Pebble Heart checked over Whitethroat and Littlecloud. They were the most sick and stayed in a hollow at the edge of ShadowClan territory.

Runningnose had talked to Nightstar about having Pebble Heart help and convinced him that they needed more medicine cat experience. Pebble Heart guessed ShadowClan just didn't want them there because they'd know how vulnerable they were, but they couldn't deny strong hunters and more healers.

Although most of them weren't happy to have Brokenstar's followers back amongst them.

They stayed in their little hollow along with Tall Shadow to avoid the sickness. And drama, but Pebble Heart shared Runningnose's den.

He was surprised SkyClan hadn't come looking for them yet, but at least they weren't freaking out. After all, he was with Tall Shadow and he could trust her.

"Hi!" A cheerful, muffled voice meowed loudly behind him and he jumped. He turned to see Snow, holding a lizard. "I brought you this." She dropped it at Pebble Heart's paws. Behind her, her brother Freckles appeared and dropped a mouse and vole for the sick cats.

Whitethroat took one look at the prey and vomited. Freckles wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"They're just too sick to eat," Pebble Heart informed them. He didn't eat his lizard right away. He had tried it and frog and still couldn't understand how ShadowClan liked them, but his parents had taught him and his siblings to be grateful for any food they got.

"Yeah, maybe we should fill them up with herbs," Tall Shadow meowed as she strolled out of the shadows. Pebble Heart wondered if she'd been there the whole time, but he just couldn't see her. "They can't throw up medicine."

Pebble Heart shook his head. "StarClan said the Blazing Star would help. Is that an herb? Do any of you know?" The sick cats shook their heads, Tall Shadow gave him a blank look and Freckles shrugged.

Snow, on the other paw, had a thoughtful expression, but all she came up with was: "Could be some plant."

How helpful. Pebble Heart sighed. He had guessed much. That it was an herb. But he needed more than that. He needed a description. And who knows if it would truly work.

He shook his pelt out and murmured to Littlecloud and Whitethroat that he would be back before heading back to their camp. He had to check on Ashheart's kits.

Inside the nursery, their mother was curled around them. Quietkit was the weakest and Pebble Heart was afraid she would die any second. Lavenderpaw, too, had almost died until Pebble Heart had stirred up a random concoction that by some miracle had kept her going.

For now.

He heard a big sniffle and looked up to see Runnningnose stumbling in. He was sick too. It seemed only Tall Shadow, Fernshade, Deerfoot, Darkflower, Rowanberry, Tallpoppy, Cedarpaw, Ashheart, Hollyflower and Pebble Heart himself weren't sick. Plus the rogues, but that was expected.

"Pebble Heart?" He looked up to see Rowanpaw and Fernshade standing there.

"Um…?"

"I just need something for my bellyache," The apprentice meowed, looking queasy. It must have been one of the symptoms, but Rowanpaw seemed to have a hard time letting it out.

"When you're done can you check on Wolfstep?" Fernshade asked. "He didn't even drink the water I brought him." Her voice quivered with fear.

Pebble Heart quickly raced to Runningnose's den and grabbed some shriveled yarrow leaves. He grimaced at their state, but it would have to do for now. The drought wasn't doing any Clan's herb supplies good.

He dropped them at Rowanpaw's paws instructing her to eat them before he raced to the warrior's den.

He pressed his ear to Wolfstep's chest to see if there was anything wrong on the inside that he couldn't see. His breathing was stilted. StarClan, this sickness is terrible! So many symptoms.

"ShadowClan, you can eat frogs. You can eat lizards! You can eat any weird creature you want," Pebble Heart muttered as he stormed to Runningnose's den for coltsfoot. "But. Stop. Eating. RATS!"

They'd always known rats had diseases and yet they continued to eat them like who cared if they died from sickness!

Pebble Heart took a deep breath after giving the herbs to Wolfstep. I need to ask StarClan for guidance. Or I need to look for the Blazing Star on my own…

"Pebble Heart, go take a walk."

He turned to see Tall Shadow.

"You look ready to pass out. You need fresh air," the black she-cat meowed sternly.

"Okay," he sighed. "Okay." Then he perked up and looked around until he spotted Tallpoppy before racing over. "Can you take me to my mother's grave?" He hadn't used the chance yet, too worried for the sick.

"Of course!" She leaped to her paws and led the way.

Soon they came across a clearing where the sun broke the pines and shined down on a mound of turned dirt. Pink blossoms were scattered all over.

Pebble Heart smiled sadly. It was beautiful. He padded over carefully and smoothed a paw over the grave before he lay beside it and closed his eyes.

A moon passed since Thunder and Ivy Breeze had earned their full warrior status. Fire Heart, Sparrow Fur and Raven Hope had come back with Cloud Tail the day of his ceremony, all looking relieved and he wondered what had happened.

Ash Blaze was pacing camp, looking towards the entrance every once in a while. For some reason, Tall Shadow and Pebble Heart had been missing for days. Skystar had wanted to send a search party for them, but Gray Wing had stepped in and said it was unnecessary. He had a look in his eyes, like he trusted Pebble Heart to be okay on his little rendezvous. And Tall Shadow was with him, so he had a warrior at least by his side.

Meanwhile, Ash Blaze was getting more frustrated that her mentor wasn't there to help her with her final assessments. Lightning Tail was just about ready to complete his and Acorn Fur was still uncertain about becoming a full warrior.

Right now she was outside the medicine den, sorting through old and new herbs with Dappled Pelt. Cloud Spots entered camp with herbs. He didn't seem worried for his apprentice.

Did he and Gray Wing know something the rest of them didn't?

Owl Eyes, Sparrow Fur and Cloud Tail were batting a ball of moss between each other while Birch and Alder watched, occasionally jumping in between to intercept it. They would be apprenticed soon. Fire Heart watched from the flat rock.

It seemed whenever Tall Shadow wasn't around, acting like deputy, Fire Heart took over her position. Were they hoping to be deputy in the future?

Thunder was sitting outside the warrior's den with Gray Wing, watching the camp. They looked up when Mouse Ear approached them, looking concerned.

"What's wrong?" Gray Wing asked, standing.

"We need to tell the others about One Eye," Mouse Ear said, casting said tom a look. He was by Fury talking with Leaf and Nettle. "Mud Paws and Holly know him, too. He's bad news."

Gray Wing hesitated a moment before he hurried across the clearing to Skystar, who had just emerged from his den. He whispered into his ear and the two looked towards the rogues.

"Shouldn't we discuss it in private? They wouldn't say it in front of him, would they?" Thunder asked.

"Yeah, but the Clan should be ready in case he tries something," Mouse Ear murmured.

Thunder looked towards One Eye and Fury and nearly let out a squeak of alarm as One Eye met his gaze, his one eye glinted darkly.

"Yeah, you're right."

"Pebble Heart."

Pebble Heart opened his eyes. He was in a glade he didn't recognize. In front of him stood Turtle Tail, smiling. He purred as he rushed to greet her.

"How are you, my kit?" She asked, licking his ear.

He sighed. "I've been better. I've got all these sick cats depending on me. Sagewhisker sent me a vision and told me about the Blazing Star, but I don't know where it is!"

"You're doing fine. If you want me to be more specific, try looking near the Thunderpath," his mother meowed.

StarClan can be specific? That's a first.

Turtle Tail smiled as if she'd read his mind, saying: "I don't get the whole riddle thing. So why not outright tell you instead of letting you guess for moons while cats get hurt?"

"You're probably the best ancestor to walk among cats' dreams." Pebble Heart grinned. "So…near the Thunderpath, you said?" At her nod he grew thoughtful. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Only one way to find out," Turtle Tail meowed. "Go forth, son. I believe in you. ShadowClan is counting on you."

And then she disappeared.

Pebble Heart woke up with a start. He was still by his mother's grave. The sun was just setting.

Tallpoppy appeared at the moment with a vole. "Sorry, I didn't wake you. I learned that it isn't best to wake up medicine cats in case they're having an important dream."

"Well, then I thank you," Pebble Heart meowed, eyes bright. Tallpoppy perked up.

"You found an answer?"

"Yes! Let's get Tall Shadow and the rogues and go to the Thunderpath!"

Blazing Star, here we come!

Tall Shadow followed the patrol, Russetfur and Boulder on either side of her, as they headed towards the Thunderpath. Pebble Heart had found a possible cure.

They finally emerged on the verge of the Thunderpath. There was an ash tree on the other side. Across from them lay ThunderClan territory, but they wouldn't have to trespass.

"Okay, it should be somewhere along the verge. On this side or that," Pebble Heart mused.

"We could use the tunnel. If come up the other side, that's still ShadowClan land," Russetfur meowed.

"Oh, what? A secret tunnel?" Pebble Heart meowed in dramatic shock. Tall Shadow rolled her eyes. There was no need to overreact that much and act like they didn't already know about the tunnel. Littlecloud and Whitethroat would have already revealed it anyway if they hadn't found it on their own.

"Yeah…" Tangleburr meowed, eyeing them warily.

"We won't tell," Tall Shadow promised quickly. If she was honest she had grown to like being a ShadowClan cat.

Russetfur led the way to the tunnel and they all crawled through it.

On the other side, the ground was more dry than ShadowClan's marsh and more lighter green plants than the darker green pines.

Tall Shadow didn't like it. She always loved the pine forest better.

"This is the Blazing Star," Pebble Heart said suddenly, flicking his tail to a yellow flower.

"That's it?" Snow asked.

"Yeah, I expected something more unique, y'know," Blackfoot grunted.

"Herbs don't always look unique. Just like normal plants," Freckles scoffed. "But do they work? Yes! So stop complaining!" With that he gently grasped a bundle before stomping back to the tunnel.

Snow stuck her tongue out after her brother before grabbing some too.

"Alright, take as much as you all can carry, but be gentle," Pebble Heart meowed. Tall Shadow grabbed as much as she could before following the others back to the other side.

Pebble Heart stayed behind, studying it with narrowed eyes and she sighed, setting hers down. "C'mon, Pebble Heart. You can examine them at camp, but we gotta go." Even if they were still apparently on ShadowClan territory, she was uneasy being near ThunderClan's.

Pebble Heart jumped and grabbed his own bundle before following.