3 moons and 15 sunrises since the Dark Forest Battle.

Honeypelt sat outside of Mistystar's den, her gingery-golden pelt shining brightly in the light. She nodded at Spottedcloud, Littlefeather and Silversnow, as the three sat down with her.

"Mistystar wanted to see you lot as well?" she asked, trying not to look at Silversnow's eye socket as she spoke to her. She noticed that the fur was starting to grow over her scar, and her eye socket wasn't completely open.

"Yes." Was all the large silver cat mewed, before peering towards the entrance of her den. "Is she awake?"

"No." came a dry, sarcastic meow from inside the den making them all jump. "Come on in."

The four cats sat down in the den, squashing against one another so they all fit. Mistystar was sat watching them, the blue-gray she-cat had a serious look on her face.

"Now then, since Spottedcloud has joined Riverclan, we have had numerous attacks from the Twoleg Place, even resulting in the death of Pounctail." Her icy blue gaze settled on Spottedcloud. "It seems your friends haven't accepted your departure from kittypet life."

"They weren't friends." Spottedcloud retorted, looking angry. "They were thugs. Willing to attack she-cats and force them to carry kits."

"Either way. We need to learn more about them and if they have weaknesses. That is why the four of you will be venturing into the Twoleg Place, and avenging Pouncetail. Spottedcloud, you will lead the patrol."

"But, I-"

"Come on." Honeypelt quickly mewed, pushing her way out of the den, knocking Silversnow over as she did so. "Let's get started. What do we know about Pouncetail's death?"

"It was done by a rogue, and the clumps of fur found in Pouncetail's claws were black and white." Littlefeather remarked, sliding out of the den quickly. "I checked with Reedwhisker as soon as Mistystar wanted to summon us to the den. I figured it'd involve this." As he finished speaking, Spottedcloud finally emerged, being forcefully shoved by an impatient Silversnow.

"You're patrol leader! Lead us!" she bellowed into the little cat's ear. She winced, before glancing around anxiously. Honeypelt did feel slightly sorry for her. It didn't seem fair that Spottedcloud had to face the cats she so desperate to distance herself from.

"Right… Uh. This way?" she half declared, half asked as she headed towards the border. The cats quickly fell in battle-patrol formation. Silversnow and Littlefeather at the flanks, and Honeypelt in the rear. Soon into the travelling, being silent became pretty boring, she decided to perk the patrol up.

"Hey Silversnow?" Honeypelt chirped, the giant silver she-cat turned her empty socketed face in her direction.

"Yes?"

"Is it true you like to battle?"

"Like battle? Oh no little cat – I live it." She remarked, making the whole patrol try and look at her, even Spottedcloud.

"Live it?" Spottedcloud echoed in confusion.

"Live it. Every sunrise, I get up, groom my pelt, and get up for the daily battle of warrior, and chasing off kittypets. Battles, how they are. They are just so exhilarating to me. The way we all slide about, confident in making the next battle move, the satisfying feel of flesh as I slice through thin pelts…"

"Okay, we get it Silversnow! Your scaring the she-cats." Littlefeather mewed, his voice slightly shrill. However, Silversnow let out a deep, rumbling purr in reply.

"So sorry Littlefeather." Was all she said, and the patrol fell into silence once more, until Honeypelt came up with a new question.

"Silversnow, if you could fight any cat, who would it be?"

"Lionblaze." She replied instantly, catching her off-guard.

"Wha- Why Lionblaze?"

"He is the cat who cannot be beaten in battle. To beat him? My life would be complete; I'd retire to the elders den as soon as I'd won." She remarked, still sounding serious.

"I think he lost his powers though, right? Honeypelt just mumbled nervously in response.

"We're here." Spottedcloud mewed, as she stood at the border of the territory. The Greenleaf Twolegplace was currently unattended, and the four cats began to travel up the dusty trail towards the Twolegplace. Honeypelt noticed Spottedcloud was shaking badly, and she sped up slightly, sticking close to her rear.

"Okay, now I think we go this way… No. That way…"

"You've said that Starclan knows how many times!" Honeypelt impatiently snapped. The patrol were lost, in a large Twoleg garden. It had many plants towering above them. Suddenly a skinny black striped tom appeared at the Twoleg nest, and seemed to climb out of a clear panel.

"You best go!" he called, looking around anxiously. "They will find you! And they wil-" the tom broke off, staring open jawed at the small gray she-cat. "Speckle?! Is that really you?"

"Uh…No?" she mewed, leaning back as the tom bounded over to see her.

"It is you! Flopsy and I have been so worried about you!"

"Ah, tell her I said hi-"

"Flopsy! Flopsy! Come out here!" he yowled happily. Honeypelt winced, this cat could get them all caught! She saw a pale brown cat appear at the same clear panel, before somehow escaping it too.

"Speckle! We have missed you so, so much!" she purred, dashing across the grass to see her. "We knew you escaped those crowfood eaters!" All three clan cats looked at her curiously, obviously wondering how much Spottedcloud knew about this place.

"Yeah, have you guys seen Vernon?" she suddenly asked, and Honeypelt blinked at her.

"Vernon? She's never mentioned a Vernon before." She thought as the two kittypets glanced at each other wearily.

"You know we don't get involved in their business." Flopsy began, only for Spottedcloud to interrupt.

"They have been trying to take innocent she-cats as mates. Answer the question." She snapped, narrowing her blue eyes at the soft kittypets. Stunned, both cats took a weary step back.

"You aren't the Speckle we knew three moons ago." The tom muttered, looking sadly at her.

"Joining those Clans have made you much stronger than either of us." Flopsy added, looking nervously at the patrol, and wincing as she saw Silversnow's face. "D-did Vernon do that?!"

"No. It was a battle wound from another Clan cat." Silversnow replied coolly, making Flopsy look away awkwardly.

"What my mate is trying to say, is follow the white fence posts, they'll lead you to Vernon." With that he twitched his ear at his mate. "Come Flopsy, before our Twoleg's notice we've gone." With that the two bounded across the grass, and up to the Twolegplace, and leapt through the gap in the clear panel. Out of sight.

The patrol all stared at Spottedcloud, who blinked back.

"What?" she asked.

"What do you mean 'what?' You scared those kittypets into giving you information!" Littlefeather burst out, looking stunned.

"Don't Clan cats do that?"

"Did she seriously just ask that?" Silversnow asked, letting out an amused purr. "Speckle you've been here three moons. You know how we Riverclan cats are."

"Sorry…"

"And! Who is Vernon?!" Littlefeather continued, like he hadn't been interrupted. Honeypelt nodded in agreement.

"He is just… A bad cat, some would call him the leader cat of the Twoleg Place. He preferred the name 'Vernon's Horde.' He said it had a ring to it." She began, before padding over to the white fence posts, and clambering up one. "Follow, I'll explain on the way."

Silversnow heaved her large, muscular body up the fence post, followed by Littlefeather, and then finally Honeypelt. They leapt across expertly as they followed Spottedcloud deeper into their territory.

"He showed up one night, with a group of rogues. He started talking about a gorge, and these cats who worshipped their ancestors." She paused, and quickly made a detour along a thinner brown fence, as one of the white posts had fallen over.

"He gained his knowledge from a large dark tortoiseshell tom, and the two had decided to work together, as joint leaders. While the other rogues and kittypets were their warriors."

"That sounds like Sol!" Silversnow gasped, as she leapt over the broken post, landing just behind Spottedcloud.

"I don't know his name; I hadn't joined the Horde when he was alive."

"So he's dead?" Littlefeather asked, as the cats paused at the end of the white fence posts.

"Yes, Vernon had the whole Horde look after him, grooming him daily, catching him the best prey. I've never seen him treat a cat so warmly… But I guess that's why Vernon is so scary."

"Because he can be nice?" Honeypelt asked doubtfully, the gray she-cat shook her head.

"No. It's because he is a normal cat." She replied, before leaping down into the grassy garden, and inhaling deeply as the rest of the patrol leapt down.

"He's close, I can smell it." She whispered, creeping cautiously down the side of the Twoleg nest. The patrol following. Honeypelt strained her ears, listening for the sound of paw steps, the meow of a cat… Anything really. As the patrol reached the back of the Twoleg nest, they halted. There was a large, broken gap in the fence, blocking that however were two cats in front of them. A slender, sandy gray tom, and a black she-cat with white stripes were stood watching them. Honeypelt saw Spottedcloud's fur fluff out.

"Vernon." She hissed angrily. He just slightly dipped his head, not taking his large yellow eyes off of the patrol.

"Speckle! So glad to see you've returned. Yail told me you ran away for good. He was very disappointed you rejected him." The toms voice was quiet, and calm. Honeypelt saw Silversnow square up to the cats.

"Back off." She hissed, however neither cat flinched.

"Such a bad temper. Well, if you aren't here to come back, you should leave. Now preferably." The black and white she-cat quickly got up, and fled through the large gap in the fence. Honeypelt moved forward, standing beside her patrol.

"You are outnumbered now. We want you to leave Clan cats alone." All cats unsheathed their claws, except Spottedcloud, who had no claws, but she dropped into an attack stance.

"Fine. I'll leave your little friends alone Speckle." Vernon mewed, speaking slowly. The patrol glanced at each other uncertainly, all not convinced. Honeypelt heard the sound of a dog barking in the distance, but ignored it. Figuring it was some dumb Twoleg pet.

"Only if…" he began, as all the cats stared at him. "You join the Horde again."

"Get lost in a dog house, you mangy flea-pelt!" Spottedcloud spat angrily, and the sandy tom started to chuckle.

"I thought you might say that. Well then, I'll have to think about it." With that, he lazily got to his paws, and the patrol tensed up, uncertain to what he would do, Honeypelt heard the barking getting louder, and dragged her gaze towards the hole in the fence. She felt herself freeze, as a huge, golden, brown and black dog racing towards them, with the black and white she-cat just behind him.

"Buster!" Vernon called, before his expression turned menacing. He glared at the patrol, before barking like a dog, and racing past the large, slobbering beast, as the dog ignored him and raced towards the patrol.

"Riverclan! Retreat!" Spottedcloud yowled in fear, and the patrol quickly span around and raced back where they came from. Honeypelt saw a large tree, in the front of a Twoleg nest. It was large and sturdy, a perfect place to hide.

"This way!" she screeched, as she swerved, and leapt forward, digging her claws into the bark, and heaving herself up the tree, she glanced behind her, to see Littlefeather and Silversnow behind her, closing in to the tree. She forced herself up to the nearest branch. Watching her clan mates scrabble up. Littlefeather got onto her branch, and Silversnow dragged herself up higher, as Spottedcloud skidded to the bottom of the tree, looking horrified.

"I can't climb!" she shrieked, as she leapt forward, trying to dig her paws into the bark, but having no claws she couldn't climb. Honeypelt quickly lurched forward, and bit into her scruff to heave her up the tree, ignoring the loud barking as the dog ran towards them. She felt Littlefeather dig his forepaws into her back, and help drag her and Spottedcloud up. Silversnow let out a furious shriek, and Honeypelt stared in shock as the silver she-cat launched herself out of the tree, and directly into the dog, making it yelp as its muzzle met with furious cat claws.

Honeypelt let out an angry hiss, and with her muscles straining, she yanked the little she-cat up on to her branch.

"Silversnow!" Honeypelt yelled, as the she-cat lashed out again at the dog. "What are you doing?! Get back here!"

"That's an order!" Spottedcloud shrieked, only for Silversnow to turn her head and look at them, as the dog backed up uncertainly.

"Just get out of here!" she hissed, before turning her attention back to the dog, snarling and hissing as she continually lashed out at the dog. Honeypelt nudged the other two cats with her nose.

"Along the white posts! Now!" she hissed, the Riverclan cats snapped out of their shock, and turned away, racing along the posts, Honeypelt glanced back one final time, to see the dog lurch forward, its jaws outstretched, as Silversnow had stopped fighting, looking back at the patrol. Making sure her clan mates escaped…

Honeypelt forced herself to look away, as she ran after Littlefeather and Spottedcloud, ignoring the heartbreak she felt, as she tried to push the image of Silversnow out of her mind.