Sorry I took so long to get this chapter written... hopefully it won't take me as long to write the next one.

Anyway, enjoy!

Appleheart felt her heart skip a beat. "What?" The word barely escaped her mouth.

Toadfoot glanced at his paws again. "That's what Littlecloud says, anyway," he muttered. "Some cat raked his claws across Marshpelt's eyes." The dark brown tom glanced up. "Was it Birchclaw?" he demanded. "Or some other ThunderClan cat?" His claws sank into the ground, tearing up a tuft of grass.

"No," Appleheart whispered, instinctively reaching out with her forepaws to touch Birchclaw's tabby fur. "Toadfoot - it was Smokefoot."

Toadfoot's eyes widened. "What?" When Appleheart nodded, he continued "I mean, how could it have been Smokefoot? He's our Clanmate!"

"It's true," Appleheart replied bitterly, remembering how she had coldly torn out the black tom's throat… "Smokefoot was the cat who injured Birchclaw - he must have blinded Marshpelt as well."

Toadfoot opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. He swished his tail angrily and jumped to his paws, an fiery rage burning in his murky hazel eyes. "Where is he? Just wait until I get my claws on him!" he snarled.

"No need to," Appleheart meowed hurriedly. Her brother looked almost as menacing as the fabled tigers of legend. "When I saw what he'd done to Birchclaw, I… I attacked him. And I killed him."

Toadfoot stared at her, the rage in his eyes slowly being replaced by bewilderment. "You killed him?"

Appleheart nodded miserably, suddenly recalling a happier time…

"Hurry up, Applepaw!" Smokepaw laughed, leaping over a large log that blocked their way.

Applepaw scrambled over. "It's not fair!" she protested. "You're bigger than me!"

Smokepaw turned and gazed at her, a playful glow in his blue eyes. "I never said it would be fair!" He touched his nose to her fur, then licked her ear. "Come on, then. This is our last hunt as apprentices!"

Applepaw groaned. "Why can't you stay an apprentice?" she protested. "It'll be no fun without you! Tawnypelt never lets me train with Marshpaw and Toadpaw."

Smokepaw smiled. "You'll do fine without me," he meowed, holding his tail high. "And you'll soon be a warrior yourself - and we'll be able to spend to rest of our lives together..."

"Appleheart!"

Appleheart's head shot up and she jumped to her paws."Yes?"

Brambleclaw faced her; Dustpelt and Cloudtail standing next to him. Leafpool padded past them and Appleheart, and then sat down next to Whitecloud.

"We've decided to let you come back with us," Brambleclaw meowed, his amber eyes narrowed. "You can tell your story to Firestar."

Appleheart heard Toadfoot give a small groan next to her, but she ignored it. "Thank you, Brambleclaw," she replied, dipping her head.

"You," Brambleclaw mewed, striding over to where Toadfoot stood. "We'll help you carry your Clanmate's body back."

Toadfoot's eyes darted to where Smokefoot's body lay. Then his gaze flickered back, his eyes narrowing to match Brambleclaw's. "ShadowClan does not need your help," he meowed coolly. "We can take care of our own dead."

Brambleclaw raised an eyebrow. "Cloudtail and I will accompany you. Leafpool, can you possibly leave Birchclaw long enough to come with us?"

"I'm sure Brightheart could take care of him," Leafpool answered, lifting her head. "She knows enough herbs."

"That's settled, then." Brambleclaw twisted around and padded over to Smokefoot's body.

"Come on." Appleheart heard someone meowed in her ear. The ShadowClan she-cat turned to see Whitecloud standing beside her. The snowy she-cat's fur was bristled in worry. "We need to get Birchclaw back."

Slowly, Appleheart nodded. This is it, she told herself.

"Goodbye, Toadfoot," she meowed to her brother as he walked past her to Smokefoot's body. He acknowledged her with a detached dip of his head, and Appleheart suddenly realised that he'd changed. Her steadfast, dependent littermate was suddenly a stranger to her - he held his shoulders differently, and his mottled fur remained bristled; his tail held high while constantly swishing forwards and backwards. His murky green eyes refused to look at her.

"If you're going to be like this, we should leave you to ShadowClan," Appleheart heard Dustpelt remark as the dark tabby edged around her to get to Birchclaw. Appleheart quickly turned back to the cat who she loved most of all.

I know it in my heart. This is the right thing to do.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Birchclaw!" Appleheart heard a cat cry as she gently placed the injured tomcat onto the floor of the medicine den. A second later, a light gray she-cat entered the den and began licking Birchclaw's face rapidly. "Is he okay?" she meowed frantically between licks.

"Leafpool said he'd be fine, Ferncloud," Whitecloud said soothingly, touching the she-cat's flank with her tail.

With a slight shock, Appleheart remembered where she'd seen Ferncloud before.

"You and your brothers used to play with my son, Birchclaw," Ferncloud mewed, swelling with pride. "He's just been made a warrior."

It seemed like many seasons had passed since she'd starting meeting with Birchclaw… could it honestly have been no longer than a moon?

"I know you're worried, Ferncloud, but trust in what Leafpool says," a steady voice meowed behind Appleheart. "She's an excellent medicine cat."

Appleheart turned.

A ginger cat stood in the entrance to the den. Evening sunlight made his tabby pelt take on the appearance of flickering flames, and although she'd only ever seen him at moonlit Gatherings, Appleheart didn't have any trouble recognising him as Firestar, leader of ThunderClan.

"You must be Appleheart," Firestar meowed, stepping forward. "The ShadowClan cat Dustpelt has been telling me about."

Appleheart nodded, opening her mouth to speak.

"Come to my den first," Firestar interrupted, beckoning with his tail. Appleheart got to her paws and followed him as he led her out of the medicine den and across the camp clearing.

"Is that a ShadowClan cat?" Appleheart heard a kit squeal. "Let me at her!"

"Hush, Lionkit." The older voice of a queen came from the same direction. "She's here as a guest."

Firestar stopped before some fallen rocks and crouched slightly before leaping up them and pausing on a small ledge. As she scrambled up behind him, he gave her a nod and then padded into a small cave dented into the cliff face.

"Now, then," the flame-coloured cat said, curling up on a pile of moss. "I'd like you to tell me this story from the beginning."

"The very beginning?"

"As far back as you can go," Firestar agreed. "I'm in no hurry."

Appleheart sat down on the dusty floor. "Well, for me it started at the Gathering... although my mother says that it was during the Great Journey..."