A/N: I am so sorry for the extremely long update! School has been putting a lot of pressure on me so I had to slow down with writing! Updates will be delayed, but I'm going to try my hardest to update as much as possible.

Another thing! Everyone should go check out The Spirit of the Moon Warrior! It's a fan fiction by someone I know on here! She's a very talented writer and her story shows great potential. I also let her adopt Before the Storm, because I can no longer keep up with all the stories!

Thanks! And please enjoy the treat I have in store for you!

Chapter Nine

Cactusthorn's eyes snapped open to see almost blinding sun light that crept through the den. Her heart began to pound against her chest as she remembered her dream with Flame, the founder of VolcanoClan. Her paws felt weak as she struggled to stand. She arched her back in an attempt stretch, but her back began to ache with exhaustion. The she-cat peered outside the she-cat's den with severe anxiety. As she began to pad out of the den, the rough voice of Fireclaw caught her attention. "Cactusthorn, go hunting with Splashfur, Darkwater, and Jayflight. The toms will watch you as you hunt," he commanded.

Cactusthorn's fur suddenly bristled, "We don't need babysitters!"

Fireclaw eyes sparked with sudden anger, "Oh yes you do! Especially with that attitude."

Cactusthorn opened her mouth to snap at her former mentor, but she saw the harsh eyes of Hollowstar. She swallowed her fear and dipped her head to Fireclaw. As she padded toward the exit of the den with Splashfur, Darkwater, and Jayflight, Hollowstar hastily made his way to meet the small patrol. "Wait," he began and suddenly, she felt her heart hit the sandy ground, "Have any of you seen Windwhisper? He's been missing patrols and guard duties in the morning. I've scented him leaving during the night."

Cactusthorn took a deep breathe to answer her leader, "I-."

Hollowstar cut her off with a tough paw across her cheek. As she took a hard hit on the ground, he snarled, "I was not speaking to you, she-cat!"

Shaking with fear, Cactusthorn stood hesitantly with her cheek burning with intensity. She looked directly at Darkwater, who was stiff with his fur on end. "No, Hollowstar, I haven't seen him. I'm sure Darkwater hasn't either," Jayflight answered.

The dark furred tom nodded and threw one harsh glance at Cactusthorn. "Since you want to speak when you're not spoken to, you will go with Hawkpelt and find Windwhisper," he growled with burning yellow eyes.

Cactusthorn dreaded the fact of working with Hawkpelt, but she reluctantly nodded. Just as Hollowstar left, Hawkpelt appeared with a smirk on her face, but fear in her eyes. "Let's go," Cactusthorn mewed bitterly.

...

"I can smell Windwhisper heading toward the TreeClan border. Let's go," Hawkpelt murmered as she padded in the direction.

The path between good and evil. What does that mean? Cactusthorn thought to herself as she followed the brown she-cat. "Look, I know we're all living under tough rules now that Hollowstar is leader, and I fear him, but I could never speak out against him. He is being unfair and cruel to the she-cats," she hissed to Cactusthorn.

She angled her ears toward the dark pelted she-cat. "Yeah, that tom has bees in his brain. Especially since he killed-," she abruptly stopped herself.

Hawkpelt snapped her gaze to Cactusthorn. "What?" She asked with wide blue eyes.

Cactusthorn lowerd her gaze to the grassy ground. "I watched Hollowstar kill Cliffstar," she murmured.

Hawkpelt's eyes widened, "You..you saw him?"

Cactusthorn nodded then meowed, "Yes, I couldn't do anything though. I was only an apprentice."

"Don't you see what we have now?! We can stop Hollowstar!" Hawkpelt yowled with happiness.

Cactusthorn's fur bristled and her claws extended, "No! No one must know! I think Hollowstar knew I was there. I have to be careful."

Hawkpelt opened her jaws to reply, but quickly shut them as bushes rustled closer to the TreeClan border. Cactusthorn's eyes widened and her fur stood on end. Had Hollowstar or his guards heard her?

Soon, the familiar sandy pelt of Windwhisper appeared out of the bushes. "Windwhisper? What are you doing so closer to the border?" Hawkpelt demanded the large tom.

"Uh, I was just, uhm, hunting." Windwhisper stammered with a twitching tail.

Cactusthorn stared at the nervous tom. "She-cats are only supposed to hunt, Windwhisper, you know that," she meowed with suspicion.

Windwhisper's fur suddenly bristled, but laid flat once again. "I don't like Hollowstar's rules. I miss hunting, so I went out on my own."

Cactusthorn was about to speak again, but Hawkpelt cut her off, "Come on, he's been looking for you."

Windwhisper nodded then padded after Hawkpelt. Cactusthorn remained in her spot as a new scent filtered into her nostrils. "You guys go ahead, I smell something strange," she meowed to Hawkpelt.

The dark furred she-cat nodded as they disappeared through the bushes back toward the camp. Cactusthorn directed her attention toward the smell. She padded closer toward the two leg border. The scent smelled familiar, but unfamiliar too. She peered through dense holly bushes and saw bright green eyes of a beautiful black she-cat.

"Who are you? One of the Clan vermin?" the she-cat hissed furiously.

Cactusthorn knew that she knew this cat, but never seen her before. "I belong to RockClan. Who are you?" she asked.

The she-cats eyes were wide and wild. "I'm a house cat. You said your Fromm RockClan? Do you know a cat named Fireclaw?" she asked as she padded around Cactusthron.

Cactusthorn nodded hesitantly as the strange she-cat said her fathers name. "That filthy tom was my mate! Then I caught him in the grip of another she-cat! He abandoned me when I was having his kits! Fireclaw left me to die as a tom names Hollowflight attacked me.. He betrayed me and left me with a single kit that was almost a spitting image of him," she growled then her eyes grew soft as she finished the last sentence. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't, but I am known as Cactusthron," she responded.

The she-cats eyes grew wide. "Cactusthorn?" she began with a deep breath, " I am Shade, your mother. There is much you need to know."

A/N: DUN DUN DUN! What will Shade tell Cactusthorn? Only one way to find out! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Lets get me to 65 Reviews! Thanks!

-Nightspirit