The night was warm and cloudless as a full moon hung high over Sweettooth's head. After countless nights where his only source of warmth was Shelldawn's beautiful body, Sweettooth was glad not to feel an icy feeling grasp his heart and lungs. Prey would finally return at its greatest, which would ease the tensions between the clans and leave no cat sleeping in hunger.

Sweettooth's mind turned back to a few sunrises ago when he woke up to learn Mosspelt had died in her sleep, after being given the good care of her daughter, Willowreed. The clan sat a long vigil for it's eldest elder and remembered the service she gave them, even before the clans came to the lake. Sweettooth did not know Mosspelt well but he could recognize the respect the rest of the clan gave her.

Sweettooth padded alongside Shelldawn on their way to the gathering island, her eyes like a dawn sky, shining with the stars. The pair were conversing about who they would speak to this gathering.

"I can smell ThunderClan and SkyClan but the others aren't here yet." Shelldawn meowed. "I wanted to speak with Pouncestep but she's from ShadowClan so I'll have to wait. Maybe I'll try to find Nectarsong, she just got out of the nursery last moon."

"I would try to catch up with you later." Sweettooth replied unenthusiastically to his mate. "Icewing wanted to show me to the other deputies, she said it's about the catches I made this Leaf-Bare."

"You deserve it Sweettooth. You are a great warrior. I won't be surprised if Icewing would choose you as deputy when she's clan leader."

"But I don't have an apprentice yet."

"And Reedstar isn't dead yet. He has enough lives left doesn't he? He recovered really well last time, when Mudstripe and I were made warriors."

"I'm still not certain about it. I can never remember the names of all our clanmates, how would I send them on the right patrol?"

"But you remember all the things you need as a warrior and deputy. You remember the best hunting and fishing spots, you remember every warrior's strengths and weaknesses, you remember every detail you find while on patrol, and you remember to be kind. What more can the clan ask for in a deputy?"

"There is sense in what you say. Thank you."

"I love you Sweettooth, and I still agree and want to have your kits, nothing will change that." Shelldawn finished as she leaned closer to Sweettooth, their pelt's now brushing against each other.

Did she try to hint me something? "I love you too." Sweettooth answered, dismissing his thoughts.

Hailstar reached the treebridge at the head of the clan and leaped up on its grounded top, flinching while landing. Icewing, who was right behind the clan leader, let Harelight and the rest of the cats behind him pass the tree bridge, until Sweettooth, Shelldawn, and Icewing were the last cats remaining on the shore.

Icewing signaled for Shelldawn to cross and to Sweettooth to follow his mate. Shelldawn leaped up the treebridge graciously and started crossing it, weaving between the branches expertly.

Sweettooth leaped up after her and began following. As they reached the other side, each in their turn, Sweettooth and Shelldawn jumped off of the tree's roots.

"Well," Shelldawn meowed, as if reluctant to say goodbye. "I'll see you later."

Sweettooth gave her a slow lick on her cheek and turned to the back to the treebridge, where Icestar was now arriving from.

"Let's go." Icestar meowed sternly to Sweettooth and trotted over to the great oak in the center of the island clearing, Sweettooth following her. Icestar nodded to the ThunderClan and SkyClan deputies, sitting at the roots of the Great Oak.

"Mousewhisker, Blossomheart," The RiverClan deputy greeted. "How is everything going in your clans?"

"Everything is well in ThunderClan." Mousewhisker answered.

"So is in SkyClan." Blossomheart added.

"Well," Icestar began. "RiverClan is in a great position. Though we are saddened by Mosspelt's death a few sunrises ago," Icestar paused to let Mousewhisker and Blossomheart share a sympathetic nod with her, and then continued cheerfully. "Sweettooth," Icestar pointed with her tail to him. "One of our newest warriors has already returned from two exceptional solo hunting patrols. One of them was reported last gathering and another was a few sunrises ago. RiverClan can feed itself and remain strong even without fish in the lake."

"Well done Sweettooth," Mousewhisker congratulated him and turned back to face Icestar. "He's you're kin isn't he?"

"Yes, he is." Icestar answered. "His mother is Brackenpelt, her mother is Petalfur, and Petalfur is my daughter."

"Then it seems your choice of deputy is already secured" The ThunderClan deputy meowed to Icestar.

"I might not have an apprentice yet when the time comes." Sweettooth mentioned.

"What are you talking about?" Icestar objected. "There's still a lot of time until it's time. You'll probably even mentor one of Mistfeather's kits, They are due to be apprentices in less than three moons from now."

"But I might need to be in the nursery." Sweettooth replied.

"Sweettooth, you're a tom." Icestar rejected his claim, taking a quick glance at the other deputies' faces, who were riddled with confusion, before returning back to Sweettooth. "Whatever it is, talk to me about it later. You can go now."

Sweettooth turned away from the tree and began searching the clearing for Shelldawn as ShadowClan cats flooded the clearing, their faces blank from emotion, as in an attempt to hide information.

Sweettooth finally spotted Shelldawn, trotting over to a gray tabby. The gray tabby only just arrived at the island but was already hurrying over to a black ThunderClan tom. Shelldawn gave chase with Sweettooth heading right after her.

When Sweettooth got closer to the nervous eyed cats, He could hear them whispering urgently and leaned closer to stand with Shelldawn, listening to the conversation.

"Sunbeam left and didn't return yet," The gray tabby whispered in a hiss. "Everyone thinks she went after Bayblade. You must tell me where he's gone."

"I don't know," The black tom responded. "He hasn't told me. But why would Sunbeam go after Bayblade? I told her that he didn't want to be followed and it seemed as if she understood."

"That's what I thought too. She told me she doesn't worry about him but Flameclaw please, you must know something about where he'd gone."

"I only know that he went towards WindClan territory and might have passed through RiverClan's as well."

"Well, Sunbeam's scent led into RiverClan so there is a chance she'd gone there."

"Into RiverClan?" Shelldawn meowed, jerking the attention of the other cats to her direction. "Sweettooth, you hunted near the ShadowClan border, did you notice anything strange? Did you smell ShadowClan scent?"

"I think I did smell ShadowClan scent," Sweettooth answered. "But it was weak, and on a piece of prey. It's most likely just prey that traveled over the border."

"Thank you anyway," The gray she-cat meowed to Sweettooth and Shelldawn. "Did you want to speak with me Shelldawn?"

"I just wanted to check on you." The beautiful silver tabby meowed and asked. "How is everyone in ShadowClan handling her disappearance? I know your litter and hers are very close."

"Yes, we are close." The ShadowClan warrior responded with sadness and irritation in her voice. "Shadowsight has been blaming himself ever since she disappeared. He and Puddleshine spent a lot of time with Tigerstar discussing their vision. The only thing they told us about it is that we shouldn't blame RiverClan. Tigerstar isn't even going to announce her disappearance!"

At her words, a few WindClan cats entered the clearing. Sweettooth could see as many WindClan cats as he could count on the toes of his fore-paws. Most of them were still visibly angry at the ThunderClan cats, blaming them for the death of one of their warriors. Nightstar trotted up to the great oak where the other leaders were already sitting in wait for the black she-cat.

"I would like to begin," The powerful ThunderClan leader yowl rang through the clearing as he aimed a stern questioning gaze at Nightstar. "If that is fine with everyone."

"Lies are the same whenever they're spoken." The black she-cat retorted.

"Prey is running well in ThunderClan." The golden tom ignored the accusations aimed at him. "Twigbranch has brought new life into the clan, Foxkit, Yellowkit, and Hawkkit are all strong and healthy. ThunderClan is as strong as ever."

"Twigbranch! Foxkit! Yellowkit! Hawkkit!" The cats in the island cheered, while WindClan's side of the clearing remained quiet. Sweettooth could see a pale tom with darker legs standing up proudly and guessed he must be the kits' father. The tom was looking at the SkyClan deputy and both cats nodded approvingly.

As the clearing got quiet, the ThunderClan leader resumed his report. "We have scented WindClan scents within our borders and dead prey next to it." The powerful tom yowled with a hint of aggression towards the WindClan leader. "You've brought here less cats than I have claws on my fore-paws, Nightstar, and I don't believe there are many more warriors in your camp. You shouldn't do anything reckless, you have eight kits to care for."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do Lionstar." Nightstar replied with a growl, and began her report. "Prey is running well in WindClan. The kits are growing healthy and strong, It won't be long until Fernstripe's litter are apprenticed. Reedstar," The black cat turned to the elderly RiverClan leader. "Would you like to go next?"

"Gladly," Reedstar meowed. "Prey is running well in RiverClan, we had many successful hunts and now the fish have returned to the streams and to the lake, as big as they ever were. A few sunrises ago we sadly sat vigil for Mosspelt. Mosspelt served her clan well, from when Crookedstar was our leader, back in the old forest. We wish her good hunting, swift running, and shelter where she sleeps. Leafstar," The RiverClan leader finished his report and sat back down on his haunches. "You may report if you wish."

"Thank you Reedstar," the brown and cream leader stood up and reported. "Prey is running well in SkyClan. I don't have more to report but I am glad to hear that this Leaf-Bare is over and we all have enough prey to live together. Tigerstar," The SkyClan leader turned to the big brown tabby beside her. "You've waited patiently, is there anything you'd want to report?"

"Prey is running well in ShadowClan." Tigerstar reported with a slight edge to his tone. "Cinnamontail had her kitting, Pinekit and Heronkit are both strong and healthy." Tigerstar didn't let the gathered cats congratulate the queen and the kits but kept meowing hurriedly. "Unless any cat has more to report," Tigerstar paused and glanced questioningly at the other leaders, waiting for their approval. "The gathering is closed."

The invisible lines separating the clans evaporated as the cats in the clearing began to move and share tongues with cats from other clans.

Sweettooth remembered Willowreed, his medicine cat, telling him to come to the roots of the great oak at the end of the gethering, in order to listen to the medicine cats' conversations. Sweettooth had already made it clear he does not wish to become a medicine cat, but he didn't want to disrespect her wishes, he'd show her that even after listening to the medicine cats' conversation, he won't want to become one.

Sweettooth trotted over to the great oak and spotted Willowreed talking to one of ShadowClan's medicine cats, he had a sad expression on his face and Sweettooth recognized it might be the one he and Shelldawn heard about earlier. Reaching closer to his medicine cat, Sweettooth could hear the conversation.

"Shadowsight," The RiverClan medicine cat meowed to the gray tom. "You've had a horrible expression on your face for the entire gathering, is there something Tigerstar did not report at the gathering?"

"Back in the half moon gathering, In my vision, I saw a river." Shadowsight began. "Did you have the same vision as me?"

"Did yours have a sun?"

"Yes."

"Then perhaps I did have the same vision. Did you figure out it's meaning?"

"I'm not sure. I'll tell Tigerstar you've had the same vision." The ShadowClan medicine cat finished in a hurry and rushed over to his former mentor's side, Willowreed hard on his tail. Sweettooth followed them to where the rest of the medicine cats were watching the blind ThunderClan medicine cat question the WindClan medicine cat.

"And no one else in StarClan knows what happened to him?" The blind cat asked, irritated.

"No Jayfeather," The mottled gray tom answered. "No cat saw him die the first time, and no cat saw him disappear from StarClan."

"Wait, Kestrelflight," Willowreed interrupted the conversation with a surprised tone. "Is Fluttercloud not in StarClan?"

"No," Kestrelflight answered gravely. "And now almost every cat in WindClan thinks Bayblade joined the Dark Forest and killed Fluttercloud a second time."

"But that's insane!" Jayfeather retorted. "Bayblade would never do that."

"Try telling that to a grieving clan." Kestrelflight meowed back, sounding exhausted. "We know that can't happen, but the rest of the clan don't believe no one is at blame. We want whoever killed Fluttercloud, whether it was in StarClan or by the lake, to be punished for their crimes. Otherwise, he would have ceased to exist for nothing."

The medicine cats stood in silence for a while until the second ThunderClan medicine cat looked questioningly at Sweettooth. "So," The ginger tom asked. "Have you decided if you want to become a medicine cat yet?"

"I've already told Willowreed why I don't wish to be a medicine cat," Sweettooth answered. "So I won't be joining your half moon gatherings soon."

"Willowreed?" Jayfeather asked jokingly. Oh no I forgot her name! "Did you get tired of your old name?"

"I'm not changing my name to Puddlepine." The older ShadowClan medicine cat joked.

"I haven't changed my name, I'm still Willowshine." Willowshine explained. "it's just that Sweettooth has problems with names sometimes."

"I know I'm blind," The blind medicine cat replied puzzled. "But how could he have been your apprentice? If he can't remember names, how could he remember medicine?"

"He just seems to know all of it already." The small tabby answered. "Ask him about any medicine and see for yourself."

"What is Lungwort used for?" Not Puddlepine asked.

"Yellowcough."

"If a patient's leg is limp and unresponsive, yet you can't find any wounds near it, what would you do to treat them?" The black-and-white SkyClan cat tested Sweettooth.

"I will need to check the patient for other problems first but their leg is most likely dislocated so I'll just push it back in place."

"See," Willowshine meowed proudly. "The only thing that we'd have to work on is his connection with StarClan."

"That is very interesting." Jayfeather meowed, his blind, pondering gaze burning through Sweettooth's pelt. "It seems like a very similar situation to the one we had with Cinderheart. She has Cinderpelt's memories within her but she is her own cat, A warrior who has taken a mate and mothered kits, not a medicine cat." Jayfeather took a pause and then continued. "If Sweettooth's situation really is the same as Cinderheart's, you shouldn't try to change his mind, Cinderpelt came back to live the life of a warrior she couldn't have before."

"But I can't think of any former RiverClan medicine cats who even resemble Sweettooth."

"Nor can I. Sweettooth," Jayfeather turned his blind eyes to Sweettooth's direction. "You were born last Leaf-Bare, weren't you?"

"Yes," Sweettooth answered, puzzled. "Is that important?"

"It might be." Jayfeather responded quickly. "That was during the time StarClan was cut-off from us. It can mean many things, but I'm not sure if it is for us to understand." As Jayfeather finished his words, the sounds of cats preparing to leave the gathering reached Sweettooth. "I guess it's time to go back to our clans." Jayfeather meowed, and began walking away together with the second ThunderClan medicine cat. "We'll meet you all next half moon gathering." He fixed his gaze on Sweettooth. "Maybe not all of you."

"It's weird how in the gorge the Whispering Cave was so close to camp," One of the SkyClan medicine cats meowed to the other as they left. "And we went there every half moon, not only when the moon filled up to half full. Now we need to wait for an entire moon before we meet StarClan again!"

"Come Sweettooth," Willowshine passed her tail along Sweettooth's pelt as she headed towards the rest of their clan preparing to leave. Sweettooth spotted Shelldawn's mesmerizing shape and rushed over to her.