Trickpaw stretched and yawned, extending each leg in turn. The ginger tomcat blinked his eyes sleepily. Riverstar's voice persisted. "Trickpaw, come on! The prey won't catch itself, you know. There's plenty of bellies that need feeding in this Clan, and you're just the cat who can feed them."

Trickpaw bounded out of the den in one fluid leap. Riverstar purred and licked his ear. "Good job," she meowed. "Now let's get a move on. The early cat catches the bird."

"Then birds had better sleep late when Trickpaw the Hunter comes around," mewed Trickpaw, eyes glinting mischievously. Riverstar purred.

"You remind me of another young cat I know," she said as they padded out of the misty camp. "And it's a cat you'd know and recognize. He was just like you when he was an apprentice: eager, sharp...a little blunt sometimes. Sound familiar?"

"Quartzfur?" Trickpaw ventured. Riverstar shook her head. "No, no...Racefoot?"

"Sunface."

"No way!"

"Way."

Trickpaw couldn't help an amused purr. He loved his mentor. Clan leader or not, she always made time for him. And even though she knew he was a kittypet, she treated him like any other Clanborn apprentice. "Was Sunface really...You knew him when...Sunface?"

"He was my apprentice back in DuskClan." Riverstar gave a sigh. "Back in the days when Wingfoot was my main rival, Sunface was Sunpaw, and TigerClan roamed the land." She purred. "Ooh. I'm old."

Trickpaw followed Riverstar out a good distance from the camp. The blue-gray queen flopped down on a rock to rest. She rolled onto her back and pawed lazily at the tendrils of fog around her. "Tell me, Trickpaw," she meowed, "about this mist. What will it do for our hunting conditions? Think carefully before you answer, and remember that there are two sides to everything."

Trickpaw nodded. He sat down a few pawsteps away from his mentor and gazed around him at the misty world. "Well...it's very hard to pick up scents in this mist," he answered at length. "So it will be harder to find our prey...But, the other side is that our prey will have a harder time scenting us."

"Good show." Riverstar heaved herself to her paws. "Well, you go off and see what you can catch, hey? I'll keep an eye on you. Make sure you don't get into any trouble." Trickpaw nodded and padded off into the fog. He heard Riverstar jump into a tree behind him. He knew the she-cat would prowl from branch to branch, always right above him.

A gentle rustling noise attracted the young tom's attention. His ears pricked forward to catch the sound again. Scurry, scurry. Rustle, rustle. Squeak, squeak. Mouse, mouse. Trickpaw grinned and dropped down into a hunting crouch. He slipped towards his prey as quietly as he could, noting the first fallen leaves. They had crunched under his paws once, and he wasn't going to let it happen again. A flash of gray. A flash of gold. Trickpaw sat up, holding the limp body of a mouse between his jaws.

But Riverstar did not jump down to congratulate him. Trickpaw stiffened. He sniffed the air warily. No...no prey-scent. No rogue-scent. Nothing but the smell of him and his—

"MROWW!" Trickpaw yowled as Riverstar pounced on him, bringing him to the ground.

"Always be alert, young Trickpaw," the PromiseClan leader mewed as she stepped off. Trickpaw stood up, shaking the dust from his pelt. He examined the squashed mouse beneath him. Riverstar gave an embarrassed purr. "You can take that one for yourself. We'll be a while here before the prey settles down again."

"Why'd you do that, anyway?" Trickpaw asked, his mouth full. "I mean, mmf, 's not like I was just going to keep quiet while I thought I was being attacked."

"Something to learn, my apprentice, is that you must never drop your guard. A rogue would no sooner eat a plump piece of fresh-kill than attack an unwary apprentice."

"My mother was a rogue," Trickpaw pointed out mildly. "And she raised me just fine. Not all rogues are bad, you know."

"They are if they choose the life of a kittypet over their free life in the wild," Riverstar murmured. Trickpaw choked on a bite of mouse. She had been staring straight at him. "Yes, Trickpaw, I know of your mother, and your past. I know you were once a kittypet." Her eyes softened. "But you chose to join the Clans, and that changes everything."

"You...knew my mother?"

"Kenya, right?" Trickpaw said nothing, so Riverstar continued. "Pretty tortoiseshell with dark eyes? That about right? I know we sheltered a pregnant she-rogue for a few moons. She said she was going to call her firstborn Trickster. Left after a few weeks of being a Clan cat. Said it wasn't her style. Too rogue. We told her our paws would always be open for her. She went off to be a kittypet, didn't she?"

"Y...Yes...There were two in her litter, myself and Queenie...the others..." Trickpaw shook his head, the mouse forgotten. "I don't know, but I remember there being four of us..."

"I'm not sure where they are," Riverstar replied, giving Trickpaw a friendly lick. "But I do know that one of the survivors has become something to make his mother proud: a warrior." She lifted her muzzle to the sky. "Tell me, Trickpaw, do you regret your decision?"

Trickpaw blinked. "Regret?"

"You know, if you decide to return to your Twoleg nest once leaf-bare comes, I won't judge you." Her dark blue eyes seemed to stare beyond the white fog and up to StarClan themselves. "But I really hope you don't. Promisepaw and the others have grown very fond of you."

"Excluding Shadowpaw."

"Do you know why Shadowpaw is who she is?" Trickpaw shook his head. "Shadowpaw was once an apprentice of SwampClan. She was cast from her Clan when an evil-hearted she-cat called Thornheart killed the leader. Only Shadowpaw saw what really happened. Thornheart knew, and blamed Jetstar's death on the Shadowpaw. She ran from her own birth-Clan." Trickpaw was shocked. "Shadowpaw trusts very few cats. She's always wary, always watching...How would you feel, if you were blamed for your own mentor's death?"

"I would feel terrible," Trickpaw whispered. "Did they ever sort Thornheart out?"

"Thornstar, you mean? I'm not sure. We are no longer a part of that forest."

Trickpaw shivered. He thought back to all the cutting remarks Shadowpaw had made about him, all the times she had ignored him, all the times she had barely been kept from using her claws on him...Now he understood. Shadowpaw's trust had been shattered, and was likely to never be repaired. It was understandable if she didn't want to open up to a strange cat who came seemingly out of nowhere. He shivered. "I...think the prey has calmed down now," he mumbled, trying to break the oppressive silence. Riverstar nodded.

The two cats padded through the woods together, silent. The relaxed slope of Riverstar's shoulders and her swaying tail showed that she was not on the lookout for prey. Trickpaw was curious about what was going on in her head, but even more curious about Shadowpaw. There had to be some way he could reconcile himself to the dark cat. "What kinds of prey were there in SwampClan territory?" he asked. Riverstar shrugged.

"I came from DuskClan, where we had rabbits and squirrels. Forest prey. Ask Owlfur, Wavepaw's mentor. She came from SwampClan." Trickpaw nodded. "Why? Feel like getting Shadowpaw a little present?" He nodded again. Riverstar purred. "She's a very beautiful she-cat."

The ginger tom dropped his head. Yes...yes, Shadowpaw was pretty...but not nearly as attractive as Promisepaw. His whiskers twitched with shame. Now Riverstar would think he had a crush on the hostile apprentice from SwampClan. "Just...want to be friends."

"I understand." Riverstar's gaze shifted upwards. She sighed softly. "And it's good of you to offer your paw in friendship. In fact..." She opened her mouth to draw air over her scent glands. Flicking her tail for Trickpaw to stay silent, she meowed to thin air, "You know, sweetheart, I can smell you. You're not fooling any cat."

Sweetheart? She's here? But the PromiseClan leader's hackles were slowly rising along her neck. Trickpaw crouched down, his tail giving an irritated jerk. Riverstar sprang into the bushes. There was a sharp yowl, and Riverstar tumbled back out of the brush gripping a tawny queen in her claws.

"Ocarina, really! Shame on you!" Riverstar scolded as she tussled with the other she-cat. The brown cat, Ocarina, spat in her opponent's face.

"Your days are numbered, forest fool!" Ocarina snapped in reply. "You'll rue the day you killed my mother!"

"You know, if your mother hadn't been such a tyrant, maybe things would've been different." Riverstar's voice was oddly calm and reasonable. Trickpaw guessed that his leader had dealt with this cat before. "But, sadly, that's not the case. Bone Marrow was a dictator, and for that, she was slain."

"At your jaws!"

"Well, it's not like any other cat was planning on doing it."

"Mother would've killed them!"

"Temper, temper." Riverstar pinned Ocarina down with one paw. The light brown cat was panting hard. Riverstar shook her head. "Your skills are failing you, Ocarina. Ordinarily the tables would have turned, and I'd be the one with my muzzle in the dust."

"Rr!" Ocarina thrashed. "Listen, you! The AoDs will rise again under a new leader! We will avenge my fallen mother and take back the territory that is rightfully ours!"

"When hedgehogs fly..."

"We will cast out you foul Clan beasts! Remove every trace of your foul stench from our forest!"

"And replace it with your own foul stench, no doubt..."

"You don't think I'm being serious, do you?" Ocarina demanded, her voice rising to a stressed pitch.

"Well, Ocarina, what you're meowing about is not a feasible plan for revenge. Might I suggest a little less mania and a little more charisma?" The blue-gray cat shrugged. "I mean, vengeance is good and all, but the plan you're discussing is not one that will get you anywhere. It lacks evidence of forethought and not to mention a conclusion."

"Riverstar, are you telling me how to plot my revenge?"

"No. I'm merely critiquing your ideas of how to obtain vengeance for your mother's death."

"Riverstar?" Trickpaw mewed.

"Yes?"

The ginger tom padded forward nervously. "Who...is this?" he asked, his voice squeaking like a kit's. Riverstar shrugged.

"No doubt Longfang's told you the story of Bone Marrow." Trickpaw nodded. "Meet her daughter, Ocarina." Riverstar unsheathed a claw, which pricked the other cat's back. "Ocarina, meet my apprentice, Trickpaw." Ocarina grinned sarcastically.

"Riverpaw die on you, did she?" she asked, rolling her eyes to gaze at Riverstar.

"No. Riverpelt."

"I thought you would have called her Riversong."

"There can only be one Riversong, Ocarina."

"And that is too many."

Trickpaw felt a purr start to rise in his throat. He gulped to try and swallow it. Here were two she-cats—obviously archenemies—who were carrying on a seemingly playful argument with each other. But then he noticed the strain in Ocarina's back and Riverstar's leg. He realized that the two were still struggling for dominance over each other, even though they appeared to be on friendly terms. He shivered.

"Ocarina, I think it's time for you to go now. Trickpaw and I have some things to take care of. You know, training and hunting." Riverstar lowered her fangs to Ocarina's shoulder and gave the she-cat a nip. Ocarina yowled and fled, tail bristling. Riverstar sighed. "And that, Trickpaw," she meowed, "is PromiseClan's main threat. The daughter of Bone Marrow: Ocarina the Mad."

"She seems sane enough to me."

"Seems. Seems. She's just as mad as her mother before her." Riverstar made a hissing noise. "Well, anyways, what were we doing?"

"I don't remember."

"That's okay. Neither do I." Trickpaw gazed up at Riverstar, his eyes and mouth wide. He wasn't sure if he should look shocked or amused. Riverstar purred. "You look like a fish when you do that, Trickpaw," she purred. "Well, let's just get back to hunting, hey?"

By sunhigh, Trickpaw was carrying a small bird and a mouse. Riverstar held a squirrel and a small bluetit, two more of Trickpaw's catches. Her eyes were gleaming with pleasure. Trickpaw dropped his fresh-kill on the pile and looked up at the sound of his name being called. He spotted Greatpaw running towards him. "Trickpaw! Trickpaw!" she mewed breathlessly. "Did you see Promisepaw, Sunpaw, Wavepaw, and Shadowpaw while you were hunting?"

"No...why? What's wrong, Greatpaw?"

The tabby she-cat was fluffed up with anxiety. Trickpaw could smell her fear. Her green eyes were wide with alarm. The ginger tom recalled that night...Those same apprentices talking about fulfilling a prophecy...Could it be...?

"They're gone! Gone! I can't find them anywhere, and no cat has seen them since last night! Not even their own mentors!" Greatpaw ran in a circle anxiously. "I mean, why in the name of StarClan would they just up and leave like that? Why would they abandon their own Clan? Why would they—?"

"Freeze!" Trickpaw ordered. Greatpaw skidded to a halt, clamping her mouth shut. Trickpaw paced in front of her. "Now...you say no cat has seen them at all today, yet they're missing. Their mentors are all here?"

"Yes. Seedgrowth, Dogbark, Owlfur, and Mousefur." Greatpaw tipped her head to the side. "Well, they were here not too long ago. Sunface sent them out on a patrol along with Pyrefoot and Summerpaw. Why? Is there something here I'm not getting?"

Trickpaw recalled how Greatpaw, Bearpaw, and Summerpaw had all been asleep or outside admiring the moon when the prophecy had been revealed. Of course. Greatpaw didn't know about their destinies. But Promisepaw had said she would bring Trickpaw with them to find out the danger. Shadowpaw! I bet she convinced Promisepaw and the others to leave without me!

The ginger tomcat sighed. "Calm down, Greatpaw," he meowed. "Listen, I'm going out to find them. I know where they must have gone. But you can't tell any cat where I've gone. Okay?"

"Okay." Greatpaw gave Trickpaw a gentle nuzzle. "I hope you find them before something bad happens to them...out alone in the forest..." She gulped.

Trickpaw lifted one paw to leave, then snatched the mouse from the fresh-kill pile as a snack for the journey. Hey, he'd probably need it. Giving Greatpaw a nuzzle in return, he turned and raced from the camp. Promisepaw...Sunpaw...Wavepaw...Shadowpaw...Hope and Shadows and Fire and Water...Hold on...I'm coming!

May I just add that this chapter was probably the most fun I've ever had while writing? Seriously. Riverstar and Ocarina...Wasn't it so fun to watch them just go back and forth about it? (laugh track) Yeah, well...there you have it. Ruthie likes to have fun when she writes. And she also likes referring to herself in the third person. And Tigerstar. I know he's evil, but I still love him. Such a pity he had to be evil, isn't it?

(coughcough) Yes, well...Ruthie is finished her rant now. Review, sil vous plait. (I no takey the Frenchy. Takey the Spanishy. Honors Three Spanishy. And I am just a Sophomorey.)