AN: Another filler chapter, but this one is a bit more important! Okay, enough drabble, on to the actual chapter :P

-Chapter 13-

The Clan had been in a state of shock when it found out Olivenose was dead. Dovestar had woken up to hear cats murmuring about it. Minnowtail was still in the nursery despite the death that rang outside loud and cleared.

Dovestar sauntered out of the nursery to see half of the Clan gathered in a semi-circle. Mothwing was sitting beside Tigerheart, who looked stricken with grief.

"What happened to Olivenose?" Dovestar demanded when she sat beside Tigerheart.

"She died in the middle of the night," Mothwing explained. "Her wounds opened up again and became infected... she wasn't fighting death. I should have stayed awake with her."

Dovestar pressed her nose into Mothwing's shoulder, suddenly wishing there was something she could do to comfort the medicine cat. Mothwing had done everything she could, but there were somethings that were beyond their control. Part of Dovestar's heart blamed herself for Olivenose's sudden death. Maybe if she hadn't taken Tigerheart from Olivenose none of this would have happened.

"She will be honored in StarClan," Dovestar whispered when she managed to reach Tigerheart.

"I hope so," he murmured. "We were never really close but... she and I were the last survivors of ShadowClan. Now I'm all that's left."

"You know that's not true." She tried to sound firm as she focused on Tigerheart's gaze. "Our kits will be survivors as well. They have ShadowClan blood."

Tigerheart looked like he was ready to argue when one of Tinyflower's kits bounded out of the nursery. Alarm surged through Dovestar when she shoved Crookedkit away. Though he was still learning he needed to stay away from such sights.

"Where is your mother?" she demanded when she whirled around to face them.

"Went to make dirt," Crookedkit replied. His pelt was fluffed up to keep himself warm against the cool breeze. Pinekit looked like he was ready to start some kind of game. Dovestar sighed and shook her head irritably at their playful nature. Where ever their mother went she had to take them back to the nursery, despite the situation that stretched before her.

She picked the heavy kit by his scruff and watched as Pinekit bounced around her paws. Tigerheart was sitting between Mistflower and Nightfire. It seemed both young cats had realized that the older warrior needed some comfort. Just about anything was better than being on his own.

I'm sorry Tigerheart, she thought as she dragged the two kits into the nursery.

Once the two kits were settled in their nests she noticed that Minnowtail was still asleep. The dark gray she-cat's kits were mewling for milk as they suckled endlessly. She sighed and suddenly wondered if that was the sort of life she was about to face.

. . .

When Dovestar woke again she saw that Tinyflower had returned. It took what felt like moons to get Crookedkit and Pinekit back to sleep. The sun had risen and fallen by the time Dovestar peered outside once more. Camp was buzzing with activity while Hollyleaf ordered the following morning's patrols. Tigerheart and Mothwing had carried Olivenose's body out to be buried after sitting vigil all day. The Clan had been oddly silent since that morning.

Dovestar sighed before trying to get comfortable in her nest. She just couldn't get used to sleeping in another den. It was nice to be surrounded by other cats once more, but it wasn't the same as living in the warriors' den in ThunderClan. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Minnowtail was wide-awake, speaking softly to Tinyflower. Something was written on the small tabby's face - whether or not it was a hidden message seemed to evade Dovestar's thoughts.

She stretched out her back and tried to clear her mind of the doubts and worries that she felt about her future family. Tigerheart would still be distraught after losing his last Clanmate. Olivenose's death had shaken him in ways she could understand. Losing Ivypool, Whitewing and Birchfall had taken so much out of her. She knew what he was going through despite what he thought.

"Can't sleep?" Dovestar winced when she heard Tinyflower speak. Now that her kits were asleep she could wander away from her nest once more. Crookedkit was always looking for trouble, and whatever he did Pinekit followed. The two brothers acted as though they were one, which amused Dovestar in many ways. It reminded her of the times she and Ivypool had spent causing trouble in the nursery when they were kits. "I've been having trouble sleeping too," Tinyflower admitted. "It feels like something is coming, but I can't be sure of what that something is."

Almost immediately Dovestar's sharp senses came back to her. She remembered hearing the sounds of unfamiliar pawsteps outside the camp the night before. She remembered watching Tinyflower leave the camp before as well in order to make dirt. Those two signals should have meant something, but Dovestar couldn't quite place what it meant.

"I think Olivenose's death has us all worried," she finally murmured when Tinyflower began to look uneasy. "The Dark Battle has made us all wary of what lies in the shadows. Understandably we are all jumpy at the moment."

"I've heard about the Dark Battle," Tinyflower mewed after licking her chest fur in embarrassment. "Minnowtail was just telling me about it, but I've never understood what really happened."

A shudder coursed through Dovestar as she recalled the countless lives the battle had taken. Almost all of WindClan had been wiped out, but with Hollyleaf still alive there was still a spark of hope for WindClan. Those who fought alongside the Dark Forest fled after the battle was over. The only reason they'd managed to stop the battle was because of Firestar's final sacrifice. He along with several willing StarClan cats had given their lives to keep the Dark Forest from gaining power.

But how long would they be kept hidden? Dovestar pondered over that thought as Tinyflower's eyes widened to the size of two moons.

"You mean they've killed kits as well?" Her voice was filled with fear as she wrapped her tail around Crookedkit and Pinekit.

"They don't hold back," Dovestar replied. "They will stop at nothing to rule the forest."

Tinyflower looked like she was ready to run with her kits when Minnowtail shot her a warning look. The small tabby suddenly lowered her shoulders and narrowed her eyes before relaxing. Dovestar didn't miss the odd exchange and wondered what was going on. Minnowtail had never really liked her to begin with, even when the four Clans were still around.

She tried not to think about it as wariness washed over her. She knew that worrying about it wasn't going to help, as Mothwing told her from time to time. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried there would always be challenges thrown at her.

AN: I know, I killed off Olivenose. She is only the beginning though ;P I have much more devious plans for this story than just messing around with the characters' hearts. Thanks everyone for your reviews, hopefully they will keep up!