Despite the sunlight pouring onto the bridge, it was not warm. The snow beneath her paws was just as cold as everything else around her. The river below was still covered by the slow blocks of ice on its surface, the crunching loud and clear without the noise of wind or the creaking of the bridge. She passed the beams that protruded from the ground, the holes and bumps at their base visible with the snow cleared. The stairs that led below were visible, cleared by the twolegs, several warriors changing patrols as she walked past it. The snow had covered much of the bridge again, but she was able to see the wood and silverwood underneath whenever her paws parted it. Each beam that hung over her head cast a deep shadow across her path, leaving the silverpath clear and gleaming, raised less than half her height from the ground.

Adjusting the medicine vest to her shoulders again, Blackleaf waved her tail left and right. The dozens of warriors at her side fell in line behind her, stretching to each end of the bridge. She saw the nervous group of blobs far ahead of her run to new positions and match the size of the line. Her destination was guarded by her own comrades and UnderClan's warriors, standing far out of striking distance but close enough for her to hear the last of the insults they hissed at each other. She immediately recognized the split tail of her littermate, and a smaller one standing next to him. Both were looking over the left edge of the bridge, towards Covenant territory. When she passed, he approached. Blackleaf recognized the she-cat apprentice as she padded towards the friendly side of the bridge. Nearing the invisible border line, she stopped in the shade of one of the beams and waved the other warriors off. After a few moments, a lone UnderClan cat did the same, waiting crouched at the line. Leaftail remained.

"Go with them, Leaftail," Blackleaf said.

He shook his head. "There is nothing more to gain. Whoever is there might attack you."

"It's either going to be Blueclaw or Windstripe. And Windstripe would only attack if you were there. Now go."

"Blueclaw could attack."

"She's too old to do anything like that."

Leaftail looked back, making sure the she-cat apprentice was gone.

"And I thought I told you if I saw her at the bridge again, I would beat her," Blackleaf growled.

"Come on," he said. "The way you handled it the first time didn't teach her anything."

"Well that's her fault, not mine."

Blackleaf continued her approach, but Leaftail grabbed her vest and slid her back. She kicked him away and hissed, keeping her voice low.

"What's your problem?" she said. "I am your superior. When I give you an order, I expect—"

"I…"

"You what?"

Leaftail hesitated, scratching the silverwood with his claws. His tail flicked about before he shook his head.

"I said go!" she yelled. "I don't have time for this right now."

Leaftail calmed himself down. Her escort, far behind her, had looked on when she started yelling. The tom flicked his tail and slapped it against the ground; they returned to their positions. Blackleaf glared at a few of them, her breathing quick. Her eyes fell on her sympathetic littermate for a moment before he left to join the others. She padded once more towards the border line, calming herself when her breathing was the only thing she heard. The blue-tinted fur and gray muzzle of the old she-cat came into view. Blueclaw was already sitting, and had her warriors even further away than Blackleaf's.

She cleared her throat. "I w-would have waited for you to finish talking to your littermate. That should come first."

"Where's Windstripe?" Blackleaf said.

"If Panzer were here, she-she would make some disgusting joke about the two of you being perfect mates—"

"Blueclaw, please." Blackleaf's voice trembled towards the end, making her look away.

"The little one sort of learned manners," the old she-cat said. "Guess someone finally beat them into you. Flyfoot maybe?"

Blackleaf sat and started nervously adjusting her vest.

Blueclaw sighed. "Windstripe made good on her promise. She is done with this."

"Is there any way…" Blackleaf's voice trailed off.

"I-I think it is over. Windstripe said it has been miss after miss since you got Angelika back. Been half a moon of nothing. And Clementstar's patience is out."

"Surely we can't just…"

"Spit it out, kit!" Blueclaw hissed. "Where has your fire gone? Might as well be dead."

"Just trade both sides back," Blackleaf said, snapping back into the conversation.

"We went over that. It-It is not going to happen."

Blackleaf sighed. "Because once I leave here, the truce is over."

Blueclaw's tail flicked. "Oh well. So be it."

"So be it? What about your comrades? The warriors on our side—"

"They are not my comrades. They are not my clanmates. I-I cannot even call them my friends. They are a large clan who just happened to be where the snake-monster I rode in stopped."

The medicine cat opened her muzzle, but said nothing. She retracted her claws, which the old she-cat had already caught sight of. She briefly looked past Blueclaw and towards the UnderClan warriors.

"I spoke to Heavyclaw." Blackleaf moved close. "When we found a tunnel—"

"Horse-dirt," Blueclaw spat. "We don't have anyone of that name."

"I was with Wolfgang. He had asked the captive about one of his friends on your side dying. And spoke to Heavyclaw about his old mate."

The hairs on the back of Blueclaw's neck seized up, and calmed just as quick. It exposed the black flesh on her back and shoulders. She glanced to her sides, then over Blackleaf to spot the distance of the Shadow warriors.

"Well, well," she said. "You might be more interesting than before. Telling your sworn enemy of your whereabouts."

"I really did," the medicine cat said.

"Oh, I-I believe you now. Heavyclaw spoke of it last night. It truly is a shame what happened to her. Wolfgang really did love her."

"So, then, you do still have friends in UnderClan."

Blueclaw sighed, turning towards the distant Covenant territory. She kept her eyes on them for a bit, letting a sudden gust of wind ruffle her fur. Blackleaf watched the wrinkled, black skin under her fur reveal itself again. A glance from the old she-cat did not dissuade her, and she cleared her throat to get her attention.

"I might as well sh-share what I think of this mess," Blueclaw said, keeping her voice low. "We may never see each other again."

Blackleaf leaned close.

"The Axin Mess was far worse than any of them with you would ever say. I am surprised you even know of Shortfang. I watched my leader run away, my littermate die, and my clan fall. The gall of Littlestar to surrender the territory and run off to die. I will never forgive her for that. And curse Fleetheart for indulging her, staying to watch! StarClan disappeared during the Great Sky War. Littlestar's birth, that LeafClan prophecy, twoleg power, who cares what made them go. Panzer was one of the smartest cats to ever live, and she never lost her faith. But she knew when it was time to fight in the name of something else."

The medicine cat recoiled back, but Blueclaw approached, crossing the border a bit.

"Not-Not easy to hear is it, little one?"

Blackleaf shook her head.

"No insults? No hiss? I-I am over the line, and it is just a 'no'?"

She stayed still, waiting for Blueclaw to slide back to her side.

"What about Heavyclaw?" Blackleaf said. "Christa, and Wolfgang? Isn't there someone you live for?"

Blueclaw hissed. "Yellowstar, Littlestar, Horseleaf, all turned their backs to themselves. I just live."

The old cat turned tail and away, UnderClan warriors quickly taking positions near her before being hissed back to a distance. Blackleaf looked as close as she could at her fur. Not one bit of it was on end, or out of place. She was perfectly calm as she left. She even walked through her limp, almost managing to hide it. It sent a shiver down her back as she watched the warriors keep their distance from her. When she lost clear vision, Blackleaf also turned away, quickly being surrounded by her own warriors. Leaftail was prominent among them. She stared at his tail; he whisked it upwards, pointing the tips straight down. Blackleaf shook her head, shaking away loose snow and pushing her vest closer to her shoulders. He repeated the action, making sure the others were occupied with guarding them before looking at her. She growled, lowering her head and flattening her ears. Leaftail's face relaxed and his tail sagged. He leapt to the front of his patrol and swung his tail forward. They all glanced back at the medicine cat and started padding further ahead to return to their positions at both edges of the bridge.

Blackleaf had already lost sight of her littermate. She ran to the end of the bridge, stopping under the shade of a beam. Her ears twitched at the sound her claws made, retracting them. She spotted Leaftail, descending to the underside of the bridge. Spotting the shaking paw she reached out, she held her words and made her way back towards camp.