CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

It seemed like they had just gotten back to camp when Pigeonpaw came dashing in, yelling something about rogues attacking ShadowClan. Thickfur was too tired and injured to care, and so he stood around camp idly as the still healthy and vigorous ThunderClan warriors prepared to aid their newfound allies. It was heartwarming to see all the Clans coming together in order to fight the darkness. Thickfur was aware of the sentiment, but he was too tired and worried about Dawnpaw to find to time to be happy. Sootclaw had said that Dawnpaw was fine, that they had gotten back in contact... but just because she was alright didn't necessarily mean that she was going to come back anytime soon. He had rushed over to the den as soon as the battle was over, daring to hope that she might have woken up with the defeat of WindClan, only to see her tiny, frail frame stretched out as usual in the moss nest, the same sad, shallow breaths and trembling eyelids.

And now Pigeonpaw was here, corralling the warriors, and Thickfur sat back. He watched as they all gathered, somehow still full of energy. He should have been excited or anxious, knowing that these rogues that had been threatening ThunderClan all this time were finally able to be defeated. But it didn't matter. If it couldn't bring Dawnpaw back, then it didn't matter. Everything he had done in the past few moons had been to protect her, even if she hated him, because she was his responsibility and by StarClan, he was going to prove himself as a mentor. But if she never came back... all of his effort was futile. Wasted.

He had left the medicine cat's den to allow Kitetail and Alder some privacy. Alder was going off to fight the rogues, finally ready to actually do something about the danger he had directed onto the Clans. The loner prince had become good friends with the medicine cat, much to Thickfur's annoyance, but he wouldn't begrudge them a moment of peace to speak. Out in the centre of camp, Slatestar was getting ready to lead a small force over to ShadowClan. Beck was there, as were Larchstripe, Beechclaw, and Owlfeather. Add Alder to that and you had six cats. Only six cats, he thought with a pang. ThunderClan was losing so many warriors – Nettleclaw had died, Elmheart had left, and Grasscloud had moved to the nursery, a move which angered Thickfur to no end. We need more, he thought, thinking of Dawnpaw. She would be close to her warrior name by now.

Thickfur nodded goodbye to them as they left, watching them rush up out the quarry and into the forest, ready to do battle once more. He hoped they would be alright – the rogues would be dangerous enemies with no qualms about killing, and this time, there was no Sootclaw to save them. He thought about what the grey warrior had said. She understood you just wanted the best for her, he had said. She's really brave.

Wherever she was, she must be brave. Dawnpaw was a victim, but she was also a fighter. And if she came out of this, he would have to respect her as a hero. Treat her like an adult. Not like a kit. Not anymore.

His paws led him over to the nursery entrance, where Auburnfur watched as Breezekit and Mothkit played. They were getting big now, and would soon be apprentices. Limekit was curled up in some scraps of moss beside them, dozing lightly, and Grasscloud was at the back, working on fixing up her own nest. Seeing her made Thickfur sick. How could his father had moved on? Flamefur would be in StarClan, waiting for him, and right now she was being betrayed.

He turned away and nearly bumped into Cherrytail, who had been coming from behind the nursery. Her eyes narrowed but her voice was cautiously neutral. "Hello, Thickfur," she mewed.

They hadn't spoken since their argument, which felt like forever ago. Thickfur was angry at her, but he also hated being distant from his family. Nettleclaw's words still hung in his head and they stabbed at his heart. He thought of Beechclaw and Auburnfur, of the love they shared and the way they loved their kits... why couldn't his life have been like that? Instead, it had been one of constant abandonment and betrayal.

"Hi," he said carefully. "How are you?" He should have tried to keep updated more, but with the threat of the rogues and WindClan, of the snowstorm and the darkness, he had been very distracted. All he could think of were Cherrytail's hurtful words and the way he had lashed out at her in order to hurt her, the same way Kitetail had lashed out at him. "How's Limekit handling all of this?"

"He's fine," she mewed. "He doesn't really understand what's going on, not with the darkness or anything." It was a weird subject. None of them could deny that the Dark Forest had held sway over WindClan, that the supernatural was involved, that Sootclaw's power had saved them... yet these were all very unfamiliar topics that set them all on edge. If the darkness could take over an entire Clan, what couldn't it do?

"Good," said Thickfur, and it was all he could think of to say.

"Nursery's getting crowded now," said Cherrytail, flicking her tail in Grasscloud's direction. The tortoiseshell she-cat seemed completely absorbed in her task.

Thickfur narrowed his eyes, and this time he couldn't prevent a little bit of annoyance from showing through. "It just doesn't seem right, her and Slatestar."

Cherrytail glared at him. "It's been thirty moons since Flamefur died," she mewed. "Our father doesn't need your permission to do what makes him happy." With that she walked by him, back into the nursery, cooing something to Limekit as she did so.

The stocky grey tabby let out a huge sigh. It seemed he was forever destined to be at odds with his sister, with his family. A heavy sense came over him, the same that had followed their last argument. Everything thought he was cranky, too hard on others, too cynical and volatile. Maybe he was. Maybe he was just going to always be angry, because everything was always stacking up against him.

So he went to the one place in ThunderClan camp he knew he would find peace – the medicine cat's den. He remembered the snowstorm, the easiness with which he had told Dawnpaw about his life when he knew she couldn't hear. Maybe he could only talk when nobody was listening – he could pretend they were, but there was no danger of a negative opinion or of seeming weak.

Thickfur slipped in. Kitetail wasn't there – had he gone to ShadowClan as well? Thickfur hadn't been paying attention. He settled into the moss nest beside Dawnpaw's, his heart breaking as he watching her the weak fluttering of her chest, her fur so dull and pallid. She seemed so fragile, as if touching her would break her. The grey tom sighed. "Maybe Slatestar's right," he told her. "Maybe it is time to let go. If I can't be a mentor to you maybe I can be a better one to someone else."

Maybe.

"At least you're alright," he offered, though his words were cheerless. "I hope you can't hear me – I wouldn't want you telling Sootclaw I said all this. I'm supposed to be tough, after all. But I've started thinking I'm not tough, I'm just mad. All the time." Talking wasn't easy for him but this managed to relieve the pressure on his chest and Thickfur found he could breathe again.

"Anyway, I probably shouldn't stay. If I'm going to let go, I have to do it. I just want you to know, I only wanted the best for you. I was proud to be your mentor." The words hung in the still air. He watched her breathe, his amber eyes filled with the same sadness that was welling up in his chest. He had to let go. Let go of Dawnpaw, let go of Flamefur, just... let go.

He was about to get up when Dawnpaw's breathing pattern changed, increased. Her breaths deepened, and then, without warning, she let out a gasp and her eyes fluttered open.

Thickfur's heart nearly stopped.

She looked around wildly before finally sighting him, a look of confusion coming over her face, though it was subdued by the pre-existing look of happiness and excitement and relief and... sadness?

Why sadness?

"You're awake," he said, stating the obvious, but he couldn't think of anything smarter to say. His heart was thudding in his chest and he could barely breathe. Dawnpaw was right in front of him, awake.

Her mouth moved but no words came out. The ginger apprentice tried to get her paws but stumbled, obviously not realizing how atrophied her muscles had become. Thickfur immediately moved forward to support her and she seemed surprised by his presence.

And then, finally, a noise. "Umm," she said.

Umm.

Their eyes met. Thickfur was expecting to see the same amber eyes that had closed on him, those moons ago in the snow, but they were different now. They were harder, sharper, smarter, older. This was not some young apprentice in front of him, but an adult, a warrior, in a deceptively frail body.

He wasn't even sure if calling her Dawnpaw was appropriate anymore.

Thickfur could only stare in wonder, his heart beating, at the creature in front of him, leaning on him for strength. She took in a deep breath, and he felt her whole body shake against him, and then: "Where's Kitetail?"

And he knew he shouldn't be upset that she had asked for someone else, knew that finding the medicine cat was probably important for her health, but he still couldn't help it. I'm your mentor, he thought. I've been here for you this whole time. Kitetail put you in danger with the loners.

But he had to let it go. Thickfur didn't know what he had been expecting – for Dawnpaw to wake up, immediately renounce her hatred of him, and shower him in appreciation? It wasn't realistic. So he didn't say anything about it, just let himself have the quiet pride that was knowing that his training had helped her survive.

"I'm right here." Kitetail had arrived back at the den. He hadn't gone to ShadowClan after all, he had just been out around camp. "Dawnpaw..." His eyes were so happy and it was obvious the brown tabby was overjoyed to see the apprentice awake once more.

He rushed over and helped her to her paws. Thickfur moved back, realizing that maybe his presence wasn't as welcome as he had anticipated. "I'm glad you're alright," he mewed gruffly. "Sootclaw had been trying to keep me updated, but... I was worried."

Kitetail looked back and forth between them, and then understanding dawned on him, obvious on his face. "Sootclaw's mind was linked with..." he began, and then nodded. "Oh. That explains why you were so friendly to me, Dawnpaw," he said, attempting a smile.

Dawnpaw frowned. "You know about the... link?"

Both of the toms hesitated. It was Kitetail who spoke. "Sootclaw told everyone," he explained. "He told us about his power, how he could save us from WindClan."

She looked back and forth between them. "It worked," she said, and it was more of a statement than a question.

Thickfur nodded. "Yeah."

"WindClan is saved?" she mewed. "And ShadowClan?"

Again, Kitetail and Thickfur exchanged glances. "WindClan is saved," Kitetail said, "but ShadowClan is currently under attack from rogues. Slatestar is there right now, fighting. I didn't go, I didn't want to leave you alone while... while they could be in the territory."

Dawnpaw frowned once more. "I've been here... the whole time?" Talking sounded as though it was still difficult for her.

Thickfur nodded. "You've been unconscious. We kept you in Kitetail's den, keeping you as healthy as we could."

She blinked. "You didn't give up on me."

Thickfur hesitated. Slatestar had been close to it, ordering Thickfur to take on a new apprentice, and the others had given up as well, saying there was no more use in hoping for a miracle. But the grey tom had never given up, and he wanted her to know just how seriously he took his role as her mentor. And yet... she was so different from the apprentice he had known. Despite her frail body, she seemed so much stronger. "Never," was all he said, but he felt weird about it, because it was one thing to show a little bit of kindness to his apprentice and something else entirely to open himself up before this new, adult version of Dawnpaw who was watching him with sharp eyes.

She nodded. It was all Thickfur got, but it felt like appreciation, and he felt wind rushing out of him. He hadn't given up. Dawnpaw was back, and she would be alright. All along he wanted a chance to prove himself as a mentor, but things had changed now. Dawnpaw was different. And he didn't know how to feel.

"I'm going to give Dawnpaw a check-up," said Kitetail. "And bring her to Slatestar when he gets back. Thickfur, if you could give us some privacy?"

He couldn't say no to the medicine cat. He took one last, wondering glance at Dawnpaw, who was still struggling to stand, and then Thickfur walked out of the den, wondering how he had let his life become so confusing.

x x x

Dawnpaw watched Thickfur's retreating frame. The grey tom was as tough as always, but his usual coldness had been absent, replaced by something else that eluded her. Wonder? Happiness? He kept his emotions hidden behind his amber eyes, and the only hint he had given her... Never. The intensity of his gaze and the ferocity of his words had surprised her. He had always been distant, cool, but in that moment he was letting loose all of his feelings in the way he knew how. If only she had known how to understand them before the moment was over.

She felt an uneasiness in her stomach. Despite their differences, Thickfur had been her mentor and she had come to appreciate him regardless of the roughness he could sometimes show. He had made her angry, embarrassed, desperate to prove herself – but he had never hurt her, and had always relented before he could go too far. Dawnpaw knew he had wanted to make her tough, wanted to shape her into a good warrior, and without him she wasn't sure how she could have survived in the Dark Forest.

But now, something had changed in their relationship. Something about the way he talked to her and looked at her. Dawnpaw was still an apprentice, but she felt much older now, and she wondered if Thickfur had seen that, if maybe he thought of them as equals. That made her uncomfortable. How was she supposed to navigate that? Her previous relationship had been a constant. Even if Thickfur wasn't kind, he was often right, and was a rock and a guide in her training. But if they were equals, if she was an adult... that would be gone. She would no longer have that protection from him. She would have to see him as a warrior, as a Clanmate, not as her mentor.

And that confused her.

But she couldn't think about that now. Kitetail was busying himself by checking over her, though he found nothing but limp, atrophied muscle. Dawnpaw knew how weak she was, knew that she needed help to stand and walk, and that her body had shrivelled up while she had been away from it. Her mind was a little unsteady too, and she knew she would have to manually open up the mind-link to talk to Sootclaw. She was desperate to hear from him, but she had to talk to Kitetail first.

"You're going to need a lot of physical therapy," said Kitetail. He sounded guarded, a little off, nothing like the friendly albeit shy tom she had known before.

"I know," Dawnpaw mewed. "Is everything alright?"

The brown tabby hesitated and then finally let out a sigh. "It's just.. the mind-link..."

Of course. Sootclaw had told everyone about his power, and knowing that he shared it with Dawnpaw might not be the easiest thing for Kitetail to register. Dawnpaw pressed her tail against his flank, trying to seem comforting. "It can't be easy," she said.

Kitetail looked away. "I spent a long time trying to be close to Sootclaw. And then when we finally did, I came to ThunderClan. It's not fair, but... you didn't have to do anything, and you get to be close to him." His words weren't mean, not supposed to lash out at her, but it was evident how much this was hurting the tom

"I'm sorry," said Dawnpaw quietly. "Look, StarClan joined our minds in order to save Sootclaw's life. It was the only way. But... I never wanted anything but for him to love and accept you. Watching him deal with Falconswoop, with the pressure to be like his father, it was painful. If you love Sootclaw, and I know you do, you should be glad you never had to feel his struggle." Dawnpaw had never put that thought into words before, but what she and Sootclaw had been through together... it had been immensely powerful and painful.

Kitetail was silent at that, looking thoughtfully into the distance. "Do you love Sootclaw?" he asked suddenly.

Dawnpaw was taken aback. She loved Sootclaw, loved him wholly and utterly, would move mountains to have him in her mind, but she got the sense that that wasn't what Kitetail was asking. He wanted to know if she loved him romantically, and that wasn't a question she was ready to answer. Realistically, they could never be together. Her thoughts and emotions had got so caught up in the intensity of their mind-link that sometimes it felt like she did, but at other times, she wasn't sure.

"You can't know someone that fully without loving them," she answered at last. Sootclaw was the prime example, but she remembered having her mind linked with Shredtail's. Even though she had disliked him and much of what he had done, feeling the way he felt about himself... it had been impossible not to care for him. And now she realized what Shredtail had meant, that she could be StarClan's champion. She had spent so long trying to get Sootclaw to understand the power of love – as cheesy at it sounded – and now she had to believe in herself too, because it was her strongest asset. Dawnpaw met Kitetail's gaze, now unafraid. "I do love him, Kitetail, but in the same sense that you do."

Not romantically.

Kitetail hesitated and finally nodded. "Alright," he said. "I'm going to go, umm, get Galepaw to find some herbs that I need. For your condition." He seemed nervous, and not just about her.

And, with that said, she went into her mind and found the part where Sootclaw hummed against her, and opened it up, allowing Sootclaw to pour into her and envelop her fully, and she revelled in the warmth and familiarity of his touch. He responded eagerly, happiness soaring through him, but she felt something else at the back of his mind, the darkness, locked away, drumming on the bars of its prison cell.

Hello, you, said Sootclaw. He sounded exhausted.

Hello, said Dawnpaw quietly. She felt her body trembling. In that moment there was only the two of them in the whole wide world.

You're back now, he guessed, relieved.

Yeah, Dawnpaw told him. She thought about Russetheart, about all the guilt that would put on Sootclaw, and so she did the unthinkable. She lied. When you saved WindClan and took the darkness away, I was able to come back.

Sootclaw's purr rumbled through her mind. I'm so glad, he said. I was useless without you.

Don't say that, she chided him. You saved WindClan, and ShadowClan too. Are you still fighting the rogues?

No, he said. The ThunderClan patrol should be back in your camp soon. Alder managed to kill Baron and end it, but...

She felt him shudder in pain, and knew why. Loving people hurt. And Dawnpaw had to learn to turn that pain into her strength. But?

Sootclaw sighed. A lot of cats died. Seedfur died fighting WindClan, and the rogues killed Milkyfur and Russet – it's a long story – as well. Sprucetail was maimed defending her kits, so she'll retire to be an elder. RiverClan also suffered the loss of Goldenfur.

Dawnpaw was silent a moment in order to grieve their losses. Goldenfur had been a young warrior, full of promise. Seedfur had been Kitetail's former mentor, giving her all to train him even though it would never work. And Milkyfur had been Eaglestar's mate and Pigeonpaw's mother... she could only imagine the devastating effect it would have on the leader and on their kits.

Honestly, a lot more would have been killed if Pigeonpaw hadn't run to get ThunderClan, Sootclaw told her.

It was Pigeonpaw? Dawnpaw asked, surprised. Last she had heard, the young apprentice was a major pain in Sootclaw's behind.

He chuckled. I've learned a lot, including how to be a better mentor to him. He's going to turn out alright.

I never doubted you, Dawnpaw told him, and they purred against each other for awhile, taking comfort in each others presence.

Then Sootclaw spoke, more quietly than before. I thought I might die, Dawnpaw. I was ready to do it. I wasn't even scared, I just wanted to be selfless.

You were, said Dawnpaw. You're the bravest of us all.

He laughed bleakly. I think that title is yours now.

She said nothing, only smiled. It was so nice to be back with him, and it made her feel like no matter what the Dark Forest threw at them next, she could handle it. They could handle it. Together.

It's not over, you know, she told him.

Sootclaw sighed. I know. But we'll make it through.

Their conversation was broken off by a rush of activity in the centre of ThunderClan camp, and suddenly Kitetail was back in the den, ready to help her limp out. Slatestar's back, she told Sootclaw, and pushed their connection to the back of her mind so she could focus on what was happening. Leaning on the medicine cat, Dawnpaw made it out into the middle of camp, and was immediately swallowed up by activity.

There were cats everywhere. Slatestar was rushing in, followed by a bloody and wounded patrol, though they all walked with their heads held high. Two of them, Dawnpaw didn't even recognize. Meanwhile, cats were coming out of their dens, staring at her in shock. When Slatestar saw her, his eyes went wide, and he rushed over to her.

"Dawnpaw!" he exclaimed in incredulity. "You're – you're awake."

Once, she saw Slatestar as a powerful, unstoppable force. Now she saw him for what he was – a tom, strong and broad, trying his best to lead a Clan even in this troubled time. He was still powerful, but he wasn't unstoppable.

She nodded. "I have a lot to say to the Clan," she mewed. "I wasn't just asleep, Slatestar. I was in the Dark Forest."

His eyes widened, and then he nodded. "I'm calling a Clan meeting now, to discuss everything that has happened. You'll have a chance to share your story – but for now, are you alright?"

Dawnpaw nodded again. "I'm still weak, but... I'm alright. Better than every, really," she mewed wryly.

Slatestar looked at her in wonder, and then bounded away, leaping on top of the Highledge in order to call a meeting. His voice echoed out over the quarry and the ThunderClan cats, who had all been milling around in anticipation of a meeting, fell into line in front of him. To Dawnpaw's surprised, Larchstripe sat at the base of the ledge beside him, and there was no sign of Nettleclaw.

And more importantly, there was no sign of Elmheart.

"Where's Elmheart?" she whispered, leaning over to Kitetail. Her heart was dreading the possibility that he had gone to fight the rogues and had never come back.

The medicine cat paused. "He is... he left. Um. While you were gone, some loners came to take refuge in ThunderClan. To make a long story short, some rogues came to find them, the Clans just fought them off, but Elmheart left with one of them. Chantelle."

Dawnpaw couldn't believe it. Elmheart had loved ThunderClan and had been ready to dedicate his whole life to it. As an apprentice, he hadn't wanted anything more. "I don't understand," she said. "Why would he go?"

Kitetail sighed. "Nettleclaw died of greencough, and you were in a coma. Elmheart... he said there was nothing left here for him. And Slatestar just... just let him go." There was sadness written on the medicine cat's face, especially at the mention of greencough, and it reminded Dawnpaw of the frail brown apprentice who had first come to ThunderClan and that she had instantly befriended.

Slatestar began to talk and Dawnpaw refocused her attention on him. "As you are all aware, Baron learned of the battle with WindClan and the resulting weakness of ShadowClan. The rogues launched an attack to take over ShadowClan territory, however RiverClan was there and we managed to get there in time as well. We fought them off, and Alder and Beck killed Baron, ending the threat he posed to the Clans."

He paused and looked down at a thin brown tom who was sitting by himself. He looked tired, and there were claw marks all over his body, but he was holding his chin up high. Beside him sat a large golden tom, head lowered.

"Because of their bravery and their service to the Clan while they were here, I have consulted with my senior warriors, and we would like to extend an offer to Alder and Beck: to join ThunderClan as full warriors." Slatestar's words hung in the area. There was no vocal opposition to the idea, though Dawnpaw did see Beechclaw scowl. Everyone was quiet, just watching the two loners.

The golden tom spoke first: "Thank you, Slatestar, however... now that my duty to Alder has been completed, I would like to go to ShadowClan and offer my services as a warrior. They suffered many losses and they need strong cats."

Slatestar looked surprised, but he nodded. The other cat, presumably Alder, exchanged glances with Kitetail before nodding. "I would be humbled to accept your offer, Slatestar," he mewed, and beside her, Dawnpaw felt Kitetail purr.

Slatestar then began the warrior ceremony. "I, Slatestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this tom. Though he is not Clanborn, he has shown bravery and loyalty, as well as the desire to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Alder, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

The whole Clan was watching Alder, who was trembling slightly. But he kept his chin raised and his voice was unwavering when he answered: "I do."

Slatestar continued. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Alder, from this moment on, you will be known as Alderthorn. StarClan honours your commitment, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

And then he was Alderthorn, and cats were chanting his name. Kitetail padded over to congratulate him, and Dawnpaw watched, her happiness mixed with the knowledge that the Dark Forest was still plotting away.

Slatestar now gazed down at her. "Dawnpaw has awakened, and she has a lot to tell us. Dawnpaw, please step forward."

Kitetail was over by Alderthorn now, but Galepaw and Auburnfur stepped forward to help support Dawnpaw as she waddled to the front of the crowd. Once she got there, she leaned against Auburnfur, appreciative of the she-cat's help.

She stared out over all of them, knowing that her body was weak but her mind was strong, and that her words would be convincing. She had returned from the Dark Forest in order to protect and care for her Clan, but in order to do that, she first had to gain their respect.

"When I was unconscious, my body was here, but... my mind was not," she began. "It was dragged down to the Dark Forest. I was a threat to them because I share the same power as Sootclaw. Our minds are linked together, and this gives the two of us the ability to fight against whatever the Dark Forest throws at us. They are plotting an attack down there – Falconswoop and WindClan were just the first steps of many, and we have to be ready.

"I managed to escape, but that doesn't mean it's over. They are planning something, and they will not rest until we have been defeated. We have to be strong, to stand together. Sootclaw and I may have this power, but... everyone is important. Every cat counts.

"It may be hard to believe me, but... you have all seen what Sootclaw can do. And you have seen my go into an inexplicable coma. And you have seen what the darkness does to cats. I wish I could tell you what was going to happen next. I can't. But I can tell you this:

"We have to stand together."

.

Afterwards, she and Thickfur padded out through the forest. Dawnpaw leaned on her mentor as they walked, and though progress was slow, she enjoyed being in the woods once again. The smells were familiar, and despite the blanket of snow, she could tell how alive and healthy the forest was. It was nothing like the misty, dark forest she had lived in for the past few moons.

Sootclaw was there, humming in her mind, but for right now she was content just to enjoy the silence and the quiet sound of Thickfur's breathing. The tom barely spoke, just helped her forward. For once, Dawnpaw wasn't worried about impressing her mentor. All she cared about was being home and at peace, and seeing the sun. The world around her was wonderful and beautiful, and she would do anything to protect it from the Dark Forest.

Anything.

The two of them made it to the top of one of the hills looking over the lake, where they sat down on top of a pair of rocks sticking up from the snow. Dawnpaw recognized the slope as the one where she had slipped and fallen, and she stretched herself out over her rock, staring down at it and the sparkling, beautiful lake below.

"Remember when I fell?" she said suddenly. "You were so angry."

He grunted. "You were careless. If you had been hurt..."

Dawnpaw rolled over to face him. He was still sitting straight, his eyes fixed on the lake, his body as hard and unfriendly as usual. But they were sitting here not as apprentice and mentor, but as friends, as equals.

"I never thanked you," she mewed quietly. "Without your training, I would not have been tough enough to survive down in the Dark Forest."

Thickfur just shrugged, still looking at the lake, and Dawnpaw felt a surge of frustration. Was he never going to talk to her? "You could answer," she pointed out sharply.

Now Thickfur looked at her, his face impassive. "I didn't do it for your thanks," he said. "The fact that you survived is thanks enough."

The anger snapped in her again. "Are you going to be rude to me forever?"

To her surprise, he didn't get angry or cold. Instead, he let out a sigh and relented, softening his posture as he turned to look at her, his amber eyes tired. It was a Thickfur she had never seen before, a Thickfur that was just exhausted. "I'm sorry," he said, words that she had also never heard from him. "You've changed a lot and I'm not sure where it puts us."

Dawnpaw agreed. "It feels like we can't go back to being mentor and apprentice," she mewed quietly, still surprised by his apology. "To tell you the truth, I don't feel like an apprentice anymore."

"No," said Thickfur softly. "You don't seem like one either."

"So... are we friends?" she volunteered. A younger Dawnpaw would have been horrified at the thought of being friends with Thickfur, her worst nightmare, her most hated enemy. Thickfur had been a big, square obstacle in her path to happiness.

He scoffed. "Don't get ahead of yourself," he reprimanded her, but there was no real unkindness in his voice.

Before Dawnpaw could think of a reply, everything changed all at once.

There was a terrible sound, a loud groaning sound that seemed to get even louder as it went on, splitting her ears and making her want to cry out. In the sky she saw a great, large silvery beast, like one of the Twoleg monsters but so much larger and with two large wings. It seemed to be falling out of the sky's blue expanse, plunging downward over the lake.

She watched, horrified, as the beast fell toward the lake. It was going so fast, there was no way it could pull up in time. It was just a silvery blur in the sky, and then it crashed, crashed across the lake and in RiverClan territory so fast that she didn't know what was happened. Beside her, Thickfur was just as enraptured, and she could feel the tension running through his body.

Flames erupted, a great billowing cloud of fire and smoke that rose up into the sky. They ravaged the territory, reaching high up into the sky, a terrible sight that Dawnpaw couldn't even begin to fathom. All she could hope was that the RiverClan patrol had stayed in ShadowClan camp a little bit longer.

The flames burned and roared, reflecting on the glittering ice of the lake and turning it from white into a powerful, fiery red, as if the whole lake had turned to blood.

Then, from deep in her mind, rose the most powerful, terrible, painful cry that she had ever heard and felt in her whole life. It broke her heart, it broke her mind, left her wracked with sobs, left her feeling a pain that she had never felt before, a sense of anguish and loss and complete despair that made her want to curl up and die. It was from Sootclaw, Sootclaw who was staring out over the same scene as she was, Sootclaw who was broken beyond imagining.

And from his cry came a flurry of names she didn't recognize – Thornkit. Icekit. Cricketkit.

And then they culminated in one that she did: Lilystream.

XX XX XX XX

A/N: Here it is! Sorry for the late update, I've been very busy. I have to buckle down this weekend to finish the NaNo (which will be the first couple chapters of the next book) and then I will be posting the epilogue + author's note for this story! Thanks to everyone who went on this journey with me. I'll talk about more stuff in the author's note, and I'll do review replies there too. For now, I just wanted to get this chapter posted!

Thanks for reading and please review!

- PV :)