They would have died if they hadn't run into the ShadowClan patrol. They meowed in surprise as two apprentices barreled into them, sending two of their warriors tumbling to the ground. The other two ShadowClan warrior's eyes widened at the massive dog. The whole patrol was saved when the black she-cat yowled and swiped at the dog's face.

The other warrior quickly snapped out of his shock and attacked the dog from the other side, raking his claws down its flank. The thing howled in pain and undecisivley swung its jaws back and fourth. The two warriors knocked to the ground sprang to their feet and joined the battle, attacking and slicing from all directions.

Emberpaw heard the growls and hisses and yowls from where he had fallen, but he suddenly couldn't pick up his head anymore. His eyes seemed to close of their own accord, and the darkness wasted no time in claiming him.

He was back in the clearing with the Sky Oak. The same beautiful scenery was all around him, but this time he was afraid. His pelt spiked up along his spine, and he frantically looked around, the creature's bark still fresh in his ears.

"Relax. The dog can't get you here." Emberpaw flattened himself to the ground in fear of the voice and flattened his ears. The pretty she-cat padded into the clearing again, and she looked over him sympathetically. "I'm not going to hurt you. Nothing can hurt you here, little Ember. You're safe in your dreams, remember that." Her voice soothed him slightly, but his body seemed stuck in the defensive position, and his eyes stayed wide and terrified.

Kestrelskip approached him slowly and laid down, her starry pelt brushing against his. "Its okay. You're safe here." Her tongue rasped against his ear in a soothing motion. She kept licking his pelt, calming him down little by little. Eventually Emberpaw was able to relax his body and he sighed softly, curling his paws under him.

"You're a very nice dream-cat" he murmured, half in a trance.

She purred. "I try to be. You need to have some sort of safe place, especially if things play out the way they're headed for you."

"What's headed for me?" Emberpaw mewed, his eyes closing. This time a comfortable darkness enveloped him. Before all of his senses shut off, he heard one last sigh from Kestrelskip.

"More trouble than you know, little Ember."

Emberpaw woke with a start. "He's awake," he heard an unfamiliar cat mutter. He opened his eyes, first seeing the nest of pine needs and moss he was in. The apprentice jolted to his feet, not recognizing any of his surroundings. He was in a tightly woven den, but it wasn't ThunderClan's. He next noticed the two cats standing to the side. One was a proud looking tom with a white speckled pelt. The other was a cream she-cat.

"Where am I?" Emberpaw croaked, his voice scratchy and dry. The she-cat quickly handed him a wet ball of moss, which he lapped up eagerly.

"You're in the ShadowClan medicine den," the big tom rumbled.

Emberpaw's eyes widened in alarm. "What- ShadowClan-"

"You should be more thankful to a clan that not only saved you when you led a dog to an unsuspecting patrol, but also one that housed you and nursed you back to health for two sunrises." The tom snapped, his blue eyes scorching.

Emberpaw blinked, overwhelmed. "T-thank you!" He stammered. "What happened? Where's Swift-"

The tom cut him off. "You fainted right after you collided with my patrol. Ravensky and Doefur carried you here, after driving the dog away. Your friend is in the nest behind your's."

Emberpaw whipped around, seeing Swiftpaw curled up, fast asleep. Her fuzzy gray pelt looked fine, and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. Hr let out a sigh of relief. They had both survived.

"I- thank you again!" Emberpaw meowed sincerely to the white speckled cat.

The tom nodded, but his eyes held a glint in them that told Emberpaw that a simple thank you wasnt going to be enough to satisfy him.

"Blizzardstar," the she-cat meowed softly, "he needs to rest for now. Just got chased across the territory, and he's hardly more than a kit."

His eye's widened. Blizzardstar? He had been talking to the leader of ShadowClan!