Lightningpaw's POV

Lightningpaw felt as if his world had been turned upside down. Darkpaw is alive? He left the Clan on his own free will?

Acaciapaw pressed against him sharing his shock.

Celandinepaw blinked carefully. "I want to help you. Surely you are down here for a reason, everyone is. Maybe I should get you some food while you think this over. The Shadow Exit has some prey this time of year. As you can hear there's a stream nearby just follow the sound and stay quiet," she mumbled.

Celandinepaw disappeared into the maze again.

"What's the Shadow Exit?" Acaciapaw murmured. "Do you think Lunarpaw and Emberpaw are heading to SkyClan?"

Lightningpaw shook his head and said softly, "There are things going on here that we could never have imagined."

Acaciapaw rested her head on her paws. "For now, I think this cat is trustworthy, I can't explain it but, she's being sincere."

Lightningpaw nodded in agreement, "I know. Maybe she can help us. Just don't let your guard down."

Acaciapaw flicked his ear with her tail, "Shhh! Remember any Dark Forest cat could come here and find us. We would be dead then; without a trace . . ." Acaciapaw's eyes got hazy and Lightningpaw realized he wasn't the one she was talking to.

Lightningpaw pressed his muzzle into her head reassuringly, "Don't worry. We'll get out. Maybe even find Darkpaw on the way," he smiled.

Acaciapaw looked away, "Please don't comfort me. I have a close friend back home, I like him."

Lightningpaw looked taken back and stared at her uncertainly, "I'm just your friend," he whispered.

Acaciapaw sighed and rested on her side and faced the wall. Lightningpaw watched her through half-open eyes, he watched her flank rise and fall gently.

"When we were kits my mother would always look at Lunarpaw's single white paw and say 'you have a paw in StarClan' but she would never say anything about my one black paw. If she did she would probably say 'you have a paw in the Dark Forest'," Acaciapaw whispered.

Lightningpaw saw her blue eyes glow dimly. "Then I met Ravenpaw, and he would tell me I was unique, I don't know, I guess I started believing that, but now, we're trapped down here and I'm starting to believe I'm not as special as Ravenpaw said," Acaciapaw with a sob in her voice.

Lightningpaw creeped closer to her and wrapped his tail around her and pressed against her, "It's okay. I know we're just friends, but friends are allowed to comfort each other."

Acaciapaw got to her paws abruptly, "Someone's coming!"

Acaciapaw moved in a blur and was crouching down in the shadows, positioning herself in an attack position with her claws out. Lightningpaw copied her and stood far back in the shadows, his black and white fur mixing into the shadows.

Celandinepaw emerged into the small cove, graciously carrying two small mice and a scrawny water vole.

Acaciapaw rushed forward, "Oh my StarClan! That must have been so hard to find down here, thank you!" she gushed gratefully.

Celandinepaw dropped the food and pushed it towards them, "Eat. I have to go get one of my friends. I have two friends who think that . . . well . . . Sparrowfeather needs to die. I'll go get one of them. She should be nearby," Celandinepaw murmured.

Lightningpaw finished his mouse in a few seconds and licked his jaws. He glanced at the vole then at Acaciapaw.

Acaciapaw smiled at him and pushed the vole towards him. "Here," she whispered. Lightningpaw blinked gratefully and took a large bite then pushed it towards Acaciapaw.

She beamed at him and took a bite then stood. "We should follow Celandinepaw. I want to know more about this place."

Lightningpaw nodded, "Right. Let's go," he mumbled, casting a glance at his paws.

Acaciapaw creeped out first, "I'll lead. I'm use to finding scents on stone, I live in a cliff side," she murmured with a chuckle.

Lightningpaw followed her through the maze; Celandinepaw had made a huge deal of covering her trail. Suddenly Acaciapaw stopped abruptly and pricked her ears. Lightningpaw copied her and picked up the sound of voices and pawsteps echoing off the stone.

Acaciapaw crouched down and pressed against on side of the maze wall and froze like a statue. Lightningpaw did the same and slowed his breathing.

"I could have sworn I heard pawsteps this way!" a voice exclaimed.

"Fogpelt I think you're losing it. Celandinepaw came by here just a while ago, I was talking to her," the second voice said.

The cat who must be Fogpelt spoke again, "Dapplesky I really did hear cats; and I'm pretty sure it wasn't Celandinepaw!"

A new voice broke up their argument, "Hello Fogpelt, Dapplesky."

Acaciapaw peered around the corner and saw a brown she-cat with blue eyes stare up at Fogpelt and Dapplesky, she was very small but her voice held authority.

Dapplesky dipped her head, "Greetings Brookpaw. What are you doing all the way out here? Aren't you supposed to be with Sparrowfeather's patrol by the River Exit?" she asked.

Brookpaw shifted her paws, "I asked Blackberry to take my place," she explained uneasily. "But you two should go back just in case!" Brookpaw added hastily.

Fogpelt and Dapplesky nodded and turned tail and disappeared down another tunnel.

Brookpaw padded over to Acaciapaw and Lightningpaw's hiding place.

Lightningpaw gulped as the brown she-cat stared down at them.

"What are you doing here? You're lucky I saved your tails back there. Think twice next time before you sneak off!" Brookpaw snapped at them.

Acaciapaw tilted her head, "You know who we are?"

Brookpaw laughed, "Yes. Celandinepaw told me to come and wait for her with you two. But I guess since we're out we should go where she's headed?"

Lightningpaw narrowed his eyes, "Where's she going?"

Brookpaw shot him an amused glance, "She's going to find Darkpaw. The last of our little rebel group."

Lightningpaw looked uneasy. Darkpaw, the one who wanted his family to believe he was dead, who died so he could be underground forever with evil cats. Darkpaw, who always seemed to mess something up, Darkpaw; my brother.

"Let's go. I want to talk to Darkpaw," Lightningpaw looked over and saw it was Acaciapaw who spoke.

Brookpaw nodded, "This way."

To be continued . . .

Just for anyone who wants to guess, who do you think the white tom was from the prologue?

~Stormfeather