white splotches and green eyes

Warriors: 

Tornear (M)-wiry gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Crowfeather (M)-dark gray tom with blue eyes

Whitetail (F)-small white she-cat with green eyes

Gorsetail (F)- very pale gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Owlwhisker (M)-light-brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Nightcloud (F)-black she-cat with amber eyes

Weaselfur (M)-lithe ginger tom with white paws and green eyes

Leaftail (M)-dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Thistlepaw

Dewspots (F)-spotted gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Sedgepaw

Willowclaw (F)-gray she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice: Swallowpaw

Emberfoot (M)-gray tom with two dark paws and blue eyes

Apprentice: Sunpaw

Antpelt (M)-brown tom with one black ear and yellow eyes

Harespring (M)- brown and white tom with pale green eyes

Heathertail (F)- light brown tabby she-cat with purple eyes

Breezepelt (M)- lean black tom with yellow eyes 

Apprentices:

Swallowpaw (F) (Mentor: Willowclaw)- dark gray she-cat with dull green eyes

Sedgepaw (F) (Mentor: Dewspots)- light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thistlepaw (A) (Mentor: Leaftail)- long-furred white cat with yellow-green eyes

Sunpaw (F) (Mentor: Emberfoot)- mottled brown and black she-cat with one white spot on her forehead and golden eyes

Elders:

Morningflower (F)- tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Webfoot (M)- wiry dark gray tabby tom with orange eyes

Riverclan

Leader: 

Leopardstar (F) -spotted golden she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy: 

Mistyfoot (F)-pale blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Medicine Cats:

Mothwing (F)-dappled golden she-cat with pale yellow eyes

Willowshine (F)-light gray tabby she-cat with bright green eyes

Warriors: 

Blackclaw (M)-smoky black tom with yellow eyes

Voletooth (M)-small brown tabby tom with orange eyes

Reedwhisker (M)-black tom with dark gray eyes

Mosspelt (F)-brown and black tortoiseshell she-cat with white chest and paws and blue eyes

Apprentice: Pebblepaw

Beechfur (M)-light brown tom with green eyes

Rippletail (M)-dark gray tabby tom with pale gray eyes

Apprentice: Mallowpaw

Dawnflower (F)-pale gray she-cat with green eyes

Mintfur (M)-light gray tabby tom with green eyes

Apprentice: Nettlepaw

Otterheart (F)-dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Sneezepaw

Pinefur (F)-very short-haired tabby she-cat with dark green eyes

Apprentice: Robinpaw

Rainstorm (M)-mottled gray-blue tom with blue eyes

Duskfur (F)-brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentice: Copperpaw

Dapplenose (F)-mottled gray she-cat with blue eyes

Pouncetail (F)-ginger and white tom with amber eyes

Minnowtail (F)- dappled dark gray and white she-cat with yellow eyes

Apprentices:

Pebblepaw (F) (Mentor: Mosspelt)- mottled gray tom with green eyes

Nettlepaw (M) (Mentor: Mintfur)- dark brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes

Robinpaw (M) (Mentor: Pinefur)- pale-furred tortoiseshell and white tom with green-blue eyes

Copperpaw (F) (Mentor: Duskfur)- dark ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Sneezepaw (M) (Mentor: Otterheart)- gray and white tom with green eyes

Mallowpaw (M) (Mentor: Rippletail)- light brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Queens and Kits:

Icewing (F)- snowy white she-cat with blue eyes

     Mother To:

          Beetlekit (M)- white and brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

          Pricklekit (M)- white tom with brown tabby patches on his head and back and green eyes

          Petalkit (F)- gray and white she-cat with orange eyes

          Grasskit (M)- light brown tom with blue eyes

Elders:

Heavystep (M)- thickset brown tabby tom with green eyes

Swallowtail (F)- plump dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Stonestream (M)- gray tom with blue eyes

Outsiders

Sol (M)- long-haired white, orange, and brown tabby tom with pale yellow eyes

Chapter Text

The sky was gray, filled with shaded clouds that urged every cat to get back to camp before another snowfall. Snow had coated the ground for over a moon already, and leaf-bare didn’t seem ready to let up any time soon. The air was crisp with a frost that stung your nose and turned your breath into a puff of fog, and with the sun visiting for so little time each day, there were few opportunities for any warmth to seep into your bones.

This was particularly difficult for the small band of cats who had been journeying through this weather for days. Two she-cats trudged along through the thick layer of snow, slowed down not just by the cold but by three much smaller kits trying to follow them. Their legs were still too short to hold entirely out of the snow, so their pawsteps turned into bounces and leaps from one indent into the next. 

“Would you like to hop on my back?” The dark ginger she-cat asked, eyeing the three tiny figures trying to keep up. “It’s not much further now.”

Across the hills, fields, and forests and even through a small twoleg nest, these cats had traveled, seeking not only an herb to bring back for the clan, but a safe place to have these unexpected kits. Their journey was long and exhausting, especially on their already weakened muscles, and the new fragile bodies of the kits. However, that day, they finally arrived back on their territory: the forest of Thunderclan. The camp, and the rest that would come with it, was only a short distance away.

The little golden tabby shook his head fervently. “I don’t need your help, Squirrelflight! I’m gonna be a warrior!” 

The light brown tabby shared a look of amusement with the dark-ginger she-cat. “Even warriors need help sometimes, Lionkit.”

“But not us, Leafpool!” A little black she-kit came to stand next to him, puffing out her chest. “We can walk all on our own. We came this far.”

Squirrelflight purred, stroking the little she-kit’s black with her big fluffy tail. “All right, Hollykit.” Her green gaze drifted further back into the snow, landing on the smallest of the three kits, a gray tabby even smaller than his littermates. “How about you Jaykit? Would you like to ride with me the rest of the way?”

Jaykit narrowed his eyes, though his gaze was unfocused and couldn’t quite be directed at Squirrelflight as he might have wanted. “If my littermates are walking on their own, I will too.”

“But Jaykit,” Leafpool cooed, pausing her trek so the little tom could catch up. “You aren’t quite...like your littermates-”

“Because I can’t see.” Jaykit finished her sentence, a touch of resentment in his voice. “I know. It’s on the tip of your tongue every time you’re around me.”

Leafpool’s face contorted, an expression of equal parts pity and guilt flooding over it. “No, no it’s just...you’re smaller than them.”

Jaykit snorted, picking up the pace of his leaps through the snow. “I can do just fine.”

Leafpool opened her mouth to reply again, but as Squirrelflight shook her head, she decided against it. 

The group trekked onward through the woods. It would have been a short walk for the full grown warriors, but for the kits it was a grand journey, and they were finally nearing the end of it. Squirrelflight beckoned her kits through the thorn barrier at the entrance. Lionkit and Hollykit walked on either side of Jaykit, guiding him through so he could avoid stepping on any of the sharp thorns.

There was a moment of silence as they emerged into the clearing, and then a chorus of voices. 

“Squirrelflight! You’re back!” Brightheart cried.

Ferncloud’s eyes shot open. “With kits? I didn’t even know you were expecting! Are you all well?”

Squirrelflight dipped her head. “They came much earlier than I expected, and I simply didn’t have a chance to get back to the nursery. I wouldn’t have gone if I had any idea.”

“Thank Starclan Leafpool was with you!” Sorreltail added.

Brackenfur nodded. “I’m glad they’re safe, especially considering the snow.”

“I’ll go get Brambleclaw.” Dustpelt smiled as he glanced at the hits. “He should know he’s a father!”

Amidst the crowd of warriors flooding the entrance, two of the kits pushed forward to the front, though Jaykit hung back, standing in the shaded section of the thorn tunnel behind Squirrelflight and Leafpool.

“Hey! Who are all of you?” Lionkit yowled, his high-pitched voice cracking as he struggled to be heard.

Squirrelflight crouched beside him. “They’re your clanmates,” she meowed softly. “We’ll be living with them from now on.” Hollykit seemed to be reveling in the attention. Her green eyes shone and she held herself as tall as she could as she looked around at the happy faces examining her and her brothers. Lionkit puffed up his chest, stuck his tail up straight in the air, and closed his eyes so he could be seen at his best. 

Through the mass of cats, one dark brown tabby pushed through. As he spotted the new kits, his amber eyes burst with joy. “These are...my kits?” He seemed to be speaking the words as much to convince himself of the reality in front of him as to confirm what he had been told. His eyes shone with pride, joy, and more than anything shock as he looked at the cats he was now responsible for protecting.

Squirrelflight nodded, coming to press her nose against her mate’s. “Our kits, Brambleclaw. This is Hollykit, Lionkit, and…” Suddenly realizing who was missing, the dark ginger she-cat flashed around, looking for the third kit. “Jaykit, don’t you want to meet your father?”

Slowly, the young tom crawled out from the entrance and into the clearing. “Dad?” He squeaked.

Brambleclaw nodded, though his eyes dipped as he saw Jaykit’s gaze. He leaned in closer to Squirrelflight, trying to whisper as softly as possible. “Is he blind?”

Squirrelflight nodded. “But I’m sure he will be fine. If any clan can help him, it’s Thunderclan.”

At that moment, a bright ginger tom padded towards the entrance with a pale ginger she-cat at his side. The warriors parted to let them through as he bowed down to the kits. “So these are the new members of Thunderclan.” His deep throated mew seemed to echo with wisdom.

“Yep!” Hollykit piped up. “Where is the... nursery?” She drew out the word as if it were cool terminology that was impressive for her to toss up on a whim.

Sandstorm let out a chuckle, gesturing with her tail to the bramble bush  along the wall. “It’s over there, little one.”

“You have beautiful kits, Squirrelflight,” Firestar added, pride shining in his eyes for not just his new kin, but his daughter. 

“They are lovely.” Leafpool dipped her head. “But you all must excuse me. I have duties to perform. I’m sure Mousefur will need tending to if she wants to avoid another cough.”

“Always thinking of your clanmates,” Sandstorm placed her nose gently on her daughter’s forehead for a moment before pulling back. “Go on,” The pale she-cat purred. Leafpool smiled politely before rushing off to the medicine cat den.

Jaykit pressed his ears to his head, squeezing his eyes shut. “It’s really loud,” he whined quietly. Lionkit and Hollykit rushed to his sides, keeping him up.

“Could you all come back later?” Brambleclaw asked, stepping out to stand in front of his son. “They’ve been through a lot. I think it would be best if we take them to the nursery and introduce you one at a time.”

“Of course!” Brightheart nodded, ushering the others away from the entrance.

Squirrelflight looked down at the fluffy shapes in front of her as she pressed against her mate, sharing her happiness with him. The three tiny pairs of eyes—amber, green and blue—glowed in the soft leaf-bare light. I will make sure nothing ever hurts you, she promised. And no matter what happens, I will love you forever. From now on, you will always be in my heart.

A lithe, tall she-cat sat on a boulder, enabling her to look down on the clearing from a little more than a tail-length away. Still, it was all she had for the moment, and all she had had in many seasons. The Dark Forest was designed to punish her. It had been a suspicion when she first arrived but by now she understood its rules. She knew it was true. This place separated her, not just from the foes she wanted to face again, but from any other cats being punished alongside her. 

Her sleek, dark indigo pelt looked entirely black here without the light, such that the only thing any cat could see was the white patch over her left eye, and of course, her bright green eyes themselves. Here, she felt invisible: entirely unseen by any cat, and fighting to keep her sanity. 

Of course, there were a few things that kept her on track.

In moments like this, when she could imagine sitting above other cats again, knowing they would follow her to the ends of the world, and help her achieve anything, she felt a swell of memories. Wonderful… The rush of excitement at even finding small boulders like this one, overlooking clearings a tenth of the size they should be, gave her motivation to keep going, even when this life seemed entirely futile.

The image of amber eyes, glaring at her from a thick-furred gray form, blazed often in her mind. This picture didn’t summon joy, only hatred, but it would suffice to remind her of why she needed to get out. One day, she would see him again. She would escape, find him wherever he may be, and make him understand just how dangerous of an idea it was to cross her. Oh yes. He would see her again. And she couldn’t imagine he would enjoy the experience.

The third, was recent. When she first arrived, she was the only cat in the forest. It didn’t have to keep any routes or areas from her. There was no other cat for her to run into. But as the moons, seasons, lifetimes passed, more and more cats joined her in this forest, and the Dark Forest began to warp more and more often. But recently...it had slowed down again. Certainly no cats were leaving. There was no question that no cat could ever leave the Dark Forest. However, somehow cats were being brought together. The barriers between them were breaking. 

Soon enough, her own barrier would break too. Something big was coming, for every cat here. She was the first of them to even be here; they would accept her as leader for their plans...and if not, I can always make them. She flexed her claws as she relished in the thought.

This was her chance to get everything she ever wanted.

She was willing to be patient a little longer.

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf paced her private clearing, trying to think of any ability she hadn’t tried yet, that she could test. Her brothers didn’t want to tell any cat, well, any more cats, until she found her power. She closed her eyes, imagining her tail to be as sharp as a claw, and swung it at a tree. “Ow!” Her throbbing tail told her that definitely wasn’t it. But what could her power be? Who knows what cats would think you could be capable of, not even knowing what you can do. Lionblaze’s words rang in her head, not for the first time since that day. Even Hollyleaf didn’t know what she was capable of. Would cats be right to fear her? She shook her head, trying to clear it. She couldn’t face them again until she could really be a part of the prophecy with them. 

Her life felt stagnant. She didn’t have any progress to show in the prophecy, the clans weren’t in any peril she could save them from, she hadn’t seen Sol again since he was driven from Shadowclan, and another litter of kits had been made apprentices without her becoming a mentor. Icecloud and Foxleap were warriors now, and Toadpaw and Rosepaw were apprenticed to Brackenfur and Hazeltail respectively too. Of course, she was happy for her friend, and she knew Thunderclan’s deputy would do a fine job with Toadpaw, but the prick of resentment still grew as she wondered how long it would take for her dreams to be realized. 

Her tail still pulsated with pain, and Hollyleaf dug her claws into the earth to ground herself against it. Maybe… Focusing once more on her tail, this time she imagined the pain fading away, leaving her tail healed and good as new. But as she opened her eyes, the fantasy ended, and her tail still ached from its crash into the tree.

“Hollyleaf!” Cinderheart’s voice came out of nowhere, making her limbs jump back and tense instinctively. The gray she-cat had managed to sneak up on her while she was concentrating. “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s fine.” Hollyleaf snuck a glance behind her but there was no one else with Cinderheart. She had come out on her own. “Were you looking for me?”

As soon as the worry for Hollyleaf’s immediate safety was gone, Cinderheart padded forward, her brows furrowing in sorrow. “Well, yeah. I was hoping to talk to you.”

Hollyleaf tilted her head in confusion. “We were on patrol together this morning. You could have said something then.”

Cinderheart’s deep blue eyes seemed to stare right into Hollyleaf. “I wanted to talk to you alone, ” she meowed. “Hazeltail and Icecloud are nice, and from what I saw Rosepaw is too, but this seems like something you might want to keep private.”

“What is?” Hollyleaf couldn’t understand what it was her friend wanted to talk about. 

“Hollyleaf, do you want to be a mentor?” 

The black she-cat’s eyes shot open in shock. Have I really been that obvious? She might not ever get an apprentice if cats thought she just wanted one for the sake of it. Mentors were chosen specially for their apprentices. She shouldn’t have been upset by every apprenticeship to pass through, when the apprentices were all such different cats. “How did you know?” she choked out.

Cinderheart flashed a look of apology at the other she-cat. “I caught you looking at Hazeltail when she was showing Rosepaw the borders, and you left pretty quickly on patrol after Rosepaw and Toadpaw’s ceremony.” Hesitantly, she padded to Hollyleaf’s side and twined her tail slightly around her friend’s. “Hollyleaf, I’m your friend. You can tell me anything; I might even be able to help!”

Cinderheart really was a great friend. Hollyleaf enjoyed all the time she spent with the gray tabby she-cat. However if her desire to be a mentor really was rooted in ambition, it might make her friend think less of her. Hollyleaf did want to be leader one day, but first and foremost she wanted to be a good warrior, and do her best for Thunderclan. But Cinderheart did already seem to know. Trying to hide it at this point would be pointless, and, admittedly, it might be nice for some cat to know what she was going through. After a long moment of silence, she nodded. “I just...really want to make my mark on some cat.” She fumbled for the words that would describe how she felt without making her sound shallow or selfish. “A mentor’s bond with their apprentice is so strong, and they have such a strong impact on their apprentices’ lives. If I train an apprentice, it will give me a chance to pass on what I know…” and it would make her feel stronger, with some cat looking up to her, and it would bring her one step closer to becoming a leader and making her mark on every cat. But those weren’t good reasons.

Cinderheart smiled, though with her brows still tilted down it seemed to be filled with more pity than genuine joy. “You don’t have to explain it. I’m sure you would, and you will make a great mentor. Think of all the new apprentices that are still on the way! Briarkit, Blossomkit, Bumblekit, and now Dovekit and Ivykit too. You could mentor any of them, and even if you don’t get chosen, there will be so many more chances!” Her eyes shone as she thought about it. Cinderheart never seemed to care whether or not she got an apprentice before. Is she just excited for me? “You could always tell Firestar you’re interested in being a mentor. I’m sure if he knew he would keep a special lookout for you.”

“No!” Hollyleaf shook her head furiously, though she felt guilty for cutting her friend off. “I-I don’t want to bother him.” If she was going to become a mentor, she wanted to be chosen for the position because she was right for it. She didn’t want Firestar or any other cat helping her become a mentor out of pity.

“Okay…” Cinderheart didn’t seem too put off, though she still looked confused. “Although there is one more thing.”

“What?”

“Why haven’t you talked to your brothers about this?” Her voice seemed to be steadily moving back towards its normal speedy, upbeat tone, but a note of seriousness still remained. “Or really, why haven’t you been talking to them much at all lately now that I think about it.”

They left me out, not the other way around! Though the defense in her head didn’t reach her mouth. This was one thing she couldn’t tell Cinderheart. She had promised to keep the prophecy a secret, even if she didn’t feel a part of it at the moment. “We’ve just been busy,” she stuttered. “Come on, let’s get some hunting done while we’re out here.” Before Cinderheart could reply, she had raced off into the trees, looking for any sign of prey. I can solve my own problems. I have to. There’s no other cat who could help.

As they padded through the thorn tunnel, the clearing felt bright and lively. New-leaf’s sunlight shone upon the clearing, and by sunhigh the halfrock was warm enough to bask on, along with a couple other flattish rocks at the base of the cliff. Mousefur especially liked to stretch out there, soaking up the sunlight.

“The elders should be allowed to bask here whenever we want,” she had announced. “Our old bones need it.” She sighed, twitching her ears. 

Longtail often joined her, but he didn’t have as many aches as Mousefur and would often leave after a time so his fur wouldn’t grow too hot. Today he still lay beside her, and together they took up the full expanse of the halfrock.

Berrynose padded into the center of the clearing, pausing to stretch his jaws wide in a yawn. “I feel like lying in the sun for a bit to catch my breath. I wonder if Mousefur will let us have a turn on the basking rocks.”

“Good idea,” mewed Honeyfern, pressing up against him. Her eyes scanned the clearing, landing on the entrance. “Oh, Cinderheart! Want to join us?”

The gray tabby jumped beside Hollyleaf, surprised at her sister’s invitation. “Sure,” she managed to stammer. “Hollyleaf, want to come too?” Her blue eyes were wide and pleading. 

Hollyleaf didn’t quite understand, but she wasn’t going to leave her friend alone. She nodded. “Of course.”

Cinderheart waited until her friend had laid down beside her, then gently nudged her shoulder. “I’m glad we get to spend some time together,” she whispered. “Outside of just patrolling or passing in the warriors’ den. It’s…nice, just to relax with a good friend sometimes.” 

Hollyleaf dipped her head, a small smile appearing on her face. “It is,” she breathed, letting her muscles relax as she sank down into the warmed rock. She didn’t, and couldn’t do this too often if she wanted to be Thunderclan’s best warrior, or find her place in the prophecy, but she enjoyed having some time to let her worries fade away, and just spend some time with her best friend. 

“You know if we were in the forest,” Longtail was meowing as they approached, “we would be basking on Sunningrocks on a day like this. Of course with Riverclan being—” He broke off, turning as he sensed the younger cats.

“Hi, Longtail,” Berrynose greeted the old tabby. “We were wondering if we could bask here with you for a bit. We’ve been working all morning, and we’re tired.”

“Young cats today—no stamina,” Mousefur grumbled, but she rose to her paws, stretched “But I suppose so,” she muttered. “We’ll even leave the rocks to you, providing one of you brings a bit of fresh-kill to our den. I could just eat a good plump vole.”

“I’ll get you that,” Honeyfern offered, bounding off to the fresh-kill pile.

Mousefur laid her tail on Longtail’s shoulders to guide him down from the rocks, and the two elders headed off toward their den under the hazel bush.

“Thanks!” Cinderheart called after them.

Hollyleaf, Cinderheart, and Berrynose climbed up onto the basking rocks, and Honeyfern joined them a few heartbeats later. The flat surface was warm where the elders had been lying, and bright yellow sunlight spilled down on it. Hollyleaf stretched out and let the heat soak into her fur. A part of her felt antsy, using so much of her time simply trying to melt into a rock. You would never catch Thornclaw doing this. But it was for a friend. 

On the rock next to her, Berrynose and Honeyfern were sharing tongues and watching Millie’s kits playing in the clearing close by.  Berrynose bent his head close to the tabby she-cat’s ear. “We’ll have kits like that one day,” he purred.

Honeyfern looked up at him, blinking shyly. “I’d like that.”

Hollyleaf was surprised at how gentle Berrynose sounded; she was used to the older warrior being a bossy nuisance, ordering around other cats if he thought he could get away with it. Maybe having Honeyfern as a mate would be good for him.

The cream-colored warrior rasped his tongue over Honeyfern’s shoulder. “You’ll make a wonderful mother.” Watching them together, it felt as if they existed in another world. Obviously there were cats like them not only willing but eager to join together and start families. But Hollyleaf couldn’t imagine herself ever filling that role. The concept felt...wrong, somehow. 

“Watch me! Watch me!” Blossomkit’s voice came from a little way across the clearing. “I can leap higher than any cat!”

“No, you can’t, I can!” Bumblekit argued.

Hollyleaf looked over to see all three of Millie’s kits leaping and tumbling around, a couple of fox-lengths from the rocks where she and her clanmates lay. 

Briarkit fell over and rolled so that she was next to a crack in the rock wall; leaping up, she balanced on her hind legs with her forepaws stretching up into the air. “I bet you can’t do this!” she boasted.

In the same instant, Hollyleaf spotted a long, dark shadow emerging from the rock behind the kit. It reared up against the gray stone, but Briarkit was too excited to notice. Hollyleaf sat bolt upright. Snake! She bunched her muscles to spring, but Honeyfern was quicker. Leaping down from the rock, she bundled Briarkit out of the way. The snake arched its neck; before Honeyfern could move it struck down and buried its hooked fangs in her shoulder.

Honeyfern sprang backward with a screech of pain. “Help!”

Instantly Hollyleaf bolted off the rock and into the middle of the clearing, her pelt bristling as if a whole clan of enemies were on her tail. “Come quick!” she screeched. “Honeyfern’s been bitten by a snake!” Icy terror coursed through Hollyleaf’s blood as she rushed back across the clearing. They’d never had a snake in the hollow before! 

When she reached the cliff, she saw Briarkit cowering at the base of the rocks; the little kit was trembling, her eyes wide with shock. Millie bounded up and drew her away with her tail wrapped protectively around the kit.

Berrynose crouched beside Honeyfern, who was lying on her side with her paws splayed out; her breath came fast and shallow, and her eyes were full of terror. A thin line of blood on her shoulder showed where the snake had struck. Cinderheart stood only a couple paces away, leaning forward as if she wanted to be closer. Sorreltail and Brackenfur raced across from the warriors’ den with the same look of horror in their eyes when they saw their wounded daughter. Poppyfrost, Honeyfern’s other littermate, was hard on their paws.

As they skidded to a halt, Sorreltail pressed her muzzle into Brackenfur’s shoulder. “No…oh no…” she whispered. “I can’t lose another kit! Not after Molepaw! Please, Starclan…”

She broke off as Leafpool pushed her way through the knot of cats. “Stand back and give me some room,” she ordered.

Berrynose glared at her. “I’m not leaving,” he snarled.

Ignoring him, Leafpool crouched beside Honeyfern and rested one paw on her shoulder. “Try not to move,” she meowed.

Hollyleaf waited expectantly for Leafpool to start helping Honeyfern. Surely she would know what to do? But she hadn’t brought any herbs with her, and she wasn’t doing anything more than sitting beside the trembling tabby warrior.

“Help me!” Honeyfern had begun to twitch and writhe in pain. “My blood is on fire! Help me, please! It hurts so much!”

Berrynose stared at Leafpool. “Do something!” he begged. His gaze swept over the cluster of cats. “One of you, do something!”

Leafpool didn’t seem to hear him; she just looked down at Honeyfern as she struggled for breath.

Sorreltail slid out her claws, her disbelieving gaze fixed on the medicine cat. “Why aren’t you doing anything?”

Leafpool bowed her head. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “There’s nothing I can do. The poison has taken hold of her. If she had eaten something I could give her yarrow...but this poison went straight into her blood.” 

Sorreltail raised her head and let out a yowl of anguish, while Brackenfur wrapped his tail around her shoulders and drew her close.

Honeyfern’s legs folded into her belly, and her back arched in agony. When the spasm passed she lay limply, her chest hardly moving to show that she was still breathing. Her legs continued to twitch; her eyes had begun to glaze over.

In silence, Hollyleaf and the rest of the cats shuffled backward to give Berrynose space to help Honeyfern on her journey to Starclan. The cream-colored tom crouched over her, stroking her fur with one paw. “We would have had wonderful kits together,” he murmured. “Just as strong and beautiful as you. And one day I’ll see you in Starclan.”

Honeyfern’s jaw moved and a rasping sound came from her throat, as if she was trying to reply.

“You saved Briarkit’s life,” Berrynose went on, bending his head to lick the dying she-cat’s head. “Every cat in Starclan will honor you.”

A long sigh came from Honeyfern. Hollyleaf watched helplessly as the she-cat’s limbs grew still and the rise and fall of her chest faded away. Finally, her blue eyes stared sightlessly into the sky.

Pain as sharp as the snake’s bite pierced Hollyleaf. She gazed at Cinderheart’s horrified expression, trying to imagine how she would feel if she lost one of her littermates. No! Hollyleaf dug her claws into the earth. That must never happen!

Leafpool moved toward Honeyfern’s body, but Brackenfur stopped her. Instead he padded up to Berrynose and rested his tail on the young warrior’s shoulder. “She’s gone,” he told him. “She hunts with Starclan now.”

Hollyleaf’s mind raced. She had been right there beside the golden she-cat. Was there anything I could have done? If I’d been quicker…maybe if I’d leaped for the snake I could have killed it first. But she couldn’t have died. It was impossible for that to change, because she was still destined to save the clans. She couldn’t do that from Starclan. The kits huddled together, still trembling with fear, spooking at every leaf rustle, as if they thought that a snake might be hiding in every hollow. And for all I know, they’re right… Who was to say there weren’t more snakes, ready to dismantle the whole of Thunderclan?

As gently as if he were Berrynose’s father, Brackenfur nudged him to his paws and led him away, then nodded to Leafpool. The medicine cat crouched beside Honeyfern with a paw on her chest to check for any signs of breathing.

Shaking her head slightly, she mewed to Hollyleaf, “Find some warriors to help carry her body into the clearing. We need to get her away from the cliff in case the snake is still around.”

“I’ll help,” Cinderheart offered instantly.

Hollyleaf beckoned with his tail to Ashfur and Thornclaw, and together the four cats lifted Honeyfern’s limp body and carried it to a shaded spot not far from the warriors’ den.

Sorreltail padded up to Poppyfrost and guided her along after Honeyfern’s body, their pelts brushing, until the warriors set the dead she-cat down and her kin could huddle together around her, comforting one another as they kept vigil.

The sun still shone, but Hollyleaf felt as if ice were creeping through the hairs on her pelt, and she couldn’t stop shivering. “Are you okay?” she asked Cinderheart. “You saw it all happen, your own sister dying.”

Cinderheart gave her a bleak nod but didn’t speak. 

Mousefur and Longtail had appeared, too, padding up and mingling with their clanmates.

“There’s nothing worse than losing a young warrior,” Longtail meowed. “She had her whole life stretching out in front of her.”

“She was a fine cat,” Mousefur agreed. “The last thing she ever did was fetch me some fresh-kill.”

All the cats were milling around in the center of the clearing, unsure what to do. Hollyleaf was relieved when Brackenfur strode into the middle of them, raising his tail for silence.

“Spiderleg,” he directed, “go and fetch Firestar. He took a hunting patrol toward the old Twoleg nest.” He’s such a good deputy! Even though he must have been in a great deal of pain with his daughter’s death, Brackenfur was taking charge as was his duty. As the black tom pelted off, he turned to the medicine cat. “Leafpool, can you check Briarkit, to make sure she’s okay?”

Leafpool nodded; she looked glad to have something to do. Millie guided her kit over to the medicine cat and waited, her claws scraping the ground and her eyes frantic with worry. Ferncloud followed, keeping a watchful eye on all the other kits, who seemed as shocked as Briarkit.

As Leafpool sniffed the kit all over, Hollyleaf murmured to Cinderheart, “She must be all right. Honeyfern can’t have died for nothing.”

Finally Leafpool nodded. “She’ll be fine,” she told Millie. “I’ll give her a poppy seed so she gets a good night’s sleep.”

“But what about the snake?” Ferncloud wailed. “We’ve never had one in the camp before.”

“Yes, what about it?” Millie added. “We’ve got to do something. More cats might die.”

Graystripe turned to Hollyleaf. “Show me exactly where the snake struck.” 

Hollyleaf led Graystripe across the clearing toward the basking rocks. “That’s the crack that the snake came out of.” Hollyleaf pointed with her tail toward a deep cleft in the cliff face. “I didn’t see if it went back in there.”

Very cautiously, Graystripe approached and sniffed along the cliff, peering into every crack. “No sign of it,” he reported, returning to Hollyleaf. “But it could be anywhere. Some of these cracks are very deep. There’s plenty of room for it to hide.”

Hollyleaf’s paws tingled with fear. How could they go on living in the stone hollow, when death might come sliding silently out of the cliff at any moment and strike down another cat? “Millie’s right,” she meowed. “We have to do something.”

Before Graystripe could reply, there was a flash of flame- colored fur at the entrance to the tunnel, and Firestar raced back into the camp. Graystripe bounded over to meet him. Hollyleaf watched as her leader’s expression changed from anxiety to horror, and he padded over to Honeyfern’s body, where he crouched down beside her grieving kin.

Hollyleaf was just close enough to hear what he said. “I’m so sorry.” Firestar’s voice was shaking. “Honeyfern should have been safe here. I promise you I’ll never let anything like this happen again.”

But how can you stop it? Hollyleaf wondered. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known there was a snake hiding under the cliff.

Spiderleg had followed Firestar into the camp, along with Sandstorm and Birchfall, the rest of Firestar’s patrol. They were soon joined by Brightheart and Jayfeather, each carrying a bunch of catmint. Their dazed expressions told Hollyleaf that Spiderleg must have met them, too, and passed on the terrible news. 

Hollyleaf longed to go back to her nest in the warriors’ den and bury herself in the moss and bracken with her eyes shut tight. Perhaps Honeyfern’s death would turn out to be just a terrible dream.

Before her paws could carry her there, she saw Firestar bounding up the rocks to stand on the Highledge. “Cats of Thunderclan!” He raised his voice to carry to every part of the stone hollow. “A dreadful thing has happened, but we must stay calm. Honeyfern died a warrior’s death, protecting a kit of her clan. We will mourn her, not just tonight, but for all the moons to come. And we must make sure that the snake doesn’t come back to hurt any other cats.”

“Tell us what to do, and we’ll do it,” Brambleclaw called out.

Firestar dipped his head to his old apprentice. “To begin with, we’ll make a barrier of brambles across that part of the cliff. Dustpelt, will you take charge of that?” The brown tabby warrior gave a curt nod. “No cat must go near it. Millie and Whitewing, make sure that your kits understand. And it’s best we don’t use the basking rocks anymore. Snakes usually only come out in green-leaf, but I think this one must have been disturbed by cats sunning themselves on the stones.”

Hollyleaf saw Longtail and Mousefur exchanging a shocked glance. “That might have been us!” Longtail exclaimed.

Mousefur hung her head, and her eyes filled with sorrow. “Better it had been me, than that poor young cat,” she murmured.

“Okay,” Firestar meowed. “Get on with your duties, all of you. Tonight we will keep vigil for Honeyfern.” He ran lightly down the rocks again and bounded across to Brackenfur.

“Cinderheart!” Dustpelt called. “Help me with the barrier, please. You can take Hazeltail and Rosepaw into the forest to collect brambles.”

“Coming,” Cinderheart replied. She paused briefly to touch noses with Hollyleaf, then raced off to round up the two cats..

Whitewing and Millie were gathering their kits together and bundling them back toward the nursery. “Don’t any of you dare go near that part of the cliff,” Millie meowed sternly. “You heard what Firestar said.”

“We won’t.” Blossomkit’s mew was high-pitched with fear, and all the kits looked unusually subdued.

Whitewing was following them back to the nursery when Birchfall bounded over to her and pressed his nose into her shoulder. “You will be careful, won’t you?” he fretted.

The white she-cat blinked at him, her eyes full of love. “Of course I will. You don’t have to fuss.”

Birchfall angled his ears toward Berrynose, still crouched silently over the body of Honeyfern. “I won’t lose you to Starclan,” he insisted. “Not for a long, long time.”

Whitewing and Birchfall leaned into each other, their pelts brushing and their tails twined together.

Hollyleaf stood still as the rest of the cats moved away. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to go and comfort Poppyfrost, but she didn’t dare disturb Honeyfern’s grieving kin. She had begun to pad uncertainly toward the warriors’ den when Leafpool trotted up to her.

“Hollyleaf, could you help Brightheart to put the herbs away?” she asked. “Jayfeather and I are going to check the queens and kits for signs of shock.”

“Sure.” Hollyleaf was relieved to have something to do. She retrieved Jayfeather’s share of the catmint and carried it to the medicine cats’ den, where Brightheart was already sorting through her bundle of stems. Hollyleaf joined her; it was good to breathe in the scent of herbs that drifted around the den for a moment; it reminded her of when she had been Leafpool’s apprentice. The air was still thick and strong with the barrage of scents, but it didn’t feel as compressing as when she was judged by her performance here. I used to get worried when I couldn’t remember which herb was which. If only that was all I had to worry about now!

“I wish we knew an herb to cure snakebite,” Brightheart murmured sadly as her forepaws flicked through the leaves, deftly stripping off any that were shriveled or damaged.

Hollyleaf nodded, but she knew that no amount of wishing would bring Honeyfern back. Her ears flicked up at the sound of a cat brushing past the bramble screen; she glanced over her shoulder to see Leafpool coming in.

“I need some poppy seeds for Daisy,” the medicine cat explained. “She’s getting hysterical.”

“I can’t say I blame her,” Brightheart mewed. “If I was taking care of kits now, I’d be terrified, especially after what happened to Buzzardkit.”

Leafpool collected the seed in a leaf wrap and was about to leave the den when Firestar put his head around the brambles. “Yes?” Leafpool asked; there was an edge to her tone that Hollyleaf didn’t understand.

“We need to make sure the snake isn’t a threat to us,” Firestar meowed quietly.

Leafpool blinked, puzzled. “What do you want me to do? I can’t summon the snake out of its hole.”

“No,” Firestar replied, “but you can make sure that it never reaches the main part of the camp. I want you to put deathberries around the place where the snake came from.”

Hollyleaf felt her paws freeze to the ground as soon as the clan leader mentioned deathberries. She exchanged a shocked glance with Brightheart. Every cat knew that Leafpool refused to have deathberries in the camp because of how dangerous they were.

“Firestar, you know—” the medicine cat began.

“Explain to the kits, and to every single cat, what the berries are and why they mustn’t be touched or eaten,” Firestar interrupted her. “They’ll understand. We have to do this. I will not lose another cat this way.”

Leafpool hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “Very well. Jayfeather and I will collect some today. But I don’t like it,” she added more forcefully. “If we see any living snakes again before leaf-fall, we’ll have to try something else.”

Chapter Text

“Bumblepaw! Briarpaw! Blossompaw!” The clan erupted into cheers. Lionblaze could see Millie pressing against Graystripe as they looked with unrestrained pride at their kits. 

Sandstorm’s eyes also brimmed with confidence, though in her case Lionblaze guessed she was happy to have an apprentice again, in Blossompaw. He knew she had one before, though he realized at that moment he didn’t know who she had trained. Whoever it was, they were already a warrior before he was born.  “I can already tell you’ll make a great warrior.” Sandstorm murmured.

“I’ll try!” Blossompaw replied, her eyes narrowed in nervous determination. 

Sandstorm was one of the clan’s greatest hunters. Blossompaw would be just fine. Lionblaze’s eyes were drawn elsewhere, though. This time, Cinderheart had an apprentice. Her paws seemed to fly over the ground as she made her way over to Briarpaw, touching noses with the young brown she-cat. “Just do your best,” Cinderheart purred, “and I’ll help you be the best warrior you can be.”

Briarpaw seemed more openly anxious than her siblings, but she still purred as she licked her new mentor’s shoulder. “I’m really lucky to have you.”

“-so be thankful, Bumblepaw! You’d never be able to find a better mentor than me!” Lionblaze jerked his gaze over to the putrid words of that braggart. I cannot believe Firestar gave Berrynose an apprentice. He might have been older, but there wasn’t an ounce of skill or discipline he could teach a young cat. Lionblaze felt a pang of sympathy for Bumblepaw. Who knew how he would turn out with an arrogant fox-heart for a mentor?

Though the tom himself didn’t seem to mind, or understand, in that moment. “I’m sure!” Bumblepaw nodded fiercely, his amber eyes wide with awe at the cream tom in front of him.

A flash of black caught Lionblaze’s eye, at the edge of his vision. Hollyleaf stood on the opposite side of the clearing, hovering near the entrance to the camp as if she planned to go out again. But she couldn’t, surely. She had already been out on the dawn patrol. No cat would bring her along again at least until the evening, and she didn’t seem to be gathering a patrol either. She used to be so excited and attentive when ceremonies happened, especially apprentice ceremonies. Did she get tired of it at some point, like the rest of them?

The golden tabby wasn’t sure what was up with his sister lately. He had barely spoken to her since they agreed not to move forward until she found her power. Really he just wanted to buy himself some time for him to control his own power before they released their secret, but maybe that wasn’t enough. Knowing Hollyleaf, that might have just made her work even harder, spending every moment she could trying to find what she could do. But even when it was meal-time, she chose to eat with Cinderheart or Hazeltail. 

“All right,” Brackenfur called, moving to the front. “I expect the new mentors and apprentices will want to begin their training right away. That means the rest of us should keep up with clan duties. Thornclaw and Stormfur will lead today’s hunting patrols. Hazeltail?” He turned his head to the gray and white she-cat. “Bring Rosepaw with you and lead a patrol along Shadowclan’s border. Take whoever you like with you. I’ll do the same with Toadpaw.” 

“Right.” Hazeltail dipped her head politely and padded off to find her apprentice.

Brackenfur's gaze swept over the clearing as he contemplated who to choose. “Cloudtail, Brightheart...and Lionblaze, would you come with us?” 

Lionblaze’s eyes flashed in surprise as the deputy approached him. With a group of mostly senior warriors, he didn’t expect to be chosen. Still, he couldn’t just say no. “Of course.” He would just have to wait a while before he talked to his sister.

Lionblaze padded along slowly at the back of the patrol. The clan had been antsy since Honeyfern’s death. Plenty of cats were keeping themselves out of camp as much as possible, in fear that there might be more snakes or to avoid thinking of what the young she-cat looked like as she was dying. Others, like Dustpelt and Brackenfur, were insistent on staying in the camp to fortify it and protect the nursery. If it wasn’t for needing to train Toadpaw, Brackenfur likely wouldn’t be out of camp much at all. 

“We should stay alert,” Brightheart meowed from behind the deputy. “Even if we’re meant to be at peace, Windclan could still try something...unwise.”

Brackenfur dipped his head. “Starclan willing, they won’t, but you’re right. Everyone, keep an ear out for any patrols.”

Lionblaze hadn’t been on patrol to Windclan’s border in a while. He could still remember what it felt like to emerge from the tunnels on the other side, taking catmint from them without any cat noticing...except for Heathertail.

Suddenly thick darkness surrounded Lionblaze, tearing him away from the ground at his paws. The shrieks of battling cats echoed in his ears. He could taste the reek of blood and felt it clogging his paws and plastered in his pelt. His chest heaved as though he had been fighting for a day straight. A gleam of light pierced the clouds that churned across the sky; a single ray shed pale light on the ground at his paws. Lionblaze caught his breath in horror as he made out the body of Heathertail splayed out in the mud in front of him.

A gash ran down her body from her neck to her tail. Her light tabby fur was soaked with blood, black in the silver light. Her lips were drawn back in a frozen snarl and her purple eyes stared sightlessly at the sky.

“No...no...” he whimpered.

He started at the touch of a tail on his shoulder and whirled around to face Tigerstar’s intense amber gaze.

“Well done,” the huge tabby purred. “You have finally destroyed your weakness. Now no cat can stand in your way.”

“But this—this isn’t what I wanted!” Lionblaze protested.

“Isn’t it?” There was the hint of a growl in Tigerstar’s voice, and his eyes blazed. “Remember how she betrayed you! She nearly destroyed your whole clan by telling Windclan about the tunnels.”

She did… Lionblaze felt his anger rising again. She used him, and his clanmates were in danger because of her. But still-Lionblaze reached out a paw and laid it gently on Heathertail’s flank. Her fur was cold. “But she didn’t deserve to die like this,” he murmured.

“All traitors deserve to die!” The fire in Tigerstar’s eyes flared up until Lionblaze was smothered in it; he let out a yowl of terror, expecting to feel his fur lit with fire. His paws thrashed on the blood-soaked ground, but he couldn’t move.

Another cat thrust a paw into his shoulder from behind. Lionblaze turned and unsheathed his claws, ready to spring on his enemy.

Cloudtail raised an eyebrow at him, his blue gaze glittering with worry. Sunlight poured from the sky, heating Lionblaze’s fur as they stood at the river across from the moor. “Did you see something?” the white warrior asked, shifting his eyes to scan the fields ahead of them.

Lionblaze shook his head quickly. He didn’t need the senior warriors fussing over him. “Sorry, I-I’m just on high alert.” The vision of Heathertail’s broken body hovered in Lionblaze’s mind, clearer than the greenery in front of him. Even working on his own, without any training in the dark forest of his dreams, he still had an anger in him he couldn’t yet control, and he was never as grounded in principles as Hollyleaf. Is that vision what I’m becoming? A ruthless killer? A cat like Tigerstar? Maybe that was why the dark tabby took him on. He saw himself in Lionblaze. He almost wished he had never heard of the prophecy, and could be just an ordinary warrior, able to be defeated just as easily as his clanmates. At least then, someone could stop him. But the words of the prophecy had been spoken, and Lionblaze knew there was no escape from the destiny it would bring down upon him and his littermates. The golden tabby dug his claws into the ground, trying to keep himself steady without letting the other cats on the patrol see. 

He needed to speak with someone, get out of his own head, if he was going to learn control, but who could he talk to? Certainly not anyone on this patrol. The only one who wasn’t a senior warrior was an apprentice, and a fairly new one at that. He usually just talked about things with his siblings, but Hollyleaf would lecture him and Jayfeather would decide he knew what Lionblaze meant before he even figured out how to say it. Was there really no other cat he could talk to?

“Hey Lionblaze?” Toadpaw’s wide eyes stared up at him. Lionblaze hadn’t even realized the young tom had fallen back from his position beside his mentor.

“Hm? What is it?”

Toadpaw twitched his white-tipped tail nervously. “I was just wondering if I could talk with you for a while,” he mumbled.

Was something wrong? Lionblaze nodded, staying silent so the apprentice could continue.

His yellow-green eyes lit up with excitement...and some other intense emotion Lionblaze couldn’t identify. “I just wanted to say…you’re amazing!” Despite his earnest expression Lionblaze could barely believe what he heard. “You’re like the greatest fighter in the clan! Ever since you saved me from that Windclan cat I wished you would be my mentor!” Toadpaw finally paused his barrage of praise to glance towards the front of the patrol. “Brackenfur is great too, of course. I’m glad to have him. But you’re incredible! I’m so happy I got picked to be on patrol with you today.” 

“Thank you,” Lionblaze stammered out the words, not sure how to handle the excitable apprentice. Discomfort itched up his spine. He wouldn’t say he saved Toadpaw from anyone. He attacked Windclan because they were in camp. Maybe a couple of them got near the nursery but he never sought out to save Toadpaw, Toadkit then, specifically. Besides, it was that battle when he went way too far. How was he supposed to look back with pride on a battle where he nearly killed someone, and won mostly through blind rage and power? What would Toadpaw learn from someone like that? “But Firestar picked the best mentor for you. I’m sure Brackenfur can teach you a lot.”

He hurried on ahead, fitting himself in next to Cloudtail and Brightheart and forcing Toadpaw to return to the front of the patrol with his mentor. He could see Toadpaw’s black tail trailing on the ground behind him and felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t realized how much his attention meant to him, or to anyone. They were just clanmates, weren’t they? Toadpaw had the deputy as a mentor. He would be able to learn a lot, and get stronger while still being calm and level-headed like Brackenfur.

Regardless of what he felt, it would be better for Toadpaw to move on. What Lionblaze had wasn’t something to idolize. It was a problem, and one that he needed to fix somehow, on his own. Sorry, Toadpaw. He thought silently. But you’ll be better off without me. In silence, he padded onward, trying to avoid any eye contact with the others. One day, when I’ve mastered my power and controlled my anger, then you can look up to me.

Seemingly endless pines stretched up in every direction, blackening the earth on which Lionblaze stood. This was no clearing, but it was impossible not to recognize it. No, no! It’s the dark forest! He hadn’t wanted to be anywhere near this place. Why was he back? 

Lionblaze swept his dark amber gaze over the surrounding area, but he couldn’t spot any familiar landmarks, and more importantly, no signs of his former mentors. What am I doing here? After a few moments of silence passed, the golden tabby decided to venture into the forest. He wasn’t going to wait all night for Tigerstar or some other cat to come by. If he had to be here, maybe he could find some of the other cats in this forest. 

As he journeyed on, he began to hear noises, little chips of cats speaking nearby. He wondered at first why he hadn’t heard them until now, but it became clear as he heard the first cat talk. His voice was deep and rumbling, even deeper than Tigerstar’s. Lionblaze had to stretch his hearing to catch any of this cat’s words. 

“You know it was wrong,” the tom growled. Lionblaze crept forward, trying to avoid any twigs or leaves that would give away his position. “You defended your territory and he berated you for it! He doesn’t respect you. Your clan doesn’t respect you.”

A sharp hiss of anger came in reply. “It’s a wonder he even talks to me.” Lionblaze’s eyes shot open as he heard the voice. In an instant he knew exactly who stood in the area ahead of him. Breezepelt! He really trained in the same place as that fox-heart for moons? Focusing all his energy on avoiding obstacles, he stalked forward until he was right at the clearing, able to see the black warrior standing in front of...another dark brown tabby tom. Was this just Starclan for big brown tabbies?

This particular tom nodded to Breezepelt. “Crowfeather doesn’t really care about you. You’ve been used as a tool for him to gain favor in his clan again.”

“It’s his own fault!” Breezepelt’s eyes narrowed to slits and with his muscles rippling along his back, Lionblaze could tell his anger was rising. “I shouldn’t have to spend my whole life paying for some mistake he made.” What mistake? Breezepelt was a stupid furrball and Crowfeather definitely seemed even grumpier than Jayfeather, but Lionblaze had never heard of any big issues between them. He figured something that important would have been gossiped about at the gathering.

Crack.

“What was that?” The mentor shifted his head instantly in Lionblaze’s direction. I’ve got to get out of here! Abandoning any secrecy he held before, Lionblaze took off, running in any direction he could to get away from the two of them. He didn’t want to be caught in this forest again, especially if this dark brown tabby was as fearsome as Tigerstar.

Lionblaze kept running, feeling the thin branches of bushes he passed brushing past him, sometimes cracking against his skin. Pricking his ears, he tried to listen for any pawsteps following him...but there was nothing. Slowing his pace to a walk, and then pausing completely, he listened. The silence of the woods pressed against his ears, with no cat sounds around him. Maybe it would be better if he found Tigerstar. At least then he would know where he stood. He would be prepared for it. “Hello?” Lionblaze called hesitantly. 

A long moment of silence passed. The golden tabby could hear his heart thumping in his chest as the strongest sound. But then...he heard something else.

“Lionblaze?” A young brown tabby stood at the entrance to a clearing ahead. 

“Tigerpaw?” What was the Shadowclan apprentice doing here? If he wasn’t dead, he must have been called, like Lionblaze was. But who would need to train Tigerpaw? 

Lionblaze soon got his answer. From behind the trees, another tabby stepped out. This one though was far larger and despite the similarities in their pelts, his eyes held none of the innocent excitement. “Tigerstar.”

In an instant Tigerstar’s expression changed, first into shock and then elation. “Lionblaze. I didn’t know you would be coming back.” He turned back to the apprentice between them for a moment. “I think we’ll have to finish our session early tonight,” he murmured. “Why don’t you go find Hawkfrost and join his training?”

“Aw!” Tigerpaw’s face contorted into a half-serious frown. “Why can’t I stay and talk to Lionblaze?”

Tigerstar brought his tail down to the young tom’s chin. “For now, I need to speak with him. But perhaps another night we could all train together?” As if I would ever! Lionblaze felt like screaming, but he couldn’t say anything now. If Tigerstar attacked the apprentice, he might actually get hurt. Lionblaze had his immunity to fall back on. Tigerpaw had nothing.

“Okay…” With his tail drooping behind him, Tigerpaw padded off into the trees; the shadows closed behind him until he was out of earshot.

“So,” Lionblaze began, trying to keep his stance steady as he looked up at the massive tabby. “I’m not the only cat training here. I’m not even the only cat you’re training.”

“I’m sorry.” Tigerstar seemed to purr the words, even though his expression implied regret and sorrow. “I lost my temper when we last met, and it was wrong. But I couldn’t sit by and watch you squander your potential.”

Lost his temper? You tried to kill me! “I would only be squandering my potential if I kept working with you,” he snarled. The fur on his neck pricked with indignation as his anger finally started to show.

Tigerstar sighed, seeming unbothered by Lionblaze’s stance. “I know you believe that. But I ask that you hear me out.” He paused, seeming to grow as his muscles expanded before Lionblaze until he radiated the authority of a Starclan cat giving a prophecy. “You and I are quite alike, in more ways than you truly understand now.”

Lionblaze felt a stab of discomfort. This was exactly the future he was afraid of. I will never be like you! He wouldn’t ever lose control of his anger again. He wouldn’t kill any cat. He would be remembered as a savior to the clans, not as a villain who haunted the dreams of nursery kits.

“My blood courses through your veins, Lionblaze,” Tigerstar continued. “Your strength is partially mine. Your drive to succeed mirrors my own. Your ideals and willingness to look past the boundaries of clan and code are ideals I began. Your muscles have power behind them because of my influence, both as your kin and your mentor.”

“I am a prophesied cat sent by Starclan to save the clans!” Lionblaze declared, puffing his chest as much in defense as to show confidence. “They need my help, and I have promised to assist them.”

Tigerstar’s expression dropped into one of amusement, as if Lionblaze were a kit who just said he would cross the territory on his own and fight an army of dogs. “I do hope you’ve realized this on your own by now, but no cat said you have to save the clans by fighting for Starclan. Those cats are clueless, and have no control over your power. It’s possible Starclan sent your prophecy, but you don’t owe them anything.” His head twisted to survey the woodlands around them. “Besides, as you’ve seen, you wouldn’t be the only cat fighting for a different cause than you first associated with.”

“I’m not going to-”

“Tigerpaw came to me after he realized how flaws the clans were.” Tigerstar cut him off, not even looking at Lionblaze as he tried to interject. “He saw how easily Sol was able to get into Blackstar’s mind, and knew they needed to be stronger. Maybe faith in Starclan wasn’t enough to keep the clans together. Maybe their bond needed to be stronger than that...”

“Tigerstar, I don’t care if-”

Finally he shifted his gaze back to the golden tabby as a small smile appeared on his face, though he still didn’t acknowledge Lionblaze’s words. “He even mentioned you, Lionblaze. Thunderclan took him and his family in when Shadowclan fled their own territory. You were kind to him, and in your clan he made many friends, some that he looked up to, some that he still wants to see again. He didn’t understand why he had to feign hatred just because, now, he lived across the border. And he was absolutely right to.”

“No!” Lionblaze couldn’t listen to any more. It didn’t matter what Tigerstar said. He couldn’t trust a word that came out of that fox-hearted tom’s mouth. Turning around, he flung himself through the trees, lengening his stride to escape the old tom. He wasn’t going to turn back. He wasn’t even going to check if Tigerstar was following. Any minute now, he would wake up and never come back to the Dark Forest again. Tigerstar didn’t have any influence over him: not as kin and not as a mentor. I want nothing to do with you!

“Ah!” In a jerk, Lionblaze sat up in his nest, his legs flailing from his run.

“Great Starclan!” Hollyleaf hissed, sitting up herself in the next nest over. “I didn’t need you kicking me to wake up!” 

“Sorry,” Lionblaze stammered, still reeling from what he had seen. His breathing felt quick and shallow and his heart pounded firmly in his chest. Was I really running? He wondered. I thought it was just a dream! Even dreams with dead warriors were ultimately still dreams, weren’t they?

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes at her brother. Her sharp green gaze seemed to scan him as she prepared to speak. “What’s going on with you?” She asked after a while. A note of accusation hung in her tone. “You look almost as rattled as you were when you went out to meet with that Windclan cat practically every night.”

“I’m not meeting Heathertail,” Lionblaze replied quickly, perhaps too quickly. He could tell Hollyleaf’s suspicion wasn’t going away. It really was true, however. He hadn’t met Heathertail. If he could help it, he never wanted to meet her again. But could he tell her what really bothered him? Tigerpaw was being trained by Tigerstar. If he told Hollyleaf, and even Jayfeather, maybe they could go to him and get him out somehow. But really, how could they help Tigerpaw even if all three of them knew? Now that he was in Shadowclan again, and Lionblaze wasn’t going back to the forest of his dreams, they couldn’t talk to Tigerpaw, and therefore couldn’t help him. And if I want to tell her about it...I would have to admit that I was training with Tigerstar too… He couldn’t, not yet at least. He knew exactly how Hollyleaf would react, and he couldn’t take another lecture. He said he would do this on his own, and that’s what he was going to do.

Hollyleaf kept her gaze fixed on him, waiting for a full answer that he wasn’t going to give. Finally she stood, holding her tail erect. “Fine. You don’t have to tell me. You never need to tell me anything.” A slight growl edged her voice. “I’m going out on patrol,” she meowed, stalking out of the den.  

Guilt probed at his heart as she walked away. It wasn’t personal. He had never told any cat about his time in the forest of his dreams. But he did hurt her, and by keeping it a secret, he might be hurting Tigerpaw too, or even Breezepelt and any others training with manipulative legendary warriors in their dreams. If he was going to become a good warrior on his own, and rise above Tigerstar’s influence...there was one thing he needed to start with. Hollyleaf needs to know. She and Jayfeather need to know about my time in that dark forest.

Chapter Text

"Do you think it'll be better, tonight?" Flamepaw meowed as he padded up alongside Jayfeather. He could hear the apprentice's pawsteps along the smooth stones that would lead them up to the Moonpool.

It was impressive that they remained so warm even as the moon stood somewhere high in the sky and the cool night breeze flowed over them. Green-leaf was certainly on its way. Of course, the good weather did nothing to ease every cat's spirits.

"I'm sure it will," Kestrelflight insisted, though his tone betrayed his worry.

"Everything's back to normal..." Flamepaw breathed. "Shadowclan is back-"

"You're doing well in medicine cat duties, I assume," Jayfeather cut in.

"Of course!" Flamepaw exclaimed. "Everything you taught me-I'll never forget it!"

"He definitely learned a lot," Littlecloud purred nearby. The sound was stilted, but he certainly still had pride for his apprentice. "He'll be a credit to Shadowclan when he receives his name."

Thank you, the thought flashed through Flamepaw's mind, dripping with gratitude. Still, Jayfeather could hear him shaking out his fur. "It's just, if everything is back to normal, why isn't Starclan here?"

The wave of worried thoughts crashing over every medicine cat in that moment nearly drowned out Jayfeather's own, causing him to flatten his ears against his head. The first time all the medicine cats gathered for their meeting after Littlecloud had returned, Starclan hadn’t been able to speak with them for long before they were pulled away, only part-way through their conversations. It was already worrying, but they decided not to raise a panic. That is, until the following moon, when they couldn’t connect at all. Their dreams were swirls of images and words, but they hadn’t been able to talk to their Starclan mentors, or receive guidance for the next moon.

"I don't get it," Flamepaw breathed, seeing every cat's silence. "Starclan came down to you and Blackstar, right Littlecloud?"

"They did," Littlecloud confirmed.

"Starclan cats in the living world..." Leafpool murmured. "I still can't believe it."

"Nor can I," Jayfeather thought he heard Mothwing add under her breath.

"I understand, Flamepaw," Kestrelflight cut in gently. "Why would they have left then? You'd think if they were angry with us enough to avoid speaking with us it would have been when Shadowclan had turned their backs on the clans." Oh shoot. "No offense," he added quickly.

"Then maybe they aren't angry," Willowshine suggested. "You all saw what I saw. None of the cats we spoke to two moons ago were upset with us. They didn't ask anything of us. They were just, torn away."

"It's true," Barkface agreed.

"But then we have to face the worst possibility." Littlecloud's voice had tightened. "That Starclan can't reach us, for some reason."

"Well-" Kestrelflight took in a sharp breath. Jayfeather could feel them reaching the Moonpool. The slope curled up to a flat plane and the running water of the stream that fed the pool was clear and strong in their ears. "We just have to hope that they will be able to reach us tonight, then." 

Mouse-brained optimism. But it wasn't as if Kestrelflight himself was as mouse-brained as Jayfeather had once taken him for. He chose to believe in a better future and see the best in cats because of who he was and what he saw as the mission of a medicine cat. But that didn't make reality any better on its own, and they needed to prepare for the possibility of Starclan truly being gone, somehow.

"We'll have to see, then," Leafpool concluded.

"I really hope you get to see someone tonight, Flamepaw," Willowshine whispered.

"Yes," Jayfeather agreed. "You've had an awfully abnormal apprenticeship so far. It would be good to give you some sense of normalcy." Despite everything, the young tom didn't deserve to have so much of his apprenticeship filled with unprecedented tragedy, upheaval, and loss.

"We're here," Littlecloud announced.

The medicine cats each found their ways around the Moonpool, settling down as they prepared to dream. Jayfeather had managed to find a spot at the back where he only had to border one cat and the small stream of falling water. It was probably easier thanks to every cat being caught up in their thoughts, though. Fewer cats seemed as keen to bundle up against each other when the fate of Starclan might be at stake.

“Starclan willing, we will see them tonight and find out what is wrong,” Barkface mewed, casting a worried glance around the circle.

“I wish you luck,” Mothwing murmured. Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. The Riverclan medicine cat didn’t even believe in Starclan’s existence, so perhaps she found this problem trivial. But her mind didn't betray any suspicion or ill intent behind her words. 

“Let us begin.” Leafpool called the group to attention and Jayfeather soon heard the shuffle as every cat lay by the edge of the pool, dipping their noses into the water. 

Come on, Starclan! I need to speak with you! Maybe if his ancestors had any fraction of his ability, they would hear how much the medicine cats needed their guidance. Letting out a breath, Jayfeather closed his eyes and felt the small waves of the pool smack into his nose, lulling him into a dream.

His vision slowly emerged, patchy at first, then smoothing out to a full view of a lush green field, with woodland on one side and a slow-moving river on the other: Starclan’s hunting grounds. Across from Jayfeather stood the shaggy gray form of Yellowfang. Her chest was heaving as if she had run all the way there, but that couldn’t be the case. This was Starclan. Yellowfang could pull him in his dreams directly to her. “You’re...here,” she huffed. Her tone rose on the second word as if this were a surprise to her.

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. “You act like that’s a shock.”

“It was,” Yellowfang replied curtly. “Starclan has been in a panic. We weren’t sure if we could bring you in at all, and it didn’t help that every cat was trying to call you at once.”

“What’s going on?” Something was definitely wrong with Starclan. “You’ve never had this problem before.”

A sigh escaped Yellowfang’s mouth. The old she-cat looked very tired all of a sudden. “Sit down,” she ordered. “If I’m going to explain everything, I at least want to avoid our paws getting sore.” 

It will take that long? Jayfeather was under the impression that, whatever was happening, it was a simple one-off accident. The way Yellowfang was talking, it seemed like she was about to explain the whole history of the clans or something. Still, the gray tabby obliged, going to sit beside Yellowfang on the far side of the field, where the shade of a nearby tree would keep their fur cool.

“As it turns out,” Yellowfang began, “sending Raggedstar and the others to speak with Blackstar face-to-face outside the lake territories used more of our power than we could afford. If we had a choice, we would have sent clouds to cover the sky at the gathering as the leaders started insulting each other. But we didn’t have the energy.”

Jayfeather tilted his head in confusion. “Energy?”

Yellowfang nodded. “It’s not something we generally talk about.” She dropped her head, lowering her voice to a mutter for a moment. “Usually it doesn’t become a problem. But Starclan doesn’t have an infinite supply of power. When we do things like send signs, cover the sky with clouds, bring cats to us in dreams, or other connections between this plane and the living world, it uses some of this energy. Coming down physically is especially difficult.”

Jayfeather shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around this concept. So when Starclan sent omens or prophecies, they were...using some of their energy? “You must get it back somehow, then. You send omens and clouds a lot, but the medicine cats have never heard you go silent for moons on end before.”

The gray she-cat dipped her head slightly in acknowledgement. “It does come back, given time.” This was getting more unbelievable by the heartbeat. How much was there about Starclan that the living cats didn’t or weren’t allowed to know? “Before you ask, no cat is sure where it goes, or for that matter where it comes back from, but it doesn’t always come back at the same speed, so I doubt it’s just a matter of waiting.”

“But just coming down to see Blackstar couldn’t have completely drained Starclan!” Jayfeather exclaimed.

“Let me finish!” Yellowfang hissed, holding a tail to his chest. “Why do you think I’m telling you all this, young one?”

The gray tabby narrowed his eyes. “I’m a medicine cat. Much as cats might forget it, I have an important connection to this place.”

“And you are one of the three,” Yellowfang added. Jayfeather had become used to Starclan cats showing a glimmer of fear whenever they noticed who he was. However, Yellowfang seemed to have abandoned or lost interest in that demeanor. Either the old she-cat had come to trust him, or she had decided she would be able to stop him even if she couldn’t trust him. “You don’t think your abilities came out of nowhere, do you?”

“Of course not!” Jayfeather had never figured out where the three’s powers came from, but he definitely thought about it. It couldn’t be Starclan, if they didn’t even know much about the prophecy, but who else was there? Who else could, or would grant cats powers to use in service of the clans?

Yellowfang let out a huff. “When you were born, Starclan lost a massive amount of energy, and the only way that could happen-”

“Is if Starclan gave us our powers?” Jayfeather shook his head in confusion. “But if that’s true, how could you still not know anything useful about the prophecy?” 

The gray she-cat fluffed out her thick gray fur. Jayfeather realized too late that he had let his anger show as he spoke. “You’d do well not to blame me, young one. I never lied to you. We had no idea what your powers would be or what they would be used for.” Yellowfang’s tail began to flick in annoyance, though it didn’t seem directed at Jayfeather. Her gaze was fixed on something unseen behind him, “However, we know someone in Starclan gave them to you.”

“And you don’t know who?” 

“No.” Yellowfang growled. “Starclan is a vast place. We couldn’t have kept an eye on every cat here when you were born, and no cat has come forward about it since, so we have no leads either.”

“Would it really have to be a single cat?” Jayfeather knew single Starclan cats would communicate with the living, especially to deliver prophecies, but for something as big as controlling Starclan’s power, he had assumed there would have to be a consensus of some kind.

For once Yellowfang didn’t seem confident in her answer. Her gaze lit with uncertainty and her eyes broke contact with Jayfeather’s for a split second. “I suppose there’s no way to know,” she muttered. “But it would be my guess that yes, some single...very powerful cat gave you your powers.”

“How can you be sure?”

The gray she-cat’s yellow gaze fixed itself back onto him, seeming to carry the weight of the world as it shone in the sunlight from above. “Because even after the birth of you and your littermates, our power was still gone. Some cat was containing Starclan’s energy, keeping us from using it, likely to use it for something else. It was only a couple moons ago when the rest of it disappeared, leaving us unable to connect with you until now. Whoever gave you your powers...they did something else.”

“Hey! Hey mom!” A high pitched little voice pierced Jayfeather’s ears. “Look what I can do!” A cascade of rumps and grunts followed as one of Whitewing’s kits demonstrated something for her mother. Just the previous night, Jayfeather had been learning about the inner workings of Starclan and how the prophecy affected them. Now he was back to doing his rounds, checking the perfectly healthy elders and kits as if nothing happened.

“That’s very nice, Ivykit.” Whitewing purred. “But why don’t you let Jayfeather check on you so he can get on with his important duties?”

Ivykit let out a muffled huff as she was pushed in front of the medicine cat. “I’m important too.”

“Jayfeather can check me!” Dovekit mewed. 

These two are such a pawful… Jayfeather heard the queen’s thought clear as day, and he couldn’t blame her. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be in the nursery every day, rather than just for his duties. Thank Starclan I have the others to help. Millie finally moved back into the warriors’ den now that her kits were apprenticed, which left Daisy and Ferncloud to help Whitewing with her litter. If it weren’t for them, Jayfeather was pretty sure the she-cat would never get a break. But it seemed to be helping Daisy as well. With Buzzardkit’s death still constantly on her mind, and Rosepaw and Toadpaw out of the nursery, she seemed to enjoy taking care of Whitewing’s litter.

“Stand still.” He grunted, leaning down to press his ear against Dovekit’s chest. Thankfully, the young she-cat’s breathing was strong and clear, and after repeating the process with her sister, he could say the same for Ivykit. Green-leaf would be arriving soon. The season was able to pass without any kitten coughs in the nursery. “You’re both fine. Just don’t drive your mother crazy.” 

“I wasn’t!” Ivykit piped up. “I’m just training to be a warrior!”

Yeah right.  

“It’ll be quite a while before you can train to be a warrior, Ivykit.” Whitewing purred, pulling the young kit back towards her. 

“But it’s okay!” Dovewing added, scampering over towards her sister. “We can wait together, and when we are apprentices, we’ll show every cat what we’re made of!”

Jayfeather backed out of the nursery. He had seen to almost everyone. Unless someone else called him away, he could finally get out of camp for a while to look for herbs, taste the fresh air, and think over what to do with the information Yellowfang gave him.

“Jayfeather!” Lionblaze’s call came from the direction of the entrance. “Thank Starclan I found you! We need to find Hollyleaf.” His thoughts were sporadic, flowing through his mind at a speed so fast that Jayfeather couldn’t catch on to any single one. The only consistency was panic, and determination to do something.

“Calm down.” He muttered. “I haven’t heard her this morning.” Jayfeather scanned the camp once more, just to be sure Hollyleaf hadn’t just come back from patrol like Lionblaze. “Did Brackenfur send her out?” 

“I don’t know!” Lionblaze sputtered. “I came straight to you when I got back.”

Jayfeather let out a snort. “Well then let’s ask him.”

Without another word, his brother’s heavy pawsteps thumped across the clearing towards the highledge. “Hey! Brackenfur!”

“Lionblaze? Did something happen on your patrol?”

Sighing, Jayfeather followed him. There was no sense in letting Lionblaze make a fool of himself in front of the deputy. “We were wondering if you know where Hollyleaf might be.” 

Leaving camp...then… “She wasn’t on one of the dawn patrols,” Brackenfur began. “Though I believe I saw her leave camp soon after the patrols went out. Perhaps she went out to hunt or take a walk on her own?”

If she wanted to hunt, she would wait for a patrol. If she wanted a walk, she would have asked one of her friends to come with her. But she went out on her own. He certainly hadn’t sent her on any errands, and if Brackenfur didn’t have any information, he and Dustpelt couldn’t have sent her out to gather materials for the dens. Then she must be working on the prophecy again. It was all she had on her mind recently. Every time he spoke to her, the prophecy and her power was at the forefront of her thoughts. “Come on Lionblaze.” He flicked his tail towards the entrance. “I know where to find her.”

When they first found this small, quiet clearing, Jayfeather had assumed they would only use it for the day. But Hollyleaf had taken to coming back whenever she was alone. Jayfeather caught her fresh scent nearly every time he passed the area. She was here now too. “Hollyleaf?”

The she-cat jumped upon hearing his voice, though by her mental reads it seemed to be just a moment of shock. 

“What are you doing here?” Lionblaze asked.

Isn’t it obvious? Jayfeather thought. His brother could be pretty dense sometimes: almost all the time, in fact.

Hollyleaf let out a snort, apparently taking it even worse than Jayfeather was. “Well, at least one of us has to be focused on the prophecy,” she muttered. Taking it as an ending to their brief conversation, she turned her mind back to her task. Maybe it’s some power over other cats? But how would I even test that without hurting anyone or revealing myself?

“Hollyleaf.” Lionblaze repeated her name, though his voice was stronger and more certain this time. “I am focused on the prophecy. I know I wasn’t before, but we need to get working, right now. Cats are in danger!” 

“Cats have been in danger!” Hollyleaf shot back. “And we’ve been helping them. But until I find my power, we’re not allowed to really save the clans. That’s what we agreed to. So if you would leave me alone, I need to keep working.” Her anger wasn’t really directed at Lionblaze. Jayfeather could almost feel her frustration, and the growing steely gaze of her eyes. 

“The prophecy is important to all of us.” Jayfeather told her. “And you are a part of it, whether or not you have your power yet.” Lionblaze wasn’t the only one to have learned something recently. After what Yellowfang told him, he knew they were waiting for something. Whoever gave the three their powers, it was possible that they would also be creating the enemy force they were meant to fight. They still had time, but Starclan didn’t have the power to guide them much anymore, so they had to be ready. “If any of us find information that could help us with the prophecy, we all need to hear it.”

Hollyleaf still had a retort waiting on the tip of her tongue, but she stayed silent.

Lionblaze stepped into the small clearing, planting himself so that he was an equal distance from each of his siblings. Despite his confident stance, his mind was racing with worry. How do I say… What will they… But I need to!... “You know about Tigerstar, right?”

“The traitor who nearly killed his own leader, tried to kill Firestar multiple times, and took over Shadowclan?” Hollyleaf growled. “Of course. The elders talked about him almost as much as the ancient stories.”

“Well…” Lionblaze’s voice paused for a minute as he inhaled, no doubt preparing to launch into his explanation. “He actually lives in this dark woodsy place away from Starclan with all these other dead bad guys like Brokenstar and Hawkfrost and some others and for a while he’s been taking cats into the forest in their dreams to train them for some sort of evil plan.” 

He really didn’t take a breath during that. Jayfeather could barely keep up with his brother’s rapid fire description as he spoke, but it was clear saying it let him relax, at least to some extent. “What do you mean, training them?” How did the cats in the Dark Forest manage to bring cats to them in their dreams? That was a Starclan power.

“Uh. Tigerstar would train us in battle, keep us strong, and somehow make us believe in him so we would follow him in...whatever he was doing.”

Hollyleaf’s focus narrowed instantly onto the stuttering warrior. “What do you mean, ‘us’?” Her tone carried with it a darkness that already anticipated what his answer would be. She wants him to say it himself, Jayfeather realized.

Lionblaze’s mind was crawling with guilt, pricking him like an itch. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but letting them out seemed a challenge.  “I...was trained there too,” he finally confessed. 

“How could you?” Hollyleaf growled, taking a pawstep towards him. “How could you turn your back on your duty, on us?”

“I didn’t know!” Lionblaze shot back.

“You didn’t know that the evil warriors were evil?”

“They were stories! Tigerstar didn’t seem that bad when I really met him, at least, not at first.”

“At first,” Jayfeather repeated. “Did he change his behavior or did you come to understand what was happening?”

Instantly Jayfeather was pulled into his brother’s head. A cascade of increasingly tall pines rose around him, and the soft bouncy grass of new-leaf died away to be replaced with hard, dry earth. This must have been the place Tigerstar was working from. The Dark Forest. The name formed in his head as easily as if he had known it for his whole life. 

But he wasn’t alone. Two broad-shouldered brown tabbies surrounded him, with one pinning him to the earth. Tigerstar, he realized. The dark tabby leaned down to plant his hiss right in Lionblaze’s ear. “You’re powerful because of me. Every success you’ve had has been with my help, or your littermates telling you what to do. You can’t do anything on your own.” Did Lionblaze believe that? It was hard to tell. His attention was elsewhere, trying to get Tigerstar off of him. It’s not true. Jayfeather promised, even knowing he couldn’t hear. Every decision they made for the prophecy, they made together, and it certainly had nothing to do with Tigerstar.

“Do you really think you can just turn your back on all I’ve worked for?” Tigerstar growled. Jayfeather could feel Lionblaze’s shock. These cats he greatly respected for so long were turning on him, trying to hurt him even if it wasn’t possible. Failing to pierce Lionblaze’s skin, it seemed Tigerstar was trying now to bury him in the earth with the force he was exerting. “Well, I won’t let that happen.” In an instant Tigerstar was upon them, baring his teeth down at Lionblaze’s neck. 

“No!” His mouth moved, but Lionblaze’s voice came from it.

And in a flash...Jayfeather was back in the clearing, with the pools of black crowding his vision once more. “He changed.” Jayfeather answered his own question, knowing how shocking it was for him to see his trusted ally turn on him. Tigerstar would have killed Lionblaze in that moment, if he had the chance.

“Yeah…” Jayfeather could hear his brother shuffling his paws nervously.

“Tigerstar is training cats from the clans,” Jayfeather spoke up, turning towards Lionblaze in case he needed to correct anything. “You were being trained, even though you left. Were there others?”

“I...I'm not sure.” Lionblaze stammered. There was a hesitancy in his voice that suggested he was hiding something, but for once he was doing a good job of keeping it from his mind.

Hollyleaf snorted. “Even if you didn't see them, I doubt Tigerstar would be content with you walking away from him. If he hasn't yet, I'm sure he'll go after some other cat. It’s obvious now that we have to save them.”

Jayfeather tilted his head. “But why would Tigerstar want to train you at all? He certainly wouldn't want you to be stronger. I would expect him to want to weaken you instead, so the three would have less power over him if he decides to make a move. Did you manage to discover what he was working towards?”

“Oh.” Lionblaze trailed off. “Well, if he was ever being honest...I think he wants to dismantle the warrior code.”

“What?” Hollyleaf and Jayfeather cried in unison, though he could tell his sister had far more vitriol building. 

“I left, okay? But Tigerstar makes it sound appealing sometimes, to not have borders or needless rules.”

Hollyleaf inhaled loudly, probably trying to calm herself. “Those rules are not needless. And since our purpose is to protect the warrior code, we must stand against him. He could very well become the threat we were born to stop!” 

Well… Lionblaze’s muffled voice said otherwise, though he didn’t speak.

“It would be better for us to know who else is being or will be trained there,” Jayfeather grunted. “So we know who we can trust. Evidently it was a good idea to keep the prophecy to ourselves until now.”

He could feel Hollyleaf’s attention on him. You didn’t. Poppyfrost was a necessary exception, and he doubted the Dark Forest would want her anyway.

“I can’t go back to find everyone.” Lionblaze objected. “I already went back once, and Tigerstar made it clear that his patience with me ran out.”

Jayfeather wasn’t going to fight him on that. Tigerstar was clearly ready to rid himself of Lionblaze, and if he found out Lionblaze couldn’t be hurt directly, it was possible he would start looking for some way around the powers of the prophecy. “Fine. Then we have to watch every cat. Look for any signs of exhaustion, doubt, or anger. We know what we’re fighting now. We have to be ready.”

Chapter Text

The gray sky was dotted with darker patches of clouds, darkening the already fading evening sky. The world seemed to reflect Hollyleaf’s increasingly forlorn mood as she sat a few tail lengths from the camp entrance, scanning each warrior in the clearing. Lionblaze’s information stuck in her brain like a thorn, altering her view of everything she saw. 

“Rah!” Birchfall roared as he stomped around outside the nursery. 

“Stop, you stinky badger!” Ivykit squeaked her protest as she puffed her chest, standing up to her father.

“Yeah! You can’t stop us!” Dovekit added. “We’re Thunderclan!”

"The strongest clan around the lake!" Ivykit mewed fiercely. "We've gotten rid of every big old creature who would stand against us!"

It was a simple game of pretend, letting the young she-cats play while their mother was given a chance to rest. Just that morning it would have been an innocent gesture from a father to his family. But now Hollyleaf had to consider the possibility that he was raising them to join an army he was already a part of, one who planned to eventually take down the clans.

Birchfall purred in amusement. "Actually, did I ever tell you about how your mother and I took down a badger together when they attacked us here, in this camp? We were still apprentices then but you should have seen just how strong and brave she was!"

Ivykit groaned. "Daaad, you've told us like a hundred times! You're supposed to be a badger; you're not playing right!"

"Can you tell us again?" Dovekit cut in, widening her big green eyes up at her father. "I love that story!"

"Later!" Ivykit insisted, stamping her paw emphatically. "You promised we could play badgers first. We haven't banished him from our camp yet!"

"All right, all right." Birchfall chuckled, already moving back into the position of a heavy, lumbering badger, a hard task for the lanky tom.

“Leafpool!” Sorreltail’s words called the medicine cat over to her spot by the halfrock, where she sat with Brackenfur, Squirrelflight, and Brambleclaw. 

“Come join us!” Squirrelflight added as she shifted to make room for her sister.

Brambleclaw pressed up against his mate with a purr, completely content with these friends and in this clan. They felt safe, without the weight of the world on their shoulders. Hollyleaf shook her head. The deputy, the medicine cat, and her own parents were cats she wouldn’t have spared a second glance before. Now it was conceivable that one of them was being trained to destroy the warrior code she swore to protect.

Even as Thornclaw, her former mentor returned to camp from patrol with Ashfur and Spiderleg trailing behind him, Hollyleaf realized he might wake in the Dark Forest when he slept, and be convinced to go against everything she believed he stood for.

She was meant to be loyal to her clanmates, unquestionably. It was the first rule of the warrior code. Having this level of doubt about her clanmates felt like ants crawling through her fur. This is wrong. Yet it was also her duty, as one of the prophesied three. Hollyleaf yearned desperately for some form of evidence, some way to tell exactly who she had to look out for so she could trust at least some of her clanmates. But apparently her own brother had been a part of the Dark Forest for moons, maybe even seasons, and she never noticed. 

Raising her head to the quickly graying sky, Hollyleaf searched for Starclan, hoping for some sort of answer. How was she supposed to make progress towards fulfilling her destiny while upholding her duties as the protector of the warrior code? What do you expect me to do? Through the thick cloud layer, she couldn’t even be sure Starclan heard her.

“Hollyleaf,” Dustpelt padded up to her, dipping his head in greeting. “It’s nice to see you. I was going to invite you out on a patrol but-” He paused, examining the thickening layer of clouds above them. “I’m not sure I’d want either of us out in the forest when that storm arrives. It would be better for us to wait in camp, just in case of any flooding or damages.”

Hollyleaf nodded firmly. The tabby tom had always been quite practical. He made taking care of the clan seem so easy. “Do we have enough materials to fix any splits in the dens?” If the storm really would be as bad as Dustpelt believed it could be, they should be prepared.

Dustpelt dipped his head. “Brackenfur gave me a patrol this morning to gather some rudimentary supplies. If anything particularly bad happens, we may still need to go out for more, but this should help with light cracks and repairing nests.”

“Of course.” Even if the dens didn’t flood completely, the rain would almost certainly be strong enough to seep into the dens and soak some nests on the edge. Giving the kits and elders dry bedding would be paramount, and it would be impossible to find more dry moss after the storm. “In that case, would you want to share some prey while we wait for the rain to pass? It would be nice to catch up with you, and that way we would be perfectly positioned to notice any damages to fix later.” Hollyleaf had looked up to Dustpelt since she was a kit. He would visit Ferncloud frequently in the nursery, and it was them who drilled her on the warrior code until she could recite every word. She had spent more time with Thornclaw and friends around her age lately, but this was one relationship she never wanted to lose. The senior warriors’ guidance and respect mattered a great deal to her.

Dustpelt bowed his head once. “I would like that, yes.” 

He couldn’t possibly train in the Dark Forest, she assured herself. His loyalty to the clan meant too much, and he knew full-well the dangers Tigerstar and the other cats of that forest posed. There was simply no world she could imagine where he would betray that. But… It was her job to examine every possibility. Even if it didn’t seem like him, she had to be sure before she could confide in him about anything. Carefully, she raised her head to the sky, praying for Starclan to send some sort of sign. Surely they at least had to know if Dustpelt could ever be a danger to her.

Instead of an answer, from the sky came a large water droplet, plopping directly onto her nose. Hollyleaf twitched irritably to shake it off, hearing thunder crash in the distance as the full storm arrived. A hot breeze had sprung up through the heavy air as every cat settled in for the evening. Hollyleaf’s pelt was fluffed the wrong way, held in place by the drops of rain matting her fur down with a slowly quickening drizzle. Good, Hollyleaf thought as she went to fetch a piece of prey from the fresh-kill pile. It may be annoying in the moment, but the air would be fresh again after a storm, and the rain at least had the decency not to start until every cat was back in camp. She and Dustpelt were prepared for any harm the storm brought, so for now they could simply wait and eat in peace.

She glanced up, only to squeeze her eyes tight shut as a jagged bolt of lightning split the sky. Thunder crashed right overhead and suddenly rain started to pound down, splattering on the earth floor of the hollow and plastering Hollyleaf’s pelt to her sides within a couple of heartbeats.

A wail went up from the warriors’ den, and Cloudtail stuck his head out. “What’s happening?”

She knew this was coming. She couldn’t run for shelter, not in front of Dustpelt. Instead, Hollyleaf flattened herself to the ground. She caught a glimpse of Brightheart streaking through the rain to the warriors’ den with Graystripe hard on her paws.

Another bolt of lightning crackled across the sky. Hollyleaf stared in shock as a tree on the edge of the hollow burst into flames, red tongues of fire roaring upward. Even the torrents of rain couldn’t quench it. Blackened leaves fell into the hollow; with a terrible groaning sound a blazing branch tore itself free and plummeted down to land with a crash a tail-length from Hollyleaf. Yowling in fright, she leaped to one side, cannoning into Stormfur.

“The forest is on fire!” he screeched. 

I realized that! Hollyleaf thought instinctively as her mind filled with panic. She quickly realized that his words were meant to warn every cat in camp.

Yet another claw of lightning tore the sky apart. An earsplitting crack sounded above the roar of the thunder, and Hollyleaf saw a tree begin to topple, its roots ripped out of the earth as flames devoured its branches. Blazing leaves and twigs rained down into the clearing.

“We need to get the clan out of camp!” Dustpelt yowled, leaping away from her immediately and making his way towards the nursery.

Panic-stricken caterwauling rose around Hollyleaf. She spotted Brambleclaw racing across to help Birchfall at the nursery, and Brook splashing water with her paws over a burning branch, trying to stop the flames from reaching the warriors’ den.

The moment her sandy tail vanished, Firestar appeared at the mouth of the tunnel and raced into the center of the clearing. His flame-colored pelt was darkened by the rain and streaked with mud, but he held his head high and let out a commanding yowl. “Get out! All of you get out! You’ll be trapped if you stay in here!”

Cats began to emerge from their dens. They splashed across the clearing, weaving or jumping aside to avoid the fiery debris that still rained down around them.

“Head for the Twoleg nest,” Firestar ordered. “We can shelter there.”

Brambleclaw emerged from the nursery, carrying Dovekit; Birchfall followed him with Ivykit. Daisy and Ferncloud supported Whitewing as they followed the two toms out towards the camp entrance. 

Mousefur padded out of the elders’ den with her tail over Longtail’s shoulder to guide him. Thornclaw walked a few paces ahead of his old mentor, making sure a path was clear for her and her friend.

“Hazeltail! Where are you going?” Icecloud called out to her from the edge of the clearing where she waited with Foxleap.

The gray and white she-cat looked back towards her, her eyes lighting with a rare moment of genuine fear. “I am a mentor. I need to get Rosepaw out safely.” She seemed ready to leave but her gaze softened as she turned back for a moment. “I know you can take care of yourself, and your brother.”

With that, Hazeltail ran towards the apprentice den, meeting Berrynose, Cinderheart, and Sandstorm on the way as they all helped their apprentices out of the den. 

“Take Toadpaw for me!” Brackenfur called from his place under the highledge. Both of Hollyleaf’s friends would be safe in a group that large, and they were helping the cats entrusted to them. Hollyleaf herself didn’t have anyone to protect. Yet, she reminded herself. Right now, she needed to help out where she could so the clan could all get out safely.

Hollyleaf looked around for Lionblaze and Jayfeather, but she couldn’t see either of them among the fleeing cats. Jayfeather will need help to get out, she thought, trying to control her fear. Even if she wasn’t on the best of terms with her Jayfeather or especially Lionblaze, she wouldn’t ever leave them to deal with danger this severe alone. They were her brothers as well as being bound by a prophecy. They needed to protect each other.

Struggling through the pelting rain, the glare of flame all around her, Hollyleaf splashed across to the medicine cats’ den. She met Leafpool by the bramble screen, her jaws full of herbs; Jayfeather was just behind her. “Go and help the others!” Hollyleaf gasped to the medicine cat. “I’ll bring Jayfeather.”

Leafpool gave her a nod of acknowledgement and raced for the tunnel.

“I can bring myself, thanks,” Jayfeather muttered furiously.

“Don’t be a stupid furrball!” Hollyleaf spat back at him. “There’s fire out there. For once, let me help you! Stop complaining and grab my tail.”

Wincing as her brother’s jaws closed around her tail-tip, Hollyleaf turned toward the tunnel. Suddenly Lionblaze loomed up out of the rain.

“You’re here,” he panted with relief. “Let’s go.”

Together the three cats headed for the tunnel. By now the clearing was empty; it looked as if the rest of the clan, even Firestar, had already left. Will they make it to the Twoleg nest? Hollyleaf wondered. Or will they scatter into the forest?

She and her brothers were halfway across the clearing when lightning clawed across the sky from top to bottom. The barrier across the entrance to the camp crackled and burst into flame. The tunnel vanished in a throat of fire.

Hollyleaf stopped, frozen in horror. “We’re trapped!” Staring around wildly, she tried to think what to do. The camp was littered with blazing branches, and more were cascading down from the lightning-struck trees around the hollow. The warriors’ den was already smoldering; there was no shelter there. “The apprentices’ cave...” she gasped, even though she knew it was too shallow to give any real protection if the fire spread.

“No. Over here.” Squirrelflight’s voice spoke behind her; Hollyleaf whirled around to see her mother waving her tail urgently toward the rock wall. “There’s another way out.”

Hollyleaf was ashamed of the relief that swept over her, as if she was still a kit who needed her mother to look after her. Leading Jayfeather, she followed Squirrelflight around a clump of brambles that grew against the wall of the hollow. Lionblaze brought up the rear.

To Hollyleaf’s surprise, the rock behind the brambles had crumbled away. Peering up through the rain, she saw straggling bushes and grass growing in cracks, all the way to the top. “It’s a secret way out of the camp!” she exclaimed. “And we never knew about it!”

“Thank Starclan,” Squirrelflight retorted drily. “You were enough trouble as kits and apprentices, without this.” Then her voice changed, growing tense again. “Jayfeather, you come first. Follow my voice. It’s not a difficult climb.”

“We’ll come behind and catch you if you fall,” Lionblaze assured his brother.

“I’m not a kit!” Jayfeather snapped, though Hollyleaf could see he was shaking with fear.

Squirrelflight scrambled up through the bramble thicket and clung there, calling out to Jayfeather so he could follow. 

Jayfeather struggled up behind her, swinging out on a tendril of ivy when his hind paws lost their grip. “Mouse dung!” he spat, scrabbling to get his balance again.

Squirrelflight went on guiding him upward, her voice calm now, even though she must have been terrified that one of them would fall as they climbed higher.

Hollyleaf and Lionblaze followed. Though Squirrelflight had said the climb was easy, Hollyleaf was convinced that the pounding rain was about to wash her off the rock face, or lightning would strike the thorns she clung to. Darkness, the glare of flame, and the crash of thunder surrounded her. She lost sight of her clanmates, and thought she would never reach the top.

But at last she heard her mother’s voice again. “Well done!” Teeth met in her scruff as Squirrelflight dragged her onto the top of the cliff. She lay there panting for a moment, watching her mother helping Lionblaze to scramble up beside her. Jayfeather was lying on his side, his eyes closed and his sides heaving.

“Come away from the edge,” Squirrelflight warned. “The rock is crumbling.” She turned, leading the way through the bushes.

Hollyleaf nudged Jayfeather to his paws. “Just a bit farther and then you can rest.” Her brother bared his teeth in a feeble snarl; she could see that he would never admit how hard he had found the climb.

“You can lean on my shoulder if you like,” Lionblaze offered, coming to stand on Jayfeather’s other side.

“Look, mouse-brain—” Jayfeather’s annoyed hiss broke off as the whole sky was lit up by a crackling bolt of lightning, stabbing down as if it was going to impale all three cats on its claws. Thunder rolled overhead as the bushes burst into flame.

Hollyleaf let out a yowl of terror. Greedy scarlet tongues licked toward her and her littermates, blocking their path away from the edge of the cliff. Smoke billowed up as rain fell on the bushes; Hollyleaf choked on it and began to cough, but the downpour was easing off, and the remaining flurries weren’t enough to put the fire out.

A wave of heat rolled over Hollyleaf; instinctively she moved back, and felt the rock begin to crumble beneath her paws. Scrambling away, she glanced down, to see the clearing patched with flame and darkness. There was no escape that way, even if they could manage to climb down safely amid the fire and rain.

“What’s happening?” Jayfeather was cowering down under the searing heat. “Which way should we go?”

“We can’t go anywhere. We’re trapped.” Lionblaze’s voice was calm. Flame reflected from his golden pelt and shone in his eyes. “Squirrelflight!” he called. “Are you there? Help us!”

As he spoke a branch edged with flames crashed down from one of the bushes; Hollyleaf dragged Jayfeather out of its path just in time. The littermates huddled together at the very edge of the cliff.

“I’m here!” Squirrelflight’s voice was high-pitched with terror. “I’m going to push a branch through to you. You can run along it to escape before it catches fire.”

“Right. We’ll be ready,” Lionblaze replied.

Hollyleaf felt a jolt of gratitude for her brother’s courage. He could be a stupid-mouse brain a lot of the time, but without him, she was certain she would have panicked, trapped between the fire and the long drop into the camp. They would stick together, the three of them, protected by the prophecy as they had always been.

Hollyleaf could hear the sound of something heavy being dragged through the undergrowth beyond the flames. Her burst of confidence blew away like ash. “She’ll never manage it,” she muttered to Lionblaze. Their mother was a determined, loyal warrior, but she wasn’t the strongest...or the tallest. To move a branch large enough to support three cats on her own?

“Squirrelflight will always do what she has to,” Lionblaze replied.

Small tongues of flame were creeping through the grass now; rain hissed down on them, leaving the ground blackened and smoking, but there were always more flames, and the acrid scent of burning filled the air. A blazing leaf floated down onto Jayfeather’s pelt; Lionblaze knocked it off with one paw, adding the reek of scorched fur to the smoke-filled air.

Beyond the red-and-orange flames, Hollyleaf caught a glimpse of Squirrelflight, struggling to drag a branch up to the fire. Already she looked exhausted. Lionblaze’s muscles tensed as if he was going to try leaping over the bush to help her.

“No!” Hollyleaf choked out. “It’s too far.”

Before Lionblaze could argue, another shape burst through the billowing smoke to stand beside Squirrelflight. His eyes glared; his gray fur was matted together and stuck with bits of burnt leaf and twig. Confused by the smoke and flames, Hollyleaf almost thought she was seeing one of her warrior ancestors, until she recognized Ashfur.

Squirrelflight dropped the branch. “Help me push it into the fire!” she yowled.

Grabbing the branch in strong jaws, Ashfur thrust it past the wall of flame and into the ever-narrowing patch of ground where Hollyleaf and her brothers huddled. But Hollyleaf didn’t feel any sense of relief. There was a look in Ashfur’s eyes that she didn’t understand: the look of a cat who had just spotted an unexpected juicy bit of prey. The branch made a bridge through the flames, but Ashfur stood at the other end of it, blocking the way to safety.

Lionblaze nudged Jayfeather to his paws; Hollyleaf took a step toward the branch, then paused. She felt a cold weight in her belly when she looked into Ashfur’s glittering dark blue eyes.

“Ashfur, get out of the way.” Squirrelflight’s voice was puzzled. “Let them get out!”

“Brambleclaw isn’t here to look after them now,” Ashfur sneered.

Hollyleaf felt her fur beginning to rise. What did Ashfur mean?

Lionblaze’s golden pelt was bristling, too. “What have you done with my father?” he howled through the flame.

Ashfur looked at him pityingly; his eyes were twin points of fire amid the burning forest. “Why would I waste my time with Brambleclaw?” The main branch was too solid to catch fire easily, but the leaves on it had shriveled and the twigs were beginning to smoke. Hollyleaf realized that they didn’t have much time before their bridge to safety would be ablaze.

Squirrelflight staggered up to Ashfur. Hollyleaf had never seen her mother so angry. Her fur bristled with fury; she looked like a warrior of Lionclan. Yet it was obvious that the climb to the top of the cliff, followed by her struggle with the branch, had weakened her, and she was exhausted. “Your quarrel with Brambleclaw has to stop,” she hissed. “Too many moons have passed. You have to accept that I’m Brambleclaw’s mate, not yours. You can’t keep trying to punish Brambleclaw for something that was always meant to be.”

Ashfur’s ears flicked up in surprise. “I thought I made myself clear before. I have no quarrel with Brambleclaw.”

Hollyleaf exchanged a shocked glance with Lionblaze. “That’s not how it looks to me,” he muttered.

“I couldn’t care less about Brambleclaw,” Ashfur continued. “It’s not his fault he fell for a faithless she-cat.” Faithless? A growl began to build in Hollyleaf’s throat, but then she stopped and watched the cats on the other side of the blazing branches. Something ominous was taking place in front of her, and even with flames roaring around them she felt a sudden chill. She shrank closer to Lionblaze and Jayfeather, whose head was up, his sightless eyes intent, as if he could see the confrontation between his mother and Ashfur. “I know you think I’ve never forgiven Brambleclaw for stealing you from me, but you’re wrong, and so is every cat that thinks so. My quarrel is with you, Squirrelflight.” Ashfur’s voice shook with rage. “It always has been.”

Horrified, Hollyleaf took a step back and felt her hind paws begin to slip on the edge of the cliff. Her head spun as lightning stabbed out and thunder drowned all other sounds, even the roaring fire. For a heartbeat she dangled over empty air, and she let out a strangled yowl.

Then she felt firm teeth meet in her scruff; blinking against the smoke, she realized that Lionblaze was hauling her back to safety. But there was no safety: only the hungry flames, and Ashfur blocking the end of the branch with fury in his eyes. Fiery sparks floated down on all three young cats, scorching their fur, and flames licked the underside of the branch; fear flooded afresh through Hollyleaf when she saw that it was already beginning to smolder. Ashfur has to let us get out! But Hollyleaf couldn’t find any words to plead with him. What was happening here didn’t have anything to do with them, even if they died because of it.

“All this was moons ago.” Squirrelflight sounded puzzled. “Ashfur, I had no idea you were still upset.”

“Upset?” Ashfur echoed. “I’m not upset. You have no idea how much pain I’m in. It’s like being cut open every day, bleeding onto the stones. I can’t understand how any of you failed to see the blood…” His eyes clouded and his voice took on a wild, distant tone, as if he could see the blood spilling out of him now, sizzling on the burning ground. 

Terror burst through Hollyleaf and she pressed closer to her brothers. This cat was more dangerous than the storm or the fire, or the fall lurking perilously close to her hind paws.

Desperately she tried to step onto the end of the branch. At once Ashfur rounded on her, fully conscious again, his teeth bared in a snarl. “Stay there!” Turning to face Squirrelflight but keeping one paw on the branch, he hissed, “I can’t believe you didn’t know how much you hurt me. You are the blind one, not Jayfeather. Who do you think sent Firestar the message to go down to the lake, where the fox trap was? I wanted him to die, to take your father away so you’d know the real meaning of pain.”

Hollyleaf’s shocked gaze met Lionblaze’s. “He tried to kill Firestar?” she gasped. “He’s mad!”

Determination glittered in Lionblaze’s eyes, and he bunched his muscles for a giant leap. “He won't be able to hurt us for long.”

“No!” Hollyleaf fastened her teeth in his shoulder fur. “You can’t!” Her words were muffled now. “He’ll just push you into the fire.”

“If Hawkfrost’s plan succeeded, you would have lost everything.” Ashfur went on to Squirrelflight. “Not only would your father be dead, but your precious mate would be a murderer. You would finally see what a horrible mistake you made when you chose him over me!” The tom’s blue eyes seemed to flare up as he spoke, reflecting the flight of the fire. “Brambleclaw decided to save Firestar then, But he’s not here now. He’s not here—but your kits are.”

Squirrelflight’s eyes blazed. For a heartbeat Hollyleaf thought she was going to pounce on the gray warrior, but she knew that exhausted as she was, her mother would have no chance. Squirrelflight seemed to realize it, too. She drew herself up, head high; she was trembling, but her voice was clear and brave. “Enough, Ashfur. Your quarrel is with me. These young cats have done nothing to hurt you. Do what you like with me, but let them out of the fire.”

“You don’t understand.” Ashfur looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time; his voice was puzzled and petulant. “This is the only way to make you feel the same pain that you caused me. You tore my heart out when you chose Brambleclaw over me. Anything I did to you would never hurt as much. But your kits…” He looked through the flames at Hollyleaf and her brothers, his eyes narrowing to dark blue slits. “If you watch them die, then you’ll know the pain I felt.”

The flames crackled threateningly closer; Hollyleaf felt as if the heat was about to sear her pelt into ashes. She edged backward, only to feel the edge of the hollow give way under her hind paws. The three of them were pressed tightly together, so close that if one of them lost their balance, all three would be dragged off the cliff. Hollyleaf couldn’t control the trembling that shook her whole body as her glance flickered between the cliff and the fire.

Jayfeather was crouched close to the ground, looking tinier than ever with his pelt slicked flat by the rain. Lionblaze’s claws were unsheathed, glinting as the lightning flashed out again, but the tension in his haunches didn’t come from preparing to leap at Ashfur; it came from the effort of keeping himself on the top of the cliff.

Squirrelflight raised her head, her gaze locked on Ashfur’s crazed eyes. “Kill them, then,” she meowed. “You won’t hurt me that way.”

Ashfur opened his jaws to reply, but said nothing.

Hollyleaf and her brothers stared at their mother. What was Squirrelflight saying? She really wasn’t going to help them? She scanned her mother’s face for any sign of a lie, hoping her mother would make eye contact and assure them she really would protect her kits.

But Squirrelflight wouldn’t even look towards them. Her mother took a step away from them, and glanced carelessly over her shoulder. Her green eyes were fiercer than Hollyleaf had ever seen them, with an expression she couldn’t read. “If you really want to hurt me, you’ll have to find a better way than that,” Squirrelflight snarled. “They are not my kits.”

The noise of the storm and the fire faded and the only sound Hollyleaf could hear was the blood roaring in her ears. Feeling her heart thumping stronger and faster in her chest, she focused her gaze on Squirrelflight and Ashfur. It was all she could do to not lose her balance with the earth shaken under her.

“You’re lying.” Ashfur’s voice was choked with disbelief.

“No, I’m not.” Squirrelflight spoke softly, but her intensity pierced through the crackle of the flames. “Did you see me give birth? Did I nurse them? Stay in the nursery until they were apprenticed? No.”

“But—I” Ashfur began, then fell silent. The cat who only moments ago had been so angry and full of confidence seemed to waver as he checked over his own memories.

“I fooled all of you, even Brambleclaw,” Squirrelflight went on scornfully. “They are not mine.”

“And no cat in the clan knows?”

“No. They’re all as blind as you are to the truth.” 

Hollyleaf felt as though her heart was scraped. This wasn’t a ruse? Her own mother thought she was blind? No, not her mother, apparently. But the she-cat who raised her never bothered to tell her Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather weren’t her own kits? Was all her love a lie too?

Ashfur though seemed to be adjusting to the reveal. A small smile pricked across his face. “Do you really think it matters if you gave birth to them?” he hissed, jerking his face right up against Squirrelflight’s. “You’ve watched them grow up. They depended on you. They trusted you. And now, they will die to pay for your mistakes.”

“No!” Squirrelflight’s expression finally faltered, dropping into panic as she desperately looked over at the cats she had called her kits.

She lied. Hollyleaf told herself again, trying to digest it, trying to understand it. She lied to us for all our lives. She lied to Brambleclaw. She lied to Firestar. She lied to the whole clan. She found her face narrowing into a glare. This she-cat took care of them, said she loved them, but she never even thought to tell them who they were.

Ashfur’s gaze had followed Squirrelflight’s, narrowing in on Hollyleaf’s face. “Maybe there is another way,” he purred. “If I were to kill them, they would go to Starclan. They would be at peace and you would rest easy knowing they are safe. No, you don’t need these cats to die. You need them to hate you.” The gray tom seemed to grow as his chest puffed out in confidence. “What do you think will happen when I tell everyone?” he challenged. “Will your clanmates let you stay in Thunderclan, knowing you have lied to them—to Firestar, to your sister, to Brambleclaw?”

“You’ll tell them?” Squirrelflight’s voice was sharp with pain.

“Do you really think I won’t? Brambleclaw will want nothing to do with you. No cat will. You were a fool to think I would keep your secret. But you have always been a fool, Squirrelflight. These cats—whomever they belong to—may live. Because your suffering has only just begun.” With that, the gray warrior stalked away, leaving only the crackle of fire in the air.

He’s going to tell everyone!

Chapter Text

“Jayfeather, here’s the branch.” Lionblaze could hear his voice tightening as he sank his teeth into his brother’s scruff. What else could he expect, given what they heard, what they now knew? As he lifted Jayfeather onto the branch, holding him until he could get his balance, he felt his brother shaking. A rush of protectiveness came over him. Lionblaze wasn’t doing much better, but he was the strong one. He needed to look out for his brother, and his sister for that matter. “Straight ahead,” he ordered. “Hurry.”

For once the medicine cat didn’t argue, simply stumbling forward on the path Lionblaze made for him as the fire blazed and roared on either side. Lionblaze kept his gaze fixed on his brother as they crossed the log, feeling the heat press against his fur, thick against his throat. But soon the worst of it died away as he leapt off the branch after his brother. The earth there was still hot, but not nearly as suffocating as the fog behind him. Heartbeats later Hollyleaf hopped down beside them.

Thunder rumbled above them, but now it was farther off, as if the storm was moving away. Mercifully rain began to fall again, hissing onto the flames and lessening the brightness. The wind was dying down; there would be no more danger from falling trees.

Lionblaze could already hear far off yowls from the other side of the hollow, probably of his clanmates returning to camp. But he and his littermates ignored them.

“Squirrelflight?” Hollyleaf’s voice quivered. Lionblaze couldn’t quite tell from her hardened expression if she was feeling more disbelief or fear. “What Ashfur said isn’t true, is it? We are your kits, aren’t we?”

There was a long pause, but Lionblaze already knew the answer and he was pretty sure Hollyleaf did too. How could Squirrelflight make such a lie, especially considering it didn’t really end up saving them. She did not give birth to them. She lied to them about who they were all their lives, and she never even told their father.

“I’m so sorry,” Squirrelflight whispered. “I should have told you the truth a long time ago.”

“What do you mean?” Lionblaze demanded. He could feel the growl forming as he spoke but he couldn’t help it. If she wanted to tell them, she should have done it when she had the chance. Now it was far far too late. Lionblaze and his littermates almost died and they were all going to suffer for her actions. “Why didn’t you ever even think to tell us before?”

“We thought it was for the best,” Squirrelflight pleaded. “I promise you, it was the hardest thing we’ve ever done.”

“We? Who’s we?” Lionblaze snapped. How many cats were involved in this? Was it their real parents? Or some other cats just laughing at how foolish Lionblaze had been all his life?

Squirrelflight didn’t reply, and Lionblaze could feel the anger building. If she really had any regret at all, she wouldn’t still be holding back. She was still lying to them, even now. She only revealed part of the truth because Ashfur forced her too. 

“Does Brambleclaw know?” Hollyleaf whimpered. Her claws tore at the ground as she fixed a stare on Squirrelflight. But they heard her speak with Ashfur. Lionblaze did and he knew Hollyleaf did too. She lied to Brambleclaw. She didn’t see fit to let her own mate know where their kits came from. 

“He has never lied to you,” Squirrelflight meowed. “He...he doesn’t know.” At least she was consistent, now. Why was Hollyleaf asking all these questions they already knew the answers to? Was she so deep in denial that she couldn’t accept what was in front of her?

“You let him believe that we were his?” Hollyleaf’s voice rose to a shrill squeak. “You lied to him as well. But...if we’re not your kits, whose are we?”

“I can’t tell you.” Squirrelflight’s murmur was barely loud enough to hear.

“You can, but you won’t!” Lionblaze’s voice escalated to a full growl, filled with all the pain and anger he carried. He could hardly explain it. This wasn’t like his anger towards Berrynose, or Tigerstar, or even Heathertail. Some part of him still loved her and wanted to believe she still didn’t hurt them, somehow. It was a larger part than he wanted to admit, but so much more of him was angry. How could the cat who loved and cared for them for every moon of their lives never once think of being honest with them?

Hollyleaf flinched, still trying to keep her guard up through her tensed muscles and jaw. Jayfeather, though, seemed completely still beside him. How are you so calm? He screeched it in his mind, even knowing that his brother could probably hear it. If you can hear me, that’s just fine. I want an answer. What was his excuse for not caring about their situation?

Jayfeather didn’t answer. He didn’t even turn his head towards his brother. The only indication that he might have heard was a twitch of his ears. 

“I’m sorry.” Squirrelflight’s voice had grown stronger. “I know it won’t help, but I couldn’t have loved you more if I had really given birth to you. I’m so proud of all three of you.” 

“Go away and leave us alone!” Hollyleaf hissed. “You have no right to be proud of us, no right to feel anything toward us anymore! You lied to us for our whole lives about our very existence! Our mother would have cared enough to tell us who we were. You won’t even tell us now.” Her voice tightened and Lionblaze began to hear her quickening breaths as she glared at the red she-cat. “Even when our lives are on the line you’re still too much of a coward to tell us the truth!”

“Please...” Squirrelflight begged.

“Just go.” Lionblaze bit his tongue, swallowing back as much of the raw fury as he could. The effort was so great it made his muscles shake. “You are not our mother anymore.”

Squirrelfight turned, blundering off through the undergrowth as if she didn’t care whether she burned her pads on still-smoldering leaves. She was upset. That much was obvious. And she should be! Right? She had done something awful. She had broken any trust she and her kits had. She had endangered them and even now Ashfur’s threat hung above them.

Ashfur. A day ago that was the name of his former mentor. He had always been a little rough, but he was one of the few cats in the clan Lionblaze had any sort of relationship with. Now...he had to rethink everything. Ashfur’s madness had been palpable as the three littermates quivered in fear for their lives, at the mercy of his whims. Did Ashfur never once look across that burning log and see the warrior he trained? Was he ever proud? Or was it all a ruse? Was he only ever polite to Lionblaze out of necessity, waiting for the moment he could properly get his revenge? His head spun so quickly that it began to get light and Lionblaze realized his breathing had turned shallow. Were there no relationships left in his life that hadn’t changed, that could go on as normal? 

At least I have my littermates. But it wasn’t as if Squirrelflight’s confession wouldn’t change their relationships too. Lionblaze looked to Hollyleaf, then to Jayfeather. Neither of them were speaking. They were just staring off in shock, trying to process what the world was now. We almost died… Compared to the revelations they had come to, the threat of death barely even registered until that moment.

“If they’re not our mother and father, then who are our real parents?” Hollyleaf quavered at last.

“We can worry about that later.” Cold anger still vibrated in Lionblaze’s voice. “First we have to decide what we’ll do when Ashfur tells the clan.” How long did they have? A moon? Days? One day? Less? Ashfur could be meeting with the rest of the clan in that moment, spilling their secret.

“Do you really think he will?” Hollyleaf asked.

“Do you think he won’t?” Lionblaze countered. “The only reason he didn’t kill us is because he wants us, and every cat, to hate Squirrelflight. You heard him, or were you not listening?”

“I was!” Hollyleaf’s gaze finally shot towards him, blazing with pain and anger and grief as tears began to well up at their edges. “How have you taken this in so quickly?”

“Me?” Lionblaze growled. “What about Jayfeather?” He still hadn’t even spoken since they crossed the bridge. Ordinarily he would be talking their ears off about something or other.

The gray tabby simply flicked an ear in response, still somehow choosing not to be a part of this argument.

“I’m not talking about Jayfeather,” Hollyleaf growled. “You accepted all of this so easily. What we saw couldn’t have been true. What we heard...maybe she lied. Maybe Squirrelflight lied to protect us!”

“She didn’t.” The words barely escaped Jayfeather’s mouth as a whisper, but they came instantly, before Lionblaze could respond. “I heard her thoughts. I saw her memory of...bringing us back to camp. She was telling the truth.”

Hollyleaf backed up a pace from the two of them, her mouth quivering as if she were looking for a response she couldn’t find.

“We can’t say anything to our clanmates,” Lionblaze meowed. “They might punish us too, or think we’ve been keeping the secret with Squirrelflight.”

“Ashfur is still going to tell every cat soon enough,” Jayfeather muttered. “It’s pointless waiting.”

“Then we need to stop him,” Lionblaze shot back. He couldn’t let them go back until they had some ground to stand on. They needed a plan, any semblance of a plan. “And until then, we should try to find who our birth parents were. Maybe it’s not something we should be ashamed of.”

“We’re still the three.” Jayfeather finally turned his head to his brother. 

“Are we?” Hollyleaf seemed distracted, as if she was barely even there. “Maybe we were just mistaken. Lionblaze could just be strong. And Jayfeather-well he’s a medicine cat! It’s no surprise if he has some sort of extra power. Then maybe I...maybe I was searching all this time for something that didn’t exist.” As awful as the thought was, it seemed to be lifting a weight off of Hollyleaf somehow, but Lionblaze wasn’t reassured.

Could it be true? But when I was in battle, I knew I couldn’t be hurt. I felt it so strongly. He couldn’t even consider the thought that he might not be part of the prophecy. Because if I’m not, then I do owe my fighting skills to Tigerstar, and all I am is a sub-par warrior with uncontained rage. Then another thought invaded his mind, even more worrying than the first. If I’m not Brambleclaw’s kit, then I’m no kin to Tigerstar. What will he do to me if he ever finds out? 

Jayfeather shook his head, seemingly unaffected by Hollyleaf’s suggestion. “Even medicine cats can’t read minds or walk in other cats’ dreams without Starclan’s help. And Lionblaze has never even gotten a thorn in his paw, or a scratch in training or after battles. There’s no doubt we are the three. Somehow, we are related to Firestar. Maybe we‘re related to his kittypet ancestors, or Sandstorm’s parents.”

“Does it matter if we’re still related to him?” Hollyleaf whispered. “We might not have any right to change the clans. We might have been born outside the clan—outside the warrior code.” She sounded as if she couldn’t think of anything worse. “If Squirrelflight just took pity on some passing loner or kittyper, it wouldn’t matter anymore...the warrior code isn’t in our blood. How can we defend it as if it were?”

“We were chosen by Starclan,” Lionblaze retorted. “The clans need us more than they realize. We have to carry out our duties as part of the prophecy.” It felt strange using the language of his sister, but it could be the only way to convince her of what needed to be done. Even if he believed the prophecy would be more about using their power than fulfilling any duty, he needed her to trust in their actions. “We need to protect ourselves. If they learn what happened, we need to show we still belong here. Okay, Hollyleaf?” 

Reluctantly, the black she-cat nodded, just once. “Fine.”

“Then let’s get back to the camp,” Jayfeather meowed. “Starclan knows we have work to do.”

None of them spoke as they made their way back to the hollow, but as they approached, Lionblaze could smell the charred bitter remains of the thorn barrier just before he saw it. As he stumbled in, letting his siblings fall in behind him, he heard his father’s voice. “Are you all right?” 

How was Lionblaze supposed to act towards him now? Squirrelflight had lied to him just as much as she lied to her kits, but he still didn’t know. And if they were going to save their reputations from being destroyed, he couldn’t know. Who knew how he would take it, especially if he couldn’t know whose kits they had been originally? “We’re fine, thanks,” Lionblaze replied tightly.

“Good. Then go find Brackenfur or Dustpelt and ask where you can help. You too, Hollyleaf. This camp will need a lot of repairs. I was just about to go find more brambles for the nursery. And Jayfeather, I think Leafpool wants you.  Spiderleg’s paws are burned and Longtail had a nasty bang on the head from a falling branch. And there may be others I don’t know about.” Behind the brown tabby, the camp was peaceful, with the deputy and his friend directing the repairs to the dens. 

“Brook! Could you bring me one of those stones?” Stormfur called. Brook obliged, picking up a rock from beside the nursery and bringing it to her mate, where they secured it at the base to hold the branches of the den.

“We’re going to need a sheet of brambles to cover the top until the bush grows back.” Brightheart noted from her place by the elders’ den.

“The hole isn’t that big,” Cloudtail tilted his head. “I think the other dens need more attention for now.

“I’ve got the moss!” Blossompaw called, rushing with the other apprentices over to the warriors den, each carrying in huge bundles of fresh bedding. 

“Set it down there.” Hazeltail ordered, looking particularly at Rosepaw, her own apprentice, but sweeping her gaze over the others as well.

“You’ve done wonderfully,” Icecloud added. “Maybe you can take some of that to Brightheart and Cloudtail too, to help with the elders’ den.”

Rosepaw dipped her head. “Of course.”

“Off you go then.” Hazeltail meowed, turning back to her work. She and Icecloud began dragging the burnt branches away from the warriors’ den, while Birchfall, Berrynose, and Foxleap cleared debris from the floor of the clearing. 

“Picking up trash?” Berrynose grumbled, “This isn’t a job for a warrior.” Nothing’s changed! Lionblaze thought. 

“Okay, fine,” Jayfeather meowed. He waited until Brambleclaw bounded away, then turned to his littermates. “Don’t forget, we say nothing for now.”

Hollyleaf muttered something under her breath, though Lionblaze didn’t catch what she said. Before either of them could respond, she padded off without another word to speak with Dustpelt by the halfrock. 

Jayfeather snorted, then followed suit, padding off towards the medicine den, ready to help the injured as though nothing had happened during the fire. Lionblaze let his gaze follow his brother until it suddenly met with Ashfur’s. The spotted gray warrior stood across the scorched clearing, hovering near the edge with Thornclaw as they watched over Spiderleg. This cat had threatened his life, and Lionblaze had no doubt he would do it again if Squirrelflight wasn’t suffering like he wanted. Whatever front he put up as a warrior, a mentor, or a friend, he was really no better than Tigerstar. Lionblaze would need to keep his eyes on that tom.

“Hey, Lionblaze!” Lionblaze jumped back as Toadpaw’s high pitched mew squeaked in front of him. With his focus on Ashfur, he hadn’t even noticed the young apprentice approach. 

“Oh, hello Toadpaw-”

“I’m happy you’re alive!” The black and white tom barreled on. “When you didn’t show up with the rest of the clan I got worried. You and your littermates I mean. But really, I shouldn’t have been scared at all. You’re so strong! You probably could have fought the fire yourself!”

The fire… Technically it was true. As long as Jayfeather was right and they really were the three, he would have survived even if the fire completely overtook them. But in that case, he would have watched as his brother and sister burned to a crisp in front of him, and he could only imagine what he would have done then. Ashfur would have murdered his family, taken them away from him forever. Lionblaze couldn’t imagine that, in that state, he would have let the gray warrior walk away from the fire unscathed. 

He shook his head. He didn’t have to worry about that possibility. His siblings were alive, and he would make sure they stayed that way...if it was at all in his power. Ashfur wasn’t a cat he could attack in the middle of camp, and until they had enough information to keep their reputations in tact, he had power over them. Brute force wouldn’t help against Lionblaze’s former mentor. Would the golden tabby’s efforts really be enough to save them? “Toadpaw…” he finally meowed, “You know there’s a lot more to being a warrior than being strong, or able to fight, right?” 

“Well sure,” Toadpaw rolled his eyes. “Every cat tells me that. But you do need to be strong to protect the clan.”

Lionblaze nodded. Of course being a strong warrior was important. If it wasn’t, the golden tabby really was entirely useless. “However, you can’t focus only on being strong. To be a full part of the clan, you need to learn what it means to be a warrior, and train to become as close to that as possible.” Lionblaze felt like he was pulling words from the air. Or from Hollyleaf, he guessed. He had no idea what it would mean to be a full warrior, or what cats in a clan were even meant to do aside from performing their duties and following the leader. But Toadpaw seemed to look up to him, even if that was a bad choice on his part. Lionblaze couldn’t just leave him without an answer.

“Could you...help me, then?” Toadpaw stammered. “It’s just that, my mother-Daisy, comes from the horseplace and chose to spend her life here as a queen. She wouldn’t know what it means to be a warrior. And Rosepaw, well she’s only learning as much as I am, in training. I guess I would usually go to my dad in a situation like this but...Spiderleg never really visited us. He kind of avoids us, actually, even now. I’m not sure if he’d want me to call him a dad.” His wide-eyed glance turned towards Lionblaze, filled with hope and sincerity. Behind it though, there was a layer of anxiety. He really wants me to say yes.  

Lionblaze felt a stab through his heart. Despite himself, he felt a kinship with the young tom. He wouldn’t speak with Squirrelflight anymore after her confession, and his relationship with Brambleclaw was like walking on thin ice, not to mention his former mentors, all three of them, wanted him dead. Really, he wasn’t in a position any better than Toadpaw. He needed to learn what being a warrior meant just as much as the apprentice. Lionblaze wasn’t in a position to teach him much of anything, but they both needed to fit into the clan. 

“All right,” he finally answered. “I will help you, if you help me too, that is. I can’t replace your dad. No cat can. But maybe...we can learn together, what it means to be part of this clan.”

The young tom looked up at him, his nervousness melting away as he cautiously pushed himself up against the warrior. “Thank you,” he squeaked. 

Lionblaze let his gaze flow around the clearing. Even as they worked, every cat had someone else beside them. Be it a mate, friend, or family member, they all came together and kept each other happy. Lionblaze might not have had his parents anymore in the way he used to, and his littermates’ relationship was anything but simple. But at that moment, there was one cat beside him who truly wanted to be there. “Thank you,” he responded.

Chapter Text

“We’ll need to send for more sticks.” Dustpelt was sitting with Brackenfur on the far side of the clearing, discussing plans for the next day. “The nursery will still be cold tonight.”

Jayfeather could hear various plans flitting through Brackenfur’s head before he spoke. “I could ask the dawn patrols to look out for some more, but I’ll need to send out a hunting party as well. The clan is a little overworked.”

“I’d be happy to help, though I think I might be of better use here.” Dustpelt’s reply was comforting, but he was clearly making an effort not to overstep his authority while speaking with his friend.

“Ha!” Briarpaw’s high pitched indignant cry rose from near the apprentice den. 

Bumblepaw let out a quiet snort, most likely being muffled by a mound of his sister’s fur. “No fair! Berrynose didn’t teach me that one yet!” 

“Oh really?” Blossompaw purred. “So are you admitting Briarpaw has a better mentor than you?”

“No way!” Bumblepaw shot back immediately. “Berrynose is the best warrior ever to live!” He probably just wanted to focus on hunting first...Is it me? Was I not good enough to learn that move? Apparently the young tom was more anxious than he let on. 

Briarpaw seemed to be holding back a snort as she spoke. “Who told you that?”

“Berrynose of course!” At that both of his sisters burst out in laughter. Jayfeather couldn’t believe that snobby warrior had actually been given an apprentice. They hadn’t even trained together for a moon yet and he was already corrupting the young tom. 

“Rosepaw did quite well with that squirrel.” Icecloud’s low murmur cut through the laughter as she sat with Hazeltail on the halfrock. 

A grunt followed her words. “She made a clean catch, but she didn’t notice it was there until you pointed it out.”

“But you have time to teach her, Hazeltail, and you know she’s eager to learn.” A moment of silence passed. Jayfeather could sense something in the back of her mind that she wasn’t saying, although it disappeared before he could identify the words.

“She is,” Hazeltail conceded. “Rosepaw is performing quite well. She’ll be an admirable warrior.”

“I’m hearing a ‘but’ in there,” Icecloud meowed, a touch of amusement evident in her voice. 

Jayfeather heard a rare stream of nervous sputters in Hazeltail’s mind as she tried to formulate her words properly. “This is my first time being a mentor,” she finally replied, sounding as calm as ever. “Relatively speaking, I am a new warrior. But Toadpaw’s mentor, the mentor I am working beside, is the deputy himself.”

“So you think your training will be inadequate in comparison?” Icecloud finished.

“I realize Firestar likely put us together, like he has for many mentor groups, so that the more experienced warrior can help the less experienced.” Hazeltail paused. Jayfeather could see her focus passing around the clearing to the apprentices, and to Brackenfur and Dustpelt across the clearing. “But I am meant to be the teacher now. I shouldn’t still need the help to do my duty and mentor Rosepaw. If I do...perhaps it would reflect badly on Dustpelt’s training of me, which is the last thing I would want.” 

Did Hazeltail really care that much about Dustpelt’s reputation? She had been a mentor for less than a moon. If she expected Rosepaw to be perfect right away she was just being a fuzzbrain. Who cares if she didn’t scent one squirrel? If Brightheart had been reprimanded every time Jayfeather made a tiny mistake, she would have been exiled by now. You would have to be a fox-heart to look down on Hazeltail or especially Dustpelt when both of them were going just fine, following their orders and all that.

“Did you hear about the Windclan patrol?” Spiderleg was settling down outside the warriors’ den with a piece of prey. Beside him were Thornclaw and... Ashfur. I found you.  

“No, what happened?” Ashfur’s mew was nonchalant, as if the events of the day weren’t even on his mind. Jayfeather focused, finding only a swirling abyss of thoughts. Squirrelflight… pay… Windclan… have my… four days… He could hardly believe Ashfur had managed to keep his secret as long as he had. Jayfeather never spent a lot of time with the warrior but he thought he might have at least picked up something over the moons they spent around each other. Maybe Ashfur had been keeping those particular thoughts at bay until he found an opportunity to strike.

“You know that warrior, Breezepelt?” 

“Of course,” Thornclaw replied. Unfortunately.  

“Well,” Spiderleg continued. “There was this rabbit going by, on our side, mind you, and I snatched and killed it a good couple of tail-lengths from the border. But Breezepelt happened to be passing on the other side, and he started yelling at me for ‘catching his prey’!”

A growl rose, though Jayfeather couldn’t tell which tom was producing it until he spoke. “What a piece of fox-dung!” Ashfur hissed in agreement.

“I know, but that isn’t even the worst part.” Jayfeather could practically see Spiderleg’s tail lashing back and forth as he spoke. “Owlwhisker was with him and told him off, but Crowfeather stopped him and told Breezepelt to stand back while he ‘handled’ me, and Nightcloud started complimenting him for being brave and strong or whatever!”

“This is a disgrace,” Thornclaw growled. “Windclan always were stuck up mouse-hearts who didn’t know when to give up. Of course it was inevitable that the proposed peace wouldn’t last, but that doesn’t in any way excuse their behavior. Sometimes the leaders are far too optimistic...or perhaps simply naive.” His mind flitted to Firestar, and Jayfeather could imagine him looking towards the highledge where the leader sat, sharing prey with his mate. Thunderclan’s leader wasn't infallible by any means but Thornclaw’s open disrespect still made Jayfeather’s fur stand on end. These are the cats Ashfur likes to hang around. Of course they would act like this.

We’re definitely going to battle Windclan again at this rate. Spiderleg’s thought passed by as if he didn’t even care what the clan affairs would be. “It’s not even Windclan that shocked me this time. Crowfeather and Nightcloud decided that protecting their family was more important than just doing what they obviously should have been doing. Who cares if it’s your son? If I had a son like Breezepelt I wouldn’t have stood for his behavior.” 

Sure, Jayfeather responded suddenly. But if you had a son like Breezepelt you would have ignored him before he was even born.  

“Thornclaw!” Brackenfur’s voice came from near their groups. He had managed to approach without Jayfeather hearing. “Would you lead the dawn patrol tomorrow? If you could go along Windclan’s side, I could bring my patrol along Shadowclan’s while we’re hunting.”

“Could I come too?” Spiderleg’s mew was filled with a little too much joy for someone who would be waking up at dawn the next day. 

This will be perfect. Thornclaw concluded. “Certainly. I’ll bring Hollyleaf along too. Though we could use one other cat…”

“Could I come?” Berrynose’s voice was quieter than usual as he padded up to the older warriors. “I’d really rather stretch my legs before I take Bumblepaw out tomorrow.” That tom will need a lot of work, he thought in exasperation.

Berrynose? Poppyfrost perked up at his voice. “Oh a dawn patrol? I could come too, if you like.”

“Thank you for the offer but four cats will be plenty.” Thornclaw meowed, respectful but clearly intent on planning for the remainder of the night and the following morning already. I’ll have to look out for-

“You could come with me,” Brackenfur piped up. “It will mostly be a hunting patrol, but we’ll check the Shadowclan border on the way.”

“All right,” Poppyfrost purred. She sounded happy at the prospect of a patrol with her father, but there was still a thread of disappointment Jayfeather couldn’t place. 

“If you’re all sorted then,” Ashfur spoke up, rising onto his feet. “I’ll be going to my nest.” Without even a spoken goodbye to his friends, the tom padded off to the warriors’ den.

It’s time. Jayfeather rose in turn, veering back into the medicine den.

“Going to sleep so soon?” Leafpool’s tone sounded light, but from the influx of thoughts, Jayfeather could plainly tell she was worried. 

“Plenty of cats are going to their dens,” Jayfeather grunted. “How many are still out sharing tongues?” He hadn’t checked everyone but the answer didn’t really matter. Ashfur had retreated into the warriors’ den. He needed to get into the warrior’s dreams, and if he wanted to stop Leafpool from seeing him frozen as Poppyfrost had, he would need to be sleeping himself. 

“I thought we were going to sort through the borage,” Leafpool meowed.

Jayfeather stretched, closing his eyes tight to tense every muscle. “Could we do it in the morning?” He opened his mouth wide, trying to force himself into a yawn. Though it was unsuccessful, he made a loud sigh to mimic the sound.

The fire...he had to get out of camp by himself. “Oh, of course. You must be exhausted. The pity dripped from Leafpool, in her spoken voice as much as her thoughts, but for once Jayfeather couldn’t shoot back a retort. This was what he had wanted. “Sleep well, Jayfeather.”

Jayfeather dipped his head, padding off to the back of the den and curling up into his nest. Ashfur...Ashfur… he repeated the name in his head, determined to keep his mind focused so he could land in the tom’s dreams. This was the furthest he’d ever been from a cat he shared dreams with, but he had to succeed. He needed to know when Ashfur was planning to strike.

Yawning genuinely this time, Jayfeather burrowed deeper into the soft moss. He pictured himself brushing past the bramble screen, out into the camp, and padding across the clearing to the warriors’ den. Sliding through the branches, he picked his way carefully among the sleeping forms until he stood beside the mound of fur that was Ashfur. In his mind, Jayfeather scraped at the moss until he had made a place for himself, then curled up beside Ashfur and matched his breathing to the sleeping warrior’s.

Soon he felt a stiff breeze blowing across his fur, and woke to find himself in the forest, not far from the Shadowclan border. There was no sign of Ashfur, but the woods seemed subtly different. It wasn’t just that he could see; there was something else. 

The scent of Shadowclan just barely floated by on the breeze, not close enough to be a threat. Still, he was compelled to slide his claws out so he would be ready. The air here made his fur stand on end, and an itch crawled through his skin like ants. Was this what Ashfur always felt in his own mind, or was he the only cat who could be comfortable here? With a tom like him, I wouldn’t be surprised. Despite Jayfeather’s attempts to stave off his discomfort, he couldn’t help the increasing anxiety as he stalked through the undergrowth of what looked just like his home.

Ashfur. Ashfur. He repeated the name again, attempting to guide himself closer to his target. 

In the same heartbeat he heard the sound of a cat pushing his way through the undergrowth. Fronds of bracken parted in front of Jayfeather, and Ashfur pushed his way into the open. He halted, startled. “What are you doing here?”

Jayfeather shrugged. “I could ask you the same thing.”

He padded forward until he was close enough to flick a scrap of bracken off Ashfur’s shoulder with the tip of his tail.

Ashfur’s neck fur rose. “You can see!”

“Sure. You’re dreaming, Ashfur. Don’t you know that?”

The gray warrior took a pace back; his blue eyes looked troubled. “You’ve never been able to see in my dreams before.” His breath seemed to catch as he considered speaking again. Instinctively Jayfeather focused in, looking for any wayward thoughts that might betray his intentions. But Jayfeather was already in the tom’s warped mind. He couldn’t see any further here. “And what are you doing here without your littermates?”

Ashfur has dreamt of us all before, Jayfeather realized. He could only imagine what horrible things Ashfur had done to him and his siblings within the confines of his mind. “I wanted to talk with you, alone.” Jayfeather made his voice as deep and low as he could, trying to mimic a Starclan cat passing on an official message. “No cat will interrupt us here. Here, you will have to listen to me.”

Ashfur let out a snort. “I don’t have to listen to any cat, let alone a scrawny excuse for a medicine cat.” A small smirk grew onto his face. “I’m not just going to tell Thunderclan your secret. The gathering is only four sundowns away now, and when it comes, every cat around the lake will know what that piece of fox-dung did.” Slowly, he began to stalk around Jayfeather, circling the medicine cat with a glint of pleasure in his eyes. “There is nothing you can do to change my mind. That lying she-cat will be driven out of Thunderclan for good, and no other clan will want her, either. And you? You and your littermates will finally burn down with her like you were meant to.”

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes. “You’ll regret it, Ashfur.”

The warrior loomed over him, anger smoldering in his gaze. “Are you threatening me? Are you really threatening me? I could break your neck with one swipe.”

“Try,” Jayfeather invited him. “This is a dream, remember?”

Ashfur finally paused, drawing back as he tried to process Jayfeather’s words. “No...no matter how close I came, you have never stood up to me in my dreams.” His eyes flashed with realization. “You’re really here!”

“No. I’m not.” Jayfeather’s reply came quickly, but the growl edging it may have betrayed his oncoming fear. 

“Yes, you are!” In an instant Ashfur was towering over him, with one paw raised and his claws outstretched. “Oh this will be especially fun.” He let out a laugh, an awful, grating sound. “You’re a freak!”

Jayfeather hissed, though he didn’t back up. He couldn’t show fear here. It was still a dream, wasn’t it? Ashfur couldn’t do anything to him. “Says the cat who tried to kill their clanmates because one she-cat didn’t like him.” Jayfeather was pretty confident that, at this point, Ashfur couldn’t care less who his clanmates were. If they were connected to Squirrelflight at all, that was all they became to him. 

“Oh I’m nothing compared to you,” Ashfur shot back. “You can invade other cats’ dreams and stalk them in your sleep! You don’t even wait for Starclan to help you. You’re doing this all for your own gain: just to save your mange-pelt skin.” Starclan didn’t dictate everything, and most of them didn’t even know about his power. Jayfeather could use his power for anything he wanted, but he had never hurt anyone with it. This was just a crazy cat trying to get under his skin. Ashfur lashed his tail. “You don’t deserve that power. But you were right. This is a dream, and I don’t have to listen to you!”

“Take warning, Ashfur.” Jayfeather drew himself up and locked his gaze with the gray tom’s. “I’m a medicine cat, and I speak with the voice of Starclan. If you go ahead with what you plan to do, you will regret it.”

Ashfur backed away again until his haunches brushed against the bracken. “You know, I don’t think I will. My conscience is clear, and Starclan knows that,” he growled. His gaze caught on something unseen and he tensed, digging his claws into the ground. “It’s Squirrelflight who lied. She doesn’t deserve the loyalty of any cat. Maybe if you come to understand that, I won’t tell every cat about your freak of nature ability. I can’t imagine any cat would enjoy being around someone like you if the truth came out.” Whipping around, he plunged back into the undergrowth, pausing only a moment to look back. “Think it over. I’m sure you’ll see that protecting that cat you called mother is a bad choice.”

Jayfeather stood looking after him until the waving fronds of fern were still once more. Ashfur had heard his warning, but all it seemed to have done was make things worse. He’s going to reveal my power! Jayfeather’s heart began to race. This was about more than their reputations now. If Ashfur revealed the secret too early, Jayfeather and his littermates might not be able to fulfill the prophecy properly. How would cats see him if they learned he knew what they were thinking?

With a jolt, he, and Ashfur, awoke. Even across the clearing he could hear how excited the warrior was, giddy at the opportunity to finally destroy Squirrelflight’s life. 

I need to tell Lionblaze and Hollyleaf. Somehow, they needed to stop Ashfur before he ruined everything.

“We’ll need more coltsfoot.” Leafpool murmured offhandedly, cutting into his thoughts. Jayfeather’s mentor seemed oddly distracted, as if her mind was on something else. She picked up a pile of leaves from the store. “Several cats have raw throats from the smoke.”

“No, this is coltsfoot.” Jayfeather shoved a bunch of it under her nose. “We’ve plenty of it. It’s tansy we’re out of.”

“Oh yes…sorry.”

Fed up of trying to work with her if she couldn’t tell tansy from coltsfoot, Jayfeather headed out of the den. “I’ll go fetch more,” he tossed back over his shoulder. It would give him time to find his littermates as well.

As he emerged, he heard the rustle of cats coming in through the thorn tunnel, and paused to wait for them. As discussed the previous night, Thornclaw had led the dawn patrol, again, with Hollyleaf, Spiderleg, and Berrynose in tow. Right behind them the morning hunting patrol padded into camp. Brackenfur led the charge with his apprentice Toadpaw, Poppyfrost, and Cloudtail behind him. It smelled as though all of them were carrying prey. The bounty of new-leaf had made the task quite easy despite the charred remains of the fire. 

Most cats shuffled off towards the prey pile or the highledge, but Jayfeather could hear pawsteps padding in his direction as well, as Poppyfrost’s scent became stronger. “I brought you a thrush,” she murmured. Jayfeather could hear the excitement behind her serious tone, and was flung back into the memory of her leaping to catch it just as it was flying away. “It’s a little big but we could share if you like.” 

Jayfeather grunted. “Shouldn’t the queens or elders get that?” He couldn’t even begin thinking about prey with all that happened recently.

“They aren’t even awake yet. This prey was just for the cats that have been working non-stop since the fire, like-” She cut off suddenly, and Jayfeather could feel her probing him as if she had powers of her own. “What’s wrong?” A moment of silence passed as Poppyfrost ran through possible reasons in her head, landing on one with a swell of fear. “Did you get a dream?”

He didn’t get a dream, and what he had wasn’t from Starclan like she was expecting. This wasn’t a matter of the whole lake or even Thunderclan being in danger. But his own life here was entirely up in the air. Finally he let out a single snort, turning away from her. “I can’t tell you everything. This is my own business. I’ll deal with it.”

“I already know about your…” She trailed off but he could hear her finish the sentence clear as day in her mind. Your power. “Was telling me about it really that bad?”

“I didn’t have a choice. You practically found out yourself when I went to help you.” 

“That’s right,” Poppyfrost confirmed. “But nothing happened. I’ve kept your secret, and I don’t mind. Why is this any different?” Even already knowing what he would find, Jayfeather probed her outermost thoughts. There was only sincerity and concern there, separate even from the pity he found in most of his clanmates’ heads. You can trust me. It came through as clear as if she were saying it. She knew he was listening.

“This is medicine cat business,” Jayfeather muttered, ducking his head down so Poppyfrost wouldn’t be able to scan his face. Would it really be worth hiding from her? If Ashfur got his way, he would tell every cat, Poppyfrost included. She already knew about his power, and genuinely didn’t seem to fear him like his littermates did when they first learned about it. Would a lie in his past be enough to change that opinion? “You’ll find out anyway,” he finally continued. “If I can’t stop it, you’ll learn without me.”

“But I’d rather hear it from you, especially if...you’re scared of it.” Jayfeather didn’t respond to that. It was just too much of a risk. “This secret,” she whispered. “Is it about the clan, or you?”

“I told you. I can’t say.”

“Well personally, I think it’s about you,” she shot back. “And I don’t think closing yourself off from every cat actually solves anything. If it’s enough to scare you, maybe you need to accept some help-”

“I don’t need help!” 

In an instant Poppyfrost drew back, and he could hear her mind oscillating between apologies and the concern she still kept. But a small part of her was confused. Why is he getting so worked up?

Poppyfrost isn’t Willowshine, he reminded himself forcefully. She wasn’t talking about his blindness. She wasn’t even thinking about it. “Sorry.” His gruff mew barely sounded like a true apology but it would have to do. “I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you.”

He could hear the she-cat shaking her fur. “It’s okay. Ultimately it’s your choice whether or not you want to let any cat into your problems. But remember that I am your friend. You are the reason I’m here today. You helped me choose not to go to Starclan. You’re the only reason I had a choice at all. So I’d like to return the favor.” Soft pawsteps sounded before long fur brushed against his own. “If you ever do want my help, you’ll have it. Nothing in that secret of yours would ever make me abandon you.”

Jayfeather wanted to believe her. It would be so much easier if Ashfur revealed everything he could and no cat cared. But even he didn’t know where he came from, or what cause his power was meant to serve. There might be something unforgivable in his past or future, and until he found his answers, he couldn’t let any cat find out.

Chapter Text

Another sunrise had slipped by. The repairs to the camp were, for the most part finished, and finally the clan was returning to a normal level of work. Millie and Graystripe were seated at the side of the clearing, looking over their kits as they showed off their latest techniques. Cinderheart entered camp with her apprentice close behind her and touched Briarpaw’s forehead, sending her off to play with her littermates. Winds swept the forest, warming the air with a thick blanket of the approaching green-leaf. The fresh light green of the leaves that had accompanied the beginning of new-leaf was fading away, replaced with a deeper, darker green canopy over the forest. Prey was becoming plentiful despite the small patches of damaged wood, and the clan was back to full strength again, able to keep the fresh-kill pile well-stocked. The nursery and elders’ dens were fully sealed once more, so even the slightly cooler breezes of the nights wouldn’t get into Mousefur’s bones or bring kitten-cough to the kits.

"That was lovely," Whitewing purred as she padded into camp. Birchfall was beside her, and the tall tom leaned down to touch his nose to hers. His tail rippled in joy. "It's been so long since I've had a chance to stretch my legs." It was good that the kits were old enough now for the white she-cat to be able to go out for walks. Lionblaze couldn’t imagine what it would be like to sit in a den for moons on end.

"You could have always left them with me," Birchfall pointed out. "I can take care of kits just fine."

Whitewing chuckled. "Are you sure you wouldn't lose them?"

"Hey!" Birchfall drew back in mock anguish. "They're my kits, too. I wouldn't just lose them out of nowhere."

"Maybe not," Whitewing purred. "But they could get away from you. You know how Daisy is always talking about the trouble Squirrelflight's litter got into when they were kits." Lionblaze felt a flinch as the fur on his neck began to stand at the mention of his mother.

Birchfall shrugged. "I suppose you're right. But it doesn't mean I'm not going to visit you all again. You know how much they love my stories."

"Dovekit loves any stories, you know." Whitewing touched her nose to her mate's one last time before pulling away. "But they'll always love yours the best." Stretching her legs one last time, Whitewing padded back towards the nursery, where Daisy purred a welcome while Dovekit and Ivykit leapt onto their mother joyfully.

Birchfall swept his gaze around camp before moving over to the halfrock where Berrynose and Poppyfrost were speaking with a proud strutting gait. Other cats have had kits before… The light brown tom seemed to think his mate and kits made him a great warrior by proxy, but Lionblaze couldn’t think of any cat that would consider him a good hunter or fighter. He was just average, and he couldn’t seem to accept that. 

Though, perhaps some amount of his ire came from how close Birchfall had become to Berrynose in the last few seasons. Lionblaze would never understand what cats saw in Berrynose. Honeyfern, Birchfall, and now even Poppyfrost enjoyed spending time with him. How could they stand hearing him brag and tease them whenever he was around? 

Even without Berrynose, Lionblaze could no longer enjoy the simple joys of patrolling with his clanmates anymore. Ashfur’s knowledge hung over him like a storm cloud. They only had three sunrises left before the gathering would be upon them, and after what Jayfeather told him, he was dreading the day. Hollyleaf was still fretting about who their true parents could be, but Lionblaze knew the true problem would be dealing with Ashfur. Often he caught Ashfur looking at him, a dark promise in his blue eyes. He knew that Squirrelflight didn’t give birth to them, and he had discovered Jayfeather’s power. If they didn’t persuade him not to go through with his plan, the secrets that could ruin their lives would be told to all the clans. 

It’s better than being dead. Despite everything, Lionblaze couldn’t help feeling grateful that his former mentor had decided against killing his littermates. Now at least they had time to stop him before it was all over.

The morning sun bore down despite the brisk wind cooling his fur as Lionblaze looked over to the fresh-kill pile to see Ashfur and Firestar together by the fresh-kill pile. His belly lurched. Trying to look nonchalant, he padded over and chose a mouse for himself. Even though he didn’t think he could choke down a single mouthful, he settled down to eat it with his back to his clan leader and his ears pricked.

“There’s a Gathering in a couple sunrises,” Ashfur meowed. “Is it okay if I go?”

Firestar sounded faintly surprised. “I don’t usually choose warriors until the same day, but if you want to...”

“Thanks, Firestar.”

Lionblaze dared to glance around, to see the gray warrior padding off toward the thorn tunnel. The scant mouthful of mouse felt heavy in his belly and every hair on his pelt tingled. If they were going to have any chance to stop him, they needed to do it now.

Hollyleaf was slipping out of the warriors’ den; Lionblaze padded over to her. “Usual place,” he hissed. “I’ll fetch Jayfeather.” 

She narrowed her eyes, and for a moment he was worried she would refuse, but she only dipped her head, leaving him to get their brother.

When Lionblaze peered around the brambles that hung in front of the medicine cats’ den, Jayfeather was on his paws, arching his back in a long stretch. Leafpool was still curled up asleep in her nest.

“Lionblaze?” Jayfeather looked up. “What’s the matter?”

“We’ve got to talk,” Lionblaze told him.

He led the way to the gap behind the warriors’ den, where Hollyleaf was waiting, her green eyes seeming to already predict the danger. “What’s happened?” she demanded as soon as Lionblaze appeared.

“I’ve just overheard Ashfur asking Firestar if he can go to the next Gathering.”

Hollyleaf’s claws flexed in and out and her neck fur began to bristle. “No! He can’t!” she growled.

“Be quiet,” Jayfeather snapped. “Do you want every cat to hear us?”

“We’ve got to stop him somehow.” Hollyleaf lowered her voice, but it was still full of anger. “Otherwise he’ll tell all four clans about us.”

Lionblaze nodded. “We’ll be shamed in front of every cat. They might drive us away from the lake.”

“Firestar wouldn’t let them!” Hollyleaf sounded shocked.

“Firestar might not have a choice,” Jayfeather pointed out. “You know how the other clans are always blaming Firestar for taking in loners. Even some of our own clanmates agree; they think it weakens Thunderclan. The clans only just established a shaky peace. Firestar might have to send us away for the good of his clan, for all the clans.”

Firestar’s clan—not theirs. His brother’s calm assessment of the risk chilled Lionblaze from ears to tail-tip. He couldn’t trust anything anymore. He had been destined to be one of the best warriors in the clan, a goal he strove towards even when it became difficult, and now all that was threatened because of what Ashfur knew. “Maybe we should tell Squirrelflight,” he suggested at last.

“Why?” Hollyleaf spat, her claws leaving deep scars in the earth. “What can she do? I don’t want to talk to that lying cat ever again!”

“But it sounds as if she’s the only cat who might have a chance of influencing Ashfur,” Jayfeather pointed out. “You know I didn’t have any success when I tried.”

“You talk to her, then!”

“We’ll all talk to her.” Lionblaze was trying to stay calm, but his sister was making it difficult. “Show some sense, Hollyleaf. We have to do anything we can to stop Ashfur.”

Without waiting for his sister’s agreement he wriggled out of the narrow gap behind the den and scanned the clearing. His littermates followed, Hollyleaf’s green eyes still sparkling with anger.

Lionblaze couldn’t see Squirrelflight anywhere in the clearing. Thrusting his head through the branches of the warriors’ den, he spotted her dozing in her mossy nest. “Squirrelflight!” he hissed.

The ginger she-cat’s head snapped up, hope flooding into her eyes. This was the first time any of the three had spoken to her since the storm; she must be hoping they were ready to forgive her. A flicker of guilt lit in the golden warrior’s mind. Maybe they should have told their mother when Jayfeather found out about Ashfur’s plans. But she wouldn’t have known how he knew. She couldn’t. She was in as much danger as they were, if not more...but she was also the one who let this situation happen.

“Can I have a word with you?” Lionblaze whispered, aware of the other sleeping cats inside the den.

“Yes.” Squirrelflight leaped up eagerly and shook scraps of moss from her pelt. “Of course you can.”

As she emerged from the den, the hope in her eyes changed to wariness when she saw all three cats waiting for her. “What’s the matter?” she asked.

“I’ve just heard Ashfur asking Firestar for permission to go to the next Gathering,” Lionblaze replied. 

He didn’t need to tell Squirrelflight what that meant. Her eyes stretched wide with dismay. “No...” she whispered.

“What are you going to do about it?” Hollyleaf challenged her. “Or are you fine with it? I don’t suppose you’d care if Firestar drove us all out of the clan.”

The tip of Squirrelflight’s tail twitched and anger flashed in her eyes, but she spoke calmly. “Firestar won’t do that. Not to you.”

“How do you know, if we’re not clan cats?” Jayfeather asked.

“You—” Squirrelflight broke off and began again. “I promise that you won’t be punished. The lie was mine, and mine alone.”

“Our birth mother lied, too,” Hollyleaf pointed out, a snarl creeping into her voice. “Whoever she was...”

Lionblaze looked expectantly at Squirrelflight, but her expression was closed and her jaws tight shut. Clearly she wasn’t going to share all her secrets. The twinge of guilt he held vanished in an instant. If she wasn’t going to tell her kits whose kits they were, even with all that was at stake, they had no obligation to help her.

“I’ll talk to Ashfur,” she meowed. “I’ll make him understand that this won’t just hurt me. It will damage the whole clan. He’s still a loyal warrior; he won’t do anything to weaken Thunderclan.” She dipped her head. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

No cat answered her, though Lionblaze could feel neither of his littermates believed Ashfur would care about clan loyalty anymore, or maybe that was just him. After a couple of heartbeats Squirrelflight turned away and slipped back into the den.

“She might trust Ashfur not to harm the clan,” Jayfeather mewed. “But I don’t. We have to do something.” He turned and padded back toward the medicine cats’ den. Lionblaze watched him go. That was easy enough to say, he thought, but much harder to actually do. What could any cat do to silence Ashfur?

That night, blood flowed through Lionblaze’s dreams. His whole body quivered with power; he twisted and leaped against an unseen enemy until his claws were snagged with gray fur, and the reek of the sticky scarlet rivers clung to his pelt and filled the air around him.

He woke in the warriors’ den with pale light filtering through the branches. Most of the nests were already empty. Scrambling up, Lionblaze felt his legs as stiff and his paws as heavy as if he had really spent the night battling his enemy. That would be one way to stop him. But that wasn’t a real option. If being outed as a kittypet or rogue’s kit would threaten his future, imagine what being a murderer would do. He had already come too close with Crowfeather… I’m not Tigerstar, he told himself. He couldn’t kill Ashfur. He was going to be a hero. He would find a different way.

His jaws gaped in a yawn and he stretched out his forepaws, flexing his claws and working the muscles in his shoulders. Feeling more awake, Lionblaze pushed his way into the clearing. He tensed when he saw Ashfur a couple of tail-lengths away, stroking a paw over his ear as though nothing was wrong with him.

“Ashfur?” Brackenfur padded up beside the speckled gray tom. “Would you take a hunting patrol out? Cloudtail and Brightheart can come with you.” The senior warriors already stood beside the deputy. Lionblaze suspected that, despite Ashfur leading the patrol, Brackenfur had come to them first.

Cloudtail's smile widened as he caught the gray tom's eye. "It has been a while since we got to go on a patrol together, hasn't it?"

Ashfur dipped his head, showing less enthusiasm than the white tom. "It certainly has."

“Mind if I join them?” Lionblaze meowed, tucking into the conversation. “I’d like to spend some time with my old mentor.” 

“Oh, of course.” Brackenfur purred.

Lionblaze kept his gaze fixed on Ashfur, seeing a moment of shock on his face. Soon though, his eyes narrowed. “Sure, come along then.”

Cloudtail and Brightheart joined them, and the patrol headed out into the forest. Lionblaze brought up the rear. He knew that Ashfur must be suspicious; only Jayfeather had spoken to him since the storm, and both of them knew it didn’t go well. But he wasn’t afraid of Ashfur, and somehow he had to confront him where no other cats could overhear them.

Lionblaze had no idea how to separate Ashfur from Cloudtail and Brightheart, but he had no need to worry. As they padded along the old Twoleg path toward the abandoned nest, Cloudtail stopped and sniffed the air. “I think I’m going to try in the Twoleg garden,” he announced. “No cat has been there for a while.”

"Of course you are..." Ashfur sighed, though he flicked his tail as Cloudtail's gaze narrowed. “I know it's nothing like that. I just think you’re wasting your time, but go ahead if you want to. We’ll catch up to you.”

Cloudtail and Brightheart bounded off up the path. Ashfur watched them out of sight, then turned to Lionblaze. “Well? What do you want? I don’t imagine you asked to come on this patrol for the pleasure of my company.”

“No,” Lionblaze replied steadily. He was finding it hard to separate his feelings towards Ashfur, as his clanmate and former mentor, from his feelings about the raving cat who had threatened them on the night of the storm and now was threatening them again with his knowledge of Squirrelflight’s lie. “I heard you ask Firestar to go to the next Gathering. I know what you’re going to do there.”

Ashfur’s whiskers twitched. “So?”

“I’m asking you not to. Not for our sake,” Lionblaze added, “but for the sake of Thunderclan. You hold its fate in your paws.”

Ashfur heaved a deep sigh. “Spare me the appeal to my clan loyalty,” he sneered. “I’ve already had Squirrelflight mewling to me about that. Your brother too, although he had a more...unique way of speaking to me.” He paused for a moment, looking deep into Lionblaze’s eyes as if looking for any sign of recognition. “I told them, and I’m telling you now—there’s nothing that any cat can do to stop me.” 

Lionblaze felt his neck fur begin to rise. He slid his claws out of their sheaths. “I can beat you in a fight if I have to.”

Instantly Ashfur’s claws appeared, and his eyes narrowed, glittering with hostility. But quickly he relaxed, drawing in his claws again. “Really? The noble Lionblaze? Attacking a clanmate? No, you would never risk your place in Thunderclan by doing that.” With a snort of contempt, he turned to walk away, then glanced back over one shoulder. “You’re bound by the warrior code, just like any cat.”

“And the warrior code lets you destroy our clan?” Lionblaze challenged him as he stalked away.

Ashfur ignored him, but Lionblaze kept his gaze trained on the gray tom, feeling his muscles tense in anticipation and the familiar speckles of red forming at the edges of his vision. There was no way he was going to let this cat take away everything Thunderclan had fought for—everything he had fought for. He was one of the three. He had more power than any cat, than Starclan, than the warrior code itself. 

“Maybe I’m not as bound by the warrior code as you think...” he growled. “I could fight you if I wanted to. I could make you confess to Brightheart and Cloudtail, or even to Firestar. I could have you driven out of the forest before you could tell anyone our secret.”

 “You could try. I know exactly how you fight. I taught you everything you know...even if that didn’t end up being much.”

Lionblaze felt a growl rising. You weren’t the only one… but the golden warrior wasn’t particularly fond of either of his former mentors now. 

“You shouldn’t be surprised,” Ashfur continued. “Every cat knows you were a failure. Your sister spent a moon training as a medicine cat and she still beat you. Even Jayfeather fought almost as well as you did when you were apprentices together. You rely on your raw strength with not an ounce of technique behind it. Fighting you is like fighting a badger.” 

“It is not!” In a flash, Lionblaze ran straight towards the gray tom, feeling his eyes cloud over with the red haze.

Ashfur was thrown to the ground instantly. Lionblaze unsheathed his claws and moved to pin him to the ground but Ashfur had stood again, and met Lionblaze’s slash with a blow of his own. The gray warrior bared his teeth and lunged at an opening he caught in Lionblaze’s stance. The golden warrior tried to dodge but, without the time to move away, Ashfur crashed into his side instead, and Lionblaze could feel his claws trying to scrape against his skin. 

The crash sent the tom plunging into a mass of fur, and Lionblaze finally saw his chance. As quickly as he could manage, he leapt onto his former mentor, knocking the air out of him and adjusting each of his paws to lay on the speckled warrior’s legs to pin him to the ground. Fear and shock flashed in the tom’s eyes. “Do you think I can fight now?” He growled.

To his own surprise though, Ashfur’s expression quickly changed. Now it didn’t contain any alarm, anger, or even regret. He was smiling. More than that, he was smirking. “I always wondered how you managed so well against Windclan despite your shortcomings.”

“What are you talking about?”

“No wonder you could handle my training.” Ashfur’s sneer turned to Lionblaze, and seemed to look straight through him. “Nothing could cut through that skin of your’s.”

Lionblaze felt his heart pump hard in his chest. “I have no idea what you mean.” He tried to keep his tone as even as possible but it fluttered at the end as he focused on keeping the warrior pinned.

“You cheated!” His voice had turned into a hiss. “You used this power of your’s to become a warrior without any of the talent! You’re just as much of a freak as your brother, but you just use it to destroy cats you hate and force them to do what you want with no consequence!” 

Ashfur knew about his power too… and it was all his fault. He couldn’t control his impulses, just like with Heathertail, Crowfeather, Tigerstar… Ashfur was right. Even when he said he couldn’t hurt Ashfur, even when he reminded himself what a good warrior would do, he still threatened and attacked a clanmate just because it would benefit him. “I-I don’t-”

“I’m not giving in to you,” Ashfur growled. “My plan will succeed, and Squirrelflight and all her freak kits will be ruined.” 

Lionblaze opened his mouth but no reply escaped it. What could he do? What could he do that wouldn’t involve being the warrior Tigerstar always wanted him to be?

“There is one way you could stop me, you know.” Ashfur’s smile seemed to grow as his eyes narrowed, flashing to look at each of Lionblaze’s front paws. “You could kill me. Starclan knows with that ability of yours I couldn’t stop you, and it would just as easily ruin you to show the clan the kind of cat you are. You couldn’t even stop yourself from killing a clanmate. Do you know what they would do to a cat like you?” 

They would exile me, if not worse. He would be disgraced. He could be killed. He would be sent to the Dark Forest with Tigerstar. The prophecy would fail. His littermates would face the clan’s wrath just from being related to him. No cat could ever trust him again.

“Well?” Ashfur snarled. “What are you waiting for?”

His heart pounding, Lionblaze sheathed his claws and stepped off of the speckled tom. His former mentor stood and raced across the clearing, only pausing to give Lionblaze a smile. “Come on, my dear old apprentice. We’re supposed to be hunting. Let’s catch some prey.”

Chapter Text

It was the morning before the Gathering. Hollyleaf felt as if her whole world was crumbling around her. Some part of her had believed that, once they got rid of Sol, life in the clans would return to normal until she found her power and the three lived out their destiny to save the clans. Instead, she discovered that she and her littermates likely weren’t the three at all, the terrible threat of Ashfur hung over them like a tree about to fall. He’s going to ruin everything!  

Hollyleaf knew that her brothers were both still in denial. They were scared of Ashfur ruining their reputations, certainly, but they still clung to belief in their special powers like kits hanging onto legends of Lionclan. But it made no sense. They had no relation to Firestar. They were probably just some kittypet’s abandoned spawn that Squirrelflight took in out of pity. Why was their mother protecting whoever gave birth to them? All it would do was make them unprepared for when Ashfur announced everything he knew to the gathering. He needs to be stopped.  

“Do you want to share?” Cinderheart’s question alerted Hollyleaf to her presence. Her friend lay a squirrel at Hollyleaf’s paws. “Brackenfur asked me to lead the sunhigh patrol so I was hoping to eat before I go out.”

“Sure.” Hollyleaf could hear the tone of her voice failing to rise joyfully, but she couldn’t manage to fix it. There was too much going on. How could any cat think about sharing prey or going on patrols in a situation like this? But she doesn’t know. It isn’t Cinderheart’s fault.

Carefully she lay down beside her friend, letting the lush grass brush up around her fur, seeping its drops of water into her skin. She shivered, passively taking a bit of the squirrel she shared.

“Green-leaf looks like it will be beautiful,” Cinderheart purred, sweeping her gaze around camp.

“Yeah.”

The tabby blinked back at her, pausing to take another morsel of their meal. “Has something happened? The last few days you’ve been-”

“I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Right, of course,” Cinderheart corrected quickly. “Just know, if you ever need anything, I’m here.”

“Thanks.”

“Anytime,” Cinderheart let her tail fall briefly on Hollyleaf’s shoulder, though she quickly removed it and turned her attention back to the squirrel. “That’s what friends are for.”

What could she do? She had to find Ashfur. He wasn’t in the den when she woke up that morning. If she could find him now...maybe he would be back with the morning patrols. She just needed to wait. But there was only so much time before the gathering.

“Wait, is there always snow?” Bumblepaw’s shocked mew came from across the clearing as he waited by the halfrock with Brook. 

The sleek brown she-cat nodded. “There’s usually less snow for a few moons, but it’s always colder than around the lake. The mountains don't have grass, just sharp hills of stone that stretch into the sky. And we don't have many trees or bushes either, just blankets of snow as far as the eye can see, so all our prey comes from the sky.”

“And you hunted eagles?” Blossompaw’s yellow-green eyes were wide with awe. “That sounds so awesome!”

Brook purred in amusement. “And hawks, yes: massive birds that could carry a cat off if we weren't careful. Though it wasn’t ever just me hunting them. Teams of prey hunters all attacked the birds at once to make sure they couldn’t fly away, and to kill them before they could hurt any cat. We usually brought cave-hunters, like Stormfur, with us too, to attack the bird if it tried to take someone away.”

Briarpaw’s expression became fearful. “That sounds so dangerous!” She squeaked. “Why does the Tribe live somewhere like that?”

“Actually,” The former tribe cat’s gaze drifted off towards the sky. “That’s a very old story, about the founding of the Tribe itself. Do you want to hear it?”

“Yes please!” The apprentices affirmed in unison.

“Once, the group of cats that would become the Tribe didn’t live in the mountains at all. Their home was a wide patch of moorland with forests and rivers on either side. Every cat hunted their own prey, wherever they wished, and the seasons were often warm and inviting.”

“Why would they leave then?” Bumblepaw tilted his head in confusion.

“It might sound perfect.” Brook’s voice grew deeper as she looked back down at the apprentices. Her stature seemed to grow taller as she continued. “But the dangers were constant. Over the seasons, cats were picked off by badgers, foxes, owls, dogs, even twolegs. Eventually, they couldn’t take it anymore. One she-cat decided she couldn’t see her friends die off one by one, and the spirits of those past sent her flashes of the mountains, where they knew we could live in peace. She led the cats to the mountains, discovering the cave that we now call our home behind a tumbling waterfall, and became our first Stoneteller.”

“I want to be like that one day!” Blossompaw puffed out her chest. “Starclan will speak to me and I’ll save the whole clan and become leader!” The words sounded so foolish and kit-like, though Hollyleaf realized it was scarily close to the destiny she used to believe in for herself.

Behind the apprentices, Mousefur and Longtail lay on the halfrock, passing quiet murmurs as Jayfeather checked over their backs, regularly casting his attention towards the apprentices. “Aren’t you three meant to be checking Mousefur’s ticks?” Jayfeather finally turned away from the elders, his blue eyes blazing with built up frustration.

“Brook was just about to finish!” Blossompaw whined. “Can’t we help the elders after the story?”

“That’s funny. I heard you chattering like starlings just fine while I’ve been working.” The medicine cat turned his head to the apprentices. “Do you become deaf when you use your paws?”

“No, Jayfeather.” Briarpaw mewed guiltily. “We can help Mousefur now.”

“Good.” Jayfeather grunted, turning back to his work.

How can he go on doing his normal duties today? He had to, Hollyleaf supposed. He had his job as a medicine cat. He was still important to the clan, and cats would certainly notice if he was unable to work today. Still, Hollyleaf couldn’t do the same. 

“So,” Cinderheart leaned forward, shifting her haunches as she stood. “I’ll be leading the sunhigh patrol now.”

“Great. Have fun.” Hollyleaf replied. She needed to fix this. She had to.

“Okay…” Cinderheart trailed off, her gaze flaring with sorrow. “I’ll see you later then.” The gray she-cat padded off towards the entrance, collecting Hazeltail, Icecloud, and Foxleap as she went, and left through the thorn tunnel.

Her paws itching with restlessness, Hollyleaf slipped out of the camp soon after them and wandered into the forest. She felt completely powerless, now that she knew she wasn’t one of the three: Her belief in the prophecy had made her feel that she could do anything, but Ashfur had torn that belief away from her. A cat with the power of the stars in her paws would have been able to stop one cat from speaking words that would tear his clan apart. But plain Hollyleaf, no longer Firestar’s kin, could do nothing. She still stood as the defender of the warrior code, but what would it matter if she didn’t have the power to make any cat listen? Some cat in the real three would have to save the clans. One of the real three would protect the warrior code and she would just be...a sidekick. 

A hot flood of fury swept through Hollyleaf and she paused, digging her claws into the sodden ground. More than anything, she wanted to be one of the three; she wanted to rise to become Thunderclan’s leader; she wanted to be special, to have a destiny beyond that of any other cat. I deserve to! Her need tore at her belly like sharp pangs of hunger. I’d work harder than any cat to be a great leader, and leave my paw print on all the clans. When she decided not to be a medicine cat, it was because she believed she found her place somewhere else. She could feel how strong she could be as a warrior, then mentor, deputy, and then leader. Even Brook understood that day how special she could be. But if she became an outsider, all of that would be taken away. I can’t let Ashfur destroy all my plans.

Choking down her rage, Hollyleaf padded on. Since the storm, more rain had fallen, and she had to pick her way across boggy ground and leap over tiny new streams that scoured through the sodden earth. Bracken fronds released showers of raindrops onto her head and shoulders as she brushed by. Her fur became splashed and muddy, but she carried on, scarcely aware of where she was or where she was going.

The strong scent of a Thunderclan cat brought her to a halt. She jumped as Ashfur appeared around the trunk of a gnarled oak tree. “Don’t creep up on me like that!” she snapped.

“I’m not creeping,” Ashfur retorted. “If you must know, I’ve been checking the Windclan border. After Spiderleg’s report it could use some extra guarding.” 

Hollyleaf didn’t reply. He was acting as though he didn’t know exactly what had to happen between them. No other cat was around. Her brothers had failed. There was only her now.

She and Ashfur faced each other; Ashfur’s blue eyes were wide and wary. “So, what do you want?” he demanded.

“How do you know I want anything?” Hollyleaf replied.

For a moment Ashfur looked disconcerted, but it soon fell into the more familiar face of haughty disinterest. “You’re here to try to make me change my mind, like Squirrelflight and your littermates. But the answer is still going to be no. You have no chance here.”

“I know that.” Hollyleaf felt a stab of satisfaction at the startled look in the gray warrior’s eyes. “I know there’s nothing I can do. It’s your decision to betray your own clan.” 

“Betray?” Ashfur’s neck fur bristled and his claws slid out. “I’m betraying no cat. Squirrelflight’s the traitor, because she lied.”

“And it’s not betrayal when you weaken Thunderclan in front of the other clans, so soon after a battle that made the sun go out?” Hollyleaf spat in disgust.

Ashfur stretched his neck toward her, his lips drawn back in a snarl. “If you’re trying to scare me, it’s not working.”

Hollyleaf stood her ground. “And you don’t scare me, either,” she declared. “Nothing scares me more than the thought that you’re not afraid of what will happen after you’ve spoken out.”

Ashfur’s dark eyes narrowed and he lowered his head to look up at the black she-cat from below. “I’ll purr over what will happen after I’ve revealed the truth,” he promised. “Exposing Squirrelflight will finally let me rest in peace, and I’ll even be a hero for telling them about you.” Ashfur’s smile melted away as a growl rose up in his throat. The tip of his tail began flicking rhythmically, as though he were expelling excess energy through the gesture. “You and your littermates are freaks, using your powers to boss around your clanmates and make them do what you want.” The speckled gray tom raised his head once more. “Well I won’t bow to you. What’s your power?”

If Hollyleaf did have a power, this would have been the time to use it. If she could simply command him not to speak about Squirrelflight and her littermates, or make him forget about their secrets altogether, this would be so much easier. If she even had one of the more physical powers she had tested like a mouse-brain she could have forced him not to speak. But that wasn’t an option, and she knew now it never really had been. Ashfur knew far too much about Squirrelflight and the prophecy, but he was wrong about her brothers being special at all. 

Looking back at this wretched, broken tom, Hollyleaf kept her expression even. There really was nothing else she could do. “I don’t have one. I know you won’t believe me, and it would be pointless to try convincing you. You’re just out to make cats suffer, regardless of the consequences. You have no concept of clan loyalty, or the will of Starclan, and certainly not of the warrior code. You’re just a pointless, pathetic excuse for a cat looking for petty revenge, and that’s all you will ever be.”

The sun was sinking behind a ragged band of clouds as Firestar called his cats together to go to the Gathering. Shadows crept into the clearing, and the first warriors of Starclan were beginning to emerge into a sky stained with scarlet.

“Where’s Ashfur?” Firestar asked, looking around.

Hollyleaf exchanged a glance with Lionblaze. The other cats chosen for the Gathering—Brambleclaw, Dustpelt, Hazeltail, Graystripe, Spiderleg, Icecloud, and Cinderheart—were already clustered around their leader, while Leafpool and Jayfeather were padding across the clearing to join them.

But there was no sign of the gray warrior.

Firestar’s tail twitched with annoyance. “He specifically asked to come tonight, and now he’s not here. I asked Squirrelflight to come, too, and she’s not here either.”

“We’ll be late if we wait for them,” Dustpelt pointed out.

Tension churned in Hollyleaf’s belly. She didn’t want to think about Ashfur, much less stand around waiting for him. As for Squirrelflight...Hollyleaf didn’t care if she never saw her mother again. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t have parents anymore. 

“Maybe Ashfur went on ahead,” Graystripe suggested.

“Well, if he did, he should have told one of us,” Firestar replied. “Let’s go.”

He led the way through the barrier of thorns. Hollyleaf brought up the rear with Lionblaze and Jayfeather. She knew that both her brothers would be desperate to know where Ashfur was. She could almost see their anxiety crackling off their fur like lightning. But none of them spoke his name.

The cats had barely left the tunnel when Squirrelflight came bounding breathlessly up to them. Her pelt was clumped and soaking, and splashed with mud. “Sorry,” she panted. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

Brambleclaw gave her ear a quick lick. “What have you been doing?”

“Looking for herbs for Leafpool, near the Shadowclan border,” Squirrelflight explained. “The bank of the stream was muddy, and I slipped in.”

“Stupid furrball,” Brambleclaw purred affectionately. “You should be more careful. Are you okay? You don’t have to come to the Gathering if you’d rather rest.”

“I’m fine,” Squirrelflight insisted. “And I’m not going to miss this Gathering. I haven’t been to one in moons.”

“Come on, we’re wasting time,” Firestar called from the front of the group.

He set off toward the lake; the forest floor was still sodden from the recent rain, and the cats had to scramble through muddy hollows or over branches that fell in the storm. Hollyleaf barely noticed the mud or the small streams her paws splashed through. She felt as though she was looking down a long tunnel into a future dark with fear and betrayal. She asked herself how far a cat should go to preserve the warrior code. And what happens when the code would be broken no matter what you did?

The Thunderclan cats emerged from the trees and padded down to the edge of the lake, turning toward the Windclan border. A full moon already floated high in the sky, turning the surface of the water to silver. Looking up, Hollyleaf saw that clouds were drifting close to it, though none of them touched the shining silver disk yet. She swallowed. Were the spirits of their ancestors about to show their anger?

Firestar waved his tail. “Let’s hurry. The other clans will be waiting for us.” Clear of the forest, he set a brisk pace, until his warriors were bounding along the edge of the lake.

Hollyleaf, still near the back of the group with Lionblaze and Jayfeather close by, saw Firestar halt suddenly on the bank of the stream that marked the border with Windclan. Graystripe, hard on his paws, let out a startled yowl.

Terrible foreboding filled Hollyleaf from ears to tail-tip. He couldn’t be... She put on a spurt until she was racing along, her belly fur brushing the pebbles and her tail streaming out behind her. Lionblaze kept pace with her.

Reaching the bank, she pushed through the cats who were clustered there, staring down into the stream. Wedged behind a rock just below her paws, the lifeless body of a cat floated in the swollen water, his fur dark and sodden. His tail streamed out into the current, waving as if he were still alive.

Dustpelt was the first to speak. “It’s Ashfur.”

Hollyleaf dug her claws into the bank of the stream, only just managing to suppress a wail. Yet she couldn’t even begin to feel any sense of grief for her dead clanmate. Ashfur had been about to reveal something that would have destroyed them all; now those terrible words would never be spoken.

Exchanging a glance with Lionblaze, she could see that her brother felt the same. Though it would be better if no cat ever found out how relieved they felt at Ashfur’s death.

“Get him out,” Firestar ordered.

Dustpelt slid into the stream, with water washing around his belly fur. He gripped Ashfur’s shoulder in his teeth and started tugging.

“Be careful,” Icecloud mewed anxiously.

Spiderleg leaped into the water on Ashfur’s other side, and together the two warriors freed him from the rock and hauled his body up the bank.

Leafpool crouched beside him, one paw on his chest as she gave him a rapid sniff. Jayfeather stood beside her, his whiskers quivering. Leafpool looked up. “He’s dead.”

“How did he die?” Cinderheart asked, her blue eyes wide. “Did he fall in and drown?”

“I fell into the stream by Shadowclan,” Squirrelflight reminded them; She must have been sharing her kits’ relief too, though perhaps her feelings were more complicated than Hollyleaf’s. “It’s easily done, when the water’s running as high as this.”

Spiderleg let out a snort. “Ashfur was a strong warrior. He wouldn’t drown like a kit. If we want to know how he died, we should be looking at Windclan.”

Firestar bent his head to sniff Ashfur’s sodden body. “There’s no Windclan scent.”

“The water would wash it off,” Graystripe pointed out.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Firestar glanced around swiftly. “Spiderleg, can you take Ashfur’s body back to camp? Someone should probably come with you, but the rest of us must go on, or the other clans will know something is wrong.”

“I’ll go,” Lionblaze volunteered. “Ashfur was my mentor.” 

Hollyleaf glanced swiftly at her brother. He couldn’t possibly still have feelings for the tom that tried to murder them. Even when they were apprentices, Lionblaze was never particularly close with him. Not like Thornclaw and I are. He had to be planning something, and if he was, Hollyleaf needed to be there too. “I’ll come too,” Hollyleaf added. 

Firestar nodded. “Good. You others, follow me.”

As Firestar and the rest of his warriors half waded, half swam across the stream, Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Spiderleg picked up Ashfur’s body. It hung between them, a dead weight, as they struggled back through the forest to the hollow.

Thornclaw was on guard at the entrance to the camp. “What…?” His fur rose as they dragged Ashfur up to the tunnel. “What happened?” 

A flash of guilt came over Hollyleaf. Somehow, in the confusion, she had forgotten how close her former mentor was to Ashfur. 

Lionblaze moved in to explain the situation while Hollyleaf joined Graystripe in carrying the dead warrior to the center of the clearing, casting an apologetic glance at Thornclaw as she passed. The moonlight shone silver on Ashfur’s drenched gray fur; Hollyleaf thought he looked strangely small in death. It was hard to imagine the power he had held over her and her family just that morning, the power to drag down his clan and bring shame on Squirrelflight and her kits.

A distraught wail split the air behind Hollyleaf. Whitewing had emerged from the nursery, followed closely by Birchfall. It seemed to have been the tom who let out the screech. Whitewing’s face displayed her anxiety, but she was keeping her composure enough to speak. “Did a fox get him?”

Hollyleaf shook her head. “We found him in the stream on the Windclan border. It looks as if he drowned.”

Birchfall shuddered. “That’s horrible!”

Whitewing pressed her muzzle against his. “You mustn’t upset yourself,” she whispered. “Think of the kits.”

Birchfall nodded, pressing against the she-cat. With the way they’re acting, any cat would think Birchfall is the one carrying the kits.  

Ferncloud looked out of the entrance from behind the two warriors. As her eyes caught Ashfur’s form, they exploded into an expression of grief. “Ashfur!” 

“I’ll take care of Dovekit and Ivykit tonight,” Daisy murmured from beside them. “You should be able to say goodbye to your brother.” Hollyleaf could hear the grief evident in the fluffy she-cat’s own voice, and had to assume she was thinking back to her own vigil with Mousewhisker and Buzzardkit. 

Slowly he padded up to Ashfur’s body and settled down beside it, his nose pushed into the cold, wet fur. Whitewing crouched protectively at his side, to keep vigil along with her mate. 

“He was a good mentor,” Birchfall mewed sorrowfully. “I’ll miss him.”

Ferncloud was still in shock, but slowly, almost robotically, she padded over to the speckled warrior’s body and settled down beside him. “Brother…” Her wail came out quietly, trailing off as she searched for anything else to say. 

It hurt Hollyleaf, seeing Ferncloud upset. Even Birchfall’s pain reflected on her heart. But none of these cats knew who Ashfur had really been, or what he had been willing to do. The cat they were mourning never truly existed.

By now other warriors were coming out of their den, forming a ragged circle around Ashfur and questioning one another in hushed, shocked voices.

“Windclan will be at the bottom of this, mark my words,” Mousefur meowed as she padded up with Longtail.

“On the night of a Gathering, too.” Sorreltail’s voice shook. “Starclan will be angry.”

“Firestar doesn’t think any cat is to blame,” Spiderleg told them, but a sneer of sarcasm edged his voice. “Apparently Ashfur was just very unlucky.”

Mousefur snorted with disbelief as she bent her stiff joints to crouch beside Ashfur’s body. 

Lionblaze crouched down in turn, pushing his nose into his former mentor’s fur with only a moment of hesitation. Even Hollyleaf almost believed he cared about the speckled tom’s death. 

The black she-cat lifted her head to gaze up at the moon as it floated above the treetops. The clouds had cleared away; perhaps there was no need for Starclan to show their anger. Perhaps they were happy that a cat like Ashfur was gone. She stepped away from the body, letting the cats sitting vigil make their peace with the cat they thought they knew. Closing her eyes, she only hoped that none of her clanmates could sense that instead of grieving, her mind was numb with relief.

Chapter Text

Spiderleg and Thornclaw had joined Lionblaze, Birchfall, and Ferncloud around Ashfur’s body.  Hollyleaf stood near them, but she wasn’t sitting down to mourn. No cat expected her to but he could practically feel them growing uncomfortable with her choice not to leave or sit down. 

Ferncloud’s fur brushed against his own, and as they touched he felt her shaking with quiet cries of anguish.

Lionblaze wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to say anything. But these cats, his clanmates, were in pain. Even if Ashfur was really a horrible cat, his friends and family didn’t know that anymore than Lionblaze did before the fire. He needed to help them somehow. “I’m really sorry,” the golden warrior mewed awkwardly. “He was your brother.” Of course he was her brother! Could you be more of a mouse-brain? Clearly relying on his instinctive responses wouldn’t work. 

“Thank you…” Ferncloud trailed off, but she sounded genuinely appreciative for his sentiment. Carefully she leaned over and licked his forehead as a show of comfort, like she used to when Lionblaze and his littermates were kits. 

Lionblaze heard his sister’s claws dig into the ground beneath her. She always was a bit of a suck-up to Ferncloud...by which he of course meant she always did love Ferncloud very much. He turned to meet her gaze, for once wishing that she could read his mind like Jayfeather could. He would just have to hope she could read his expression like any other cat. Do you want to say something to her?

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes into a neutral expression Lionblaze couldn’t decipher before padding off into the nursery. 

“I will be with you for the whole vigil.” Dustpelt’s voice was quiet and smooth, carrying more emotion and grief than Lionblaze could ever remember him giving. “He was my apprentice, and you are my mate. I will make sure neither of you are hurt tonight.”

Hollyleaf was away for a long while, until Lionblaze assumed she was staying in the nursery for the night, for whatever reason. But finally, she emerged, with Daisy behind her, and made her way over to Ferncloud’s shaking form.

The fluffy she-cat lay her tail, soft as feather down, onto the gray she-cat’s back. “You need rest, Ferncloud,” she murmured. “Ashfur wouldn’t want you falling apart over him.” 

The speckled queen met Daisy’s gaze, though it seemed distant and hollow. “I-I can’t leave him…”

Lifting her head, Daisy gestured towards the sky. “The stars are growing dim. You should get some sleep before dawn’s light. Don’t you want to be ready for his ceremony?”

Slowly, as if there was a sudden stiffness in her neck, Ferncloud nodded. She stood, closing her eyes and leaning against her friend as they padded back to their den together. Lionblaze watched them go, feeling a rush of pity for the queen.

“You’re welcome.” Hollyleaf’s tense mutter came from his side as she stepped back to watch again. That wasn’t what Lionblaze had wanted but it was good to know she would be cared for. Spending a whole night in silent misery wasn’t something he would ever want for Ferncloud.

Lionblaze stayed beside Ashfur through the rest of the night until the sky began to grow pale with the first hints of dawn. Other cats came and went around him, mewing in hushed voices. If it was any other night, Leafpool would be here to rub herbs into his fur and send him off to Starclan with a ceremony, but that would have to wait for the next night in this case. It was the night of the gathering, and if Thunderclan didn’t appear the other clans would be suspicious, if not angry. Of course, the night of Ashfur’s death wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be, considering what Ashfur would have done that night if he hadn’t died.

Sitting here felt...wrong, or complicated at least. Just four sunrises before, this tom threatened his life, and the lives of his littermates. Two sunrises ago, Lionblaze had threatened his life in turn. But for any cat watching him tonight, all they knew was that he was mourning his former mentor, as Birchfall was across from him. With the tom’s amber eyes scrunched shut as tightly as he could manage, Lionblaze had no doubt that he was wishing Ashfur well on his way to Starclan, thanking him for his training, or some other usual wish. Lionblaze didn’t know if Starclan cats could really hear any pleas in your mind, but even if Ashfur was listening, the golden warrior couldn’t muster any sort of thanks or happy wishes for him. All he felt as he sat with his nose tucked into the speckled gray tom’s quickly cooling body was...relief.

At last Lionblaze heard the sound of movement in the thorn tunnel as Firestar and the rest of the clan began to return from the Gathering. He stretched his cramped muscles and looked around to see Jayfeather padding quickly toward him. His eyes burned with a contained anger. Hollyleaf moved forward to stand by Lionblaze and their brother closed in.

“You will not believe what happened at the Gathering,” he hissed quietly. “Firestar didn’t say a single thing about Ashfur.”

Lionblaze’s pelt prickled with surprise. “He didn’t?”

“Not a thing.”

One or two cats gave the medicine cat a curious glance as he passed. If they wanted to talk about Ashfur, they couldn’t stand in the center of attention. He moved to lead his brother away from the body with his tail, but Jayfeather was already drawing a few paces away. Of course. He heard me.  

“He just passed on trivial bits of news about prey,” Jayfeather continued in a whisper. “And he thanked our warrior ancestors for watching over us. And that was all.”

“Well…maybe he didn’t want Thunderclan to sound weak,” Lionblaze suggested.

“We’re not weak because one cat dies!” Hollyleaf spat.

Lionblaze couldn’t work out why she was so angry. If Firestar was keeping Ashfur’s death a secret, that seemed like a good thing. “And none of the other cats noticed that something was wrong?”

Jayfeather shook his head. 

Hollyleaf huffed. “Obviously Squirrelflight isn’t the only cat who’s good at lying.”

“I don’t think it’s as bad as you’re making out.” Lionblaze whispered. Was he suddenly the reasonable one between them? What happened? “Firestar must have had his reasons. And clouds didn’t cover the moon, so Starclan couldn't have been angry with him.”

Hollyleaf’s only reply was a disgusted snort.

Lionblaze pressed his muzzle against hers. “Come on. Let’s sit vigil with Ashfur for a bit.”

His sister’s eyes stretched wide. “Sit vigil for that mange-ridden excuse for a cat? I can’t believe you actually want to do that! Ashfur would have destroyed the whole clan if he’d lived for one more night.”

Without waiting for a reply, she whirled around and stalked toward the warriors’ den. 

“You were his apprentice,” Jayfeather grunted. “I’m a medicine cat. But Hollyleaf has no obligation to sit vigil for him, and Starclan knows none of us want to. Just let her go.”

Lionblaze watched her go, hoping she would sleep off whatever was troubling her so much, then padded back to Ashfur’s body and settled down beside it. Even now a chilled watery scent still clung to the fur. How long did Ashfur lay in the river before the patrol found him?

As his eyes closed, he heard pawsteps grow louder and Leafpool and Jayfeather made their way back and forth across the clearing, bringing herbs for Ashfur’s pelt. Aside from their rhythmic thumps, all he heard was the quiet morning breeze whispering across the clearing and the beginnings of birdsongs in the trees. A hush lay over the camp. No one seemed able to adjust to the fact that Ashfur was dead. Or maybe they were simply processing their grief.

The medicine cats finished their preparations, finally settling down to clear Ashfur’s body.

“He feels so cold and wet,” Leafpool grumbled, crouching beside Ashfur. “This isn’t how we should send him to his warrior ancestors.” Carefully, she crouched down and began to lick the dead warrior’s fur. 

Gradually the cats around Ashfur’s body began to withdraw and creep back to their den. Finally only Lionblaze and the medicine cats remained. Not knowing what else to do, Lionblaze settled closer to Ashfur’s head and began to help Leafpool and Jayfeather lick the dead warrior’s fur. Sleep began to drift over him as he lapped with long, rhythmic strokes. Had he slept at all during the night?

A gasp from Leafpool jolted him awake. Her eyes were wide with panic, fixed on something in Ashfur’s fur.

“What’s the matter?” Lionblaze meowed.

For a heartbeat he heard her tongue working busily. Then she hissed, “Come look at this.”

Jayfeather and Lionblaze quickly worked their way around the body until they crouched on either side of Leafpool. All of her muscles were stiff and her neck fur was standing on end. 

Lionblaze looked over to his brother, wondering if he could make any sense out of this, and found Jayfeather sniffing around Ashfur’s neck. Carefully he peeled back the dead warrior’s neck fur, unleashing a strong scent of blood and raw flesh. Lionblaze recoiled back, but his eyes caught on a gash straight across Ashfur’s throat: the kind of mark one would expect to see on a cleanly killed piece of prey. A cat didn’t get this kind of mark from falling into a stream and drowning. It had to be made deliberately. With a slash of claws.

“He didn’t drown,” Leafpool whispered hoarsely. “He was murdered!”

Lionblaze’s mind whirled. If it wasn’t for Leafpool’s care over the dead warrior’s body, no cat would ever have known how he had died. What would happen now?

“I’m going to tell Firestar,” Leafpool meowed.

Jayfeather and Lionblaze stood in silence as she raced across the clearing towards the tumbled rocks. A few moments later she returned with Firestar at her side and the proud leader crouched beside Lionblaze to examine the body.

“Who would do this?” Firestar sounded completely bewildered.

“Windclan?” Leafpool suggested, her voice sharp with suspicion. “We did find him on the Windclan border.”

“You know very well there was no Windclan scent on him,” Firestar reminded her.   “I know the water could have washed it away, but...” His voice grew softer, as if he was arguing with himself. “Why would Windclan kill just one warrior? Were they trying to warn us? But we’re not a threat to Windclan.”

“And Ashfur was clanborn,” Jayfeather put in. “Windclan has no reason to quarrel with him personally.”

Lionblaze realized his brother was right. Ashfur was one of the few cats that would have agreed with Windclan if they were making a point about Thunderclan’s leniency towards cats not born in the clan. And if Windclan wanted to attack, they would have done it openly, with all of us at once, especially with the tunnels Heathertail showed them. There wasn’t any reason for them to kill Ashfur alone, by the lake and so far from any openings.

“True,” Firestar murmured. Jayfeather could hear his claws scoring the earth. “But if it wasn’t Windclan…then a Thunderclan cat must have killed Ashfur.”

“No!” Leafpool’s horrified whisper was laced with the grit of her peaking voice. “No Thunderclan cat would do such a thing. It must have been Windclan.” Though it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself as much as Firestar. “What should we do?” she asked tensely.

The clan leader hesitated. “This is no reason not to give honor to his body,” he decided at last. “We’ll let the elders go ahead and bury him. Then I’ll speak to the clan.”

“Jayfeather, could you fetch Mousefur and Longtail?” Leafpool meowed, moving to lick the fur back over Ashfur’s neck. The gray tabby opened his mouth, looking ready to make a retort, but closed it  again and turned towards the hazel bush where the elders resided.

“And Leafpool?” Firestar continued. “Would it be possible for you to speak with Ashfur in Starclan? Even if the answer is unpleasant, I think it would be best that we know what-or who, caused his death.” 

The medicine cat’s gaze was unreadable, but she lowered her voice as she responded. Lionblaze had to lean forward for any chance of hearing her words. “I’m truly sorry Firestar, but I don’t think I can.”

Firestar narrowed his eyes, bowing his neck to match his height with her’s. “Why not?”

“Starclan has been somewhat…difficult to reach lately. We’re not sure exactly what is happening, but trying to reach Starclan at all has been difficult enough. Finding one particular cat, especially one who never had a connection with Starclan in life, would be near-impossible.”

“That is troubling…” Firestar murmured grimmly. “Well, keep an eye out anyway. In the meantime, we shall do what we can with the information we can find ourselves.”

Lionblaze pulled away from their conversation as they started muttering to each other about what to tell the clan and waited while the elders appeared from their den and the rest of the clan gathered around to say farewell to Ashfur. Even Hollyleaf lurked at the back of the group, after being nudged out of the den by Brambleclaw. Leafpool must have done her work well, because none of the cats seemed to immediately notice Ashfur’s wound. 

When Mousefur and Longtail had left the clearing with the gray warrior’s body dragging between them, Brackenfur padded up to Firestar. “Should I take the dawn patrol along the Windclan border?” he asked. “There might be some traces there to tell us what happened.”

“Good idea,” Firestar replied. “But don’t go just yet. There’s something I need to say to the whole clan.”

Lionblaze could see the deputy’s eyes light with confusion that rippled out to the whole clan. Part of him wanted to explain what they’d found himself, but he couldn’t find the words. The discovery was too huge, with too many consequences that he couldn’t begin to imagine. Ashfur was murdered… Lionblaze didn’t do it himself, but he almost had. Someone else had actually done it. And of the cats who would have reason to murder him… No! He couldn’t get suspicious of his own family. 

Trying to block out the thoughts, Lionblaze stood beside his brother, his claws working in the earth, while he waited for the elders to return. Hollyleaf came to join them, anxiety boiling out of her like bees buzzing out of a tree. “Something terrible is going to happen,” she whispered. “I can feel it.” Did she already know? Had she seen Ashfur’s wound? Or did she already suspect a more direct reason for the speckled tom’s death?

Eventually Mousefur and Longtail pushed their way through the thorns, back into the clearing. Firestar climbed up to the Highledge. His voice raised to carry to every corner of the camp, despite his no-doubt tumultuous thoughts. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting.”

Most of the clan were already out in the open, though a few cats did emerge from the nursery and apprentice den. Toadpaw scampered out with his sister close behind, seeming more excited than worried about the unexpected summons, and Whitewing nudged her kits out to stand a few paces from the nursery. Lionblaze’s gaze caught on Squirrelfight’s bright pelt at the corner of his eye. She pressed against Brambleclaw, her face consumed with anguish.

“We’ve discovered more about Ashfur’s death,” Firestar began as soon as all the cats were assembled. “It wasn’t an accident. There was a gash in his throat, and that means he was deliberately killed.”

Yowls of dismay rose up from every part of the clearing. Lionblaze’s belly churned when he heard the terrible truth put into words; he could feel Jayfeather and Hollyleaf stiffen, and he knew they had to be feeling just as scared as him. 

“Did a fox do it?” Brightheart called, raising her voice to be heard over the clamor.

“There was no fox scent.” The noise died down as Firestar spoke again. There was no Windclan scent either. Whatever scent Ashfur might have held was swept away by the river, and the thought that there was an alternative to a clanmate being a murder was very comforting. “And a fox would have eaten him,” Firestar continued. 

“Did he fall into the stream and cut his throat on a rock or a branch?” Squirrelflight asked. Her voice was as desperate as Lionblaze felt. 

“I doubt it,” Firestar told her; there was regret in his voice as if he, too, would have been comforted by that explanation. “It was a clean wound, like a hunting warrior would make on their prey.”

“You’re saying that a cat killed him?” Cloudtail’s voice rang out disbelievingly.

“Maybe a rogue found him then?” Ferncloud suggested, her voice shaking.

“Windclan!” Thornclaw yowled. “They must have found him by the border and killed him. We should attack them now!” His voice was filled with fury, more than Lionblaze had ever seen from him. 

“Exactly!” Spiderleg growled, coming to stand beside the golden-brown tabby. “We should have attacked as soon as we found his body!” Of course Ashfur’s former friends were angry.

But they weren’t the only ones. Caterwauls of agreement followed his words; it was several moments before Firestar could make himself heard again.

“We mustn’t act too quickly,” he warned his clan. “There was no Windclan scent on Ashfur’s body. In fact, there’s no evidence at all that he was killed by a cat from another clan.”

Frozen silence filled the clearing. When Brackenfur broke it, his voice was shaking. “Are you saying that one of us killed Ashfur?”

Lionblaze’s heart thudded as he waited for Firestar’s reply. His littermates tensed beside him, and he could hear Squirrelflight trying not to gulp for air as if she were being smothered.

“Do any of you know a reason why anyone in Thunderclan might want Ashfur dead?” Firestar asked.

Beside him, Jayfeather and Hollyleaf quivered under the weight of what they knew. A little farther away, Squirrelflight held her breath altogether. Lionblaze knew they were all thinking of the scene on top of the cliff, when Squirrelflight’s terrible secret had been shared in storm and fire. That, and that alone, had to be the reason for Ashfur’s murder. I didn’t kill him! Honest! But if their secret came out, no cat would see it that way. Either he or one of his family would be accused and driven out. For their own sakes and the sake of their clan, they had to all conspire to keep the truth hidden forever.

The silence passed for what felt like an eternity as Firestar passed his glance over each cat in the clearing, but eventually he gave up, letting his head fall. “I know we don’t want to consider it. No cat should have to. But…” He paused, making eye contact one last time with a few cats at the front of the crowd. “If any cat thinks of anything, let me know.”

With that the leader retreated into his den, ushering Brackenfur, Sandstorm, and both medicine cats up as well, no doubt to speak about Ashfur. Be careful! He wished as his brother walked off. Jayfeather took a moment to turn back and glare at Lionblaze. Hopefully he was mad because he would obviously be careful, and not because he had no intention to be. But Lionblaze could trust his brother. He knew that. The rest of the clan began to break up, moving off into small groups to whisper theories or form patrols.

“I’m going on a patrol.” Hollyleaf announced from beside them.

“What?” Lionblaze exclaimed. She couldn’t just leave. They needed to talk about this! Ashfur had been murdered and if anyone found out about his threat, she and all of their family would become prime suspects. “How can you just leave at a time like this?”

“The clan still needs to be looked after,” she muttered, lowering her voice. “And I should think we’re all already aware of what has to be done in regards to Ashfur.” He could tell what her answer would be. Keep quiet.

Lionblaze supposed she was right about that. They didn’t have much of a choice at this point. “I could go with you, then.” 

His words fell on deaf ears, as she padded off to where Graystripe, Sorreltail, and Millie were preparing to exit the camp on a patrol. Even their faces looked confused as she asked to accompany them, but without much resistance they let her join and padded out through the thorn tunnel.

What was wrong with her? He hadn’t felt this overtly cut-off from his sister since they were apprentices, and in that case it was only because she, rightly, thought he was going down the wrong path. But it’s not like that now! They stood on the same side in their mission to keep Ashfur’s threat a secret, and Lionblaze wasn’t doing anything Hollyleaf could find to be against the warrior code. He wasn’t sneaking off to meet Heathertail, or any other cat for that matter, and he wasn’t training with Tigerstar-

A thought finally struck him: one that perhaps should have occurred to him much earlier. When Tigerstar first approached him, he said he wanted to help because they were kin. He hid his evil plots behind the guise of helping the son of his son. But Lionblaze wasn’t his kin at all, and Tigerstar had to have known that. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw weren’t his birth parents, and even if he was distantly related to Firestar, it was very unlikely he was in any way related to Tigerstar. Why did he want me then? Lionblaze knew the only way to get an answer like that would be going back, and being honest, he really didn’t want to. But he was invulnerable. He was one of the three. It was his responsibility to stand against Tigerstar, and he had to know what his plan had been to do that. I need to speak with Tigerstar.

Chapter Text

Jayfeather stood back as Leafpool finished grooming Ashfur’s still form. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Apologies repeated in her mind, the voice laced with sorry and...some sort of love.

She wasn’t in love with Ashfur, was she? Jayfeather wondered. She’s a medicine cat!

“May Starclan light your path, Ashfur.” Leafpool’s final words to the tom cut off her string of thoughts, bringing her focus to the sky above littered with their ancestors. “May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep.”

The words that should have comforted her, promising a long and happy life for the fallen warrior, instead hurt her, sharper than thorns. Her mind filled with the moment she had discovered the neat teeth marks in Ashfur’s neck. Jayfeather heard her methodically going through the options. Too small for a dog, too clean for a fox, too sharp for a badger. Only a cat could have left them. And though she tried to push away the idea, a realization came to her clear as day.  No! This can’t be true! Before Jayfeather could decipher what she had found, Leafpool pulled up the guards on her mind, stepping away from the body to stand beside her apprentice. 

Mousefur and Longtail moved in, flanked by Graystripe and Sandstorm who had offered to help carry the body away to be buried in the earth. Before their pawsteps had even faded from the air though, Leafpool turned back to their den. He could hear her rapid breathing as she moved to the back of the cave, shuffling something into the store.

“What was that?” He asked. Leftover mint maybe? But he thought they had used all of it at the ceremony.

Was all this my fault? “I was just looking at our juniper supply.” The thought managed to penetrate his mind, full of panic and guilt, but as she spoke, none of it showed through. If not for his ability, he would have thought his mentor was just fine. “After the elders return, I’d like to be sure neither of them have a tightness in their breath.”

His mentor was hiding something; there was no doubt about it.

“Jayfeather?” Poppyfrost’s voice cut off his thoughts, floating over breezily from the entrance to the den. Though she hadn’t spoken herself yet, it seemed Cinderheart had come along with her this time. “Are you okay?”

“I wasn’t sure what could be wrong,” Cinderheart piped up, confirming her presence. “But Poppyfrost was really worried about you so I had to come and check.”

“It’s all right,” Jayfeather huffed, his fur pricking with annoyance that he wouldn’t be able to interrogate Leafpool until later. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Poppyfrost’s fluffy tail found itself on his back. “Are you sure?” She lowered her voice so Leafpool wouldn’t be able to hear. “Was this the darkness you predicted?”

Jayfeather shook his head. Ashfur’s murder wasn’t what he was preparing for at all. But there was a strange sense of relief coming with it. They would still have plenty of fallout to deal with, but had Ashfur been able to tell the clans what he knew… “I think the darkness might just have been worse,” he grunted quietly. “But this was never meant to happen.” 

“What are you talking about?” Confused thoughts dotted Cinderheart’s head.  “What darkness? Did Starclan send a sign?” 

It’s all right. Jayfeather still couldn’t see Poppyfrost, but he was sure in that moment she was looking right at him. I’ll handle her. Be safe. “Jayfeather was just worried over nothing,” Poppyfrost meowed lightly. “But he does have work to do. Why don’t we fetch some prey to share?”

So long since- “Sure!” Cinderheart purred. There were no hints of suspicion anywhere in her mind. “Maybe there’ll be a squirrel.” Her mew quieted as she padded out of the den at Poppyfrost’s side, her tail swishing back and forth across the ground.

Your secrets are safe with me. Poppyfrost’s thought pierced Jayfeather’s mind once more before it faded into the haze of all the thoughts in camp, and was drowned out by the spoken voices of several cats just outside the den. Curious, he rose to his paws and pushed his way through the branches into the clearing.

Thornclaw was standing a couple of fox-lengths away; Spiderleg sat close by, while Cloudtail could be heard pacing up and down in front of them. Cloudtail’s mate, Brightheart, waited with Brook, Stormfur, and Ferncloud, anxiety searing their thoughts. Birchfall and Berrynose were crouched nearby, their attention fixed squarely on Thornclaw.

“Ashfur was killed by a Windclan cat!” the golden brown tom was declaring. “It’s the only possible answer.”

A few of his listeners murmured their agreement, but Jayfeather could hear doubt pricking at the minds of several others.

“Firestar said he thought that one of us did it,” Brook meowed hesitantly. She was clearly nervous to suggest any of her clanmates or friends were to blame, especially since she was still seen as an outsider for carrying the name and memory of her tribe close to heart, but she had to speak up on a matter like this.

“Clan leaders have made mistakes before,” Cloudtail meowed. “Firestar isn’t always right.” 

“I’m sure none of us would kill Ashfur,” Ferncloud added more gently. “Why would we want to? Ashfur had no enemies!”

Jayfeather barely contained a snort. Yeah right. The night of the fire was burned into his memory as much as he knew it was for every other cat there that night. He could hear the roar of the flames on the cliff top, and could feel them licking hungrily around him and his littermates as Ashfur blocked the end of the branch they needed to scramble toward safety. Squirrelflight’s confession rang in his ears again: She had told Ashfur that Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather were not her kits. It was the only way to save their lives, by pretending she did not care what happened to them, but she had handed Ashfur a weapon more terrible than any flaming branch. Ashfur’s death was the only thing that had kept his jaws closed forever, and kept their secret safe.

“Spiderleg, Thornclaw,” Berrynose’s voice pierced the air, brazen despite the senior warriors he was addressing. “You hung out with Ashfur. Did you ever see him quarrel with any cat?”

“Especially any Windclan cat?” Birchfall added.

He just followed- “No.” Thornclaw’s response came more definitively than his thoughts. Jayfeather could detect a note of disappointment in his tone, but the warrior couldn’t lie and accuse some random Windclan cat, despite wishing with every hair on his pelt that there was someone specific to blame.

"Ashfur was like a brother to me," Cloudtail cut in, showing a tenderness in his voice that Jayfeather rarely heard from the jovial warrior. "He's been through a lot, but all of the cats he had grievances with are long gone. He could be stern sometimes but he never made any enemies."

“And I am sure we would know if Ashfur were quarrelling with anyone in Thunderclan,” Brightheart insisted. “It’s impossible to keep a secret around here.”

Oh Starclan, don’t let that be true. Keeping a secret wasn’t easy, certainly. But it was possible, and sometimes, necessary. 

“Brightheart is right.” Stormfur meowed, shooting a glance at the older she-cat. “But all the same, we can’t be sure that a Windclan cat—”

“Ashfur died on the Windclan border,” Spiderleg interrupted. “What more do you want?”

Stormfur turned to face him, his neck fur bristling at the tom’s scathing tone. “I want a bit more evidence than where his body was found before I start blaming other clans for all our problems.”

Brook and Brightheart murmured agreement, but Jayfeather could tell most cats were convinced that a Windclan warrior was responsible for Ashfur’s death.

“Are we going to let Windclan get away with this?” Thornclaw demanded, his ears lying flat as he dug his claws into the earth.

“No!” Berrynose leaped to his paws. “We have to show them they can’t mess with Thunderclan.”

“It would be best to attack by night,” Thornclaw began. “There’ll be enough moonlight to see by, and they won’t be expecting trouble.”

“We’ll see they get it, though.” Spiderleg lashed his tail.

“We’ll head for the Windclan camp,” Thornclaw continued. “It’ll be best to split up: One raiding party can attack from this direction—”

“What?” Brackenfur’s clear voice cut through the crowd from above. Jayfeather guessed he was standing on the highledge. It didn’t carry any anger, but the firm clarity stopped Thornclaw from continuing anyway. 

“We’re going to raid Windclan,” Spiderleg exclaimed, bunching his muscles as if he was planning to launch himself out of the camp right away. “One of them killed Ashfur, and—”

“There will be no raid on Windclan,” Brackenfur interrupted. “We have no evidence that a Windclan cat killed Ashfur.” Several cats seemed ready to protest, but Brackenfur continued without waiting for them. “If we do find the cat who did this, I will deal with them myself. But we cannot break the peace for no reason. If we assume and act on their blame without proof, we will be no better than our enemies.” 

His pawsteps faded back, but Firestar’s scent met his. Jayfeather padded forward carefully, craning his ears to hear their conversation. “What’s happening?” the Thunderclan leader queried.

“Some of the clan want to lead an attack on Windclan,” Brackenfur whispered. He didn’t need to say more. Both of them knew how high tensions were after Ashfur’s murder.

Firestar twitched his ears. “It’s hard to accept the death of a warrior,” he meowed loudly. “But this isn’t the time for an attack. I will lead a patrol to speak with Onestar tomorrow, to see if he knows anything.”

“Of course he knows!” Spiderleg had turned to face them, his neck fur bristling aggressively.

“We should attack now, before we lose more warriors,” Thornclaw declared.

Firestar shook his head. “There’s no point in stirring up trouble when there’s no need,” he warned.

“But there is a need.” Thornclaw padded forward until he stood nose to nose with his clan leader. “A warrior is dead!” My friend…

Yowls of agreement rose up from the cats around him.

“Ashfur must be avenged!”

“He was a fine warrior!”

“Everyone respected him! No Thunderclan cat would have killed him!”

The calls echoed over each other, growing louder and louder until it was an indiscernible cacophony of noise. Jayfeather couldn’t join in if he wanted to. It was hard enough to keep his mouth shut when they called Ashfur such a brave and loyal warrior. They knew nothing of the cat who had been prepared to destroy his clan to take revenge on Squirrelflight for choosing Brambleclaw instead of him.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!” Nearly every cat had already joined in the conversation if they weren’t out on patrol, or asleep after the vigil. Firestar’s call was just a last plea for silence. 

“I know you’re all wondering what to do about Ashfur’s death,” the clan leader began. “I promise you that the cat who killed him will be punished. But there’s no proof that Windclan was involved.”

“There’s enough proof for me,” Spiderleg grunted.

Firestar ignored the interruption. “I will lead a patrol tomorrow to speak with Onestar. Not to accuse him or attack his clan. Ashfur died on the Windclan border, and it’s possible that one of Onestar’s warriors saw something.”

There were murmurs of disagreement from some of the listening cats; Thornclaw was convinced Windclan would just lie, but he didn’t speak up.

“Brackenfur, you’ll come with me,” Firestar went on. “And Brightheart, Brambleclaw, and Lionblaze.” He’s only picking cats that aren’t on Thornclaw’s side. “We’ll leave at sunhigh tomorrow. There will be no more talk of this until we have heard Onestar’s side of the story.”

Leafpool was bustling around at the back of the den, sorting through various herb piles without even a word to the other cat in the den. Jayfeather wanted to ask her what she had been doing that morning, but he could tell she was trying to block him out. Even if he hadn’t heard that exact phrase pass through her mind, her stiff pawsteps, obsessive focus on this unimportant task, and silence would have given him the clue. The only way I’ll get any answers—about my own past and what’s going on with Leafpool—is if I look for them myself.

Jayfeather cast his mind back to his earliest memories, but there wasn’t enough to go on. His littermates’ absence stabbed him like a claw. We might find out a lot more if we could share what we remember!

He recalled a long, cold journey, stumbling through snow that reached up to his belly fur, following Squirrelflight’s scent. Pausing with a pawful of moss, he tried to think himself back into that snowbound forest. He strove to distinguish each individual scent: his own, Lionblaze’s, Hollyleaf’s, Squirrelflight’s...and there was another! Another adult cat, a warm and bulky shape. He’d never remembered this detail before, but another cat was definitely there, just ahead of Squirrelflight, forcing a way through the snow… Who was that? Jayfeather wondered. Did two cats bring us back to the hollow?

He needed to ask another cat, one who had been in Thunderclan when Squirrelflight brought her kits to the hollow. But it had to be a cat who wouldn’t get suspicious about his questions or tell the rest of the clan what he had been asking. Well there’s one cat that has to know…  

“I’ll go get more moss,” he meowed, rapidly shoving a last pawful into place. He didn’t know if Leafpool would care to protest, but he didn’t give her the chance before he brushed past the bramble screen and back into the clearing. But instead of heading for the thorn tunnel, he darted across to the elders’ den under the hazel bush. 

“Mousefur!” he called, ducking under a trailing strand of honeysuckle.

The skinny brown elder was curled up near the trunk of the hazel. “I hope your tail’s on fire or foxes are invading the camp,” she rasped, stifling a yawn. “Or that you’ve got another really good excuse for waking me up.”

“Sorry,” Jayfeather mumbled. Mouse dung! That’s a great way to start… 

“Don’t worry,” Longtail mewed peaceably. The blind elder was sitting by Mousefur’s side; Jayfeather heard the rasp of his tongue as he gave himself a thorough wash. “Mousefur has been asleep for ages. It’s time she woke up.”

Mousefur let out an annoyed hiss. “Well, what do you want?”

“I’ve come to check you for fleas,” Jayfeather explained, thinking fast. “One of the apprentices brought some back from patrol.” He hoped neither of the elders would think to mention his lie to any other cat.

“I haven’t been scratching,” Mousefur meowed. “But you can check my pelt anyway.” She settled herself comfortably with her paws tucked underneath her. “Be careful you don’t miss any,” she added as Jayfeather began probing her thick, ungroomed fur. “You’ve been a medicine cat long enough.”

Jayfeather bit back an irritated retort as he realized this could be the opening to the conversation he wanted. “That’s true,” he mewed. “It was the middle of last leaf-bare when I was born, wasn’t it?”

“The coldest leaf-bare I remember,” Longtail agreed. “I remember how thick the snow was. The whole clan was stunned when Squirrelflight came back to the hollow with three kits! She said they’d been born earlier than she expected, which is why she didn’t have a chance to get back to the nursery, but even still, what queen decides to go out with kits in the dead of leaf-bare?”

“Thank Starclan she had Leafpool with her,” Mousefur added, twitching her ears as Jayfeather parted the fur on her head. “She’d have been in big trouble otherwise.”

Leafpool! Jayfeather stopped running his claws through Mousefur’s pelt. So Leafpool was the second cat he hadn’t been able to identify. She’d never said anything to him about being with Squirrelflight when he was born… 

Locating a bit of twig on the ground, he snatched it up behind Mousefur’s back and cracked it in his teeth. “That’s one flea you don’t need to worry about,” he meowed. Trying to sound as if the answer didn’t matter very much, he added, “Do you remember anything else about Squirrelflight bringing us home?”

“Not a lot,” the elder replied. “It was so cold and snowy, we spent most of our time asleep that leaf-bare. I do remember how surprised every cat was that Squirrelflight hadn’t realized how close she was to having her kits when she went away.”

“Did you notice anything...odd about that time?” Jayfeather asked, cracking the twig again. He hoped Mousefur wouldn’t think she was infested with fleas.

“Odd?” Mousefur snorted. “Most of what the clan does these days seems odd to me.”

“I remember,” Longtail put in. “It was around then that Leafpool fed you that funny-tasting herb.”

Jayfeather’s ears pricked. “What funny herb?”

“Oh, how should I know?” Mousefur muttered. “Leafpool brought me some tansy, as usual. I think she expects me to live on the stuff every leaf-bare. And this weird-tasting stuff was mixed in with it.”

A tingle in Jayfeather’s paws told him that the strange herb was important. “Did Leafpool tell you what it was?”

Mousefur stretched, shaking her pelt. “No. I never asked her. When I complained about the taste, she just took away what was left. She said it hadn’t been meant for me anyway.”

“What was it like?” Jayfeather pressed, moving across to Longtail to check his pelt.

“Odd, but not unpleasant,” Mousefur mewed. “I’d have clawed Leafpool’s ears off if she fed me something disgusting! It tasted cold, like frost on fur, and fresh like grass, even though it was dry and dusty—from right at the back of Leafpool’s store, I’d guess.”

“How weird.” Jayfeather gave the twig another crack. “It’s not like Leafpool to get herbs muddled up.”

Mousefur snorted. “She was all over the place, trying to help Squirrelflight care for you kits! The fuss she made, any cat would think Squirrelflight was the first queen ever to give birth! Even if it was her sister, it was mouse-brained. No wonder medicine cats aren’t allowed to have kits of their own.”

“Really…” Jayfeather meowed, his mind already considering the implications of this.

Quickly finishing his examination of Longtail’s fur—and finding a real flea, which he crunched between his teeth—he said good-bye to the elders and headed into the forest to gather moss. As he tugged mouthfuls of it from between the roots of a tree, he wondered what Mousefur’s mystery herb could have been. It was strange that Leafpool hadn’t told Mousefur what the herb was or who it had been meant for. She often over-explained her treatments to give patients something to think about. And stranger still that Leafpool, who was always so careful, had made a mistake.

I need to find out what the herb was, Jayfeather thought, gathering up his moss to carry it back to the camp.

When he returned to the medicine cats’ den, he found that Leafpool had already gathered more bedding while he was talking to the elders. “How did it take so long to find your moss?” She asked. “The apprentices were able to fetch some from just outside camp.”

Jayfeather dropped his bundle and started to arrange it in his own nest. “I thought I’d check on the elders first.” When Leafpool didn’t respond, he added, “Mousefur told me a weird story. She said you gave her a funny-tasting herb once, mixed up with her tansy.”

A sharp, quiet inhale came from Leafpool, but she mewed, “I don’t remember that. When was this?”

“Oh, a long time ago.” Something told Jayfeather not to be too specific. He didn’t want his mentor to know that he had been asking questions about his birth. “Do you know what it was?”

“O-of course not!” Leafpool let out a defensive hiss. “For Starclan’s sake, I’ve taken herbs to Mousefur countless times. How would I remember one mistake from any number of moons ago?”

“I was just curious.” 

“We have more important things to be doing now than chasing our curiosity,” Leafpool shot back. “The feverfew stores are still short, so you can get on that.”

“Okay.” Jayfeather was glad to leave. He had sensed his mentor’s fear, too, just barely holding back her stream of thoughts. Leafpool was lying. She knows what the herb was, and she knows it’s important. I must be getting close to the truth—and Leafpool doesn’t want me to find it.

Chapter Text

“Tigerstar?” Dead bracken rustled beneath Lionblaze’s paws as he stalked through the forest. Above the leafless trees, the sky was dark and empty. Terror raised the hairs on the young warrior’s neck, and he shivered from ears to tail-tip. This was a place that had never known the light of Starclan.

He padded on, skirting clumps of fern and nosing under bushes, but he found no sight or scent of other cats. I’ve had enough of this, he thought, tugging his tail free from a trailing bramble. He didn’t need to find the dark tabby so badly that he would risk being stuck in the Dark Forest forever.

“Looking for me?”

Lionblaze jumped and spun around. “Tigerstar!” The massive warrior had appeared around the edge of a bramble thicket. His tabby pelt shone with a strange light that reminded Lionblaze of the sickly glow of fungus on dead trees.

“I heard you would be coming tonight...though I am not sure why.” His head was entirely draped in shadow, save for the shine off his dark amber eyes. For the first time, Lionblaze realized the difference in his demeanor from the last time he had seen the muscular tom. It wasn’t open, or welcoming, even in the overly saccharine way he used to entice his victims to believe him. This time he was just...strong, tensed, ready for a fight if one was coming. “You made it quite clear when last we met that you wanted nothing I could offer you.”

“I don’t!” Lionblaze blurted out. “I shouldn’t have ever come here, and you never should have trained me. Brambleclaw isn’t my father! You’re not my kin!”

Tigerstar blinked once, but he showed no surprise, not even a flick of his ears. His amber eyes narrowed to slits, and he seemed to be waiting for Lionblaze to say more.

“And you knew! You knew from the first day you came to me...” Lionblaze whispered. Squirrelflight isn’t the only cat who kept secrets!

“Of course I knew.” Tigerstar shrugged. “It’s not important. You were willing enough to learn from me, weren’t you?”

“But—”

“Blood isn’t everything,” Tigerstar snarled. His lip curled, showing the glint of sharp fangs. “Just ask Firestar.”

Lionblaze felt his neck fur begin to bristle as fury coursed through him. “Firestar’s a finer warrior than you ever were.”

“Don’t forget that he’s not your kin, either,” Tigerstar hissed softly. “There’s no point defending him now.”

Lionblaze stared at the dusk-lit warrior. Did he know who’s kits they were? He couldn’t! Wherever Squirrelflight had found them, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Hollyleaf were the three. They had to be related to Firestar somehow...right? Lionblaze shook his head. He needed to stay focused. “We weren’t kin. We were never kin. So why did you come for me? Why did you lie?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Tigerstar’s voice rose as if he was telling a kit why it wasn’t nice to attack an elder’s tail. “I thought you had the power of Starclan, Lionblaze. Having you on my side would have made my plans far easier to accomplish.”

That couldn’t be true! “Why didn’t you come to Hollyleaf or Jayfeather then?” He couldn’t be hurt, sure, but surely his littermates’ powers could be even more useful for doing something like changing the clans forever.

With that Tigerstar drew back, letting out a snort of amusement. “Because you have rabbit fuzz for a brain.” 

What?  Lionblaze felt his legs tense as his claws instinctively dug into the ground. “Say that again you piece of badger-dung!” 

“All I’m saying is the truth,” the dark tabby growled. “You were so desperate to believe your meetings with Heathertail and your lack of friends in the clan were justified that you practically fell into my lap. Aren’t I evil? Aren’t I the bad guy?”

“Yes!” Lionblaze shot back. Of course he’s the bad guy! He had convinced Lionblaze as an apprentice that he had changed, and been working for the same noble cause, but really he was just an evil tom taking advantage of everyone around him to reach his goals. 

“Then why did you agree to train under me?”

Lionblaze had heard the stories from Squirrelflight and Ferncloud. He knew about Tigerstar from the moment they met. Why, then, had he been convinced himself he could trust this cat?

“It’s simple.” Tigerstar answered his own question. “You were a desperate mouse-brain eager to believe what I told you.”

“How dare you-”

“But you don’t need to worry about that anymore.” Finally Lionblaze realized the tom before him had outstretched his claws, and was now lashing his tail as he crept towards the golden warrior. “If you turn your back on the Dark Forest, you lose us forever. Do you know how many of us there are? Cats have been coming here since the clans were founded! Think of every cat who has ever doubted Starclan, the warrior code, or each other. All of them are here. Waiting for you.”

How many cats was that? From the time the clans were founded...they could be nearly as big as Starclan! Every cat who ever did wrong, or even cats like him who just wanted something they couldn’t have, they could all be with Tigerstar. What was the Dark Forest capable of doing? They were training cats, and Tigerstar at least wanted to take down the warrior code, but how could they affect the world of the living?

“Whatever you and your siblings believe you can do,” Tigerstar continued. “Bring it on. We will be ready.”

Rage and frustration overwhelmed Lionblaze. Leaping into the air, he threw himself at Tigerstar and tried to push him over. He battered at the tabby warrior’s head and shoulders, his claws unsheathed, tearing out huge clumps of fur. But the red haze of fury that filled his head made him clumsy, unfocused. His blows landed at random, barely scratching Tigerstar’s skin.

The huge tabby tom went limp, letting himself drop to one side and hooking one paw around Lionblaze’s leg to unbalance him. Lionblaze landed among the bracken with a jolt that drove the breath from his body. A heartbeat later he felt a huge paw clamp down on his shoulders, pinning him to the ground.

“I’ve taught you better than that, little warrior,” Tigerstar taunted him. “You’re out of practice.”

Taking a deep breath, Lionblaze heaved himself upward. Tigerstar leaped back and crouched a fox-length away, his amber eyes burning.

“I’ll show you who’s out of practice,” Lionblaze panted. He forced his anger down, summoning a cold determination—all the fighting moves he had ever learned were at the tips of his claws. When Tigerstar sprang at him, he was prepared; he dived forward and hurled himself underneath his opponent’s belly. As soon as Tigerstar’s paws hit the ground, Lionblaze whipped around and landed a couple of blows on the tabby tom’s hindquarters before leaping out of range.

Tigerstar spun to face him. “Better,” he meowed, mockery still in his voice. “I'm glad at least some of my skill rubbed off on you.”

Before Lionblaze could reply, the huge tabby darted toward him, veering aside at the last moment and lashing out with one forepaw as he passed. Lionblaze felt Tigerstar’s  claws rake along his side, not piercing him but providing enough force to knock him off balance. But what happens to the other cats who train with him? He wondered.

His mind cleared. Tigerstar was hurtling toward him again. Lionblaze scrambled aside; he aimed a blow, but felt his claws slide harmlessly through the tabby’s pelt.

“Too slow,” Tigerstar spat. “You’ll have to work harder, now you know that prophecy wasn’t meant for you. That was for Firestar’s kin, wasn’t it?”

Lionblaze knew that the tabby tom was trying to make him too angry to fight. I won’t listen! All I need to do is win this battle! Besides, Tigerstar clearly hadn’t been watching if he thought this would work. Cats who made him angry...tended to have it worse.

He sprang at Tigerstar again, twisting in the air as he had been taught during those long night time visits, and landed squarely on the massive tabby’s broad shoulders. Digging in with his claws, he stretched forward and sank his teeth into Tigerstar’s neck.

Tigerstar tried the same trick of going limp and pulling Lionblaze down with him, but this time Lionblaze was ready. He wriggled out from underneath the heavy body, battering with his hind paws at Tigerstar’s exposed stomach fur. “I’m not falling for that trick twice!” he hissed.

Tigerstar struggled to get up, but blood was pouring from a gash in his belly; he stumbled down again, rolling onto his back. Lionblaze planted one forepaw on Tigerstar’s chest and held the other, claws extended, against his neck.

The tabby glared up at him; for a heartbeat, fear flashed in his blazing amber eyes. “Do you really think you could kill me?” he growled. “You can’t even come close. You and your littermates may think you’re important, but you are nothing. When the final battle comes, it will be Firestar I destroy. If any cat is to kill me, it will be him.”

“He can’t kill you, and neither can I.” Lionblaze sheathed his claws and stepped back. “You’re already dead.”

He turned and stalked away, his pelt still bristling and all his senses alert in case Tigerstar followed and leaped on him again. But there was no sound from the dark warrior, and soon he was left behind among the endless trees.

Lionblaze’s mind whirled. After all this time, Tigerstar was still set on killing Firestar before anything else. Did the warrior code even matter to him, or did he just use that as a cover? Lionblaze shook his head. That wasn’t important now. He had beaten Tigerstar! He did have power. He was one of the three, and he never doubted it for a second! But how?

He paused, scarcely seeing the tangling undergrowth and the trees of the dark forest all around him. Do I want to know who my parents really are? he wondered. Does it even matter? Maybe it was best to let his clanmates accept him for who they thought he was, so he could go on striving to improve his fighting skills and protect them as much as he could. With his power and training, he might have already been the best fighter in Thunderclan. I know I can be a great warrior. All he needed was for things to stay the way they were.

“Ashfur is dead,” he meowed out loud. “And Squirrelflight won’t reveal her secret to any other cats. It would hurt her clanmates far too much if they knew she’d been lying to them for so long. Why not let everything stay the same?”

There was only one thing that could really threaten that: whatever Tigerstar and the Dark Forest were planning. Lionblaze could take on any cat if he had to, but any other cats drawn into that world in their dreams...might not be as lucky. A flash of certainty flew over the golden tom. This was what he and his littermates were meant for. They would defeat the Dark Forest.

Lionblaze woke to the sun on his face. Most of the cats had already left the den; Lionblaze spotted only the gray-and-white pelt of Hazeltail, who had kept guard over the camp the night before, along with Birchfall who had shared Ashfur’s vigil with Lionblaze and Ferncloud. The speckled warrior’s sister was probably still resting under Daisy’s care in the nursery, Starclan willing. Lionblaze’s jaws stretched in a yawn. “Thank Starclan I wasn’t on the dawn patrol,” he muttered. The clan seemed to have let him sleep in after his vigil with Ashfur.

When he tried to get up, every muscle in his body shrieked a protest; he felt as if his body was one huge ache, from his head to his paws. His lungs felt sore with the exhaustion of the fight and being rendered breathless by a fall multiple times. I hope no cat notices, he thought as he bent his head and began cleaning up his pelt with swift, rhythmic licks.

The fight with Tigerstar had been a dream, hadn’t it? Lionblaze didn’t understand why he should feel just as much pain and exhaustion as if it had really happened. If the Dark Forest’s influence could go beyond the dreamland...maybe Tigerstar had a chance after all. It doesn’t matter, because I’ll never go back to that place, he told himself. It’s over.  

But there were other cats who weren’t as lucky. He needed to tell Jayfeather and Hollyleaf. They needed to know who they were fighting, because ultimately, some of those cats might be clanmates.

“Lionblaze!” Brightheart’s voice called to him from across camp as he left the den. The white and ginger she-cat was standing beside Brambleclaw. Lionblaze couldn’t remember the last time he had seen his father talking to Brightheart. He flinched. Was Brambleclaw his father now? He and his littermates had cut off Squirrelflight after her lie and insistence on keeping the truth hidden, but what about Brambleclaw? He wasn’t really connected to any of this. How were they supposed to behave around each other now? “Lionblaze?” Brightheart repeated. 

With a hot flash of shame, Lionblaze realized Brightheart had said something else he didn’t catch. “Sorry, what was that?”

Brightheart’s eyes glittered with worry. “I was just asking if you slept well. Ashfur’s vigil must have been hard on you.”

“Oh,” Lionblaze had assumed it was something more serious. “I slept fine.”

“Glad to hear it,” Brambleclaw purred, beckoning lightly with his head for Lionblaze to come join them. “Firestar and Brackenfur will be taking the three of us to Windclan to see if they know anything about Ashfur’s death,” he murmured. “We decided to leave at sun-high to give you time to rest but I wanted to be sure you were okay with going.” 

His father’s sympathetic amber eyes looked down on him, worried for how his son was doing after the death of his mentor. Brambleclaw had never gotten along with Ashfur; Lionblaze could guess now it was because of their troubles over Squirrelflight. Still, he knew, or thought he knew, his son was troubled over the warrior’s death. He really is a good father, Lionblaze thought guiltily. It wasn’t for the reasons Brambleclaw was probably thinking about, but the idea of specifically seeking out Ashfur’s murderer filled him with dread. If it turned out not to be Windclan...he would have to consider the other options, in his own clan or even family. Regardless, he couldn’t refuse. It would only look more suspicious. “I can go,” he answered. “But I need to do something first. Have you seen Jayfeather or Hollyleaf?”

Brightheart looked up, gesturing with her tail towards the entrance where, at that moment, a patrol returned with Hollyleaf at the rear. “Just don’t be long.”

“I won’t,” he promised, already scampering over to his sister. Graystripe and Millie were already breaking off to speak with Sandstorm and Dustpelt and Sorreltail moved to drop a mouse she had caught on the prey pile.

“Is there something you wanted?” Hollyleaf’s voice sounded stiff as she looked up at him. 

Apparently her time out of camp hadn’t done much to soften her attitude. But this was important! He continued regardless. “I have something to tell you, and Jayfeather.”

“Is it-”

“It’s not about Ashfur.” Lionblaze cut her off, guessing what she would say. He knew full well that she didn’t want to talk about him anymore. “Could you just fetch Jayfeather and meet me behind the warriors’ den?”

His sister's crisp green eyes were narrowed in suspicion, but she wasn’t ready to protest. “All right. Just make it quick.” 

Lionblaze lifted his chin to gaze around the camp as Hollyleaf padded off towards the medicine den. Thankfully, it seemed every cat’s attention was elsewhere, if they were even still in camp. With one last glance back to Brightheart and Brambleclaw, he sneaked off towards the warriors’ den, and when no cat was looking, he slipped behind it to their secret place. 

Lionblaze waited in silence for several moments for his siblings’ arrival, casting regular peeks outside to be sure no cat was looking, or Starclan forbid, coming. 

Finally he heard the shuffle of leaves as two cats crawled in with him. Hollyleaf’s sleek, pitch black pelt was the first sight he caught. “All right,” she announced. “We’re here.”

“What is it?” Jayfeather growled. 

Lionblaze wasn’t sure exactly what was on his brother’s mind but it seemed something was bothering him. Did Hollyleaf interrupt him? he wondered. 

“Yes, and let’s get on with it so I can get back.” 

“It’s important,” Lionblaze promised. He looked between his littermates faces, seeing the suspicion apathy painted over them openly. He would have to be quick, and jump straight to the Dark Forest stuff. “I found out what we're supposed to defeat as the Three.”

Jayfeather’s hollow gaze sparked with interest. “The Dark Forest? Do you mean Tigerstar? Has he found more cats?”

Stop reading my mind! He was the one who found the information. He should have been the one to share it. “Not just Tigerstar,” he continued. “There’s a lot of cats. I’ve only seen a few of them so far but it sounds like Tigerstar is building a whole army, and it’s not just living cats either. He has a whole forest of evil dead cats to get on his side.”

Lionblaze shifted his gaze to Hollyleaf, hoping for the reaction of surprise he couldn’t quite elicit from his brother, but she just narrowed her gaze. “Has he given up trying to corrupt clan cats?” she mewed.

“No, he's still taking them in their dreams. In fact, I think there are more,” Lionblaze clarified “Tigerstar plans to use those cats against us somehow. He told me he would be ready for us if we tried to stop him.”

Hollyleaf flashed him a quick narrowed gaze. “I thought you had stopped going there.” Her voice didn’t have as much grit or anger as Lionblaze had expected it to, but she certainly wasn’t happy.

“I did,” he protested. “I only went back to ask about why he trained me at all. I’ll never go again, but I know there are still cats training there, like Stormfur, well, he didn't accept actually, and Breezepelt and-” The golden tom snapped his jaws shut before he could say Tigerpaw’s name. Did he really want the poor apprentice getting caught in Hollyleaf or Jayfeather’s ire? He probably didn’t know he was doing anything wrong.

“Tigerpaw.” Jayfeather finished. “He’s training in the Dark Forest then?”

Lionblaze nodded tightly, a prick of annoyance piercing him at his brother’s intrusion. “Under Tigerstar, like I was. I don’t think he wants to harm anyone, but Tigerstar can be pretty persuasive.” Especially if you’re a fluff-brain.  

“It makes sense,” Hollyleaf droned. “Apparently there’s no cat we can trust.” Before anyone could say another word, she flipped around, moving to crawl back out into the clearing.

“Wait, Hollyleaf!” Jayfeather called back. “We haven’t finished.”

The black she-cat paused, but she only turned her head back to reply. “The three will fight the Dark Forest. I’m sure Lionblaze’s information will be useful to them when we find who they are. But for now, I’m going to do my own duty for this clan and see if Brackenfur needs any work done today.”

She padded out from behind the den, and Lionblaze could only wait in silence until the sound of her pawsteps faded away entirely. How could she still believe they weren’t the three? Firestar believed it. Tigerstar confirmed it. She had seen their power for herself. Besides, who else could it be? Even if it means the prophecy doesn’t believe in blood, we are the cats who are destined to save the clans, and we will.

Chapter Text

Lionblaze and the others followed Firestar as he headed through the woods, making for the Windclan border. The dense green-leaf sun bore down on the cats as they brushed through the bushes; despite the speckled shade of the trees. The patrol padded behind Firestar in solemn silence with Lionblaze bringing up the rear. He could tell that the rest of the cats were uneasy, halting every few paw steps to taste the air. 

“Are you okay?” Brambleclaw had dropped back to pad beside him. “I know you must be missing Ashfur.”

Fury at Brambleclaw’s misunderstanding flooded through Lionblaze. “I’m fine!” he snapped, knowing he was being illogical. “Stay out of my fur, will you?”

Brambleclaw’s eyes widened, but he said nothing, just nodded and quickened his pace again to catch up with Firestar and Brackenfur.

“You shouldn’t claw his whiskers off,” Brightheart mewed, padding up to Lionblaze and touching his ear with her nose. “Brambleclaw is bound to be worried about you; that’s what fathers do.” Her amber eyes gleamed with affection. “My daughter is a warrior now, but she’ll always be my kit.”

Lionblaze gave her an awkward nod, but he couldn’t reply. There was so much more to their family now than the simple love between parents and kits. A flood of relief swept over them as they reached the stream that marked the border with Windclan. A refreshing breeze blew over from the moor, despite the even harsher sunlight bearing down on the open grassy earth.  Each cat leaped across the stream and raced into Windclan territory without even checking for scent. Firestar led them on, still at a run, until the stream was hidden behind them by rocks and reeds. “There are Windclan cats nearby,” Firestar meowed. The Thunderclan leader headed across the moor toward the Windclan camp with his warriors at his flanks. Wind buffeted their fur, and a strong gust nearly carried Brackenfur off his paws.

“I still can’t imagine why cats would choose to live in a place like this!” Brambleclaw hissed quietly.

“We like it here!” A loud meow rang out across the moorland. Lionblaze looked up to see a Windclan patrol appearing over the shoulder of the hill. Tornear, the cat who had spoken, was in the lead, followed by Crowfeather, Whitetail, and Heathertail. 

“Greetings, Tornear.” Firestar dipped his head as the Windclan patrol approached.

“What are you doing here?” Tornear sounded wary but not hostile, though Crowfeather’s neck fur was bristling and Whitetail had unsheathed her claws.

“I need to speak with Onestar,” Firestar explained. “May we visit your camp?”

Tornear hesitated, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, then gave a brusque nod. “Very well, but we’ll escort you. And you’d better not start anything.”

“We only want to talk,” Firestar promised.

Taking the lead, Tornear headed farther up the hill in the direction of the Windclan camp. Crowfeather and Whitetail flanked the Thunderclan patrol on either side, while Heathertail brought up the rear. Lionblaze was acutely conscious of her, padding just behind him, and felt her gaze pierce him like a thorn. At last Tornear led them up the long slope toward the circle of gorse bushes that surrounded the Windclan camp.

Lionblaze spotted Onestar sitting near the middle of the hollow, talking to Barkface, the Windclan medicine cat. A few other Windclan cats—including the deputy, Ashfoot, and Crowfeather’s son, Breezepelt—stood around listening. Onestar glanced up as Tornear raced down the slope to announce the visitors. Seeing Firestar and the others, he hesitated for a few heartbeats, then spoke quickly to Barkface. The medicine cat nodded, and at last Onestar signaled with his tail to let Firestar bring his warriors down into the camp.

“Greetings, Onestar.” Firestar halted in front of the Windclan leader and bowed his head. “Thank you for allowing us to talk to you.”

The look Onestar gave to Firestar showed none of their old friendship. “Say what you have to say,” he mewed cautiously.

“I’d like to speak to you in private,” Firestar began.

Onestar’s neck fur rose and he shook his head. “Anything you have to say can be said in front of my clanmates.”

While he was speaking, Ashfoot padded up and stood by her leader’s side. She said nothing, just surveyed the Thunderclan cats with calm, clear eyes.

“Well?” Onestar prompted.

“If that’s how you want it.” Lionblaze’s belly churned as Firestar continued: “On the night of the Gathering, we found Ashfur’s body in the stream that marks our border. There was a gash in his throat; we think a cat killed him.”

Instantly the Windclan warriors began to bristle, and Breezepelt let out an indignant yowl. Onestar lashed his tail and dug his claws hard into the ground. His eyes blazed with anger. “How dare you assume we had anything to do with it?” he hissed. “We have nothing to gain from killing one of your warriors.”

“None of us had any quarrel with Ashfur,” Whitetail put in.

“No cat is accusing you,” he insisted. “We came to ask if you saw anything on the border that night.”

“What, like one of my warriors killing Ashfur?” Onestar’s fur was still fluffed up with anger. “Look to your own clanmates first, Firestar. Question their loyalty to the warrior code, not ours.”

Lionblaze felt the fur rising on his neck and shoulders; Brambleclaw and Brightheart were bristling, too, while Brackenfur narrowed his gaze at the veiled insult. Lionblaze spotted Heathertail standing off to one side, her gaze fixed on him. She seemed to be daring him to strike out so that she would have an excuse to jump on him and sink her claws into his fur. Breezepelt had padded so close to her that their pelts were brushing, and he met Lionblaze’s stare with a challenge in his eyes. Heathertail is mine now, he seemed to be saying.

You’re welcome to her, Lionblaze glared back.

“Then you saw nothing?” Firestar pressed; his voice had hardened, insisting on an answer.

“Nothing.” Onestar spat out the word like a piece of crow-food. “Now get out of our territory. Ashfoot, take a couple of warriors and escort them to the border.”

His deputy gave him a brisk nod and waved her tail to beckon Tornear and Breezepelt, who padded up to the Thunderclan patrol with truculent stares.

Firestar dipped his head toward the Windclan leader. “Thank you, Onestar. If you learn anything more, will you please send us a message?”

Onestar didn’t reply. Following Firestar’s lead, Lionblaze tried to stay dignified as he and the others were herded up the side of the hollow and through the barrier of gorse bushes onto the open moor. None of the Windclan cats spoke as they conducted Firestar’s patrol back to the border. On the hillside above the stream, Ashfoot halted. “You can go back to the camp,” she ordered Breezepelt and Tornear. “I’ll see them the rest of the way.”

“Why?” Breezepelt demanded.

“You’re needed for a hunting patrol,” the Windclan deputy replied. “Or do you think the rabbits will come running into the camp on their own?”

Breezepelt let out an annoyed hiss, and Tornear looked uneasy, stopping once to glance back as both cats climbed to the top of the hill and vanished over it in the direction of the camp.

Ashfoot silently watched until they were out of sight, then turned to Firestar with a sigh. “I wanted to talk to you alone, Firestar. There’s something I have to tell you.” Lionblaze’s belly lurched. Had Ashfoot been by the stream that night? Could she put a name to the cat whose teeth had torn out Ashfur’s life? But the Windclan deputy looked too calm for a cat who had been a witness to murder.

“Go on,” Firestar meowed.

“A few sunrises ago,” Ashfoot continued, “I was leading the dawn patrol along the stream when I spotted Sol—you remember, the cat Blackstar brought with him to the gathering?”

“Sol?” Firestar’s green eyes stretched wide. “I thought he had left the lake.”

“No—or at least, he was here a few days ago.”

“Then why didn’t Onestar tell me about him?” Firestar’s shock was giving way to anger.

Ashfoot shrugged, looking uncomfortable. Lionblaze knew that she was a fair-minded cat; she couldn’t be happy about the tensions between her own clan and Thunderclan. But her loyalty to Onestar wouldn’t let her speak openly. “Ashfur’s death is your problem, not ours,” she pointed out. “You can’t expect Onestar to be happy when you come barging into his camp accusing his cats of murder.”

“We didn’t—” Brambleclaw began indignantly, his amber eyes blazing.

Firestar raised his tail for silence. “Let’s end this misunderstanding now,” he meowed to Ashfoot. “We are not accusing Windclan of anything. We just want to find out anything we can about Ashfur’s death. Now tell us what you know about Sol. Where did you see him? When?”

“It was about a quarter moon ago,” Ashfoot replied. “He was near the lake, in the woods on your side of the stream. I don’t think he saw us; he was too busy eating some fresh-kill.”

“That’s not the day Ashfur died,” Brackenfur murmured thoughtfully. “But it’s close to the place where we found his body.”

“Very close,” Firestar agreed. “Thank you, Ashfoot. That’s the most useful thing we’ve learned so far.”

Ashfoot dipped her head. “I’m glad to be of help. I wish you and your clan well, Firestar.” Lionblaze could see the sympathy in her eyes. She can tell we’re in trouble, he realized. 

The sun was at its peak in the sky and long gray shadows dipped across the hollow when Firestar’s patrol returned. “I’ll call another meeting soon,” Firestar declared. “Come with me first, Brackenfur. There’s something I’d like to discuss.” The deputy dipped his head, dutifully following Firestar off to his den. They stuck to the edges of the clearing, avoiding the other cats’ eyes so they could discuss the matter alone. Lionblaze couldn’t help wondering what Firestar planned to say. He would have to share Ashfoot’s information, no doubt. But Sol being around wasn’t enough proof to say he murdered Ashfur.

“Ah, Lionblaze!” Berrynose’s scornful mew greeted him back to camp. “Did the mean Windclan warriors scare you away? Firestar should have brought someone like me. I would have known those fox-hearts not to mess with Thunderclan!”

Lionblaze couldn’t help letting out a hiss. “We went to talk. Obviously if Firestar had brought you we wouldn’t have gotten the very important information we have now about Ashfur’s death!” A small burst of pride erupted in his chest. Firestar had chosen him, and trusted him to help the clan. Berrynose never would have been able to handle a mission like this.

“Really?” The cream warrior was clearly trying to keep his voice even, but the popping up of his stubby tail gave away his anticipation. “What is it? Did you find the murderer?”

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see,” Lionblaze purred happily, padding away and ignoring Berrynose’s continuous calls for answers.

“You’re back!” The golden warrior looked down to see the smaller black form of Toadpaw standing before him. “Can I tell you about training today?”

Firestar would be calling a meeting soon, but Lionblaze supposed there was no reason not to let his little friend speak in the meantime, especially after Berrynose’s lovely welcome. “Sure, Toadpaw. What happened?”

“Well,” Toadpaw began. “Brackenfur was gone, and Hazeltail was keeping Rosepaw busy with something, so Cinderheart let me come with her and Briarpaw to battle training. We were practicing this move where we jump onto a bigger cat’s back and attack them from above where they can’t get their claws or teeth on you. She’s a really good fighter! She’s still got a pretty thin frame but she’s really nimble and her limbs are stronger than you would think and...”

Toadpaw continued speaking, but Lionblaze didn’t manage to hear any of it. The young tom’s vigor for the life of a warrior was admirable, but it felt like he was on a completely different territory. He had no idea what was really going on with Ashfur’s murder, the threat of the Dark Forest, or Sol. Even the threat of death in and tensions among his clanmates wasn’t enough to break his spirits. Was it that easy to be an apprentice, free from the weight of the world and the numerous dark secrets being kept from you?

“Lionblaze.” Toadpaw appeared to have finished his spiel. His chest was heaving, but his yellow-green eyes were wide and still. “Do you ever miss your days as an apprentice?” 

Toadpaw is more insightful than I give him credit for, Lionblaze realized. He hadn’t really enjoyed his apprenticeship. He and Berrynose were often at each other’s throats, he never got a close relationship with his mentor like Hollyleaf had, and he knew now that both Heathertail and Tigerstar were using him. But, back then, he did feel more sure of himself. Even when he was afraid of everything, he never felt uncertain about his place in the clan, or as a warrior. He always knew he would eventually be a great warrior and find a place in his clan as a normal cat. That was all gone now. He had a power and a responsibility that often felt like too much of a burden to bear. He nodded. “Savor these days, Toadpaw. They are precious, and eventually, they’ll be gone. That’s not to say being a warrior is bad, but it’s...different.”

“You might be able to get a few more of them though.” Toadpaw smiled, a sparkle of mischief appearing in his gaze. “If you get an apprentice, like me.”

“Me, with an apprentice?” Lionblaze scoffed. “Yeah right. You’ve got Brackenfur and you’re still enough to be a pain in my side.”

Toadpaw purred in laughter. “Maybe one day you’ll change your mind.”

At that moment, Firestar emerged from his den. He padded out to the front of the highledge, but before he reached it Poppyfrost spotted the orange tom and leaped to her paws. “Hey!” she yowled. “Firestar’s back!”

Heads popped out from between the branches of the warriors’ den. The queens sat up and pricked up their ears, while the kits tumbled out of the nursery, tripping over one another’s paws as they rushed forward to watch the meeting. Jayfeather poked his head out from behind the bramble screen, a bundle of herbs in his jaws. Hollyleaf stood near Cinderheart and Poppyfrost by the halfrock By the time Firestar reached the Highledge, there was no need for him to summon the clan; every cat in the camp had gathered to hear what Windclan had to say. Lionblaze, with Toadpaw at his side, padded over to sit at the back of the crowd.

“What did you find out?” Thornclaw called from where he sat at the foot of the tumbled rocks. “When do we attack?”

“We don’t,” Firestar replied. “Windclan did not murder Ashfur.”

An uneasy muttering spread among the cats, but Firestar didn’t wait for an argument to break out. Quickly he went on: “Onestar and his warriors knew nothing about Ashfur’s death until I told them. And Ashfoot gave me one very useful piece of information: She saw Sol a few sunrises ago, by the stream near the lake.”

Spiderleg shot upright, his tail waving. “That’s where Ashfur’s body was found!”

Yowls of shock and anger broke out; several cats leaped up, eyes blazing and fur bristling, as if they wanted to attack the rogue cat right away.

“Sol killed Ashfur!”

“Filthy murderer!”

“We should find him and teach him what happens when rogues attack a warrior!”

Firestar raised his tail for silence. “We still have no proof,” he went on when he could make himself heard. “But—”

“What proof do we need?” Mousefur rasped. “Look at what he did to Shadowclan!”

“He didn’t kill any Shadowclan cats,” Dustpelt reminded her. “What reason would he have for killing Ashfur?”

Mousefur let out a disgusted hiss. “I wouldn’t put anything past that mangy piece of crow-food.”

“But he must have had a reason,” Brackenfur meowed, backing up Dustpelt. “He’s not the type to kill just for fun.”

“Maybe Ashfur caught Sol on our territory,” Stormfur suggested. “They could have fought—”

“But Ashfur hadn’t been fighting,” Sandstorm interrupted. “There were no wounds on him except for the marks on his throat. Isn’t that right, Leafpool?”

Heads turned to look at the medicine cat, who was sitting outside her den, away from the crowd around the Highledge. She replied to Sandstorm with a curt nod, but said nothing.

“Well, then,” Cloudtail meowed, “maybe Sol caught Ashfur unawares, and took the chance to stir up trouble between Thunderclan and Windclan.”

“That sounds like Sol,” Brightheart agreed with a flick of her tail. “Set cat against cat, and then step in to seize power for himself.”

“We’ll have to keep a look out for him,” Graystripe mewed quietly. “To make sure he can’t get to any other cat.”

“You’re right.” Firestar nodded toward his former friend. “No one should go near the edges of our territory alone. Apprentices must stay with their mentors at all times when outside camp. Keep your wits about you.”

“Is there really nothing more we can do?” Dustpelt asked Firestar. 

“Why are you even asking?” Thornclaw growled. “We should go out and find Sol ourselves!” Lionblaze remembered how certain Thornclaw had been that morning that a Windclan cat had murdered the gray warrior. It hadn’t taken much to change his mind. But at least no cat was suggesting that a Thunderclan cat was the killer anymore. They’re glad to accuse Sol because he’s a rogue, he realized.

“Sol is trying to break the clans apart.” Firestar meowed over the chorus of agreement that met Thornclaw’s words. “We can’t let him succeed, and that means staying strong in our own territory. If we go out seeking Sol, we may make our relations with Windclan or Shadowclan even worse. If any cat finds a trace of him, report it immediately, and we will deal with it. But no cat will seek him out on their own, to hurt him or otherwise.”

Thornclaw and Spiderleg still looked like they itched for a fight, but they weren’t objecting, and the rest of the clan were crowding together, fired up to show Sol he couldn’t destroy their clan. Lionblaze seemed to be the only one left reluctant to avenge Ashfur’s death.

A few moments before, he had been relieved that suspicion had moved away from Thunderclan. But laying the blame at Sol’s paws was no better. He didn’t want to be reminded of the clan cats’ instinctive distrust of outsiders, of cats who weren’t clanborn. What if I’m a rogue, too? Will they all turn against me?

“Before we adjourn.” Firestar’s voice rang out once more. “In the spirit of keeping our clan strong, there is a ceremony I must perform, one of the most important in the clans.” His gaze swept over the clearing, landing on two little she-cats outside the nursery. “Dovekit and Ivykit are ready to become apprentices.” 

Whitewing’s eyes flew open in shock. Hurriedly she moved back to her kits and began licking them furiously. Lionblaze scanned each of their faces. The fluffy gray one, Dovekit, had an excitement that mirrored his own, when he was made an apprentice. The gray and white tabby though, Ivykit, was shutting her eyes tight. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she murmured. 

“Oh, no!” Dovekit let out a wail. 

“No, you’re not,” Whitewing mewed calmly. “You’ll both behave yourselves and make me proud of you.”

Birchfall had made his way over to the other side of the kits, his chest puffing and his eyes glowing with obvious pride. “Come along, the clan is waiting for you,” he told them.

Firestar nodded, beckoning with his tail. “Come forward.”

Dovekit and Ivykit scurried forward, changing their gaits several times as they tried to decide how professional they wanted to seem. 

“Dovekit,” Firestar meowed, “from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Dovepaw.” 

“Dovepaw!” The clan called, and Lionblaze joined in politely. He could see how thrilled she was as she closed her eyes to take in their cheers. 

“Starclan, I ask you to guide this new apprentice,” Firestar went on, gazing up at the hot blue sky above the hollow. “Set her paws on the path she must follow to become a warrior.”

“Millie,” Firestar gestured to the gray tabby, sitting by her mate near the back of the clearing. Lionblaze could see a jolt of surprise course through her body, echoed in several other members of the clan as a wave of suspicious mutters swept through the clearing. “You were born a kittypet, but in your time in Thunderclan you have proved yourself to be a talented, caring, and enduring warrior, capable of standing your ground against those who would challenge your position. These are qualities I trust you will now pass to Dovepaw.” 

The mutters had died down, replaced with a purr of approval as Millie padded forward to meet her new apprentice. This is Firestar’s show of strength, he realized. Giving Millie the honor of an apprentice was his way of showing Thunderclan would never shy away from who they had become.

“Ivykit,” Firestar meowed, turning his attention to the remaining she-cat, now standing alone in the clearing without her sister. “From this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Ivypaw. May Starclan watch over you and guide you in your journey to become a warrior.” 

He paused for a heartbeat for the rest of the clan to call Ivypaw by her new name, then turned his green eyes to look for another. Although...it looked a lot like they were locking with his own amber gaze. “Lionblaze.” Firestar flicked his tail toward the golden tabby warrior. Wait, me? Why me? “You will be mentor to Ivypaw. You are a loyal warrior and your battle skills are outstanding. I know that you will pass these qualities onto Ivypaw.” 

“Told you,” Toadpaw whispered, butting against his side. “You’ll be great.”

Firestar was really giving him an apprentice? And from the sound of it, his main reasoning was based on his battle prowess...against Windclan, no doubt. But he had a power that made him unbeatable! How was he supposed to train someone else to fight? 

“I’ll work really hard,” Ivypaw promised in a whisper. Lionblaze realized she had padded up in front of him to finish the ceremony. Whatever he felt, Firestar wanted him to train this she-cat. He couldn’t turn down an offer like this.

“So will I,” Lionblaze replied, hoping it was true. “We’ll make a great team.”

 “Dovepaw! Ivypaw!” the clan called out, beginning the cheer for both apprentices as they and their mentors moved back to the front of the clearing. Lionblaze looked around at each face, feeling the heat of their gazes on his pelt. Although, as one black form flashed away at the edge of his gaze, his attention was torn over to it. Hollyleaf had stepped back. She was cheering the names with the rest of the clan, but her gaze was locked on Lionblaze rather than the apprentices and her expression didn’t have a hint of the joy the rest of the clan shared. Cinderheart flashed her a look of worry and murmured something Lionblaze didn’t catch, but the black she-cat shook her head, stepping back as she inched towards the thorn tunnel. What is going on with her? he wondered.

“What do we do now?” Ivypaw squeaked, tearing Lionblaze’s attention away from his sister. 

“Uh…” What was he meant to do? He hadn’t prepared for any of this. But he was a mentor now. He had to do something. Ivypaw’s wide blue gaze was staring at him. He needed to think of something...a tour right? You were supposed to see the territory on your first day as an apprentice. “How about I show you the territory,” he suggested hesitantly.

“Sounds great!” Ivypaw beamed. Glancing around for her sister, she added, “Can Dovepaw come too?”

“Of course.” It was Millie who replied, padding toward them with Dovepaw bouncing at her side. “We can’t separate sisters on their first day. But we should keep a distance from Windclan’s border. New apprentices aren’t equipped to handle them right now.”

Lionblaze nodded, relieved to have another warrior with him for this. He led them through the thorn tunnel and headed in the direction of the lake. The route would take them through the center of the territory, past many of the most important landmarks, so that would be fine. They could move to Shadowclan’s border afterwards, and simply point to Windclan from afar while they passed.

As they emerged from the trees onto the bank, Ivypaw’s mouth dropped open. “It’s huge!” she gasped. “It’s even bigger than camp!”

“Much bigger,” Dovepaw added. “I suppose it had to be, for it to be so loud.”

Loud? What did Dovepaw mean? Maybe the waves? The lake sometimes crashed against their shore, especially during storms. But it was still and quiet now, without even the gentle breeze from earlier in the day.

“Now that we’re here, you might as well learn something about the territories,” Lionblaze meowed hastily. “This is Thunderclan territory, of course, and over there”—he swept his tail around in an arc—“is Windclan.” Their smooth grassy moorland was barely visible even from the very edge of the shore, but it would be enough.

Dovepaw’s gaze followed his pointing tail to where smooth grassy moorland swelled up to meet the sky. “There aren’t many trees for hunting in,” she remarked.

“No, Windclan cats like open spaces, so their territory’s perfect for them,” Millie told her apprentice. “Shadowclan cats like pine trees, so they chose the territory over on that side.” 

At the tabby she-cat’s gesture, Dovepaw and Ivypaw both examined the dark line of trees that bordered the lake on the other side of Thunderclan.

“I’m glad I’m not a Shadowclan cat,” Ivypaw mewed.

As the apprentices surveyed the territories, Dovepaw leaned in towards her sister. “Ivypaw,” she whispered, flicking her sister over one ear with her tail, “you should be picking up the scents of those cats over there. It’s all stuff we need to know.”

“What?” Ivypaw gave her a puzzled look, and Lionblaze had to agree. He couldn’t see or smell any cats around, and this close to the center of the territory, it would be worrying to scent any rival clans’ scents. 

“Dovepaw, what are you talking about?” Millie prompted her apprentice, apparently finding the same difficulties as Lionblaze. “Do you mean someone from Thunderclan?”

The she-cat shook her fluffy head emphatically. “No, they’re not familiar, and they smell like the pinelands. That’s Shadowclan, right?” She shifted her gaze between Millie and Lionblaze. “They’re heading towards our territory now. Should we catch up with them?”

It was them...if she was telling the truth. But how could that be? No cat could possibly smell the other clans from here. Unless… but it couldn’t be.  “Millie, could you take Ivypaw on ahead?” He asked. If he wanted to talk about this with Dovepaw, no other cats could be around, just in case. 

Millie’s blue gaze filled with confusion, but following his gaze to her apprentice, she seemed to understand. “All right...Ivypaw, follow.”

“But I wanted to stay with Dovepaw!” Ivypaw wailed.

“No buts.” Millie responded immediately, with the firmness of a mother used to giving orders to careless kits. “Come now.”

Ivypaw still looked disappointed, but she padded after Millie without argument, with her previously perky tail dragging along the ground.

“What’s going on, Lionblaze?” Dovepaw’s expression had shifted to worry.

Lionblaze stared at the gray apprentice before him. She definitely was Firestar’s kin. Cloudtail’s daughter, Whitewing, was her mother. But they knew who the three were already, didn’t they? Even without knowing exactly who their birth parents were, they were positive that they had powers. Lionblaze couldn’t be hurt. Jayfeather could hear other cats’ thoughts. And Hollyleaf-

He froze. His sister still didn’t know what her power was. She had stopped searching entirely after the fire, since she was confident they weren’t the three at all. Lionblaze had always been just as sure she was wrong but...if Dovepaw really was…

“Dovepaw, just to make sure, you really can scent cats in Windclan and Shadowclan?”

Dovepaw nodded. “Yes...I don’t understand. Can’t you?”

“No…” Lionblaze could hardly believe it, but it was right in front of him. “Dovepaw, come with me. There’s someone we need to see.”

Chapter Text

The forest was perfectly silent. The gentle breeze from earlier in the day had faded to stillness, and even the cracks of sunlight on the lush forest floor were stationary as the leaves in the trees sat unmoving above. It provided very little room for error as Hollyleaf stalked through the woods, keeping her nose erect and alert for any signs of prey while she avoided making any noise of her own. The air was dulled in the heat and hard to grasp without a breeze to drift it towards her nose, but that was no excuse. She had to find something to bring back for the clan; it was all she could do. 

She was just a normal warrior for now. Even if it was still her destiny to become Thunderclan’s leader, that future was getting further and further away. She and her siblings were nothing important. They weren’t related to Firestar. They had no guaranteed lineage in the clan. They weren’t destined to save any cat, and even her plans to be a mentor were falling through. 

With Dovepaw and Ivypaw as apprentices, no other kits remained in the clan. Her last chance to train another cat slipped through her paws. And in her place Firestar had chosen...both of her friends: Cinderheart and Hazeltail, and now even Lionblaze. Lionblaze! Hazeltail and Cinderheart no-doubt had the drive and talent to help Rosepaw and Briarpaw become great warriors, but Hollyleaf’s brother had barely managed to make it through his own training. He didn’t have enough skill or adherence to the warrior code to bring up an apprentice...not like Hollyleaf did. 

“What are you doing out here?” Dustpelt’s voice startled the black she-cat, and she turned to see the senior warrior’s dark amber eyes narrowed in confusion. Behind him padded Sorreltail, Icecloud, and...Squirrelflight. Hollyleaf guessed they had been sent out together on a patrol. “Firestar just told us we shouldn’t go near the edges of the territory alone. Did you miss the meeting?”

Was she really that close? For the first time, Hollyleaf took stock of the area, realizing with a sharp inhale that she had drawn dangerously close to Shadowclan’s border: within earshot though not yet close enough to see any cats passing by herself. She shook her head. “I was there. I had just gotten distracted, looking for prey.”

“Are you doing all right?” Squirrelflight took a hesitant pace forward. “You didn’t have to leave so quickly. If you had stayed, Brackenfur could have put you on a patrol so you would have some company during your hunt.”

“I’m fine,” Hollyleaf insisted. Her voice instinctively tightened as her mother reached out. Squirrelflight was acting like she always had: a kind and caring mother. Didn’t she realize the lie she was still keeping between them didn’t leave room for a close relationship?

“You could join our patrol,” Icecloud suggested, her blue eyes briefly meeting her father’s gaze for permission. As Dustpelt nodded, she shifted her focus back to Hollyleaf and continued. “You’re a great hunter. I’m sure with you we could come back with enough for every cat by sundown.”

Sorreltail nodded, a polite smile forming on her face. “Cinderheart talks about your skill all the time.” Despite herself, a flurry of pride flew into Hollyleaf’s heart at those words. Cinderheart was the type of cat who would probably be impressed with Hollyleaf even if she was only mediocre, but maybe this was some sign of her growing a real reputation in the clan… But a reputation is worthless until it reaches Firestar’s ears, she realized. He’s the only one who can decide to give me a chance. “We’d love to have you.”

Much as hunting with Dustpelt again for the first time in moons sounded appealing, Hollyleaf knew she couldn’t accept. After the apprentice ceremony, she wasn’t in the proper mindset to speak with them. She came out alone because she wanted to be alone. She needed the time to come to terms with...everything. And Starclan knows working alongside Squirrelflight would only make things worse. “I’m sorry,” she began. “But I think I would rather hunt alone today.”

“Are you sure?” Dustpelt pushed on. “If you’re on your own you won’t have any cat to notice when you’re...distracted.” His tone radiated a slight disapproval that cut into Hollyleaf instantly. She really had just made a mistake, and she wasn’t close enough to the border for it to truly be a problem, but he didn’t trust her not to make it a problem in her current state.

“I’ll be careful,” she promised, hoping desperately he would accept it.

Dustpelt held her gaze for a long moment of silence, keeping his gaze narrowed as he considered her. Finally, though, he broke away, signaling with his tail for the patrol to move ahead. “Very well. We’ll see you back at camp then.”

“Good luck!” Icecloud called one last time before she and the rest of the patrol disappeared into the brush. 

Now I definitely need to find some prey. Hollyleaf padded further up along the Shadowclan border, choosing the opposite direction from Dustpelt’s patrol. If she went down towards the lake, any slight breeze off the water might make hunting easier, but she couldn’t risk running into them again, after she had chosen to go off on her own. 

Hollyleaf’s ears flicked up as she caught a trace of vole on the wind. Heartbeats later she spotted a good plump one, under a root halfway up the hill that led to the abandoned twoleg nest. She dropped into the hunter’s crouch and glided toward it, trying to keep her paw steps as light as a falling leaf. She was sure that she hadn’t made a sound, but before she had covered half the distance, something spooked the vole and it scurried down the bank toward the lake. 

Mouse dung! Hollyleaf sprang after it, but when she reached the pebbly shore her prey had vanished. Furious, she began sniffing at the holes in the bases of the trees; there was a strong scent of vole, but no way of getting at it.

“Hello, Hollyleaf.”

Hollyleaf froze at the sound of the quiet voice. She spun around to see Sol sitting on the dirt floor with his tail wrapped neatly over his paws. His white pelt with its black, brown, and ginger patches was sleek and well groomed, and his pale yellow eyes gleamed.

“What are you doing here?” Hollyleaf demanded. She could feel every hair on her pelt bristling, her tail fluffing out to twice its size, and her belly churning with her distrust of this powerful cat. “I thought you’d gone.” But he hadn’t, really. Windclan had spotted him nearby on the day of Ashfur’s murder. Just how close was he? She wondered. She wasn’t as inclined to instantly blame Sol for Ashfur’s death on Windclan’s word alone, but the clan was certainly right to be suspicious of him. He couldn’t be trusted, whether or not he was guilty of the precise murder he was accused of. 

Fury flashed in the loner’s eyes, and his claws dug into the ground. Yet a heartbeat later he was cool and controlled again, so that Hollyleaf almost believed she had imagined the anger he had betrayed. “I haven't returned to the clans, but I can't move on just yet,” Sol meowed calmly. Hollyleaf had never met a cat, not even Firestar, who sounded so sure of himself. “The clans need me. They just haven’t realized it yet. You need me, Hollyleaf. You showed me your potential. I want to help you reach it.”

He still sounded just like the day he had promised to help her and her brothers find their destinies in the prophecy. It felt safe, to be under his guidance and sure that the clans would be safe once Hollyleaf learned how to protect them...but that wasn’t an option. It had all been a lie. Her siblings were never special and Sol was nothing but a manipulative snake-heart. “You’re wrong,” Hollyleaf insisted. “I don’t need you, and neither do Lionblaze or Jayfeather.”

“Oh I didn’t say anything about your brothers.” Sol’s amber gaze was fixed on her; for a heartbeat Hollyleaf felt like a piece of cowering prey, transfixed under a warrior’s claws. “They’re fine cats, but you are special, Hollyleaf.”

He wasn’t talking about Jayfeather and Lionblaze? Ignore him, she told herself. He’s just trying to get under your skin in any way he can. But she didn’t speak. A part of her still wanted to know what it was Sol saw in her, separated from her brothers or the prophecy they still clung to like kits. The last time Sol had come to see her, he indicated they might not be the three. Somehow, again, he was the first to know what she and her littermates had been too feather-brained to realize. How did this powerful cat come to know so much?

At her silence, a small smirk emerged in Sol’s expression for an instant, and he used the opportunity to take a pace towards her. “You’re not just a good warrior. You’re clever, self-sufficient, and despite that fiercely devoted to your clan and a cause bigger than yourself. You have the intellect to do whatever you want and the drive to know exactly what that is. You don’t need any particular cats to be your parents. You’re powerful all on your own.”

Hollyleaf’s green eyes flew open in shock. “How did you know-”

Before she could finish Sol’s fluffed tail stopped her, his deep yellow eyes locking with her’s. “That isn’t the point.” Dipping his head in an apology, she stepped back and allowed her the freedom to speak again. “You could be the pillar of justice that the clans desperately need. You could bring every evildoer to their knees if you put your mind to it.”

“Every evildoer, like you,” Hollyleaf finished, narrowing her gaze. 

Sol tipped his head to the side. “If you see me that way, certainly. I know I wouldn’t stand a chance if I was set against someone with your abilities.”

“My abilities?” By now the black she-cat’s voice had set into a growl. He didn’t really see any potential in her. He still thought she had some mystic power he could take advantage of. But in that case, he was wasting his time. “I’m not one of the three. None of us are. I don’t have an ability, and I have no right to lord over cats like you’re suggesting.”

“Don’t be so sure.” Sol’s purr came so immediately and effortlessly that it caught Hollyleaf off-guard. Did he already know somehow? If he was at the fire and heard Squirrelflight...he would know as well as I do that we’re not part of the prophecy. But then, why did he still seek her out? “Even without any prophetic powers...you’ve shown yourself to be perfectly capable of keeping your future safe and to your liking.”

Hollyleaf’s heart dropped in her chest. He couldn’t possibly have known… 

“Of course, with Ashfur dead, there’s no one left to ruin your destiny.”

“What do you know?” Hollyleaf growled, stretching out her claws in case he became a threat. If Windclan was right, and he really was near where Ashfur’s body was found on the night of his murder…

“Only what I saw,” he purred, beginning to circle the black she-cat as though she were a piece of prey he was preparing to catch. “I’ve seen how you led your littermates when you believed you were in the prophecy; I’ve seen how driven you are to be in charge of an apprentice, and eventually your whole clan; and I’ve seen what you are capable of doing to reach that goal.”

So he did know. Hollyleaf was sure he would never say it openly but she was just as certain that he knew exactly what happened to Ashfur. She should have taken him to camp right there and then. She should have demanded he tell her what happened to Ashfur so Thunderclan could find the murderer of their clanmate. She should have brought more cats out with her so he wouldn’t be a threat. But she didn’t do any of that.

“You do have something special, Hollyleaf,” Sol continued. “A talent I’ve only otherwise seen in myself: control.”

“That’s absurd!” Hollyleaf hissed, putting a tree at her back so the mottled tom couldn’t get behind her. “I don’t want to control anyone.”

“Oh, you don’t?” The yellow eyes stared back at her, filled with a confusion that seemed so genuine despite every part of Hollyleaf’s mind telling her it was a trick. “But making sure every cat follows your warrior code, leading your clan to make them do the same, even training an apprentice to believe in your values...that sounds like control to me. Perhaps what we choose to do with our control over cats is different, but it is certainly something we both yearn for, and have the talent to pursue.”

Was her ambition really that bad? Sure, it would be nice to be leader, but she only ever wanted to make her clan and the cats in it better. If she were given an apprentice, she would prove it. She was nothing like Sol: manipulating clans into abandoning Starclan and everything the clans ever stood for. She wanted to use her power to protect… Although, who was she protecting by keeping the secret of her littermates’ bloodline to herself? Was that anything other than selfish? “Do you know who my parents are?” She finally asked. She couldn’t completely trust anything this traitorous tom said, but he did have more information than she would expect, and this was something she had to know.

Sol backed away, leaning his weight back into his haunches. “Perhaps,” he droned, finally breaking his gaze to look around the forest in mock boredom. “But that really doesn’t matter. I can see you aren’t ready for my help yet. However, should you ever want an ally, you can always count on me.”

“I’m quite sure I will never need help from you .” She forced herself to sound certain. “Whatever my destiny is now, I’ll achieve it without your help, because the warrior code will set my paws in the right direction.”

Dipping his head, the loner backed away a few pawsteps. "Very well. I'll take my leave then." He turned around, his haunches swishing back and forth rhythmically as he prepared to leave the territory. Before he could leave the clearing though, he raised his head to deliver one more message. "Perhaps, though, you have already found the three."

“What do you mean?” Hollyleaf took a pace toward him, her vision blurring with anger. “Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and I aren’t kin of Firestar’s kin. The prophecy can’t be about us.” No matter what Lionblaze keeps saying.

“Maybe your determination to find a reason for your existence is keeping you from seeing the truth.” Sol’s voice echoed around Hollyleaf, but when she focused her gaze again he was already far away, padding up the border towards the edge of Thunderclan territory. 

“You'd better run,” she whispered, though she couldn't feel the righteous fury that should have been behind those words. She should have run back to camp at that moment and alerted everyone to his presence in the territory. But...if they did catch him, with his back against the wall and with Hollyleaf as his enemy, what would he reveal? What would he do to her life, and her clan?

Hollyleaf turned away, and began padding back along the Shadowclan border. I never saw him, she told herself. He was never here.  

The sun was dipping down into the sky when Hollyleaf finally caught a whiff of vole in the air, along with the faint scuffling of prey in the undergrowth. Finally she spotted it foraging in the tangled roots of an oak tree. For now the forest was still brightly lit and the small form of the vole was perfectly visible, but soon enough scarlet light would wash over the ground, and the clan would be pouring into the camp ready for their meal, sharing tongues, and moving into their dens for the night. She needed to come back with prey. That was all that mattered right now. Liar. Her neck fur still pricked up in discomfort after her encounter with Sol, and even more so from her decision to keep it a secret. But seeking the powerful loner out would only lead to more trouble. He didn’t really know anything the clan could benefit from, but he had the gravitas to pull Thunderclan out of her paws, and away from the code.

Now! The vole had finished its nibbling and was content to race away. Hollyleaf only had a moment to pounce, and as she did the vole looked up, letting out a last squeak of alarm before it fell silent. Finally. It would be somewhat embarrassing to come back with only a vole, but the prey was plump with green-leaf fortune and it would still do fine as a meal for a couple apprentices. Thank you Starclan, for this prey, she added quickly. Even if she wished she had been more successful, she couldn’t come off as ungrateful to her ancestors for the meal.

The black she-cat bent down to pick up her prey, but as she did so, she heard faint sounds in the distance: pawsteps, the crunching of dried grass patches, and a few murmured phrases she couldn’t decipher. Was it a Thunderclan patrol? She couldn’t find a scent through the vole between her teeth so she instead padded through the ferns towards the sound. 

As she burst into the open, right at Shadowclan’s border, she saw four hefty Shadowclan cats. The evening patrol, she realized, and they had spotted her. Cautiously, she crept forward, not quite to the edge of her territory, and examined the warriors before her. Instantly she recognized Dawnpaw’s creamy pelt in the back, with her mentor Ivytail standing close by. Smokefoot stood a pace ahead of his clanmates, likely leading the patrol, and Owlclaw had come as well. 

“What are you doing here?” Smokefoot demanded, casting a narrowed accusatory gaze at Hollyleaf. 

“Hunting, on my side of the border,” Hollyleaf answered immediately. They were required by the code to challenge her, but she had done nothing wrong. “Is that a problem?” 

“You’re awfully close to the border for a hunting trip…” Owlclaw hissed. 

This is how you thank a cat who saved your clan? But of course they didn’t know that. They couldn’t. The only one of them who would ever know what had happened to convince Blackstar to come back was the apprentice who’s yellow-green eyes flashed at the back of the patrol. 

“Why is she the only one here?” Dawnpaw piped up, looking for approval from her mentor before turning her attention to Hollyleaf. “Where is the rest of your patrol? I bet they’re hiding so they can start an ambush!” 

Dawnpaw, too? Did the young she-cat truly suspect her of leading an ambush on a border patrol with a clan they were at peace with? They had spent a moon in the same camp, as kin...but they weren’t were they? With her heritage now in question, she probably wasn’t related to Dawnpaw at all. And she had her clan to protect, just as Hollyleaf did. A part of her felt jealous of the Shadowclan apprentice. She had a certainty about her role and purpose, and a mentor who could no-doubt teach her to hold her clan in high regard. 

“You could be right, Dawnpaw,” Ivytail nodded to her apprentice. “Search the area.” 

“There’s no one else here!” Hollyleaf protested. “I just went hunting on my own today.” Were these cats really willing to start a border dispute over nothing?

“Maybe she’s telling the truth,” Smokefoot suggested with a sneer. “Maybe Thunderclan has become so soft that none of the kittypets and loners in there are willing to hunt! She could be the only one left.”

“That’s not true—” Hollyleaf began to protest, she felt herself trail off. She didn’t have the same grounds to defend these cats as before. She could very well be one of them, being an abandoned kittypet or loner kit. She could be just as worthy of their hate as Hazeltail or Millie were. The code protected them for being members of Thunderclan, but none of the other clans truly saw it that way, and if Hollyleaf’s true parentage were revealed...it would only put Thunderclan in more danger. Much as it clawed at her heart, she needed to keep this close to her chest.  “Thunderclan welcomes all its warriors,” she meowed, trying to keep a firm tone. “And seeing as you were recently bending the code yourself, I don’t think you have the authority to criticize us.” 

Dawnpaw snorted, scrunching up her face in disapproval. “Typical Thunderclan, thinking you can lord over us when we’re just doing our duty.”

Insulting another clan isn’t your duty! “You’ve no doubt finished scanning the area by now,” she continued, ignoring the apprentice’s comment. “If you’re satisfied, I will be making my way back to camp now, and I don’t want to find any trace of you on my territory.”

“Fine, run along now little she-cat,” Owlclaw sneered.

Smokefoot flicked his tail, leading his clanmates to take a few paces back from the border. “You are free to go. Just don’t think you’ll get off lightly if we ever catch you on our side of the border. Shadowclan owes you nothing!”

Hollyleaf had managed to catch a mouse as well, on the way back to camp, thank Starclan. The hollow was close-by now. She could already hear the quiet cascade of murmerings as every cat poured into the camp for the evening. In the distance, the first drawn out hoot of an owl rippled through the forest, reaching Hollyleaf’s ears and announcing the coming night. The air had become crisper, with a more intense and lively scent from the mosses and oak trees. The black she-cat was padding along rhythmically, about to pass over the last slope before she reached the stone hollow, when a gray tabby she-cat appeared before her.

“Hollyleaf, we need to talk.” Cinderheart mewed. Hollyleaf had rarely heard her friend sounding so serious, but with her blue eyes sparkling in worry, she could guess what Cinderheart needed. “You’re upset. I could tell during the ceremony...before you ran off anyway.”

The black she-cat turned away, hiding a flinch. She had been upset… but it wasn’t right. Even if she would have made a far better mentor than Lionblaze or even Millie, even if this did mean she would have to wait longer for any chance to be deputy or leader, and to change the clans, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t feel angry at a clanmate for being given an honor like this. She didn’t earn the position, and they did. If she were a true warrior, and guardian of the warrior code, she would be happy for them like every other cat was… but they didn’t care about training apprentices like she did. 

“I’ll take your silence as an answer.” Cinderheart continued. “Are you really all right, not being a mentor? I know you were really excited about it. It’s okay if you’re disappointed.”

But it’s not. “I’m fine, really,” Hollyleaf lied. She found herself quickly wishing she hadn’t ever told any cat that she wanted an apprentice. It would be so much easier if she could just carry on like nothing happened. Now she had to avoid her friends, and she was already avoiding her family because of the lies and delusions they were caught up in. Until this all blew over...she was a Thunderclan warrior, but she was alone. “I’m sorry to have made you worry,” she told Cinderheart. “But I didn’t need an apprentice that badly. I’m happy for them, for Lionblaze especially.”

The gray tabby didn’t look convinced, but she cautiously dipped her head. “Then would you join me for dinner? Briarpaw caught a rabbit today and she’s really excited to see someone choose it. Oh, and Hazeltail will be there too, of course. I believe she wanted Icecloud to come along too, but we’ll see-”

“Actually, Cinderheart.” Hollyleaf cut her friend off, and she could see the worry return to her face as she continued. “I think you and Hazeltail will have to eat without me for a while. I need to branch out, start getting to know the rest of the clan. So, for the time being...” The next words came out only through gritted teeth, and she had to walk past Cinderheart and hide her face to say it. “Please just leave me alone.”

Hollyleaf didn’t turn back to see what the gray she-cat’s expression was. She knew if she saw the level of desperation and confusion she expected, she wouldn’t be able to keep up her resolve. It felt awful to abandon her best friend, all her friends really, but she didn’t have a choice. There was no other option for her yet if she wanted the chance to be content with her place in the clan. 

Maybe you wouldn’t have been a good mentor anyway… she told herself. If she could only force herself to be a good warrior by abandoning everyone she loved, shutting herself off and hoping her emotions would go away, what good would she be able to pass on? What lessons in the warrior code or clan life could she teach? She was weak… Dovepaw and Ivypaw deserved better than her.

Chapter Text

Lionblaze could listen to the endless, deafening stream of thoughts as he raced back to camp, with Millie’s new apprentice padding a few steps behind in confusion. He hadn’t stopped to look back at her since they left the lakeshore, instead only slowing his pace every so often and listening for her pawsteps to be sure she was still behind him. 

Finally they reached the thorn tunnel. Just as they entered the clearing, Lionblaze veered off to sit under the shade of a hazel thicket at the edge, where no cat could hear them. Though, with the sun still fairly high in the sky and the camp quiet, the golden warrior guessed most cats were still out of camp with training and patrols. Good.

The gray she-cat hesitated a moment before climbing in after him. Her face was a mask of worry. It was her first day as an apprentice and she had already been taken aside by a warrior, one who wasn’t her mentor, in fact. She certainly believed she was in trouble...which, Starclan knows, she was, just not in the way she thought.

“Dovepaw,” he began. “Without moving, tell me what you can hear.”

The apprentice’s green eyes widened in shock. Clearly she had expected something else. But in a moment, she complied, closing her eyes to focus on the sounds around her. “Waves lapping at the edge of the lake,” she replied. “And one of the border patrols is on its way back early.” Brightening up a little, she added, “Berrynose trod on a thistle earlier. He’s trying to balance on three paws now.”

“Is he now?” Lionblaze murmured, a gleam of enjoyment entering his voice despite himself. He could only imagine how the snooty tom looked trying to hobble up the hill on three paws. Knowing him, Berrynose was still probably boasting about how he was the best thistle-pricker in the clan! “And where did he get hurt?”

“On the Windclan border, near the stepping-stones across the stream.”

As Dovepaw spoke, the bracken at the other side of the clearing parted, and Cloudtail led his patrol into the open. Poppyfrost, Berrynose, and Bumblepaw followed him; the cream-colored warrior was limping.

“Hey, Berrynose!” Lionblaze called, stifling a smile. “What happened to you?” 

Berrynose didn’t reply, except for heaving a long sigh as he cast a glare at Lionblaze. 

“He stepped on a thistle,” Cloudtail let out a short purr of amusement. “You would think no cat ever had a thorn in his paw before.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Poppyfrost murmured, leaning down to sniff the cream tom’s paw. 

“Oh Starclan! Yes!” Berrynose cried. “I just didn’t see it. It’s nothing to make a big deal over.” He perked up his stubby tail as high as it would go, lifting his chin to try and save face over this incident. 

“I know!” Poppyfrost assured him. “You would have caught that squirrel if not for the thistle. Your form was brilliant!” 

Oh please. Berrynose wouldn’t know good form if it bit him on the nose. Maybe Poppyfrost was just trying to spare his feelings, but it seemed to work a little too well. “I am pretty good, aren’t I?” he purred.

Lionblaze stayed silent until the patrol had vanished into the tunnel. He could hardly believe it, but if she was able to do that, it had to be true. He turned back to Dovepaw. “Wait here,” he ordered. 

Jayfeather came quickly enough when he heard Lionblaze’s suspicions. Whatever medicine cat stuff he had been doing was dropped in an instant, and within a few heartbeats the brothers headed back into the clearing to stand before Dovepaw. 

“How do you know she’s the one?” Jayfeather grunted, but Lionblaze could detect a layer of excitement and fear in his voice that mirrored the golden tabby’s own feelings. 

“One what?” Dovepaw’s nervousness made her voice sharp. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here.”

Lionblaze ignored her. “She hears things,” he explained to Jayfeather. “Not from Starclan. I mean from really far away.” Turning to Dovepaw, he added, “Tell Jayfeather what’s going on in Windclan right now.”

Reluctantly Dovepaw gave a detailed description of Onestar and Ashfoot speaking together in his den while Antpelt and Sunstrike complimented each other on a spar they had with each other. 

Jayfeather was silent for a moment; when he spoke it was to Lionblaze. “She’s telling the truth. No part of her thinks she is lying.”

Before Lionblaze could reply, Dovepaw sprang to her paws and confronted Jayfeather. “I don’t understand why every cat is so shocked! It’s just normal clan stuff. Are you telling me that you can’t hear them?”

Jayfeather answered her with another question. “Do you just hear them?”

Dovepaw shook her head; then she jerked up as she seemed to remember that Jayfeather couldn’t see her. “No, I can scent them as well.”

“She heard Berrynose treading on a thistle, too,” Lionblaze added. He had seen it work first hand. “While his patrol was at the other end of the Windclan border.”

Jayfeather’s whiskers twitched. “So, you scented him and heard him,” he mused. “Anything else? Did you feel his pain?”

“No,” Dovepaw replied. “But I heard him stumble; Birchfall caught him, and I heard him complain about the thorns in his pad. And I knew he was trying to pull them out with his teeth.”

“That doesn’t sound like messages from Starclan,” Jayfeather remarked, turning to his brother. “It’s more as if she can see and hear things that other cats can’t.”

“I told you!” Lionblaze meowed. He could understand where his brother’s suspicion came from but there was no time for it. 

“We need to test her,” Jayfeather grunted.

“Do you mean I’m different from other cats?” Dovepaw asked, her gaze flashing between the two toms as she tried to decipher what was going on. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“No,” Lionblaze assured her, giving her a calming touch on her shoulder with the tip of his tail. “It—it means you’re special.”

“Can Ivypaw sense the same things?” Jayfeather asked.

Dovepaw shrugged. “We’ve never spoken about it. But...maybe not.” 

“If we need to test her out for you to believe it,” Lionblaze continued, “We can do it right now. Is that okay, Dovepaw?” he added. He didn’t want the young she-cat to feel completely out of the loop. If they were right about her, and Lionblaze was sure they were, they would need to learn to trust each other.

She met his amber gaze, seeming to scan him for something. “I’m fine with being tested,” she meowed, though she didn’t seem excited about the prospect.

“I’m going to go off somewhere and do something,” Lionblaze told her. “When I get back, I want you to tell me what I did.”

Dovepaw shrugged again. “Okay.”

Without another word, Lionblaze dashed off into the trees, heading toward the Windclan border, but as he made his way out of earshot of the camp, he swiveled, racing back towards the edge of the lake instead. As he arrived near the pebbly lakeshore, his paw steps thudded on the dried mud. Pausing, he glanced around, then bounded over to a lump of battered wood and started dragging it onto the pebbles. Lionblaze made sure they rasped as he tugged the wood higher. She needs to hear it. When he had pulled it all the way up to the grass, he pulled a tendril of bramble out of a nearby thicket and laid it over the wood.

“Lionblaze, what are you doing?” Suddenly he heard Sandstorm’s voice and spotted the ginger she-cat appearing around the edge of the thicket, with Blossompaw just behind her. Both cats were carrying bundles of moss.

“Oh, hi, Sandstorm.” Lionblaze stammered. “I’m...uh...just trying an experiment.”

“Well, don’t let me interrupt you.” Sandstorm seemed puzzled as she waved her tail and led her out onto the mud, heading for the water in the distance. 

When Sandstorm had gone, Lionblaze ran back through the trees and arrived, panting, a few moments later. “Well?” he gasped. “Where did I go and what did I do?”

“You tried to trick me, didn’t you?” Dovepaw began. Her fur prickled with discomfort but she sounded confident in her words. “You set off toward Windclan, but then you went down to the lake. And you found a piece of...wood, I think. Then Sandstorm found you and you told her you were doing an experiment.”

As she went on, Lionblaze shifted his gaze to Jayfeather, who was listening with his head to one side, his ears pricked. He didn’t speak until she had finished. “Was she right?”

“Yes, every detail,” Lionblaze replied.

Dovepaw drew a shaky breath. “It’s no big deal,” she protested. “I thought every cat could tell what was going on, even if it’s not right in front of us. We all have good hearing and sensitive whiskers, right?”

“Not that sensitive,” Lionblaze meowed.

“Listen.” Jayfeather leaned forward with an intensity in his sightless blue eyes. “There is a prophecy, Dovepaw,” he began. “There will be three, kin of your kin, who will hold the power of the stars in their paws. It was given to Firestar a long time ago by a cat from another clan, and it refers to three cats who will be more powerful than any others in the clans—more powerful even than Starclan. Lionblaze—”

“But what has that got to do with us?” Dovepaw interrupted.

“Lionblaze and I are two of those cats,” Jayfeather mewed with a flick of his ears. Two of us. Lionblaze’s mind flashed to their sister, somewhere out in the territory now. Jayfeather had said it so easily. “And we believe that you are the third.”

“What?” Dovepaw’s voice came out like the squeak of a startled kit. “Me?” Spinning around, she fixed her gaze on her sister’s mentor. “Lionblaze, this can’t be right! Please tell me that it isn’t true!”

“I can’t tell you that, Dovepaw,” Lionblaze meowed. “Because it is true. I often wish it wasn’t, believe me.” If he didn’t have his power, Tigerstar wouldn’t have targeted him. He would have never come close to killing Crowfeather. With no prophecy in the way, he and his siblings could have just grown up as friends.

“Lionblaze and I both have special powers,” Jayfeather put in. 

“And so do you” Lionblaze told her. “You can tell what’s going on very far away. I started to wonder this morning, when you scented cats in other clans from the center of our territory.”

Dovepaw was silent for a few heartbeats; Lionblaze could see her ripping up the grass. “But I don’t understand! Why do I have this power? What does the prophecy mean?”

“We’re not sure, exactly,” Lionblaze replied. “We felt just like you, at first. And we’ve struggled hard to understand it, but—”

“If you really want answers to your questions, you should join us,” Jayfeather cut in. “We have a destiny greater than Starclan, power over anything our clanmates could imagine. We have to use it properly. We have to find out exactly what we are supposed to do, and then do it. We are the three, and you are too whether you like it or not.”

“But we’re not three, we’re four!” Dovepaw spun around to face him. “What about Ivypaw? What are her special powers? What does the prophecy say about her?”

“Nothing,” Jayfeather told her. “There are only three of us, and you’ve made it pretty clear you are the One.”

“You just told us Ivypaw can’t sense things at a distance, the way you do,” Lionblaze pointed out.

“Not yet. But how do we know she won’t?” Lionblaze could hear the desperate stubbornness in her voice. “She’s my sister. You have to understand that I can’t leave her out of something like this. What about your sister?”

At her words, both brothers went silent. Until today, they thought Hollyleaf was one of the three with them. They never considered leaving her out either. He let out a sigh, knowing what he had to tell her. “We—we thought that she was part of the prophecy, one of the three.”

“But she isn’t.” To Lionblaze’s relief, Jayfeather took up the story. “She tried very hard to figure out her power, and how she could use it to help her clan.”

“So you made a mistake!” Dovepaw retorted. “How do you know that you’re not making the same mistake again? Firestar has loads of kin in Thunderclan, not just Cloudtail and Whitewing!”

“Because,” Jayfeather began. “No other cat can do what you do, or what we do. We didn’t ask for these powers, but we were given them because someone trusts us to save the clans.”

“I—I’m sorry,” Dovepaw stammered. “But if the...clans, are really at stake, why don’t you ask Firestar to help? Thunderclan should know, so we can protect ourselves. It shouldn’t just be up to three cats in some prophecy.”

“Firestar has never spoken to us about it,” Lionblaze replied. “He doesn’t even know that we know he received the prophecy in the first place.”

“Then how...?” Dovepaw’s voice was bewildered.

“I saw it in his memories,” Jayfeather explained reluctantly. “We weren’t going to speak with him about it since...well, at the time, we didn’t know what Lionblaze or Hollyleaf’s powers were.”

“But we know them all now,” Lionblaze continued. “Maybe we should talk to him.” Back when they had agreed to wait, Lionblaze figured they would be telling more than just Firestar. He assumed he would at least be telling his parents, but now...he wasn’t sure he wanted Squirrelflight to know anything about this.

“All right.” Jayfeather decided. “We’d better go now then. With Brackenfur and Sandstorm out on patrol, he should be alone.” With that he dipped his head to crawl out of the thicket and began making his way towards the highledge.

“Come on, Dovepaw. We need to speak with Firestar.” Lionblaze murmured, leading the poor young apprentice back out into the clearing. She was very young to take on such a destiny...but for whatever reason, she had been chosen. He would have to do what he could to help her. As he watched her hesitantly crawl out after her, he offered a smile. “And welcome to the three.”

“Jayfeather?” Firestar’s surprised mew greeted them as they entered his den behind the medicine cat. “And Lionblaze and...Dovepaw? What are you all doing here? Is someone hurt?”

“Berrynose got a thorn in his paw, but nothing serious.” Jayfeather replied evenly. “It’s not what we’re here for.”

Several heartbeats of silence hung between them, and finally Lionblaze realized he should say something. “We…we three, that is. We can-” How was he even supposed to describe something like this? Firestar knew they were special, but he couldn’t possibly have guessed they had magic powers that made them more special than every other cat. “We each have...strange abilities, nothing like any cat could normally have.”

“Oh…” Firestar’s expression fell into a solemn, guarded expression. “I should have known you would discover it for yourself sooner or later.” He closed his eyes, sitting down to make himself comfortable as he launched into a speech. “You’re right. You aren’t normal. Long ago, I was told of a prophecy—” the Thunderclan leader began.

“We know!” Jayfeather interrupted. “We’re the three. Kin of your kin, with the power of the stars in our paws.”

Shock reappeared momentarily in Firestar’s eyes, but it quickly ebbed into weary acceptance. “So that’s how it is.” He sighed. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, since before Leafpool and Squirrelflight were born. I didn't really know what to think of it.”

“Nor did we…” Lionblaze muttered under his breath. 

“Although, I admit I didn’t think Dovepaw was part of it. For a while,” Firestar answered slowly. “I thought it might be my daughters and Cloudtail. But nothing happened. Then Jaykit, Lionkit, and Hollykit were born...but apparently I was wrong on that count as well.”  He stopped, and when he spoke again his tone was curious. “How long have you known about the prophecy?”

Jayfeather shrugged. “Since we were apprentices.”

“Did Starclan tell you?”

“Not exactly.” Lionblaze stuttered, casting a quick glance at his brother. How would Firestar react, knowing that his mind had been invaded?

Thankfully, no cat needed to answer that question, because Jayfeather continued. “But it didn’t need to come from Starclan, did it? This is not their prophecy.”

The leader shook his great head, trying to come to terms with the reality in front of him. “Well, do you know what your...abilities you said? What are your abilities?”

“I...can’t be hurt.” Lionblaze began. “At all. No scratch or thorn can get through my skin.”

“I can hear other cats’ thoughts,” Jayfeather continued, sounding so matter-of-fact that you’d think he was talking about what prey he ate that morning. “Sometimes that means I can also see certain memories, or walk into cats’ dreams.”

All three cats’ turned to look at Dovepaw, who was certainly taking it the worst. Her wide-eyed gaze flashed between Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Firestar, and she hesitantly backed up a few paces in fear of everything going on. 

“And...you Dovepaw?” Firestar prompted gently.

“I…” Her green eyes locked with Lionblaze’s for an instant, and he dipped his head with what he hoped was a reassuring expression. “I guess I can sense things...far away things.”

“How do you sense them?” Firestar urged.

“I—I hear them, and smell them, as if they were just on the other side of camp.”

“Do you hear everything all the time?”

“It’s all kind of there—around me, in the background.” Dovepaw fidgeted. “I’m used to it. Like...” Another pause, then, “Like you don’t see every tree around you all the time but you know they are there;  you can remember which is which. You can focus on one tree or, if something’s out of place or unusual, it’ll catch your eye—it’ll make you look harder.”

Firestar shut his eyes tight, taking a heartbeat to let out a sigh. “This is...interesting. The three have come at last.” He sounded satisfied. “I will sleep a little easier from now on. Just be careful—your powers set you apart from other cats, but you are still members of this clan. You are still bound by the warrior code, for as long as that stands.”

“Yes, we know,” Jayfeather snorted. “But there’s a far more important matter. What does the prophecy mean?”

“Mean?” Firestar sounded perplexed. His paws shifted on the stone floor. “Do you know what your destiny is?”

“Don’t you?” Dovepaw gasped, the fear edging back into her voice. “I mean, if you know about the prophecy, how come you don’t know what it means?”

“Didn’t the old cat tell you?” Jayfeather meowed.

There was a moment of silence as Firestar digested the fact that another cat knew who had given the prophecy to him. “I don’t think even he understood what it meant,” Firestar admitted. “He was just passing on a message.”

“Well, we don’t know everything either,” Lionblaze piped up. “But I think I figured out who we’ll be fighting.”

Reluctantly, the golden tom launched once again into the story of Tigerstar’s manipulations, both of him and other clan cats. The Dark Forest was rising, with more long-gone enemies and more living puppets ready to make good on Tigerstar’s threats and form an army to destroy the clans.

“I thought I was finally rid of him…” Firestar growled, his gaze fixed on something unseen in the distance. 

“Should we tell the clan?” Dovepaw squeaked. “If the Dark Forest is really planning to attack us, maybe we should get ready.”

Thunderclan’s leader shook his head. “If Lionblaze is right...we don’t know that we can trust every cat in the clan. Any cat could be training with them to stand against us…” His voice trailed off and his head dropped. “If it really was a Thunderclan cat who killed Ashfur, that could be the reason.”

Lionblaze hadn’t thought about that. He had been convinced Ashfur’s death had something to do with the revelations on the night of the fire, but with Tigerstar and the Dark Forest training cats to go against their clanmates, the circumstances could have been entirely different. Maybe I don’t know as much as I thought…

Firestar straightened himself as he stood, an authority returning to his stance. “Thunderclan is lucky that you have come. Tell me if anything changes,” he meowed, gesturing to the entrance. “You will have my full support.” The thorns rustled as he moved to leave the den. “I want to keep the information about the three of you a secret, for now,” Firestar told them over his shoulder. “If we can help it, I don’t want anyone in the Dark Forest learning about you or how your powers work. So I’d prefer you not mention our conversation today with any cat.” 

Lionblaze couldn’t do that. As much as he wanted to help Dovepaw, get back to Ivypaw, and leave the prophecy for whenever they got more information, he couldn’t leave it there. “There is one cat we absolutely need to tell.” He locked his gaze on Jayfeather, even knowing he wouldn’t be able to tell. There was a cat out in the forest somewhere who he had always considered part of their trio until today. She had been telling him since the fire that she didn’t have a power, and he was about to let her know she was right… “We have to find Hollyleaf.”

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf trudged into camp, her tail trailing behind her as she finally looked back to be sure Cinderheart wasn’t following her. Thank Starclan, she wasn’t. The camp was already bustling, even though not all of the patrols were back yet. Hazeltail was on the far side of camp, with Icecloud, as Cinderheart predicted, and Rosepaw. The young she-cat dipped her head and scampered off towards the apprentice den, where she settled down for a mouse with her brother. Brackenfur had evidently already finished with Toadpaw for the night and was sitting in a group with Sorreltail, Leafpool, Ferncloud, and Dustpelt as they chatted about some business of the day. Firestar was padding down from the highledge, surveying the clearing. And not long after, three cats followed him: Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and...Dovepaw. 

What had they been doing in Firestar’s den? What was Lionblaze doing with Millie’s apprentice? Had he left Ivypaw alone? A flare of fury welled up in her, one she knew was fueled at least in part by jealousy. She kept her expression even as Lionblaze caught her gaze and made his way over to her, with the other two cats behind him.

“Don’t go!” The golden warrior cried as she tried turning away. “We really need to talk.” 

“What about?” Hollyleaf asked evenly.

“We...learned something today,” Lionblaze continued. “About the prophecy.”

That Starclan-ridden prophecy again! “Can’t you just let it go? We’re not prophesied to save the clans. Leave the snooping for cats who are really meant to help.”

“We are, Hollyleaf,” Jayfeather growled. “Lionblaze, Dovepaw, and I are the three.”

For just a moment then, her heart stopped beating. Dovepaw is the third cat? “A-are you sure?” She stammered.

Lionblaze nodded, looking guilty. “She definitely has a power of her own. She can hear, and scent things, very far away.”

Her first day as an apprentice, and the little gray she-cat had done what Hollyleaf hadn’t accomplished over seasons of trying… How could this be? Lionblaze and Jayfeather were telling the truth. They really did have powers. They were each part of the three, be it through some distant bloodline or just being adopted into the family. But whoever had chosen the three, they chose Jayfeather, Lionblaze...and not her. What’s wrong with me? The saliva seemed to catch in her throat, stopping it from taking in the air it needed to survive. 

You’re not special! She growled at herself. You’re just clinging to delusions! Dovepaw was a clanmate. Not only that, she was a cat that would save her, the clans, and the warrior code that she loved and fought for. She should have been happy, for them and for her brothers. The three were here, and now they could put Lionblaze’s information to good use. All she was feeling was petty jealousy over something she had already known she didn’t have. “Congratulations, Dovepaw,” She muttered, trying to stop her teeth from gritting together. “The clan is lucky to have you. I wish you luck with the prophecy.”

“Th-thank you,” Dovepaw stuttered.

Jayfeather turned his head towards her, his eyes narrowing in a glare that Hollyleaf knew was directed at her despite the lack of focus in his eyes. “It’s so nice that you’re happy for Dovepaw,” the gray tabby muttered, an edge of sarcasm barely in his voice. He heard what she was thinking, she realized. She didn’t know how much he knew, but even knowing his ability, it was difficult to guard her thoughts all the time. Get out of my head!

“I...honestly expected you to take it harder, Hollyleaf.” Lionblaze tilted his head. “We’ll still always be littermates, though, and maybe tonight we could-”

“Yes, I know.” Hollyleaf cut her brother off, pushing past the three of them to make her way over to the deputy, sitting with his mate and friends on the far side of camp. As she approached, they paused their conversation. “Brackenfur?”

The golden brown tom turned his head to her, visibly tensing as he sat up straighter: a beacon of authority. “Hm?”

“I was wondering if I could join a dawn patrol tomorrow.”

Brackenfur tilted his head. “Cinderheart said you were just out hunting today. Are you sure you want an early patrol on top of that? Warriors do need their rest.”

Hollyleaf dipped her head. “Thank you for the concern but I am sure. Shadowclan was a little touchy when I passed by today, and I would like to come with more than myself this time.”

“I could join too,” Cinderheart meowed, and Hollyleaf realized with a jolt that she, Hazeltail, and Icecloud had finished their meal together, and had come to stand behind her. 

“As could I,” Hazeltail added. “I had the sunhigh patrol today, so it would be no trouble.”

What part of ‘leave me alone’ did you not understand? It was hard enough keeping her distance from her friends without them inviting themselves on patrols. “Actually, Icecloud, would you want to come?” She didn’t know the white she-cat particularly well, but she didn’t seem like the sort of cat to be especially intrusive.

Icecloud’s bright eyes flitted between the warriors around her. “Uh, sure I suppose. That would make us an even four.”

Hollyleaf shook her head. “I was thinking of bringing...Sandstorm and Spiderleg with us.” She uttered the first names to come to her head as she scanned the clearing, but it didn’t sound like an especially difficult group to be around...as long as Spiderleg didn’t start some unnecessary fight.

Brackenfur dipped his head. “Sandstorm did already offer to lead the patrol. I’ll ask her to take you both and Spiderleg along.”

She didn’t turn to look back at Cinderheart or Hazeltail’s faces, only murmuring her thanks to the deputy before she went off to pick a vole from the fresh-kill pile and find a quiet spot to eat it. I’m on my own, and that’s how it should be, for now anyway.

“I assume you know why I’m here.” Thornclaw meowed, padding back to stand alongside Hollyleaf. 

The black she-cat forced back a grunt. Her mentor had chosen to join the patrol at the last possible minute, citing that, as always, he wanted to join one of the dawn patrols, and truly didn’t want to go to Windclan’s side that day. Although, Hollyleaf was certain now that his real motivation had to do with her. “You want to talk,” she answered stiffly. Ordinarily she would take great joy in speaking with her former mentor, but she had a feeling that this instance would end up as more of a lecture than a dialogue.

The golden brown tabby dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Good to know you haven’t lost your sense yet.” He didn’t turn to look at her, instead staring forwards to their destination as they trudged on at the back of the patrol. “By my count, in the last quarter moon, you’ve been on twelve patrols, and even outside of that you’ve gone out on your own quite a bit.”

Icecloud turned her head, her eyes apologetic as she looked between the two of them. “I must admit I’ve noticed it too...not as precisely, of course. But you’ve been going out more than even Hazeltail, and that’s saying a lot.” 

“Precisely,” Thornclaw agreed. “I realize this may sound strange, coming from me, but you’ve been overworking.” He paused, gesturing to Sandstorm to let them go on ahead. His expression was serious, but it didn’t contain any of the anger she had been expecting. “Hollyleaf, I don’t need you to follow in my pawsteps.”

The rising sun brightly outlined his golden face, making him shimmer as though he were a warrior of Starclan. “You were my biggest inspiration when I was an apprentice,” Hollyleaf breathed. It was true, she knew that, even if it wasn’t the real reason for her recent behavior. “You worked so hard yourself, it made me want to live up to your expectations, because I knew it was possible.” 

Thornclaw turned away, hiding a flinch Hollyleaf barely managed to catch. Why was he ashamed? He inspired her to pursue her dreams. She knew if she proved herself as a capable, dependable warrior, she could become respected like he was, and rise to heights where she could make a difference. Though...he had it. Thornclaw had everything she wanted: apprentices, respect, a work-ethic that never seemed to dip, close friends, and he never once used any of the benefits he had gained. “Don’t you want to get somewhere, after everything?” She finally asked. “I mean, with all you’ve done, you could have a shot at becoming deputy, or even leader. At the very least, as a senior warrior, you could be one of Firestar’s advisors and help him make decisions to impact our future.”

Slowly, the tom shook his head, although when he spoke, his voice was strong and certain. “No.” Hollyleaf’s eyes flew open in shock, but she didn’t have a chance to reply before he continued. “I don’t know if you’ve heard about most of these events; they all happened before you were born, but… I grew up with Cloudtail, Brightheart, and a tom called Swiftpaw. Cinderpelt and Brackenfur were my siblings too, I suppose, but being apprenticed so far ahead of Brightheart and I, we drifted apart as soon as we left the nursery.” 

His green eyes shut for a moment, as though he were reliving something in his past. Not for the first time, Hollyleaf wished she had Jayfeather’s abilities. If she could know exactly what her mentor was going through in that moment, she would know how to help. But as she was, there was nothing she could do but let him speak. “Cloudtail was made a warrior before the rest of us, despite being younger. Our leader at the time favored him, for reasons I won’t get into. But Swiftpaw was angry about it. He told all the apprentices we should prove ourselves by finding out what was killing the prey on our territory. Only Brightheart agreed to go with him, and as you can imagine...it didn’t end well.” 

Given Swiftpaw’s apprentice name, and Brightheart’s injury, Hollyleaf was fairly sure she knew what happened. “It was dogs, right? Killing the prey?” The elders sometimes told tales of where the patched she-cat got her scars, when she wasn’t around.

Thornclaw nodded. “Swiftpaw was killed, Brightheart injured so severely that we spent many sunrises fearing she would die too. Then both of my first apprentices, Sootfur and Shrewpaw, died as well. And now Ashfur…” 

Hollyleaf felt a prick of guilt as she heard him. She had never known just how much death her former mentor had seen. Suddenly she felt thankful that the bout of green-cough was the only truly devastating tragedy Thunderclan had endured in her lifetime. “Of course, it was in service for their clans,” Thornclaw corrected quickly, “and I would never blame Firestar or Thunderclan for what happened to them. But for my part, I truly just want to be a warrior. I can’t wish for more when so many cats I love didn’t even get what I have. I want to make the most of my life.” 

“And you’re doing that, as far as I can see,” Hollyleaf murmured, feeling her heart well up with sympathy.

Thornclaw shrugged. “I’m doing all right, I suppose. I don’t have too many friends back at camp: it’s pretty much just you and Spiderleg now, and I’ve never had much luck with she-cats. It turns out cats don’t usually like toms who argue against their leader, even if it’s for their own values.” 

As much as she’d come to her own conclusions about Brackenfur being deputy, Thunderclan allowing kittypets, horseplace cats, and tribe cats into the clan, and even Ashfur’s murder, she never personally got angry at Thornclaw for speaking out on clan matters. Though, she realized Millie, Daisy, Brook, and all of Windclan wouldn’t appreciate his opinions.

“Mostly I just wait for the next patrol,” Thornclaw continued. “Because I don’t have an option. That is how I can best use my life. But you, you have friends who care about you, and who you clearly care about too.” 

Hollyleaf was the one to shut her eyes this time. Cinderheart… Hazeltail…  

“Being a loyal warrior is important, but you shouldn’t give up your relationships to pursue it alone.” The unmistakable tenderness of Thornclaw’s tail brushed against her shoulder. “You deserve to have happiness.”

But I don’t. She couldn’t tell any cat, least of all Thornclaw. But she wasn’t one of the heroes, worthy of basking in victory. She likely wouldn’t ever now reach the heights she once...still, wanted. All she could do was give back. Her life wasn’t her own. Not anymore.

There was silence. That was what she noticed first. No wind rustled through the tall, leafless trees. The ground didn’t crack under her paws with patches of grass or even dried leaves or needles. 

Before her stood a dark she-cat with strong, muscled arms and a long winding tail. At first Hollyleaf thought the fur was black like her own, but the slight glint of light from above displayed the blue tones in it. A white patch coated her left eye, and her light green eyes shone brightly against her pelt. “I do apologize for bringing you here,” the she-cat murmured. “I would like to offer you some help.”

There was no mistaking it. The woods stretched on as far as Hollyleaf could see. They were dim with no star or moonlight above, and no cat was around but the she-cat in front of her. This is the Dark Forest. “I want nothing from you,” she growled firmly. 

“I think you might,” the she-cat replied instantly, not even seeming phased by Hollyleaf’s aggression. “But perhaps I should start with the formalities. Your name is Hollyleaf. You are a warrior of Thunderclan, without an apprentice, and you are the sister of Lionblaze and Jayfeather. For my part, my name is Ebonystar. I was also a Thunderclan cat, though longer ago than any of your clanmates could possibly remember. At this point half of Starclan has likely forgotten my existence.”

A Thunderclan leader? In the Dark Forest? “Why...are you here, then?”

Ebonystar let out a purr of amusement. “You can ask it directly, darling. You want to know what horrible crime against the warrior code I committed.” Shaking her head, she smiled, sitting back into a relaxed position. “You should know this place isn’t quite that black and white.”

“That’s not a straight answer,” Hollyleaf hissed. “What did you do to end up here?” She wouldn’t trust a word out of this cat’s mouth, no matter how vulnerable she let herself be.

“It was quite a challenge, honestly.” Ebonystar drew a paw over her ear. “It’s quite difficult to avoid going to Starclan. I’m sure I made it easier for the others that came later, but when I died I had to continuously tear myself away, over and over until I finally managed to break off. I admit it wasn’t a perfect creation.” She paused her wash momentarily to gaze around the woods. “Barren, empty, lacking in any prey or shelter, and of course it kept every cat apart, but it is home.”

This can’t be… “Are you saying you... made the Dark Forest?” 

The dark blue-black she-cat nodded, as though this wasn’t a massive revelation. “Though it wasn’t called the Dark Forest, or anything else, when I created it. I’m still not sure who started calling it that.”

Hollyleaf could hardly believe what she was hearing. The Dark Forest wasn’t created to house those who broke the warrior code, or who had evil in their hearts. It was just...made by a cat who came to live there. Did it still work that way? A cat with a kind heart certainly wouldn’t let someone like Tigerstar share their afterlife, would they? “Why?” She uttered the word, but found her mouth hoarse. “Why wouldn’t you want to go to Starclan? Why would you despise the idea so badly that you’d make a whole other place for the dead to go?”

For the first time since she’d arrived, a flash of resentment formed in Ebonystar’s eyes. “I’ve had disagreements. There was a foe I fought all my life to preserve the warrior code, and yet he was made a leader before me, and brought to Starclan with open paws upon his death. I couldn’t stand the idea of living with him for an eternity, lording him as a hero like every other cat did.” At last she turned her gaze on Hollyleaf. “I trust you understand. After all, Ashfur has been brought into their ranks.”

Hollyleaf’s eyes shot open, becoming wide green spheres as the shock set in. “They let Ashfur into Starclan!? I-I know he was murdered but he was a traitor! He tried to kill me and my littermates! He tried to kill Firestar! He trampled on the warrior code and our futures, all for his own petty revenge!”

Ebonystar dipped her head calmly. “All true. I don’t choose who is drawn into Starclan. Take it up with your ancestors if you believe they’ve made a mistake. However-” She stood, taking a pace backwards to give the other she-cat her space, but with her frame filling out, she still radiated power. “There is an alternative. There is a place where you would be recognized for your talents and successes, a place where we have the ability to truly change the world, and the warrior code if we must. If Starclan is willing to take in a cat like Ashfur, yet I, and perhaps even you, are condemned to this desolate land instead, I would say a change is in order. Your clan has shown they will never let you rise in their ranks like you deserve, and I can’t do what must be done on my own. Even as a leader, my rival managed to overtake me.”

Hollyleaf knew what was coming. Lionblaze had already described it. The Dark Forest was recruiting cats, manipulating them. There was no way she could possibly accept. But… was Ebonystar really telling the truth? Was Ashfur of all cats in Starclan? If they were taking his side… her littermates may have been spared on account of their place in destiny, but she could easily be exiled to the very forest she stood in right then. 

“Would you like to join me, Hollyleaf? Would you like to change the world?”

I might not have a choice. Starclan could send her here upon her death and she could be forced to work with these cats anyway. But if she refused now, there was a chance they wouldn’t accept her when that day came. Still. Even if her clan never gave her an apprentice, even if she had to keep avoiding her friends forever, even if she never rose to power with the ability to truly make her mark...she was still the arbiter of the warrior code. She couldn’t turn her back on that. She couldn’t stand with those she once thought she was born to defeat. 

“No.”

Chapter Text

Jayfeather padded along the old twoleg path, as far as the abandoned nest that, moons ago, had housed every cat sick with green-cough. The scent of catmint greeted him, soothing his worries and filling him with a deep sense of satisfaction. He had planted the roots just as the freezing earth subsided, and came by the patch at least once each quarter-moon to check on them. Now that green-leaf was in full force, the plants were thriving. As he drew his paw above the soil, his paw pad was brushed with a long line of soft bumpy leaves. If Thunderclan ever suffers from greencough again, we’ll be well prepared.  

Jayfeather moved confidently from plant to plant, guided by the strong scent of catmint, and gave each root a careful sniff to make sure that the fragile shoots were thriving. Once this was done, he would finally be able to go back to camp and find out what herb Mousefur had been given around their birth. Leafpool had kept him busy for the moon since he questioned her about it. Sometimes he wondered if she had assigned him to work with these plants alone just to keep him out of camp. What are you hiding?  

“You really don’t need sight, do you?” Poppyfrost’s voice startled him. With the scent of catmint filling his nose, he hadn’t even scented her approach. “You know where every one of those plants is, even though you can’t see them.”

The gray tabby tom snorted, carefully lifting his head so the strong gust of air he exalted wouldn’t damage the fragile shoots. “Cats seem to overestimate how much sight matters. Though perhaps some cats do need it. I often wonder if every other cat is deaf and unable to smell.”

A small chuckle of amusement erupted from the she-cat’s throat, but it soon quieted again. Jayfeather could sense hesitation in her, and instinctively probed towards her mind. -to tell him. He’ll know what to do. Jayfeather wouldn’t have to scan her mind then. She was prepared to explain herself anyway. 

“I’ve just been to see Leafpool,” she began.

Jayfeather narrowed his eyes, focusing more fully on her scent. She didn’t seem to be sick, and the sound of her breathing was smooth and clear. By the rustling of her weight shifting from one paw to the other over the earth, it didn’t seem she was heavily injured either. “What for?” he finally asked.

“It turns out, I’m having kits,” she mewed hesitantly. “Berrynose’s kits.”

Jayfeather’s whiskers twitched as he heard the news. The most annoying cat in the clan, and Poppyfrost had fallen for him. That made two different mouse-brained she-cats. But Poppyfrost wasn’t usually mouse-brained, certainly not like Honeyfern was. 

“Oh you’re not happy. What’s wrong?” Poppyfrost’s voice had risen into blatant worry, rather than a low buzzing anxiety.

“Nothing.” Jayfeather reassured her. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you…” The she-cat murmured hesitantly. “But can I ask something of you?”

Jayfeather shrugged. “There isn’t anything stopping you.”

“I love Berrynose, I do.” She repeated, emphasising her second phrase in response to a small sarcastic huff from the medicine cat’s mouth. “But I never considered actually being his mate. Honeyfern was always so sure of her future with him, and Berrynose clearly had eyes only for her too.”

Jayfeather nodded. He hadn’t ever noticed Poppyfrost’s affection for Berrynose before, mostly due to his indifference to the romantic dramas in the clan, but it was obvious to every cat that heard Honeyfern or Berrynose that they would be mates.

“But then Honeyfern…” Poppyfrost trailed off, unable to say exactly what had happened to her sister. “And I tried to be there for Berrynose. I was hoping we could be there for each other, since we both cared for her. Eventually I managed to tell him what I had always felt, just to get it off my chest. I didn’t expect him to respond but… he agreed to be my mate anyway.”

Are his feelings really that fickle? Jayfeather hadn’t kept a close eye on Berrynose, ever, but he had never heard the short-tailed tom give his attention to Poppyfrost before.

“I’m happy to be his mate, and have his kits,” the she-cat continued. “But I sometimes worry that he doesn’t really love me back, or that his love will run out somehow. I am just his second choice, being Honeyfern’s sister and all.”

Honestly, that didn’t seem like much of a stretch. But if they were going to raise kits together, they would need to get along. “He did want to be your mate. I’m sure he loves you.” I don’t understand your feelings for him, but you should get the chance to be happy. “Have you told him about the kits yet?” 

Poppyfrost nodded. “He was there when Leafpool told me. But Jayfeather-” She paused, running through various beginnings to the next sentence in her head. By the time she said it, Jayfeather knew what she wanted. “What I was going to ask… Could you use your power on him? I just want to know, one way or the other.”

He probably wouldn’t be able to help hearing Berrynose after this conversation, and it would help Poppyfrost feel better, or learn if she has to get out now, he admitted, considering the alternative. Poppyfrost already knew about his power. There wasn’t any harm in using it just this once to help a friend. “I’ll do my best,” he promised.

Once the plants were tended to, they made their way back to camp side-by side. Jayfeather could still hear the pattering of her nervous thoughts, but if all went well, they wouldn’t be necessary. Finally they reached the thorn barrier, crawling through to a bustling midday camp. Once I’ve done this for Poppyfrost, I’m coming for you, Mousefur. Leafpool couldn’t keep him away forever.

“Hey, Poppyfrost, Jayfeather!” Cinderheart’s cheerful voice announced his arrival into camp.

“Hello Cinderheart,” Poppyfrost purred, a tinge of weariness in her voice from the trip back across the territory.

“Oh, how hot is it out in the forest today?” Her sister asked. “I was hoping to take Briarpaw out to—”

“Shouldn’t you be in the nursery?” Berrynose interrupted before Cinderheart could finish.

Jayfeather sensed that Poppyfrost was taken aback. “I just wanted to stretch my legs,” she explained, “and tell Jayfeather the news.”

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Berrynose pointed out with an edge to his voice. “What about our kits?” His tone was firm, with a twinge of desperation, and his mind was crying out with fear for her safety. He was demeaning and far too overzealous, as usual, but whatever this was, it seemed to compose his form of love. He was trying to get it right this time. 

“I can’t stay in camp all the time,” Poppyfrost protested. “What if I need a drink?

“Cinderheart will bring you some water,” Berrynose meowed,  before padding off to the nursery to continue preparations on her nest. 

Cinderheart’s shock and embarrassment were practically tactile on the wind. Every cat could feel the awkwardness in the new father’s brazen unjustified orders. “Sure, Poppyfrost,” the tabby she-cat mumbled. “I’ll bring you some moss whenever you need it. It would be good for Briarpaw to get a break from working with the elders.”

“Thanks, but I can get my own.” Poppyfrost sounded tense and brittle. “I’ll see you later.” She trudged away, using her tail to lead Jayfeather along with her. In other circumstances, Jayfeather might have been annoyed at her guidance, but she wasn’t trying to help him walk. She just wanted them away from the other cats so they could talk alone. “It’s okay for me to leave the nursery, isn’t it?”

“Of course,” Jayfeather replied. “Your kits won’t arrive for another moon. Plenty of expecting queens don’t even move into the nursery until their bellies fill out more.”

“I thought so,” Poppyfrost mewed. “Daisy said I wouldn’t do them any harm if I took a walk.” She let out a weary sigh.  “Berrynose seems to want me to move to the nursery and stay there forever! He told me there isn’t enough room for me in the warriors’ den now.”

“I did what you asked." Jayfeather scuffed the hot ground with his paw. "He wasn’t trying to get rid of you. He’s just worried. In whatever way that tom can, he cares about you, and he doesn’t want you to get hurt.”

Poppyfrost didn’t reply; she just let out a disbelieving snort. Like Honeyfern… “I’m going to get myself a drink,” she announced. “Thank you for the help Jayfeather.”

“Congratulations,” Jayfeather murmured.

Pawsteps sounded next to them, and Jayfeather could pick up prickling thoughts of annoyance as Berrynose’s scent grew strong. “I want you to tell her she’s got to rest and take care of herself,” he meowed to Jayfeather. “Having kits can be dangerous, right?”

“Well...sometimes,” Jayfeather admitted.

“Yeah, I heard that the kits can come too soon, or they can be weak, or—”

“Berrynose,” Poppyfrost interrupted; Jayfeather could hear her frustration as clearly as if she had caterwauled it to the whole camp. “I’m sure I’ll be okay.”

“Or the kits take too long in coming,” Berrynose finished, as if his mate hadn’t spoken.

“There can be problems, but...” Jayfeather padded forward until he could give Poppyfrost a good sniff. “She’s a healthy she-cat,” he went on. “There’s no reason she can’t carry on with her normal duties for now.”

“What?” Berrynose sounded outraged. “That’s not good enough! Poppyfrost, you go into the nursery right now, and let Ferncloud and Daisy take care of you.”

“Really, there’s no need—” Poppyfrost began, but Berrynose was already nudging her across the clearing toward the entrance to the nursery.

Jayfeather stood still as the sound of their paw steps retreated. Why consult a medicine cat if you’re not going to listen, fluff-brain? He only wanted cats to tell him what he wanted to hear. Defeat suddenly flooded over Jayfeather like a huge wave. What was the point of having the power of the stars in his paws if even his own clanmates didn’t listen to him?

“That was great, Millie!” Dovepaw’s excitable squeak echoed from the front of camp as she padded into camp alongside her mentor, dropping a plump squirrel by the smell and the sound of the thump. Behind them came Lionblaze and Ivypaw, and Dovepaw fell back to stand in line with her sister. “Didn’t you have fun, Ivypaw?”

Ivypaw didn’t respond. She was focused on her mentor, who finally turned to look at her. “Ivypaw,” Lionblaze meowed. “Take your vole to the fresh-kill pile. You and Dovepaw can take the rest of the day off. I have to...do something.”

“Are you sure?” The she-cat responded, but it was too late. Lionblaze was already making his way across the clearing to Jayfeather.

“We need to talk,” his brother meowed urgently. “It’s about Hollyleaf.”

Jayfeather let out a huff. Just how many personal problems did he have to deal with today? In that one moment, Berrynose was annoying all the queens, his mate especially. Poppyfrost was worrying that she was just a replacement for her sister. Blossompaw’s mind was buzzing about perfecting some battle move Sandstorm had taught her that day. Daisy was pleading for Toadpaw and Rosepaw to understand the story she was telling them about Buzzardkit and Mousewhisker, the siblings they lost. Though she was in a pleasant conversation with her mate, Cloudtail, Brightheart was still mulling over Thunderclan’s relationship with Windclan and their ability to keep the peace the clans needed after Sol left. At the corner of his senses, even Mousefur was complaining of green-leaf’s heat and its effect on her pads, which would be a great excuse to visit her if he wasn’t tasked with keeping track of every cat’s feelings. But this is my sister… “What is it?”

“I’m not sure…” Lionblaze murmured. Jayfeather could hear him shuffling his paws in the dirt. “She just hasn’t been talking to me, or even Cinderheart and Hazeltail from what I’ve seen.” 

Jayfeather hadn’t noticed anything especially wrong in his sister’s mind for nearly a moon. Whatever had been wrong, she appeared to be back to normal: making little comments in her head about the need for various cats to conform to the code, her duty to uphold it, and plenty of musings about clan politics. “That doesn’t mean much. I don’t spend all my time frolicking around with friends and no cat says I’m acting strange.”

“But Jayfeather…” Lionblaze trailed off. You never wanted to spend time with any cat. “Hollyleaf is different from you,” he finally meowed. “Usually she likes spending time with her friends, and clanmates in general. Even when we were on bad terms as apprentices, she never stopped talking to me completely.” 

Jayfeather could hear the fear evident in his brother’s voice. “It’s been a hard season for all of us,” he began. “Maybe she just needs some time to herself.”

“Sure but, since we learned she’s not one of the three, and Firestar gave me Ivypaw to train, I’m worried that-”

“Lionblaze, look.” Jayfeather cut him off. “If you think Hollyleaf needs help, go talk to her yourself. I have my own work to do, and you really should too, between your normal duties and having an apprentice to train.” With that he turned, slipping into the medicine den where the thick, familiar scents of herbs washed over him. 

“Jayfeather!” Leafpool’s voice welcomed him from the back of the den,  destroying any chance he may have had before to speak with Mousefur. “We need to spend the rest of the night clearing some space in the stores. Tomorrow I need you to come get some more deathberries with me.” 

If she wants to sulk, that’s her right. Jayfeather couldn’t spend his life making every cat feel better. He had an important job, as a medicine cat and as one of the three. Beyond that, he had his own mission: to discover the secret of his birth and find the birth parents Squirrelflight had worked so hard to hide. He needed to get to Mousefur as soon as possible. He didn’t have the time to bother with the clan’s feelings.  She’ll be fine on her own.

Chapter Text

Lionblaze stretched out his front paws, letting as much of the dying sunlight touch his fur as possible. He had been out in the forest all day training Ivypaw and Dovepaw with Millie. As it turned out, Millie’s apprentice was an astonishingly good hunter. Both she and Ivypaw had quickly learned the forms of their hunting crouches and stalking movements. They were even learning differences in techniques when hunting different types of prey. But when they sent out the apprentices to find their own prey and use what they’d learned in practice, it was always Dovepaw who caught the most prey, and got to it the quickest. Lionblaze supposed it made sense, given her power. She could probably spot a prey animal anywhere on the territory just by sitting in camp. But it did mean teaching Ivypaw took far longer, and it felt good after the grueling hunting session to let the warmth soak back into his bones as he tucked into a fresh rabbit. A cool breeze flew by, ushering in the evening and swishing the grass across his fur. He would need to groom later. 

“So anyway,” Toadpaw spoke again, lifting his attention momentarily from the plump meal he was sharing with Lionblaze. “We were doing some hunting. Brackenfur and Hazeltail sent us off on our own to catch as much prey as we could together before it was time to go back to camp. I started going off towards the Shadowclan side of the territory like we usually do but then Rosepaw said we should try down by the Sky Oak instead, since the prey would want to be closer to the lake where the breeze cools the air.” He paused, lowering his black and white head to take another bite before he continued. “And she was right, of course. We ended up catching a squirrel and two voles! Our mentors were really impressed, and we actually worked as a team really well.”

Toadpaw had supposedly begun this conversation to complain about something, but so far it seemed to be just a review of the day’s training, something that had become standard between them in the last moon. “Toadpaw,” Lionblaze cut in. “Didn’t you say something was wrong?”

“Oh!” The young tom’s eyes shot open. Lionblaze could see the twinkle of embarrassment return to them, being corrected by his hero. 

Hero. It still felt strange, knowing Toadpaw thought of him that way. He truly liked having him for company, but sometimes it felt like he saw the golden warrior as more than he was. Lionblaze knew he was, or would be, the savior of the clans somehow one day, when he defeated the Dark Forest with Jayfeather and Dovepaw. But he wasn’t yet, and Toadpaw admired him simply for his strength and bravery. Heh. He could only really be brave now because he knew he had nothing to lose. He could run head first into a pack of dogs alone and still know he’d come out unharmed. Back when Lionblaze was an apprentice, even the thought of falling off the first branch of the Sky Oak made him shake with fear. What would Toadpaw have thought if he was alive to see Lionblaze then? Would he still look up to him? Would they still be close at all?

“And she’s gotten a lot more confident, but like, in a bad way I think.” 

With a jolt, Lionblaze realized he hadn’t been listening, and after he specifically asked Toadpaw to talk about this. Sheepishly he nodded, trusting in that at least to be a fair reaction. Toadpaw didn’t seem to be at the end of his speech yet. Hopefully the apprentice hadn’t said too many important things already, and Lionblaze could catch up when he put a name to the ‘she.’

“Not that I don’t want her to succeed!” Toadpaw added quickly. “She is my sister. But growing up is making her all weird and stuffy, and I know Hazeltail being her mentor isn’t helping one bit!”

He’s talking about Rosepaw. Lionblaze gave a silent sigh of relief. 

“I think it might have something to do with what Daisy was telling us the other day,” he continued. “She was talking about Buzzardkit, our sister who died in the green-cough bout in leaf-bare. Our brother, Mousewhisker too.” The apprentice’s tone suddenly filled with hesitation. “She told us we loved her very much, and we played together a lot, but neither Rosepaw nor I could remember her very well. I do have some memories of her!” he clarified. “But we didn’t remember her as well as Daisy. I think she was looking for someone to understand her, or just hoping we didn’t forget our family, you know, since Hazeltail and Berrynose haven’t talked to her for a really long time. But Rosepaw kinda got uncomfortable about it, and I think it really only made her draw further away. Suddenly she wants to grow up so quickly, and get as far away from the nursery as she can. I have to imagine she and Hazeltail talked about it.” The young tom let out a huff. “Rosepaw is still an apprentice herself, but she already seems to have her heart set on being a mentor! Can’t she just try to be a good apprentice first? We won’t be apprentices forever. We should be able to have some fun and enjoy our time as young cats, like you said!” 

Lionblaze dipped his head. He had given that advice, and he stood by it. “You’re right. I’m sure Rosepaw will have plenty of time to think about being a mentor once she’s a warrior. This is your chance to have a bit of freedom, and yes, fun.” But their relationship with Daisy and the rest of their family was another matter altogether. What advice could he give on that, given how rocky his relationship with his parents was, and how even his littermates seemed to be slowly drawing apart? Maybe it was better for him to just stay silent, and let him talk about Rosepaw.

Toadpaw nodded firmly, vigor filling his gaze again. “That’s what I thought. Instead she’s becoming a mini-Hazeltail! I can totally see how they’re related.”

Lionblaze tilted his head. He had nearly forgotten that Hazeltail had any relation at all to Toadpaw or Rosepaw, but the black and white tom was right. Even though she didn’t spend much time with her mother, Hazeltail was Daisy’s daughter, just like Rosepaw and Toadpaw. That meant even Berrynose was technically Toadpaw’s brother. Lionblaze could feel his muzzle instinctively contorting into a snarl. How could that pushy useless mouse-heart be related to someone as bright and friendly as Toadpaw?

The young tom ducked his head self-consciously. “Although, it might actually be working. She does way better in training than I do. Brackenfur isn’t disappointed in me or anything though!” He corrected. “But I know I should be doing better, whenever I’m next to her.” His usual light tone had fallen; the sorrow was evident in his voice. Even if his mentor wasn’t truly upset with him, it was clear he was upset with himself.

I should do something, Lionblaze told himself. This is what heroes do, right? More than that, it was what friends did. “You know…” he began, speaking slowly to buy himself some time. He couldn’t chatter randomly. Toadpaw needed real help. “I actually had similar problems when I was an apprentice.”

“You did?” The apprentice’s white-tipped tail flicked up in surprise.

Lionblaze nodded. “I might be good at fighting, but when it came to technique, Hollyleaf was always better than me. Frankly, she still is. I can’t keep up with her.”

“But you took out those Windclan warriors practically on your own!”

“I’m strong,” Lionblaze admitted. “But I just got lucky in that regard. I was never the best in training, where destruction wasn’t the goal.”

“So…” Toadpaw shuffled the ground with his paws. “Did the other apprentices ever tease you?” 

Lionblaze paused. Hollyleaf was critical of him, certainly. Berrynose teased him, but they only crossed each other in the apprentice den for a moon. “For the most part, no.” He replied. “A few cats may be mean sometimes, but the cats that matter won’t care. Not every cat can, or even should, be the best. Besides, it’s your life. You should be able to live it how you please.”

Toadpaw nodded slowly, his gaze passing over different blades of grass. He seemed to understand, though. After a while, he looked up. His eyes brightened as he cracked a mischievous smile. “But Hollyleaf really crushed you as an apprentice, huh?”

Lionblaze chuckled. “I don’t think I ever managed to beat her in an assessment. What’s worse, she spent her first moon training as a medicine cat! I lost to a cat who had spent a moon sitting in a den sniffing herbs!”

“Really?!” Toadpaw shook his head. “I didn’t know that. I wouldn’t have guessed she ever stepped foot in there.”

“She’s very dedicated,” Lionblaze confirmed. “When she decided to be a warrior, she never looked back. She focused all her energy to become the best warrior she could be.” The best in the clan, probably. Hollyleaf’s drive hadn’t let up when they became warriors. She wanted more than that, though Lionblaze wasn’t exactly sure what it was. Did she just want to be a mentor? He couldn’t imagine her stopping after she’d trained an apprentice either, though. Would there ever be a point she could reach to feel satisfied?

“So Hollyleaf was like Rosepaw?” Toadpaw mewed, hesitantly speaking to fill the silence that had formed in Lionblaze’s pause. 

“Exactly.” Lionblaze shook his head to clear it. “She was talented, but she could be stuffy too. She didn’t talk much about being a mentor yet, but she was obsessed with the warrior code. She wanted to make sure every cat followed it to a tee.” He let out a small sigh. I didn’t make that easy for her.  

Toadpaw laughed. The sound erupted from his throat, shocking Lionblaze. “Doesn’t every cat do that already? It’s obvious.” Lionblaze winced. It should have been obvious. So why did he fall for Heathertail? “We don’t need special cats to tell us what we already learned as kits.”

“I suppose she didn’t-doesn’t, see it that way.” Lionblaze murmured. Much as his sister had been avoiding him… and almost every cat they knew, he knew she still cared. There had to be some reason. Did he do something wrong? Jayfeather didn’t seem to think so but- 

“Excuse me,” Cinderheart appeared before them. Her face looked calm, with clear blue eyes and no wrinkles above them that might show distress. Still, the twitch of her tail seemed to betray a level of worry. “Lionblaze, could I speak with you?”

“Uh...sure?” Lionblaze answered hesitantly. “What is it?”

“Alone,” Cinderheart corrected. “Maybe on a walk out of camp?”

Lionblaze turned his head to ask Toadpaw if he was all right, but the tom was already prepared with an answer. “It’s okay,” he mewed. “We finished anyway. Thank you.” The golden warrior watched as the apprentice padded off towards the apprentice den, bringing the remains of the rabbit with him, hopefully to bury.

“Brackenfur?” Cinderheart called. “We’ll be back soon!”

“All right. Just don’t wander too far!” Brackenfur called back. “Stay away from the borders, and don’t step on any tails when you come back.”

Cinderheart nodded. Ordinarily Lionblaze would have expected her to purr in amusement, but her expression kept it’s precarious smile steady. “We won’t. See you later!”

The earth beneath their paws was dry, cracked under the green-leaf heat. The forest could use a day of rain, although Lionblaze was sure he wouldn’t enjoy it as much as the trees would. He padded along behind Cinderheart, watching her haunches swish back and forth rhythmically as she led them to some destination Lionblaze could only hope was predetermined. He had been too nervous to ask where she planned to go, and Cinderheart, for once, wasn’t offering up information up front. But finally, her gait slowed, near the edge of the lakeshore, and she turned to face Lionblaze as he caught up to her. The sky above was littered with clouds, dulling the heat and light that reflected off the still water. Everything was gray, and silent, only magnifying the space between the two of them.

“Is...this about Hollyleaf?” Lionblaze guessed. If she wanted to talk to him specifically, that was the only reason he could come up with. From what he could gather, Cinderheart was one of Hollyleaf’s closest friends, and he was her brother. 

Cinderheart nodded. “She’s been avoiding me...well for a couple moons actually. But the day Ivypaw and Dovepaw became apprentices, she told me to leave her alone, and she hasn’t spoken to me or Hazeltail since. I know she was upset about you becoming a mentor instead of her, so I doubt she talked to you either, but since you’re littermates I thought maybe-”

“No, she hasn’t talked to me or Jayfeather either,” Lionblaze answered, knowing where she was going. He felt a twinge of guilt at shooting her hopes down, but it would be far worse if he lied. This way it hurt, but they were in this together. “But wait. She was jealous of me and Ivypaw?” He supposed it made sense. She did want to be a mentor, and she was probably a better fit for the job. But then… “Why didn’t she ever ask to be a mentor? I’m sure Firestar or Brackenfur would be willing to hear her out.”

The she-cat’s tabby head dropped heavily. “If she asked for an apprentice, she wouldn’t ever know if Firestar would have chosen her without her intervention.”

“Why would that make a difference?” If she had asked, she would have what she wanted right now, and Firestar surely wouldn’t give her an apprentice if he didn’t believe she was the right cat for the job, whether she asked or not.

“Lionblaze,” Cinderheart murmured, fixing her clear blue eyes in with his. “She wanted to be chosen.”

Like in the prophecy… he realized, though he didn’t, and couldn’t speak those words aloud. Even if they had only confirmed it in the last moon, Hollyleaf had been sure since Squirrelflight revealed the truth about their heritage that she wasn’t a member of the three. She wasn’t chosen by Starclan or anyone else to fulfill a prophecy. Of course she would want to be chosen for something else to replace that part of her life. “How...are you taking it?” He asked Cinderheart shakily. He couldn’t tell her about the prophecy itself; he would just have to talk to Hollyleaf later on his own, when he got a chance. But she was one of his sister’s closest friends. Being without her couldn’t feel any better for Cinderheart than it did for Lionblaze.

“I’ve...certainly been better,” she murmured. “Between Honeyfern’s death, Poppyfrost moving to the nursery soon, and Brackenfur off training Toadpaw when he’s not doing his deputy duties, it’s been a while since we felt like a family. And now my best friend is avoiding me and Hazeltail has been spending more time with Icecloud since Hollyleaf isn’t around…” The gray tabby she-cat looked almost deflated. Her shoulders hung down and her usually perky tail flopped limply behind her. Lionblaze could barely recognize her as the strong, endlessly optimistic she-cat who climbed into the Sky Oak to rescue him when they were apprentices. “I still have Briarpaw of course, and a couple times I’ve even been able to bring her to train with Toadpaw and Brackenfur to spend some time with my dad but it’s not quite the same as having a friend to share prey or tongues with.”

“I-I could be your friend too,” Lionblaze sputtered. “I know you’ve spent more time with Hollyleaf and even Jayfeather since we became warriors but… I care about you too. I never forgot what you did for me… and what happened to you because of it.” If Cinderheart had just left him up in the tree, she wouldn’t have been injured, and Lionblaze knew now he had never been in any danger. If it had been him who fell from the tree, no cat would have been hurt. “I’m sorry I didn’t apologize sooner,” he mumbled. “I think I was just scared. But your injury was my fault. If it wasn’t for me, you could have been made a warrior with your sisters.” He remembered the fear that filled his mind on those days. Over and over he repeated his apologies silently in his head. But he had never spoken the words. He never really spoke to her again.

“What?” Cinderheart’s voice filled with shock. “Lionblaze, no cat ever blamed you. I chose to help you, despite knowing what would happen if I fell. I decided to take my assessment even though I knew the risks of not letting my leg fully heal first. You don’t have anything to apologize for.” For the first time since they’d left, her face formed a tentative smile. “Besides, it’s all better now. I’ve long since healed, and the experience of strengthening my leg let me learn something no other warrior in Thunderclan can do: swim. It’s only made me stronger. If anything-” She let out a small giggle. Finally a small crack of sunlight opened up between the clouds, cascading down onto her fur. Lionblaze couldn’t be sure if the sun or her returning levity was to blame but...the world seemed brighter. “I should be thanking you.”

How was it possible for her to be who she was? With all the pain and loneliness she was going through, she was still able to laugh, honestly. And despite the injuries she’d taken, multiple times, she kept rising every day, growing even, to do better than the day before. Lionblaze would never be hurt, and he still feared it: ran from it even. But Cinderheart never did. A cat like that… all he could do was admire her. “Cinderheart?” he piped up. “Would you go hunting with me this afternoon?”

Her expression evened into joy. Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the wisp of sunlight that had escaped through the clouds. “I’d like that,” she mewed.

Chapter Text

Jayfeather padded in Leafpool’s paw steps as she climbed to the ridge where the trees thinned out and pine needles prickled under paw. He felt the ground grow damp and his paws slipped as he scrambled down the other side into a tangle of undergrowth. As he regained his balance, he picked up the tang of yew bark and berries.

“Here we are,” Leafpool meowed. “I’m going to climb the tree and bend down a branch so you can reach it.” She nudged him forward a couple of paw steps. “Stand just there.”

Jayfeather listened to his mentor scramble up the tree, and a few heartbeats later felt the touch of the yew branch on the top of his head. His fur bristled at the overwhelming scent of deathberries.

“Reach up as high as you can.” Leafpool’s voice came from just above him. “There’s a stem with berries just there. Be very careful.”

Like you need to tell me! Jayfeather thought. He stretched upward, his front paws lifting from the ground, until a feathery twig poked him in the face and he felt the heavy clump of deathberries touch his fur. He managed to fasten his teeth into the stem where it met the branch, and felt Leafpool’s muzzle press close to his as she helped him bite it through.

Her mind was completely guarded, focusing all her attention on the task before her at a level no cat did naturally. She was avoiding even thinking about whatever she was hiding, and Jayfeather found himself relieved he had never told her about his power. Starclan knows how closed off she could be if she knew of his ability to read her mind. Still, her voice was steady and clear as she mewed, “That’s it,” and Jayfeather felt the twig fall to the forest floor just beside his paws. 

He relaxed, rolling his shoulders to get rid of the strain of stretching, then picked up the clump of berries by the end of the twig, careful not to let any of the deathberries touch his mouth.

A light thump beside him told him that Leafpool had leaped down from the tree. “If you carry that,” she told him, “I’ll follow behind and make sure that none of the berries fall off. It doesn’t matter so much up here, but I don’t want to scatter any of them near the camp.”

As they emerged from the thorn tunnel, the thoughts of every cat in camp began to flit by Jayfeather’s mind. There weren’t as many cats as there would surely be at the end of the day, but certainly more than there would have been in the middle of the day even as recently as new-leaf. Between Honeyfern’s death and Ashfur’s, the clan had become more interested in security, and for once they weren’t worried about threats at their borders. But no cat had caught any sign of Sol, or the snakes, and their problems felt unresolved, like unscratchable itches on every cat’s neck.

He tried to shrug off the uneasy feeling as he heard Leafpool calling him. “Jayfeather, come put your berries on this leaf.” She set a flat leaf down in front of Jayfeather, who laid the clump of deathberries on top of it. 

Leafpool began to drag the leaf with its deadly load back across the camp, but halted and turned to Jayfeather. “Bring me a mouse from the fresh-kill pile, please.”

Jayfeather bounded off, returning with the mouse to the medicine cats’ den. “It’s a good plump one,” he meowed.

“Hopefully it won’t be eaten at all,” Leafpool muttered lowly. “If we ever see another snake, it will be too soon.” Jayfeather heard the flutter of fur as she shook her head. “Well, put it down and keep your paw on it to hold it steady while I stuff it with deathberries.”

By this point the routine had become common: twice each moon since Honeyfern’s death. The scratch of wood against stone could be heard as Leafpool pulled over a stick to use, shoving the berries down inside the prey. Any snake who took a bite wouldn’t survive long enough to take another, but thankfully none of their poisoned prey had been tasted. Perhaps the snakes really were gone.

As he clamped his paw firmly over the mouse, Jayfeather could hear his mentor’s revulsion at what she was doing. I’m a medicine cat! I’m supposed to cure, not kill! Moons had passed and yet this still bothered her. They were killing snakes, not cats. Really, they were preventing death, and the whole clan had been warned so no one in Thunderclan would eat the berries by accident. For his part, Jayfeather had been fascinated to discover that there were plants that would harm instead of heal. I wonder if there are others… But he said nothing while Leafpool went on shoving the deadly berries into the body of the mouse.

Finally she let out a sigh. “There, that should do. I’ve poked some thorns in there, too. They’ll cut the snake from inside and send the poison more quickly around its body.” Leafpool laid the prepared mouse back on the leaf and dragged it out into the clearing again, over to the bramble barrier that Dustpelt and Brackenfur had built around the snake’s hole. 

Back in their den, Jayfeather and Leafpool wrapped the rest of the deathberries in the leaf. “And there's the last of them,” she mewed. “We can store the rest here. I still don’t like it, but—”

A loud call interrupted her. “Leafpool! Leafpool!”

“What now?” Jayfeather groaned.

He picked up Berrynose’s scent as the young warrior crashed past the bramble screen. “Leafpool, you have to come at once!” he ordered. “Poppyfrost has a pain in her belly. She only ate half of her mouse!”

“All right, don’t panic.” Leafpool rose to her paws. “I’m sure it’s nothing serious. Pregnant queens often get momentary sickness. Jayfeather, put that leaf wrap away,” she instructed as she brushed past him. “Right at the back of the store where no cat will pick it up by mistake.”

Gingerly Jayfeather pushed the leaf wrap in front of him and crept all the way to the back of the store, in the area a tail-length long that they had cleared out the previous day to keep the poison away from the fresh healing herbs. He pushed the deathberries into the farthest corner, and was ready to turn back until he noticed the other herbs. He pricked his ears towards the entrance of the den, listening for any sign of the other medicine cat’s pawsteps. He heard the barest hints of chatter between her and Berrynose, growing further away by the moment. 

“She...fine!...small bellyache...juniper…”

She’s still off with Poppyfrost… This was the moment he had waited for. 

Carefully, he took a single leaf, petal, or berry from each little herb cave and crept from the den. Poppyfrost and Berrynose were with Leafpool in the nursery, so he made a wide circle around the den before sliding under the outer branches of the hazel bush that made up the elders’ den.

As he slipped through, he heard Longtail’s voice. “I just don’t see how we could find him if he doesn’t want to be found. He is a rogue. He could have crossed the world by now!” The old tom sounded frustrated. 

“He can’t be allowed to go free!” Mousefur growled. “Thornclaw was absolutely right. No cat should get away with murdering a Thunderclan warrior. Ashfur deserves justice.” 

They’re discussing Sol, Jayfeather realized. Apparently even now the gossip around camp was drenched in Ashfur’s death. Even the other clans knew now, from murmurs at the gatherings. The ripples of the warrior’s death were spreading farther and farther, and there was no sign that the effects would fade away. How close would they get to the truth? Whatever the real answer was, he was sure a piece of it lay in what happened the night of the fire, and in the secrets he was trying to uncover about their birth parents.

“There’s only so much the clan can do.” Longtail sighed. “It’s been moons.”

“But it’s not just Ashfur,” Mousefur continued, standing and digging her weary claws into the earth. “Sol hurt every clan. He brought Windclan and Riverclan into war, and he drove Shadowclan away from the lake!” 

“And if any clan finds him again, you know we’ll give him what he deserves,” Longtail promised. “You’re right. He hurt every cat. No one would protect him again if given the chance.”

“So you’d have us wait around to be killed?”

Jayfeather padded forward; he could sense Mousefur’s anger growing and wanted to prevent a quarrel. Spotting him, Mousefur let out a hiss of annoyance and plopped back down into her nest firmly.

“Hi Mousefur, Longtail. I’ve come to check your pads,” Jayfeather announced.

“About time,” the old she-cat grumbled. “My paws feel as if they’re burning’ off with all the hot stone I’ve had to walk over.” She lay down on his side, sticking out his paws for Jayfeather to examine.

Jayfeather felt carefully over all four of the elder’s feet. They were cracked at the edges—she really needed to stay in her den during the brightest green-leaf days—and they felt hot and swollen. “This ointment will help,” he mewed, beginning to smooth a yarrow poultice on. “Try to stay off your paws as much as you can. The apprentices will bring you fresh-kill.”

Mousefur let out a long sigh. “That’s much better. You may be prickly and slow, but you know what you’re doin’.”

“Thanks a bunch,” Jayfeather muttered. “I’ll come every day and—” 

He broke off as a sniff sounded from Longtail’s side of the den. “That’s a lot of different herbs for just our pads.” The elder hadn’t been blind since birth, like Jayfeather, and hadn’t developed nearly as acute a sense of smell, but it was apparently strong enough to smell this.

“I’m going to multiple cats in camp,” Jayfeather mewed quickly, having prepared for this particular worry. “These aren’t all for you.”

“Jayfeather, that herb...”

This is it! “What herb?” He asked casually.

The blind elder padded over, sniffing and feeling each one in turn until he found what he was looking for. “This one! The one with crinkled leaves and the sharp scent.” Jayfeather was fairly sure which one he meant, but he still stretched out his paw, letting it collide with the old tom’s paw, and felt for the herb under it. Parsley. “I’m not sure, but I think—Mousefur, come over here,” he called.

“What?” Mousefur still sounded grouchy, but she padded back to Jayfeather and sniffed at the herb Longtail had indicated. Then he felt her lick off one of the leaves. She chewed slowly.

“What are you doing?” Jayfeather asked.

“That’s it!” Mousefur’s voice was shrill with surprise. “Jayfeather, that’s the herb Leafpool mixed in with my tansy!”

This was it! He had never seen Leafpool use it, but he knew, at least in theory, what it was for. It was used to dry up a queen’s milk, in case their kits were gone or they for some reason couldn’t nurse them. If Leafpool hid this- It was possible she was protecting another Thunderclan queen, but mostly likely... 

Everything added up. Which cat could depend on Squirrelflight’s loyalty, knowing she would carry out the deception for moons and moons, even if it meant lying to her own mate? Which cat had paid inordinate attention to him and his littermates as kits? Which cat could never admit that she had borne kits herself?

Leafpool! Leafpool is our mother!

Rapidly he finished spreading the ointment on Mousefur’s pads. “That should be fine,” he meowed. “I’ll fetch you some more tomorrow.”

He whirled around and slipped out of the den, racing back to his own where he found Leafpool already back. Could he just ask her? But he remembered how defensive Leafpool had been the first time he had questioned her about the mysterious herb. He’d have a better time confirming what he could by himself. Focusing in on her, he dove into her mind, searching for any mention of kits or her journey back with Squirrelflight. But all that he could find was exhaustion. A million frantic worries flew through her mind at breakneck speed. Every cat in the clan needed something, and she felt she needed to do it all herself. Why even have a second medicine cat if you still try to do everything on your own?

“Jayfeather, why are you rushing around like that?” Leafpool mewed; she sounded bone-weary. “I don’t think I can travel to the Moonpool tonight,” she sighed. “Berrynose is demanding I check on Poppyfrost three times a day, Blossompaw got a thorn in her paw during training that I’m worried will get infected with how long she left it in, and I haven’t even gone to check Mousefur’s pads like she asked.”

“Oh, I took care of her pads,” Jayfeather piped up.

“Really? Thank Starclan,” She breathed a sigh of relief. “And thank you too, Jayfeather.” A calm entered her mind as she finally noticed she wasn’t the only medicine cat in the den. “Sometimes I forget you’re a full medicine cat now,” she murmured. “You can handle more than I give you credit for.” That unwillingness to see Jayfeather as having grown up was so familiar from all the queens watching their kits move on from the nursery. How had he not noticed it before? She didn’t raise them like Squirrelflight did, but he was certain she was their mother too.

“I could go to the Moonpool in your place as well, if you’d rather stay here,” he offered. He made himself sound calm, but he wanted to bounce up and down like an excited kit. If he was alone with Starclan, he could ask them if Leafpool really was his mother. Maybe he could even discover who his father was. 

“That might be best. But, Jayfeather…” She leaned down, reducing her voice to a whisper just to be sure no other cat could hear. “If you see Ashfur in Starclan, don’t speak with him.” 

A brisk evening breeze rattled the bare branches as Jayfeather padded through the forest. His earlier excitement had faded; he set his paws down confidently, but inwardly he was full of anticipation. What would Starclan say? What if they avoided him altogether? What if Ashfur did appear to him? Leafpool didn’t want him speaking to the dead tom, and Jayfeather was fairly sure he didn’t want to speak with Ashfur either, but he might be the only cat with the last piece of information he needed: who killed him. Given how Leafpool was trying to hide it, maybe she killed Ashfur herself? Or she could be protecting Squirrelflight. Was it better to just let the clan think Sol killed him? He didn’t want to associate with his parents after all the lies they told, but he didn’t want them exiled either.

When he reached the top of the ridge, he found Barkface and Kestrelflight waiting for him beside the stream. Just as he reached them, Littlecloud came bounding up from the direction of Shadowclan with Flamepaw close behind. 

“Flamepaw!” he exclaimed.

“Jayfeather!” Flamepaw was bubbling with excitement. At the forefront of his mind, he could tell that, apparently, Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw had been off training a lot lately in preparation for their next assessment. He was happy to see more of his kin.

But we’re not kin, he realized. Even with Leafpool as his mother, he had no blood relation to Brambleclaw anymore, or Flamepaw. A pang of regret shook Jayfeather. He liked the three eager young apprentices.

By the time the other cats had exchanged greetings, there was still no sign of Mothwing and Willowshine from Riverclan.

“We won’t wait,” Barkface decided. “We've got a lot to get through tonight.”

“Maybe they’ll catch up,” Littlecloud meowed.

And maybe Mothwing doesn’t feel like trekking all the way to the Moonpool just to catch up on her sleep, Jayfeather thought. She usually sent Willowshine, though.

The medicine cats were beginning the last scramble up the steep slope toward the bushes that surrounded the Moonpool, when they heard a breathless yowl from behind them. “Wait! Wait for us!”

Jayfeather turned and caught the scent of Mothwing and her former apprentice, growing rapidly stronger as the two cats raced to catch up.

“Sorry,” Mothwing panted as they reached the bottom of the rocks. “We got held up. Petalkit got a thorn in her eye.”

“Poor little thing,” Barkface murmured. “I hope you got it out.”

“Yes, it just took a good lick,” Mothwing replied. “I left her asleep in the nursery.”

“I don’t know if you’ve tried this,” Littlecloud meowed, “but I’ve always found celandine good for damaged eyes. Just trickle a bit of the juice into her eye to ease the pain.”

“Oh, thank you!” Mothwing exclaimed. “I didn’t know that. I’ll try it as soon as we get back. Willowshine, do we have any celandine in the store?”

“I think so,” the younger she-cat replied. “There’s not much left, but it should be enough.”

“Let’s keep going,” Barkface mewed. “We’re wasting moonlight.”

Jayfeather clawed his way up the rocky hillside and pushed through the bushes to the rim of the hollow where the Moonpool lay. He could hear the gentle splash of the waterfall, and pictured the surface of the water dappled with the light of countless stars.

“It’s time for us to share tongues with Starclan.”

Jayfeather heard Littlecloud rise and pad to the very edge of the water. Jayfeather and the rest of the medicine cats stretched out their necks, too, and lapped a few drops of water from the Moonpool. As the icy liquid trickled down his throat, Jayfeather curled up and tried to relax. Please, Starclan, he begged, come talk to me. This is something I need to know.

His eyes opened and he found himself on a narrow forest path, with lush ferns arching over his head on either side. Sunlight warmed his fur and dappled the grass around his paws. But he couldn’t see any other cats, and when he tasted the air all he could pick up was the scent of green, growing things.

“Where are they all?” he muttered to himself, beginning to pad forward.

Suddenly he heard a rustling from the undergrowth ahead of him, and the fern fronds dipped and swayed. Right now, I’d be happy to see any of the Starclan warriors, Jayfeather thought. Are they deliberately hiding from me?

He padded down the path until he reached a clearing where sweet-smelling herbs grew around a small pool. He remembered finding this place before, when he had spoken with Spottedleaf, but there was no sign of the tortoiseshell she-cat now. Instead he found himself looking up at a skinny gray she-cat bending over him.

“Yellowfang!” he exclaimed, sitting up. “I need to ask you something.”

Before he could utter another word, the old medicine cat dipped her head. “You’re correct. Leafpool is your mother.”

A swell of shock hit Jayfeather as the reality finally hit him. Even more surprising was that Yellowfang would just tell him what he had wanted to know for moons. Evidently the astonishment showed on his face. “The time for lies and secrets is over,” she meowed. “The truth must come out. Starclan was wrong not to tell you who you were a long time ago. I’m correcting that mistake now.”

“But...how?” he stuttered. She was a medicine cat! And who would she have had kits with? No Thunderclan tom had ever shown particular interest in her, and he was sure there would have been tension to pick up on before if she had been mates with one of them, even briefly. Was it a loner or kittypet then? Where would they have met? Leafpool was so dedicated to her work. How would a tom have even pulled her away?

Yellowfang let out a sigh. “When Leafpool was young,” she began. “The clans were not yet settled around the lake. During the journey from the old forest territories and the period of time when borders were being decided, cats from one clan and another intermingled far more freely...and it was in this time that she met your father. Leafpool planned to run away with him, leaving Cinderpelt as Thunderclan’s medicine cat so she could be his mate, and have his kits. However…” The old she-cat’s gaze fixed on something unseen in the distance. “We had to call her back. Cinderpelt was to die in a badger attack, and if she were to choose your father over her clan, Thunderclan wouldn’t have a medicine cat, or any cat to train the next one.”

“So she chose duty, and came back,” Jayfeather finished. He had seen her throw herself into work plenty of times, and now he could understand why. She gave up whatever personal attachments she had so she could fulfill her role as a medicine cat. “But she still had kits?”

Yellowfang nodded. “If I had known I would have tried to stop her sooner, but she was already going to have his kits when she returned to Thunderclan. She asked Squirrelflight to help, to raise you as her own, all for the purpose of being able to stay a medicine cat.” 

As Jayfeather looked up at the ragged gray cat, he noticed the sagging of her shoulders, and the look of familiarity in her eyes. Carefully, he peered into her mind, catching a few flashing images of a dank hollow tree on a stormy night, the wailing of a little newborn kit, and the tug of her heart as she looked at a strong tabby tom. Wait. He knew this cat. “You were in love with Raggedstar?” he hissed, hardly being able to believe it himself. The one time he had seen the two of them together, it seemed like they hated each other.

Yellowfang’s eyes narrowed to slits. “That is none of your concern. It’s far, far in the past, as with Leafpool’s relationship.”

“Fine.” If she didn’t want to talk about it, that wasn’t a problem. Jayfeather didn’t feel the need to hear intimate details of whatever happened between them. “But there’s one more question you haven’t answered. Who was Leafpool’s mate? Who is my father?”

Yellowfang’s shape was beginning to fade, though before she did, the former medicine cat dropped a long dark feather at Jayfeather’s paws, which he could see were fading as well. Quickly, they each melted into the moonlight until they were gone. Abruptly, it vanished, leaving Jayfeather in darkness as he woke from his dream.

“Mouse dung!” he hissed quietly. “Why can’t any cat speak straight out?” 

The only answer was a thick, stifling pelt of darkness falling over him; disoriented, he staggered and found his claws scraping on stone instead of grass. He was awake again, back beside the Moonpool. The other medicine cats around him were beginning to rise to their paws.

But an icy weight in his belly made him realize that Yellowfang had told him all he needed to know. Feeling around where he had been lying, he found the feather she had dropped, and drew his paw down the long, smooth length. He could picture how it had gleamed black in the silver moonlight.

She brought me a crow’s feather...

Chapter Text

Lionblaze let out a quiet purr, closing his eyes as Cinderheart rhythmically groomed the top of his head. The flavor of the rabbit they had shared still tingled on his tongue, and a breeze drifted past his fur, cooling him and signaling the nightfall approaching. The golden warrior felt the beating of Cinderheart’s heart against him. His breathing slowed to match time with her’s. For once, there were no clans needing to be saved, no work to be done, and even Ivypaw and Toadpaw were out of his paws. 

As soon as he had finished some battle training with Ivypaw, through some miracle of Starclan Millie happened by with Dovepaw and offered to bring his apprentice along to practice hunting. 

Lionblaze was left with a whole afternoon to go hunting with Cinderheart as he had promised, and thanks to green-leaf’s plentiful supply of prey, they came back with two mice along with the rabbit they shared for the meal that night. They worked well together, falling back into the patterns of their youth as apprentices. Even when Lionblaze’s heavy stalking scared off an animal before he was ready to pounce, Cinderheart dove in from the other side and caught it before it had a chance to go too far.

As they arrived back in camp, Toadpaw cut him off as usual, ready to share a meal and tell his friend about training, or gossip between the apprentices, or whatever was on his mind that day. This day though, Lionblaze couldn’t accept. 

“Toadpaw,” he said then, “Why don’t you eat with Rosepaw for once?”

The apprentice tilted his black and white head. “Why? I see plenty of Rosepaw during training, and I like eating with you.”

“You don’t want her to get stuck with the younger apprentices, do you?” Cinderheart had replied. “Of course she can make friends with the other apprentices, but it’s nice to get quality time with your littermates.” She was speaking from personal experience, Lionblaze knew. Poppyfrost and Honeyfern ended up spending more time with each other or Berrynose than they did with her, especially once she’d been injured.

“Not to mention,” Lionblaze added, “You should also enjoy some time with your own generation. You don’t want all your friends to be silly old furballs like me, do you?” 

Toadpaw shrugged. His eyes were wide green pools of innocent worry. “I think you’re pretty great.”

The golden warrior couldn’t have helped but smile at that. He crouched down to stand in line with the black and white tom, mewing more sincerely this time. “I’ll be fine on my own tonight,” he had promised. It would be nice for Toadpaw to have some time with his sister. What I wouldn’t give for a pleasant meal with Hollyleaf… Even if Rosepaw was still trying to distance herself from Daisy, Lionblaze didn’t want her and Toadpaw to be separated.

The young tom had scampered off, and now he was seated outside the apprentice den, chatting in a circle with Rosepaw, Bumblepaw, and Briarpaw. Lionblaze slowly opened one eye to catch a shaky glance at the apprentices, and was pleased to find Toadpaw laughing in time with the others. He wouldn’t leave the apprentice den without making some friends, thank Starclan. The golden warrior couldn’t bear to think of the endlessly bright tom growing numb as he walked the world alone.

“Thank you for coming out with me today,” Cinderheart murmured as she finished with his grooming, pulling her paws under her chest as she lay beside him. “I needed this.”

“I did too,” Lionblaze purred. “If anything, you were doing me a favor.”

“Oh, how wonderful that little Lionblaze has found a she-cat to pad after him!” The mocking coo sounded from above Lionblaze, and he looked up to find Berrynose’s sneer cast at him. “It's not as though you have many chances, unlike me.”

A growl began in Lionblaze’s throat. It was bad enough having the tom’s haughty opinions on his hunting or temper. Now he had to butt in on his personal life too? “You only get she-cats because they’re too bee-brained to notice how awful you are!” he hissed. 

The cream tom narrowed his eyes in disgust. “Honeyfern was not a bee-brain. She was the most intelligent, beautiful, talented she-cat in the clans. And Poppyfrost is going to have beautiful kits!”

“Lionblaze!” Cinderheart cried. “Those are my sisters you’re talking about.”

“Oh, true.” Berrynose mewed, a small smile returning to his face. “If you and Cinderheart do end up together, we’d be a family.” He snuck closer patting Lionblaze gently on the head. “Don’t worry. I’ll always be here to give my little brother some pointers.”

“Just get out of here, Berrynose!” Lionblaze growled, and finally the cream tom took a hint, casting one last mocking smile at Lionblaze before ducking his head into the nursery and retreating to his den.

They sat in silence for a long while. Slowly, the light faded from the clearing as the sun fell below the horizon. The hollow emptied out as one-by-one, their clanmates funneled into the dens. Cloudtail moved to guard the camp entrance, but soon enough the rest of the camp was still and quiet, save for the regular breathing and faint snores of sleep.

“Lionblaze…” Cinderheart finally mewed. “You don’t really think my sisters are stupid, do you?”

“I-” Lionblaze stuttered, unsure of how to reply. They did both choose Berrynose as a mate. Honeyfern had always seemed a bit dim, a perfect match for Berrynose, and Poppyfrost had never looked at another tom even before Honeyfern’s death, so it’s unlikely Berrynose took her unwillingly. “Of course not.” Whatever the right thing to say was, he knew it began with that. “But I don’t think they made the right decision in humoring that stuck-up mouse-heart. You can’t control other cats’ choices but...maybe we should look out for Poppyfrost, in case she changes her mind.”

“She seems happy, for now,” Cinderheart murmured. “And I want to support her. Every cat should have the chance to choose their own mate. She loves Berrynose, and I won’t interfere with that.” She looked up at Lionblaze, her blue eyes shining with determination. “If ever changes though, I swear by Starclan I will protect my sister in any way I can.”

“On the topic of...choosing mates-” Lionblaze began, hesitant about changing subjects. But this had to be said, after the way the cream tom was going on about them. “Berrynose was just scraping at nothing, right? We’ve only just become friends again.”

Cinderheart nodded. “Of course. The clan just likes to gossip whenever two cats start spending time together.” She looked up at him, pressing her shoulder gently against his. “But I am truly happy we’re friends.”

Lionblaze had finally gone to sleep. His nest was still next to Hollyleaf’s after all this time, and he could see her chest rising and falling as she slept. She had already been asleep when he entered the den, but for once it didn’t bother him. She would come around in time, and, like Cinderheart, he would always be there when Hollyleaf decided to reach out again.

A smattering of thumps sounded outside, so quiet that Lionblaze thought he was imagining it. But it came again, just as quickly as it had the first time. This time, Lionblaze was sure it was pawsteps. Then there were rustles near the entrance. It wasn’t loud enough to be a cat. Was some foolish mouse wandering into the den?

Suddenly, he felt a prod in his shoulder.  “Uh? Get off!” Lionblaze swatted at the branch.

“Lionblaze!” Lionblaze recognized Jayfeather’s meow. His brother was pressing as close as he could to the inside of the den. “I have to talk to you. Bring Hollyleaf too.”

“It’s the middle of the night!” Lionblaze protested. What did the medicine cat have against sleep?

“Keep your voice down!” Jayfeather hissed quietly. “Do you want to wake every cat in the camp?"

"I didn't want you to wake me, actually."

His brother snorted impatiently. "This is important! We have to go somewhere.”

“What do you mean, ‘go somewhere’?” Lionblaze whispered. “Where?”

“Into the forest. Somewhere we can talk.”

“Okay, okay, keep your fur on.”  Lionblaze wasn’t looking forward to waking up his sister, but if Jayfeather said it was for something important, then it was. For a brief moment, he wondered if it was about the prophecy…but Hollyleaf wasn’t a part of that anymore. She never had been. It was Dovepaw who was the third cat in their powered trio. But Hollyleaf was still their sister. He would never abandon her.

Placing each paw carefully, Lionblaze crept back into the warriors’ den, standing on his nest as he overlooked his sister’s sleeping form. Her black fur blended into the shadow cast by the roof of the den, and her green eyes were hidden by their closed lids. The only sign of her existence was the expansion and retraction of her shadow as she breathed. She looks so peaceful. So many times when he saw her in recent moons, her face was tensed into a stern resolve. Seeing her so relaxed was… nice. However, he knew he had to disturb that peace. Hesitantly, he reached out a paw and shook her shoulder.

“Agh!” Hollyleaf cried, whipping around to look at him. “Lionblaze!” Seeming to notice his dismay, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “What were you thinking, waking me up in the middle of the night?”

“I’m sorry,” Lionblaze murmured hurriedly. “Jayfeather wants to tell us something. He wants to take us out of camp so we don’t disturb anyone. It sounded important.”

Her eyes narrowed. Their green depths seemed to glow as they reflected the bits of moonlight that filtered into the den. “I won’t be caught up in your hare-brained schemes anymore,” she growled. “I’m not even part of your prophecy. I’m just a warrior of Thunderclan, and it’s my duty to dedicate my energy to protecting it, not prancing off in the middle of the night to gossip!”

“Oh please, just come on!” Lionblaze hissed, accidentally letting his volume increase more than he had intended. A few cats stirred, twisting in their nests, and Lionblaze kept himself silent for several moments until they had stilled. “Our brother wants to talk to us. Isn’t that enough? Loyalty to our family?” 

Her gaze wavered. Lionblaze was sure she was thinking about Squirrelflight and the secret she told. After she had lied to them for so long, and even now refused to tell them who their birth parents were, none of the littermates had been willing to forgive her. As far as they were concerned, they had no parents anymore, none they could trust. Lionblaze and his siblings were all that was left of their kin. “Fine,” she muttered. Her tail waved as she stalked back out into the clearing. “This had better be worth it.”

“It will be,” Jayfeather promised.

All three cats slid out of the camp through the dirtplace tunnel, clinging to the shadows so as not to alert Poppyfrost, who was on watch. Then Jayfeather led them through the trees in the direction of the Windclan border.

“It’s freezing out here,” Hollyleaf complained. “I’m not going another paw step until you explain.”

“Okay.” Jayfeather turned to face his littermates. “I know who our birth parents are.” For a tense moment of silence, the whole world seemed to freeze around them, waiting only for what Jayfeather would say. He took a deep breath. “Leafpool and Crowfeather.”

For a few heartbeats there was silence. The emotions that churned through Lionblaze in that moment were so complex that the golden warrior wasn’t sure he could ever untangle them. I know who my parents are! Leafpool is Firestar’s daughter just like Squirrelflight. Of course we’re part of the three. And, somewhere in the back of his mind. Our father...I nearly killed our father.

“We’re half-clan?” Hollyleaf choked out at last.

“How do you know about this?” Lionblaze was baffled. After such a long time searching, how had Jayfeather just happened upon the answers they needed?

“It started with Mousefur,” Jayfeather explained. “I discovered that Leafpool was hiding parsley around the time of our birth, used for drying up the milk of nursing mothers, and it seemed likely at that point that Leafpool was our mother. Then I spoke with Yellowfang in a dream. She confirmed my suspicions, and just as I was about to leave, she brought me...a crow’s feather.”

“But that still might not mean...” Hollyleaf’s protest died away. All three cats knew the meaning of the sign. There was no point trying to pretend it wasn’t true. The fur of her tail began to fluff up in fury. “N-No! We’re-we can’t be!”

“Half-clan. I know,” Lionblaze growled. Did the clans really matter? He nearly murdered his father. That would be awful no matter where he came from.

“Our mother is a medicine cat!” she screeched. “Our father is from Windclan! Our birth breaks every code the clans have!”

“Does Crowfeather know about this?” Lionblaze demanded, wanting at least to get off the topic so Hollyleaf would have some time to settle her mind.

Jayfeather shrugged, looking agitated. “I don’t know.”

“We have to talk to him.” She dug her claws firmly into the ground, fixing her gaze on something unseen in the distance. “This needs to end. But first-” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I need to have a chat with our mother.”

Chapter Text

Hollyleaf waited patiently behind the medicine den as dawn approached. Her eyes were trained on the entrance, looking for any sign of movement, but her presence was hidden behind a curtain of ferns. Finally, the brown tabby form of Leafpool emerged, and Hollyleaf followed her out through the thorn tunnel into the forest. The medicine cat was out of sight, but Hollyleaf tracked her by her scent until she joined her at the top of a treeless rise overlooking the lake. Leafpool was sitting with her tail wrapped around her paws, gazing out across the water.

She sprang to her paws as Hollyleaf bounded up beside her. “Hollyleaf! Were you looking for me?”

“Yes, I—I wanted to ask you something.” Now that the moment had come, Hollyleaf didn’t feel so sure about what she was about to do. The answer would change her life forever. Was that what she wanted? I have to know the truth!

Leafpool’s eyes were wary as she mewed, “Go on, then.”

She knows we’ve found out about the lie! Hollyleaf guessed, her belly lurching. Squirrelflight must have told her what happened that day on the cliff. Her mothers knew exactly what was going on, and they still never told their own kits!

“Well?” Leafpool prompted.

Hollyleaf took a deep breath. “Tell me what you know. All of it. I have to know the truth!”

Leafpool’s amber eyes brimmed with sorrow. She took a pace toward Hollyleaf, sweeping her tail around as if to lay it on the younger cat’s shoulder, but left the gesture unfinished. For a split second, Hollyleaf was reminded of her first moon as an apprentice in the medicine den. Leafpool’s serenity and compassion for those she treated was always an inspiration to her. She carried her responsibility gracefully. But it was all a lie! She was really just hiding everything that was important to her, important for every cat to know. 

“You don’t have to worry,” Leafpool meowed. “I will never tell any cat. But please tell me why you did it.”

Hollyleaf felt as if a massive piece of fresh-kill were stuck in her throat. This wasn’t how she had intended their talk to go. “Did what?” she managed to choke out.

Leafpool let out a long sigh, closing her eyes as if she had to nerve herself for what she was about to say. Then she faced Hollyleaf again. “Why did you kill Ashfur?”

No! Hollyleaf dug her claws hard into the ground. That wasn’t what she had asked! Leafpool couldn’t know! She opened her jaws to reply, but the words of denial wouldn’t come.

“I know, Hollyleaf,” Leafpool mewed gently. “When I was preparing Ashfur’s body for his vigil, I found a tuft of your fur caught in his claws. But I hid it away where no cat would find it. I think I wanted to hide it from myself.” She paused, swallowed, and repeated, “Why?”

“He had to die!” Fury made Hollyleaf hiss through gritted teeth. “You know why!”

“No, I don’t.” Leafpool’s eyes were genuinely mystified, and Hollyleaf realized that Squirrelflight had never told her about revealing the terrible secret to Ashfur. Had she only told Leafpool that their kits knew? Not the important part? The reason why?

“He had to die because he knew!” Hollyleaf snarled. “That night, on the cliff in the storm, Squirrelflight told him that we weren’t her kits. He was going to tell all the clans at the Gathering, and I couldn’t let him do that! They think we’re true clan cats, born into the warrior code just as they were. I couldn’t let them find out the truth—that Firestar’s clan was even less pure than they thought. Ashfur would have ruined Thunderclan’s reputation. He would have shattered the truce. All the clans would have been destroyed!”

As she spoke, Leafpool’s eyes had grown wider with dismay. “Oh, Starclan, no!” she whispered. “This is all my fault…”

Hollyleaf’s mind was whirling. She couldn’t think beyond this moment; she only knew that the cat who held the truth in her paws was standing in front of her. “Squirrelflight told you about us, didn’t she? You were there when we first came to the hollow. Jayfeather was right about you.”

Leafpool faced her calmly now. “Yes, I know.”

“Then you have to tell me—please!” I need to hear it from you. A small part of her still desperately wished her brother had been wrong. Maybe he had misinterpreted his signs. Maybe Leafpool wasn’t their mother. Maybe they weren’t half-clan. 

For several heartbeats, Leafpool didn’t reply. She stood blinking, her muscles tensed as if she were about to leap over a vast chasm. Then she spoke. “I am your mother, Hollyleaf. Squirrelflight was trying to protect me.”

For a moment that lasted a heartbeat or maybe a moon, Hollyleaf stared at her. No, it can’t be! But she knew that Leafpool had spoken the truth. She had known before she came here. There was only one thing she still needed. It was time to speak with Crowfeather.

The three littermates headed silently through the forest. Drops from the recent heavy rain spattered their pelts as they brushed through the undergrowth. A chill breeze sprang up, ruffling their fur. Above her head, Hollyleaf could hear the first chirps of waking birds. The forest was still dimly lit, with only a small array of the colors usually filling the woods being visible. It looked as though the life had been drained out of it. Hollyleaf could understand the feeling.

Her mind was spinning. How could this have happened? Their mother was a medicine cat, their father a Windclan warrior. Both of them should have known they could never be together. We never should have been born! And yet...She looked over at her brothers marching beside her. They were destined to save the clans. Starclan had expected them, wanted them even. How could they be a part of the prophecy when none of them were meant to exist?

She padded along a few pawsteps behind her brothers, watching for any signs of anxiety. They were certainly angry. She could see Lionblaze pulsating with his anger, a growl coming out under his breath with every step. Jayfeather too was clearly agitated. His steps were stiff and heavy with the contained fury he was somehow managing to maintain. 

But both of them seemed so powerful as well. The pulsing anger in Lionblaze showed off the massive, strengthened muscles he hadn’t even had to work to create. He would be unphased by anything, able to walk through a battlefield and face an army of badgers without even a graze. Jayfeather shouldered the thoughts of every cat he came across without a problem. If he just dug deep enough, he had the ability to learn any secret, find every contained emotion, and delve into the dreams of cats to bring them back to life, along with his prowess in the physical realm of healing. 

And then...there was her. She didn’t have any magical ability. She had known that for a while. But she had still believed she could stay as what she had always been: a dedicated Thunderclan warrior, the arbiter of the warrior code, and  a cat who, through hard work, could eventually rise to be leader. But all of that was shattered now. How was she supposed to defend the warrior code when she herself was a violation of it? What standing did she have to punish or guide other cats? Maybe her brothers, as the pillars of strength they were, would be able to get through this, but Hollyleaf couldn’t see a path where she would.

At last the black she-cat could hear the gurgling of the border stream and taste the scent of fresh water, seeing it flow ahead. 

“It’s still early,” Hollyleaf remarked, “but we might spot their dawn patrol.”

They drew to a halt on the bank of the stream. Hollyleaf’s legs were trembling with a weariness she couldn’t recognize in her brothers; she would have liked to sink down into the long grass at the water’s edge, but she knew she had to confront her father standing on her paws.

Birdsong grew louder around them, and the bitter cold of night gradually eased. At last Hollyleaf caught signs of movement across the border; at the same moment Lionblaze exclaimed, “There they are!”

“Owlwhisker, Gorsetail, and Weaselfur,” Hollyleaf meowed. “Wait here. I’m going to talk to them.”

“Wait—” Jayfeather protested as Hollyleaf moved to leap over the stream, but she was already gone, far too angry to worry about crossing the border.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Owlwhisker demanded.

All Hollyleaf’s suppressed rage came out in her voice. “Fetch Crowfeather. Now.” There was no time for useless niceties. 

“What?” Weaselfur exclaimed indignantly. “Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?”

“Yeah,” Gorsetail added. “Get back into your own territory, or we’ll tear your fur off.”

Lionblaze came to stand by her. His golden fur puffed out until he was twice his normal size, looming over the Windclan cats. Hollyleaf growled lowly. She couldn’t even make her own threats. What authority did she have? “Just do it!” she ordered.

“Okay,” Owlwhisker mewed, his voice shrill as he tried to conceal his fear. “But you can wait on your own side of the border.”

The Windclan warriors bounded away towards their own camp. Hollyleaf felt her brother leave her side, and heard the thump as he jumped back across the stream. For a moment, Hollyleaf wondered what would happen if she stayed. Did it really matter now? But the land felt so wrong. She wasn’t a Windclan cat. She couldn’t be! But that was, somehow, in her blood.

“Are you coming?” Jayfeather muttered.

At the medicine cat’s prodding, Hollyleaf turned back to Thunderclan territory. Her claws tore up the grass as they waited, as if her fury had to find some kind of outlet. Her belly churned with anticipation as he caught the scent of an approaching Windclan cat on the breeze. Just one: Crowfeather had come alone. Good.

Even knowing her brothers would feel it, she couldn’t stop her body from quivering. Her tail kept twitching, raised just high enough off the ground to not make regular thumps as it trembled.

At last Crowfeather paused at the other side of the border. His gaze traveled around each of them, with the customary suspicion expected of any loyal warrior. “What do you want?”

Words choked in Hollyleaf’s throat as the three littermates faced the Windclan warrior across the stream. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Jayfeather.

But Lionblaze didn’t hesitate. “Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight are not our birth parents,” he declared. “Leafpool is our mother and you are our father.”

There was a pause. Then, “Don’t be mouse-brained,” Crowfeather snapped. “That’s impossible.”

He sounded so certain that for a heartbeat Hollyleaf wondered if they could possibly be mistaken, and her heart fluttered with excitement. But she already saw Jayfeather’s form stilling, and some part of her was certain that he was using his power in that moment to confirm what they all already knew.

“You and Leafpool ran away together, seasons ago,” he meowed. “That was when it happened. But you didn’t know, did you?”

“No…” For a heartbeat, Crowfeather sounded dazed. “I…suppose it’s possible but-but it can’t be!”

“But it is!” Lionblaze hissed. “You are our father. There is nothing you or we can do to change that.”

Hollyleaf could see the confusion on Crowfeather’s face. He didn’t know how to take it any more than she did. He looked so similar to her. Finally she noticed his black pelt, nearly the same shade as her own.

Still, his shock soon faded, replaced with nothing but a cold certainty. “I have one mate,” he snarled. “Her name is Nightcloud. We have one son, Breezepelt. I don’t know why you’ve come to me with these lies. Go home, and don’t come back. Why should I care about Thunderclan cats? You mean nothing to me. Nothing!”

The black she-cat felt herself gasp, and heard Lionblaze scraping his claws against the stone. He couldn’t just deny it! Even if she understood it; even if she didn’t want to accept it, she knew their connection was undeniable. But even her father wanted nothing to do with her. She shook her head. She didn’t need him either! She never had before and she didn’t now. She had nothing to do with Windclan!

Jayfeather was the only cat left with a perfectly calm expression. “The truth is out now,” he warned. “None of us can hide from it again.”

The truth…  

The group split up. Crowfeather turned and ran back to his own territory, where things made sense, and Jayfeather and Lionblaze headed back to camp. But Hollyleaf couldn’t join them. 

Whipping around, she bounded away, her paws slipping on the dead leaves so that she slid to the bottom of the rise in a tangle of legs and tail. Scrambling to her paws, she pelted toward the deepest places of the forest, as far from the hollow as she could get. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she wanted to outrun the lies, the scent of Windclan, and the taste of Ashfur’s blood in her mouth. It was all for nothing! I did it to save us all, but we were never worth saving! Everything has been ruined…

Her family had lied and abandoned her. Her brothers practically lived on another plain. Any destiny she ever had was ripped to shreds, with no hope of salvation. There was only one thing left for her to do, only one thing she could do. One last duty to the code she could no longer protect. They have to know.

Chapter Text

The rest of the day passed in a haze of pain, and when Hollyleaf finally curled up in her nest, her dreams were full of darkness. Thick undergrowth surrounded her, leaving scarcely a glimpse of the sky. She heard cats yowling at a distance, but however fast she ran toward them, she never managed to catch up with them.

When she woke to see dawn light filtering through the branches of the den, she still felt exhausted, as though she had really been running through that dark forest. 

“Ugh,” Dustpelt grunted as he sat up, glancing towards Hollyleaf as if he planned to start a conversation. “How is any cat supposed to sleep in this green-leaf heat?” 

Hollyleaf didn’t think she would have been able to sleep even if it were leaf-bare. The black she-cat tried to find some sort of response, but no part of her mind was free to think about the weather. 

Failing to get a reply, Dustpelt continued. “At least there might be a storm later to cool us, if this thickness is any indication.” He dipped his head. “Though, Starclan willing, it will avoid the time of the Gathering.”

The Gathering... That was tonight, yes. Dustpelt was right about the heaviness in the air. It was so sticky, it felt suffocating, slowing every cats’ movements along with their thoughts. It was overwhelming. She needed to get out. Leaving the den, Hollyleaf staggered to her paws and prodded Lionblaze, standing just outside.

“Hollyleaf?” Dustpelt cried, but she was already gone.

“What are we going to do?” she demanded in an urgent whisper as her brother blinked up at her. “I can’t go on like this!”

“I don’t know.” Lionblaze gave a quick glance around the den, as if he was afraid that some cat would overhear. “We’ll talk later.” He pushed his way out through the branches. Convinced that he was trying to avoid her, Hollyleaf followed hard on his paws.

Outside, Brackenfur was sorting the patrols. “Sandstorm, Stormfur and Brook can join Squirrelflight’s patrol to Windclan. Oh!” Spotting Hollyleaf and her brother emerging from the warriors’ den, he turned to face them. “Hollyleaf! Lionblaze!” “Brightheart is taking out a hunting patrol. Can you go with her?”

“Sure,” Lionblaze meowed, swerving across the clearing to where Brightheart waited beside the deputy with Hazeltail and Rosepaw.

Hollyleaf was still dazed as she followed, as if her paws belonged to some other cat. How could she fit into the clan’s everyday routine, now that she knew the terrible secret of her birth? She felt as if the sky should have cracked open or the moon fallen down into the hollow.

“Don’t forget, it’s the Gathering tonight,” Brackenfur reminded them. “The clan needs to eat well before the journey.”

“We will—don’t worry,” Brightheart promised, her whiskers twitching as she signaled to her patrol with her tail and headed for the camp entrance.

Hollyleaf followed, but she couldn’t concentrate on hunting. Pain dazzled her mind like lightning splitting the sky. She had built her life on the warrior code, and now she had failed it in the most unforgivable ways possible. It didn’t matter anymore; it had been broken too many times. Squirrelflight had broken it by lying; Crowfeather, by falling in love with a medicine cat; but most of all, Leafpool had shattered the code and trampled it into dust. She had betrayed her clan, her duty as a medicine cat, and her kits.

A mouse darted out in front of Hollyleaf’s paws and instinctively she leaped on it, her claws sinking into the soft body. A picture of Leafpool flashed in front of her eyes in a pulsing red haze, and she tore at the prey, imagining that she was clawing the life out of the cat she hated so much.

“Hollyleaf, stop!” Hazeltail’s voice was shocked, with a layer of fear to it that was so unusual for her. “What are you doing?”

Hollyleaf’s vision cleared. She saw her paws dripping with scarlet: The prey she had caught was reduced to a red pulp. There was nothing left to take back to the fresh-kill pile.

Fury surging through her, she rounded on Hazeltail. “Stay out of my fur!”

Hazeltail backed away, her eyes wide and scared, then back up and plunged away into the bracken. After the hunting patrol returned, Hollyleaf was too disturbed to stay in the camp. She didn’t want to talk anymore, especially not to Lionblaze or Jayfeather. Instead she headed out alone, down to the lake and then along the Windclan border until she reached the ridge and could look out across the rolling moorland.

Somewhere out there was the Windclan camp and the cat who was her father. His Windclan blood ran in her veins. But I don’t feel half-Windclan! Hollyleaf knew her home was under the trees, hunting mice and squirrels. The Windclan rabbits looked scrawny and tasteless from running across the hills. She hated the open spaces and the unrelenting wind. Gazing out across her father’s territory, she yowled silently, No! No! No!

As shadows fell across the stone hollow, Firestar called together the cats who were going to the Gathering. Hollyleaf padded up to join Jayfeather and Lionblaze, deliberately not looking at Squirrelflight and Leafpool a few paces away. Graystripe, Brambleclaw, and Sandstorm bounded up, followed by Cinderheart, Poppyfrost, and Berrynose.

“Let’s go,” Firestar meowed.

He led them down to the lake and along the edge of the water, splashing through the border stream. Hollyleaf felt every hair on her pelt prickle with disgust as she set paw on Windclan territory. I don’t belong here! I want nothing to do with Windclan!

Clouds were lurking at the edge of the territory with the storm Dustpelt had predicted sure to follow, but for now the sky above the lake was clear, leaving the full moon to shine brightly. Hollyleaf stopped and stared up at it. Do you approve of what I’m going to do, Starclan?  

With every paw step she was alert for the sight or scent of Windclan cats. She wondered if Crowfeather had been chosen to go to the Gathering. Why should it matter? She thought fiercely. He’s nothing to me. Nothing!

Just ahead of her, Firestar was flanked by Graystripe and Sandstorm. “You know, I still miss Fourtrees,” Sandstorm murmured. “The moon seemed brighter there, somehow.” 

Firestar gave her an affectionate nudge. “You sound like an elder!”

Sandstorm swatted at him with her tail. “You wait. I’ll be the crankiest elder the clans have ever seen. Mousefur will seem sweet and gentle next to me!”

“And hedgehogs will fly,” Graystripe meowed. “But I miss the old forest, too,” he added. “It’s the place we were born. These younger cats will feel just the same about the lake. Isn’t that right?” He glanced over his shoulder at Lionblaze and Hollyleaf.

Lionblaze managed a brief nod, but Hollyleaf couldn’t reply at all. Sheer envy surged over her, jealousy of these cats who knew where they belonged, who had good memories of living by the warrior code, season after season. They don’t know it’s all a lie!  

The horseplace was dark and silent when the Thunderclan cats padded past. There was still no sign of Windclan; Hollyleaf assumed they had already made their way to the island.

When they reached the tree-bridge, they found Riverclan in the middle of crossing; Firestar held back his warriors with a polite nod to Leopardstar. While she waited, Hollyleaf flexed her claws in and out, her belly churning. This will be a Gathering none of them will ever forget!

Leaping from the roots at the other end of the tree- bridge, she paused to taste the mingled scents of the other three clans.

“We’re the last,” Cinderheart meowed, landing beside Lionblaze on his other side. “We’d better be quick.”

Hollyleaf followed her clanmate across the strip of pebbles and into the undergrowth. There was no need to hurry. She had set her paws on the path she had chosen, and the time for her to act would come as surely as one season gave way to the next.

When she pushed through the bushes and into the clearing around the Great Oak, she hesitated, awed in spite of herself by the mass of cats in front of her. clan mixed with clan as the cats found themselves places around the tree.

Then Hollyleaf’s paws carried her forward, weaving a path through the crowd. She was scarcely aware of Tawnypelt greeting her, or of the Shadowclan queen’s affronted look as she brushed past. She ignored the snatches of gossip that she picked up as she padded past. What has all that got to do with me now?

She found a place to sit, close to the Great Oak, where she could look up and see the clan leaders crouched among the branches: Onestar, comfortably settled in the fork of a branch; Blackstar, crouched on the lowest branch with his tail hanging down; Leopardstar, standing a tail-length higher, impatiently scratching at the bark. Firestar leaped up to join them, scattering a few late acorns as the branch he chose swayed under him.

Lionblaze had followed Hollyleaf across the clearing, and sat down next to her. “Crowfeather’s here,” he muttered.

“I know.” Hollyleaf had already spotted the Windclan warrior, but he hadn’t seemed to notice her. Now she glanced to where Lionblaze was pointing with his tail, and she saw her father sitting close to Nightcloud and Breezepelt. His head was turned away, but Hollyleaf guessed that he knew exactly where she and her brothers were. All his kits together at once. How nice for him.

A shrill yowl sounded from the branches of the tree, and Leopardstar stepped forward. The noise in the clearing stilled as the cats fellsilent and turned to look up at her. “The Gathering has begun,” she announced. “Riverclan will report first. Prey is running well. Mistyfoot, Reedwhisker, and Rainstorm drove a fox out of our territory.”

She stepped back with a curt nod to Blackstar. The Shadowclan leader rose, while below him Hollyleaf drove her claws into the ground, her whole body quivering with tension. Suddenly she wasn’t sure she would know when her time to act had come. Starclan, give me a sign! If you’re even watching… Did they care about her fate? A half-clan cat who had broken both the warrior and medicine cat codes with her birth, failed to be part of the prophecy with her littermates and then murdered a cat. Why would she still matter to them? Why would she still be welcome with them?

“Shadowclan is thriving this green-leaf,” Blackstar reported. “We have three new warriors with us this moon: Olivenose, Shrewfoot, and Redwillow.”

A murmur of congratulation rose from the assembled cats, with a few yowls of “Olivenose! Shrewfoot! Redwillow!” Hollyleaf spotted the new warriors sitting a distance from their former denmates: Tigerpaw and Dawnpaw. Their eyes shone with pride. Claws tore at her heart. I felt like that once.

Onestar followed Blackstar, and he too had new warriors to present: Swallowtail and Sedgewhisker. Hollyleaf’s mind flashed back to her night as an apprentice, saving them from the flooding river in the caves. They had nearly died that night. Hollyleaf had been overrun with fear, but Jayfeather had stayed calm, led by Starclan or something else to a crack in the roof that brought them to safety. She should have known even then that he was someone special. 

Caught up in her thoughts, the black she-cat missed Onestar’s other news, about a dead sheep in the border stream, which his warriors had dragged out to keep the water clean.

Now it was Firestar’s turn. Rising to his paws, he balanced on his branch and looked down into the clearing with his green eyes glowing in the moonlight. “Dovepaw and Ivypaw are here tonight at their first gathering,” he began. “Millie and Lionblaze will mentor them.”

“Millie?” Leopardstar hissed. “You’re giving the kittypet an apprentice.”

Firestar shot her a glare, but seemed to contain his anger. “Millie has been a loyal, talented warrior for seasons now. I do not see why we should refuse her an opportunity to teach what she knows to the next generation.”

“I think it’s a fine idea, Firestar,” Blackstar meowed, dipping his head in courtesy. 

Firestar returned the nod equally politely, though Hollyleaf could see his claws tighten on his branch. “Besides that—”

Now!

“Wait!” Hollyleaf leaped to her paws. “There’s something that I have to say that all the clans should hear.”

“What?” Lionblaze reached up and dragged at her with one paw, trying to get her to sit down again. “Are you mouse-brained? Warriors don’t speak here!”

“This one does,” Hollyleaf hissed, shaking him off. She spotted Jayfeather among the other medicine cats, his expression utterly horrified, but she ignored him. “You think you—” she began.

“Hollyleaf!” Firestar’s voice rang out from the branch where he stood looking down at her; his eyes smoldered with green fire. “If you have anything important to say here, it should have been discussed with me first. Be silent now, and whatever’s troubling you, I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow.”

Moons spent following the warrior code almost forced Hollyleaf to clamp her jaws shut and sit down. The word of your clan leader is the warrior code! Then she braced herself. But the warrior code is already broken. The truth needs to get out, no matter what it costs me. 

“No!” she meowed, ignoring the gasps of shock from the cats around her. “I will speak now!”

“Yes, let her speak.” Leopardstar stepped forward again, looking down curiously at Hollyleaf. “I’d like to hear what she has to say.”

“As would I,” Blackstar growled. 

“Or has Thunderclan got secrets that they’re too scared to reveal?” Onestar taunted, flicking his tail contemptuously at Firestar.

Yowling broke out all around the clearing as the cats from the other three clans challenged Thunderclan. Hollyleaf stood in the middle of the uproar, feeling strangely calm; she knew she needed to wait only a few heartbeats more.

At last Firestar raised his tail for silence. “Very well, Hollyleaf,” he mewed when the noise had died down. “Say what you have to. And Starclan grant you don’t regret it.”

Now the clearing was so quiet that Hollyleaf could hear a mouse scuttering among the dead leaves under the Great Oak. “You think you know me,” she began again. “And my brothers, Lionblaze and Jayfeather of Thunderclan. You think you know us, but everything you have been told about us is a lie! We are not the kits of Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight.”

“What?” Brambleclaw shot to his paws from where he sat a few fox-lengths from the base of the Great Oak. His amber eyes flamed. “Squirrelflight, why is she talking such nonsense?”

So he really didn’t know. It made no difference, but she had always wondered if her mother let her mate in on their secret and lied about it, as she had about everything.

Squirrelflight stood up. The flare of panic in her eyes faded and was replaced with—what? Regret? Guilt? Or the sorrow of a mother who was about to lose her kits forever…? “I’m sorry, Brambleclaw, but it’s true. I did not give birth to these kits. They are not yours.” 

The brown tabby stared at her. “Then whose are they?”

Squirrelflight turned her sad green gaze on the cat she had always claimed as her daughter. “Tell them, Hollyleaf. I kept the secret for seasons; I’m not going to reveal it now.”

“Coward!” Hollyleaf flashed at her. Her gaze swept around the clearing, seeing the eyes of every single cat trained on her. “I’m not afraid of the truth! Leafpool is our mother, and Crowfeather—yes, Crowfeather of Windclan—is our father.”

Yowls of shock greeted her words, but Hollyleaf shouted over them. “These cats were so ashamed of us that they gave us away and lied to every single one of you to hide the fact that they had broken the warrior code. It’s all her fault.” She whipped her tail around to point at Leafpool. “How can the clans survive when there are cowards and liars at the very heart of them?”

The screeches and gasps of horror grew so loud that Hollyleaf couldn’t make herself heard anymore. But there was no need. She had said what she had come to say. Her legs trembled as if she had run all the way across the territory, and she had to sit down. Inside she felt a curious peace, as if she had lanced a festering sore and was watching the poison drain away.

Crowfeather’s voice rose above the rest in a furious yowl. “It’s not true!” He had sprung to his paws, his dark gray fur bristling. Beside him, Nightcloud and Breezepelt looked bewildered and angry. “She’s the one who’s lying!”

Then Leafpool stood up. The crowd of cats fell silent, their eyes turned toward her. “It’s true, Crowfeather,” she meowed. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but there was never a right time.”

Her amber eyes were seared with grief. Pity stirred in Hollyleaf, but she choked it down. I hate her! She lied and betrayed us all!

“You mean nothing to me, Leafpool.” Crowfeather’s voice was cold. “That moon has passed. My loyalty is only to Windclan, and I have no kits other than Breezepelt.” He glanced to where Nightcloud and Breezepelt stood beside him; the black she-cat had her ears flattened to her head, while Breezepelt’s teeth were bared in a snarl.

“I’m sure these cats meant no harm!” Firestar’s voice rose above the crowd. “All of this happened seasons ago, and Leafpool has been nothing but a faithful medicine cat in the time since.” Was he going to let Leafpool and Squirrelflight get away with everything they had done? Firestar couldn’t ignore the warrior code! He was clan leader!

“I wonder Firestar,” Onestar hissed. “Would you be so forgiving if this wasn’t your medicine cat? Your daughter?”

Leopardstar nodded in agreement. “The warrior code must be upheld by every cat! You can’t just put it aside whenever it isn’t convenient for you!”

“The truce was put in place because we all agreed to stand by the clans,” Blackstar broke in. “Both the guidance of Starclan and the rule of the warrior code. You would be threatening that if you let these cats forget their deeds without some punishment.”

Leafpool dipped her head as if she wasn’t going to argue; then she looked up at Firestar, who was crouched on his branch, as still as a cat made out of stone. “I know that I cannot be Thunderclan’s medicine cat any longer,” she meowed. “I’m so very sorry to you, Firestar, and to all my clanmates. I don’t want to disrupt the peace our clans have reached. Please know that I tried my best, and regretted what I had done with every single breath.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and she paused, swallowing, before she continued. “But I couldn’t regret having my kits. They are fine cats, and I will always be proud of them.”

Firestar tried once more to reach his daughter. “Leafpool, I-”

But the former medicine cat shook her head. “It’s okay. I can live with the consequences of my own actions.” She gave Crowfeather one last glance, then padded across the clearing with her head bowed. Cats scrambled out of her way as she made for the bushes and pushed her way through, out of sight. Every cat stared after her, still shocked into silence.

Brambleclaw was the first to move, padding forward until he stood face to face with Squirrelflight. “Why?” he meowed.

Squirrelflight’s voice was desperate. “I had to! She’s my sister!”

“And you couldn’t trust me?” Brambleclaw’s voice was shaking, and Hollyleaf saw a deep shudder pass through his body. For a heartbeat, she was sorry for what she had done. Her father had not been responsible for any of the lies. He was just as much a victim as her littermates were.

Squirrelflight did not reply, just held his gaze without flinching.

“You couldn’t trust me,” he repeated. “Don’t you think I would have helped you, if you’d told me the truth? But it’s too late now.” He turned away, shouldering a path through the crowd.

“Brambleclaw—” Squirrelflight took a pace after him, then halted, her head hanging and her tail drooping in despair.

Hollyleaf turned her back. Let her suffer. She deserves it!  

A cat nudged her from behind. It was Cinderheart. “What have you done?” she cried.

Hollyleaf blinked in surprise. “I did the right thing.” She had revealed the crimes that had been hidden for so long. She had brought justice and prevented any cat from using their secret against Thunderclan! 

The gray she-cat shook her head. “There is no right thing. Everything to do with this leads to more pain.” The wisdom in her voice seemed to come from a much older and more experienced cat. Hollyleaf waited for her to say something else, something to show how sorry she felt for Hollyleaf and her littermates. But Cinderheart just turned and padded away.

Hollyleaf stared after her. Why didn’t she understand? Surely any cat could see that they couldn’t have carried on living a lie? Besides, Starclan hadn’t sent clouds to cover the moon. Her warrior ancestors must be pleased that the secrets were out and the deceit was at an end.

However, none of the cats here seemed pleased. Not even her own clanmates. Sandstorm was staring at her, bewilderment and sorrow in her green gaze. Graystripe’s amber eyes were blank with disbelief. Poppyfrost and Berrynose had their heads close together, talking urgently and shooting hostile glances at her.

Suddenly Hollyleaf couldn’t bear to be stared at for another heartbeat. Blundering through the crowd, she thrust through the bushes, ignoring the thorns that tore her pelt, and fled across the strip of pebbles and over the tree-bridge. Racing past the horseplace, she began to climb the ridge, skirting the Windclan border until she reached the very top and could look out over the lake. Boundaries must be checked and marked daily. Challenge all trespassing cats. But no cat would be able to challenge her now. Those that weren’t asleep somewhere off in Windclan’s camp were still on the Gathering island. A silver path of moonlight stretched across the surface of the water. The reflections of countless warriors of Starclan glittered around it.

“Was it all worth it?” Hollyleaf wailed to them. “Being an apprentice, working hard to learn the warrior code? What could any of us have done to make things different?”

The flickering stars gave her no answer.

Hollyleaf padded along the ridge until she reached her own territory and could plunge back into the trees. When she arrived in the stone hollow, everything was quiet. The Gathering patrol had not yet returned, and the other cats were asleep, except for Brightheart, on watch beside the entrance. Hollyleaf brushed past her, ignoring the she-cat’s greeting.

She stalked across the clearing in the bright wash of moonlight and entered the medicine cats’ den. Her heartbeat quickened when she saw there was no sign of Leafpool. I know what I’m going to do. All this is Leafpool’s fault.

Crawling right to the back of the storage cave, she found the leaf wrap with the deathberries they had been saving for the snakes and drew it out carefully. She placed it on the floor of the den and unfolded the leaf so the glossy red berries were exposed. They had begun to shrivel, but she knew they still held their deadly poison. Hollyleaf sat beside the berries, wrapped her tail over her paws, and waited. 

Soon she heard a slow paw step outside and Leafpool brushed past the bramble screen and stood in front of her. “Hollyleaf.” She didn’t sound surprised to find her daughter there. Her eyes were full of weariness and sorrow. “It’s all right,” she mewed. “I forgive you.”

“What!” Hollyleaf sprang to her paws. “You forgive me? You’re the one who needs forgiveness! You abandoned your kits! You let us grow up in a web of lies, and now the warrior code might be broken forever because of your stupid, selfish actions.”

“Do you think you need to tell me that?” Leafpool asked, still with the same exhausted calm. “I can only tell you how much I love you. I’m so sorry for what I did.”

“And you expect me to forgive you?” Hollyleaf snarled. “Well, I don’t. I never will.” Fur bristling, she padded around Leafpool until she blocked the entrance to the den. “See those deathberries? You’re going to eat them—or I’ll make you!”

“What?” Leafpool sounded bewildered.

“Eat them! You deserve to die.” Hollyleaf crouched, ready to spring, when the medicine cat made no move toward the deadly berries. “I’ve killed once,” she snarled. “And I can do it again.”

A gleam of some emotion that Hollyleaf couldn’t read woke in her mother’s eyes. “Hollyleaf,” Leafpool meowed. “I have lost my kits, the one cat I loved, and my calling as a medicine cat. Which do you think would be easier for me, to die or to go on living?”

With a jolt, Hollyleaf was pulled back to the night of the fire. If I were to kill them, they would go to Starclan. They would be at peace and you would rest easy knowing they are safe. No, you don’t need these cats to die. You need them to hate you. Ashfur’s words rang in her mind. Of course living would hurt her more...and she did deserve to suffer, right? 

There was only one answer to that question. Silently Hollyleaf stood aside, and Leafpool padded past her and out of the den. As the former medicine cat left, the black she-cat heard a loud crack in the sky, and the rain began pouring furiously down. Are you upset, Starclan? What did they want from her? Were they punishing her for letting Leafpool go? Or for telling the cats at the Gathering her family’s secret? What was right?

An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats. Killing wasn’t right. 

You may have friendships with cats from other clans, but your loyalty must remain to your clan. Hollyleaf wasn’t right, but neither were Leafpool and Squirrelflight. 

But Ashfur wasn’t right either, was he? He couldn’t  be! Although, he had been sent to Starclan, while she had been invited to train in the Dark Forest. Were their ancestors on his side? Unless it is outside the code or necessary for self-defense. Was that what she had been doing? Was that what Ashfur thought he was doing, somehow?

What am I supposed to do?  

She had killed a cat from her own clan. She had been invited to the Dark Forest. She was using the punishment of the very cat she had silenced. Even her own friends were horrified with her. What am I?

“Hollyleaf?” Jayfeather’s voice came from the entrance to his den.

She was discovered. There was no choice anymore. She couldn’t stay.

Chapter Text

Jayfeather slid through the thorn tunnel and stood panting in the middle of the clearing as a thunder crash split the air and the first droplets of rain fell on his pelt. He had raced back from the island as soon as the Gathering broke up, struggling through the mass of bewildered cats to get across the tree-bridge. 

He scented Leafpool leaving their den; right now she was the last cat he wanted to talk to. Beyond her, fainter, he picked up Hollyleaf’s scent. What’s she doing in our den? What did she say to Leafpool?  

Darting across the clearing, he crashed through the brambles and confronted his littermate. “Hollyleaf! What are you doing here?” Sniffing, he detected another scent. “Why are those deathberries out here?”

“Leave me alone!” Hollyleaf screeched.

Before Jayfeather could dodge, she leaped at him, bowling him over and raking her claws across his shoulder. Jayfeather’s legs flailed and his hind paws connected with Hollyleaf’s belly. A barrage of her angry, despairing thoughts flooded over him as she gave him a cuff over the ear and fled out of the den.

“Hollyleaf, wait!” Jayfeather scrambled to his paws and launched himself after her.

When he emerged into the clearing, Hollyleaf was already plunging into the thorn tunnel. Jayfeather raced after her, his belly fur brushing the soft wet ground as he broke out into the forest. The scents of more cats greeted him as the rest of the Gathering patrol returned to the camp.

“Jayfeather, what’s wrong?” Lionblaze called out. He turned and bounded along beside him. “What’s happening?” he gasped.

“It’s Hollyleaf,” Jayfeather panted. “We’ve got to catch her.”

Hollyleaf was heading deep into the forest, crashing through bracken and brambles as if she had suddenly lost her sight.

“Hollyleaf, come back!” Lionblaze yowled. “We need to talk!”

But Hollyleaf didn’t slacken her pace. Briefly she burst out onto the old Twoleg path that led past the abandoned den, then veered into the undergrowth again. Rain pelted down on them, soaking all of their pelts, but it didn’t matter in that moment.

“I know where she’s going!” Jayfeather panted, feeling a chill run through him. “The old tunnels…”

“But she can’t!” Lionblaze sounded terrified. “Hollyleaf, stop!”

Racing around a bramble thicket, Jayfeather and Lionblaze came face-to-face with their sister; she had halted just inside the mouth of a tunnel halfway up the ridge, above the abandoned Twoleg nest. It wasn’t one Jayfeather had used before; there was a stale scent of fox, overlaid with the smell of water and stone drifting from the darkness behind her. With the strength of the rain coming down, it was possible the tunnels could flood again, like they had when the littermates first entered. They couldn’t let Hollyleaf leave!

Jayfeather tried to speak calmly. “Hollyleaf, you’ve got to listen to us.”

Hollyleaf didn’t seem to hear. “I’m sorry,” she meowed softly. “I was only trying to do what was best. I couldn’t let Ashfur live! For all our sakes! You understand that, don’t you?”

Jayfeather caught his breath. Beside him, he heard Lionblaze gasp, “You killed Ashfur?”

If Hollyleaf replied, Jayfeather didn’t hear it. Hating his power more than he ever had before, he had reached out to his sister’s memories. She was stalking Ashfur along the Windclan border stream, treading lightly, avoiding boulders where her claws might scrape or ferns that would brush against her fur. Ashfur, intent on hunting, never noticed she was there. 

Hollyleaf followed him like a shadow until they came to a place where the bank was steep and slippery, and the stream was a foaming snake far below. She pounced on him from a rock, gripping his shoulders with her forepaws and twisting her head around to sink her teeth into his throat. Inside the red mist that clouded her senses, Ashfur was nothing but prey, something that had to be killed to protect the warrior code and the future of her clan.

Ashfur clawed feebly at her, but blood was gushing from his throat. His body went limp and Hollyleaf leaped away, letting it crash into the stream. She stood watching it for a while, until the swift-flowing water had washed away the blood. Then she padded up to a pool of water on top of the bank and rinsed her paws, turning the water red. Behind her, Ashfur’s body bobbed against the bank before floating away downstream.

“He should have been swept into the lake and never seen again.” Hollyleaf’s voice wrenched Jayfeather out of her terrible memories. “But they found him, and now everything is ruined.” Despair vibrated in her voice. “I was certain I did the right thing, but now… I thought telling the truth was the right thing too, but now I’m the one who ruined everything. Your lives, your destinies, thanks to me, they might be over.”

“Hollyleaf, it’s all right!” Lionblaze wailed. “We can figure it out together! The clan will forgive you. You were only trying to help us.”

“But did I?” She hissed. “I wanted to protect the warrior code, and instead I destroyed it. I wanted to protect my clan, and yet I’ve ruined their reputation with the other clans. I wanted to protect you, but now you will live under scrutiny because of my actions. I…” She heaved, trying to slow her breathing enough to get her words out. “I always thought I knew what to do. I thought I was doing the right thing. But now...I don’t know what to do about anything, anymore! All I know is I can’t stay here.”

There was a patter of paws as she turned and fled down the tunnel. Running forward, Jayfeather could hear the roaring of the river underground, pounding hungrily against the stone. “Hollyleaf, no!” he yowled. “We can help you—” 

A blast of thunder louder than any previous one interrupted them, and soon a deafening rumble shook the air; it went on and on. He pictured wet soil and rock raining down as the tunnel collapsed, crashing onto his sister, knocking her to the floor, crushing her, burying her…  He darted forward. “Hollyleaf!”

Lionblaze charged into him, knocking him off his paws and pinning him down; Jayfeather writhed furiously underneath him. “Let me up!” he screeched. “We have to get her out!”

“We can’t help her,” Lionblaze growled. “The tunnel has collapsed. There’s no way we can follow her in.”

Jayfeather lay still, panting, as the tumult of falling earth and stones died away. In the silence, Lionblaze stepped back and let him clamber to his paws. Hollyleaf had seen the tunnels as a way to escape her clan and everything that had gone wrong. Except she hadn’t escaped—not in the way she wanted.

“It’s over,” Lionblaze meowed, his voice shaking.

“I don’t understand.” Jayfeather was trembling with shock and grief. “She killed Ashfur to keep the secret safe. But then she revealed it to every cat at the Gathering.”

“It wasn’t the same.” Lionblaze pressed up against him until Jayfeather felt his brother’s dismay mingling with his own. “Hollyleaf couldn’t bear the thought of being a medicine cat’s kit. She couldn’t bear the idea that she was half-clan. The warrior code meant everything to her, and our birth smashed it to pieces.”

“We should have done something,” Jayfeather insisted. “What are we going to tell the clan?”

Lionblaze let out an exhausted sigh. “We can’t tell them she killed Ashfur. How can we let that be the only thing she’s remembered for?”

Jayfeather nodded. After all this, there was one more secret to keep, for Hollyleaf’s sake. “Let’s say that she chased a squirrel into the tunnel, and it collapsed on her. They can remember her for being a brave hunter, feeding her clan. They don’t need to know the truth—that she was trying to escape from them.”

They spent a long moment in silence, letting the rain drench their fur until they shivered despite the green-leaf heat. Jayfeather could practically feel the hot gaze of Lionblaze boring into his pelt, looking for any kind of solution to the massive problems they were now facing. Though Jayfeather found it difficult to think through the pounding stream of thoughts about Hollyleaf’s death coming from his brother. There were so many that he couldn’t determine the exact words in any one of them, but the grief all of them conveyed was enough to nearly knock him off his feet. It’s so loud! He flattened his ears against his head to try and block it out.

But it didn’t go away. He couldn’t manage to shut out the screams or pleads...and as he listened, it didn’t sound quite like Lionblaze’s voice. His was certainly a part of the uproar, but it was quieting with Jayfeather’s effort. It’s me, he realized. I...lost my sister.

“Come on,” Lionblaze hissed, gritting his teeth in an attempt to hold back some of his emotion. “We need to tell the clan.”

Slowly they began limping back to the camp. Jayfeather felt a fresh breeze ruffling his fur, and he drew in long, cold gulps of air. A new day was beginning, but all he wanted was to go back to his den, curl up, and try to escape into sleep. How could the sun rise today, after everything that had happened?

“Jayfeather! Lionblaze!” Cinderheart’s shrill voice welcomed them back. Her pawsteps pounded towards them, stopping them at the entrance. Though she was the only one who called for them, Jayfeather could scent Poppyfrost close behind. 

“Why did you run out of camp so quickly?” Poppyfrost asked, anxiety edging her voice.

“I thought I saw Hollyleaf ahead of you,” Cinderheart added. She paused for a moment, likely twisting her head to look behind Jayfeather and Lionblaze into the thorn tunnel. “But she isn’t with you. Did you see her? Maybe she went for a walk after…everything.”

Jayfeather opened his mouth, knowing the clan needed to hear about what happened to Hollyleaf. Cinderheart especially, and Hazeltail when she was awake, would need to know their friend was…gone. But nothing was coming out. For some reason, his words weren’t forming. His throat was suddenly caught, choked with something that hadn’t been there a heartbeat before. I can’t say it!

“Hollyleaf went into the tunnels.” Lionblaze’s tone was remarkably even considering the turmoil still going on in his mind. “She found a squirrel, and she wanted to catch it so badly…She ran in before we could stop her...and then there was a rockslide.”

Poppyfrost’s muffled voice entered the medicine cat’s mind. Oh Starclan, no!

Jayfeather could already hear the two she-cats anticipating his next words. Lionblaze didn’t need to say it. His tone and brief explanation was enough for them to know exactly what was happening.

She can’t be dead! Cinderheart was crying out in her mind. No, no, no! I never meant for this to happen! I tried to help you! The poor she-cat seemed only a moment away from yowling her despair to the sky.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Lionblaze stuttered. Jayfeather could feel his brother shaking against him as he tried to utter the next words. “She’s dead.”

Chapter Text

There was darkness.

Hollyleaf had seen plenty of darkness before: in the blackest of new-moon nights, in the depths of the tunnels during a flood, even when she closed her eyes to sleep. But this was different. There was a crushing silence against her ears, and she couldn’t detect a single object around her through touch, even the ground. She couldn’t seem to move even a muscle to check, however. Perhaps land was just out of her reach. 

Her mind felt foggy, filled with flashing images and words she wasn’t quite able to connect. Jayfeather, Code, Cinderheart, Three, Lionblaze, Failure, Hazeltail, Rocks...Rockslide. That’s right. She was caught in a rockslide. Where was that? The tunnels under her territory. 

Her territory. Did she belong there? No, something about that seems wrong. Maybe that was why she left, ran into these tunnels and into the rockslide. 

Hollyleaf, no! A horrified voice cried out in her mind…in her memories

Jayfeather? It was her brother, the sharp-tongued medicine cat tough enough to withstand a tidal wave of thoughts from every direction and see into the depths of your soul. Why is he so upset? He was calling for her...what happened?

With a jolt, Hollyleaf finally remembered everything: where she was, what she was doing here, why she had come, why her brother cried out with such terror.  She was dying. Her body was being crushed under a barrage of boulders in tunnels that could very well be filling up with rainwater, perhaps as a punishment for all that she had done and become. 

Finally, she began to feel a floor hardening beneath her, forming the slight grit of a dry stretch of earth. Her surroundings slowly blotted into view. It didn’t have the  pitch-black rocky tunnel environment she had expected. Instead, it was a forest, but not the one she used to call her home. Still, the jagged, leafless, winding trail of trees was one she recognized, with a stab of fear and guilt. The Dark Forest…  

What she couldn’t recognize was the form of a ragged old she-cat standing before her. It wasn’t Ebonystar, certainly. This she-cat’s long tan and white patched fur was nothing like the leader’s sleek dark pelt and her dark amber eyes were a sharp contrast to the bright green eyes of the other Dark Forest cat Hollyleaf had met. “Who are you?” 

The she-cat’s amber eyes looked dejected. Her shoulders dipped with an exhaustion that at the very least seemed genuine. “My name is Fawnstar-” she paused, giving it a moment of thought. “Well, perhaps I should say Fawnskip instead,” she murmured. The black she-cat had never heard either name, even in the elders’ tales. How old was this cat? Had she known Ebonystar? Before she could ask anything more though, Fawnskip shook her head sorrowfully. “I am sorry, but I believe you are coming to join us.”

Hollyleaf was dying… and evidently this was where she was headed. A part of her was hyperventilating: terrified of the prospect of spending eternity in this place and desperately thinking of ways to escape. She was better than this! She was supposed to be special. Her whole life was dedicated to helping the clans! But somehow, her body seemed mostly still, save for the pounding heart in her chest. She had suspected this might happen from the moment that Ebonystar invited her to join, and soon after when she found out about her birth. As she collapsed in that tunnel, her last thoughts before fading out of consciousness were wondering how Starclan would punish her. The answer should have been obvious. For cats in death, the Dark Forest was their punishment. Whether or not she had ever intended to be a good cat, she wasn’t.

Although, she was surprised she even had a cat here to greet her. Perhaps in Starclan you were welcomed by your lost friends and family, but she couldn’t imagine the cats of the Dark Forest caring enough about each other to speak to each other when new arrivals came. And hadn't Ebonystar said that the Dark Forest kept cats apart? But here one was, appearing to grieve for the life Hollyleaf was losing. Perhaps there were some lies in the clans’ stories of the Dark Forest and some truths in what Ebonystar told me about this place. Maybe Fawnskip wasn’t evil enough to deserve a place here. Though, she didn’t yet know enough about the strange she-cat to say one way or the other.

“How did you end up here?” Hollyleaf posed the question, keeping her tone firm. Even if she sounded nicer than Ebonystar, she was still from the Dark Forest. Hollyleaf didn’t really know anything about her motives. These were the cats she once might have been made to defeat. They manipulated her brother, a true savior of their world, into training under them. She couldn’t trust one after a single gesture of kindness.

Fawnskip’s amber eyes closed tightly. With her tapered forehead and frown on her face, she looked as though she were concentrating hard. But on what? Did she really have to think so hard to remember her own past? Or was she just coming up with a convincing lie? “It’s...hard to remember,” She stuttered. “I’ve rewritten my own story so often since coming here. I’ve tried to explain and justify my actions in every way I could think of…but I believe it had to do with the clan-the group I led.”

Hollyleaf narrowed her gaze, taking a pace backwards from this she-cat to give herself more protection in case of an attack. “What group was that?” She hissed. If Fawnskip had rewritten her own story enough that even she couldn’t remember it, Hollyleaf knew she couldn’t be trusted.

“The Warriors of Peace,” she answered clearly. “That’s what we called ourselves. We planned to fulfill a prophecy from Starclan and end one of the longest wars the clans had known. It was where I came to be known as Fawnstar, despite the fact that Starclan never acknowledged us as a clan, let alone gave me nine lives. But…” She tensed her eyes once more, scraping the ground with one of her front paws as she tried desperately to remember the next part. “I believe we may have become known as the villains instead. My warriors were stealing clan prey, walking all over their territories, killing cats who got into petty disagreements, all under the mantle of working to bring peace.”

“How could any cat do that? Clan cats would never turn on their own!” Hollyleaf hissed, feeling her tail fluff up at this blatant disgrace to the code. In a heartbeat, a thought came to her, and she crouched ready to pounce on this dangerous cat. “Unless you manipulated them!”

“No!” She cried. “I mean…I don’t remember exactly, but I know they weren’t clan cats. They were rogues, loners, and a few kittypets. I thought I was helping them by giving them a clan to find loyalty in.” Her head dropped in guilt. “But all I did was give the clans an enemy strong enough to make them band together to defeat us. I knew I wouldn’t be welcomed into Starclan after that.”

She was awful! Fawnskip before her wasn’t a pitable she-cat who ended up in the Dark Forest due to some imagined flaw in the system of their ancestors. She was a war leader who led to the deaths of no-doubt countless cats and trampled over the warrior code, taking advantage of cats already in hard times given their war. 

“Do I really belong here?” Hollyleaf muttered under her breath. She certainly was a terrible cat. She had done horrible things and shattered the clans at every level. But she didn’t feel evil, not like the stories described Tigerstar, Brokenstar, or Scourge to be, and she hadn’t led an army that hurt the clans like Mudclaw or Fawnskip. Perhaps the Dark Forest was too great a punishment for the cat she had become. She intended to save the clans, and the only cat she ever killed was one who threatened her life, and the lives of her littermates.

At her words, Fawnskip’s eyes sharpened to a glare. Hollyleaf tensed in surprise. She hadn’t even realized she spoke loud enough to be heard. “Do you really need to ask?” She hissed. “You are responsible for your own fate. You know full well that you deserve to be here, and your clan knew it too.” The wisps of tan fur on the base of her tail began to stick up, one by one, until her whole tail was spiked in anger. “Perhaps you’ve managed to get by until now. Your clanmates didn’t know the truth about you. But if you were ever good enough to be this prophesied cat, chosen by Starclan to save the clans, be the ‘defender of the warrior code,’ and become your clan’s leader, like your delusions told you you were, do you know what would have happened?” 

She leaned her face close to Hollyleaf’s. The black she-cat could smell Fawnstep’s old, hot breath sting against her face. Hollyleaf could feel her heart beating faster. She tensed her front legs and expression to keep herself from shaking.

“You would have been given what you deserved.” She growled. “You are no different from me, you fox-hearted brat. The only cat who ever told you you were great out of anything but pity was that manipulative traitorous rogue. Would you take his word on your worth as a cat? The truth is, you’ve never been more than an arrogant, talentless half-clan cat, and you’re the only one who didn’t get the point. This is exactly where you belong. It’s what you deserve. You never deserved to be a mentor. You never had the authority to say one word to anyone about the warrior code. You. Are. Nothing.”

“I know.” The words escaped her mouth with a shake, but Hollyleaf was absolutely certain about them. She didn’t feel at home in the Dark Forest. She violently wanted to leave. But she also felt that way about Windclan, and that place too was her birthright. All she had done since coming here was trying to avoid the inevitable, justifying her existence enough to escape the punishment she was due. She was just like Fawnskip in that way. “I never could have made it into Starclan.”