For the first time in what felt like seven moons, amber morning-sunlight glowed through the gaps in the bramble roof in the den, and I was awake to watch it. Cinderpaw and Honeypaw were awakening near me; I tried hard not to look at Lionpaw, still remembering the dark dream we had unknowingly shared.

From across the den, Poppypaw's clear blue eyes met mine. "'Morning, Lilypaw," she murmured, flicking through the rows of sleeping cats to wriggle out of the den. "Nice morning. Finally, the storm's broken."

I followed her out of the den. Snow was piled around the camp—no doubt the work of the Warriors who were now sharing tongues in the weak sunlight flooding the clearing—higher than my chest. The wind was brisk, but at least it was sunny. "Thank StarClan," I added softly, sinking into the icy crust that coated the earth.

Brightheart and Cloudtail—my mother and father—approached us. Brightheart wrapped her tail around my neck, reeling me in closer to her, and Cloudtail swatted a paw playfully at the two of us. I looked up into my mother's bright, single green eye. "G'morning, mom," I mewed, stifling a yawn.

Cloudtail twitched his tail quickly. "Lilypaw, Firestar and Thornclaw are wanting to see you," he said. "In Firestar's den." He turned to Poppypaw, who was grooming her dappled-tortoiseshell fur. "Brightheart's taking you out today," he ordered. "To hunt while the prey's out, collecting food before more snow."

I turned around, calling over my shoulder, 'Not more snow!"

Brightheart nodded, her whiskers twitching in farewell, and Poppypaw, who was following her, added, "A truly brave Warrior never complains!"

The lichen around Firestar's den twitched, and he appeared, his lithe build outlined in glowing amber sunlight. Thornclaw appeared with a second rustle of the curtains, his amber eyes gleaming as he looked down at me. "Good morning, Lilypaw," they both said, eerily synchronized. "Come in."

I padded in hesitantly, the lichen tickling my shoulders. I sat near the front of the den while Firestar sat across from me, and Thornclaw to one side. "You have been training with Leafpool and Jaypaw for nearly a half-moon now," he stated matter-of-factly.

I tilted my head to one side. Had it been that long? I wondered. It had been several days since I made friends with Jaypaw, but I never dreamed I'd been helping with Medicine cat chores for so long already.

Seeming to grow impatient of my silence, Thornclaw added, "Both Firestar and I see it fit that you return to your training already."

"We hope it's taught you a lesson," Firestar added, stopping to lick a scrap of lichen from one flame-colored ginger paw. "But our Clan needs Warriors."

His voice was grim, slightly chilling, and I remembered Jaypaw's words: Darkness. Loud cries…

Does Firestar know danger's coming? I wondered. Has StarClan warned him? I shook my head, remembering that I was still in front of my mentor and Clan leader. I bowed stiffly, my neck cracking loudly as I bent it. "Th-thank you, Firestar," I said quickly, scuffling my paws on the hard-packed, cold earth.

Firestar's emerald-green eyes, similar in color to his kin, Hollypaw's, bore into mine with the same intensity as Jaypaw's often did. "Is there something you wish to tell us, Lilypaw?" he intoned.

Mousedung! I thought. I'm obviously lucky that Jaypaw can't see the expression in my eyes or he'd know more about me than I do. If Firestar can tell… "No," I said hastily. "There's nothing wrong."

"Good, then," Firestar said briskly. "You and Thornclaw may leave." He dipped his head and I bowed back, sliding from the den a few heartbeats before Thornclaw reappeared at the entrance, his amber eyes glimmering with excitement.

"We're back to training now, Lilypaw," he said. "What do you say you and I patrol the ShadowClan border?"

Shadowclan! I thought, excitement shooting through my heart. Hope they're up to no good! After a half-moon of using my paws to mix herbs treat coughs, my claws sank out into the ground, prepared to attack.

Thornclaw and I were nearly out of camp when Leafpool and Jaypaw approached us. Leafpool's jaws were full of what looked like burdock root, and Jaypaw's paws were glowing and covered in a light slick of honey. "Lilypaw!" Leafpool mewed. "Where d'you think you're going?"

My tail twitched uncomfortably as I noticed Jaypaw looking at me. "I'm back to Warrior training now," I said after a moment's silence. "Firestar and Thornclaw lifted the punishment."

Leafpool's eyes flashed for a moment before she laid her tail on my shoulder. "Good for you, Lilypaw!" she said, her words bright but her eyes worried. "We'll miss you."

"Indeed we will." Jaypaw's blue eyes looked amused. "Who else can we force to mix the bad-smelling balms now, and rid the elders of ticks?"

Thornclaw nodded to the two Medicine Cats in farewell, and we made our way towards the camp's entrance in silence. Outside of the camp, the snow thickened, and I was nearly neck-deep in the snow. The bitter scent of frozen water from the lake made it hard to breathe, and I found myself winded as we approached the lakeshore.

"Out of shape so quickly, Lilypaw," Thornclaw teased, perching on a fallen log that was half-covered in snow. "We ought to get back to training."

I pushed back an annoyed comment that rose in my throat. It was just a joke! I reminded myself. "Come on, let's get going." I pushed myself to my paws, my legs stinging as blood rushed back into them.

"Let's remark the borders—thanks to the snow, no cat has been here in awhile—and then we'll have a sniff around and see what ShadowClan's been up to." He stopped to mark one of the tall pines that divided ShadowClan and ThunderClan territory; I glanced around for any sign of ShadowClan. There was none.

Thornclaw rejoined me, and we patrolled up and down the border for awhile in silence. The silence was broken by the occasional rustle of prey in the undergrowth—regrettably, on the other side of the ShadowClan border—and the snapping of twigs.

"Lilypaw!" Thornclaw mewed suddenly, sounding alert. "Can you smell that?"

The wind shifted, blasting a bizarre scent into my nose. It smelled like carrion, and I screwed my nose, eyes watering. "ShadowClan smells bad, but not that awful," I said cheekily. "Great StarClan, what is that?"

The tip of Thornclaw's tail twitched. "Let's check it out." I watched anxiously as he crossed over the ShadowClan border, his ears pricked and muscle tensed. After a moment of hesitation, I joined him. The reek of the creature that was here was overpowering.

"I hear something coming, Tawnypelt." A soft voice, hardly audible over the sound of Thornclaw trekking through the snow, emerged through the trees. I tensed, cautiously creeping back towards the ThunderClan border.

"Take a look around, Ivypaw, Snowbird," a female voice whispered back. The voices were coming closer, followed by the sound of pawsteps in the snow.

I glanced desperately at Thornclaw, who was still scenting for whatever bad-smelling creature we'd heard on the ShadowClan border. I could make out three pelts—one grey, one tortoiseshell, and one white—through the gaps in the undergrowth and snow.

"Tawnypelt!" A young, female voice sounded, slicing through the still air. "I can smell those…those creatures!"

Tawnypelt's growl sounded frustrated. "We'd better tell Blackstar," she said grimly. "After what they…well, he wouldn't want them back, I thought we chased them out…" Tawnypelt's voice trailed off, returning with alarm. "I can smell ThunderClan!"

She and her Clanmates emerged to meet me and Thornclaw, standing just on the ShadowClan side of the border. I tensed up guiltily, but Thornclaw raised one unsheathed paw.

Three cats—Tawnypelt, a grey apprentice who was staring at me, bewildered, and a pure-white she-cat whose blue eyes reminded me strongly of my father, Cloudtail, were standing in front of us. The apprentice whispered something to Tawnypelt, who flicked her ears briskly in reply. "Thornclaw, what are you doing here?" she asked, her amber eyes turning to stare at my mentor.

Thornclaw returned Tawnypelt's gaze. "Something rancid-smelling was on your side of the border," he mewed coldly. "We wanted to know what it was."

The white warrior's hackles raised. "What ThunderClan smells on our territory is none of their business!" she snarled loudly, drawing back her lips to reveal thorn-sharp, moonbeam-colored teeth. The grey apprentice and Tawnypelt followed suit, their tails lashing and bodies pressed against the snow.

I glanced nervously at Thornclaw, who pressed himself uneasily against the snow. I looked at our attackers; they were stronger-looking than I was. We're outnumbered! I realized desperately.

Even Thornclaw seemed to realize this. He stood up, shaking out his bracken-colored fur. "I'm sorry, Tawnypelt," he mewed finally. "We shouldn't have crossed the border."

"I know you shouldn't have." Tawnypelt's voice was both tart and guarded. I thought of the vague summary of events Blackstar had given at the gathering, Flamepaw's brief, guarded response when I asked him about his Clan at the gathering, Tawnypelt's guarded words. ShadowClan's hiding something, I thought fearfully. Is it dangerous to them…ThunderClan…all of us?

"We'll leave. See you at the gathering, Tawnypelt," Thornclaw added, padding back through the pine trees towards the border. I felt myself relax as the scent of ThunderClan's oaks and ice from the lakeshore pushed away the vivid scent of ShadowClan and that bizarre animal we never got around to seeing…

As we departed towards the lake, still covered in a sheet of silencing ice, I couldn't help but wonder about what was happening with ShadowClan. And, I thought triumphantly, I had a good idea of with whom I'd be walking with tonight, in my dreams.

A/N: Thanks sooo much to all Dreamcaster fans and readers! If you write a review, I'm in a predicament on the question: should Lilypaw fall in love with Jaypaw or Flamepaw (in the end)…? If you could add that to the review, that would rule.

Apolo