CHAPTER THIRTY

The day dawned bright and cold, reminding Sootclaw that newleaf was still a moon away, and that these frigid temperatures would become his constant companions. The air was fresh and crisp, and the wind howled through the pines that towered over ShadowClan camp. The sky was clear, the clouds high and wispy, and the sun shone down over the lake territories, turning their snowbanks into sparkling crystals and covering everything in a hazy, pale light.

But today the grey tom had no time to think about the weather – there was only one thing on his mind: WindClan. Today was the day that they would fight against them. ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan... they would all stand together in order to take down the darkness-infused cats. They had allowed WindClan to be a threat for long enough, and since they had every reason to believe WindClan's eventual goal was to destroy all the rest, they had no choice but to put an end to it.

To end WindClan.

It was a huge subject that was doubtlessly on everyone's mind, however no one had spoken about it. There was a silent agreement that the only option was win with force, but did that mean killing them? Was there a way to take the darkness out of them without taking their lives and potentially condemning them to the Dark Forest? The answer, lurking in the back of everyone's mind, scary and menacing, was no.

Except Sootclaw.

He knew what he had to do. Dawnpaw had told him, though he hadn't heard from her since, and it worried him, causing his stomach to churn with unease. She had told him to take the darkness from their minds, to bring it all inside himself... an action which would save the lives of the WindClan cats but it would also potentially cost him his own. He was terrified to try, though he knew he had to, and he wasn't sure how he would bring up the subject. How could he just tell all these cats, all these mature, older warriors, that he had a gift from StarClan and could try and save WindClan?

They would never believe him.

He pulled himself out of his den. Dawn was breaking and he could see the others beginning to stir. There was a nervous atmosphere in the camp. A patrol of RiverClan warriors, the ones sent to help ShadowClan fight, sat in the centre of camp, sharing some prey Eaglestar had allowed them to catch. Meanwhile, the ShadowClan cats who were awake moved back and forth silently, preparing for the fight to come. ThunderClan was also preparing, and according to Slatestar, the patrol would arrive shortly.

There was movement at the camp entrance and Sootclaw saw Russet slink in. He was trying to act normal and unbothered by being here, but the grey tom could tell the rogue was anxious. It must be strange, coming back to the Clans after everything he had done wrong, especially since there were RiverClan cats here at the moment. As far as Sootclaw could tell, Russet hadn't spoken to the RiverClan force, and had just kept to himself.

Sootclaw had mixed feelings about the large ginger tom. He had initially resented Russet for his rudeness, and been jealous of his closeness to Lilystream, and afterwards he had detested Russet for working with Falconswoop. But Sootclaw knew the influence that Falconswoop could have all too well – he understood why Russet might have felt his only option was to go along with, in order to try and protect RiverClan. If Russet wanted to redeem himself, then a battle against WindClan was the perfect time to do it. Eaglestar had understood this and had valued the addition of even one more strong fighter to their ranks.

And yet, something Russet said was bothering Sootclaw... Russet had asked how to be better, but Sootclaw wasn't sure he could teach him. The ShadowClan warrior wasn't even sure that he knew how to be better himself. All he knew was how to survive and how to be selfish. He kept trying to be better, but he couldn't. Someone always got hurt. And now, he had to do the most selfless thing of all... and if he couldn't, cats would die.

Sootclaw shifted his gaze over to the medicine cat's den, where the apprentices were helping Birchcloud prepare herbs. They all looked incredibly solemn, even the usually mischievous Nightpaw. Pigeonpaw as well was missing his customary cheek grin as he worked hard to get the leaves ready. The grey tom padded over to them. He received a lukewarm greeting from Birchcloud – despite everything, the two would never get along. Sootclaw supposed that he deserved it, for idolizing his father so much, though he wished Birchcloud would one day understand that he had changed.

Maybe after this, he thought. If I don't make it... At least then they would all know he was nothing like his father.

Fear gripped his chest at the prospect of dying. He didn't know if it would happen, didn't know what the darkness would do to him, or if his mind could withstand it. But it was better in him than anywhere else, better one dead cat than tens of them. "Hey, Pigeonpaw," he said quietly.

His apprentice looked up. There had been an uneasy peace between them, both of them doing their best but not quite sure what that should be. "Yes, Sootclaw?" he asked.

Sootclaw took a deep breath. "If – If something goes wrong today, I want you to know, I am humbled to be your mentor."

Pigeonpaw looked surprised and he tried to grin the shock away. "Yeah, okay," he said, but there was happiness and sadness shining in his eyes, mixing and fighting as he tried to reconcile what Sootclaw had said.

"You'll be fine," said Birchcloud, without looking at him. "You're a good fighter, you have nothing to worry about."

Nightpaw nodded encouragingly, her green eyes bright. "Yeah, you'll be alright, Sootclaw," she mewed reassuringly, and beside her Tanpaw nodded in agreement. Sootclaw tended to think of the apprentices as young, but he had been their age once and he knew what an apprentice could accomplish, so he wholeheartedly appreciated her words.

"Thank you," he said, nodding to them. Then he left the den and was back out into the clearing, which had drastically filled up with more cats, all tense and ready to fight. He saw the fear and worry in their eyes – saw Redfur grooming Hailkit, pressing her whole body against him in case she didn't make it back, saw Sprucetail and Greywing embracing, saw Eaglestar and Milkyfur come in through the entrance together, their tails twined.

His paws led him over to the RiverClan patrol. They talked quietly amongst themselves, nervousness plain on their faces even though they tried to look strong. Toadstar was there, of course, ready to give as many of his lives as needed to ensure the safety of the Clans. The deputy, Reedthroat, sat beside him. Sootclaw nodded to Toadstar as he approached, remembering the kindness the brown tabby had shown him by giving him shelter in RiverClan, and he would always owe him for that. Troutleap and Oaktail were there as well, sitting silently, while Whitestream and Goldenfur were chatting. Sootclaw heard a couple of words. ThunderClan was one, and then there was a muffled laugh as Goldenfur looked sheepish. Hazelthorn wasn't there, however, and Sootclaw could only imagine him staying back at camp to watch over Lilystream and 'their' kits.

"Ready?" he asked Toadstar, trying to hide the bitterness he was now feeling.

"As I'll ever be," said Toadstar tiredly, stretching out. "Haven't fought in a long time. Not since, well, I was here last."

Sootclaw remembered that day vividly, remembered Hailstripe lying so vulnerable on the ground, and then blood spattering from his throat. He also remembered how Dawnpaw had protected him from those memories, how she had tried to save him. "It wasn't your fault," he murmured quietly. "It was Falconswoop's."

Toadstar nodded. "I saw Hailkit earlier. He looks just like his father – a brave warrior."

"Thank you," said Sootclaw. Then he paused. "Toadstar, when you offered me protection from Falconswoop... you never told me why. You said you would, when the time was right."

Toadstar let out a dry chuckle. "You might not believe me, but... StarClan told me to help you. I guess they thought you wee something special."

Sootclaw's heart started to beat faster. Maybe Toadstar would understand about his powers. "What if I told you they were right?" he mewed quickly. "What if I am, and – "

But before he could finish that thought, there was a commotion by the entrance as the ThunderClan patrol filtered in. They were led by Slatestar and Larchstripe, with no sign of Nettleclaw. After them came three warriors: Beechclaw, Thickfur, and Owlfeather. Sootclaw frowned. Was that really all they had? Then, following behind them came Kitetail, along with two cats that Sootclaw didn't recognize, a skinny brown tabby and a huge golden tom that looked as strong as any two warriors combined.

Eaglestar and Redfur padded over to greet them and Sootclaw hurriedly tagged along. "Thank you for coming, Slatestar," rumbled Eaglestar. "Who are the two non-Clan cats with you?"

"These are Alder and Beck, two loners who have been staying with us this leafbare," said Slatestar calmly. "It's a long story but I assure you, it was not a decision that was made lightly." He hesitated and then added: "Also, I regret to inform you that Nettleclaw has passed away. Larchstripe is the new deputy of ThunderClan."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Redfur as she and Eaglestar nodded acknowledgement to Larchstripe.

Sootclaw peeled off and found Thickfur. The grey warrior was by himself, sitting by one of the camp walls, his tail curled around his paws. He seemed even more tense than usual, and Sootclaw almost hesitated to approach him, but he knew Thickfur would appreciate what he had to say. "Hi," he mewed.

The ThunderClan warrior looked tired. "Hi Sootclaw."

Sootclaw leaned in, heart beating fast, and whispered: "I've heard from Dawnpaw."

Thickfur started. "What?" he asked, a little too loudly.

"Shh," said Sootclaw, flicking his tail. "Dawnpaw found me again. She said she couldn't talk long – they know when the link is open – but she's alright, Thickfur. She's doing well down there, she's surviving. And she said... she said when WindClan attacked, I could save them."

He narrowed his eyes. "Save them how?"

This was it. Sootclaw had no idea whether or not Thickfur would believe him but he had to try. "I have to use my mind... these powers... to take the darkness from them. But... I don't know how. I don't know if anyone will believe me."

Thickfur just shrugged. "WindClan is possessed by some dark power. I don't think that it's too much of a stretch to say that you have powers as well. It may not be the most comfortable thing to think about – trust me on this – but I don't know if we can deny it."

Sootclaw thought of Toadstar and the way he had been willing to listen to StarClan, how he thought that Sootclaw was special. Thickfur was right. He just had to be brave, step forward, and do it. Who cares if it made everyone look at him differently – there was no point to having these powers if he couldn't do anything with it.

He paused. "Thickfur?"

The grey tabby sighed. He was tired, Sootclaw could tell, and there was something else on his mind. There was a lot going on inside the ThunderClan warrior, but he kept it all pent-up behind hard amber eyes. "Yes?"
He tried to figure out how to word it. "I know... I know you and Dawnpaw didn't always see eye to eye, but... even when she was mad, I think she understood that you just wanted the best for her. She's really brave, you know."

Thickfur closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. Sootclaw couldn't tell if his words had had any effect. "I know," he said, at last, and that signalled the end of their conversation.

Sootclaw padded away from him and over to the camp entrance, where he surveyed the assembled cats: ThunderClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan, all together, all ready to give up their lives in this fight. Kitetail was there, though for whatever reason, his brother refused to meet his eyes. He took a deep breath, and then ran over to the Hazelbranch and leapt up. For a moment, no one noticed him. Then Redfur did, and then Birchcloud and Toadstar, and then sudden;y everyone was staring at him.

This was the moment. He needed to be brave. He could do this, he could save them all, could save WindClan too. He just needed the courage to speak. If Dawnpaw were here, she would tell he could do it. That his love for his Clan would outweigh any fear.

He hoped she was right.

"I'm sorry to be up here," he began. "I know it's not my right to stand on the Hazelbranch, but... I need everyone's attention. Please. I have something very important to say."

They were all listening, every eye on him, and no one yelled or doubted him. Sootclaw had the floor, and in this moment, they all respected him. They believed in the importance of what he had to say. Right now, he was the same cat who had stopped Falconswoop and saved Eaglestar. He was the cat who wanted nothing more than to do right by ShadowClan and be the best warrior it had ever seen.

"I have... I have a gift," he mewed, finding his footing at last. He stared down at them, challenging them to question him, to laugh at him. "A gift given to me by StarClan. I was chosen by them to stop Falconswoop, but when I stupidly almost threw it away, and they had to intervene. I ended up with my mind linked to another. She saved me, and she helped me become the cat I am today." His eyes met Thickfur's. Dawnpaw was so important to him, and he didn't care what the grey tabby thought.

Everyone was still silent. He couldn't tell whether or not they believed him. Sootclaw had tried for so long to keep this gift a secret, but he couldn't anymore. Things were changing. The Dark Forest was growing in power. Nothing would be a secret for long, not anymore.

He kept going. "This gift changed my mind. It allowed me to touch the minds of others, and... I think I can remove the darkness from the minds of the WindClan cats. I can take it out of them and put it inside of me. That's the only way to save them – otherwise we would have to kill them, and I can't let us do that. Too much blood would be shed."

It was Toadstar who spoke first, Toadstar who would of course believe him, who had been visited by StarClan himself. "What would happen to you, Sootclaw?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "My mind might be able to withstand it. Or it might not. But that doesn't matter. This is a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the lives of WindClan, and the lives of all of you."

Birchcloud was staring at him, an odd look on his face, a weird mixture of pride and regret and sadness. Kitetail was there beside him, again still averting his gaze, but Sootclaw saw a hint of betrayal. Was Kitetail upset that his brother hadn't shared the secret? It wasn't exactly easy to tell – only he, Dawnpaw, and Thickfur knew, and the last one by necessity.

The ThunderClan and RiverClan cats were all looking at Eaglestar, who was standing near the Hazelbranch, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. "A moon ago I might not have believed you," he said quietly. "But with everything that's going on... no one can deny that there is a darkness in WindClan. But Sootclaw, what you are offering to do, it's dangerous. And you may die."

"This is all dangerous," he said, lashing his tail. "All of you are ready to lay down your lives to protect your Clans. I'm ready to do the same – no matter what it entails."

There was a long pause and then Eaglestar spoke again. "This power of yours. How can you use it. What do you need from us?"

Sootclaw couldn't believe it. They were trusting him, believing in him. For a moment he couldn't breathe. Oh Dawnpaw, he thought. I hope you're right and that I can do this. "I need to be able to get inside their minds, to pull out the darkness. For that, I need you to keep me safe, but I need to be close to every cat. Fight them, keep them restrained, but don't kill them or seriously injure them... unless you absolutely have to." This had to work.

"Okay," said Eaglestar. He looked at Toadstar, who nodded, and then to Slatestar. The ThunderClan leader sighed and then nodded in affirmation as well. "Sootclaw, we will give you a chance. But if it doesn't work... we have no choice but to kill the WindClan cats."

There have always been four Clans, Sootclaw thought. He couldn't let WindClan die. He had to save them. "Yes, Eaglestar," he mewed.

As he leapt down from the branch and back amongst the others, he felt all eyes on him as they moved away, naturally giving him distance. He had shared his most private secret, and now they all knew. They knew he was different, special, that StarClan had given him powers and he had hid them. He was no longer just a normal warrior of ShadowClan.

Kitetail was the first to come up to him. "You didn't tell me," he said quietly.

Sootclaw bowed his head. "I didn't tell anyone, until now. I'm sorry, Kitetail. I wish I could have," he said, words ringing with honesty.

"What you're doing is very brave," mewed Kitetail. He pressed his muzzle into Sootclaw's shoulder. "I'm so proud of you."

"It was brave of you to go to ThunderClan," said Sootclaw. "I'm proud of you too. We both did so much, you know? I know I'm not the best cat, but... I want to be selfless. Falconswoop thought I was just like him, but I want to be better than our father. Stronger. Even if it means sacrificing myself."

"Actually, Sootclaw, about our father..." Kitetail began. "The truth is..."

But he was cut off by Pigeonpaw. The grey-and-white tom looked subdued as he approached them and he gave Sootclaw a sheepish look. "Um," he began. "I just wanted to say that... I'm humbled too."

"You don't have to say that," Sootclaw told him. "I don't deserve it."

Pigeonpaw looked taken aback, so he just shook his head and padded away. Sootclaw turned back to Kitetail. "Sorry, what?" he asked. "I don't know what you were saying, I got distracted."

"Don't worry about it," said Kitetail, brushing it off. "It's nothing. Good luck out there today, Sootclaw."

"With you and Birchcloud backing us up, we won't need luck," said Sootclaw, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. He tried to smile but it was lopsided. "I love you, Kitetail."

"I love you too," said Kitetail, and they shared a brief moment of silence before Sootclaw pulled away. Everyone was getting ready to leave. The battle was so soon.

Then:

"Let's go!" barked Eaglestar. Slatestar and Toadstar repeated the order to their own forces, and then everybody was moving out of camp, planning to intercept WindClan on their way over and battle in the open area beside the lake. Sootclaw got caught up in the rush, and for a moment, he felt like just another warrior. But then space opened up around him and he found himself walking alone, by himself even among the pack, with them but not one of them.

x x x

Shredtail led them through a heavy gorse thicket, moving with direction even as the branches scratched at his mangled pelt. Dawnpaw tried to ignore them just as he did, but some were particularly bad and she had to hold back a hiss as a sharp one drew a prick of blood from her skin. Worm somehow managed to avoid them all, slithering through them easily, his eyes scanning the brush ahead of them. He and Shredtail were extremely tense, as on edge as Dawnpaw had ever seen them.

They had managed to evade being found, at the cost of Dawnpaw losing Sootclaw once more. All she had ever wanted was to find the tom again and now he was ripped from her. It was devastating, but she knew that if Shredtail's plan worked, she would be back up on the surface again, returned to her friends and family. And yet... Shredtail had said that Sootclaw might not be able to survive this. What was the point of going back if Sootclaw wouldn't be there? Sootclaw, Branchpaw... the cats who had meant the most from her would both be dead.

Without them, what was the point of living?

Maybe she could find a way to be happy. Become best friends with Kitetail, learn to ignore Thickfur's moods, force herself to fall in love with Elmheart. It wouldn't be easy, wouldn't be everything she wanted, but it would be a good life, and it would be worth trading it in order to save WindClan. But Dawnpaw knew, deep down inside of her, she was ready to trade everything just to keep her link with Sootclaw going. Living without it had been torturous – she never wanted to do that again.

"Hurry up," hissed Shredtail, and Dawnpaw realized that she fallen behind. She looked at him apologetically and then pushed herself forward through the thicket. Her heart was beating so hard she thought she might pass out, but somehow she kept herself together. After moons of travelling in the Dark Forest, this was finally it. She was finally going to go home.

She gave Shredtail an odd look. He scared her, made her uneasy, and yet he was her only hope, and over their time together she had come to trust and respect him. It would be weird to go back to ThunderClan, where she would be surrounded by those who cared for her, not following along behind the most dangerous cat of all out of necessity. Dawnpaw hated to admit it, but she would miss him, in a strange way. He had saved her, after all. Then Dawnpaw glanced over to where Worm was slithering through the branches. She would be glad to be away from him, away from the pity and disgust he awoke in her chest.

Eventually they made it through the thicket and into a far more open area of the forest that almost took Dawnpaw's breath away. The Dark Forest scared her, but this place... somehow it managed to be beautiful at the same time as it was terrible. Huge trees formed rows as they towered up into the air, their canopies melding with the grey sky. The space between the rows was covered in a soft layer of fallen leaves, with no other bracken in sight. As they padded down one paths carved by these trees, Dawnpaw held her breath. She felt as though she was in a sacred, hallowed space, but couldn't understand how the Dark Forest would have one of those.

In the mist between the trees she thought she saw the outlines of cats, sliding along, whispering to her, but the words never managed to reach her through the still air. Some faces flashed in the mist, familiar ones, mutilated and gruesome, but Dawnpaw just took a deep breath and ignored them. It was all a trick. Her friends and loved ones were safe. Branchpaw was in StarClan, where he belonged, and Sootclaw was still alive, working hard to save his Clan. She knew she had been asking a lot of him, and she wished she could be there to encourage, to say: You can do this. You are capable. You are loved.

Finally the row of trees gave way to a grove, encircled by the same huge trunks. In the centre of the grove was a large stone, a flat surface but a rough base that seemed to merge with the dark soil. The carpet of leaves had been replaced by dirt, cold and hard underneath her paws. The air, which had been mild on their way over, was now freezing, but Dawnpaw hardly cared. She was struck by a sense of foreboding and awe, and a cold trickle of dread in her heart. She wasn't supposed to be here.

"What is this place?" Dawnpaw asked, with a whisper.

Worm came up behind her, running his tongue over his muzzle. "This is the altar," he said, voice filled with an excitement that made Dawnpaw more worried than anything.

She looked over at Shredtail, sure he would give her a better answer. "The altar?"

"This is where cats come when they die," he said quietly, not looking at her, his eyes fixed on the dark stone. "When they first enter the Dark Forest."

Who are you expecting to die, Dawnpaw wanted to ask, but the answer came to her like a punch in the gut and she couldn't believe she hadn't realized it before. "Sootclaw. But... I thought... You said he might not make it, but I thought he would go to StarClan."

Shredtail shook his head. "The darkness in him will drag him down here. And when he comes down, the boundary between our world and yours will be open. Just for a moment, but a moment is all you need."

"All I need?" said Dawnpaw, repeating his words while she worked through it. When she finally realized what he meant, she was filled with anger and fear and a heavy sense of betrayal. "I'm supposed to go up when he comes down."

Shredtail nodded. "Sootclaw will die saving WindClan, and you will return to the forest in his place. He will be stuck down here, but he will be a hero."

"But that's not fair!" Dawnpaw insisted, the fear and anger now taking over her. She was unable to move, frozen to the ground, realizing that by asking Sootclaw to use his power to save WindClan, she had effectively asked him to condemn himself to darkness. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Shredtail's gaze was cold. "Like I said earlier – if I had told you the truth, you wouldn't have come with me. This is the only way," he impressed upon her. "Sootclaw has done his work. But you are needed up there, needed to save the Clans."

"What comes next?" asked Dawnpaw, her voice small.

"The Dark Forest never stops. They will keep coming after the Clans, keep trying to find new ways to defeat them. But you are strong, with and without your power. They need you," he explained.

"Not stronger than Sootclaw," she hissed. The ShadowClan warrior was the strongest cat she knew. He had always been there for her, helping her with Branchpaw, and having the bravery to defeat Falconswoop. How could Dawnpaw do anything that he couldn't?

Shredtail glared at her. "They need you," he repeated coldly, and that seemed to be the end of the discussion, at least for him. But Dawnpaw didn't want the discussion to be over. She wanted to yell and scream, she wanted to fight, she wanted to sacrifice herself in Sootclaw's place.

Sootclaw was going to die, and she had to go on without him.

She let out a sob, and then another, letting her sadness take over her body, which thrashed violently. She sunk to the ground, head pressing against the dirt. This couldn't be real. She wouldn't let it. She had worked so hard, come so far, so desperate to see Sootclaw again and to tell him that she loved him. It was all she had wanted. She couldn't save the Clans alone, she needed him. Shredtail had lied to her. He had kept this from her, knowing it was the only way, knowing that if Dawnpaw knew the truth, she would refuse. The sobs kept coming from her open mouth and she slumped against the earth. Shredtail and Worm looked away, trying to give her as much dignity as they could.

Sootclaw was going to die.

"Shredtail?" she asked, quietly, weakly.

"Yes, Dawnpaw?" he mewed, his voice unusually gentle.

The ginger she-cat let out another sob. "Will you tell Sootclaw that... that I love him?"

Shredtail hesitated a moment and then bowed his head. "Of course," he said, still looking away.

She wasn't done. "And will you... will you help him get to StarClan?" Dawnpaw asked in a small voice.

"You know I can't do that," said Shredtail abruptly. "StarClan couldn't take you – what makes you think they would accept a cat who came down to the Dark Forest the proper way? You know what they say – for every reaction, an equal reaction."

"I don't care," snapped Dawnpaw. "Nothing matters unless Sootclaw is safe. That's where he deserves to be. In StarClan."

"Alright." Shredtail relented, his posture softening. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't make any promises."

"Okay," said Dawnpaw, pulling herself to her paws. Her ginger pelt was covered in dirt and her face must have looked a mess, but she had to be strong. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "What now?"

Shredtail looked grimly at the altar. "They will have started fighting WindClan right about now. Sootclaw will bravely take all the darkness inside himself, saving their lives, and then it will be too much for him. He will succumb. All we have to do is wait."

.

They waited for a very long time, long enough that Dawnpaw was starting to get her hopes up that something had changed and Sootclaw would not be coming down to the Dark Forest after all, but Shredtail reassured her – not that it was very reassuring at all – that the darkness might take a little time to work, depending on how strong Sootclaw was and how long his mind could resist.

She didn't know how long they were there. Time was different down here than above. It could have been hours. It could have been days – though Dawnpaw doubted it was that long. The world around them was silent. Shredtail said nothing – he was content to sit there, waiting, as though he was made of the same stone as the altar.

And then, out of nowhere, light filtered down onto the stone, and there was a terrible splitting noise, like the earth was coming apart underneath her paws, though nothing moved. It grated on Dawnpaw's ears, but she swallowed and braced herself. Shredtail leapt to his paws.

It was time.

XX XX XX XX

A/N: Apologies for typos, just really wanted to get this chapter posted! Three left after this, plus the next one is done so you'll probably see it Sunday. (Then two more chapters, then an epilogue, then an author's note... this might be done by next weekend! And that means I get to start working on the next one, which is super super scary but also really exciting).

Minatu - I'm gonna get into Thickfur's backstory (like, really into it) next book :D Though he doesn't get a POV in it. Also the chapters just pretty much get sadder from here on out, so... get ready. Elmheart is in the next book, though, so at least there's that!

Cloudberry - Thank you! :) I plan to keep writing haha, apparently no matter how long it takes, I'm going to get this trilogy done. (I'm like the George R R Martin of Warriors fics)

Thanks for reading and please review!

- PV :)