The last chapter was just sad, honestly. I had never had to ask for reviews before. Questions and answers, coming up!

Hayjay5304: Hm, let's see about that. Glowpaw and her father hasn't seen each other in 4-5 moons, and her back was turned when she was attacked. Overall, you'll see when you read further.

Flower: Thank you! No need to review two times on a single chapter, though. XD


Chapter 8

"Dad... do you remember me..." I didn't think he could hear me, but it was more of something that I wanted to hear from myself.

That was the last thing I remember doing before I blacked out, anyway. The next time I came to, it was still dark. I don't think I had any dreams, but that was exactly the problem. I couldn't tell left from right anymore.

I was alone. That much I could tell. It took a bit of getting used to, but soon the blurriness that swam in front of my vision began disappearing and my eyes started to pick up on some details.

First of all, the den I was passed out in- if you could call it that- was clearly not the best the camp could hold. Or wherever I was, anyway. Location matters. There wasn't even a moss bed for me to lie down in. The only thing there was in this place was a half-frozen shrew a few tail-lengths away from me.

I squinted, staring at the prey and trying to decide if it was worth eating, when I suddenly heard footsteps thudding outside- and they seemed to be approaching fast. Hiding the shrew behind my back- I wasn't sure why- it was just in time before my father stepped inside the heavily guarded entrance and stopped. Right in front of me.

He nodded at a muscle-bounded tom by the side of the den, who was peering in cautiously. Soon, he too disappeared. We were the only two cats left in this tight place. Great father-daughter bonding experience, I thought dryly.

"So, Scream." He paused. "I assume you know who I am. My name is not Spruceshadow anymore, mind you. Memories of that clan must fade away. Many know- or knew- me by the name of Cliff, and more by Fall. I will respond to both."

"My name is not Scream, either," I said, because it was the honest truth. "It's Glowpaw. Of LightClan. You were born there too."

Cliff-Fall shook his head and growled. "It was not safe for me to live in that clan anymore. StarClan has warned me against this very moment. Prophecies and omens, they're all over the place nowadays."

Something about the word 'prophecies' caught my attention. Maybe because they were almost never mentioned in LightClan. But before I could ask him anything, he lifted his head slightly, as if to say, 'You shut up and listen and I talk.' I was used to that look, having been with my mom everyday and every night, so I did as he commanded me to.

"You help tell us what the danger is, at least give us some clues, and I'll let you go, garrenteed," Cliff-Fall said. He seemed serious, anyway, so I nodded to let him go on. He continued. Probably would have anyway. "SunClan is a sham. StarClan has been giving us visions, omens, prophecies of the future, and I see it all."

"Some of the Dark Forest cats have been-"

"Wait, wait, wait," I interrupted. "What's the Dark Forest? Is that like the Dark Side of the Moon?

Cliff-Fall nodded, barely looking at me. "Some of the Dark Forest cats have apparently found a secret way of being reborn into another life. Most, however, have already had enough of murder and the reek of blood. They just wanted a second chance."

"However." He paused. "StarClan has been growing increasingly worried about this phenomenon. What if the evil once again strikes the forest? They sent dark omens for the medicine cats- the healers of the clan- and eventually a group of cats- cowards, all of them, mostly from the ShadowClan of old- they broke off and went away to find a place where only good wills and intentions will remain. That group eventually became LightClan."

He spat at the mention of it. "Like that would ever happen. Distrusting cats they are, too! Just trying to ask a patrol some questions, but apparently they brought the whole clan with them some moments later. Those cowards must have panicked the whole group with their rumors and yodeling. But some of the reborn Dark Forest cats have made their way even to the middle of there, and we need to find out more about this. Now tell me."

Cliff-Fall leaned in closer. "Do you know anyone that could possibly be a suspect? We're just a group that wants the best for everyone," he added. "Mostly LightClan cats that have escaped. Wild tales about dangerous monsters have filled in on the missing details."

My head was spinning with new information, along with regret for not noticing when everyone filed out of the camp entrance. I wanted to ask him what ShadowClan was, but right now, there were only two names in my mind: Creekstar and Leaf. But Creekstar could not have been evil in a former life, I thought, even if he had changed his ways. "Yes, but what are you going to do to them then?"

Cliff-Fall's face became increasingly darker. "Tell me the names first. Now."

I thought about it for a moment. I didn't want to betray Creekstar just yet, even if he did come from the Dark Forest, but what about my own mentor? I hadn't really known Leaf for a long time, but I knew that he was not born in LightClan, and that was pretty much all. But he was my mentor, after all. "I'm not going to unless you answer my question first," I replied.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to do. Go pat me on the back and reassure me that I could tell him later, when I was ready? Or maybe actually answering the question, like I would have wanted him to do. Instead, he snarled.

"You are NOT going anywhere!" he growled, and unsheathed his claws. I flinched back.

I didn't understand why he did it until others told me, much later. Face to face. I was his daughter, after all; why would he want to hurt a single hair on my pelt after he had already recognized me? Maybe he was just really angry, but it wasn't like a dad to do that.

His explanation would also have explained why I didn't look like my mother at all- or him, for that matter.

Still growling deep inside his throat, he pounced onto me and pummeled me to the ground. The damp earth was uncomfortable, too moist for my likings and had a strange minty scent to it. "Tell me!" he snarled.

I struggled to breathe under his weight. "N- not until you answer my question first," I croaked.

His claws tapped at my shoulders once, twice, then thrice before digging them in. I couldn't feel pain, or maybe there was just too much of it. I still didn't know which, and as I winced-


Maybe I shouldn't have dropped the hint about Glowpaw's parentage so soon. Oh, well.

From my predictions, we're already about halfway through the entire story. This is kind of sad, actually... I'm gonna make sequels. Maybe.

Have questions? Then ask.