Trail was sitting in the Riverclan medicine cat's small den, which smelled strongly of herbs. The medicine cat, who had white fur and black fur on his chest, had introduced himself as Ravenbelly. He had laid Pinestripe on a nest of moss and had been tending and checking over her wounds.

"She was hit by a monster?" he asked.

"Yes," the loner confirmed.

"Tell me what has happened since you met her," Tallclaw, who was also in the den, demanded.

"She saved me from greencough, we were running away from Scythe together-"

Upon hearing the name, Tallclaw's ears flattened and her hackles raised. "Scythe the assassin? He was after her?"
"No, he was after me. I still don't know who sent him."

The Windclan medicine cat's lip curled as she turned to face the still-unconscious Pinestripe.

"She's actually very lucky," Ravenbelly announced. "She has a large amount of wounds, but as long as they don't get infected, she should be fine. A few broken ribs, but they'll heal. She took some damage to the head, and lost lots of blood, but with a moon or so of treatment she'll hopefully be alright."

Trail felt faint with relief. He hoped she would get better soon, so he could thank her for everything she'd done for him.

Outside, it started to rain again. Trail heard the boom of faraway thunder. Sky ice began to thump on the ground outside the den, which was tucked in a small cave.
"It's been raining a lot lately," Tallclaw noted. "Almost every day now."

"It's getting all of Riverclan worried," Ravenbelly agreed.

Trail spotted a cat running towards them through the rain. He recognized the brown she-cat as Rootstar, Riverclan's leader.

"How is she?" asked Rootstar. Ravenbelly repeated what he had told them.

"That's good, as long as she's not dying." The leader faced Trail and Tallclaw. "I think it's time you both get on your way."

"Can't I stay?" Trail pleaded. "In case Pinestripe wakes up?"

Rootstar shook her head. "Sorry. Riverclan doesn't want rogues sleeping among them."

"I'm not a-"

"You can stay with us at Windclan, Trail," Tallclaw offered. "You could head over during the day to visit her. Would that be alright?" she asked the Riverclan cats.

Rootstar nodded. "So long as he waits for a patrol to escort him."

"You'll really let me stay with your Clan?" Trail asked Tallclaw as they left the marshy camp.

"Scythe killed my brother," the deputy answered. "Any foe of his is a friend of ours."

Trail was heading across the moor with Tallclaw. The rain had calmed enough to see the lake. He noticed an island with a massive tree in the center, accessible by a trunk that stretched to it from land.

"That's the Gathering Island," Tallclaw informed him, pointing with her tail. "That big tree in the center is the Great Oak, where the leaders sit."

She seemed to notice Trail wasn't really paying attention. "Pinestripe will be alright, you know."

"I know," Trail sighed. "I just can't help but worry…"

Tallclaw seemed to be studying him. "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"

Trail remembered how, on the Riverclan border, he'd shouted how Pinestripe was like his mother to him. He was surprised to realize he meant it.

That night, Trail sat awkwardly at the edge of the dip that was the Windclan camp, watching the warrior cats come and go. The stars were just starting to come out, and Tallclaw had taken patrols out to scour their territory "in case Scythe tries to attack you here."

The Windclan camp was unlike anything he'd ever seen. All the cats were strong and fit, and he was certain each warrior, even the ones younger than him and the apprentices, would easily beat him in a fight. The dens were bushes and small holes in the ground. A mother pulled a ball of moss away from her playing kits so they would go to sleep. Three warriors helped each other drag a branch out of the camp. Shadestar sat on a tall stump in the center of the camp, organizing the next day's hunting patrols.

They were all so loyal; they were all working so well together. Trail had never known that. Kittypets, rogues, loners and alley cats only cared about themselves. Whenever Trail had been surrounded by cats in Twolegplaces, they had always been awed by him, knowing him only by his legendary reputation. In the Clans, no one knew him. To them, he was only another loner. It was so different it startled him.

When the Clan started heading off to sleep, Trail curled up alone away from the nests. He wouldn't have felt comfortable in a den surrounded by other cats.

Trail awoke feeling claws closing around his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flash of white fur. Scythe!

He was about to run, but then remembered he was surrounded by strong cats.

"Help! Scythe!" he cried out, before the claws dug in, making him bleed.

Then the nails vanished as Scythe was thrown off him. Turning around, he saw the bony rogue fighting off three different cats. More warriors rushed in, and Scythe tried to run. At that moment, Tallclaw's patrol rushed in. They caught Scythe. Seven cats all pinned him down with their paws, unashamedly digging their claws into his fur.

"Scythe," rasped Shadestar. "We've got you at last."

Scythe tried to say something, but it was muffled by the claws pressing on his snout. At Tallclaw's signal, the paws were removed.

"It's time you answer for your crimes against the Clans," Shadestar hissed.

"The answer I'd give, you probably wouldn't find very respectful," Scythe answered calmly.

Every Windclan cat there hissed and growled at him.

"What do we do with him?" Tallclaw muttered.

"We do what we said we'd do," Shadestar announced. "Take him to the Prison Trap."

Tallclaw permitted Trail to help guard Scythe while they transported him across the moor. Trail kept his teeth firmly on Scythe's tail, ready to tug, bite down, or hold if the rogue tried anything. Scythe had cats all over him. Shadestar had his teeth in Scythe's scruff, ready to bite.

Trail was so tempted to attack the assassin, make him pay for everything he'd done. Scythe was held by so many cats he could hardly move. It was the perfect moment.

But he didn't.

Hidden in the moor's hills, in the center of Windclan territory, was a fox trap stuck into the ground. Trail had seen them in the woods before.

"We found this here and decided to use it to trap evil cats. Once their leg is in, they can't escape without heavily damaging themselves," Tallclaw explained to Trail.

A group of warriors gingerly lifted the top jaw of the trap, and placed Scythe's leg in between the teeth before closing it again. Scythe was now harmlessly stuck; but unless someone opened the trap, if he tried to move, it would tear open his leg.

"We'll assign guards," announced Shadestar. "I want at least two cats watching him day and night."

"I'd like to watch him," Trail offered.

Shadestar's lip curled slightly, but he said nothing. Turning, most of Windclan headed back to their camp, leaving two warriors to watch.

"Trail," Scythe called as Trail followed the cats back. "I hadn't expected you to ask for help. I didn't think that was like you."

Trail walked away without responding.