A/N: ...Uh-oh. Okay, I just read the beginning of "Dawn" and realized that Fourtrees isn't there anymore...fine. The oaks...grew back...or something. Twolegs replanted them. Be creative. But anyway, Fourtrees is there again. Enjoy!

Ever since that dream, Skyfeather never trusted Lucifer. She even tried to get rid of him a few times, but Stormstar wouldn't allow it.

Yawning from the good, dreamless sleep she had had that night, Skyfeather trotted up to the fresh-kill pile where Lucifer was stuffing himself with a rather small starling. She picked a magpie out of the pile and went around Lucifer to sit across from him.

"Good morning," Lucifer mewed cheerily, looking up from his starling.

Skyfeather eyed him sceptically. "And a good morning to you, too," she replied coolly.

Lucifer gulped down the last of his meal and stood up. "Did Stormstar tell you if I could go to the Gathering tonight?"

Skyfeather shook her head. "I didn't hear from him," she responded. Truthfully, Stormstar wanted Lucifer to come, but Skyfeather was dead set against it. She still didn't exactly know what Firestar meant by not listening to Lucifer, but she couldn't trust him either way.

That night, a fresh new snow had fallen, and the magpie Skyfeather was eating had been chilled to the bone. When Stormstar padded over to take Lucifer's place, he nudged around the pile until he found the piece of fresh-kill closest to the middle, where it was warmest.

"Good morning, Skyfeather," Stormstar greeted warmly. He stood up with the tiny water vole he chose and padded over to sit beside Skyfeather. "How's that magpie?"

"It's frozen, and stringy," Skyfeather replied. "But it's food."

Stormstar nodded. "Yes, I'd understand that," he responded. After a pause, he added under his breath, "Skyfeather, I really think Lucifer should come to the Gathering. He needs the experience with StarClan."

Skyfeather shrugged, taking a large bite from her magpie for procrastination. She chewed thoughtfully, thinking about whether Lucifer could be trusted or not. Finally, she came to the decision that allowing Lucifer to come to the Gathering wouldn't hurt anyone.

She nodded. "You're right," she agreed. "It would be best for him, and us."

Stormstar nodded. He finished off his water vole and nuzzled Skyfeather before padding off to speak to Tawnyspot, who was just emerging from the warriors' den.

Skyfeather shrugged off the feeling of being watched once more and finished her magpie thoroughly. The meat wasn't tasteful at all, but she gulped it down hungrily. When she stood up, she saw Gingerfoot and Sparrowstripe admiring their kits, who were play-fighting in the snow.

Skyfeather shivered at the thought of having kits, and wanted to go to StarClan proud to have them.


When Stormstar stepped into the clearing at Fourtrees, many heads glanced upward at the scent of Lucifer. Some of them snarled and batted their paws, while others greeted him kindly.

"Just keep it down until the Gathering starts," Skyfeather muttered to the black loner.

"Don't worry," Lucifer replied. "I'll stay low-key."

As Lucifer stalked off through the grass, Skyfeather padded around until she found Earthback and Amberleaf talking; Mosspaw was chatting with Mudpaw, Sandstorm's new apprentice, just beside them.

"Amberleaf," Skyfeather mewed softly, sitting down beside her. "I haven't talked to you in a long while."

Amberleaf nodded. "I've missed you," she responded. "How's my Gingerfoot doing?"

Skyfeather purred for a moment. Gingerfoot and Amberleaf were great friends when Gingerfoot was an apprentice in LightClan. "She's doing just fine. Of course, she couldn't make it."

Earthback spoke now. "How're her kits…what were their names again?"

"Cherrykit and Icekit," Skyfeather replied. "They're so adorable."

"I'd imagine so—"

Earthback was cut off by a yowl from atop the Great Rock. It was Longclaw, starting the Gathering.

"Welcome, RainClan and EmberClan," Longclaw meowed. "I will speak for LightClan first." When the cats below silenced, he continued. "Ravenstar has lost his last life recently"—Longclaw paused to glare at Stormstar for a moment—"and I have taken his position as Clan leader. I am now Longstar." As the cats below murmured their grief, Longstar went on. "Speckleback is my new deputy."

Skyfeather looked around the clearing to see Speckleback sitting tall at the base of the Great Rock, she lifted her head as the cats around her congratulated her.

Stormstar stepped up to take Longstar's place. "Longstar, I am very sorry to hear of Ravenstar's death, but I'm sure he has a good home with StarClan now. I'm also sorry to say that one of my warrior's has caused this accident. He was my deputy. As his punishment, he is no longer deputy. Skyfeather is taking his place for the remainder of leaf-bare."

Amberleaf and Earthback both turned to blink at Skyfeather. "You never told me," they chorused before congratulating her. Mosspaw and Mudpaw bowed their heads in a new respect.

Stormstar continued. "RainClan also brings a new warrior, Tawnyspot, to this Gathering."

Skyfeather saw Tawnyspot nudge the warrior beside her, who Skyfeather knew as Oakpaw. He looked much bigger, and looked like a warrior.

Skyfeather wasn't surprised when Stormstar stepped back without mentioning the lack of prey in RainClan's territory, also the coming of Lucifer. Both subjects were RainClan's business, and the other Clans didn't have to know everything.

When Streamstar spoke, he brought news of Oakpaw's warrior name: "I bring a new warrior as well, Stormstar. He is Oakleaf."

Skyfeather looked above the crowd to see Oakleaf's eyes grin playfully at Tawnyspot. Instantly, she realized that the two must have been in love.

After Streamstar finished speaking, the leaders leaped off of the Great Rock and chatted softly, allowing the gathered cats to speak some more.

Skyfeather turned to Earthback. "Please congratulate Speckleback for me," she meowed. When Earthback and Amberleaf nodded, she bounded across the grassy clearing and weaved through the cats to find Tawnyspot and Oakleaf talking.

She stopped and sat down beside the two warriors. "Hey, Tawnyspot. Congrats, Oakleaf."

Oakleaf nodded. His thick dark-brown-and-black tortoiseshell pelt was washed thoroughly, probably groomed for his first Gathering as a warrior. "Thank you, Skyfeather," the tom thanked. "Tawnyspot's told me a lot about you."

Skyfeather twitched her whiskers in amusement. "Did she, now?" She looked at Tawnyspot. "What have you said?"

Tawnyspot and Oakleaf purred in laughter. "Nothing bad," Tawnyspot mewed. "Only that I'm proud to be a warrior next to you."

Skyfeather took one look at Tawnyspot's beaming eyes and realized just how much Clan life in RainClan was doing her good. She her best friends with her at all times. She realized that if she had to lead the Clan, she would try her best for it.


On the way back to the camp, Tawnyspot refused to tell Skyfeather anything. They were sitting just outside the warriors' den now, chatting before the rest of the Clan went to sleep.

"Skyfeather, I told you," Tawnyspot urged. "Oakleaf and I are nothing more than good friends."

Skyfeather rolled her eyes. "Tawnyspot, when I looked over at you two before, you were talking like kits becoming apprentices any second. You two must have something else."

Judging by the way Tawnyspot stared down at her shuffling paws, Skyfeather knew she was right. Without any more words, she stood up, tail high in the air, and trudged through the ferns and into the warriors' den. She took her place next to Frostfur and fell asleep before Tawnyspot followed her in.

Skyfeather awoke from her dreamless sleep with an immense feeling of satisfaction. She did not know why, but she simply felt great. But when she poked her head out of the den, the feeling diminished like dew under a hot sun.

Snow was falling, and it was falling hard and fast.

"Skyfeather?"

Skyfeather looked in the direction of the pile of fresh-kill to see a pair of light blue eyes looking at her. She could just make out the shape of a cat.

"Frostfur, is that you?" Skyfeather questioned.

The shape nodded. "This is perfect for hunting!"

Skyfeather rolled her eyes. "Yeah, if you can find any prey!"

The two purred together as Frostfur made her way back into the den. She was carrying a starling and a rather small rabbit. She dropped both pieces of fresh-kill down on her nest and meowed, "Take your pick."

Skyfeather sniffed at the fresh-kill. "They're frozen solid."

Frostfur shrugged. "I'm sorry," she mewed. "It tried to dig up the most centered pieces, but I could barely see."

Skyfeather whined softly before nibbling some snow off of the rabbit. She picked it up and brought it to her nest before tucking in.

Lucifer padded up to the two. "What are we going to do today?" he asked, staring contemptuously at the prey. Clearly he wasn't too fond of eating frozen prey.

Frostfur shrugged. "Not much. The snow's falling like crazy!"

Sparrowstripe came up to them, holding two pieces of fresh-kill. He dropped one in front of Lucifer and started nibbling at the other one. "Skyfeather, someone has to go out and hunt today. If we don't get more food, we won't have any for tomorrow."

Skyfeather nodded. She knew Sparrowstripe was just trying to remind her that she was still deputy and that he meant no offense.

"It seems like leaf-bare is never going to end," Lucifer mumbled through a mouthful of vole.

Skyfeather nodded. "Believe me," she murmured. "I know the feeling."

Suddenly, the ferns rustled and Stormstar trotted up to the group. "Good morning, you four."

Skyfeather looked up and scooted over, giving Stormstar some room. He sat down and pecked at a tiny pigeon that looked like enough food to barely fill a starved kit.

When he finished off the prey, which didn't take that long, Stormstar looked at Skyfeather. "There's no more fresh-kill in the pile besides a sparrow."

Skyfeather did a double-take. "What?" she gasped. "We have to go hunting!" She stood up and hollered, "Snowstorm!"

The long-furred she-cat looked up and mewed, "What, what is it?"

"Can you lead a hunting patrol along the river?"

Snowstorm stood up. "In this weather?" she mewed incredulously. "I'm not setting one paw out there!"

Skyfeather sat down calmly. She opened her mouth to speak, but Stormstar beat her to it. "That was an order from your deputy," he meowed icily, matching the horrid weather. "I expect you to follow it."

Snowstorm nodded, but kept her tail low as she stalked out of the den, calling behind her back, "Sparrowstripe, Frostfur, can you guys come with me?"

As the two stood up and padded toward the annoyed warrior, Skyfeather called, "Why don't you take Dustpaw? She needs the exercise."

Stormstar meowed, "In fact, take all the apprentices and leave Frostfur here. They could all use the practice."

Snowstorm nodded as Frostfur padded back to Skyfeather, sending a silent thanks to Stormstar with a grateful twitch of her whiskers.

When Frostfur left to visit the nursery, Stormstar glanced at Skyfeather. "Skyfeather, I get so lonely at night."

Skyfeather leaned gently against Stormstar's side. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Stormstar nodded. "That would be helpful."

Skyfeather and Stormstar stayed like that for a long while, listening to the wind howl outside in agony. Once Stormstar got up to check the weather, but when he realized that nothing had changed, he went back to Skyfeather until the patrol came back, prey pitiful and small, but plentiful.

"I love you, Stormstar," Skyfeather mewed softly when Snowstorm left.

"I love you, too," Stormstar responded. When night fell upon the forest, the two trudged through the thick snow to the leader's den and cuddled together in the warm, mossy nest, changed by one of the apprentices. It wasn't long before Skyfeather fell asleep, warm and satisfied.