Chapter 1

The Dark Night

Aspenclaw opened his eyes and blinked away the darkness in the warrior's den. He looked around confused as to what had woken him up. He saw only the sleeping warriors. Closest to him was Willowbreeze. He smiled. She must have come in after he fell asleep and taken Trouttail's nest. He could imagine the huffy face of Trouttail as he discovered his nest taken.

He stretched and gave his leg a quick lick. He quietly pushed his way out of the den not really feeling the need to go back to sleep. He left the Riverclan camp and loped along the well-beaten path that would take him to the stream. As he went along he began to see flickering shadows in the corners of his eyes. He growled and pushed on faster.

"You can't outrun us Aspenclaw." "We have things for you to know." "A plan." "Yes a plan!" The voices whispered all at once making it hard to pick out one voice from another.

"Leave me alone!" Aspenclaw yowled over his shoulder. He turned around and almost slammed into one of the more prominent shadows.

"We have business to discuss Aspenclaw."

Aspenclaw narrowed his eyes and, regrettably, sat down to listen. "It's more than a moon away. Can't this wait?" The shadow shook his head. "No. You know nothing of the plan. You don't even know what you're going to do yet."

"That's because I don't want to do it Iceheart!"

Iceheart glared at Aspenclaw. "You don't have a choice. You were the one who agreed to this. Now you are going to do it."

"I was a kit! I didn't know what I was agreeing to!" Aspenclaw spat. "She was sick! And you should have done it without making me agree to anything!"

Iceheart turned his gaze away from Aspenclaw his green eyes flashing. "Why would I have done that?" He snorted. "She meant nothing to me."

"She was my mother! Your mate! Shouldn't that count for something?"

"Well it doesn't! I never wanted a mate! I never wanted kits! I never wanted you!" With every word, Iceheart grew darker and darker. The dark invaded the space around him striking fear in the shadows close by. Aspenclaw flattened his ears and shrank back slightly. Iceheart slowly relaxed. "All I ever wanted," he meowed quietly, "was to protect my clan, and I got nothing for it. Now all I want is to see the clans rip each other apart. And that is why I need you. That's the only reason I'm glad to have a son."

Aspenclaw looked at the ground and refused to look at his father. Iceheart turned and looked at the stream. He sighed. "Do you even know what you are going to do to start the war?" Aspenclaw nodded. "Specklenose told me a little bit."

"So?" Iceheart prompted.

Aspenclaw opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped when he heard a rustling in the brush. The shadows disappeared and left Aspenclaw alone sniffing the air for the scent of whatever had made the noise. He smelled the scent of his own clan. Nervous, he growled and headed off to where the sound had come from. He prayed to Starclan that no one had heard what had just happened.

But someone had. Hidden in a thick clump of reeds a small black apprentice had heard everything. Smokepaw had seen Aspenclaw go out and had been hoping to go hunting with him. He had followed quietly until Aspenclaw had seemingly started talking to himself. Smokepaw had ducked in the reeds and watched. He stifled a gasp as shadows slowly started appearing around the warrior. He watched with wide eyes until he accidentally stepped on a dry reed trying to get closer.

Smokepaw had been amazed by the appearance of the strange shadows. Fascinating as they were however, the conversation hadn't meant anything until Aspenclaw spoke about his mother. Could it be true what he said? Had these cats healed Aspenclaw's mother? Smokepaw thought quietly while Aspenclaw sniffed around. If these cats could heal a sick cat, maybe they could... He shook his head at the thought.

He froze as Aspenclaw whipped his head in Smokepaw's direction. Smokepaw shrunk low. He debated running before realizing he could use this to his advantage. He walked out of the reeds as Aspenclaw got near. The warrior looked surprised at his sudden arrival. Then he grew angry.

"What are you doing out here! You're not supposed to be out here alone!"

Smokepaw sat down and licked his paw. "And you're not supposed to be making deals with the Darkforest!"

Aspenclaw's jaw dropped and Smokepaw smiled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone provided you do something for me."

Aspenclaw narrowed his eyes. "Like what?" "Nothing yet. But you will owe me a favor." Smokepaw kept his head high and tried to keep his voice from trembling. He was scared that this wouldn't work. But it had to. This was his only chance at getting what he wanted. What he needed.

Aspenclaw thought about this for a moment before smiling. "Why would I do anything for you?" He asked and Smokepaws face fell. "Who would believe you?" He walked around the apprentice. "You go back to camp talking about shadows and everyone will think you're just some imaginative kit. And I'll come back taking the apprentice back who was out past dark!"

Smokepaw angrily faced him and said, "They will believe me once you do whatever it is you're going to do!" Aspenclaw pushed his face closer to the apprentice to scare him. "When that happens, it won't matter."

A grey warrior pushed her way through the willows and came upon the apprentice and warrior arguing. She ran towards them. "Hey! What's going on?"

Aspenclaw and Smokepaw both turned to look at her surprised. Aspenclaw recovered first. He smiled and meowed calmly, "Oh. Hello Willowbreeze. I was out hunting and Smokepaw scared the fur off me. I guess I got a little more angry than I should have and I apologize," he said turning the apprentice.

"Oh." Willowbreeze replied relieved it wasn't something worse. She gently nuzzled Aspenclaw. "You really should manage that temper of yours."

"Indeed." Aspenclaw replied not looking away from the apprentice. "Perhaps we should all go back to camp. We all could probably use more rest before the day begins. We can finish 'hunting' tomorrow."

Willowbreeze caught that there was something more going on than what Aspenclaw had told her. She narrowed her eyes and decided to watch the interactions between the apprentice and warrior more closely. "Right. Let's go then." She said gently pushing Aspenclaw in front of her.

They made it back to camp just as the first rays of sun were coming up. Aspenclaw thought about the events of the night over and over again until he walked into camp. Smokepaw went straight to the apprentice den and disappeared inside. Aspenclaw and Willowbreeze headed into the Warrior's den. They curled into their nests. Willowbreeze leaned over and began grooming Aspenclaw's pelt.

Aspenclaw sighed and closed his eyes. He and Willowbreeze weren't really mates yet, but they had gone on many adventures together. The rest of the clan called them mates, but Aspenclaw was afraid to admit it. He didn't want her involved in anything that was going on and if Iceheart found at what she meant to him… He shuddered at the thought, which made Willowbreeze stop grooming him and touch her nose to his.

"Everything ok?" She asked quietly. He nodded. "Just a little chilly." Willowbreeze moved closer to him to warm his pelt. "Better?" "Much."