Skyfeather opened her eyes drowsily. The night had passed, and she didn't sleep a wink. She was determined to stay awake for Goldenheart's vigil, even though Icepool told her not to. Eventually, he gave in and let her stay with Goldenheart through the night.

Skyfeather rasped her tongue once more over Goldenheart's dull pelt before letting Moonflower and Darkstep pull her outside the camp to be buried.

Skyfeather saw from the corner of her eyes Stormstar eyeing her with an unknown expression. Finally, he stood up and padded over to her.

"Skyfeather, I know it's sad that she left," Stormstar meowed. "But I can't let you go through this much emotional pain."

Skyfeather looked up at her mate. "Stormstar, RainClan is falling apart," she suddenly mewed despairingly. "RainClan is falling apart, and it's all my fault."

"How is it your fault?" Stormstar asked.

Skyfeather inhaled a shaky breath. She had wanted to tell Stormstar of Cherrypaw, Snowstorm, Dustcloud, Frostfur, and Whitepaw for a long time, and realized that now was her chance.

"Let's go into your den," she decided. "I don't want every cat in the Clan to hear."

Stormstar nodded and the two padded silently into the leader's den. Stormstar sat down and nuzzled Skyfeather briefly before meowing, "What's up, Skyfeather?"

Skyfeather took one more deep breath. "Stormstar, I know where Snowstorm and the others went."

Stormstar's expression didn't alter. "You do?"

"Yes," Skyfeather responded. "I…I received a dream from Firestar some time ago. He told me to send loved ones, and one enemy to a certain clearing to find a cat named Valley. He said that this cat, Valley, will help save the forest forever, and the Twolegs will leave us alone."

Stormstar was silent for a moment. His eyes never left Skyfeather's all that time. Finally, he meowed, "So you sent Snowstorm, Frostfur, Dustcloud, and Cherrypaw on this mission?" He looked down, then back at Skyfeather. "Who was the enemy?"

"I convinced Whitepaw to go," Skyfeather answered. "He's with them now." When Stormstar was silent, she added, "Firestar told me to keep it a secret. I'm so sorry, Stormstar."

Stormstar's reaction surprised Skyfeather slightly. He leaned closer and pressed his pelt to hers. "Thank you for telling me, Skyfeather," he purred. "At least, we now know where they are."

Skyfeather let out her breath, which she now realized she was holding. Stormstar didn't hate her anymore, which was a good thing. "Recently, I had a dream. I saw the patrol at the clearing with a bunch of other cats. They made it, Stormstar. They're going to come home soon and save the forest, I know it!"

Stormstar chuckled. "One thing at time," he purred. "Do you know when they're getting back?"

"No," Skyfeather replied. "But it must be soon."

"They've been gone for moons, Skyfeather," Stormstar mewed. If they just found Valley, it might take them a few more moons to return."

Skyfeather let her mate's words digest. He was right. It would probably take the patrol a few more half-moons to return home to the forest.

The two cats purred with each other before settling down for a nap. Skyfeather knew that Moonflower would get on her case if she didn't return to the nursery, but she shoved those thoughts out of her head. She had to move on in life, just as Tawnyspot said. And now that Stormstar was talking to her, everything would most likely move on.

That morning, Firestar visited Skyfeather. This time, she found herself basking in the setting sun on one of LightClan's Sunningrocks. She felt the warm rock's heat soaking into her fur, frightening away the chill of the doom lingering over the Clan.

Firestar trotted up to her and sat down. "Good morning," he meowed. "How's RainClan running?"

Skyfeather looked up. She was about to say that everything was fine, and that she couldn't be better, but thought better of it, since that would be a lie. "Firestar, RainClan is suffering greencough. Stormstar has lost two lives over it. He only has seven now. And Goldenheart! She's died because of it."

Firestar nodded. "Ah, yes, Goldenheart. She's a very brave and noble cat. StarClan are honoured to have her with us."

Skyfeather nodded. At least Goldenheart was happy.

"Skyfeather, I've come to tell you of the cats you sent to find the cat with a black ending," Firestar meowed, settling down on the rock next to her. "I understand that Valley has a jet-black tail, but I can promise you this, he is not the cat you seek."

Skyfeather shot up. She expected to feel a sharp pain lash up her side, but she felt nothing. She looked down to see that her belly wasn't swollen, but regularly sized. She thought better of asking Firestar why this was and continued. "Wait, Valley isn't the cat with a black ending?"

Firestar shook his head.

"Then who is?"

"I can't tell you anything else," the ginger tom meowed, getting to his paws once more. "You have to find some way to inform the others that Valley is the wrong cat."

Skyfeather watched helplessly as Firestar nimbly made his way down the rocks. He splashed across the sugar river. When he got to the other side, he called, "Skyfeather, I told you this before."

"What?" Skyfeather called back. "When did you tell me that Valley wasn't the cat?" Anger surged through her veins. Firestar had never told her that Valley was the wrong cat, that he wasn't the prophesized cat Firestar had mentioned.

"I told you not to listen to Lucifer."

And with that, the ginger StarClan warrior faded into the horizon, and Sunningrocks was plunged into darkness.

Sparrowstripe was up and walking when Skyfeather awoke. She peered around the twilit clearing and found Gingerfoot and the RainClan deputy padding everywhere together. Skyfeather suspected that Gingerfoot was rather excited to have her mate back.

"Sparrowstripe," Skyfeather overheard Stormstar say to the striped warrior, "you must resume organizing patrols and so forth. I know you're happy to be back, but RainClan must move on."

Sparrowstripe nodded solemnly. "I'll try my hardest."

Skyfeather winced. It had been almost two-and-a-half moons since she'd heard Sparrowstripe speak. His voice sounded faint and distant.

"Stormstar," she meowed while trotting up to the dark grey warrior, "I have to talk to you."

Stormstar nodded. "Let's go to the nursery though," he suggested. "You wouldn't want Moonflower to find out here."

Skyfeather nodded and the two padded quietly to the dense bramble thicket. Tawnyspot was inside, giving her large belly a wash. The bones and fur of a squirrel lay beside her.

"What is it?" Stormstar asked Skyfeather expectantly.

"Remember how I told you about Valley?" the silver queen mewed.

Tawnyspot looked up from her belly. "You told him?"

"I had to," Skyfeather meowed. "I felt like I needed to tell him."

Tawnyspot nodded and returned to her bathing. Skyfeather turned back to Stormstar. "Firestar came to me when I was sleeping. He told me that Valley was not the cat with a black ending." She paused, trying not to look at Stormstar's expression. "I was wrong, Stormstar. I was wrong, and now Snowstorm and the others are searching for the wrong cat…"

Stormstar nuzzled Skyfeather affectionately. "Don't worry," he purred. "They'll figure it out. Firestar will tell them somehow that they're on the wrong path."

Skyfeather yanked away from Stormstar's embrace. "How do you know?" she mewed. "What if StarClan doesn't walk the skies they're under? What then?"

Tawnyspot got to her paws and padded up to the two cats. "Skyfeather, I'm sure StarClan would never abandon cats in need. Their path will be lit by Firestar; it's in his name. You just have to believe in him."

"I don't need to be preached to!" Skyfeather hissed. "I'm worried! Can't a cat be worried?"

Stormstar wrapped his tail encouragingly around Skyfeather's back. "Calm down," he purred. "If you want them to realize their mistake—"

"But that's exactly it!" Skyfeather mewed. "It wasn't their mistake. It was mine! I told them to find Valley!"

"No, you didn't!" Tawnyspot yowled.

Skyfeather blinked at her.

"No, you didn't," the small tortoiseshell repeated calmly. "Isn't it true that, in a dream StarClan sent you, Whitepaw said that he knew a cat with a black tail named Valley? He's the one who directed the cats and you to believing that Valley is the right cat."

Skyfeather looked down. Everything Tawnyspot had said was true. "But then," she began, remembering another dream she had, "Firestar told me not to listen to Lucifer, who is Whitepaw." She paused and looked back at Tawnyspot. "It was me."

Tawnyspot lashed her tail back and forth angrily. "Skyfeather, get this through your head! You can't control what happens to them now. Only StarClan can. And the only way that StarClan can guide them is if we believe they can!"

Skyfeather looked down at her paws, thoughtful. Tawnyspot had a point. She couldn't do anything now. But Firestar told her…no. Firestar had told her many things before that wasn't meant for her to comprehend.

She looked up. "Thank you, Tawnyspot," she purred. "I'm sorry."

Tawnyspot gave a disdainful nod and sat back down, rasping her tongue over her belly once more.

"Now if you don't mind," Stormstar began, "I have to check on Sparrowstripe and see if he's gotten any work done. Even with no more sick cats in RainClan, we're still missing three warriors and an apprentice."

Skyfeather shoved all thoughts of guilt out of her head. She was about to follow Stormstar out of the nursery when Tawnyspot stopped her.

"I think you might want to stay in here tonight," she mewed. "Moonflower will have your tail if you stay with Stormstar again."

Skyfeather nodded and lay down on her side. Her belly was hurting even more so today, and she was afraid that her kits would never come. They were supposed to come a couple days ago, but never did. She was afraid that Icepool was doing something wrong. What if Icepool couldn't deliver her kits?

No. She decided not to think about that. It was then when Littlerock crept through the brambles. She dropped a mouse in front of Skyfeather and a black bird in front of Tawnyspot.

"Thank you, Littlerock," Skyfeather meowed. "But I really think Silverwing or Darkstep should be doing this. They're younger warriors."

Littlerock sighed. "RainClan do need more apprentices and warriors, do they?"

Skyfeather nodded. "As soon as my kits come, we might be a little better at this whole Clan thing."

Littlerock laughed and padded back out of the nursery. Skyfeather ate her mouse in famished gulps before settling down and sharing tongues with Tawnyspot. It wasn't long before sleep overcame her yet again.