Just so you know, sometimes I'll be switching from apprentice to warrior. Because things happen between them. StarClan gives the ten apprentices their warrior names themselves, no leader does. So they're in the middle of their journey when StarClan sends Bluestar or something to find them and give them their names. So, it'll be switching, so don't get confused.

Dustfall sighed contentedly. StarClan had given them their warrior names a little while ago, and Loudfoot had finally learned humility. StarClan had been threatening to name him Loudface, so he humbly let them name him something more subtle, like Loudfoot, rather than Loudfire or Loudblaze. Other than that, prey was plentiful where they were, and now they were getting ever closer to where they needed to go; Wildshadow could feel it.

Bramblepelt padded up to him. "Sighing for a particular reason?" he asked, with a meaningful glance at Rosepetal.

Dustfall felt his pelt grow hot. "Yeah, well what about you?" he retorted, exaggerating his glance at Rosepetal.

Bramblepelt sighed happily. "Why are we even fighting? We both like Rosepetal. Swiftblaze likes Rosepetal. Tangleclaw may like Rosepetal, though I haven't gotten him to admit it yet." Bramblepelt's gaze turned thoughtful. "Though we all know Lilypool isn't half bad...."

"Okay, okay." Dustfall meowed.

Bramblepelt didn't stop. "Then there's Honeyflower, but we all know she's off-limits anyway, since Runningstorm gave up his position as medicine cat and gave it to her when we earned our warrior names. THEN there's Wildshadow." Bramblepelt snickered. "Oh, yeah. That would be strange."

"Hey!" Dustfall defended his friend. "Wildshadow's not too bad!"

Bramblepelt raised his tail in a gesture of surrender. "Hey, I'm not saying she was! She's my friend as much as she is yours."

Not really, Dustfall thought. You don't know the half of it.

The half of what? interrupted a nosy voice.

Dustfall sighed in his mind. Wildshadow, will you get out of my mind?

What, you hate me now?

No, it's just that I'm still freaking out that StarClan gave us the power to talk to each other in our minds.

Well, really, now. It's not TOO bad. I mean, seriously. Now I know all your secrets.

And that's a GOOD thing?

Yep. Now, excuse me, I've got a little thing to tell Rosepetal...

YOU. WOULDN'T. DARE.

You obviously don't know me very well.

Dustfall broke his connection. He felt like he was going to die from the heat of embarrassment. Wildshadow was looking at him, a smug look on her face.

Dustfall got up and padded away, trying not to feel Wildshadow's gaze boring into his back.

He went down to the base of the hill he and his comrades were camping on for now. They hadn't moved in a few days, catching up on their rest.

How long has it been since we left the Clans? Dustfall thought. Quite a while, came Wildshadow's voice, though he knew this time it wasn't actually Wildshadow, it was just his imagination.

Wildshadow. The name still scared him slightly. It sounded...evil. Dustfall shook the thought away. No. Wildshadow wasn't evil.

Dustfall pounced on a mouse and devoured it ravenously. He didn't feel that hungry, he was just trying to distract his mind from thoughts of Wildshadow. And Rosepetal. And possibly Lilypool, too.

Dustfall was still at the bottom of the hill with his own musings when night fell. He tried to block up his mind so Wildshadow wouldn't break into it. StarClan, why did you do this to me? he wondered.

Suddenly, a growl came from the grass. Three lean, tawny shapes slid out from the shadows. Foxes!

Dustfall knew that his friends were probably all asleep. They would never hear him if he yowled, because they were all very heavy sleepers. Besides, the hill was pretty tall. It would probably be fainter if it reached them, anyway.

Dustfall rose his hackles. He hissed at the foxes, but they didn't back away. He knew what his only hope was now.

WILDSHADOW! he yowled.

What he got back was a snore, and he was dragged into her dream.

A Twoleg female was running next to an older Twoleg female, playing some sort of game. Then they dove into a small pool of water, laughing and splashing each other. He only heard a few words.

"Fun...swim...Beth..."

Dustfall pulled himself out of her mind. The foxes were advancing on him. He knew he had to wake Wildshadow up, or he was dead meat.

Wildshadow! he screeched.

Brittany...where'd you go?

Wildshadow, please, WAKE UP!

Why is it so cold?

WILDSHADOW!

Brittany...is that you?

No, it's Dustfall!

Dustfall?

Yes! I'm being attacked by foxes! HELP!

Dustfall couldn't think anymore as the first fox lunged at him. He rolled under it, slashing at it's belly, and coming back up. The fox snarled, and the other two lauched themselves at him. Dustfall jumped over them and landed on the first one's back, tearing out clumps of fur. The fox shook him off, and he fell to the ground. The three all jumped at him, and he braced himself for the end.

A flash of ginger, then another of lighter ginger and white. Wildshadow and Rosepetal knocked the foxes off their feet and sent them skidding backward into the tall grass. Whimpering, the foxes limped away.

Wildshadow's eyes sparkled. "I heard you," she meowed. Then her eyes glimmered with mischief. "And the only cat who I could wake fast enough was Rosepetal."

Dustfall shot her an angry glare.

I don't think you want your girlfriend to see that twisted face of rage you have on right now. Just thank me later, okay?

Dustfall relaxed, not bothering to correct her. Fine.

"I couldn't hear you myself," Rosepetal meowed. "I guess Wildshadow's got pretty good ears."

"Yeah," Dustfall meowed, with a meaningful glance at Wildshadow to tell her to not say anything.

Wildshadow nodded. "Yeah, well....As will. says, I got it from my mama, I suppose."

Dustfall and Rosepetal just shook their heads. The three ShadowClan cats then settled on their backs on the side of the hill and watched the stars move across the sky.

They were still there, just three friends, at sunrise.