"You have all done well." Dapplestar's voice rang through the camp. "You are all fine warriors. Especially you, Shimmerwing." Her tortoiseshell face swung down to examine Shimmerwing, and she no longer looked like the crazed cat she had been when she had exterminated the Moonpool. "You have made the victory on WindClan a successful one."

"It is thanks to your leadership, Dapplestar," Shimmerwing meowed, lowering her head. "We are glad to have you." As she looked up at her leader, she could not deny the fear Dapplestar brought her any longer. The night at the Moonpool had been traumatizing. She did not think she could ever forget it. Was Dapplestar too far gone?

Dapplestar's eyes traveled through the cats, a smirk on her broad face. "You would all do well if you strived to be warriors like Shimmerwing. But today is for congratulations. We've defeated ShadowClan and WindClan. Their territories are now ours. Today, let us feast!"

Yowls of delight chorused from the cats. Shimmerwing tried to join in but was aware her voice was half-hearted in comparison to her Clanmates. She caught the glimpse of Runningflame, watching from the apprentices' den, his green eyes barely visible in the shadows. Oh, Runningflame.

"Shimmerwing, with me." Dapplestar flicked her tail and leaped off the rock, heading into her den. Shimmerwing followed her, wondering what Dapplestar wanted with her now. When the two she-cats sat down, Dapplestar turned to face her. "I've decided to give you control of WindClan territory. It will be an undying honor for you. I thought you'd like it."

"Such a high honor is too good for me," Shimmerwing meowed, lowering her head. Shouldn't Dapplestar control that territory? She was the leader of RiverClan, after all, and it was her territory. Why would she give her WindClan?

Dapplestar snorted. "No need to be so humble. It makes me sick. Rejoice!"

"But aren't you supposed to be the lord of the Clans? Why won't you control it?" Shimmerwing asked, completely baffled.

Dapplestar narrowed her eyes. "The lord of the Clans is useless now that Starlingfern has given it to me. If she steps down in favor for some other cat, I'll take the position back again."

What? Shimmerwing's body froze. She's… she's still on this…? "So… you insist on Starlingfern's abdication?" the deputy finally asked.

"Of course." Dapplestar nodded, a grin on her face. "It would make things easier. I will have to wait until Ryefern's kits are apprenticed, though. She gave birth when we attacked WindClan. Their names are Echokit, Lightkit, and Dawnkit. I'll pick one of those."

"But… Dapplestar!" Shimmerwing exclaimed. Please, please, don't do this! Starlingfern is an excellent medicine cat! No one can replace her, just because Starlingfern is voicing doubts about you!

"It's fine." Dapplestar flicked her tail. "I'll have you and Shellfall guard the kit until they're old enough. Maybe even be their mentor."

"Me?" Shimmerwing echoed. "But I'm not a medicine cat."

"You're close to Starlingfern," Dapplestar meowed. "You'll be perfect for the job. You must convince Ryefern that one of her kits must become a medicine cat apprentice. Understood?"

Shimmerwing lowered her head. "Yes." There was no arguing with Dapplestar anymore. She would not listen.

"Leave." Dapplestar's order was as sharp as a blade, echoing in the air as Shimmerwing padded out. She glanced over at the nursery. Heaving a sigh, Shimmerwing padded into the bramble thicket. Darkshadow was kneading her nest with soft black paws. She settled down, letting out a purr as she rested her head against the moss. Her belly was swollen, and it looked as if she would give birth any day. Shimmerwing nodded to her and turned to look at Ryefern.

Ryefern was curled up in her nest, three kits suckling at her belly. One of them was a light silver she-cat, the other was a pale gold tom, and the other was a light tortoiseshell she-cat. Shimmerwing padded over to them, purring loudly. "What are their names?" she asked.

"The silver one is Echokit, the gold one is Lightkit, and the tortoiseshell one is Dawnkit," Ryefern replied, her eyes glowing with love as she gazed at her kits.

"Is Lightningcloud happy?" Shimmerwing asked. Oh, Brightpool, how I wish you could see your grandkits.

"He is," Ryefern replied, the smile never leaving her face as she watched her kits knead her stomach.

"One of them could be a medicine cat," Shimmerwing suggested.

Ryefern glanced at Shimmerwing, her green eyes narrowed. "You want one of them to be a medicine cat?" she asked, confused. "I mean, maybe if they want to. But they don't even have their eyes open yet."

"Forgive my selfish request," Shimmerwing meowed. Even though she knew this was wrong, she had to obey Dapplestar's orders. "But we need a medicine cat apprentice. Dapplestar insists on one of your kits being one."

Ryefern lowered her head. "She's deciding their future already?" the pale brown she-cat asked. "I don't doubt that we need a medicine cat, but if my kits don't want to be one, I'm not going to force them. Dapplestar is a restless cat. Please, Shimmerwing." The queen let out a sigh. "They need to eat."

Shimmerwing nodded, guilt swamping her as she turned away and padded away, trekking across camp. "I don't like this," she whispered to herself. "This is wrong."

"What?" Shimmerwing swung around to see Runningflame padding up towards her, spitting out two trouts on the fresh-kill pile.

"Oh, Runningflame." Shimmerwing shook out her fur, thankful to see her friend. "I see you're working hard."

"Well, I have to." Runningflame sighed. "Dapplestar's never going to forgive me. Are you all right?"

"Dapplestar wants Starlingfern to retire," Shimmerwing told him, feeling it best to confide in a friend, even if Runningflame didn't have the same status in the Clan. "But it's not a warrior's place to dictate a medicine cat's abdication. She wants me to pick one of Ryefern's kits to become a medicine cat, but that's going too far, don't you think?"

Runningflame sat down. "This is the first I've heard of any of this," he said, his green eyes narrowed. "But yes, that is definitely going too far."

"Dapplestar is making a mistake," Shimmerwing breathed. "I need to put a stop to this." She can't force Starlingfern to step down, and she can't force a kit to be something they don't want to be.

"Shimmerwing," Runningflame warned, his voice icy. "You must not stir up trouble now. While Dapplestar wants Starlingfern's abdication, she'll stop you at every turn. We must find out what she thinks about this."

"But…!" Shimmerwing stared at Runningflame.

"When the time comes to voice dissent, I'm prepared to speak with you, Shimmerwing," Runningflame meowed. "I don't know how much my word means, anymore. But, for now, be patient. Please."

Shimmerwing sighed. "If you say so, Runningflame." The day that Dapplestar had beaten her bloodied ran back through Shimmerwing's mind. The look in her eyes, the desperate, crazed look when she begged to know what she and Starlingfern had spoken about, when she asked if she would betray her. "Something has changed."

Runningflame sat down. "Back when Otterstar was in charge, RiverClan was in disarray. We had rogues chasing at our heels, WindClan breathing down our throat, ShadowClan killing our medicine cats. Compared to that, Dapplestar's rule has been better for the Clan. I thought she would be able to unite the realm and bring peace to the Clans, but the wars never seem to end. I do not have enough power to do anything about it."

Shimmerwing nodded. "I understand, Runningflame."

"You look exhausted, lass." Runningflame flicked Shimmerwing's forehead with his tail. "Why don't you go take a nap before the feast? We wouldn't want you falling dead on your paws during it, wouldn't we?"

"I guess not." Shimmerwing purred. Feeling the heaviness in her limbs, she decided to take Runningflame's advice. Dipping her head in farewell to Runningflame, Shimmerwing headed into the warriors' den, spotting her mossy nest in the center. She curled up in her nest and shut her eyes, knowing she needed all the rest she could get to prepare for the days ahead.

Amid a beautiful night, a large tree stood in front of Shimmerwing. The canopy was so tall that it reached the silver moon illuminating the world around her. Shimmerwing approached the tree, sniffing its roots. She looked up, craning her head to see the moon. Then she glanced down at the roots of the tree. With a heavy grunt, Shimmerwing unsheathed her claws and slashed them down the trunk of the tree. Just as Shimmerwing's claws broke through the birch, the tree began to moan.

The sound of the tree groaning knocked Shimmerwing back to reality, and when her eyes opened, she saw only the bramble thicket of the warriors' den. Again? So much for sleeping. She got to her paws, stretching her limbs and yawning. She didn't think she could go back to sleep if she was going to have the dream about the tree again. Is there anything I can do? Perhaps I can hunt. Walking out of the warriors' den, she crossed the stream out of camp and made for the river.

As she spotted the carving arc of blue in her vision, she could make out another figure sitting next to the riverbank. Minnowflight? Shimmerwing padded over to the gray she-cat, who looked up at her, a smile on her face.

"You look tired," Minnowflight told her, her face wrinkled with concern.

"Lack of sleep, I suppose," Shimmerwing remarked, sitting down and sighing. "I've been having the same dream the past couple of nights. It always wakes me up."

"The same dream?" Minnowflight asked.

"A dream where I'm trying to take down a tree so tall it reaches the moon. I can see someone climbing the tree to go to the moon. Somehow, it looks like Dapplestar. In an old story, those who go to the moon never return. I am trying to stop that from happening. That's why I'm trying to cut the tree down." Shimmerwing's throat choked. "But, if the tree is cut down, Dapplestar will die. In the dream, I am aware of that fact."

"Shimmerwing?" Minnowflight's green eyes were round.

"I am aware, but I keep clawing. If I keep having the same dream… I will cause Dapplestar's death. It's an unpleasant dream." Shimmerwing shut her eyes. I've said too much. Getting to her paws, she padded away from Minnowflight, giving her former apprentice a nod of her head.

As Shimmerwing padded through the territory, crossing the moorland, she thought back to the first day Dapplestar was her leader. The first day, she and Dapplestar had gone to meet Swiftstar, the cruel, barbaric leader of WindClan. But Swiftstar had shown Dapplestar deep respect when he had met her. She skidded to a halt, glancing around the burnt, ravaged moorland. No signs of life, no sign of new growth. It was a wasteland, and it was now Shimmerwing's territory. Swiftstar's old home.

"What would Swiftstar think of all this?" Shimmerwing asked the moorland, feeling completely defeated. "What would he do? My leader has burned two Clans to the ground. She wants the medicine cat to abdicate. She declares herself a god. She has destroyed StarClan's communication to us. Now, she wants me to rule over WindClan territory, and shape the future of a kit who hasn't even opened his eyes. She punishes others for the slightest mistakes and kills those who disobey her."

"You want to know what Swiftstar would do?"

The voice made Shimmerwing stop dead in her tracks as she looked out over the moor. Damn. I was talking to myself. She hadn't meant for those words to escape her lips. They were for one cat only – Swiftstar. And he wasn't there. So who was talking to her? Shimmerwing craned her ears, waiting for the cat's reply.

"He would poison Dapplestar."

What? Shimmerwing leaped to her paws. "Who's there?" she called out, hissing. "This is RiverClan territory!"

A pale gray she-cat bounded over the horizon, and Shimmerwing recognized the narrow and lithe figure of one of the most senior WindClan warriors. "It's me. Heathercloud."

"What are you doing here?" Shimmerwing snarled, unsheathing her claws.

"Collecting more dead bodies." Heathercloud lifted her back, and Shimmerwing could see a small, charred body on her back. So young. Shimmerwing staggered back, her blood turning cold. "I couldn't help but overhear you. Some of us survived, you know. I can't say the same for most of my Clanmates."

"But you're not home," Shimmerwing growled. "We own this territory now."

"We have no home." Heathercloud shook her head, her eyes burning with hatred. "Because of you."

Shimmerwing sat down, eyeing the gray warrior. Heathercloud had every right to hate her. But what did she mean when she was answering Shimmerwing's question earlier? "How do you know what Swiftstar would do?" she suddenly asked.

"I served under him as one of his closest warriors," Heathercloud said, her blue eyes narrowing.

The RiverClan deputy nodded slowly. But she couldn't abide that answer. "Swiftstar once told me that, with Dapplestar, I should make a new realm," the tawny she-cat told the WindClan warrior, a wry smile on her face. "I am nothing without Dapplestar. If I were to poison her, I would be poisoning myself. It amounts to the same." It was the truth. It was something Shimmerwing couldn't hide from.

"Then, that means, the Dapplestar you know was created by Swiftstar… and you." Heathercloud's blue eyes were chips of ice as the afternoon sun silhouetted her ash-stained gray fur. "Now, she has started acting on her own, in ways you have never predicted. It must be done. The creators must answer for their creation. Am I wrong?"

You're just a WindClan warrior. I don't need to take anything from you. Shimmerwing stared at Heathercloud, her fur fluffed up, her back arched.

"That is Swiftstar's answer," Heathercloud said.

Shimmerwing bit her lip. "Then, Heathercloud, what do you think of Swiftstar's answer?"

"I'll tell you what I think of Swiftstar for answering like that." Heathercloud's blue eyes were glistening. "I hated him."

"I hated him, too," Shimmerwing whispered. Swiftstar had been a brutal adversary and had caused the death of many of her Clanmates. If his own Clanmate had hated him, perhaps he hadn't been so popular in WindClan when he was alive.

Heathercloud chuckled. Even in the midst of carnage, a heinous sight of such destruction and butchery, even as she held a dead cat on her back, the WindClan cat laughed. Shimmerwing joined in her chuckle. They were enemies, but they seemed to share something in common.

"I am sure I will see you again, Shimmerwing," Heathercloud said. "Whether you're on the right side or not, I won't know." The gray she-cat turned on Shimmerwing, leaving the face of the dead cat she held visible to Shimmerwing. Shimmerwing swallowed a lump in her throat as the she-cat disappeared into the remains of former WindClan territory.

I can't afford to stay here anymore, Shimmerwing thought. If there are more cats collecting the bodies of their dead, I'll let them. She turned on her heels and bounded away from the moorland, heading back into the marshland and finding her way towards the streams that created the path towards the island.

When Shimmerwing returned to camp, Dapplestar met her at the entrance, flicking her tail. "You're here," the tortoiseshell she-cat said. "I'm sending Moonshade to get Peartuft from FierceClan. We are to have a feast with him. I want our alliance to be strong so we can destroy ThunderClan. You are to serve as the host."

"The host?" Shimmerwing asked.

"Yes." Dapplestar nodded. "He will be here by sunset. So, get everything ready. Report to me when you're done."

Shimmerwing's pelt crawled. She didn't want Peartuft here. She would rather him be as far away as possible. But, there was no disobeying Dapplestar's orders. "All right." The tawny she-cat padded into the clearing of the island, where the RiverClan warriors were gathering for their afternoon duties. Shimmerwing's gaze scanned them, and she wondered just how they would feel about joining a feast dedicated to Peartuft. "Peartuft is to come here for a feast between FierceClan and RiverClan! Squirreltail, lead a patrol into the forest and catch some land prey. Since Peartuft was originally from ThunderClan, I doubt he'll have the taste for fish. Gooseclaw, take a patrol and see if you can make use of WindClan's territory. Fawnstep, try and see if there's anything in ShadowClan's old territory. Heronpaw and Icepaw, I want you to clean up the dens and make RiverClan's camp look presentable before he comes. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Shimmerwing!" Calls of agreement came from the RiverClan warriors, and they seemed to be happy that they were organizing something that was not for battle. The cats split up in their separate groups, and Shimmerwing sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws. She supervised the arrangements, the prey, the seating, until the sun started to dip its way into the sky. Once the fresh-kill pile was laden and the camp was pristine, Shimmerwing padded over to Dapplestar's den.

"Congratulations," Dapplestar meowed, meeting her inside the bramble thicket. "Everyone was very impressed with your leadership."

"I had to take my duties as host seriously," Shimmerwing replied. Even if I despise Peartuft. "Although, believe me, it felt like I was fighting two long battles."

"Hm." Dapplestar nodded. "Good work. Your duties as a host end here. Rippleheart will handle the rest."

"Dapplestar?" Shimmerwing asked, confused. Not that I want to be here when he comes, but still…

"I've sent Shellfall to ShadowClan territory to prepare for an assault on ThunderClan," Dapplestar told her. "I want you to join him. He's requested backup."

"Of course I'll go!" Shimmerwing said. "But, what about hosting?" She wanted to check on the cats that had been in FierceClan. Especially Karma and Sakuya – she wondered if they would come. She had wanted to see more of them and had always wondered what was in their heart ever since she saw them being berated by Dapplestar. "I've arranged everything so far, I'd like to see it through to the end."

"Rippleheart's aware of them," Dapplestar said. "He'll carry them out. Go to Shellfall."

"Let me stay here tonight," Shimmerwing pleaded. She hadn't wasted all day for nothing, had she? Let me see the cats I fought with. I don't care for Peartuft, but I liked some of the other cats.

"Are you that obsessed with being the host?" Dapplestar inquired, her green eyes narrowed.

"I'd just like to help," Shimmerwing told her.

Dapplestar sniffed. "You're a pain in the tail, you know that? Fine. You can stay tonight. But tomorrow, you're going with Shellfall."

"Thank you, Dapplestar." Shimmerwing lowered her head. She had to get information about FierceClan's attacks from their cats, and she wanted to see a few of their cats. How many cats would Peartuft bring? Were their attacks faring better? How was ThunderClan's strength compared to FierceClan's? There were so many questions racing through her mind.

Just Dapplestar stopped talking, Shimmerwing could hear hushed voices from the entrance of the camp. She padded out of Dapplestar's den to look, focusing her gaze on the ferns. Peartuft, Sakuya, Karma, Aspenpaw, Houndheart, and Dusk had arrived. Peartuft's blue eyes were calm and composed as Dapplestar followed Shimmerwing outside of her den. Shimmerwing stepped away to allow Dapplestar to reach Peartuft.

"Greetings, Peartuft." Dapplestar nodded her head. "It is good to see you."

"And you," Peartuft meowed. "Thank you for inviting us here. Your camp is beautiful. I'd like to introduce you to my son, Aspenfrost." The FierceClan leader waved his tail to the silver-and-black tabby, who lifted his chin proudly at his father's introduction. "He just became a warrior."

"Congratulations," Dapplestar meowed, dipping her head to Aspenfrost. "That is always good news."

Peartuft nodded. "He's an excellent cat."

"Come," Dapplestar said. "The fresh-kill is ready." The tortoiseshell she-cat padded over to the center of camp, and Peartuft followed shortly after. Dapplestar sat down, pulling out a water vole. "To your good health, Peartuft, and glory to FierceClan. And, of course, to celebrate victory. Let's eat." When Dapplestar looked down at the fresh kill, she narrowed her eyes, and Shimmerwing's breath immediately hitched in her throat. "Shimmerwing."

"Yes?" Shimmerwing asked, padding forward.

"There isn't nearly enough fresh-kill here for everyone." Dapplestar gestured with her tail towards the number of cats in the clearing. There were dozens of cats sitting around the island, but none of them looked without food.

Shimmerwing looked around with a panic, realizing that Dapplestar had a valid point. Had the rest of the hunting patrols not come back yet? "Yes, but I sent more patrols to go—"

"I told you to get all the prey before sunset." Dapplestar's green eyes blazed.

"But, the territory that has land prey still isn't—" Shimmerwing wanted to tell her that the moor and the pine forest still hadn't been repopulated with their prey, and land prey on the marshland was hard enough to find to feed several FierceClan warriors.

"Shut up!" Dapplestar snapped. "Get the patrols back, immediately! How dare you insult Peartuft like this?"

"Dapplestar, really, I don't mind," Peartuft chimed in.

"But I do." Dapplestar's fur bristled. "I won't lose face over this."

"Understood." Shimmerwing nodded. "I'll bring those patrols back, now." As Shimmerwing bounded across the camp, she landed on a fish carcass, something that a RiverClan warrior must have not disposed of while they were eating. She kicked the carcass away, and when she glanced around to see where it had gone, it had landed right on Dapplestar's head. Horror made the tawny she-cat's jaw drop.

Dapplestar snapped her head up, fury blazing in her green eyes. Shimmerwing raced over to grab the carcass, but Dapplestar immediately stopped her by sinking her claws in her shoulder. Shimmerwing winced at the pressure as her claws arched even further.

"Forgive me!" Shimmerwing exclaimed.

"You've dishonored Dapplestar," Icepaw hissed. "Get out of here." The white she-cat trekked over to Shimmerwing, baring her teeth at her and pushing her away with muscular shoulders. Shimmerwing allowed the white she-cat to push her aside, rooted in shock. Every time she moved, the only thing she could think about was the wavering tree that reached the moon