AN: So sorry for the delayed update. I've been out all night earlier so that's why you only saw Marked, which was updated before I even posted that chapter. Usually I just let my files sit in the computer until I see that they've gotten enough reviews. Anyways, I might do a double update just so that I can make up for lost time :D

-Chapter 7-

Wind ruffled Willowshine's fur as she paced around the clearing. A moon had passed since the death of Mosspelt. Since than, Mistystar had lost a life thanks to an outbreak of greencough. Luckily the sickness did not spread, like it had in the past. Woodpaw, Sandpaw, and Splashpaw had earned their warrior names soon after Mistystar recovered from her greencough attack. They were now known as Woodclaw, Sandfire, and Splashfoot. Petalfur had moved into the nursery, and was now expecting Nettlesplash's kits.

The Clan was slowly recovering from the loss of a queen that had taken care of every cat. Willowshine had been kept busy collecting herbs for Mothwing. During that time she'd noticed a change in Hollowstorm. She kept a close eye on him when she had the chance. Hollowstorm had kept close to certain cats since the patrol he'd been on when she was collecting herbs.

The change in Hollowstorm was a slow process. Willowshine had noticed his eyes darken with each passing day. It was like something else had been looking through his eyes. A shudder coursed down her spine each time she passed him. The dark tabby would always give her a cold look, as if he knew that she was watching him. He'd even spent more time with Beetlewhisker and Rainstorm, cats that she'd never seen him with during the day.

She tried to cast the thoughts away as she concentrated on the mouse in front of her. Despite all of the ongoing troubles that she was facing, Mothwing had told her to go hunting. It was a good distraction for her. She spent most of her nights either thinking of what Blue and Time meant during that one dream, or with Flametail. She wasn't sure if he understood the severity of their nightly outings. In a way, she could care less. The ShadowClan medicine cat was a reminder to her that not all cats were dangerous.

Each step Willowshine took was a step closer towards her goal. The mouse was busy nibbling on a seed under a hickory tree. She was surprised that it didn't lift its head every few heartbeats. Normally mice were skiddish during greenleaf. This was the best time of the season to hunt for prey, and the prey itself knew it. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure that no cat was watching.

A soft breeze suddenly stirred after the wind that had died down earlier left. Willowshine held back a hiss when the mouse caught her scent. She sprang after it at full speed. The mouse was already gone before she could reach it. It leaped into the thick clump of reeds that grew along the banks of a stream that ran towards the greenleaf Twolegplace. Willowshine's ears pricked forward in frustration when she could hear the pads scraping away. At this point it would have been better to catch a fish.

"Missed again eh?" Willowshine's fur stood on end when she heard a stiff voice come from behind. She whirled around to see Pouncetail standing behind her. His amber eyes gleamed when he noticed the look of fear in her eyes. Dawnflower and Otterheart stood around him. Willowshine's head bowed in embarrassment when she realized that her mother must have seen what happened.

"That's quite enough, Pouncetail," Dawnflower meowed after the ginger and white tom smirked. "She's just having a bad day, that's all."

Pouncetail gave her mother a cold look before he looked away. Willowshine's ears flattened. She felt like a kit once again as the patrol circled around her in a protective barrier. Dawnflower gave her a sympathetic lick on her cheek.

"Is everything alright?" she murmured.

"I'm fine," Willowshine lied.

Her heart wrenched as she thought of the lie that she told her mother. She hated it. Dawnflower did everything she could to make her daughter feel better. She was making things worse by keeping secrets. She shook her head as she imagined what Dawnflower would think if the pale gray queen knew that her daughter was lying. It took all of her courage not to shudder in front of the patrol.

"Come on, we should get back before night falls," Dawnflower said when she saw that Willowshine wasn't going to speak anymore. Willowshine's fur began to lie flat as she followed the patrol across the shore.

In the distance she could hear Twolegs shouting at one another. She didn't enjoy hearing them. Twolegs were always loud and obnoxious from what she'd seen. She saw the damage a Twoleg could do. When they weren't at the greenleaf Twolegplace, they were busy causing damage to other creatures. She'd even heard stories of how Twolegs had destroyed the forest where the Clans had come from. She shook her head as she imagined Twolegs ripping through the trees and destroying everything they touch.

"You're spacing out again." Dawnflower's mew broke her thoughts. Willowshine glanced at her mother in surprise. She'd known for some time that she could stare off into space at certain times. "Where do you go when you space out like that?" her mother asked when Willowshine shook her head once more.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Sometimes I'm thinking so hard that I forget where I'm going, or what's going on."

Dawnflower gave her a look of concern, but didn't question her further. For once, Willowshine was grateful. She didn't know what else to say. If her mother thought that this was because of stress, Dawnflower might tell her to stop training under Mothwing's guidance. Willowshine felt blood roar in her ears at the thought. She couldn't imagine leaving Mothwing to become a warrior.

The sun had risen high into the sky by the time they reached the clearing. Willowshine could see Duskfur's kits playing in a puddle near the nursery's entrance. The brown tabby kept an eye on her kits like she always did. With Petalfur sleeping inside, she was making sure that her kits didn't wake the younger cat up. Owlkit squealed in excitement as he jumped into the puddle, causing droplets of water to fly all over.

Willowshine fought back a purr of amusement as she followed her mother into the clearing. Mothwing was nibbling on a water vole that was caught by an earlier patrol. Willowshine gave her mother a look before joining her mentor. Mothwing's whiskers twitched after she swallowed a strip of flesh. She could see that her mentor wanted to say something, but she was too preoccupied by the fresh-kill at her paws.

"Hunting was that bad, right?" Mothwing asked after she was finished.

"The wind was blowing in the wrong direction," Willowshine grumbled. "I would have caught that mouse if it wasn't for the wind."

She tried to hide her annoyance as Mothwing continued to eat without concern. Her tail lashed from side to side as she looked around the clearing.

Camp itself was buzzing with activity. Pebblenose and Otterheart were sharing a fish. Tinypaw and Fallenpaw were sparring, using moves that had been taught during their training session. Woodclaw was returning with the rest of his patrol. Grasspelt, Sneezewhisker and Coppershine were behind him, though Coppershine looked rather annoyed that the younger warrior had taken the lead.

A short haired tabby emerged from the warriors' den. Willowshine nodded to Pinefur as she passed the young medicine cat. Pinefur gave her a strange look before she joined Hollowstorm on the other side of the clearing. Hollowstorm narrowed his eyes slightly when Pinefur approached him. Willowshine watched carefully as the two exchanged a few words.

Pinefur is his mother, Willowshine reminded herself. She should have a reason for feeling concerned. Pinefur had always been driven into becoming the best fighter and hunter in her Clan. Willowshine wouldn't be surprised if Pinefur was telling her son to do the same. She shook her head before she disappeared into Mothwing's den.

There would be a half moon tonight. Willowshine knew that it would be her job to visit StarClan. Mothwing had told her that she would make sure that all was safe with Petalfur. Apparently the young queen was worried about being the next victim. Willowshine couldn't blame her. She would have felt worried too if there was a killer on the lose.

"Willowshine." The gray tabby whirled around when she heard Mistystar's voice come from behind. The RiverClan leader's eyes were dark when she met Willowshine's gaze. "I want you to ask StarClan who did this to Mosspelt," Mistystar meowed.

"You want to know who the killer is," Willowshine said with a sigh. "I'm not sure if she will be willing to speak."

Mistystar took a sudden step forward. Her blue eyes gleamed brighter than Willowshine had ever seen them glow. There was determination in her leader's gaze. It was a look that Willowshine rarely saw.

"Mosspelt is dead now, and I want to know who did this to her," she growled. "If the killer is still out there, than our Clan is in danger."

We're in more danger than you realize, Willowshine thought with a lash of her tail. She still wasn't sure if Mistystar would believe her. The RiverClan leader was concerned about the safety of her Clanmates. Yet Mistystar was still a skeptic at times when it came to the dreams that Willowshine had. She glared at the ground as Mistystar began to walk away. There was no reasoning with her leader. Mistystar's mind had already been made up. Time will help me, Willowshine realized after she looked up.

The cat that she saw in her dreams could become a key part in this darkness that was approaching. She knew that Time had seen what the darkness could do. Perhaps his knowledge of the darkness could help her stop it from coming. Without his help, she knew that her Clan would be destroyed. Even if she could stop the darkness, she herself would lose a life. A life that she could not afford to lose.