Well, this is a bit of a late update, isn't it? I actually planned on getting this chapter posted around one-two weeks ago, whoops. I almost didn't have it ready today, either. But the good thing about being in London is that, to a bunch of you, this update is coming around late afternoon or early evening, so hopefully you'll have time to read it before sleep or homework or whatever else you have going on!

Oh, what's that I said? I'm in London? ^^ Why, yes, I am! I convinced my parents to travel here for Thanksgiving break (admittedly, mainly so I could meet my beta, the lovely InkblotLeaf, in person). I meant to post this chapter about a week ago saying I probably wouldn't be able to update anything in the near future because of this trip, but then realized partway through that I didn't have quite enough plot to fill up an entire chapter. Uh, whoops, again? XD Anyway, turns out I actually had about an hour or two every morning to write while my brother slept in, since he's dealing with the jet lag a lot worse than me. Hence, I was able to complete this chapter easily enough.

Also, Leafy brought it to my attention that it's sometimes difficult to keep all the secondary characters straight, so I put together a rather detailed Allegiances, if you want to give that a quick look-through! I've got all the markings, tokens, relationships, and, in the case of OCs, who submitted them.

Let's see, what else did I want to mention? Oh, yes, happy late Veterans' Day and happy late Thanksgiving!

I think that's about it for this author's note. I hope you enjoy the chapter! ^^

The Avanti Tribe

Guru: Kahuna blue point Siamese-tabby mix with tufted ears, paler marks around her eyes, chin, chest, and belly, and blue eyes (wears the guru stone around her neck and a set of moth wings tied under her chest) (sister of Nova, cousin of Saffron and Theola)

Medics: Cephas sleek, long-legged silver Bengal tom with green eyes, rosette spots, and a white belly (wears a white stone around his neck and a strip of birch bark on his right hind leg) (brother of Peter and Simon, mate of Avalon, father of Lumi, Fable, and Felix)

Saffron small, blue-cream tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes and unusually tiny paws (wears a heather flower through one ear and a small, black rock just below her left fore-elbow) (sister of Theola, cousin of Nova and Kahuna)

Avanti: Peter long-legged silver Bengal tom with green eyes, rosette spots, and a white belly (wears a single moth wing around his neck and a strip of birch bark on his right hind leg) (brother of Cephas and Simon, uncle of Fable, Lumi, and Felix)

Simon sleek, long-legged, agile silver Bengal tom with green eyes, rosette spots, and a white belly (wears an eagle feather through his ear and a strip of birch bark on his right hind leg) (brother of Cephas and Peter, uncle of Fable, Lumi, and Felix)

Theola small, blue-cream tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes, a somewhat tufted tail, and a small nose (wears a heather flower through one ear and a small, black rock just below her left fore-elbow) (sister of Saffron, cousin of Nova and Kahuna)

Caspian cream tom with ghost tabby markings, sharp claws, pointed ears, and blue eyes (wears a butterfly wing just above each forepaw and a rose-colored river stone around his head) (brother of Ceranna and Calyx, son of Ambrosia and Lukan, and cousin of Cordelia and Treya)

Initiates: (under ten moons, unable to leave the cavern without an escort)

Emil white tom with brown patches, dark blue eyes, and a worn collar colored like Iceland's flag (wears his collar's tag on his right foreleg) —submitted by Leopardstar2002

Phantom dark gray, almost black tabby with black stripes, dark green eyes, and a long scar on his shoulder (wears a cicada around his neck and a small rock at the base of his tail) —submitted by ShadowHawk540-2

Ravenpaw (Rae) lean, tall, sleek, white she-cat with a long tail, black ears and tail, dark green eyes, and six toes on her front right paw (wears a raven's feather around her left ear) (sister of Rowanpaw)

Nursing Mothers: Avalon long-haired white she-cat with amber eyes, a pale brown spot on her muzzle, long whiskers, broad shoulders, short legs, and a long, plumy tail (wears a white stone around her neck) (mate of Cephas and mother of Fable, Felix, and Lumi)

Kits: Fable long-haired silver Bengal tom with green eyes, rosette spots, a white belly, long whiskers, and a long, plumy tail (brother of Felix and Lumi, son of Cephas and Avalon, and nephew of Simon and Peter)

Lumi long-haired white she-kit with green eyes, a pale brown spot on her muzzle, long whiskers, broad shoulders, short legs, and a long, plumy tail (sister of Fable and Felix, daughter of Cephas and Avalon, and niece of Simon and Peter)—submitted by Inkblot. Leaf (remove space)

Felix sleek, long-legged white tom-kit with amber eyes and gray facial markings (brother of Fable and Lumi, son of Cephas and Avalon, and nephew of Simon and Peter)

The Rebellion

Acting Guru: Nova lilac point Siamese-tabby mix with tufted ears, tabby paleness, a long tail, and blue eyes (wears a pair of moth wings tied around his head and has two leaves on his left foreleg and one heather flower on his right foreleg, all three held in place by vines wrapped around his legs) (brother of Kahuna, cousin of Saffron and Theola)

Medic: Lukan elderly cinnamon Bengal tom with gold eyes, a white belly, pointed ears, and rosette spots (wears a small river stone around his left foreleg, a small feather around his neck, and has five fish scales embedded into his chest) (mate of Ambrosia, father of Ceranna, Calyx, and Caspian, and uncle of Cordelia and Treya)

Rebellion Members: Cordelia American long-hair she-cat with russet fur and dark green eyes (wears a set of black butterfly wings around her neck) (sister of Treya, niece of Ambrosia and Lukan, cousin of Ceranna, Caspian, and Calyx)—submitted by CindersQK

Kiowa long-legged, brown ticked tabby tom with hazel eyes, darker fur down his neck and shoulders, a long tail, and large ears (wears a striped eagle feather through one ear and a perfectly rounded river stone around his neck) (brother of Marc, mate of Ceranna)

Ceranna cinnamon-and-red tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes, ghost tabby markings, pointed ears, and thick neck fur (wears the skull of a squirrel as a necklace and has five fish scales embedded into her chest) (sister of Calyx and Caspian, daughter of Ambrosia and Lukan, cousin of Treya and Cordelia, mate of Kiowa)

Calyx agile, fluffy, black Bengal she-cat with yellow-green eyes, large claws, and pointed ears (wears a tendril of heather stems around her neck, with a knot of heather flowers in the front, and has five fish scales embedded into her chest) (sister of Ceranna and Caspian, daughter of Ambrosia and Lukan, cousin of Treya and Cordelia)

Ambrosia elderly cream she-cat with ghost tabby markings, blue eyes, thick neck fur, and large, sharp claws (wears a small river stone around her left foreleg, a leaf on her tail (held in place by a vine), and has five fish scales embedded into her chest) (mate of Lukan, mother of Ceranna, Calyx, and Caspian, and aunt of Treya and Cordelia)

Marc muscular brown tabby tom with green eyes and large paws (wears a short stick tied to the base of his tail and a single yellow butterfly wing around his neck ) (mate of Treya and brother of Kiowa)—submitted by Eradrin

Treya dark golden tabby she cat with amber eyes, a plumy tail, and fluffy ears (wears a long, thin leaf through her ear and a single yellow butterfly wing around her neck ) (mate of Marc, niece of Ambrosia and Lukan, cousin of Ceranna, Calyx, and Caspian, and sister of Cordelia)—submitted by Eradrin

Moki black munchkin she-cat with dark brown eyes and a white stripe on each paw and on her tail-tip

Initiates:

Rowanpaw small, well-muscled, sleek, broad chested, dark ginger tabby with dark green eyes (brother of Ravenpaw)

My unconscious mind emerged from the depths of sleep as something brushed past my tail. If it hadn't been splinted, I would've twitched it closer to my side. As it was, though, it was forced to remain right where it was, sticking out into the center of the medics' cave.

"Careful!" a voice hissed nearby. "She mustn't be woken."

Is that Kahuna? Immediately, adrenaline began pulsing through my veins, driving away any remaining traces of sleepiness and sending energy flooding into my limbs. I struggled to control the urge to move; if Kahuna didn't want me awake, I figured would be best to pretend to be asleep.

"She won't wake," a second, deeper voice assured her. I couldn't quite make out its owner; it sounded a bit like Cephas, but not exactly. Maybe Peter? He constantly seemed to be a few pawsteps behind her anyway. "I saw her training all day yesterday with Caspian. She's probably knocked out cold by now."

"Still, don't go out of your way to trip all over her." Kahuna sounded faintly irritated. I couldn't blame Peter for stepping immediately deeper into the cave, away from my nest.

"But I still don't get why we must continue meeting here," he continued obstinately. "What with Rae's fairly permanent residence, there's a much greater chance of being discovered."

"You know why." I imagined Kahuna rolling her eyes. "We most certainly won't be heard by anyone else."

"But we could just as easily use the Sun Pool," Peter argued.

"There's a guard always posted there," Kahuna meowed disinterestedly. "It would be too risky, even if we found a quiet corner. A guard would hopefully be alert and watchful; they would certainly overhear us. At least here, Rae's asleep."

"But there wouldn't be anyone else there if I was the guard."

There was a slight pause as Kahuna considered his suggestion. "Mmm. Perhaps. However," her voice took on a brisker tone, "we came here tonight to discuss your most recent meeting. Please report."

"Yes. Of course." Peter's tail brushed past my nest as he seated himself neatly on the ice-like ground. "Our last meeting took place by the waterfall, as the dampness would hide our scents. We discussed possible methods of converting me surreptitiously to the Rebellion's cause."

"Good." For some reason I thought I heard a slight purr in Kahuna's throat. Confusion welled up inside me; after all, why would she be happy to lose one of her faithful followers? Unless he was going to become an Avanti spy? My heart rate quickened and I tried to hold my breath. If I was discovered now…

"I think I've just about cracked him. Soon we'll be able to move on with phase two of the plan, I'm sure."

"Hopefully not too soon, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Rae." I automatically tensed at the sound of my name. "Cephas said she should be better in about a moon and a half, if everything heals correctly. If Nova doesn't make his move before then, we'll have another experienced fighter on our side. Yes, she might only be seven moons, but she came from the city. Remember when Phantom joined our ranks a few moons ago, he already knew a number of moves. I bet when she's able, she'll prove herself to have the skill level of a cat several moons her senior."

"You have a point. Perhaps I should try to drop hints of our strength, so Nova doesn't attack quite yet? If they think we're strong, they'll likely wait until later in Frozen-Time to catch us at our weakest moment."

"True. Try that out at your next meeting, won't you? When will that be, by the way?"

"In a half moon. He didn't believe he could get away before then without raising suspicion."

"Very well. We'll just have to hope Nova holds off his invasion until then."

There was a slight pause, then: "Is that all you wished to know?"

"Yes," Kahuna replied. "I believe so."

"Then I shall see you in the morning. Good night, my guru."

"Good night."

Peter's pawsteps faded down the tunnel, but Kahuna remained in the cave, utterly silent. I tried my hardest to keep still, blessing the near-impenetrable darkness of the night. Had she heard something from me? Did she know I was awake? That I'd just heard their entire conversation?

Kahuna loosed a long, soft sigh. Then, finally, she padded forward, disappearing along the tunnel after Peter.

I relaxed back into my nest, a relieved exhale escaping my open mouth. They hadn't noticed me.

Not only that, but I had also heard every single word they'd spoken. I ran through it quickly in my mind, hoping to commit it to memory.

I should tell Phantom in the morning. Though my pride initially recoiled at the idea, I forced myself to reason that this might be completely novel information to him, that it could be just the information he needed. If this helps end the war, it'll be worth it, I thought. If it helps keep Rowanpaw, Moki, Avalon, the kits, Cephas, Caspian… well, if it keepseveryonefrom harm, it'll be worth it.

I thought through the conversation one last time. Then, satisfied I'd sufficiently memorized it, I turned over in my nest, shutting my eyes. But adrenaline still pulsed through my body and it was a long time before I finally drifted off.

Several times throughout the early morning I woke; several times I peered impatiently up the tunnel, wondering when the sunlight would start filtering in. Though my paws twitched with energy, wanting to sprint forward into the cavern and find Phantom as soon as possible, I knew that would surely raise suspicion. He'd definitely get mad at me about that. So I forced myself to be content with remaining in my nest until the first glimmers of light reached down into the medics' cave.

Finally, it happened. I blinked open my eyes to see a hint of color amongst the rocks, the outlines of rough edges along the walls. Excitement flooding through me, I pushed myself upright and, my injured leg folding beneath my belly for safety, limped into the confines of the tunnel.

The cavern was already alive with activity when I rounded the final bend, blinking my pupils into slits. Good. Now no one will pay much attention to me. The Avanti would probably be much more interested in getting out to catch the day's first pieces of prey than stopping to chat with me.

I swiftly scanned the camp, searching for my accomplice's dark gray, rock-colored pelt. Nothing.

Frustration swamped me and I almost stamped my paw on the ground, but stopped myself; after all, it might look suspicious. I caught a glimpse of Peter by the opposite wall, preparing to duck through the entrance tunnel with Saffron. He and Kahuna were probably keeping an especially close eye on me this morning, just to make sure I hadn't heard anything.

Movement flickered at the opening to a cave by Peter's twitching tail. To my enormous relief, I spotted a pair of dark green eyes and a striped forehead emerging into the cavern. Tucking my foreleg close to my body, I darted toward him, swerving between other Avanti and hopping over loose stones.

Phantom's eyes met mine as I drew closer, narrowing in what appeared to be leftover anger. Lashing his tail once, he turned away, stepping purposefully toward the cavern's entrance.

"Phantom," I called, quickening my pace and almost tripping over my paws. Curse my squirrel-brained legs. "Wait!"

"What?" he half-snarled, casting a look like jagged rocks over his shoulder.

I blinked. Peter and Saffron were literally right there. Wouldn't that attitude pique their suspicion? We were supposed to be the adorable reunited long-lost littermates, after all. I glanced over at them to see Saffron's eyebrows raised.

"Hey, what's with the long face?" I purred, smiling fondly and head-butting Phantom's shoulder. As I circled around him, blocking his path, I angled my whiskers surreptitiously toward the two cats, hoping he'd get the hint.

He did. "Oh. Uh, sorry. I guess I just didn't get a good night's sleep." He forced a purr. "What is it?"

"I… want to tell you about this dream I had last night," I invented, keeping an eye on Peter out of the corner of my eye. Would he pick up on my lie? "Uh, come with me, I can tell you while we eat breakfast!"

Phantom shrugged. "Yeah. Okay. I guess so."

Together, we padded over to the pile of prey, where Phantom grasped a squirrel between his jaws for us to share. I couldn't help but notice it was a particularly small one.

We settled together in a corner of the cavern, our flanks draped with shadows from the still-rising sun. Phantom spat out our meal onto the ground and crouched beside me. His eyes had regained their earlier fire. "Well?" he growled. "What is it?"

Judging from his expression, I figured it would be best to get my explanation over with quickly. "Last night, I overheard Kahuna and Peter talking about their plans," I meowed. "They're planning on tricking someone into giving them information about the Rebellion."

Phantom's face remained impassive. He didn't reply, but just continued to stare at me.

"So we have to tell Nova!" I insisted, struggling to keep my voice at a whisper. "He's got to know. He can tell the Rebellion and whoever it is will hear about Peter, and—"

"I doubt Nova needs to hear about one of your dreams," Phantom interrupted.

"No, this wasn't a—"

"How are your injuries healing?"

I gaped at Phantom. Why wasn't he listening to me? This was important! This could change the fate of the entire war! If Peter got the plans out of that Rebellion cat, Kahuna and the Avanti could easily win, despite the Rebellion's strength in numbers.

"I asked you a question, Rae," Phantom said monotonously. "Let's try this again, now, and this time I'll expect an answer. How are your injuries healing?"

"Fine," I hissed. "Now, will you listen—?"

"I've seen you practicing with Caspian. It's good that you're strengthening your legs again."

"Phantom!"

"Are you practicing again tod—?"

"Yes! Now shut up and let me—"

Phantom swept his tail around and stuffed it into my mouth, muffling my voice instantly. "It's really very good that you're spending all this time regaining your strength. You could even learn to swim a little in the Sun Pool once those splints come off. When you can walk comfortably again and Cephas deems you able to function normally again, I'd guess you could go back to the base. Then you can start training for battle with your real brother and you won't be in my way up here. Isn't that what you want? To fight alongside your brother?"

I blinked. "Well, of course."

"Good. I see we are in agreement." Phantom rose to his paws and I suddenly realized how squirrel-brained my last words had been.

"Wait," I growled, my voice tinged with annoyance directed both at myself and at Phantom. "Last night I overheard some possibly key information about Kahuna's plans. And you won't even listen! Why won't you listen?" On a spurt of the moment, I hooked the untouched squirrel in my claws and lobbed it toward Phantom. It glanced off his chin, deflected onto the rocky ground and rolling until it lay a couple dog-lengths away. In the cavern, several cats glanced around, staring into our little corner with confusion etched across their faces.

"Nice job," Phantom muttered, his lips barely moving over gritted teeth. "I can't believe I thought you were that concerned about getting me away from Peter. You thought he'd be suspicious? Well now half the tribe is suspicious. Well done."

It took all my willpower not to fling myself at him and claw that arrogant expression until it shattered. Instead, I twisted the corners of my mouth upward, stiffly rolling onto my back and batting one paw toward him. "Ha!" I giggled (or, at least, tried to giggle. It actually came out as more of a raspy snort). "Got you! I can't believe you weren't able to dodge that!"

Phantom let a slight smirk cross his face, which widened as he turned toward the cavern. He didn't reply immediately, instead padding forward to retrieve the squirrel. Dropping it in front of me again, he shot me one last, fleeting glare, then turned his back. "I'll be back later today," he called over his shoulder, flicking his tail dismissively. "I need to go hunting. You know. Gotta feed the tribe and all."

He won't go to Nova. Because he wants to prove I'm a terrible spy, he won't tell Nova. I stared after his retreating back, anger warring with despair for dominance within me, trying desperately to keep my face expressionless. After all, the other Avanti needed to think Phantom and I were just exchanging some lighthearted, teasing banter, rather than words reminiscent of recently sharpened claws.

But Nova's got to know, I decided. This could determine the outcome of the war. The Rebellion has more cats; they've got the advantage. If the Avanti learn their plans, it could stretch the war out for many more bloody moons. Nova's got to warn the Rebellion so Peter can't get their plans.

I unsheathed my claws halfway, their tips pressing gently against the hard ground. If Phantom won't tell him, I guess I'll just have to do it myself. Once I can walk again, I'll head down to the half-moon meeting place. Until then, I suppose I'll just have to do some digging and see if I can find out anything else.

After several long moments, the cats in the general area finally uprooted themselves and ambled off toward their various destinations. Only one padded closer to me; out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of cream fur. Caspian.

"You gonna start on that squirrel anytime soon?" he asked cheerily. "You know we're doing some light training today, so you might want to eat quickly."

My insides roiled at the thought, still tender from my recent encounter with Phantom. I shook my head, pushing away the prey with a paw.

"Hey, don't be like that. Here, if you don't want to eat it all, we can share." Caspian settled himself before me, his body blocking my view of the entrance tunnel, through which Phantom had just vanished. "You'll wish you'd eaten it later, trust me."

"No," I said again, "I'm not hungry. You can have it all if you want."

"Hmm. You know, I'm not sure I'm really all that hungry. I think I might just be able to polish off about, say, half of this. I guess you'll have to eat the rest if we don't want it to go to waste."

I turned away, hoping he'd give up soon. I really wasn't in the mood right now.

"Rae," Caspian meowed sharply. "I want you to eat at least a little bit before we start today's training. Understand?"

"I'm not hungry," I insisted.

"Look." Caspian shifted a little closer, turning away from the cavern so they wouldn't hear his next words. "I saw you throw this squirrel at your brother. You and Phantom had an argument, didn't you?"

I nipped at my tongue, hoping the slight flash of pain would keep my face expressionless. He can't know. He'll get suspicious. He'll know I'm a spy.

"It's okay. Honest." Caspian smirked. "Siblings always argue a little. It's inevitable, trust me. You don't have to try to hide it."

"Fine. Yes, we were fighting. Happy?"

Caspian shrugged. "My happiness didn't really depend on your answer." He paused a moment, as though waiting for me to speak, but when I refused, he continued, "I know you must be all worked up from that, but you won't be able to eat for the rest of the day, probably. You'll be miserable later if you don't eat your morning meal. I want you to take a bite, please."

I shot him a glare.

"For me?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Though I struggled to hold it in, I couldn't stop a tiny snort from escaping my nostrils. "Ha-ha! That's the spirit!" Caspian grinned again, then nosed the squirrel back toward me. I rolled my eyes, but consented to take a small bite.

The meat was a little sparse and tough, no doubt from the harsh season. It had only snowed once so far, but the prey was most likely struggling to gather enough food to last through Frozen-Time. I had to fight hard to chew my mouthful, but to my surprise found it didn't worsen my appetite much. In fact, now that I could smell and taste the salty flavor, I felt my stomach gurgle loudly.

"Feeling any better?" Caspian asked, watching me closely.

I shrugged, swallowing. Though I now felt a little hungrier, my tail still flicked back and forth across the cold stone, working off the extra energy remaining from Phantom's presence. "I suppose."

Caspian let loose a loud sigh (I jumped) and rolled dramatically over onto his back. "You're so difficult to please!" he complained, his eyes flickering onto my face to see if I laughed. I didn't, but merely took another bite.

"Yaksha, that fight must've really been bad," Caspian muttered, worry descending into his expression like a murder of crows.

I shrugged. "I guess," I said shortly.

"Do you… want to talk about it? I've heard that helps."

"No." The word flew out of my mouth before I had time to stop it. Why do I always have to be so rude? What if he thinks worse of me because of that? "I—I mean, uh, not really. Phantom's just got a rock for a brain, I think."

"Ah. Yes, I understand." Caspian nodded sagely. It was oddly harder to hold in my smile when he was trying to appear wise than when he actually wanted to be funny.

"Uh huh." For some reason, the squirrel was disappearing pretty quickly. So much for not being hungry.

"Well, you know what I've always found to be the best remedy for getting out anger?"

"What?"

"Exercise."

I grimaced, swallowing what looked like the third-to-last bite of my meal. "I don't want to throw rocks again today. We've done that every single day for the past quarter moon!"

"Actually, it's only been five sunrises. But no, you won't be doing that again. I've got something entirely different planned for today. Though, of course, if we want to go through with it, it'd probably be best to leave pretty soon." Caspian shot a glance over his shoulder, quickly scanning the cavern.

"How come?" I followed his gaze, finding nothing out of the ordinary in our general area.

"Cephas. He, er, probably wouldn't want you doing this quite yet."

"Doing what?"

"So many questions!" Caspian lifted his eyebrows again. "You'll see. It's a bit of a surprise, but I think you'll really enjoy it."

"I can't really use all four legs yet," I reminded him. "Cephas wants me to keep my weight off my foreleg for at least another half-moon to a moon." During which I couldn't do much of anything, besides do my rock exercises, talk to Avalon, and play a little with the kits.

Almost as though my thoughts had summoned them, my ears detected the echoing of little paws in the nursing tunnel. I straightened up, staring across the cavern, waiting for them to emerge.

"Yeah, yeah. You'll be fine." Caspian plucked the last bit of squirrel from between my paws with one unsheathed claw, popping it into his mouth and chewing rapidly. "Okay, you're done. Let's get going."

"Hey!" I protested. "What's with the sudden rush?"

"Cephas's grooming lesson has just ended. He'll be right behind his kits. Come on, and lean on me if you need the extra support. Come on!"

"Uh, okay." I scrambled upright, limping alongside Caspian and shifting some of my weight onto his shoulder as he'd suggested. Together, we headed across the camp, Caspian steering us along the wall across from the nursing tunnel, his body hiding me from its sight. Fixing my eyes ahead, I spotted the Sun Pool tunnel up ahead. Could he be taking me down to the pool? Was he going to teach me to swim already?

No, apparently not. We walked right past that tunnel and on around the cavern wall. Blinking in surprise, I stared around ahead once again, wondering where in the Yaksha's domain Caspian was taking me. There were only two tunnels left in our direct path. One couldn't be our destination; it led straight to Kahuna's den. So then it would have to be the other one.

My heart jolted as though I'd just slipped on a particularly slippery patch of rock. The entrance tunnel loomed ahead, wider and taller than any other opening. A faint breeze danced across the tips of my hairs, carrying the scent of the outside to my eagerly sniffing nostrils.

I glanced up at Caspian, my jaws parting in amazement. "Are we… are we go—"

"Shh," he whispered, casting a swift glance over his shoulder. "Cephas is taking his time, but I doubt he'll be much longer. If he knew what we were doing…" He shook his head. "You don't want to see him that angry." His eyes shimmered at the prospect of the adventure. I couldn't help but feel my spirits lift, the memory of Phantom's obstinacy dissipating like the morning dew I hadn't felt in what must have been moons.

"He should exercise more. Maybe then he wouldn't get as mad," I noted, grinning. Caspian mirrored it, then ducked into the darkness of the tunnel. My heart racing as though I'd just sprinted halfway up the mountain, I followed.

It was dark inside, as dark as the path to the medics' cave. For a moment, I was confused by this; didn't it lead outside? Shouldn't there be more light pouring in from the other end? Then I remembered the thick foliage overshadowing the tunnel's mouth, preventing unwanted visitors from stumbling upon the cavern. It must be blocking the sunlight.

Thankfully, we didn't encounter any other cats on our way up to the surface. During the last several tail-lengths, light began blossoming around Caspian's shoulders. I opened my eyes as wide as I could in the face of the brightness, hoping for my eyes to adjust as quickly as possible.

As Caspian slipped out of the rather narrow exit, I took a deep breath, trying (and failing) to steady my rapidly beating heart. It had been, what, about a half moon since I'd last been out of the cavern? Since I'd smelled the clean freshness of the wild breeze? It felt like moons.

No, there was no way I could calm myself in the face of this adventure. It'd probably be easier to sprout wings and fly to the moon. So, leaning forward to propel myself up the last little slope, I bounded forward out of the tunnel and through the cluster of ferns, bursting out onto a clear path.

I spun on the spot, trying to take everything in as quickly as possible, yet still take the time to focus on the little details I'd forgotten. The trees arched high overhead, spiderweb-like branches crisscrossing in an intricate pattern. Bushes crowded in on one side, likely a thicket sheltered from the icy gusts of wind. If I turned just so, then it wouldn't ruffle up my fur and cut through to the unprotected skin underneath. Now the edge of the mountain range stretched out before me, dying away quickly into grassy flatlands, cut in two by a wide river. My stomach contracted as I realized this must be the way to the Brick City, the way Rowanpaw and I had arrived from. I couldn't stop my mind from flashing back to our days walking toward the mountain, to our carefree teasing and games, to Moki's dens and sleeping curled together beneath a star-flecked sky. I hadn't realized how much I missed the sky, with its patterns of ever-shifting clouds or the sun or moon, or how the stars never stayed in the exact same positions, but instead moved slowly, slowly across the sky.

"Enjoying yourself, much?" Caspian watched me, a smirk playing upon his muzzle.

"Wow," I whispered breathlessly. And, though I felt like I should probably explain further, I couldn't seem to form any other words, as though the breeze snatched them away, carrying them up to mingle with the thick layer of clouds obscuring the sky.

Caspian touched my shoulder lightly with his tail. "Come with me." He began padding away, leaving the path and circling around the thicket, ducking under branches and lifting his paws high to clear twisting roots.

"Wha… you mean, this wasn't what you wanted to show me?" There's something even better than this? I scrambled after him, not wanting to be left behind, wide eyes staring at his back.

"Yep." Caspian grinned. "If just stepping outside the cavern is that amazing to you, I can't wait to see your reaction to this."

He headed up a short slope, then down a leaf-strewn gully and over a narrow trickle of water. After checking to make sure I was keeping up (I was, though I was beginning to pant—apparently spending a half moon lying around the cavern had taken more out of me than I'd expected), he wound through a dense stand of silver birch trees, finally pausing when we'd emerged into a small clearing.

"We're here," he announced.

"We are?" I stared carefully around, trying to take in our surroundings in more detail than before. Now that the thrill of being outdoors again had worn off a bit, maybe I could actually pay attention to the details.

I quickly realized we hadn't actually left the birch copse; the trees still crowded around us, interspersed with dark green bushes and other foliage, though they left a space around a large rock, in which we now stood. Brown, dry grass crunched underpaw, stripped of its soft greenness by the harsh claws of Frozen-Time. I imagined in Melting-Time it would sprout again and grow tall, embedding the boulder in a soft nest.

The boulder itself stood at the edge of what appeared to be a cliff; as I padded a couple steps closer, I saw the ground falling away in a steep decline, levelling out after about a tree-length's drop straight down. Recalling my earlier falls and remembering that my raven wouldn't be able to save me here, I backed away, a shiver slithering down my spine. Now that I knew there was likely nothing to save me if I fell, I was much more hesitant to go anywhere near that cliff. But remembering Caspian standing about a tail-length behind me, I hastily straightened my shoulders and lifted my chin, trying to hide my fear. I turned my gaze toward the rock instead, hoping it would distract me from the fall.

It was pale gray in color, speckled with darker dots and patched with whitish lichen. One end sloped downward toward our paws and the top was flattish, wide enough for about three cats to sit or two cats to lie comfortably side-by-side. Suddenly, I thought I knew where Caspian and I were headed.

"We're going up onto that rock, aren't we?"

"How'd you guess?" Caspian snorted. Then, to answer my question, "Yes, we are. That is, if you think you can."

My memory of the height flooded back into my mind, but I shoved it aside. If I'd walked this far already, I should definitely be able to climb that boulder. If I said no, Caspian might think I was weak. "Nah, of course I can. Don't worry about me," I grinned. Inwardly, I hoped Caspian wouldn't notice how fake it must look.

"Great!" Caspian smiled in a relieved sort of way. "I'd hate for you to miss this view. I suppose you could always look from around the side, but it's honestly just so much better from the boulder." He bounded forward, leaping up the first little incline. Swallowing the tightness in my throat, I followed.

It took me much longer than Caspian to get to the top. He waited patiently, not offering me any help. I was glad he didn't. He must trust that I can make it all the way up on my own, I thought with a flash of pride. Even with my injuries, he thinks I can make it. The will to prove him right sprouted in my tiring muscles, lending me just enough energy to push myself up the last little stretch, finally coming to rest where the incline tapered off into the small stretch of flat rock.

After taking a couple deep breaths to regain control of my breathing, I blinked up at Caspian, who smiled.

"Well done, Rae. I'm glad to see those injuries haven't diminished your determination." He nodded over the edge of the cliff. "Here's your reward. I hope you enjoy it."

I followed his gaze, a little wary of seeing the immense drop again but curious as to what this "amazing view" was. As my eyes scanned the horizon, I couldn't stop my mouth from falling open in wonder.

If I'd thought seeing the plains from just outside the cavern's entrance was something, I decided I must have been terribly mistaken. That was nothing but a narrow strip, a glimpse of the wonder this view provided.

The flatlands stretched away in all directions from the mountains, a few hills rising and falling as a transition between the two extremes. Below my paws, silver birches spread out like a pond down the side of the mountain, transitioning to brown-barked trees closer to the bottom, where the stream splashed down into the larger river, which wound away across the fields. A strong wind blew directly into my face, carrying the scents of faraway places to my muzzle. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, trying to decipher each little nuance in the air. It smelled cold, like there could be more snow on the way, but also a little like pine trees, like there was a forest somewhere in the distance, out of sight over the horizon.

"You like it?"

"Do I like it?" I repeated, my voice thick with exhilaration. "Do I like it?"

"I take it you do," Caspian snorted.

"I love it! This is incredible!" I lifted my chin, feeling the air tease the soft fur there. Somehow, the drop didn't scare me anymore; I felt like, even if I fell, the wind would catch me and pull me back up.

"This is actually one of my favorite spots on the mountain," Caspian confessed. "I found it when I was still an Initiate, back when the Avanti Tribe was still united."

I glanced over at him, surprised at his change of tone. His eyes were fixed down the mountain, to where the Rebellion's base lay. Following his gaze, I remembered his parents and sisters, all four of whom had joined the war on the opposite side.

"Uh," I murmured into the sprouting silence. Raising my voice a little, I started again, "Did, uh, did you ever… uh, come up here with your… your sisters, at all?"

"Hmm?" Caspian blinked at me.

Wait. Right. I wasn't supposed to know about his family. Oops. "Um, I heard Avalon talking about them." The minor spat between Cephas and Lukan at the Celebration materialized in my memory. "And Cephas mentioned your father."

"Oh." Caspian tried for a smirk, but it somehow looked less genuine than earlier. "Yeah, I suppose my family is a bit of a talking point. I didn't realize it was so common, though."

It's not! My insides shriveled a bit from guilt. Why couldn't I have kept my big mouth shut for once?

"Yeah, I used to come up here with Ceranna and Calyx from time to time. Calyx always loved watching the stars and Ceranna liked seeing thunderstorms form in the distance. Neither of them much liked watching the sunrises with me, though. They preferred to sleep in." A hint of a real smile appeared on his muzzle, though it dimmed almost immediately with his next words. "Of course, all that ended when the split happened. My family followed Nova down the mountain, leaving me up here."

"Why?" I couldn't stop the word from bursting from my mouth. Hastily, I looked at my paws, as though that could take back what I'd said, leaving only the wind to disturb the air. Of course, it didn't work.

"What?"

I let loose a silent breath of resignation. Next time, I promised myself, next time I'll force myself to stay quiet. Whether or not that would actually happen, I didn't know.

Caspian still waited for a response. "Um, I said, 'Why?' "

"Well, yeah, I heard that. But what do you mean?"

"Well… why didn't you go with them? I mean," I added hastily, still averting my eyes from his expression, "they are your family. Isn't family more important than anything?"

"Oh. I suppose." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look away, out toward the place where the darker gray river merged into the paler gray sky. He didn't say anything else for a long moment and, though I considered breaking the silence again, I couldn't find any words to say. Finally, Caspian exhaled audibly and glanced back toward me. "I mean, family's not the absolute most important thing ever, right? There are things more important than family."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that. My mind automatically jumped to Thalia, to Asteria, and all the other loners in the city who'd told Rowanpaw and me to stick together at all costs. But, of course, I couldn't tell Caspian that.

"Well, I suppose it might be for you," he murmured, and I started a little, staring up at him. "You journeyed for I don't know how long just to find your brother. And you were injured, too, for part of that trip." He shook his head, snorting softly. "I wonder if my sisters would do that for me."

"Have you, uh…" I trailed off. It had occurred to me that this question might not exactly be the best one to ask only after starting to speak. I hated it when that happened.

"What?"

Ugh. "Have you… have you ever, um, you know…" I bit my tongue, unsure of whether I should go on.

Caspian nodded encouragingly, telling me wordlessly to go on. I took a deep breath, and, before I lost my nerve again, I meowed, "Have you ever had to fight against your sisters? Like in battle?"

He blinked, then shook his head. "No, thankfully I haven't. I… I don't know if I'd be able to, actually." His mouth twisted into a grimace. "I got lucky during the last invasion. I was defending Avalon and her kits, and Ceranna and Calyx were instructed to go for the medics' den, all the way across the cavern. We didn't really have the chance to even look at each other."

"Would you ever refuse to fight them, if you did have to go against them in a battle?"

He shrugged. "The guru needs to be protected. Kahuna was chosen by the Founder, and the Founder's never chosen wrongly before. But…" He hesitated, glancing in my direction. "You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Okay. Well, if I ever had to fight my sisters… I dunno what I'd do. I mean, when we were little, we had our squabbles and all. But I don't think I could ever actually hurt them. You know?"

"Yeah." I tried to keep my face expressionless, but underneath an idea had begun to take root. My mind whirled from possibility to possibility, reviewing all I'd learned about the Avanti Tribe and the Rebellion. Maybe, just maybe…

"Caspian?"

"Yeah?"

"Why is there so much hostility between the tribe and the Rebellion? I mean, you used to be tribemates, right? What changed?"

Caspian didn't move for a moment, but instead remained staring off into the distance. After several long heartbeats, during which I stared eagerly at the pale-furred tom, waiting for an answer, he finally turned to blink down at me.

"I suppose the simple answer would be that Nova changed," he murmured. "He decided Kahuna's status was unimportant or something; I don't really know. But he started spreading rumors that she wasn't the true guru, even though everyone knows she was chosen by the Founder. We were all there at the Naming Ceremony. The Founder's breeze blew past Kahuna, showing that she was their choice for the next guru."

"Yeah, but why all the hostility?" I pressed.

Caspian let out a short breath of air. "I'm guessing you haven't heard the tribe's main legend yet, have you?"

I shook my head, eyes widening.

"Very well, then. I guess I'd better tell you, huh?" A corner of Caspian's mouth tugged upwards momentarily. "Let's see if I remember how it begins.

"Long ago, the Avanti Tribe was a large and powerful nation, stretching across a number of these mountains. We had been united under the Founder and grew to prosperity under our combined efforts. It was a glorious time, the golden age of our history. Peace reigned and every member of the tribe was content.

"Well, not every member. There was one who felt the then guru, Kaiden, put too much emphasis on the tribe's ancestors and not enough on the living Avanti. This cat's name was Enki, a traditional name reminiscent of the Founder and the mountain home to the original Avanti Tribe. Enki wanted to return to those times, when cats focused on one another rather than mystical cats in the sky.

"Kaiden refused to listen to Enki's demands, but many of the tribe thought he had a point. They formed a revolution in protest to Kaiden's rule. Their goal was to overthrow his rule and set up a new era of prosperity. Sound familiar?" Caspian added, lifting one eyebrow. When I remained silent, he continued with his story.

"Enki soon realized he didn't have a chance of replacing Kaiden as the guru; there were too many who supported him in the main cavern, where Kaiden spent most of his time. Wary of being attacked when alone, Kaiden ensured he always had several cats as a bodyguard around him, even when hunting or resting in his den. Though Enki had more followers, he couldn't use them all at once to swarm the cavern. It's the same tactic Kahuna's using now to hold off Nova and the Rebellion.

"Eventually, Enki became fed up with the constant near-war between his followers and Kaiden's. Taking his cats, he left the mountains in search of a better land where he could rule freely. It is believed that he left to the west in search of a lake one of the older Avanti had mentioned. No one knows if he found it or not.

"Back here in the mountains, however, the Avanti Tribe was left with the remnants of its once-great power. It's partially why we depend so much on outsiders now; it's the only way to prevent inbreeding. Currently, we have Avalon, Emil, Phantom, and you as newcomers. I don't know if there are others; the Rebellion could have picked up a few, as well."

"Emil?" I asked, a bit confused.

"Hmm? Oh, you still haven't met Emil?" Caspian nodded unconsciously. "Huh. I guess he's pretty shy in general. He's the white tom with brown patches, the one with the collar."

"Oh, him? I think I might've seen him around the cavern."

"Yeah. He tends to stay with a group of Avanti at all times, going hunting or something. If he goes out alone, he almost always gets lost, poor guy. No sense of direction at all. I bet he'd wander down to the Rebellion's territory every quarter moon if he was left to hunt on his own.

"But anyway," Caspian continued, "that's why we don't like the Rebellion. It's too much like what happened in the legend. We're caught in between two evils—either we let Nova and the Rebellion leave, possibly causing the death of the tribe, or we give in to his demands, which we know are false."

I nibbled at my tongue a little, my mind turning back to my short stay at the Rebellion's base. Nova's argument had sounded fairly believable then. "How do you know they're false?" I asked. "How do you know Kahuna's right?"

Caspian shot me a sharp look. "You shouldn't speak like that," he insisted, a hint of a growl detectable in his voice. "Kahuna could mark you as a traitor."

I shrank backward, eyes widening in astonishment at his sudden change in demeanor and fear at his words. But a moment later, he seemed to deflate a little, relaxing back into his previous lounge.

"However, they are valid questions, especially for a newcomer like you. Why should you believe one leader over another?" He allowed silence to seep back into our surroundings, his expression thoughtful, like he was mulling over what exactly to say. "I suppose it has a lot to do with the Yaksha Tribe and our ceremonies and such. Have you heard about the Naming Ceremony yet?"

"Not in detail," I confessed.

"Well, when a guru dies, we conduct that ceremony. In it, every Avanti in the tribe over the age of ten moons gathers at the peak. The spirit of the Founder wakes from the depths of the mountain to decide which cat will be our next guru. It is said that the particular cat falls into a dreamlike trance right before being chosen, though it is undetectable by any others in the circle. To signify their choice, the Founder rushes over the guru in a rush of wind. The Founder has never been wrong before, so why would they be mistaken about Kahuna now?"

"There was a gust of wind that blew over Kahuna?"

"Yep, just Kahuna. If that doesn't signal her right to rule, I don't know what does."

I paused, trying to piece Caspian's stories in with what I already knew. Somehow, they didn't seem to fit together very well. Perhaps… perhaps Nova was mistaken? But then, why did he have so many followers? Had he somehow caused them to forget Kahuna's Naming Ceremony?

My mind returned to my idea from earlier. Caspian had said he didn't want to fight his sisters, Ceranna and Calyx. They must not want to fight him either, right? Maybe I could somehow get all three of them on the same side. Maybe I could try to get the entire tribe on one side or the other. After all, in a battle, cats would get hurt. What if Caspian or Avalon got injured? Or Rowanpaw or Moki? If I could get everyone to believe the same story, to have the same mindset, the war would be over with no further bloodshed.

A second memory awakened in the depths of my mind; Kahuna and Peter in the medics' den, going over their strategy of extracting battle plans from the Rebellion. What would they do with them, lead the Rebellion into a trap? I imagined Rowanpaw's face as he was overwhelmed by Avanti fighters and my stomach twisted painfully. No. I can't let that happen. I couldn't let the battle continue. I had to find a way to stop this, to end the war once and for all.

But first, I thought determinedly, I have to heal. I have to get stronger, stronger than I was before. And while I do that, I can figure out more about Kahuna's plans.

I fixed my eyes on the horizon again, imagining the wind was filling me up with its power. I smiled. With any luck, I might just be able to save this tribe.

QOTD1:When you were a kid, did you read The Little Train That Could? If so, there's a reference in the chapter... did you catch it? ^^

QOTD2: If you're an American, what did you do for Thanksgiving?

AOTD2: I went up this super tall building and saw London from above, then went to see Les Miserables. It was pretty fun, though of course I missed the traditional turkey dinner!

I'm afraid I make no promises about the next update date, though I have already planned out what I want to happen in it (and I believe it should be enough to fill up an entire chapter this time) so all that's left to do is actually write it! I'm guessing I'll have it finished in two weeks, though if I get myself to write every day I might just be able to make it by next week. Let's see if I can challenge myself to do that! ^^

Until next time,

~Snow