A/N: Thanks again to all my readers!!!! Niah-Miyoki, Featherstream, star29818, wolf.spirit.of.darkness, Darkstorm Mistystar's Legacy, and others! Thanks so much!

Three days passed and Skyfeather's kits still refused to come. She started growing worried that something was wrong. She had been bearing them for some moons now, and they had to come soon. If they didn't, there was the slim possibility of them dying in her belly.

Skyfeather pushed these thoughts out of her head and concentrated on the task before her. "Icepool, tell me again. And this time, get it right."

Icepool crouched down, trying not to be pricked by the nursery's walls. "Um, burdock root for rat bites. Marigold can cure any infection, and yarrow is good for bellyaches."

"What about juniper berries?"

"They're good for bellyaches too, and the juice can help you sleep over an upset stomach, as well as poppy seeds."

Skyfeather nodded. "Very good," she murmured. "Leafstripe has taught the very first RainClan-born medicine cat well."

Icepool beamed up at the silver queen. Skyfeather wasn't entirely sure that all Icepool had told her was true, but she learned a few things from Sandstorm when she was a young warrior.

"Skyfeather," Icepool began, looking down at his paws, "Are you sure StarClan have accepted me as a medicine cat? I haven't received any signs or messages from them."

Skyfeather chuckled. "Don't worry," she meowed. "StarClan don't always want to tell every medicine cat everything. Your time will come."

As Icepool disappeared through the brambles, Skyfeather turned to Tawnyspot. "He's such a worrymouse. I get scared for him sometimes."

"Well, he'd better be ready when our kits come," Tawnyspot responded with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I want him to know everything about giving birth before my kits come."

Skyfeather purred along with the tortoiseshell queen for a moment before settling down in her mossy nest. She brought her head around and washed her fur thoroughly. Truthfully, she was just looking for things to distract her. Ever since Goldenheart died, she'd been itching to move her paws out of the nursery. Stormstar and Moonflower visited her often, but it still wasn't enough. She had to see Clan life going on around her in order to recognize it.

Dissatisfied, Skyfeather got to her paws. "I'm hungry," she mewed to Tawnyspot. "I'll be right back."

She trotted out of the nursery, hoping to avoid Moonflower and Stormstar at all costs. She walked straight past the fresh-kill pile and up to where Silverwing, Sparrowstripe and Gingerfoot were sitting beneath the Highrock.

"Silverwing, don't take them too far," Sparrowstripe was telling the silver warrior. "If those rogues attack, I'm not quite sure we'll have enough warriors to fight them off."

Silverwing nodded, and Bluetail and Darkstep followed him out of the RainClan camp.

"Now that you're back and walking, the Clan has been much more active," Skyfeather observed.

"Well, he makes a great deputy," Gingerfoot put in, blinking affectionately at her mate.

Sparrowstripe blinked back. "It's nothing, really," he meowed. "I'm just sending off patrols."

"I wonder if those rogues will attack us," Skyfeather thought aloud, changing the subject. "Maybe Earthback will be with them."

Skyfeather longed to see her former mentor again. Seeing her daughter, Sandpaw, just wasn't enough. Her daughter acted completely different from the LightClan queen, and Skyfeather wanted to see her again.

"I wonder if the rogues have killed her," Gingerfoot wondered.

Skyfeather winced. She didn't want to think about those possibilities.

"Skyfeather, I'm sure she's fine," Gingerfoot quickly amended. "I didn't mean anything by that."

Skyfeather nodded. "That's all right."

Sparrowstripe looked at Skyfeather. "Shouldn't you be in the nursery? Your kits must be coming soon."

Skyfeather shrugged. "They were supposed to come some time ago. I'm getting worried."

"Don't worry," Gingerfoot mewed. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"That's you," Sparrowstripe muttered. "Always the optimist."

Gingerfoot and Sparrowstripe purred with each other while Skyfeather padded slowly over to the warriors' den. Littlerock was inside, grooming herself. With a shiver of fear, Skyfeather realized that with the afternoon patrol out, there were only four able warriors in the camp. She started to highly regret sending that many warriors on the journey to find Valley, who evidently was the wrong cat.

"Oh, what have I done?" she murmured to herself.

Littlerock opened her eyes. "What's wrong?" she mewed.

"Nothing," Skyfeather replied hastily. No need to get Littlerock worked up about something she didn't have to. "Do you want to…" Skyfeather stopped her words. Her paws were itching to take her hunting so badly that she almost asked the grey tabby if she wanted to hunt with her. "Never mind. I guess I haven't hunted in such a long time that I really want to."

Littlerock sighed. "You really don't like being a queen, do you?" she asked.

Skyfeather shrugged and sat down on her haunches. "It gets boring, sitting in that bramble thicket all day and night. That's why I sneaked to the Gathering. I can't possibly miss out on what's going on between the Clans. And now, this Gathering, I promised to stay here. What am I going to do, Littlerock?"

Littlerock giggled, twitching her whiskers in amusement. "You'll survive, Skyfeather," she meowed. "I'm sure Stormstar will tell you everything afterward."

Skyfeather nodded. The small warrior did have a point. She could just spend the night with her mate and hear about everything from him in the morning.

"Stormstar!" Skyfeather's ears pricked to the main clearing, when Silverwing had burst into the camp.

Skyfeather and Littlerock padded out of the warriors' den to see Stormstar emerging from the leader's den. Silverwing, Bluetail, and Darkstep charged through the fern entrance, panting from what seemed like a long run.

"Stormstar, bad news," Silverwing breathed. "There's a fox very close to the camp, and the rogues! The rogues are in our territory! They've made their camp somewhere on the other side of the sugar river…Stormstar, they're going to attack us!"

"Is Earthback with them?" Skyfeather questioned, padding up to the scene.

"I scented LightClan, but didn't make out the cat with them," Darkstep answered.

Skyfeather sighed. Earthback was still alive.

Stormstar nodded formally. "Sparrowstripe, follow them to the rogue camp. I'll take care here while you're gone."

"Should we confront them?" Bluetail asked.

Stormstar hesitated. "Um, just ask them what they're doing on our territory. If they attack, run straight back to camp. Your scent will be disguised as you cross the sugar river."

Sparrowstripe nodded and the four cats started to leave the camp.

"Bluetail and Darkstep stay here," Stormstar called after them. "We need as many warriors in the camp as we can hold." Stormstar sent a worried glance at Skyfeather before trotting back to his den.

Skyfeather hung her head. She knew why Stormstar cast her that meaningful glare. It was her fault that RainClan was missing four cats. Right now, they needed as many cats as possible, and it was Skyfeather's fault that they were lacking.

Determined to make it up to the RainClan leader, Skyfeather lifted her head and tail and trotted into the leader's den behind the Highrock. "Stormstar," she began, but didn't finish. The dark grey warrior was flopped over on his side, staring at the back wall of the den.

"Stormstar" she questioned, fret layering her mew.

"Skyfeather, please go back to the nursery."

Skyfeather sat down on her haunches. "Stormstar, I'm so sorry," she mewed, looking down at her shuffling paws. "I know it's all my fault, and you don't know how guilty I feel—"

"I said," Stormstar hissed, leering at the silver she-cat, "go back to the nursery."

Skyfeather stood up, alarmed. The sudden act of hostility scared her into obeying, and she plodded over to the nursery. Tawnyspot was polishing off a water vole inside. A chipmunk was left for her, but she wasn't hungry. She knew Stormstar was feeling overwhelmed and distressed over the conditions of his Clan, but there was no need for hostility.

He probably thinks that he's not being a good leader, Skyfeather thought, aghast. And once more, it's my entire fault.

Tawnyspot swiped her tongue over her tan-and-dark-brown muzzle, staring at Skyfeather. "You really need to stop worrying," she mewed. "It's bad for your kits."

Skyfeather sighed. "Stormstar is under a lot of pressure, and I feel so guilty about it. It's all my—"

"If you say anything is your fault one more time, I'll claw your fur out," Tawnyspot snarled, crouching into a defensive stance.

Skyfeather let a nervous laugh escape her lips to show Tawnyspot that she wasn't going to whine anymore.

"You're just feeling sorry for yourself, and want attention," Tawnyspot added unexpectedly.

Skyfeather blinked at the tortoiseshell. "Excuse me?" she meowed.

"You heard me," Tawnyspot muttered. "You're being selfish, Skyfeather. You have to start worrying for other cats, and not just yourself."

Skyfeather was prepared to spit back a vulgar response, but held her tongue. Tawnyspot was right. She was being selfish and self-centred.

Eager to let the subject drop, Skyfeather leaned down and took a bite of the fresh-kill that was left for her. She chewed slowly, hoping Tawnyspot wasn't going to fire another retort.

Thankfully, the small queen paced forward and nuzzled Skyfeather affectionately. "I'm sorry, Skyfeather," she mewed gently. "But you have to give it a rest. You can't control everything that happens in the Clan."

Skyfeather nodded and took another bite of her chipmunk. She didn't want to talk about the Clan's troubles any more. She just wanted Snowstorm, Cherrypaw, Frostfur, and Dustcloud to come back home.

Suddenly, another yowl sounded from outside the nursery. Skyfeather pricked her ears to the sound while Tawnyspot lifted her head intently.

"Stormstar!" she heard a desperate voice meow. Silverwing! Again? The queens trotted out of the nursery and into the main clearing. Silverwing was there, leaping up and down and around the camp. "Stormstar, come out quick!"

Stormstar emerged from the Highrock once more, swiping his tongue over his muzzle. "What is it, Silverwing?" he questioned intently.

"It's Sparrowstripe!" Silverwing answered breathlessly.

Gingerfoot prickled her ears. "What about him?" she asked, concern layering her desperate mew. "Please tell me he's okay."

Silverwing shrugged, panting. "He's fighting off the rogues!"

Gingerfoot let out a small gasp.

"Alone?" Stormstar meowed. "Everyone, we have to go and help him!"

Skyfeather trotted up to him. "Wait…" she mewed, but then remembered Tawnyspot's words. Asking them to bring the fight to the camp was being selfish. This was not her battle. She had to let it go.

Stormstar stared pleadingly at her before whispering, "Please stay here, for StarClan's sake." Then he dashed out of the camp, RainClan's able warriors hard on his heels.

Skyfeather sat down, wrapping her tail over her paws. Tawnyspot, Moonflower, and Icepool padded over to sit by her.

"I just hope they all come back," Moonflower meowed. "I've grown to like Stormstar a lot."

"You'd better," Tawnyspot mewed with a nervous laugh. "He's the father of your grandchildren."

Skyfeather looked down at her paws, unable to hide her anxiety. Oh, please, she prayed to StarClan. Bring them back alive.