A/N: Sorry for the wait! Holidays have kept my beta and myself busy. Huh, kirbypaint? :P Enjoy~

Ch. 9

No Stars Tonight

Fishpaw stifled a yawn and stretched while laying in his comfortable nest and pushed his sister, Mosspaw, right into a snoring Pebblepaw. Mosspaw woke with a start and swiped at her brother with a sheathed paw, "Watch what you're doing, fish breath." Fishpaw meowed an apology, though his eyes glistened with amusement. Pebblepaw rolled over and fell instantly back to sleep. Mosspaw nudged her brother, "We should be going anyways. Aren't you a part of the search party?"

"Oh yeah!" Fishpaw leaped out of his nest. Last night he had come back late from the gathering. Before he had gone to his nest, his mentor Rockfoot had told him they were going to be a part of the search party for the lost cats. Fishpaw followed his sister out of the warm den into the cold morning air. The camp was filled with fog, and the cats who walked past him were fluffed up and muttering curses against the discomforting mist. Fishpaw found Wetfall through the disorienting blanket, and pointed his tail so Mosspaw could see her mentor too. The two apprentices walked up to him, and bowed their heads in respect while meowing their good mornings.

"Hello you two, we need to wait for Beetlepath and Rockfoot. Beetlepath will lead us to where she last tracked her kits. Then, she needs to come back and train her apprentice." Wetfall angled his gray-blue ears towards the warriors den. He didn't even look in that direction before meowing, "Here they come." Rockfoot and Beetlepath padded up.

The light-brown female was fluffed to twice her size. "I love swimming, but this is just ridiculous," she meowed.

Wetfall's eyes shone with laughter, "Come on, let's get out of here." Fishpaw took up the rear with Rockfoot, Beetlepath lead the way, and Mosspaw and Wetfall walked in the middle of the patrol.

They finally reached the place where Beetlepath had lost Grasskit and Mudkit's scent trail. "Well, I best be getting back to camp," Beetlepath looked sad before meowing, "good luck."

Once she had left them, Wetfall sniffed the moistened grass near the Greenleaf Twolegplace. "I think I can smell the kits here. What do you think Rockfoot?"

Fishpaw watched as his mentor did the same. "Mudkit and Grasskit definitely went through here, but the scent is stale. The fog isn't helping either, but I think it leads this way." They all followed Rockfoot as the trail began to lead outside of RiverClan territory. Fishpaw wrinkled his nose as they came up to a small Thunderpath that divided their territory from ShadowClan's. "I lose the trail here." Rockfoot looked at Wetfall. "I think we should split into mentor and apprentice pairs and search along the Thunderpath."

Wetfall nodded his agreement, and Fishpaw followed his mentor. They searched up and down the Thunderpath, but to no avail. Once they regrouped with Wetfall and Mosspaw, they decided they needed to cross the small Thunderpath into the outskirts of ShadowClan territory.

"Mosspaw," Wetfall turned his gaze on his apprentice, "You are the fastest out of all of us, go request permission to search on ShadowClan land."

Fishpaw watched as his sister ran off into ShadowClan territory. I hope she come back safely...

It was now Nightfall, and the search party was stiff from sitting for so long. Rockfoot lashed his tail, "She should be back by now."

Wetfall looked worried for a while, but he finally stood up. "Come on," he ordered. The deputy led them into ShadowClan. They passed by the Greenleaf Twolegplace; Fishpaw's claws clicking on the empty wooden platform. They kept the lake in sight, as Wetfall lead them deeper into the pine forest that ShadowClan called home. Fishpaw shivered- this place gave him the creeps. Dark shadows formed under the pine trees, and the sound of a lone owl hooting caused him to almost jump out of his fur.

Maybe Mosspaw got lost, Fishpaw thought warily, she's never been in this territory before. They reached the ShadowClan camp that was hidden within a hollow. They entered the camp, avoiding glares from the ShadowClan cats. Amberstar stepped out of his den, and his deputy Ravencall stood by his side. The dark gray male glared at his rival deputy, "I thought at the gathering we said bring a messenger, not a whole patrol."

Wetfall ignored Ravencall's harsh comment, and instead addressed the ShadowClan leader. "We sent a messenger, did she not come to your camp?"

The black and brown leader shook his head, "No messenger came through here."

Wetfall's blue eyes shone with worry, but he bowed his head to Amberstar. "Then we request permission to search for her on your territory tomorrow."

Ravencall bristled, but was cut-off by Amberstar, "Very well." The leader then signaled for them to be escorted out of camp.

Fishpaw walked back into RiverClan territory, glad to be away from the hostile ShadowClan patrol. His tail drooped, Mosspaw, where are you? Walking into the apprentice den alone, he ignored questioning glances from Pebblepaw. No stars glistened through the den's leaves tonight. His warrior ancestors wouldn't even be here to comfort him. Tucking his nose under his paw as he laid down, Fishpaw felt more alone than ever before.

A/N: So much mystery and excitement:O Can you handle it? No? Review about it:P If you want me to post the next chapter sooner than review a BUNCH and I won't possibly forget about you guys:]