Ivyfoot padded into the leader's den and found Sunstar waiting for him inside. He looked like he had been deep in thought when Ivyfoot stepped in. The golden tom turned to Ivyfoot with interest.

"Ivyfoot, good, you're here," he stated. "Come over here, I have something important I need to discuss with you." Ivyfoot walked calmly over to where Sunstar was sitting in the back of his den.

"What is it?" he questioned. Sunstar had cut off the clan meeting rather quickly. Ivyfoot had a feeling Sunstar had thought of something.

"I have a plan to take care of our little...problem. Fernstep will no doubt give away our secrets- if she hasn't already done so. She needs to be taken care of," Sunstar meowed.

Ivyfoot gaped at Sunstar as realization dawned on him. "But Sunstar- Surely you can't be thinking of an assassination? You said it yourself, TreeClan is too well protected and their numbers are great, we wouldn't even be able to locate the camp before getting caught!"

Sunstar tapped his paw thoughtfully. "True, but you're forgetting that we have something TreeClan doesn't," he meowed, green eyes gleaming.

Ivyfoot's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"She's too young, she hasn't even finished her training yet. You can't send her out on a mission like this!" he protested, slamming his spotted paw onto the ground.

"It isn't right, Sunstar," Ivyfoot continued. "Sneaking into another clan's camp and killing a cat. Death will never accomplish anything. We'd be disgracing the name of our clan."

Sunstar's eyes lost their gleam and he sighed.

"Maybe you're right," he meowed, slumping down.

Ivyfoot watched his friend in pity. He had a feeling that most of Sunstar's animosity towards Fernstep stemmed from Silentshadow, and then there was the fact she ran off to his brother and could be giving away all their precious secrets.

"Still...Willowstar's actions are beginning to worry me," Sunstar muttered. "Something isn't right, I still think we should look into it."

Ivyfoot blinked. "A recon assignment? That's still highly dangerous, it's not safe to wander into enemy territory."

Sunstar shook his head and rose to his paws. "It needs to be done," he meowed.

Ivyfoot looked skeptical.

"Longtail will never let you."

Sunstar's green eyes flashed toward Ivyfoot. "Longtail doesn't need to know."

Ivyfoot sighed inwardly. "Yes, Sunstar." he replied, dipping his head.

With a flick of his tail, Sunstar dismissed the grey deputy out of his den. Ivyfoot left with a troubled expression on his face. He had a bad feeling about this.

Greypaw's heart thudded wildly in her chest. Her body had turned to stone and she remained lying rigid in her nest.

'What just happened?'

Relief washed over Greypaw when she blinked and was in the familiar darkness of her vision. She stood up and shook her off her pelt in the crisp morning air.

'That was a weird dream...'

Greypaw was beginning to feel troubled by these strange dreams. Just being able to see had seemed so...real. She shook her head. It wasn't good to dwell on these thoughts she told herself. 'I don't need to see, I can do anything everyone else can do.''

Giving herself a firm, approving nod, Greypaw set out of the den. She was so lost in her thoughts about the dreams that she didn't realize that another cat was also on their way out of the den.

Greypaw jumped as she suddenly bumped into someone. The disturbance broke her from her thoughts and she instantly recognized the scent of Lostpaw.

The other she-cat fumbled backwards a little and mumbled a quiet "Sorry" before quickly exiting.

Greypaw didn't pay it any mind and shook her head once more.

'Come on Greypaw, get it together. You're losing it!'

Greypaw stepped out of the den and into the morning sunlight, the warm rays of sunshine instantly began to heat her black pelt.

She stood there for a moment enjoying the warmth. Brownpaw and Darkpaw sat nearby eating their breakfast together as they always did.

Brownpaw could see the way his brother's entire demeanor darkened when Greypaw stepped into the clearing; he was still angry about what had happened while training.

Brownpaw sighed and ran a silver paw over his ear. "Come on Darkpaw, you can't brood forever."

Darkpaw snorted and turned away from him; he focused on his mouse. Brownpaw rolled his eyes and jabbed him lightly in the shoulder. Darkpaw grumbled, but didn't move otherwise.

Brownpaw smiled at him from the corner of his eye. He knew his brother didn't have the best social skills and avoided most cats, but he was his brother and Brownpaw was always able to understand him.

"Greypaw, you're awake."

Greypaw stopped her stretching and smiled at Cherrynose's familiar voice. "Yep, and I am ready to train! What are we doing today?" she replied eagerly.

"Actually," meowed Cherrynose, catching Greypaw's interest, "Sunstar wanted to see you."

Greypaw blinked. "Sunstar wants to see me? Why?"

Sunstar had never requested her presence before. Had she done something wrong? Was he angry about the fight with Darkpaw? Was he going to cancel her apprenticeship?

"He's waiting for you in his den when you're ready," Cherrynose meowed making Greypaw gulp nervously.

Cherrynose twitched her whiskers in amusement and flicked her on the shoulder. "Hey, you'll be fine," she meowed reassuringly.

Greypaw nodded and listened as Cherrynose padded away. She turned towards the large stone that made the leaders den in the back of camp and padded forward.

She stood in front of the entrance warily, wondering if it was okay if to just walk in or not. Her thoughts were answered when a voice spoke from the darkness. "Greypaw, just the cat I wanted to see."

Lostpaw walked through the forest alone, able to relax and just listen to the subtle sounds of her surroundings. Ivyfoot had to run two patrols and a hunting party today, so he had to cancel their training.

'They could've invited me to go,' Lostpaw mused.

She soon found herself in the training hollow. Even without Ivyfoot, Lostpaw was going to make sure she practiced.

She padded over to where the fallen log lay at the side of the clearing and began slamming her paws onto it, her hits becoming increasingly stronger each time.

'I have to get better!' Lostpaw thought desperately. 'I can't let Ivyfoot down.'

She continued to lash out at the poor, fallen tree as she thought of her mentor. He was the deputy and she was supposed to be his apprentice. She couldn't embarrass him.

After several minutes of doing nothing but slamming her paws against the trunk of the hard tree, Lostpaw's paws began to throb painfully after going numb. She winced with every additional hit. When the pain became too much she decided to take a break.

Lostpaw let out a deep breath and slumped against the log. She looked up through the clearing and watched the clouds wistfully.

It would have been so much easier if she had any natural ability at all.

The clouds moved slowly across the sky and the wind blew lightly.

Along again.

She felt a small pain in her chest. It was always worst when she was alone; when she was alone she began to think, and the thoughts often brought her waves of sadness.

Silentshadow's face flashed in her mind and Lostpaw watched as she walked out into the nursery and turned with a warm smile on her face.

'Don't go.'

Lostpaw jumped as a crow cawed loudly, breaking her from her thoughts. She narrowed her eyes at the bird sitting on a branch not too far from her. It tilted its shiny head, watching her with its beady, little black eyes and cawed once more.

The wind blew around her and Lostpaw suddenly shivered at the chill in the air. She had always hated the cold.

With a sigh she pulled herself up and headed back to camp. Every pawstep made her her flinch.

Her clanmates would probably be angry if they found out she didn't do any hunting in her free time, but Lostpaw didn't care. Right now she felt horrible.

Besides, they probably wouldn't notice anyway.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Cinderfire16, to answer your question: Greypaw is blind yes, and she is able to feel vibrations in the earth. Lostpaw has one strange "blind" eye, her right one (it is bluish and cloudy). If you've ever seen a blind person with the same eyes, you'll know what I mean- So yes it appears blind due to the lack of a clear pupil, and yes she can see normally.

Of course Darkpaw has a role, all characters do, but I can't go giving anything away. ;)

Yes, Willowstar and Sunstar are brothers.

Rosepaw is not related to ANYBODY because she was found in the woods as a kit and no one knows where she came from, but she did grow up as Lostpaw's sister.

Lostpaw and Greypaw are half-sisters because they have the same father, Sunstar.