Snakefang was surprised how quickly he had gotten lost. The mountains were still quite a way off and the lake was only a pebble sized speck in the distance. Snakefang puffed.

"Why me?" Snakefang muttered to himself. He shook his paw to dislodge the crusty dirt that kept getting stuck between his pads. He had been walking all night and the sun was only just breaking from behind the hills. His legs felt like lead weights. Every paw step an effort. He must have looked a total sight to any cat passing by. He was in a pine forest at the moment, very much like ShadowClan territory. Every tree looked identical, every noise was similar. Snakefang groaned with hunger. He hadn't eaten since sunhigh the previous day. He reluctantly kept walking. To Snakefang's left, he could see a fox den. Maybe I'll take a nap. He thought. Snakefang padded up to it and slightly parted his jaws just in case any foxes lived here. Sure enough there was fox scent, stale and faint, but it was there. Snakefang wanted to yowl his thanks to StarClan but he wanted more to rest, he clumsily trotted inside and collapsed onto his size, falling asleep instantly.

For a moment, Snakefang was a kit again.

"Come on Snakekit!" Snakefang recognized Hollyclaw's voice. He watched his younger self charge after his sister. Hollyclaw was waiting for him just outside the nursery. Snakekit jumped ontop of her and the two playfully tussled until Hollykit started running to the camp exit, shrieking in joy. Snakekit followed as quickly as his short legs would take him. Cinderheart was leaving the nursery now too.

"Hollykit? Snakekit?" She called. Hollykit would have kept on running but she was stopped when she ran into the leg of a warrior. Hollykit was on her back now, her green eyes round with fear as she started up at the cat she had bumped into. She stared into the gorgeous blue eyes of Heathertail. Hollykit squealed in shock and scampered back to Cinderheart. Snakekit stood in front of the light brown tabby WindClan warrior. He knew he should be fearful but he couldn't. It was the first time he had ever seen her but he couldn't help feeling recognition. Her scent was somehow familiar, her gentle features giving off a spark of comfort in Snakekit. The pair stared at each other for what seemed like a long time but it was most likely only a few moments.

"Hello little one," Heathertail mewed in welcome. Snakekit didn't respond, he just stared into the oceans of her eyes. They were the exact same shade and shape as his own. He looked closer; there was definitely the scent of milk and kits clinging to her and what was that in her eyes…was that love? Snakekit didn't have time to think about it. Cinderheart was next to him in a flash. His mother's intense blue eyes filled with fury as her fluffy gray tail wrapped around him protectively. Her ears were pinned back to her head.

"What business do you have here Heathertail!" Cinderheart hissed. Lionblaze's ears perked and he padded over to them. Heathertail and he looked at each other and exchanged distant glances that spoke so many words. Kestrelflight walked out from behind her.

"She's with me," He explained. Cinderheart looked suspicious, "We have business with Jayfeather."

Cinderheart narrowed her eyes.

"Very well," She meowed suspiciously. She grabbed Snakekit's scruff and carried him back to the nursery. Snakekit sat just inside the entrance and watched as Kestrelflight cautiously padded to Jayfeather's den, Heathertail in tow. Heathertail gave him one last look of love and grief as she vanished into the little crevice. Snakekit felt some kind of connection to this she-cat even if he wasn't sure what it was.

It had been three days since Snakefang had had the Heathertail dream. He had made reasonable progress each day, stopping only to hunt or sleep. It was at sunhigh on the first day that he began the long and arduous climb upwards towards the Tribe of Rushing Water. The rocks and boulders were jagged and rough, perfect for holding onto. Snakefang dug his claws in and tried not to slip as he heaved his small body onto the rocky cliff-edge. He shivered uncontrollably. Snakefang tried to concentrate on the stories Cinderheart had filled his mind with when he was a kit.

"Cinderheart?" Snakekit asked. Cinderheart wrapped her tail around him in response. Snakekit looked up at her, "What do you know about the mountains?" Cinderheart looked thoughtful, her dark blue eyes staring into space.

"Not much," She confessed, "But they don't scare your father as much as they do me, he visited them once when he was an apprentice and told me about them."

Snakekit's ears perked and he pushed his head into Cinderheart's chest.

"Tell me!" He begged. Cinderheart looked reluctant but she didn't refuse.

"It's a cold, shadowy, dangerous place," She began, "And the wild cats that live there are quick and ferocious, they have to fight every day to survive, they face awful monsters and all kinds of beasts. Only the strongest warriors make it through."

Snakekit's eyes shone.

"Will we ever go to the forest Cinderheart?" He asked. Cinderheart's long whiskers twitched in amusement.

"No Snakekit," She mewed, "You're safer here."

Cinderheart affectionately licked Snakekit's forehead.

Snakefang heaved himself up onto a boulder and collapsed panting. I wish I'd trained harder, I just can't keep this up for much longer. Snakefang closed his eyes. He lay there for only a few moments. He suddenly heard voices and the ticking sensation of a shadow standing over him. Snakefang dared open one eye. Standing over him was two stocky tom cats with thick, mud streaked fur and pointed noses. These must be Tribe cats. One of them started to speak.

"So you have finally arrived," He mewed. Snakefang felt a little nervous in the presence of these cats. The larger one had an old scar running along the left side of his face which moved when he talked, sending shivers down Snakefang's spine. The other cat was more friendly looking and looked comfortingly like Cinderheart.

"Well," Said the scar-faced cat, "Are you going to come with us or just lie there."

Snakefang quickly clambered to his feet. He had no idea how these cats knew he was coming but he didn't want to get on their bad side. The smaller cat's amber eyes beckoned Snakefang to follow him as they showed him to their camp. None of the cats said a word as they travelled to the camp. The two tribe cats stopped in front of a waterfall. Snakefang could smell many cat scents but no camp was in sight. The scarred tom calmly leapt through the waterfall and vanished, the amber-eyed one followed leaving Snakefang alone. He swallowed and ran as fast as he could into the waterfall. The water pounded his back for less than a second. Snakefang looked around. They were in a cave. The two cats that he recognized were standing in front of him.

"I guess it was awfully rude of us not to introduce ourselves when we met," Said the amber-eyed tom, "My name is Crag Where Eagles Nest, but you can call me Crag, and this is Talon of Swooping Eagle, or just Talon."

Talon grunted in welcome and sloped off. Crag looked sympathetic.

"Follow me," He meowed, "Stormfur will want to meet you."

Snakefang nodded. He decided he liked Crag. Crag flicked his tail and made towards a crevice in the wall that Snakefang would probably have never noticed. Snakefang bounded after him.

Behind the crevice there was a small room. There was a single large nest in the middle. Inside the nest lay a lean light brown tabby she-cat with three kits asleep next to her belly. Crag looked proud as he greeted a large gray tom with amber eyes the exact same shade as Graystripe's. The gray tom looked a little hostile to start off but his gaze softened.

"I didn't think I'd ever see Clan cats again," He mewed happily, "My name is Stormfur, my father is Graystripe of ThunderClan and my mother was Silverstream, a RiverClan queen who died to give my littermate and I life."

Snakefang purred. It felt so good to be in the presence of a clan-born cat. Stormfur was presumably the father of the kits in the nest. Snakefang rested his gaze on the three kits.

"I'm Snakefang," He mewed, "I'm from ThunderClan."

Stormfur's ears perked.

"Is Graystripe well?" He asked. Snakefang nodded. Stormfur blinked and started introducing the other cats.

"You've already met Crag. This is Brook Where Small Fish Swim, and these are our kits: Howl of Distant Wolf, Cloud Behind Snowcapped Mountain and Feather That Floats In Breeze."

Stormfur sighed and his eyes filled with grief. Snakefang stared at the tiny kits, he felt all warm in their presence, he then shifted his eyes to Brook and was painfully reminded of Dovewing. Stormfur flicked his tail to re-gain Snakefang's attention.

"Come," He mewed, "I'll show you where you can sleep."