"What in StarClan's name was that?" growled Ashpaw.

The apprentices looked at each other. They were unsure, and had not told the warriors that it was Ashpaw the medicine cats had spoken of instead of the whole Clan. Owlstar currently believed that it was a warning to she-cats who ventured out alone.

It was a half-moon later, and nothing had been learnt. Ashpaw kept asking the same question. They couldn't ask the ShadowClan apprentices who they had met at the Gathering as that would be trespassing on RiverClan or ThunderClan territory to get to them.

As for Willowleaf and her fellow medicine cats, they remembered nothing of what they had said. Thornpaw had gone to the Moonpool with her, but had found no answers. He and Harepaw thought that she had been hypnotised by StarClan to warn every cat. The littermates always thought bizzare things, but maybe this time they were right.

"Why you Ashpaw? Why didn't they just stand in front of the Clans and say "Hey, you're going to die if you trust everyone!" Simple, right?" Harepaw joked.

Thornpaw, Greypaw and Bramblepaw just stared blankly at their paws.

Then Greypaw spoke up. "Can you guys leave? I want to speak to Ashpaw."

Gorsepaw flinched, then looked at Ashpaw teasingly. Ashpaw just motioned to the den exit. "Go on. Goodnight."

Once the apprentices filed out, Greypaw nuzzled Ashpaw. She was too startled to move.

"Look Ashpaw, I really like you, and I want to get to know you more. Please!" Ashpaw purred. "Not now. Let me think. I have got to solve this so I can get over it and become a warrior. Bye."

She left the den, exited through the gorse tunnel and went for a quick dusk-lit walk.

Little did any cat know that Greypaw would be the last cat to see Ashpaw alive.