DAYLIGHT waned, its pale golden shine bleeding across the sky as it slowly darkened in shade. Sedgepaw remained glued to the center of camp, watching as the shadows of the Fallen Cypress rotated as time passed her by. She felt numb. How did her simple life become so complicated overnight? Kneading the grass beneath her unsheathed claws, she pondered. She needed to figure out why StarClan made such a bleak prophecy. The circumstances of her birth were shrouded in mystery. Did Fernstream intend to become a queen, or did Sedgepaw and her siblings come as a surprise?

Her unanswered questions were brought to a halt when the hunting party returned. Emerging from the sawgrass was a collection of hunters that left the Clan before dawn. Leading the group was Spiderfang; the small, dusky black deputy had a collection of fish in his jaws, and his pelt still gleamed from being soaked in the water. His amber eyes flashed when he looked passed Sedgepaw and spotted Scorchface, sleeping under the watchful eyes of Zinniablossom and Claytooth.

The deputy bounded across the clearing to place his fresh-kill under the shadows of the bur marigold that built the medicine den, where the pile belonged. Following after him were the other cats in his hunting party: Palemist, Shaleheart, Blackpaw, and Molefoot. Sedgepaw did not bother watching them go to MarshClan's latest prisoner, for her eyes found Blueflower hedging her way through the grass with a couple of mice between her teeth. Sedgepaw's heart fluttered when the she-cat stepped out of the wall of grasses and into the sunlight, her blue-gray fur shining. The warrior captured her attention since the night of Vinestripe's trail; the image of the she-cat's deep blue eyes full of sorrow and concern for the Fallen was burned into her memory.

I need to talk to her, Sedgepaw realized. Taking a step towards the warrior, she hesitated when Ospreypaw came bounding up to her with a smile from the sawgrass with Yewpaw not too far behind. Any other time, Sedgepaw would be thrilled to see her friend and sister, but she could not help but flatten her ears in irritation when they approached.

"Well, well, well," Ospreypaw purred, yellow eyes bright with relief. "Look who decided to make their way out of the medicine den."

Yewpaw hurried to touch her nose to Sedgepaw. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she chirped.

Sedgepaw shrugged. "I don't know why you all were so worried," she grumbled. "It takes a lot to keep me down."

Ospreypaw rolled her eyes. "It's only because you're my friend that I won't call your bluff."

"When you were brought back to camp, you looked dead!" Yewpaw protested worriedly. Her sister pressed her head beneath Sedgepaw's chin, a soft sigh escaping her. "I thought I lost you."

Sedgepaw was gazing over Yewpaw's head at Blueflower as her sister spoke, watching the warrior deposit her mice in the fresh-kill pile. Oddly, the warrior seemed to recoil in shock when she saw Scorchface, and Sedgepaw leaned towards her in reflex, making her press closer to Yewpaw in consequence.

Ospreypaw pulled Sedgepaw from her fixation. "Hey, who is that skinny, old cat laying in the shade?"

"Scorchface," Sedgepaw replied grimly, still watching Blueflower.

Yewpaw turned in the direction of the elderly prisoner, eyes wide with surprise. "That murderer is still alive?" she scoffed. "I always thought she was just some fake villain in the elders' stories…"

"No, she's real alright," Sedgepaw grunted. Peeling her eyes away from Blueflower, she gazed down at her sister with a frown. "Grayjaw's border patrol found her on our territory, so they brought her in."

"What's going to happen to her?" Ospreypaw asked.

"Whitestar ordered her execution!" Bounding in from behind was Blackpaw; his usual cocky grin was plastered on his face, and Sedgepaw groaned internally as he took a seat beside them. "Apparently, she slandered her in front of the whole Clan!"

"Yeah, I know, I was there," Sedgepaw mewed dryly.

Blackpaw sniffed. "Well, we can't [i]all[/i] be stuck in camp… Nothing would get done if we all were lazing in the medicine den like you."

Sedgepaw bristled. Her muscles screamed to rake her claws across his smug face.

Yewpaw interjected sheepishly. "Blackpaw, you know Sedgepaw's still healing. It's not her fault."

[i]I don't need you to defend me.[/i] Sedgepaw was growing impatient. Though her sister had good intentions, she ended up glaring daggers at her and Blackpaw interchangeably.

Ospreypaw cleared her throat. "When is this execution supposed to happen?"

"Midnight," Sedgepaw replied tensely, appreciating the subject change. Ospreypaw always knew how to save her from her temper. "Whitestar will be hoasting it in camp under the vigilance of StarClan."

Blackpaw rolled his shoulders with excitement. "I can't believe we get to see [i]the[/i] Scorchface die at the claws of our own leader! Whitestar is so cool." He puffed his chest out confidently. "I'm going to be just like her one day. Just wait! StarClan will pick me for sure."

Ospreypaw snickered. "Doubt it, They would never get a word in with you around."

Yewpaw and Ospreypaw laughed as Blackpaw pouted, but Sedgepaw was distracted by her search for Blueflower. She spotted her near the warriors den, which was composed of a forest of knotweed that threatened to suffocate the few stalks of sugarcane plumegrass that used to grow in abundance in camp. The wilted, feathery ends of the plumegrass rested against the tall knotweed for support. With the undergrowth being so thick, the shadows of the warrior den were impenetrable, and they hugged Blueflower as she sat in their midst, staring at Scorchface from afar.

"Are you okay?" Ospreypaw nudged at Sedgepaw, eyes glowing with concern. "Do you want me to take you to the medicine den?"

"No, no… Uh, I just… I need to ask Blueflower something." Sedgepaw stood slowly, eyes not leaving the blue-gray warrior.

She felt Yewpaw's eyes bore into her. "You've been staring at her since we've come back," she mentioned, not sounding accusatory but curious. "What's eating you?"

"Nothing!" Sedgepaw snapped, going on the defensive as all three apprentices gawked at her. "Can't I just ask her a question without being interrogated?"

Yewpaw flinched and nodded. "Of course… Sorry I asked."

Sedgepaw did not have time to apologize, though she did feel a twinge of regret for yelling at her sister. She did not want to waste the opportunity to talk to Blueflower alone. Leaving the apprentices, she trotted across the clearing to the warrior, but as she drew closer, her paws felt heavier. Uncertainty clouded her mind, and she felt her trot slow to a saunter, and her eyes became dodgy as she entered the shadows stretching from the warriors den. [i]Great, I walked all the way over here without even thinking about what I had to say![/i] Her mind raced.

Frozen in her tracks, Sedgepaw gaped at Blueflower as the warrior noticed her approaching. Her blue eyes struck her like lightning as she stared, sparking a flame inside her that she had not a prayer of extinguishing, for it burned bright and true, searing her heart with warmth, and bringing her belly to a boil. Sedgepaw forgot how to swallow. She was so beautiful. When she smiled in her direction, Sedgepaw felt the earth give way beneath her paws, and she was free falling into the depths of her presence, plunging hopelessly, helplessly, happily. She never realized how soft and sweet her scent was until Blueflower left her seat to close the distance between them.

"Hello, Sedgepaw." Her voice was soft, as usual. Sedgepaw remembered hearing it above the madness of Vinestripe's trial, and it was like music to her ears. "I'm glad you're healing well."

"I… Uh… Thank you, Blueflower." Sedgepaw offered a smile in return. She tried to keep her posture confident, raising her chest, keeping her tail and chin high. Her golden eyes betrayed her, however, and gleamed with uncertainty. "I was just… coming to-uh-say-"

Blueflower waited patiently, her blue eyes not leaving hers. Sedgepaw cursed herself for not being able to form a coherent sentence.

"I-uh…" Sedgepaw shuffled her paws, thinking. "How-how are you?"

Blueflower giggled, and it sounded like the peal of a bell. Sedgepaw shivered. "I'm doing well," she purred. "Thank you for asking. And you?" There was a slight tilt to her head as she asked.

"Uhm… I'm feeling fine, I guess. I'll be out of the medicine den soon." As Sedgepaw remembered how to speak, her confidence slowly returned, and she felt less like a stumbling fawn. "With all these Fallen turning up, I need to be back on my paws soon so I can be around to help."

Blueflower's features darkened, and Sedgepaw winced. Did she say something wrong? "They aren't turning up so much as they are being sought after…" she murmured, averting her eyes.

"Do… you feel bad for them?" Sedgepaw wondered.

"Certainly not!" she protested, fur beginning to bristle. "And what if I did? What's wrong with that?"

Sedgepaw frowned, shrugging and feeling guilty. "I wasn't trying to say there was anything wrong about it… A life's a life."

Blueflower stared at her for a long time, and Sedgepaw was trapped in her gaze. The silence felt charged, and when it broke, Sedgepaw could finally breathe. "I'm sorry for snapping," she apologized gently. "I didn't mean to take it the wrong way; I guess I'm just shaken up by seeing Scorchface here."

"Yeah, I didn't think she was still alive," Sedgepaw replied, happier now that their misunderstanding was cleared.

"No one thought she was alive." Blueflower was gazing across the clearing at the prisoner. "When she was banished, several cats in the Clan vowed to find her and kill her."

Sedgepaw's ears perked. "Really?"

"Yes, but Pikestar forbid it. He did not want to risk losing warriors over revenge," Blueflower mewed. "There are still cats that inherited a grudge towards Scorchface from their parents; Palemist is one of them."

Sedgepaw tilted her head quizzically. "Is it because Vervainclaw is her father?"

Blueflower nodded, before sighing feebly and shaking her head. "So much energy is wasted on vengeance and hatred in this Clan," she murmured. "I feel like we are a flame, burning so bright that we threaten to burn out."

Sedgepaw's eyes widened, and she could not help but nod slowly in agreement. Gingerly, she approached Blueflower to sit beside her in the shade. She gazed up at the clouds and they rolled by. "Do you think Scorchface deserves to die?" she asked, voice just above a whisper.

When the words came out, she instantly regretted them. Blueflower could easily take her question as a question of Whitestar's decision, which was against the warrior code. No one could question their leader, especially not some lowly apprentice like she. Her heart sunk as anxiety weighed it down, and it sat in her gut like a stone.

"I don't think anyone deserves to die," Blueflower whispered.

Relief flooded Sedgepaw. Not only did the words comfort her, they brought her closer to Blueflower. Perhaps she was not alone in her worries of Clan life? She turned to Blueflower, eyes bright. She could not remember the last time she felt this at peace.

"I especially don't think Scorchface deserves to die," Blueflower went on.

Sedgepaw's eyes widened with surprise. She glanced around camp nervously, hoping no one heard Blueflower's transgression but her. "What do you mean?" she demanded in a fervent whisper.

Blueflower gazed at her, and there was a strange emotion in her blue eyes. There were secrets in the depths. "Those stories… that's all they are." Blueflower frowned. "We don't know what happened back then because we weren't there; Vervainclaw is the only cat still alive from that time besides Scorchface, and he grows more senile by the day."

Sedgepaw's heart pounded as she struggled to measure the gravity of what Blueflower was saying. Not only did she disagree with the execution, she disagreed with the judgment itself. If anyone told Whitestar of Blueflower's beliefs… she could be deemed Fallen. Sedgepaw felt determination swell inside her heart; she refused to let that happen. Blueflower's secret would be safe with her.

"Think about it," Blueflower pressed. "No one's even bothered to hear Scorchface's side of the story. What if it was a misunderstanding?"

"Why don't we just ask Scorchface?"

Blueflower shook her head. "You think they would stop and listen [i]now?[/i] The Clan is out for blood. One of the most notorious Fallen was caught on our land, and you think they would let her walk?"

"You're right." Sedgepaw stared at her paws, feeling helpless. What if Scorchface was innocent? "But if she didn't do it, who did?"

Blueflower smiled, and Sedgepaw felt her face grow hot. "I wish there were more cats like you, Sedgepaw."

She was not prepared for the compliment; it hit her like a thousand suns. She could not help but smile. "Why are you saying that?"

"You aren't afraid to question our society out loud. If you were like anyone else, you'd be running straight to Whitestar to report me."

She is right. Sedgepaw was breaking the code by even having this conversation, and she was breaking it again by not reporting Blueflower for it. The second law: to obey all orders from the leader and deputy without protest. The ninth law: to report all violations of orders instructed to be enforced. I just broke the code twice… and it doesn't even bother me.

"I can't report you," Sedgepaw confessed.

Blueflower tilted her head. "Why not?"

She smiled, shaking her head. I'm so hopeless. "Because I agree with you… I'm just as guilty as you are." She laughed to herself, realizing her guilt as she spoke aloud. "Ever since they drug Vinestripe away, something inside me has been screaming, and it hasn't stopped." As she spoke, her voice broke, and she felt small and weak to be this vulnerable beside the warrior.

"I feel the same," Blueflower murmured. "I've seen too many good cats get sent away because they dare to doubt Whitestar or question the Fallen's fate." She smiled sadly. "Vinestripe is like us too, and he got banished for it. Now he's living in exile for the rest of his life."

Sedgepaw's heart started pounding as her vision of Vinestripe returned. She remembered his bloody body, standing before her in the forest. She shook her head. "I don't think he's alive, Blueflower."

She heard Blueflower inhale sharply. "What did you see?" she demanded in a hushed voice. "Was he murdered too?"

Sedgepaw's fur prickled with unease, and she shook her head, afraid to say more. "I-I don't know… I just have a feeling." She narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean 'was he murdered too'?"

Blueflower sighed, eyes half shut. "Nevermind, we've got company."

Sedgepaw noticed Redleaf approaching them from the far side of the clearing, where the medicine den resided. She felt her blood run cold at the sight of him. Being beside Blueflower for so long helped her forget about the prophecy. Now that Redleaf's appearance served as a painful reminder.

"We will continue this later?" Blueflower asked.

Sedgepaw smiled, nodding excitedly. Knowing there was someone that shared her thoughts was all she had to cling to in order to maintain her sanity. "Of course."

"Tonight, most of the Clan will be gone to watch the execution," Blueflower's whispers became more rushed as Redleaf came closer. "I will stay behind. There is somewhere I want to show you, we can speak safely there."

Sedgepaw nodded wordlessly to her as Redleaf reached them. The stocky ginger medicine cat exchanged a smile with Blueflower as she left her side for the fresh-kill pile. Redleaf watched her go with a question in his yellow eyes. Instead, he just shrugged and nodded to Sedgepaw. "It's been quite the interesting day, eh?"

"That's one way to put it," Sedgepaw scoffed.

Redleaf chuckled, nodding in agreement. "How about you come rest?" he suggested. "You need another dose of herbs, for sure."

The mention of rest and medicine reminded Sedgepaw of her pain. It was much duller than before, but still present. If anything, she did need to rest her eyes. Scorchface's imprisonment and her conversation with Blueflower only exacerbated her fatigue. "That sounds perfect," Sedgepaw mewed.

"Very good." Redleaf turned to lead her to the medicine. Sedgepaw followed slowly. He glanced back at her as they walked. "What were you discussing so intensely with Blueflower?"

Sedgepaw frowned. She forgot how many eyes were in camp. They had to be careful. "Scorchface's execution," she mewed simply. "We were wondering who would be the one to slay her."

"Ah," Redleaf nodded. "Well, I'll be sure to tell you when I return. As medicine cat, I have to join the rest of the triad in these matters."

Redleaf's absence would make Sedgepaw's disappearance easier. Sneaking out under Heronpaw's nose alone would be better than trying to avoid the two of them. "Do you want to be there?"

"It doesn't matter. I have a duty."

Sedgepaw flinched at the sharpness in his tone. She needed to remember she was not speaking to Blueflower anymore. There was no sense in dancing around hypotheticals; it was a black and white world here, and those that hovered in the gray were doomed to join Scorchface in a shallow grave.

"And your duty is to rest and recover," Redleaf added, eyes narrow. "Now head on inside and don't speak such nonsense."

Obediently, Sedgepaw entered the den of marigold, and plopped in her nest where her pile of herbs was sitting on the side. Ingesting the bitter mixture, she gagged softly and curled up. However, sleep failed to grace her eyelids. She felt someone staring. She gazed into the shadows on the far side of the den, seeing a slight glint in the depths. Redleaf. Sedgepaw needed to remember she was in the presence of a cat that knew of her destiny. One that could be hellbent on destroying her because of it. Paranoia ate away at her intestines like maggots would carrion; an odd cramp settled deep in her gut and she dry heaved.

Feeling dizzy, she stood from her nest, vomiting the herbs she just consumed. Redleaf seemed to materialize beside her in an instant. Sedgepaw felt her vision come and go, blurring and sharpening in a sickening pace. Her eyes rolled up to gaze at Redleaf, and she was able to discern his confusion as his frame multiplied in her dizzy fit.

"Sedgepaw, what happened?" Redleaf asked.

Shivering, she felt her nausea slowly begin to fade, and her vision returned. Though she felt weaker than before, she felt strangely relieved. Blinking slowly, she coughed, wanting the bitter taste of bile to leave her tongue. All she wanted now was some water. Her throat burned and her eyes were watering, and she craved something cool and wet to soothe her. Gazing down, she noticed Redleaf was hurriedly cleaning up the vomit by clumping it up in the dust into a foul-smelling pile. Sedgepaw narrowed her eyes in confusion when she noticed a small, strange flower smothered with the rest of the herbs in her poultice. Though the dirt and bile covering it clouded her sight, she could make out white petals in the cluster; she did not remember anything looking like that in her medicine before…

Sedgepaw felt ice crawl up her back to chill her spine. She eyed Redleaf suspiciously as he padded over to the herb store, where he scooped a sheathe from a palm tree trunk with his teeth, before rushing back to her side to scoop up her vomit. He did not wrinkle his nose nor bat an eye at the foul odor as he carried it out of the den to dispose of it properly. Sedgepaw sat quietly as he left, feeling ill for all the wrong reasons. Did Redleaf put something in her medicine to make her sick? Her eyes darted wildly around at the shadows of the den, and she began to feel like prey being held at bay. So, this is what fearing for your life feels like… She felt terrified in the presence of the oppressive marigold blooms and the fresh aroma of herbs; a scent that was normally meant to comfort ailing cats only tormented Sedgepaw. I can't even pray to StarClan right now.

However, there was one cat that Sedgepaw knew would care about her worries. Blueflower. Sedgepaw knew she could not go to her family with her concerns, they wouldn't understand. Ospreypaw would be too skeptical, of course, and Batface… he would definitely think she was mad. I have to get out of here tonight.

The sound of Redleaf's paws as he padded back to the medicine den stirred Sedgepaw from her worries. When he emerged from the outside, he had a ball of fresh moss in his jaws, and it dripped of fresh water. Sedgepaw parted her lips to taste the air; nothing about the moss seemed suspicious, and her dry mouth begged to be watered. She was silent as Redleaf dropped the moss by her nest.

"You're scared," he observed.

There was no point in disguising her fear, Sedgepaw let it emanate off her pelt, raw and vivid, as she sat in the medicine cat's presence. "I just don't like throwing up," she lied.

Nodding with understanding, the medicine cat nosed the moss closer. "Drink the water sparingly," he advised calmly. "It's okay to be scared. You've had a long day."

"Thank you," Sedgepaw mewed, voice hoarse.

Backing away from her, Redleaf returned to the side of the den where his nest and herb stores resided. He glanced back at Sedgepaw, and she met his stare. There was a wordless exchange between them, but Sedgepaw struggled to decipher its meaning. All she could think was, Game on. Curling up in her nest, Sedgepaw felt like she was slowly coming to terms with the prophecy that was unknowingly unveiled to her by the medicine cat; she now had a greater suspicion of Redleaf's murderous intent than before. Her mind buzzed with wonder. If StarClan wanted her dead, why was she able to expel of the poison before it consumed her? Redleaf was well-adversed in herbs. There was no way he slipped up and let the strange, white flower make her sick on accident. Perhaps StarClan was looking out for her? She snorted softly at the notion. As she dove down the rabbit hole of cosmic intervention, Sedgepaw felt herself grow even more confused than before.

What was her fate? Where did her destiny lay among the stars?

She rolled to her side in her bed, lazily lapping at the ball of moss beside her. She needed answers. Tonight, she would go with Blueflower in the cover of darkness; she just needed someone to talk to. Blueflower seemed like the only one willing to listen with unbiased ears.

As of right now, Sedgepaw was an enemy to the stars and the state. Her birth was an omen of doom. She broke the hallowed code twice in one day. If Sedgepaw was on track to die, she was hard charging. She smiled to herself. There was no point in fighting her fate; if StarClan, and by extension, her medicine cat wanted her dead, she was not going to go down easy. I am not afraid anymore. This is my life, and I'm going to live it no matter what the stars throw at me.