"Anything?" Bramblestar asked.

Spiderleg shook his head. His patrol, Rosepetal, Berrynose, Molewhisker, and Ivypool, looked concerned yet annoyed at being sent on another search patrol.

Bramblestar hissed under his breath. Lionblaze, Jayfeather, and Dovewing had disappeared yet again and this time Crane's Wing went with them. Part of him wanted to give up on sending search patrols and let the cats come home on their own but he remembered what happened last time they disappeared and didn't want a repeat of that.

At least this time some cats knew that they left. Leafpool had told him what the other medicine cats said. Neither the leader nor the medicine cat knew what it went.

"Did Dovewing tell you anything?" Bramblestar asked Ivypool.

Ivypool shook her head. "Lionblaze said it was a three thing."

Bramblestar tilted head. Crane's Wing wasn't one of the three. Why did he go?

"What's that supposed to mean?" Berrynose asked.

Ivypool's eyes widened slightly as she realized her slip up. "N-nothing…."

Berrynose's eyes narrowed in suspicion but Bramblestar spoke before he could question her. "It is something only clan leaders and medicine cats are supposed to know about."

"Then why does she know?"

"Some cats may have found out by accident," Bramblestar said slowly. That isn't completely a lie. Maybe we should have told the clan about the prophecy…

"Sorry! Sorry!" a voice yelped from the entrance by the camp.

"Why are there so many cats just standing here? Move!"

The six cats' heads turned and saw Dovewing and Crane's Wing pushing through a mass of cats rushing to greet and question them. Lionblaze was helping guide Jayfeather.

"It's about time you four got back," Bramblestar said. The four previously missing cats looked up at him then immediately looked guilty.

"Sorry," Lionblaze called as they made their way over. "We didn't think we'd be gone all night and there was more flooding so-"

"What?" Bramblestar questioned, alarmed. Where did they go that had such a drowning risk? And why did they keep going back?

"Don't worry, we're fine," Jayfeather waved it off. Bramblestar looked to his paws. They were smeared with blood. Jayfeather seemed to sense this and shuffled his paws out of view in embarrassment. "I kept tripping."

Bramblestar rose an eyebrow. That sounded unlike Jayfeather but Lionblaze's concerned hovering over his brother made the leader believe it was the truth.

Ivypool touched noses with Dovewing. "You need to stop disappearing."

"I know but I don't actually want to keep leaving," Dovewing told her.

"Report," Bramblestar ordered, not caring that the search patrol was still standing around him.

The four cats exchanged a glance. Crane's Wing spoke first.

"So they might have to leave the clan for awhile."

"What?" Bramblestar reiterated.

Crane's Wing looked to the three to speak. Jayfeather shook his head. "You were the one who said that without thinking first. You get to talk yourself out of getting our ears clawed off."

Crane's Wing sighed and went silent for a moment before looking right up at Bramblestar. "We spoke with the one of the clans' ancestors. Like the greatest one ever too. He told us we were doing everything wrong and we have to go on a journey."

Bramblestar just looked at him. This cat speaks so strangely. He talks so directly and it still usually doesn't make a lot of sense. "Where do you have to go?"

Crane's Wing opened his mouth to speak but Berrynose interrupted.

"I think they need to give more of an explanation," Berrynose said. "Jayfeather has walked out on the clan three times within the past two moons. Dovewing and Lionblaze have twice. And this cat," Berrynose gestured at Crane's Wing, "just showed up out of nowhere and gets to live in the clan for no reason. He's probably responsible for it all."

Crane's Wing hung his head. Bramblestar glared at his former apprentice. I really should've taught him something about how to speak to other cats. His anger faded after a moment. He'd left the clan in the dark about this and had sent them on search patrols without explanation. They had some right to know.

"Crane's Wing is from a distant group of cats that have great knowledge on the history of the clans," Bramblestar told him. "A cat in his tribe received a message from their ancestors that concerns something that Jayfeather had learned long ago. They need to do as our ancestors wish. That is all you need to know."

Lionblaze mouthed a thank you to the leader. Bramblestar gave a short nod. "Where do you need to go?"

The three exchanged a look.

"We need to go to the mountains and the old forest," Lionblaze told him. "And possibly somewhere else too but we don't know where."

The old forest? Bramblestar felt a pang of homesickness but he pushed it away. The clans' home beside the lake had been his home for most of his life. The old forest wasn't his home anymore. But he still thought about it frequently and he was curious about what changes it had gone through in his time away.

"I miss the old forest," Spiderleg murmured, voicing the thoughts of Bramblestar. Remembering that Spiderleg was the only cat participating in the conversation who had gone on the Great Journey, Bramblestar felt a sense of affinity for the younger cat and touched his tail to his shoulder.

"I do too," he murmured back. Spiderleg closed his eyes then shook himself. He looked a bit embarrassed for a moment but Bramblestar gave him a look of reassurement. The leader looked back to Lionblaze, Dovewing, Jayfeather, and Crane's Wing. "I suppose it is about time we sent a patrol back to the old forest. There are still many cats who think about our old home every day. Though I wish I could come or at least send cats who had lived there but I understand that you have a higher reason to go."

The four cats nodded. Bramblestar looked to Crane's Wing. "Did you pass through the old forest on your journey here."

"I honestly have no idea where we're talking about it. You clan cats are strange. I just pretend I know what your talking about most of the time," Crane's Wing said bluntly. Bramblestar gave a short purr of amusement. He liked this cat. He was funny.

Spiderleg looked to the four cats. "I'm sure you're probably not going to the old forest to take a look around but I'd really appreciate it if you could so you could tell us when you get back."

"Anywhere in particular you want us to go?" Dovewing asked her older kin.

Spiderleg nodded. Then he frowned. "There was this spot on ThunderClan territory where I used to play with my brother before he died. I've always wanted to see it again but I can't remember where it was."

"It was near the Sandy Hollow," Bramblestar recalled.

Spiderleg's face brightened. "That's right. Thanks Bramblestar."

"Sorry to interrupt all of your nostalgia but should you really be sending a blind cat on a journey that far?" Rosepetal asked. She looked at Jayfeather. "No offense."

"I've been to the mountains many times. I can make it to the forest," Jayfeather said dryly.

"Longtail was able to make the Great Journey," Bramblestar reminded. Rosepetal nodded.

Still, none of the assembled cats looked particularly happy. Bramblestar wasn't too thrilled himself allowing them to leave. He would talk with them more about this. Just not right now, in front of their clanmates. It was clear Ivypool was planning on doing the same.

"When are you leaving?" Ivypool asked.

The three of the four cats looked unsure. Jayfeather spoke. "In a few sunrises. How long does it take to get to the old forest?"

Bramblestar realized the medicine cat was asking him. "I'm not sure. When the prophesied patrol went, we didn't know where we were going and it took awhile. When we went on the Great Journey, there were a lot of cats so we traveled much slower. Maybe three times the distance from here to where the tribe lives? Maybe more."

"That's so reassuring," Lionblaze grumbled under his breath. Jayfeather glared at him.

"Go talk to Cinderheart," Jayfeather ordered. He looked to the rest of the cats. "Leave. I'm sure Bramblestar wants to ask about somethings only leaders and medicine cats should know."

Looking unhappy and unsatisfied, the search patrol walked away. Dovewing and Crane's Wing lingered for a moment. Crane's Wing whispered something to Jayfeather before walking off.

"Come to my den," Bramblestar said once the two were alone. Jayfeather followed him up the Highledge. Once inside, Bramblestar turned on him. "What were you thinking?"

Jayfeather tilted his head.

"Leafpool said you walked out again," Bramblestar said. "For the third time- no, fourth- time since all this stuff with Jay's Wing started."

"I received an omen," Jayfeather said defensively. "I'm a medicine cat, it is my job to do as StarClan wishes me to do."

"You've said many times this has nothing to do with StarClan," Bramblestar told him. "I sincerely doubt StarClan sent that omen."

Jayfeather blinked. "I didn't think about that."

"So where did you go?"

"I went to Rock's Cave," Jayfeather told him. "Its where Rock would watch the cats going through the Rite of Passage. He was there. He told us that we were going about this wrong and that we had to find where our hearts lie and go there."

"Are you sure he meant literally?" Bramblestar asked. "StarClan cats speak in strange ways."

Jayfeather nodded. "Rock has always been very clear."

"Why do you want to free your spirits so much?" Bramblestar asked after a moment. "You talk about Jay's Wing like the two of you are one and Lionblaze and Dovewing didn't even know about their ancient spirits until you told them."

"Jay's Wing and I are separate," Jayfeather said. "Rock sent me to live in his place many moons ago, that's why our connection is different those of Lion and Dove. Something's wrong though."

"What do you mean?"

"Other than my memory flashes, I've been getting personality shifts," Jayfeather told him. Bramblestar grew worried. "I didn't really notice them but Leafpool and Briarlight did. Now it feels like there are two cats in me and both of them are trying to claw their way out."

"And you need to calm them, get them to become one again," Bramblestar realized.

"Or get rid of one," Jayfeather said. "That's what Cinderheart said and what Lionblaze and Dovewing think we're doing."

"And you don't?"

"Jay's Wing is apart of me. He always has been. I like how things use to be," Jayfeather admitted. "I don't want more change."

"I can relate," Bramblestar sighed. "So where does your heart lie? In the old forest or the mountains?"

"The mountains," Jayfeather said. "When I lived with the ancient cats…."

"You don't need to explain," Bramblestar told him when he trailed off. "And the old forest?"

"Lionblaze loves Cinderheart. She was once Cinderpelt and Cinderpelt loved the old forest, just like you and Spiderleg do," Jayfeather explained. "We don't really know what going there will do but it's worth a shot."

"And Dovewing?"

"Her heart lies here, by the lake. She's going to try and figure it out before we leave."

"Why do you need to follow your hearts?" Bramblestar asked.

Jayfeather shrugged. "Rock didn't explain. I think that our own spirits need closure or something and this will bring them enough peace to have everything work out."

Bramblestar nodded. That made sense. "Do you miss your powers?" he asked randomly.

Jayfeather didn't seem to surprised by this question. "Not as much as Dovewing or Lionblaze. Losing my powers is just an inconvenience for me. It was a shortcut, a luxury. For Lionblaze and Dovewing, it was everything to them. They relied on their powers so much and they loved having them."

"And you didn't?"

"Of course I did. But my powers only strengthened things I can already do," Jayfeather answered.

Bramblestar nodded, accepting this. "What do you think you'll find in the mountains?"

Jayfeather didn't answer.

Author's Note: Things. Things have been explained.

Reviews-

Darth Jay- I know how much you love Half Moon, glad you liked it. That's probably the most Jayfeather's going to say about her for awhile. Forbidden love and all that.