Er... guess you get a Robinpelt plushie... DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE YOU'RE SO DISAPPOINTED! Uh... Halfpelt, do you still like him?

Chapter Eighteen: Lightfur

"Where did Nectarfoot go?"

Tawnypelt looked miserably down at the little kit. The she-kit was one of Spruceclaw's, and was only a few moons old. Life had been difficult for Tawnypelt since Windstar disappeared. Despite some of the Clan saying she should go to the Moonpool immediately, she still hadn't asked Littlecloud what he thought.

"Nectarfoot..." Tawnypelt saw a few cats look up from their fresh-kill. One made her heart sink.

Nightwing.

Nectarfoot's mother.

"Tawnypelt?" The she-cat asked sharply, padding over. "Do you know where Nectarfoot went?"

Tawnypelt shifted her paws back and forth. Nightwing and some other cats might never trust Windstar again if she told them. And he had done it for them.

"I don't know," She finally lied. Nightwing bowed her head, and walked away, tail drooping. Pain sliced through Tawnypelt's heart. When would she be able to tell...?

Only when Windstar told her to.

And he might not even be alive.

"Pecankit," Tawnypelt murmured, touching noses with the kit. "Wherever Nectarfoot is, I'm sure it's good."

"Like Starclan?" Pecankit asked. Tawnypelt saw Nightwing freeze in her tracks, but she had to tell the truth.

"Maybe Starclan."

"Is..." Pecankit hesitated this time. "Is Windstar in Starclan?"

"He can't be," Applebird hissed from afar. Her hazel eyes showed great grief.

"Windstar is not in Starclan," Tawnypelt agreed, struggling to keep herself calm.

"Maybe he is!" Nightwing suddenly spat, whirling around. Her yellow eyes blazed with anger and sadness. "Maybe he's dead... like my daughter. Tawnypelt, you lead us! Windstar wasn't able to keep Nectarfoot safe, you lead us!"

Tawnypelt turned slowly. Littlecloud was watching her. "Littlecloud," She murmured. "What should we do?"

The tom bowed his head. "I honestly don't know," He mewed. "We're not sure if Windstar's dead-"

"Firestar did that," Nightwing spat. "With Graystripe."

"But he was alive the whole time," Littlecloud pointed out. Applebird hissed in agreement, angry eyes on Nightwing.

"I'll try to go to the Moonpool," Littlecloud said. "And talk to Starclan about this. It's the half-moon, so maybe I'll get the other medicine cats and go up..."

xxx

Calicofur was confused. "Why is this so urgent, again?" She asked Leafpool. Her mentor shrugged.

"I didn't get much details."

But the look on Littlecloud's face when they met him at the Moonpool was enough.

"This will be mentioned at the Gathering anyway," He sighed. "So you might as well know. Windstar is missing."

Calicofur heard Leafpool's sharp intake of breath. This obviously was major. So major, she scolded herself. That you shouldn't be worrying about a stupid tom's choice in mates.

"Some cats simply think that Tawnypelt should become leader," Littlecloud continued. "But I want to see what Starclan thinks."

Without another word, the medicine cats padded toward the Moonpool. Calicofur had been there many times before, but never would she get used to the icy sensation of the water to her mouth. Slowly, she fell into a trance.

xxx

Dreamcloud's tail was dragging as she padded out of the nursery. Whiteleaf caught up to her quickly.

"You've been acting like you have a bone caught in your throat for the last few suns," She mewed gently. "What's wrong."

"No..." Dreamcloud found herself unable to complete the word at first. "Nothing."

Whiteleaf's green eyes narrowed. "You don't look well," She murmured, and sniffed carefully at her. "You don't smell sick..."

"I don't feel sick," Dreamcloud protested weakly. And mostly, she didn't. Just an unbearable wave of weakness...

"Your kits can't be coming," Whiteleaf murmured, but there was an edge to her voice. "It's a moon early... Do you feel any sharp pains in your stomach?"

Dreamcloud shook her head.

"Ready to cough up a mouse?"

"I get that every day, it seems."

"D-"

"Shut up, Whiteleaf!" Dreamcloud moaned. "I just... feel... tired..."

And with that, she collapsed.

A collapsed queen in a camp with no medicine cats.

xxx

Calicofur looked around. She saw Bluestar, that wasn't unusual. But what was unusual was the tawny-and-gray wolf sitting next to her. Not many cats knew about wolves. But Calicofur recognized it faintly from stories.

Suddenly, she heard a yowl of surprise.

"C-YOU'RE A WOLF!"

Turning her head, Calicofur was not too stunned to find Dreamcloud standing nearby. The queen's amber eyes were wide with shock and-amusement? That would be the first spark of life she'd had for days...

"Yes, Dreamcloud," The wolf laughed in a throaty, female voice. "I am a wolf."

"How did you get here?" Calicofur asked. Dreamcloud shrugged.

"I think I fainted," She laughed, obviously thinking this was very funny.

Calicofur shook her head. "Only you, Dreamcloud."

"This is River," Bluestar said, gesturing with her tail to the wolf. "We think her pup, Swift, has something to do with the situation Windstar is in."

This got Dreamcloud's attention. Her heart began racing in hope. "He's alive?" She asked frantically.

"Yes," River said kindly. "He's alive. And hopefully with my daughter."

"Make sure that the others do NOT make Tawnypelt leader," Bluestar growled. "She's a good cat, but not a leader. And Windstar is still alive." She turned her head to Dreamcloud, sympathy in her eyes. "If there was anything I could do to make sure he sees his kits being born, I would do it."

xxx

"You're lucky to be all right," Whiteleaf meowed to the other queen. Dreamcloud dipped her head, but her mind was elsewhere. What else could be going on...?

It seemed to her that Bluestar and River had been to cryptic, and too quick.

There was more.

xxx

Windstar sat on the Twoleg-made ledge, staring out the transparent wall. A dull pain ached at his heart, and worry was on his mind.

"Thinking about your Clan?" Swift asked, walking over to sit near him.

Hesitantly, Windstar shook his head. "More about my mate, Dreamcloud."

"Oh, I see..." Swift murmured. "Well-"

She suddenly caught herself off and looked out the window. Swift leaped up to the windowsill, her muzzle smudging the window.

"Blizzard!" She yipped excitedly, her tail swishing wildly back and forth. Windstar, confused, squinted. Out in the woods, he saw a shadow, even bigger than Swift, that looked a lot like her.

"Who's that?" He asked. Swift turned to look at him, her amber eyes showing excitement.

"Blizzard," She barked. "My puphood friend. He can help us!"

Without another word, she ran up to the door, scratching at it wildly. The Twolegs looked up, and one went to the door and opened it. Swift raced out, Windstar at her heels. She ran up to the fence, and began to bark. She had spent most of the time teaching Windstar her native tongue, so he understood.

"Blizzard!" She barked. "Is that you?"

A large, creamy male wolf with black eyes looked up. For a moment, he seemed startled, but then, his ears pricked, and his tail began wagging.

"Swift?"

Without another word, he bounded up, touching noses with the wolf-dog.

"It's been a while," Swift whined happily. "I didn't think you'd recognize me..."

xxx

WHAT shall happen next? I'm thinking about doing something with Swift and Blizzard...