"This is so boring!" Roarpaw complained loudly, dramatically throwing himself on the ground in front of the apprentice den, dropping a bundle of moss in the process.

Wolfpaw sighed and got him an unamused stare. With a single paw swipe, he batted the moss back into the den and prodded Roarpaw's shoulder. "Get up."

"I don't wanna!"

"You're acting like a kit."

"You of all cats should be the last one to tell me that."

"Get up or I'll sit on you."

"Fine," Roarpaw grumbled and pulled himself to his paws only to sit back down again. "Are there any warriors in the camp? It's been, like, moons since we've gone on patrol. There's gotta be someone around to take us out."

"Snaketail and Patternheart told us to clean out all the dens," Wolfpaw reminded him.

"I know, I know. But it's not like they'd know if we took a break!" Roarpaw said. Wolfpaw gave him a deadpan stare and pointed his tail in the direction of the warrior's den. Roarpaw licked his ginger chest fur sheepishly. "Oh right. I totally didn't forget that they're in camp."

The past quarter-moon had been filled with some of the most boring days of Wolfpaw's life. With Snaketail and Patternheart out of commission, the brothers were left mentorless. Vinestar had tried reassigning them to other warriors as well as letting them go out with Hazelpaw, Hedgepaw and their mentors Blazefeather and Icetooth but it had only taken a couple of days for everyone to realize that wasn't going to work out. Thus, Snaketail and Patternheart had decided to just verbally give them instructions. Unfortunately, that most meant doing laps around the forest and chores in camp.

Well, it was unfortunate for Roarpaw. If not for Roarpaw's complaining, Wolfpaw probably would've found it tolerable. He didn't like apprentice duties but, as he had told Roarpaw several times, he found them necessary and almost enjoyed the gritty work. Laps he liked considerably less but there was something satisfying that came from knowing that he was getting stronger. Already he'd noticed that he was getting faster and he was far less tired after each lap. The same went for Roarpaw but the other tom didn't seem to care.

This morning, Snaketail and Patternheart had told them to clean the dens. All the dens. Completely. That meant clearing out the old moss and bracken from the warriors' den, the apprentice den, the medicine den, the leader's den, the elders' den, and the nursery, collecting new moss and bracken, making sure there weren't any thorns caught in the bedding, and making a new nest for every cat in the clan. Not only was it boring, it would take all day.

Roarpaw and Wolfpaw began soon after dawn and it was well after sunhigh by now. Wolfpaw's entire body ached but they were almost done. They'd already collected all the moss and bracken they needed and finished their work in the warriors, leader, elders, and apprentice den. The only things left were to clean out the nursery and medicine den and make a few new nests and then Roarpaw and Wolfpaw could go rest their weary paws and sun in the forest.

The thought provided some solace but Wolfpaw really wished he just had his mentor again. Snaketail and Patternheart were doing better than Echopelt and Longberry but Vigilpaw said that it would still be awhile before they were ready to resume their duties. Wolfpaw hoped for his own sake as well as the warriors that they would all be able to get back into things. More than once, Wolfpaw had caught Roarpaw trying to sneak Snaketail and Patternheart out of camp and Wolfpaw hated that he was the one who had to run off to Vigilpaw to hiss some sense into them. Honestly, he understood that Patternheart and Snaketail were getting restless but they were warriors for StarClan's sake! They had apprentices, they were both trusted members of the clan. Wolfpaw was always one for getting into trouble but he wasn't stupid. He's think the three of them would be sensible enough to heed their medicine cat's words instead of acting like kits.

"Do you think Patternheart and Snaketail want some company?" Wolfpaw asked his brother. "Snaketail told me he was getting kind of tired of spending so much time with Patternheart in the warriors' den after Vigilpaw dragged Longberry and Echopelt to the medicine den."

"Maybe," Roarpaw said, sobering up. "But we've still gotta clean up the nursery and Vigilpaw's den. I think Dottail could use the company more than those two."

Wolfpaw silently realized he was right. The queen wasn't faring well. She'd been in the nursery for a couple moons back when Wolfpaw and Roarpaw were kits and no words could express how much it hurt Wolfpaw that such a strong, caring she-cat was suffering so much.

"You go on ahead. I'll gather up all the extra moss," Wolfpaw told him. Roarpaw nodded and padded off toward the nursery. Wolfpaw ducked into the den they just finished cleaning, scraped together the remaining moss, and followed after his brother.

Wolfpaw never made it to the nursery. Just as he was about to step in, Vigilpaw stepped out and the two crashed into each other, both dropping whatever they were carrying.

"Sorry!" Wolfpaw squeaked and hurried to help Vigilpaw pick up whatever herbs he dropped.

"Don't worry about it, Wolfpaw," Vigilpaw said with unusual softness. "Are you using that moss? I could use it to freshen up Longberry and Echopelt's nests."

"I was just about to replace all the nests in the nursery and then move onto the medicine den," Wolfpaw told him. He wrinkled his nose as he picked up some of the leaves in his teeth. He'd never get used to the sharp scent of herbs.

"You might want to put that off for a bit."

"What?"

Vigilpaw angled his ears in the direction of the nursery. Wolfpaw peered in and saw his brother lying next to Dottail. The queen's belly was swollen with kits but somehow she seemed smaller. Her muzzle was buried in Roarpaw's shoulder fur, her body shaking with sobs, while Roarpaw ran his tail down her back soothingly.

"I've tried my best to keep her going but without Larkwhisker around…" Vigilpaw trailed off. He looked lost for a moment but he shook himself, regaining his stoic composure. "Roarpaw thought I should take a break. He thought she could use another shoulder to lean on."

Wolfpaw nodded, noticing the tiredness in his eyes. "You deserve a nap."

"I can't. I have too many things to do."

"Well then let me help you," Wolfpaw offered and picked up the rest of the herbs on the floor, leaving the moss. He was coming back later anyway. He could pick it up then. Vigilpaw was more important.

The dark tom murmured thanks and the two padded back to the medicine den. Wolfpaw waved his tail in greeting to Longberry and Echopelt only to find the two were both fast asleep in the spare nests. Wolfpaw's gaze softened a bit. The two were so important to the clan and they'd been through so much. Wolfpaw hoped they would be on their paws again soon.

"Where should I put these?" Wolfpaw asked. He received no response. "Vigilpaw?"

He turned to see that Vigilpaw was staring blankly at the cobwebs on the medicine den's ceiling, swaying a bit on his paws. Wolfpaw felt a flash of worry and dropped the herbs, hurrying to his friend's side.

"Hey, Vigilpaw," Wolfpaw said, pressing against him in case he fell. Thankfully, the other apprentice snapped back to reality, blinking in confusion.

"What? Oh… Sorry Wolfpaw."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Wolfpaw insisted, trying to sound stern. "At least sit down if you're going to sort herbs. You're exhausted."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Wolfpaw said sharply. "You were injured in that fight too and you've barely had any time off your paws since you got back. You're ThunderClan's only link to StarClan now and you're the only cat who can save us if anything happens. We need you to be strong, Vigilpaw."

"Vigilstorm."

"What?"

"Vigilstorm," Vigilstorm repeated. He turned to face Wolfpaw. The tiredness was still clear but he looked a bit more like his old self. Nervousness filled his gaze but there was still a glow of happiness behind it. "A StarClan cat came to me in my dreams and gave me my name and title as ThunderClan's medicine cat. My name is Vigilstorm now."

Wolfpaw blinked a few times in shock before breaking into a loud purr and shouldering Vigilstorm playfully. "That's amazing! When did it happen? Why didn't you say anything?"

"It happened the night we got back," Vigilstorm admitted. His gaze dropped and his eyes fixed on his black paws. "There was never a good time and I didn't want to just announce it… I told Snaketail already but I asked him not to tell anyone."

"Why not?" Wolfpaw asked, confused. "You got your name! Aren't you happy?"

"Of course! I love my name. It's just… It's strange, don't you think? I didn't want any cat to laugh."

"Why would they laugh?" Wolfpaw questioned. He looked over at the pair of sleeping cats a tail length away. "Vigilstorm is no stranger than Echopelt or Longberry. Vinestar really does come up with some weird names, doesn't he? It's like his creativity split in two and argues with itself all the time or something. Everyone has great names. Strange but normal is boring, isn't it?"

"Normal is boring," Vigilstorm agreed wholeheartedly. His gaze lifted and his violet eyes met Wolfpaw's, glowing with gratitude and affection. "Thanks, Wolfpaw. I really like my name but I was scared to share it. I feel a bit better now."

"What are friends for?" Wolfpaw purred. "I think Vigilstorm suits you. You never sleep and your pelt's really dark so goes with the theme. I think Roarpaw'd like it too. He calls you storm cloud all the time for a reason."

"The StarClan cat called me that too," Vigilstorm murmured. "He said it was the only thing he could call me. It was weird but he didn't explain himself."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know," Vigilstorm admitted. "During the ceremony, he didn't use his name. He just called himself the sharp-eyed jay. He said he was another cat once. Maybe he's confused about his identity?"

"Maybe," Wolfpaw said thoughtfully. "Did he say anything about ShadowClan?"

Vigilstorm shook his head. "I don't think he's a normal StarClan cat. We met in the mist, the edges of StarClan. I don't think he can see the clans all that well with all that fog in the air. I'll probably see another cat when I visit the Moonpool next half moon. I can ask then."

"Good. I'm getting worried."

"Me too, Wolfpaw," Vigilstorm sighed. "Me too."

The journey to the Moonpool was quiet and lonely without Frostbark at his side. Vigilstorm was never the most social cat and Frostbark respected that so conversation rarely occured between the two on their walks but even just hearing the pawsteps of another cat to let him know he wasn't wandering through the forest alone was comforting. Vigilstorm felt his heart throb with longing. For the past half moon, he'd had another cat at his side constantly, whether it be his friends Snaketail or Wolfpaw, his patients in the medicine den, or Dottail. This was the first time since the incident that Vigilstorm was truly alone.

Surprisingly, Vigilstorm found himself feeling a lot better now that he was away from the camp and his clanmates. It was like the claws around his heart suddenly sheathed, letting all the pain and built up pressure disperse. Vigilstorm loved his friends, he really did. They were his anchor but he knew he was a reclusive cat by nature and he realized that spending so much time with others was a bit much. Being around others could be unbearable. It was like he absorbed all the negativity coming from them and channeled it directly into his already darkened heart.

Vigilstorm padded up the ridge and saw that SkyClan's medicine cats Longear and Rainpaw as well as Stonestream of RiverClan were already waiting at the usual meeting place. They were deep in conversation when Vigilstorm approached but the three went quiet when Vigilstorm made his presence known. Three pairs of eyes fell on him and Vigilstorm couldn't help but squirm under their gazes. He hated being stared at. Especially like this. They were looking at him like he was the last leaf clinging to the tree branch in the middle of leaf-fall.

"Vigilpaw…" Stonestream started.

"Vigilstorm," Vigilstorm interrupted. He winced. His tone was sharper than he intended it to be.

"What?"

"I got my name," Vigilstorm explained.

Confusion swirled in Stonestream's eyes but she broke into a purr anyway. "That's great. It suits you."

"Did I hear that right? Vigilpaw got his name?" a voice asked and Vigilstorm turned to see that the final medicine cat, Ravenfur, was making his way up the ridge. His eyes glowed as they fell on the younger tom. "It's about time! Congratulations, Vigilstorm."

"Thank you," Vigilstorm murmured with a slight dip of his head.

Longear repeated the formality but Rainpaw had a few questions. "Who gave you your name? You were still an apprentice the last time I saw you and there's no one to…"

Vigilstorm ignored the implication. "It was StarClan."

The other medicine cats closed their mouths. They of all cats knew how sacred the words exchanged between a healer and their ancestors were. They couldn't ask each other what happened. Vigilstorm was grateful for that. He'd shared the story behind his name only with his closest friend Snaketail and surprisingly Wolfpaw. He wasn't sure what it was about Wolfpaw that drew him to him but he liked him. He was odd but, as Wolfpaw often said, being normal was boring and Wolfpaw was far from normal. He shared his brother's love for fantasy and adventure but he was far more realistic about it, far more focused on detail and the more… unsavory aspects of it. Vigilstorm found that all the more alluring. He'd never really had a cat to share his weird interests with. Just that morning, the two had had a full conversation about the best way to extract mouse bile and Vigilstorm was sure both of them enjoyed it more than they'd admit to any cat. It was nice to have a second friend he could trust.

Wolfpaw had an interest in StarClan and herbs too. He had no desire to learn the ways of a medicine cat but he respected Vigilstorm's work and Vigilstorm appreciated that. Few warriors understood the medicine cat code or how difficult a life of solitude and sacrifice was.

A medicine cat sacrificed sleep and companionship more than anything else and on nights like these, Vigilstorm didn't regret his decision to follow this path in the slightest. There was nothing like the thrill he got in his belly when he prepared to share tongues with StarClan. He would spend a thousand nights alone if it meant he got the chance to see a glimmer of moonlight on the Moonpool's surface.

The medicine cats exchanged a few words before heading towards the hollow. Greenleaf's warmth was kind and it was a nice night to be out. Vigilstorm was sure that if they weren't worried about wasting moonlight, the cats could stay out all night without a care in the world. But, they had something to do.

The hollow that held the Moonpool always left Vigilstorm breathless. The sight of the water trickling down the stone and into the pool bordered by soft sand was breathtaking. At this time of night, it always looked its best. The half moon's light illuminated the whole hollow, washing over it with a white glow that always made his tail curl.

The medicine cats padded down to the water's edge. Wordlessly, Vigilstorm settled down and plunged his muzzle into the cold liquid. He closed his eyes, letting darkness blanket him, and opened them in a bright, green field. A familiar white she-cat stood before him. "Frostbark!"

"Vigilpaw," Frostbark purred and took a step towards him but Vigilstorm was faster. Like a kit running up to his mother, he bounded across the field and thrust his face into her white chest fur, breathing in her scent. He hadn't realized how much he missed it. Or rather he had but finally being with his old mentor again made all those feelings come raining back down on him. He didn't want to pull away and thankful Frostbark didn't seem to want to either. She wrapped her tail around him and lapped the top of his head. "Oh, Vigilpaw. I'm so sorry that I left you so soon. I wish I'd gotten the chance to give you your name."

"It's not your fault," Vigilstorm muttered into her fur, refusing to show his face. "And I got my name already."

"You did?" Frostbark took a step back and Vigilstorm's heart screamed at the loss of contact. The moment was over too quickly. He wanted to curl up next to her and just listen to her tell him that everything was going to be okay but he knew that couldn't happen. He was a full grown cat and had his name to prove it. He couldn't act like a kit.

"A StarClan cat visited me in my dreams and performed the ceremony," Vigilstorm explained for what he hoped would be the last time. This was getting repetitive and he was already tired of it. "I'm called Vigilstorm now."

"Vigilstorm," Frostbark repeated to herself. Her eyes lit up and she purred. "I like it. Who gave it to you?"

"I'm not sure," Vigilstorm said with a frown.

"You're not sure? It wasn't a cat you've spoken with before?"

Vigilstorm shook his head. "We met in the mist. He said that most StarClan cats don't like to hang out around there. He didn't seem like a normal StarClan warrior. He wasn't, was he?"

Frostbark was silent for a moment before turning around, beckoning him with her tail. "Come on."

Vigilstorm followed without hesitation. "Where are we going?"

Frostbark lead him to the treeline. "You've never wandered beyond the meeting places, have you? Do you want to see the rest of StarClan?"

Vigilstorm blinked a few times before nodding. "Yeah. I always wondered what was behind the trees."

"I did too when I was alive," Frostbark told him as they padded into the woodland. "It wasn't until I joined StarClan that I got to see."

Vigilstorm stopped in his tracks. "I don't want to invade."

Frostbark waved him off. "Don't worry. Just because I didn't doesn't mean living cats aren't allowed back here. Ravenclaw wanders around StarClan's hunting grounds all the time, actually. It's not normal but it's not uncommon. And you've been to the mist so I doubt any cat will complain."

Vigilstorm swallowed away his worries and resumed his pawsteps, trailing close behind his former mentor. "Where are we going?"

"Have you ever heard of Bluestar or Yellowfang?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, they were alive during the beginning of one of the most important eras of clan history. They've got a lot of influence here in StarClan," Frostbark explained. "If you have any questions about what's going on in Silverpelt, they're the cats to ask."

"Oh." Vigilstorm knew he shouldn't have been surprised. In ThunderClan, Rushstalk the cat to go to for gossip. StarClan was a clan too so it made sense that they had cats like that too.

As the pair moved deeper into StarClan territory, Vigilstorm saw a few other cats. They were all sharing tongues or running around, dodging trees. They all had stars in their fur but they looked happy. Happier than most living cats Vigilstorm knew.

Vigilstorm shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking like that.

"Where do you think we'll find them?" Vigilstorm asked once the trees began thinning.

"They've got this favorite spot," Frostbark told him. "It shouldn't be too much farther."

The two broke the forest and Vigilstorm's eyes fell on a massive, staggered stone with half a pawful of cats scattered across it, all of them sunning.

"Oakheart, Crookedstar, Cinderpelt, Reedwhisker, scram," Frostbark said as the two approached. Vigilstorm almost stopped to gape at her rudeness. That didn't sound like his mentor at all!

A dark, reddish brown tom, presumably Oakheart, lifted his head. "Hey! Show us fade-pelts some respect, will you? Just because you still get to visit the living doesn't mean you get to boss us around."

"She's got the ThunderClan medicine cat with her," the cat Vigilstorm assumed was Crokkedstar pointed out. The tom's jaw was twisted painfully and the sight of it made Vigilstorm want to wince. He thought all injuries were healed when cats went to StarClan. But Crookedstar didn't look like he was in pain so maybe the injury wasn't bad enough to disappear? "Must be important."

"It is," Frostbark said. "He spoke to a cat in the mist."

"The mist?" the cats echoed. Oakheart, Crookedstar, Cinderpelt, and Reedwhisker were on their paws in a heartbeat, scrambling to get off the stone. Wordlessly, they darted off into the forest, leaving Vigilstorm and Frostbark with the two she-cats that rested at the top of the stone.

"Wait- ugh," the blue grey she-cat called after them before groaning. She flicked her ear in annoyance. "Did you have to scare them off like that? It took me so long to get us together."

"Why was Reedwhisker even there?" Frostbark questioned.

"I don't know. I just like him, okay?"

"Don't get your fur in a bunch," the flat faced dark grey she-cat grumbled. "She's got good reason barging in on us like that."

"Fine," the other she-cat grumbled. She got to her paws and jumped off the stone, landing neatly before the visiting pair. "This better be important."

"He spoke to a cat from the mist," Frostbark repeated. "I assure you, it's important."

"Are you sure he spoke to a cat from the mist?" the second cat questioned, making her way down the stone at a much slower pace. "You're new to StarClan. You barely know anything about our hunting grounds, let alone the borders."

"Would I bring him here if I wasn't sure, Yellowfang?" Frostbark sighed before turning to Vigilstorm. "Vigilstorm, tell Bluestar and Yellowfang about the cat you spoke to."

Vigilstorm blinked a few times, not liking that he was put on the spot so suddenly and without warning. "Well, um, he was a silver tabby. Like a mottled grey and silver. His fur was thin but it looked soft and silky. His pelt had a lot of stars in it, more than any of you, and he was a bit faded but he still looked pretty, um, together. His fur was really beautiful."

Yellowfang rolled her eyes and snorted but Vigilstorm ignored her and continued.

"He was pretty lean too. He looked strong but I don't think he was a warrior," Vigilstorm described. "Oh, and he had these faded eyes. They were kind of pale, like mine, but they were blue."

Yellowfang and Bluestar exchanged a startled glance. Hesitantly, Bluestar looked back at him and tipped her head, prompting him to keep speaking. "Did he say anything?"

"Um… He said that he was like me but I don't know what he meant. Nothing he really said made any sense," Vigilstorm told her. He shuffled his paws. "During the ceremony, he called himself the sharp-eyed jay of Silverpelt."

"Jayfeather," Yellowfang stated. She lashed her tail. "That old mole. What's he up to?"

"Jayfeather?" Vigilstorm repeated. He frowned. "I've never heard of him."

"Me neither," Frostbark admitted, tipping her head to one side. "Who is he?"

"Some cats call him Jay's Wing but most of StarClan just calls him the sharp-eyed jay," Bluestar explained. Her tail flicked behind her but Vigilstorm couldn't tell if it was deliberate or not. "The cats who knew him call him by the name they knew him as but everyone else finds it confusing. A lot of cats think that calling him by his Ancient name or by his clan name is insulting."

"Really?" Vigilstorm didn't understand how calling a cat by his name could be insulting. It was his name for StarClan's sake! But this was StarClan and Vigilstorm knew that he was too inexperienced to understand their ways quite yet. "How come?"

"Jayfeather was probably one of the greatest cats in clan history," Yellowfang told him.

Bluestar snorted. "That's a lie. He's the greatest cat in the history of catkind, second only to Rock but no one knows where he is these days."

"I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. He's one of the Four. The four of them share-"

"And he had the strongest connection to his power than the other three," Bluestar argued.

"I suppose," Yellowfang grunted. "But he's still a furball."

"Yes, but he's your furball," Bluestar said with a snort and the roll of her eyes.

Yellowfang looked back to Vigilstorm. "Like I said, Jayfeather was one of four prophesized cats destined to save the clans. He was more than that but what's important is that he was gifted with the power of the stars. He lost it after he fulfilled the prophecy but Silverpelt seems to like him for whatever reason and he got his powers back when he died. He lives in the mist doing Silverpelt knows what at the border."

"He has the power of the stars?" Vigilstorm repeated. He swallowed. An uneasy feeling was bubbling up in his throat and he did not like it.

Yellowfang nodded, not seeming to notice his sudden nervousness. "The Three were said to have the power of the stars in their paws. I'm not really sure how the fourth cat falls into that but Firestar had some kind of power too. No cat but the Four really understands it though."

Vigilstorm waved his tail frantically. "Wait, go back. He had the power of the stars in his paws?"

Yellowfang nodded but her sharp-tongue was suddenly gone. "Yes… Why? Is that a problem?"

Vigilstorm didn't say anything, just stumbling back as a blizzard of thoughts rushed into his mind.

"Vigilstorm?" Frostbark looked worried. "Are you okay?"

Vigilstorm coughed and shook his head. "Jayfeather… Jayfeather said that he had a power that he shared with me. He said that he hoped I would be able to see my past, like he did. Does that mean…?"

Frostbark, Bluestar, and Yellowfang exchanged a glance.

"That could mean anything," Bluestar said slowly.

Vigilstorm flattened his ears and glared. "Don't treat me like a kit. Tell me. I have to know. Was I another cat before I was… before I was…"

Vigilstorm couldn't find the words to express his thoughts and it frustrated him. He was sure if Longberry was here, he'd be able to help him but he wasn't so he just had to struggle on his own. Vigilstorm didn't quite understand what it meant to have been another cat but the idea of it scared him. What happened to his old life? Why didn't he remember it? What kind of life did he live? Why had he been given a second chance? What kind of cat was he? Did he live in a clan? Was he even a cat at all? Oh StarClan, what if he'd been a dog? Or a duck? Or a twoleg?

Frostbark ran her tail over his spine and Vigilstorm forced his mind back to the present. He shook his head, clearing those thoughts, and cleared his throat. "Why is he interested in me? What kind of powers did he have? What does this mean for me? Do I have them? It doesn't feel like it but..."

"Don't worry about it," Yellowfang told him.

Vigilstorm almost laughed in her face. "I thought you were supposed to be a medicine cat. You should know that's the last thing you tell an anxious cat."

"Well, we didn't know a lot about anxiety when I was a medicine cat," Yellowfang snapped but she didn't sound angry. She sounded… hollow. Empty. Vigilstorm tried to ignore it but that voice in the back of his mind kept pulling his attention back to it. "Really, you should forget about it, Vigilstorm. If we learn anything, we'll tell you but in the meantime, there's nothing you can do."

"But-"

"You heard her, Vigilstorm," Frostbark told him softly. "Drop it. There's nothing we can do."

Vigilstorm let his shoulders sag. "Okay. I won't let go of this but I'll put it aside for now. Happy?"

"Peachy," Yellowfang growled. "Now it's time for you to wake up."

Vigilstorm gasped as he jolted awake, sitting up abruptly. He glanced around to see that his fellow medicine cats were stirring softly, beginning to wake as well. Vigilstorm sighed and flopped down on the bank, squeezing his eyes shut. How he wished it was one of them instead. He wasn't a particularly special cat. Why did it have to be him? He was sure any one of these cats could handle whatever it was Jayfeather expected him to do far better than Vigilstorm could.

"Did everyone sleep well?" Ravenfur asked with a yawn as he stretched. He blinked sleepily and sat back on his haunches.

"I know we're not supposed to share our dreams," Stonestream spoke up, "but seeing as Sneezefeather and Sootpaw aren't here and none of us know where ShadowClan is…"

Longear nodded. "I agree. If any of us have learned anything, we should share it."

Rainpain looked hesitant but she didn't disagree. "I know we shouldn't but I think it would be wise for us all to share our dreams. That way if one of us missed something."

Panic flooded Vigilstorm's chest. There was no way he could talk about his dream. He was even more confused than he had been the day he spoke to Jayfeather and he had no interest in sharing what he learned with his fellow medicine cats. Lip peeling back into a snarl, he voiced just that. "No way!"

"Woah, no need to get hissy," Ravenfur placated. "If you don't want to share, you don't have to but I really think you should. We all should."

All the cats eyes were on him and Vigilstorm felt himself giving in. Not completely, just a little bit. He growled in annoyance. "Fine. I talked Frostbark and these older ThunderClan cats called Bluestar and Yellowfang. I saw a pawful of other cats but they ran off. None of them said anything about ShadowClan."

The other medicine cats shared their dreams. Most of them had just met with their predecessors or past warriors from their respective clans. Each of them had asked about ShadowClan and none of them had received any sort of answer. StarClan sounded worried but Ravenfur said he'd seen a former ShadowClan warrior when his past mentor walked him through StarClan's hunting grounds so at least they weren't gone completely. It still didn't provide the cats any new information about their missing allies.

The group ended up parting after a few last exchanges. Vigilstorm found himself appreciating the solidarity again. He didn't know why but that last talk riled him up more than it should have. He knew he was probably just being defensive after being asked to share his dream but he couldn't help but worry it was more than that. Strange, scary things waited for him in the future and Vigilstorm was not looking forward to facing them.

AN: Having StarClan cats use expressions is so awkward…

Also I don't know why Reedwhisker was there. I just wanted to throw some old era warriors in and I happen to like him.