Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Warriors series.

Chapter 1

"No, Cherrypaw, you have to roll away from my paws before you jump up again." Ivypool lifted her head from her paws and peered across the training hollow at the pair of mentor and apprentice as they practiced their battle moves. Cherrypaw flipped back onto her paws and shook out her ginger fur. Rosepetal sat back on her haunches, whisking her tail across the sandy ground.

"Can we try it again?" Cherrypaw panted as she stared up at her mentor with shining amber eyes. Ivypool sighed and turned her attention to the other side of the clearing, where Foxleap and Molepaw worked on the half-turn belly rake. Foxleap stood in front of his apprentice, lips drawn back in a snarl, ears pinned to his head. Molepaw, with a shriek, dove at him, paws outstretched, and swept past him. Once he reached Foxleap's haunches, he spun around like a snake and slid under his mentor's belly. He thrust upward with his hind paws, aiming for Foxleap's belly, but the russet tom leapt up into the air, out of the way. Molepaw flipped back onto his paws, eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Very good, Molepaw," Foxleap praised him, tail flicking behind him, chest puffed out with pride. "Did you see that, Rosepetal?" He called over to the dark cream she-cat, working his paws on the sun-baked sand. Rosepetal paused, crouching down in front of Cherrypaw, and shouted back,

"Stop boasting Foxleap, you-" She was cut off as Cherrypaw leapt at her and bowled her over, pinning her to the ground with trained paws.

"A warrior never turns her back to her enemy!" she crowed, her eyes shining. Ivypool raised herself from the rock she had been laying on and stretched, stretching her forepaws in front of her and pressing her chest to the ground.

"It doesn't look like the others are going to show up," she called to the mentors and apprentices as she leapt from her perch. "I'm heading back to camp." Foxleap glanced up at her.

"Alright," he called back. "The others were out hunting before, remember. They're probably worn out." Ivypool nodded, flicking her ears decisively.

"You're probably right," she responded, setting her paws on the path to camp. "I'll see you later!" she called over her shoulder.

"Then we can show you our new battle moves!" Molepaw yowled, squirming out from under Cherrypaw's grip. Ivypool shook her head amusedly as she padded deeper into the woods. Lilypaw, Seedpaw and their mentors, Hollyleaf and Icecloud, had been supposed to meet them in the sandy training hollow, for battle practice. Even if the Dark Forest had been beaten, there were still threats lurking in the shadows lining the forest.

Ivypool had already worried herself sick, thinking about several different subjects, all of them nagging her from the darkest corners of her mind.

For instance, when Jayfeather had awoken the previous night, he had immediately demanded to Bramblestar that he be allowed to go and visit Krestelflight; the WindClan medicine cat, and would explain to no one why. Dovewing had been asleep, so she hadn't been able to track him, and Ivypool didn't want to follow him, in fear of being caught.

Another thing that had been nagging at Ivypool was the Dark Forest. Ever since Tigerstar, Hawkfrost and Brokenstar's defeat, it had not once penetrated her dreams. Even if the three most important and in-command cats in the Place Of No Stars had been killed, there was still the other cats, just as there had been before Tigerstar had assumed leadership, such as Darkstripe, Mapleshade, Snowtuft or even Shredtail or Silverhawk.

Ivypool's thoughts were scattered as she returned to the camp, astonished to find it shrouded in tense, agitated silence. Huddled in random places around the camp were small groups of cats, all whispering intensely to one another, their tails bushed out in fright and their neck fur bristling.

"What's going on?" Ivypool padded over to where Berrynose, his mate Poppyfrost, Ivypool's sister Dovewing and Bumblestripe were standing idly around, casting nervous glances over to Bramblestar's den and the small groups of senior warriors.

"We don't know," Bumblestripe answered, twitching his nose as Sandstorm leaped up the tumbled rocks and onto Highledge. She stopped and swept her bright green gaze around the clan one last time before bounding into Bramblestar's den.

Ivypool cast a sharp, inquiring look at Dovewing. Surely if there was an important meeting, she would hear it? But Dovewing just shook her head, as if signifying that she didn't want to interfere on Bramblestar's meeting.

"Where are Lionblaze and Jayfeather?" Ivypool questioned, casting her gaze around the camp, searching for either a golden tabby pelt, or light gray striped fur. Poppyfrost shook her head.

"Don't know," she answered. "I think Jayfeather's with Bramblestar and Lionblaze in his den." Ivypool frowned. The Dark Forest was defeated. Why would the Three be needed? Well, actually, they weren't the Three unless they had the One with them. And Dovewing wasn't with them.

Spoke too soon. Ivypool thought contemptuously as Jayfeather poked his head from Bramblestar's den and called for Dovewing. The pale gray she-cat started as she heard her name and threw Jayfeather a bewildered glance. As if he could see her confusion, Jayfeather just rolled his sightless eyes and beckoned her with an impatient flick of his striped tail. Ivypool frowned at her as she passed swiftly, but Dovewing just shrugged and continued on toward her leader's den.

Squirrelflight, ThunderClan's new deputy, beckoned Ivypool over to her with a twitch of her ears.

"What's going on?" she asked, flicking her nose towards her mate's den. Ivypool shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she answered, frowning at the dark entrance where her sister had disappeared.

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~xoxo WinglessAngel