AN: Hey everyone! Okay, I'm not normally one to push reviews but...I only got one review last chapter. And not too many people even thought of clicking on the story. So please, as an author, I'd love to see what other people think of this story.

Anyways, thanks Nightkill, my one and only reviewer, for reviewing. You've earned a Willowshine plushie!

-Chapter 5-

A pair of bright blue eyes gleamed through the darkness of night. A robin chirped out an alarm when it spotted the dark shape that slinked through the undergrowth. Waves lapped at the lake's shore, telling the cat that she had reached her destination.

Her ears were pricked forward for signs of life. She knew that someone was watching her. For the past three days her life had seemed like a never ending storm. Fear had threatened to overwhelm her many times. Every shadow that moved made her jump back in surprise, and she hated it. She hated the idea of not knowing when the enemy would come, or who the enemy was.

Even the moonlight could not hide the fact that there was something out there waiting to kill her. When she glanced towards a clump of bracken, her heart began to race. A cat could be hiding there, waiting for the right moment. Her tail flicked furiously from side to side as she watched the plant warily. When no creature leaped out, her shoulders relaxed only slightly.

"Willowshine!" The gray tabby nearly leaped out of her fur when a cat called her name. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the lithe form of a ShadowClan cat standing nearby. It reminded her of Flametail, Littlecloud's apprentice. "I. . .I didn't expect you to be here," he meowed sheepishly.

He's crossed the border, she thought as she rose to her paws. Now he wants me to forgive him. Normally she would have called out an alarm, but Flametail was her friend. He'd been Littlecloud's apprentice for quite a few moons now. Since the pair had met she grew closer than she should have.

"I come here when I'm feeling troubled," she admitted after contemplating over what the right thing to say was.

Flametail tilted his head to one side. Curiosity gleamed within his amber eyes. "Why are you feeling troubled?" he asked in a low whisper.

Willowshine couldn't help but look away when he asked. She didn't know how to explain the feelings that had formed within her. He wouldn't understand. He never saw the things she saw, or dreamt the things she'd dreamt. Her heart ached when Flametail looked at her strangely. She longed to share with him the dreams that had constantly raked her mind since the night she saw Blue and Time.

The ShadowClan medicine cat apprentice lashed his tail when he realized that she would say nothing. His eyes remained dark when he met her own sharp blue gaze. Suddenly an idea came to Willowshine when she felt drawn to his amber depths. It was a crazy idea, and one that would likely get her punished. But she wanted to show Flametail that his friendship had a meaning.

Without realizing it she took a step forward and rubbed her muzzle against his own. Flametail took a shocked step back, unsure of what this meant. She had only an inkling as to what he knew about her relationship with StarClan. Perhaps by showing him affection this would get them to come.

An awkward silence began to hang over them as she continued to nuzzle him. Flametail's fur stood on end. He didn't know what was wrong with Willowshine. His innocence remained intact as he watched her carefully. Willowshine on the other hand knew full well that this was wrong. Her mind was set though on awakening StarClan. Even if it meant hurting a friend.

"Erm...Willowshine?" he stammered. "What exactly are you doing?"

She looked up at him through a pair of mischievous eyes. "Exactly what you want me to do," she replied without hesitation.

Flametail's eyes widened when he realized what she meant by that. A low growl formed within his throat, and he pushed her back forcefully. "No," he hissed. "We're medicine cats, and from different Clans. This can't happen!"

Willowshine stared at him in surprise. Despite how desperate she was to meet with any cat from StarClan, she didn't want to lose her friendship with the medicine cat apprentice.

"I'm sorry," she murmured after she regained her wits. "I...I just want to share tongues with StarClan, but they've ignored me for the past moon."

The ginger tom stared at her in confusion. "Why wouldn't StarClan want to speak with you?" he asked.

Willowshine tossed a pebble across the grass. She too had wondered many times why StarClan refused to speak. When she did manage to dream, it was usually about those strange cats she'd seen before. Blue had never returned to her dreams since the time she passed out in front of Mothwing. Only nightmares seemed to come to her each night she closed her eyes.

"I'm sure there's a good reason," she replied. "But they haven't told me."

Even Flametail looked confounded by these facts. Willowshine was about to open her jaws when she heard the sounds of pawsteps approaching. She glanced over her shoulder to see that a patrol was coming.

"Go now!" she hissed. When Flametail hesitated, she spat at his paws. "Go, before they catch you!"

Without another word Flametail had disappeared into the undergrowth in front of her.

Relief flowed through her veins when she saw that he was gone. The patrol behind her would not have attacked him, but she knew that they would want to know why he was there. Willowshine's tail tip flicked from side to side as she imagined what he would say. Her Clanmates would have been shocked.

She turned around to see the cats approach her. Hollowstorm was in the back of the patrol, looking like he'd seen a cat from StarClan. His eyes were narrowed into slits when he saw her. Mallownose and Rainstorm were in the front, along with Rainstorm's apprentice, Fallenpaw.

"Willowshine, what are you doing out so late?" Rainstorm asked when he noticed her crouching in front of them.

"I was out looking for herbs," she replied.

Please don't catch his scent, she silently prayed. To her dismay, Fallenpaw's jaws were opened. The young apprentice had a keen nose, and she knew that it wouldn't take Fallenpaw long to find out who had been with her.

"I smell ShadowClan!" he declared after his nostrils had flared in disgust.

"Very good, Fallenpaw," Rainstorm purred. The mottled warrior took a step past Willowshine as she staggered to the side. Blood roared in her ears as she listened for sounds of danger. "It's fresh," he added after sniffing the area himself. "A patrol must have passed by."

"Should we take it as a threat?" Mallownose asked after Rainstorm had rejoined him.

The older cat shook his head. Willowshine held back a sigh of relief. She knew that Rainstorm was a hot-headed warrior. He reminded her of Spiderleg, a warrior that lived in ThunderClan. He was always seeking Mistystar's approval, and that often got him into trouble.

"ShadowClan don't normally threaten us unless it is leafbare," he meowed. "So far, the prey has been running well. I doubt they would have any reason to attack."

Mallownose nodded. Willowshine remained silent as she watched Hollowstorm's reaction.

The dark brown tabby had always been an ambitious cat. She knew from memory that even as a kit he would get in trouble for attacking anything that moved. Now he seemed almost dangerous to her. The cold look he gave her sent a chill down her spine.

Something is off, she thought as the patrol began to leave her behind.

She grabbed a few clumps of leaves to make it look like she had enough herbs. Mistystar would want to know why she'd been out on her own. Mothwing was the only one who knew about her secret leavings. The dappled golden medicine cat didn't approve of them, but she rarely argued. And for that, Willowshine was grateful.

The five cats returned by the time dawn arrived. Willowshine's paws felt numb with exhaustion. She wasn't used to traveling this far or long. Normally she would spend the day wandering after Mothwing as they searched for herbs.

Rainstorm didn't question her as she padded into Mothwing's den. The nest where she normally slept was cold, due to lack of use. Willowshine's fur fluffed up as she curled into a nest of moss and feathers. Within the next heartbeat her eyes closed, and sleep took over. For the first time since the nightmare, she had no dreams that night.

AN: Yeah, this chapter was a bit odd. Willowshine does have a sort of 'thing' for Flametail. But it doesn't go as far as Leafpool's obsession over Crowfeather. So hopefully you all liked it :D