Yellowfang had told him to forget about it but Vigilstorm couldn't. He had too many questions, too many curiosities, too many inquiries, for his ever-active mind to just give up on what he'd learned. How could any cat be expected to just ignore the fact that he might have been reborn? It was a big maybe and Vigilstorm didn't know how that was possible. He had no reason to trust Jayfeather but the old StarClan cat had put the idea in his head and how he couldn't stop thinking about it.

There was also the mention of the Four. Once Vigilstorm's mind had calmed enough to stop thinking about his possible past life every heartbeat of the day, it had moved right on to thinking about the prophecy. Four cats with the power of the stars in their paws? That sounded amazing. And he wanted no part in it.

Vigilstorm didn't like responsibility. It scared him more than it should have. He didn't trust himself to do well on anything. Every night, that little voice in the back of his head whispered that the stars made a mistake, he wasn't good enough. Maybe they choose this power for him because of who he used to be, not who he was. It made sense and Vigilstorm wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

Still, the prospect of powers intrigued him. It scared him but it was still fascinating. More for others than himself. The title Four implied three other cats that he shared this burden with. Who were they? Were they like him? He hoped not. More than anything, he wanted to paw whatever this was onto them. He wanted no part in it.

"Vigilstorm."

He knew he had to though. It was his destiny, given to him by his warrior ancestors. He knew he couldn't give up on them. He was the first to learn about this and he'd be the one to figure it out. He'd have a big part in whatever this prophecy became.

"Vigilstorm."

He had no idea what it would or could turn into. Vigilstorm was almost certain that whatever Jayfeather and the Four were planning, it had something to do with the Others and the missing ShadowClan. The clans weren't at war or facing a famine or anything like that. It could only be one thing.

"Vigilstorm."

He didn't know what he could possibly do though. Yellowfang and Bluestar had mentioned powers. Vigilstorm didn't know what that meant. He knew it was nothing like the powers of StarClan. He didn't live in Silverpelt. He couldn't control the clouds or the lightning or how prey ran. No, he was a living, breathing cat so the prophesized powers surely meant something else. He just didn't know what.

"Vigilstorm."

Should he ask someone? Vigilstorm didn't know who to ask. Normally he confided in Snaketail but it was unlikely that the warrior would know anything that he didn't. Maybe Rushstalk? Vigilstorm was always happy to talk to him and the warrior usually knew everything going on in the clan but he was no medicine cat. He didn't understand the ways of StarClan so he wouldn't be any help. The logical choice would be Longberry. The deputy was smart and knew about things that Vigilstorm didn't even know existed. If Vigilstorm was a betting type of cat, he'd bet that Longberry knew something. Anything. Vigilstorm would be grateful for even just a theory. If nothing else, Longberry could provide one of those. But Vigilstorm wasn't sure if he wanted to ask him.

"Vigilstorm!"

Vigilstorm snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his name. He'd been sitting outside his den, absentmindedly watching the camp. It was just before sunhigh and the sun's warm rays felt nice on his pelt. Distracted by his thoughts, he hadn't noticed his sister's approach. He forced a purr to rumble in his throat. "Spiderwatcher. What's up?"

"I've been calling your name for- Nevermind," she sighed and shook out her black fur. "Are you alright? You zoned out for awhile there."

"I'm fine," Vigilstorm lied and rose to his paws. "How are you doing?"

"I was just about to head to the fresh-kill pile. Do you want to share something?" Spiderwatcher asked. "I don't think we've eaten together since Mintleaf died."

Vigilstorm felt a prickle of guilt gnaw at the inside of his belly. "I'm sorry. It's just…"

"I get it. You're the clan's medicine cat now so you've got a lot of new responsibilities and you need to take care of everyone that was hurt on ShadowClan territory."

"That's no excuse."

Spiderwatcher sighed and waved her tail. "Don't worry about it, Vigilstorm. Really, it's fine. I know you have a hard time being around other cats sometimes. It's not the first time I haven't seen you in half a moon."

Vigilstorm ducked his head, feeling a lot worse. Murmuring, apologized again only for Spiderwatcher to shoulder him goodnaturedly.

"I'm just giving you a hard time. Really, don't worry about it," Spiderwatcher assured him, padding toward the fresh-kill pile. Vigilstorm trailed after her, unable to shake the bad feelings welling up inside him. "Though you probably should see Antpatch soon. He misses you, you know? You two used to be so close but it feels like you're drifting apart. And you really need to talk to Leafwillow or something. I know medicine cats don't really hunt or go on patrol but you should go out with him sometime. I know spending some time with his son would mean a lot to him."

"I know," Vigilstorm whispered. He shook his head and tried to lift his head. "Are they around? Maybe we could share this meal with them."

To his disappointment, Spiderwatcher shook her head. "Vinestar sent them both out on sunhigh patrol. It's just us today, Vigilstorm. What do you want to eat? I saw Inktrail bring in a juicy looking squirrel this morning but I see a black bird on the pile too. We don't get a lot of those. Or if you're really hungry, we could share a rabbit."

"Whatever you want," Vigilstorm told her as the pair neared the middle of camp. Truth be told, he hadn't been eating much lately. The constant stream of thoughts rushing through his head had been worse since going to the Moonpool and it was starting to upset his stomach. Maybe spending the afternoon with his sister would soothe his nerves enough to eat something. "How about that squirrel? It looks like a big one. We could definitely share it."

"Squirrel it is then," Spiderwatcher hummed and snatched the piece of prey up in her teeth. She pulled it out of the pile and dragged it off to a sunlit corner of camp and settled down, gesturing for Vigilstorm to do the same. "So what have you been up to?"

"Not much," Vigilstorm said, waiting for Spiderwatcher to take the first bite of prey but his sister wasn't having that. She pushed it towards him, wordlessly telling him to eat and Vigilstorm couldn't help but give in to her demands. He leaned down and ripped a chunk of meat off the squirrel's flank. The moment the rich flavors hit his tongue, his belly growled, yowling for more. His pelt heated up as he chewed with embarrassment.

"Littermates know best," Spiderwatcher said smugly as she took a victorious bite of her own. "How is it being alone in the medicine den?"

"I'm not alone. Echopelt and Longberry will still be there for at least another quarter-moon," Vigilstorm told her. The deputy and mediator were on their way to recovery but Vigilstorm still wanted to keep an eye on them before sending them back to their own nests. Both were hurt a lot worse than he had initially realized. It was a miracle that no more cats died before the secondary patrols had arrived. The fight had exhausted Longberry and Echopelt and both were covered in numerous wounds, many deeper than others. Vigilstorm had to work hard to keep them from getting infected.

"How long until Longberry's back to organizing patrols? As much as I love Vinestar, it's not the same without Longberry's… You know how he is. He's kind of a stick in the mud sometimes but there's no cat quite like him. No cat organizes patrols like he does."

"Soon," Vigilstorm promised. "He's doing okay. He's still his old self, always complaining about not being productive."

Spiderwatcher purred. "Sounds like Longberry. Have you asking either of them to help you out any while they're there?"

Vigilstorm nodded. "Longberry's surprisingly good with herbs so I've been asking him to take inventory every morning. I don't really need it but it keeps him busy. And Echopelt's been helping me with this new idea that Frostbark and I were talking about just before… you know."

Spiderwatcher nodded silently as she took another bite. "You mean that thing with the spiders? I have no idea why you'd want to put spiders in your den, Vigilstorm, but it's so you."

"They produce cobwebs! I'm not doing it for the aesthetic," Vigilstorm said in mock offense. "Just because I like night hunting and keeping my distance from other cats doesn't mean I've got bees in my brain."

Spiderwatcher purred and teasingly poked him with her tail. "I know, I know. Just don't tell Patternheart or he'll never go into your den, even if he's about to bleed out. You know how much he hates spiders."

"Yeah. I'll never understand that cat," Vigilstorm said with a shake of his head. He actually liked spiders. Maybe he was biased, both his littermates were named after the little crawlers, but they were interesting and useful. He saw no harm in letting a few climb around the ceiling of the medicine den if it meant he didn't have to go out into the forest to find cobwebs for dressings. "You went on patrol with him this morning, didn't you? How's he holding up? He's only been back to his duties for a couple of days but I'm still worried about him."

"He seems fine. A bit slower than normal but bright as always," Spiderwatcher told him. "Roarpaw came with us. He seemed excited to get back to training."

Vigilstorm took another bite of the squirrel and exhaled through his nose. "Hopefully this doesn't set him and Wolfpaw back too much."

"It's still early in their training," Spiderwatcher pointed out. "They've barely started combat training. I wouldn't worry."

"You do realize who you're talking to, right? I'll always worry. About everything ever," Vigilstorm joked, whisking his tail.

Amusement flashed in Spiderwatcher's eyes. "Right. How could I forget? Seriously though, Vigilstorm, how are you doing? You didn't look so good earlier."

Vigilstorm ripped another mouthful of meat off the squirrel to avoid talking for a heartbeat. He immediately regretted it. It was mostly fur. He struggled to get it down before coughing and resuming. "It's… Well, there's a big StarClan thing going on."

Spiderwatcher closed her mouth. "Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh, no. Don't worry," Vigilstorm said quickly, waving his tail. He swallowed. "I, um, I was actually hoping to get a second opinion on something. I can't tell you the details, obviously. The medicine cat code is very clear that I can't share these things and I don't really want to but I don't know what to do."

"Oh. Then why didn't you just say so? Fire away."

Vigilstorm blinked his gratitude. "So I was talking to these StarClan cats and the, um, problem that we're dealing with kinda revolves around this really specific era in clan history. I don't really know when it was but I know the names of a couple of leaders and medicine cats from that time period and I need to get some more information on it. Who should I ask for that?"

"Snaketail," Spiderwatcher said immediately. "Or Longberry. Or Echopelt. You know Snaketail loves clan history and Echopelt has like a thousand old stories rattling around in his head and Longberry knows everything about everything. But you know who you should really ask?"

"Who?"

"Vinestar."

"Vinestar? Why?"

"Leaders and medicine cats share all kinds of things," Spiderwatcher said as if it were obvious. She took another bite of the fresh-kill and kept talking with her mouth full. "I'm sure he told a bunch of things to Frostbark but now that you're medicine cat, it's your turn. I'm sure there's plenty he needs to tell you anyway and you could ask him whatever you need to. Leaders and medicine cats are supposed to share what StarClan tells them, right?"

"Um, yeah. I guess. Actually, yeah. You're right," Vigilstorm said. He blinked a few times. How hadn't he realized that? Purring, he got to his paws. "Thanks Spiderwatcher!"

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to Vinestar."

"We're in the middle of a meal!"

"I know, I know. This won't take me long. Save me some."

"Vigilstorm!" Spiderwatcher called after him, laughing, as Vigilstorm bounded across camp. He wasted no time heading to the leader's den, skidding to a stop and spraying up stones to announce his arrival.

"Vinestar?" he called out as his actions finally caught up with his mind. StarClan, had he really just run out on Spiderwatcher? And approached Vinestar unannounced? What had he-

"Vigilstorm," Vinestar purred in response, padding to greet him at the entrance. "Come in. I was just thinking about when would be the right time to talk to you."

"Wait, really?" Vigilstorm hadn't expected that.

"Of course! You're my medicine cat now. There are all kinds of things that a leader must share with his medicine cat to keep the clan running smoothly. Is that not what you came here for?"

Vigilstorm knew that Spiderwatcher had just said that but hearing it from his leader made it all the more real. "Um, actually I came here to ask you about something I heard from StarClan but this sounds more important."

"What? No! StarClan told you something?" Vinestar asked. Vigilstorm wanted to laugh at his excitable behavior. He was almost as bad as Patternheart. "What was it?"

"It could wait…"

Vinestar waved his tail and shook his head. "No, StarClan's more important. I was just going to tell you about apprentice duties and how many lives I have left and that sort of thing."

"I should know that though."

"Another time, Vigilstorm. Another time," Vinestar told him. "What did you want to tell me about?"

Vigilstorm paused for a moment. "Well, it's kind of a long story and I don't really know it all myself. What I wanted to ask you about was… Well, um, have you ever heard of a cat called Firestar? Or Jayfeather? They kind of seem to be in the middle of whatever's going on. I think. I don't know. It has something to do with me but it feels like only really one cat knows what's going on and he's probably not going to tell me anything. StarClan can't answer all of my questions."

Vinestar's cheerful demeanor suddenly vanished, replaced by a far more serious one. "Did you say Firestar?"

"Um, yes?" Vigilstorm tilted his head. "Have you… heard of him?"

Vinestar nodded. "He was one of ThunderClan's greatest leaders. He was our leader during the battle against BloodClan, the Great Journey, and the Great Battle. SkyClan legend says he restored their clan as well. He was a great cat. Did you receive a dream from him?"

Vigilstorm shook his head. "No. No, it was this other cat named Jayf- er… StarClan calls him the sharp-eyed jay. He didn't really tell me that much but I talked with some other StarClan cats during the half-moon and they made kind of a big deal out of it."

Vinestar's eyes glowed with interest. "The sharp-eyed jay? What did he say to you?"

"He gave me my name," Vigilstorm told him, "and he said something about how we had a similar past. He drew a couple of comparisons between us but I didn't understand what he was talking about. He mentioned some other cats but I have no clue who they could be or what they have to do with whatever he's up to. It's just been stressing me out for the past few days. Does any of that mean anything to you? Vinestar?"

"Vigilstorm, I'm about to tell you something not even Longberry knows," Vinestar told him, tone level and heavy. "This doesn't leave this den, you hear?"

Vigilstorm nodded, suddenly scared. "Of course."

"There's a message passed between clan leaders. It's so confidential that we don't even tell our deputies when we're alive," Vinestar began. His gaze shifted away from Vigilstorm, drifting into the distance. "Usually the previous clan leader tells the new clan leader after he or she dies."

"Why is it so secret?"

Vinestar shrugged. "I'm not completely sure but it's vital that every clan leader knows about it in case something goes wrong again."

"Again?" Vigilstorm echoed.

"Again." Vinestar nodded. "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Dark Forest?"

Vigilstorm shook his head. "I don't think so. What is that?"

"It's kind of like StarClan," Vinestar explained, "but at the same time, it's the total opposite. It's where the most evil cats and the warriors who committed the most unforgivable crimes against clankind go when they die. It's the worst punishment. There is no prey, no light, no stars, and they're meant to wander the forest alone for the rest of time."

"That sounds… horrible." It made sense though. He supposed that not all cats deserve to live an afterlife filled with sharing tongues, lounging, and hunting easy prey in Silverpelt. A life of solitude, an empty belly, and a shivering pelt was the perfect parallel.

Vinestar nodded in agreement. "It's not very often that cats end up in the Dark Forest."

"Do you think the Others are connected to the Dark Forest?"

"I don't know. If StarClan's suddenly worried about the old prophecy again, maybe…" Vinestar trailed off and shook out his pelt. "Anyway, many, many season cycles ago, Firestar was given a prophecy. It went like this: There will be three kin of your kin who will hold the power of the stars in their paws. Fire's glory and tiger's rage will never die and the end of the stars draws near. After the sharp-eyed jay and the roaring lion, peace will settle on the gentle dove's wing. There was a second part, supposedly, that included a Fourth cat."

"What was it?"

"There will be three cats, kin of your kin, with the power of the stars in their paws. They will find a fourth, and the battle between light and dark will be won. A new leader will rise from the shadows of his death, and the Clans will survive beyond the memories of his memories. This is how it has always been, and how it will always be."

Vigilstorm nodded thoughtfully. Impressive words. Humbling, in fact. Now wasn't the time to get caught up in an existential crisis though. He'd save that for the late, sleepless moments of the night. "But what does it have to do with me? The sharp-eyed jay said that he shared his power with me but I don't have any powers."

"Do you?"

Vigilstorm frowned. "I don't know. I don't think so. I don't want to."

"Really?" Vinestar sounded surprised.

"If the Four have been restored, doesn't that mean the "battle between light and dark" will start again?" Vigilstorm asked. He looked at his paws. "I don't know who the others could be but I know I'm not special. I don't even know if I believe cats can have powers."

Vinestar suddenly laughed. For a heartbeat, Vigilstorm was terrified that he was laughing at him but a quick glance told him that wasn't the case. "Don't let Wolfpaw hear you say that, Vigilstorm. He'll slap sense into you faster than any queen. You of all cats should understand StarClan's powers, Vigilstorm."

"Wait, does Wolfpaw have a strong connection with StarClan?" Vigilstorm asked, surprised that Vinestar decided to mention the young apprentice. Was Wolfpaw special? Was he one of the other prophesied cats? What if he was meant to be a medicine cat? Vigilstorm didn't think he was but what did he know? Vinestar knew better.

To his disappointment and relief, Vinestar shook his head. "No. Snaketail just tells me that he likes hearing stories about them, like how Roarpaw likes hearing about the Great Clans."

Vigilstorm sat down and wrapped his tail around his legs. "That's good, I suppose. But do you have any idea what cats in the clan could have powers?"

"Other than you? No," Vinestar told him. "And we don't even know if these cats are all in ThunderClan. The last time I think they all were but we haven't received a new prophecy since then so we don't really have any way of knowing, do we?"

Vigilstorm sighed. "No. We don't. But you'll keep your eyes open, won't you?"

Vinestar nodded. "Of course. If this is what it takes to drive out the Others and bring ShadowClan back, I'll do anything."

"Come on, Wolfpaw!" Snaketail called in encouragement. "Pin him!"

"You've almost got him, Roarpaw!" Patternheart called, bouncing on his paws. "I believe in you!"

Snaketail and Patternheart were standing at the edge of the training clearing while their apprentices wrestled in the middle. After nearly a moon of being stuck resting in his nest, Snaketail was happy to have finally returned to his warrior duties. His body still ached when he went on patrol and he had to take it easy when messing around with Wolfpaw but there was nothing like being able to stretch his muscles without Vigilstorm's watchful gaze on him. Oh, he still cared about his friend and respected him as a medicine cat but Snaketail thought he was worrying too much. He'd taken some bad hits in his fight with Lizard but he was fine.

Spending so long recovering in his nest had been painful. Patternheart and Snaketail got along just fine but they rubbed each other the wrong way and spending every heartbeat of every day with him had been a struggle of its own. Snaketail was thankful to not be as wounded as Longberry or Echopelt but if he had to be honest, he would much rather have spent that time with either of them. Longberry was more his type of cat and Snaketail respected Echopelt more than enough to put up with his occasional silliness. Not that he didn't respect Patternheart. He did. He was just kind of a lot sometimes.

But that was in the past. Snaketail was back to going on patrols and training his apprentice. Roarpaw and Wolfpaw more than deserved to get in some battle training. Snaketail had no idea how many times they had cleaned the camp or spent the entire day doing chores but he was grateful that they were mature enough to not complain much, at least around him anyway. Teaching them some new battle moves was the least he and Patternheart could do for them after waiting so long.

At the moment, Wolfpaw and Roarpaw were sparring. Snaketail knew his apprentice was good but he also knew that he wasn't winning this battle. Wolfpaw was strong but Roarpaw always bested him when they wrestled. The two were still grappling, claws sheathed, but Roarpaw almost had Wolfpaw pinned and Snaketail didn't think that Wolfpaw had the skill to escape the inevitable loss.

Wolfpaw's back was on the ground but his shoulders weren't quite pinned. Roarpaw was trying to push him down with one paw and battering his head with the other. Wolfpaw writhed under him, trying to throw off his balance, but Roarpaw's paws were firmly planted on either side. Wolfpaw's tail lashed behind him with concentration and he landed a few sharp blows on Roarpaw's face but his brother just shut his eyes and turned his head to avoid the worst of it.

Wolfpaw was fighting like a lion but it wasn't enough and Roarpaw managed to get his paws down on his chest and his teeth fixed loosely around his neck fur. His amber eyes glowed in victory. "Got you!"

Wolfpaw sighed in defeat and went limp. "Fine. Will you let me up?"

Roarpaw squirmed off him. When he did, Wolfpaw exploded upward and barreled into him before smacking him with his paw one last time. He grinned smugly while Roarpaw put his ears back in annoyance. "Hey! I won fair and square!"

"I know," Wolfpaw said, sliding off his brother. "I just wanted to do that."

"Alright, that's enough, 'paws," Patternheart said, padding forward. He looked to his apprentice. "Well done, Roarpaw. It's getting late and we should probably start heading on back to camp soon. Do you want to hunt first?"

Roarpaw nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I'm starving. I bet I'll catch more prey than you, Wolfpaw."

Wolfpaw purred but Snaketail noticed that it lacked its usual luster. "Not in your life!"

Snaketail shook out his pelt and beckoned Wolfpaw over with his tail. "Come on, Wolfpaw. Let's head over to the WindClan border and let Roarpaw and Patternheart have the forest. Maybe we'll see some rabbits."

"Sure," Wolfpaw said and quickly bounded after his mentor. Snaketail flicked his tail goodbye to Patternheart casually and led the pair back into the forest until the trees began thinning.

Snaketail leaped over the river that ran through the edge of ThunderClan territory, landing gracefully on the other side. Wolfpaw followed, falling just short and landing with a splash.

Snaketail took a step back to avoid getting water on his fur. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Wolfpaw said, stepping out of the river. "I just got my paws wet."

"I meant after the battle."

"With Roarpaw just now? Oh, I'm fine. It was just training. We would never hurt each other."

"I meant mentally. Emotionally," Snaketail sighed patiently. He turned his eyes to the WindClan border. There wasn't much space between the border and the river. In fact, he didn't know why the border was there at all. It made so much more sense for the river to just be the border but at least this way there was a chance rabbits could run across from the moorland onto land ThunderClan was allowed to hunt on. "You seemed kind of downtrodden after losing."

"Oh well…" Wolfpaw trailed off and shook his head. He sat down, keeping closer to the river. He sighed. "It's nothing."

"Don't lie to yourself," Snaketail grunted. "I've done more than my fair share of that in my day. What's bothering you?"

Wolfpaw looked down and shrugged. "I just… I don't really mind losing. I know that one of us has to lose, that's how a battle works, but I just want to win once, you know? I haven't beat Roarpaw once. Not even when we were kits."

"Really?" Snaketail reeled back slightly. Was that true? He tried to remember a single time that Wolfpaw pinned his brother down but he couldn't for the life of him. "You're a strong fighter, Wolfpaw. Roarpaw's got a bit of size on you but you know the techniques better than he does. It's just bad luck, 'paw."

"In a real battle, luck doesn't matter. Winning does and it doesn't matter if I know what I'm doing if I can't beat the other cat," Wolfpaw pointed out.

Snaketail breathed out through his nose. Encouragement was not his strong suit and Wolfpaw was a skilled apprentice. He'd hoped that he could put off a talk like this for a while. "Wolfpaw, I honestly believe you're on your way to becoming a great warrior. You've got cunning and you fight harder than any cat I've seen. When Roarpaw had you pinned, you didn't let yourself go down. You kept fighting and that's the kind of spirit ThunderClan needs in a warrior. Yes, Roarpaw does win a lot. He's got this ability to turn a losing battle around in his favor. I don't understand it and there's nothing you can do about it. Don't compare yourself to your brother. You've both got different strengths and it will always be like that. Roarpaw may be a natural at battle but you're a better hunter and you've got better work ethic."

"I guess," Wolfpaw sighed. He paused for a moment. "Hey, why is that? You and Patternheart are both good hunters but you're a better fighter and Patternheart's better at more domestic stuff. How'd Roarpaw and I end up switched?"

Snaketail flicked a leaf that was stuck in Wolfpaw's fur away with his tail. "I think you take after me a bit more than Patternheart. Same with Roarpaw. Vinestar choose Patternheart as his mentor for a reason."

"Really? Why?"

"Patternheart's got this glow to him. This aura, this bounce in his step. Roarpaw's got it too. They've both got big hearts and run around with their heads in the clouds. Patternheart knows how to ground himself and put all that… cheerfulness to good use. He's got the paws to shape Roarpaw into a good warrior."

"Okay. I get that. But what about you? I don't see any of you in me."

"Like I said, you work hard. I had a lot of trouble as an apprentice myself but I worked hard to get to where I am and I see the same in you," Snaketail told him. "I know I work and think different from other cats and you do too. We're both wiry and fast and clever and that's what makes us strong. I know I have what it takes to make you the best warrior you can be."

"Really?" Wolfpaw asked. He flattened his ears and his expression turned sour. "You better not tell me to believe in myself."

Snaketail laughed and shook his head. "No. I'm not Patternheart."

"Good," Wolfpaw purred. "I don't think I could handle two of him. I mean, I love him but one Patternheart is enough."

"You could say that again," Snaketail joked. He glanced out at the horizon again. He could see a few rabbits on the moorland and his legs begged him to run out after them but he held still, not daring to cross the border. "We should keep an eye on those rabbits in case they run over here. We can afford to go back empty pawed but I'd rather not- Wolfpaw?"

Wolfpaw was facing the other direction, staring at the river. Snaketail opened his mouth to ask what he was doing when he saw a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye. Before he could even begin to figure out what it was, Wolfpaw was in the water.

Snaketail jumped to his paws, startled. "Wolfpaw!"

He heard splashing and there was water in the air, obstructing his view. All he could see was a russet pelt thrashing in the water. Alarm seized Snaketail and a thousand fears hit him at once. Was there some kind of predator in the water that had grabbed his apprentice? It was greenleaf so the river couldn't be that deep but he hadn't checked. Was there any risk of Wolfpaw drowning? What if it was nothing and Wolfpaw just lost it and decided to throw himself into the river?

Snaketail's panic was interrupted by a laugh. "Snaketail! Look what I caught!"

Snaketail blinked a few times and realized that Wolfpaw was standing in the river. It was almost at his shoulders, a bit higher than he would've liked but at least there was no risk of drowning. Relief washed over him and Snaketail's thoughts drifted for a few heartbeats, recovering from his shock. Then he saw it.

"Great StarClan, is that a fish?"

Wolfpaw looked up at him, green eyes glowing with pride and a massive fish writhing in his jaws.

Carrying a fish was not as easy as it looked, Wolfpaw realized. Not that he'd ever seen a cat carry a fish before. He wasn't even sure if he'd seen a fish before today. He knew what it was but he couldn't recall what it tasted like or what its meat was like. He just knew it was heavier than it looked for some reason. It was fatter than a squirrel or hare so Wolfpaw supposed it made sense. Snaketail had offered to help him but the older tom had caught a rabbit himself and Wolfpaw thought he could manage. His jaw and neck might be a bit sore later but it was completely worth it to see the look on Roarpaw's face when the group met back up in the training clearing.

"Wow!" Roarpaw exclaimed, dropping the pair of mice he was carrying, when he saw Wolfpaw and Snaketail pad into the clearing. "That thing is huge! Did you really catch that, Wolfpaw?"

Snaketail nodded as Wolfpaw set the fish down. "Yup. All on his own. I didn't even see it and he was suddenly in the river. It scared the stars out of me but it was the best catch I've seen in a long time."

"And all we caught were a couple of mice, a pigeon, and a lizard," Patternheart said, eyeing the other pair's catches with an impressed look. "Amazing job you two!"

"You caught a lizard?" Wolfpaw asked. That was kind of awesome. He thought the fish was cool but all he really did was jump on it. Catching a lizard sounded so much harder.

"Patternheart caught it," Roarpaw told him. He looked down. "He said there was another one right in front of me but I didn't see it."

"Don't fret over lost prey, 'paw," Patternheart told him. "Though I am kind of surprised that you missed it. It got so close. I can't believe you didn't hear it."

"They're so small! How could you expect me to hear them? What do lizards even sound like? They don't make any noise," Roarpaw grumbled.

"Their feet make that weird sticky noise. Like, whenever they take a step, it sounds like they're slapping the dirt or a rock or whatever they're standing out. It's a really distinct sound," Patternheart insisted. He glanced over to his fellow warrior. "You know what I'm talking about, right Snaktail?"

Snaketail shook his head. "I think you've got bees in your brain. You're always hearing things, Patternheart. Lizards make about as much noise as fish."

"Actually, fish live in the water so they splash and stuff which is a lot louder than a lizard," Wolfpaw pointed out.

Snaketail rolled his eyes. "Whatever, furball. Let's get this prey back to camp and on the fresh-kill pile. I'm sure everyone will want to hear how you caught that fish. ThunderClan doesn't get fish on the fresh-kill pile all that often. It was a great catch. Unless one of the elders or queens asks for it, you get the first bite, alright? You deserve it."

Wolfpaw swallowed a purr at the praise. He may not be able to beat Roarpaw in a fight but if today proved anything, it was that Wolfpaw could be special too.