Redstar led the cats back to the camp, carrying an unconscious Mistypaw. Trill looked around nervously, then muzzled her kit as if someone would steal it. "Alright, here we are," he mewed welcomingly. Dawn was just breaking out, and the first of cats were stirring. Moonflower was the first to come out.
"Don't worry, no one will hurt you," Emberpaw said, trying to comfort her.
But as soon as he said it, Moonflower saw her and hissed at her. "Redstar! What are you thinking, bringing a rogue into Clan territory?"
"Moonflower, you must treat her with respect," he answered coldly.
Trill dipped her head in respect. "My name is Trill."
Just then Larksong darted over. "Emberpaw! Where have you been? I've been scared to-oh..." He broke off as he saw Mistypaw dangling from Redstar's jaws. "What happened?"
Mousepelt came out, and saw her apprentice. "Mistypaw!" Then she rounded on Trill with a fierce snarl. "What did you do to her?"
"She did not do anything, Mousepelt," Redstar growled. Rain was pressing close to his mother, looking scared. "You must treat her with respect. Emberpaw, I believe you know the story."
He nodded, and told Mousepelt. "It was all my fault," he finished. "I think Mistypaw was jealous and ran away."
Mousepelt was speechless. Finally, she mewed, "What is StarClan doing to us?" She shook her head and padded away, head down, tail dragging on the floor.
Redstar dropped Mistypaw outside Leafflight's den, and told her about what had happened. Then he leaped onto the Rock Ledge, and yowled the usual summonings.
The cats of FireClan padded out their dens and sat down attentively. "We have a new cat. Her name is Trill, and she is a rogue." Some of the cats flinched when they heard this. "But even if she is a rogue, we must treat her with respect." He quickly told them the story.
Soon the cats were dismissed and Larksong padded over to Emberpaw. "I'm afraid you won't be able to train with your sister today."
Emberpaw became interested in his paws.
"C'mon," his voice was filled with grief. Larksong glanced at Emberpaw more closely. "Looks like you've been gone out all night," he remarked. "Do you want to take a break too?"
Emberpaw nodded, too tired to decline. He padded back to the apprentice's den and collapsed on his nest and fell asleep.
Sorreltail stared, horrified at the unconscious Squirrelflight. "No!" she yowled, and threw herself on top of the fox. Her fury gave her energy and the fox was up and running in no time.
"How did that get in here?" Dustpelt mewed incredously.
"StarClan knows," Rippletail said.
Sorreltail was staring at the limp Squirreltail on the ground. What will Jaypaw, Lionpaw, and Hollypaw say? She thought. She picked her up and carried her to Leafpool's den. Jaypaw was already awake.
"What happened?"
"A fox came in. They injured Squirrelflight." Sorreltail could imagine the alarm flashing in his eyes.
"I'll tend to her right away. Let's see, marigold for infection...cobweb to stop the bleeding..." Jaypaw hurried back to the medicine cats' den, and Leafpool came out.
"Need anything?" she asked. "I assume Jaypaw is already fetching it," she added with a twitch of her whiskers.
"Marigold and cobweb," Sorreltail mewed abruptly.
"Oh," she nodded. "Okay." She padded back in. Jaypaw came back out and put the chewed up marigold onto Squirrelflight's back.
"I'll take her in. And Firestar wants you for hunting patrol with Dustpelt, Lionpaw, and Brambleclaw." Jaypaw told her.
"Okay," Sorreltail agreed. She padded to the camp entrance, where the patrol was waiting for her. "Ready?" she asked.
They nodded, and Dustpelt led them out of camp.
The cats hunted for a while. Sorreltail caught a vole, a blackbird, and somehow a rabbit. Suddenly the reek of badger hit her nose. "Badger!" she gasped. The bushes beside her rustled, and what she had expected came out. A badger.
Trusting her instincts, Sorreltail lunged at it, caterwauling. She got a scrape down it's snout, but it retaliated with a blow to the ear. Dustpelt, Brambleclaw, and Lionpaw leaped out of the shadows. Seeing more enemies, the badger turned tail and fled. "Thanks, you guys," she said.
"We heard you," Lionpaw piped up.
"We should get back to camp," Brambleclaw said. "And tell this to Firestar. He needs to know about the badger."
The cats went back to camp, fresh kill in their mouths. It turned out Firestar already knew about the badger. Leafpool had told him from a dream she had.
It was good hunting. Since it was newleaf, the animals were getting back out of their burrows, and the fresh kill piles were heaping. Most of all, the frozen river had melted and the RiverClan cats could catch fish again. Stormfur woke up, feeling refreshed after a dreamless sleep. But he was not fully refreshed. The ghost cat, Bluestar, had told him about a quest.
"I don't want to go on a quest," he said.
"What's that?" Oakfur asked.
"Nothing."
"Then you better get up. Dawn patrol, remember?"
"Yeah," he said. He had made up his mind. Tell Mistystar.
He went to the leaders den. "Mistystar?" he called cautiously.
"Come in," mewed a voice.
"I-I have something to tell you," he said.
"What is it?"
"Well, the ghost of Bluestar came to me and said I was to go on a quest."
"Go on," she replied.
"I had another dream before that," he continued. "I was in a strange forest, and someone came to me and said, Thunder and River will come to Fire, and release it from the Dark Forest's grasp."
"Yes," she mewed. "Do you know anything else? Where to go, when to go?"
"No," he said.
"And who else is going?"
"Sorreltail, from ThunderClan."
"Alright. I will permit you to go, but first we have to wait for a sign for where to go," Mistystar told him.
Stormfur nodded, and padded out of the den. The dawn patrol had already left, he noted. So he decided to help out the medicine cats, Mothwing and Willowpaw. He padded in. "Could I help you?"
"Yes," Willowpaw said.
"You could help gather burdock root," Mothwing mewed from the back of the den. Suddenly Willowpaw froze.
"F-f-fox!" she stammered.
