Chapter One

Burrpelt skirted around shrubs and groves of trees, his near-silent tread punctuated with pebbles skittering down the sloped path. Between berry bushes and over the stream, Windclan's territory could be seen, the wind hissing through the dry grass.

'...all pitted against one another…' he mumbled, 'one winner. Bloodbath.' Starclan's lights still blurred his vision. So strange, how in some visions that same light was comforting. Tonight it had been eerie and distorted. Tonight it scared him.

'What's this about a bloodbath?' A brown tabby tom, taller than Burrpelt, stepped onto the path before him.

'Step aside, please.' Burrpelt said, 'I mean no harm. Only passing through, returning from the Moonpool.'

The tabby didn't move, his eyes flicking behind Burrpelt and then back. 'I'm on border patrol. You're trespassing.'

'I'll excuse your ignorance. You're young, so you might not know me.' Burrpelt raised his head, his gray and white mottled framed looking no less impressive for it. 'I'm Burrpelt, Shadowclan's medicine cat. And unless you expect me to swim home, then you'll allow me to pass without trouble.'

'And I will, once you tell me what it was you were muttering about. Something strange is happening, it must be for you to approach Starclan at a time between half-moons.' The apprentice's eyes flicked again behind Burrpelt, who glanced behind him to see two round eyes crouched in the reeds. A tall white tom stepped out, an unsettling smile on his features. Burrpelt recognized him by his black paw and ears.

'Coalfoot,' Burrpelt said. 'Is Thunderclan really so starved for information that it would ambush a medicine cat with its greenest warriors? You've barely been a warrior for half a moon, and you would interfere with the will of Starclan?' He made to brush past the apprentice who had first blocked his path, but the trail was too small.

'Thunderclan is starved for nothing.' The tabby apprentice hissed, unsheathing his claws. 'We're stronger than ever.'

Burrpelt's fur began to prickle. When he was young, he might have stood his own against two inexperienced warriors, but since then he'd faced many injuries, and now even walking was a painful thing to him. Starclan help me, he thought. I can't pass to your realms tonight. The message I carry is too important. 'If Thunderclan is as strong as you say, then why is Gorsestar ordering that lone medicine cat be ambushed in the night?'

The Thunderclan apprentice cast a look at his senior, who growled, 'Gorsestar doesn't know all the workings of Thunderclan.'

Then this is mutiny. Burrpelt realized. Thunderclan's hierarchy is crumbling, as Wrenstar feared.

'Out with it.' Said Coalfoot, 'Whatever affects Shadowclan so much that you feel inclined to slink around Thunderclan whenever you please must be important enough to share.'

Burrpelt cast around in his mind for an answer. '... Nettlefur's kits are severely sick, and other cats have been showing signs of illness. Yesterday we lost an elder.' It wasn't explicitly a lie. Nettlefur's kits were sick, but only with a mild cough that they were already recovering from. Briarclaw had died too, but only of age. 'I came to Starclan pleading for solace and healing.'

'You're lying.' Coalfoot said, eyes narrowing. 'Why not make this easier for yourself and say whatever it is that put that look of terror on your face?' When no answer came, Coalfoot raised an unsheathed paw, but before he could strike the old cat he was bowled over by a sandy-colored bundle.

Through the hissing and spitting, Burrpelt could smell Windclan scent. Before the Thunderclan apprentice jumped into the skirmish, Burrpelt lashed out a claw and raked him on the muzzle. He yowled and jerked his head away, redoubling to jump onto Burrpelt. Burrpelt reacted, sidestepping out of the way, and the apprentice landed poorly, his paw sliding on the slope and his head cracking against the stone-strewn earth. He rolled down the muddy slope and dropped into the freezing water. Burrpelt's fur stood on end, and he dug his claws into the earth as he tore down the path, eyes roving to find a safe way to the water. He was a poor swimmer, but he couldn't let this apprentice's misstep be his end.

As he quickly picked his way down the slope, sliding and grappling madly, he could still hear the yowling of the two cats fighting upwind. He dove into the water and after the Thunderclan cat, paws churning through the icy current, head barely above the surface. How can I find him like this? I can't. We'll both drown. The current drove him under an overhang, and suddenly in the darkness, he wasn't sure which way was up and which was down. The iciness of the water was starting to thread through his veins with painful sharpness, and his movements became less precise and more desperate and stunted.

The current threw him against a hard surface, pinning him there with malicious intent. Scrabbling for purchase, he clawed his way toward what he thought was the surface. His breath was leaving him, and the cold replacing it. When he did break the surface, it was with a haggard gasp as he dragged himself onto the stepping stone. For half a moment, he allowed himself to breathe, sucking in breath like he'd never breathed before, all the while searching for any sign of the fallen apprentice. His heart beat rapidly, but he saw nothing. No cat, only choppy, icy currents all around.

'Fox dung,' he wretched. 'How could this happen?'

The fighting upstream had stopped, and Burrpelt looked up to see the sand-colored warrior picking their way down the slope. Behind them, Coalfoot stood stock still, eyes fixed on the two with something like disbelief. Maybe hatred. His ear hung at the side of his face, only attached by a sliver of skin.

'You killed Clovepaw.' He said. 'He's gone.'

In shock, Burrpelt couldn't work up an answer. No, he cried inwardly. I tried to save him.

The sandy cat bounded lithely from stone to stone until she reached Burrpelt's side. She was smaller than he expected. 'Burrpelt.' She dipped her head in greeting, still panting from her battle. 'My name is Softstep, of Windclan. We should move away from the Thunderclan border before more trouble comes. Windclan will grant you safe passage, and I expect Riverclan will do the same.'

Burrpelt nodded, throat raw and stinging. When he looked back up to the opposite bank, Coalfoot was gone. Softstep guided him over the remaining stepping stones and to the edge of her territory.

They walked along in silence for a while, making slow progress. Shy rays of sunlight were weaving between the gray dry grass, which rattled as breaths of wind passed over it. Burrpelt's strides were stiff and aching, and his new companion looked drained from her fight. There were scrapes and tufts of fur missing along her side.

'I was patrolling nearby when I scented you three.' She said, breaking the silence. 'Couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to patrol. I couldn't hear what you were saying, but as I got closer, I could tell they were threatening you.' She glanced at him, 'No warriors should attack a medicine cat on their trek to the Moonpool. It was low of them. I hope I did the right thing; it was hard to tell what was going on.' She looked down, 'Although I can't help but regretting. Nobody's life should have been taken. That apprentice—Clovepaw, I mean—he was so young.'

'I only struck him once.' Burrpelt felt numb, 'Then he was coming at me and I moved out of the way. He lost his balance and fell in.'

'I believe you.' Softstep said, giving him a sad smile. 'And you did all you could to save him. Clovepaw joined Starclan as soon as he broke the surface of the river. I don't think even a Riverclan warrior could have found him on such a dark night. Not with the chill of those waters.'

'He was too young. I should've been faster.' He shook his head. 'Regardless, it was kind of you to jump to the defense of a cat you didn't even know. Thank you.'

'You did the same, and more. You jumped into the water for a cat that threatened you.' She smiled, 'And anyway, I'll take any chance I get to pummel some sense into a Thunderclan cat.'

It wasn't enough, though. He thought. They padded along in silence for several minutes, and then Burrpelt slowed, scenting other cats. Softstep was treating him with kindness, but after his last interaction, he couldn't help but be a wary.

Moments later, two Windclan toms nosed their way through the yellowed grass. 'Softstep!' A mud-colored tom said, sounding relieved. 'We wondered where you'd gone this morning. We just scented Shadowclan and Thunderclan near the border—' He trailed off as he realized. 'What's Burrpelt doing here?'

She answered quickly, 'Saw him across the Thunderclan border, two Thunderclan cats had him penned in, and were about to attack him, so I jumped in.'

'Ever the justice-keeper,' The cloudy gray tom with a dark muzzle smiled.

'The skirmish was short, but during the fight one of the apprentices slipped and injured himself. Fell into the river.' Softstep paused, her eyes telling. 'It was an accident, a skirmish gone too far, but who knows if Coalfoot can see it that way, and I don't know that I can blame him. It was dark, and he was injured and irate. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes to Gorsestar with ill tidings against Shadowclan and Windclan.'

'We can hardly expect him to sing our praises.' Burrpelt said.

The two toms exchanged worried looks. And Softstep suddenly cursed, 'Mouse dung! Burrpelt, you must be exhausted, and probably frostbitten! I'm sorry I didn't think to offer earlier, but you should come back to camp and see Volewhisker. I'm sure she can give you the herbs you need.'

Burrpelt smiled and shook his head. He needed rest, definitely, but the message he carried was too important to stop for. And as good as this young warrior's intentions were, who knew how the rest of Windclan would react, or what would happen should they become too interested in why he was at the Moonpool to begin with. 'Thank you, Softstep, for everything.' He dipped his head, meaning every word, 'I don't know that I would be alive if you hadn't stepped in tonight. I'm in your debt for it. But I've studied herbs enough moons to take care of my own frostbitten whiskers, and I'll hobble back to Shadowclan borders as I always have.'

Softstep smiled, dipping her head in return. 'Starclan go with you, then. I'm going to leave you in the care of Robincall and Hazegait.' She looked at them to make sure they were alright.

'We'll take him, you go get some rest.' Robincall said gently.

She nodded, turning back to Burrpelt. 'They're dear friends of mine. I would trust them with my life. They'll escort you to Riverclan border. I am going to have Volewhisker put some poltice on my scratches and scrapes.' She turned and began to trot toward Windclan camp.

'Alright, Burrpelt, let's see you to Riverclan.' Hazegait said.

Burrpelt nodded, trying not to look as pained as he was feeling. 'The charity Windclan has shown to me this morning won't be forgotten. Thank you. You're lucky to have such noble clanmates as Softstep.'

'I know,' Robincall said, smiling.