They could hear the rattling of loose silverwood just outside and above their den. The wind had picked up, dropping snow through the entrance and piling it along the ramp to the top. Some of the twoleg lights that adorned their den flickered whenever a strong gust came along. The moon was bright, but still defused behind the overcast. One of the war dogs stood at the entrance trying to eat the fresh snowflakes the wind blew inside. The other two lay on opposite sides of the den against the walls. One had her eyes fixed on the entrance. The other rested her head in her crossed paws, every attempt to close her eyes failed by the clapping of the first's jaw.

"Can you be a little less you tonight?" Juta snapped.

"Catching the snowflakes is good luck," Dona whimpered. "Each one you catch—"

"Seriously." Juta pointed to Karin, who was still fixed on the entrance.

Dona's ears flattened. "Fine. But we're missing out on all the luck."

She walked deeper into the den, licking some of the snow from the floor before sitting against the back wall. Before she could get comfortable, Karin's ears perked up. She stood at attention, almost leaping up the ramp and out the den. She was tempered when she saw the odd eyes of the cat riding on her companion. Backing away and whimpering, she returned to her spot. Rye leapt from Wolfgang's shoulders, and he immediately headed for the back of the den.

"Haaaaail, Wolfgang!" Dona said. "We didn't know how long it'd take to find the kitten, so we left your rabbit in the corner."

She pointed to the kill in the corner, still fresh. Its eyes were closed and its legs were bent to look like it was lying down with its head resting on its crossed forelegs.

"I really missed you, so I bent it to make it look like you. It says just as little, but it's not the same."

"I assure you she didn't do anything to it," Juta said. "I watched it. Enjoy, outside."

Wolfgang glanced at it, sitting upright without taking it. The others looked back at him, waiting for him to lie down. He had their full attention when he did not. Rye sat in front of him.

"Aren't you going to lie down?" Dona said. "You always do that."

He shook his head, attention focused on Karin.

"We found Heidi," Rye said.

Karin leapt in front of her.

"Where?"

"There are long rods sticking out from the river far east of the bridge. She was trying to dig under a silverrod barrier to cross the twoleg's platform into Shadow territory."

"Juta shook her head. "It's a system they use to inspect the water. It's locked up to keep even masters out. No way she's going to get through."

"Is she still there?" Karin barked. "Tell me she's still there!"

"She was there when we left," Rye said.

Juta scoffed. "Well, at least you running off did something productive."

"And I think I we can approach and calm her down."

"And you go right back at it." Juta walked over to the she-kit. Most of her features were hidden when she blocked a light. "I thought I made it clear this morning. Stay out of this."

Karin barked. "But she found Heidi. Now we can go get her."

"We're not going anywhere. I say let her be this time. She clearly needs some extra space."

"We are not leaving her out there."

"You remember what happened last time?"

Dona whined when the two growled at each other, shrinking deeper into the corner with the rabbit. Wolfgang barked, taking their attention.

"What is with you tonight?" Juta said.

He pointed at the kit.

"What about her?"

Wolfgang rested a paw on her head, tapping it with his claw. Juta shook her head. He did it again, standing over her and presenting his shoulder. Karin looked away. Juta froze. He removed his paw from Rye's head, his shoulder already facing Dona. She shrieked away, throwing the rabbit aside. Wolfgang shook his head and approached slowly, waiting for her to stop whimpering. Pushed as far back as she could go, she finally leaned close and put a paw on his shoulder. When she pushed aside his fur, she was fixed on his scars for a few heartbeats. The others watched both of their expressions soften. Dona took a deep breath, her tail wagging.

"It really works?" she said. "Just looking at them?"

Wolfgang nodded.

"That wasn't so bad." Dona bounced from the corner and in front of the others. "I'm in! Show us the way, kitten."

"You have got to be joking," Juta said.

Wolfgang shook his head.

"If it eases Wolfgang, I want to try it," Karin said.

"You know what happens when Dona accidently mentions them. Let alone any of us."

"It's time to help her past this. For good."

"It's too dangerous—"

"No, Juta!" Karin barked. "I'm tired of… of killing birds and having nightmares. I don't want to keep going like this."

Juta stepped closer. "Karin—"

"No! I don't have to listen to you. Heidi is out there somewhere. Our litter in arms. Our friend, Juta. Remember when she was our friend?"

"She never stopped being one."

"I can't get over this until she does. You aren't the alpha. You can't stop me. I'm going with or without you!"

"Excuse me," Rye mewed.

"What, kitten, what!?" Juta barked.

Rye's ears flattened. Before she could recoil behind Wolfgang's paw, he slid her forward. Dona moved out of the way, and they surrounded the she-kit. Karin's breathing was short, constantly glancing at the den's entrance. Juta was calming herself. Wolfgang finally took his seat at the back of the den, resting his head on his paws but keeping his attention on the others. Rye's ears dropped as her eyes glanced over each of them.

"Don't look at us like that," Juta growled. "You don't get to feel sorry for us. You don't know what happened."

"Then tell her," Karin barked. "She's been here for almost a moon. And, whether you like it or not, she's a part of this now. I don't care what happens when we confront her. Heidi can only take our lives if it comes to that."

"Then it's a win-win,"

Everyone looked at Dona.

"Right?"

Juta's ears shot up. For the first time, Dona's posture was perfectly straight. She was at attention, staring straight ahead at the flakes of snow that fell into the den. Moments later, she relaxed again and let her tongue flop out the side of her mouth. Juta slid over and rested a paw on her shoulder.

"I thought I told you not to say things like that," Juta whimpered.

"I never hear you whimper." Dona joined her.

Juta backed away from the others a bit, keeping her attention on Rye. "Fine, kitten. Don't say I didn't warn you if Heidi learns I've told you anything."

Dona bounced up. "Can I be excused? I don't like this story."

Juta shook her head. "Please shut up… You and Heidi fought, and she told you about some of the stuff during the war. There's a lot more to it that you don't know. Like how we knew some of the Axin Mess survivors, or went to paris before Clement was born. When you mentioned Solestar the night you arrived, she stormed off. When she talked with that Shadow group a couple days ago, she got really angry with us. We all have scars, and some of them are from her."

Wolfgang closed his eyes, his breathing steady. Dona sat close, brushing against him. Karin kept her ears perked, but kept her eyes on the entrance.

Juta kept her eyes down. "It was a little over five years ago. We wandered around for some time. Just Heidi, Karin, and me. Eventually, we happened on this area. Heidi liked that it was abandoned; She hates the ones who conquered our old masters. We followed the path of the rail machines north of here. We didn't think any cat clans would be left, and not in such numbers as the Shadows. They must've learned how to deal with dogs from the chaos of the war; pinned us by our ankles and threatened biting our necks. They were stronger than they looked. But one of the ones who had my ankles looked weak. I spun around. And, in the seconds I was free, Heidi ordered me to free Karin. I didn't question her. I killed two of the cats that had Karin's neck and she freed herself. Before we could even look at Heidi, we were surrounded by dozens more. She could only say 'run' before her head was pushed to the ground. They shoved ashes in her face and piled on top of her. They were biting her, scratching, they raked her ankles and nose…"

Karin, for a few moments, gave Juta her full attention. A shared glance calmed both down. Juta took a deep breath.

"The bridge was the closest escape route we saw. The river was still poison, and debris blocked so many paths. Heidi was gone for three moons. We don't know what happened. She got herself free, somehow. But she had a deep gash under her vest. She walked with a harsh limp on her hind legs. Her fur was covered head to tail in dry blood. But her glare was as sharp as when she gave that order for us to run. She told us never to mention it again. We didn't."

"What about Clementstar?" Rye said. "Did they aid your rescue attempts?"

"Clement had just arrived during that time. We refused to leave what was to be UnderClan's territorial expansion without our leader. He was rallying and reorganizing the cats there, and our rescue attempts provided him three moons of distraction to do so. He was grateful enough to let us stay in the master's park he would no longer be patrolling. He even promised us a winter route to use if, for some reason, we ever wanted an in to Shadow territory. We protested, but Heidi wanted to rest. She didn't care if it was on clan territory. And we had stumbled upon Wolfgang and Dona shortly after she got back. Lifted her spirits for a while."

"We learned not to ask about what exactly happened," Dona whimpered. "We don't even know what the scar looks like under her vest. I want to see, though."

"No, you don't," Karin snapped. "When her vest is off and others see it, she is a devil. Alpha or not. Even now it's loose. We have to find her before it falls off."

Juta sighed, looking towards the entrance with Karin. Dona was pushed against Wolfgang; he still had his eyes closed. Rye watched with them. The lights began to flicker again, briefly taking their attention. All of their ears perked up. The she-kit attempted to pinpoint what they swiveled in unison with. Karin growled and leapt at the ramp, kicking snow through the entrance and growling.

"Those damned machines!" she barked.

"They aren't supposed to be out this late," Dona whimpered. "Don't they know animals have to sleep, too?"

"The sowjets. They're the ones flying them. Heidi hates them. They set her off!"

Rye finally herd the feint whistle of the sky-monster over the wind. It flew directly overhead, the echo lingering. Juta was coaxing Karin back inside. She tried to keep her breathing under control. When Karin returned to the circle, she stayed out while the others were focused elsewhere. Rye glanced past the others. Her head was low, her posture shaky, and her tail dragged carelessly across the floor as a result. Catching glimpse of the cat, Juta growled. Her posture was straight again when she had the other's attention.

"I am… Has Heidi ever actually seen a dog in Shadow territory?" Rye said.

"There's never a dog," Juta sighed.

"There could be," Karin said.

"There's never a dog. Shadow territory is vast, but the clan are hundreds. Not even a war dog could move through unnoticed."

Dona nodded. "And just like that, we go from functioning pack to a group of fragile—"

"Don't ever call her that!" Karin barked. "She is not fragile."

Dona whimpered, resting on Wolfgang's shoulder.

"Every time this happens, Heidi gets headaches," Karin said. "She never sleeps well. Her nightmares come back. And so do mine… Last time really hurt when she attacked. It felt genuine. I want her back. The real Heidi."

"Then we'll just find a way to get her back," Juta said.

Dona bounced over and tried to lick her face, getting shoved away before she could. She spun around, nearly hitting Rye in the process.

"Yay!" she barked. "She's on our side, now."

"I was never against you," Juta said. "I just… thought letting her have her space would work this time."

"It's not working for any of us," Karin said.

"Then I say we leave the kitten here."

"What?" Rye said. "I want to see this through."

"Why? This still isn't your problem."

Wolfgang opened his eyes.

"It is my problem."

"A moon ago, you didn't even know who we were."

"Five moons ago, I did not know who Blackleaf was, either." Rye walked past Juta and stared at the night sky. The sky-monster's distant rumble followed its wake, and the snow continued to pile up the entrance ramp. "You are right. Heidi is not my kin, my branch, or even my species. She does not fall under my jurisdiction, and she cares little for the Covenant's mission. But she is afraid. And she is dangerous. If I were to attempt to assist Blackleaf now, I would not even know where to begin."

"And you're saying she's all of those things?" Karin said.

Rye shook her head. "Not directly. Bringing back the voice of StarClan could have avoided this war, perhaps. She acts as if she is the only Shadow who cares. She should not have to fear for her life, or for the success of her own undertaking. But she does not have a choice. I do."

Juta relaxed her eyes. "So Heidi is practice for you. For your real goal."

The she-kit spun around. "Please, do not take it the wrong way. I cannot feel the pain that any of you suffer. I likely never will, given the circumstances of my birth. The knowledge of an Incarnate is passed to her by her branch. But her wisdom must be of her own making… at least, that is the way I see it. If I am merely a reincarnation of Rye, then I truly have no place beyond this clan war."

Rye nodded when the moon was visible, just for a heartbeat, between a crack in the overcast. The clouds quickly covered it, and a frigid gust of wind blew snow in her face. She turned around and shook it away; Juta was staring down at her. Wolfgang raised his head, ears sharp, Dona pressed against the side of his muzzle. Karin walked past both and resumed her lookout.

Juta sighed. "Good answer, kitten."

"My reason is ultimately self-serving." Rye kept her head down.

"At least you didn't lie to us. And you finally gave a reason for obsessing over that Shadow medicine cat… Just keep your head down if you decide to see this through."

"Who wouldn't obsess over that medicine cat." Dona's tail wagged. "Have you seen her? I bet every she-cat wishes they were a tom instead."

"And you're right back to being disgusting," Juta said. "It still beats you being serious, though. Going to need some humor before getting beaten down tomorrow."

"I pray it doesn't come to that," Karin whispered.

She kept her eyes attentively on the entrance. Wolfgang stood, picking up the rabbit from the corner and eyeing Dona. She wagged her tail and nodded, pecking his muzzle with her own. He ignored it and left the den. Karin did not take her eyes from the sky. The snow dotted her fur as she let her body rest flat on the ramp. Juta walked over and set a paw on her back; it was quickly growled away. She went back to her spot against the wall and laid down, focused on the opposite side. Rye glanced at her while moving to the back corner. Her ears were folded at her sides, ignoring Dona's scratching at the walls. She kept her front paws close to her face, bundling herself. Her eyes were low and glossy.