Oh gosh guys, I'm so sorry, it's been MONTHS. I'm gonna explain about what's been going on in the Author's Note at the bottom of this chapter, but for now, I'm very sorry! I know everyone's probably totally forgotten about Blue Moon or has no clue what happened in the last chapter, so I'm going to give you a little recap, for my own memory as well!

Last chapter: Dewclaw went with Rabbitstar on a long-overdue patrol to visit ThunderClan to see how they were faring after the earthquake. They learned that Rapidstream was missing when they crossed the RiverClan border. They were stopped when they reached the ShadowClan border. ShadowClan are acting super shady (ha, couldn't resist, sorry) and won't let them through. It's mentioned that a RiverClan warrior killed Ratscar and there are clearly tensions between the two Clans. Rabbitstar asked Dewclaw if he wanted to mentor Wrenkit. Ambersky, Lilystream and Cherryflower discovered a secret underground forest in a cave. And finally, Rapidstream woke up in RiverClan, having no recollection of what happened to him.

Okay, there we go! Without further ado, chapter 12.

Cloudysky

It was a pair of eyes that haunted her. Deep amber eyes, boring into her. She couldn't see the face, but she didn't need to. She knew those eyes.

Ratscar.

She needed to look away, needed to escape that harrowing gaze, but every time she tried to move, tried to close her eyes, pain shot through her, lightning-hot. She tried to cry out, to call for help, but all that came was a gurgling sound in her throat.

And pain.

More pain.

Always pain.

She tasted the first drop of blood on her tongue. Sickeningly sweet. Her stomach churned and the darkness around her seemed to spin, sweeping her up in waves of nausea. But she couldn't escape those eyes. His gaze seared through her, as if he could see right through to her heart, to all her fears and the secrets she kept hidden with a smile.

"I'm sorry!" she tried to sob, but the words were swallowed up by the gargling in her throat. She knew what it was now. Blood. Rising in her throat, dripping from her tongue. She couldn't breathe, couldn't swallow, couldn't speak. And as she struggled for air, the irony of it struck her. She was choking on her blood, on the thing that was supposed to keep her alive.

The pressure kept building in her lungs.

The world darkened.

It was true, she realised, that your whole life flashes before you. At once she saw the world through the eyes of a kit. The way the trees seemed to hold up the sky. The shift of pebbles beneath her paws. Each memory bled into another, a clamour of light and sound. The moon, full and bright, hanging above the gathering island. All those fish that had slipped right out of her grasp. Her reflection distorted by the rushing river. The press of shadows and den walls. Bodies cramped in the darkness. The rumble of the ground. The wind in her pelt. Running, running, running…

Then, at once, it stopped.

Air flooded into her lungs and she simply lay there gasping, each gulp of oxygen a gift. For a blissful heartbeat, she thought she was free.

But when she could finally breathe deeply and she opened her eyes, Ratscar was still there.

And then she was forced to watch as the light dimmed in his eyes. There was no peace. No slight flutter of eyelids nor a soft sigh. His eyes remained open and empty, hollow as the chasm she could feel opening up in her chest.

Then another pair of amber eyes.

"Rushtail!"

The tabby tom was barely whiskers away from her face. Fear flashed across his features as he suddenly pulled away. "Sorry, you were sleeping really deeply."

Her heart was still pounding from her dream, the pulsing in her head drowning out any calm, rational thoughts. "What do you want?" she snapped. She still couldn't get the image out of Ratscar out of her mind, she couldn't stop seeing his eyes everywhere, those haunted eyes.

Rushtail didn't seem at all startled by her outburst. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere, his expression drawn and wan. "Rapidstream's awake."

Immediately, Cloudysky sat up in her nest. "He is?" The feeling of rapture didn't last long. It was quelled by a single glance at the worry etched onto his face. "Is he… okay?"

Rushtail avoided her gaze. "I think you need to talk to him yourself."

A lump caught in Cloudysky's throat. He'd dodged the question. But despite the dread seeping through her, she allowed herself to be led out into the grey morning and to the medicine cats' den.

The sight that awaited her was deceptively calm. The river below threw rippled reflections onto the walls, giving the den a dream-like feel. Rapidstream was sprawled out in the nest closest to the entrance. He squinted up at them, his expression sleepy and content. "Oh hey, Cloudysky. Hi, Rushtail."

The two warriors exchanged a glance.

Mothwing came hurrying out from the rear of the den. After guiding them away from Rapidstream, she spoke in hushed undertones. "He woke up just before sundown yesterday. I would have told you then, but he was very… disorientated."

Cloudysky tried to swallow the bitter taste in her mouth. Disorientated?

"I think he must have hit his head. He doesn't remember what happened."

It took a little while for the weight of her words to sink in. He doesn't… remember? How can he not remember?

"I may be 'disorientated' but I'm not deaf, you know," Rapidstream interjected. His smile was goofy, but his voice was strained.

He doesn't remember…

Or maybe he doesn't want us to know the truth.

At once, she straightened up. She'd had her suspicions since he'd been found at the ShadowClan border, but she'd assumed there'd be some explanation when he awoke, some obvious reason for him being there. She hated herself for it, but she found herself returning to Rushtail's guess. Maybe it is something to do with the Divisions…

The thought felt like a betrayal. No, he couldn't be working for them. She refused to believe that. But what if he is meeting them? What if he's trying to gather information? What if he hasn't told us because he's trying to protect us? She wanted to believe that. She really did.

"How are you feeling?" Rushtail asked. He'd never been particularly friendly with the other tom, but there was genuine concern in his voice. He was a Clanmate after all. And yet… Cloudysky detected a trace of hostility, so subtle it was almost imperceptible, but there nevertheless. She might not have noticed it had she not spent the last five days in his company. During that time, she'd started to become aware of the subtle nuances in his expression that betrayed his feelings. Part of her was frustrated for noticing such things, another part of her was curious. She'd always thought of Rushtail as a confident and assured warrior; now she was starting to see he was far more than that.

Rapidstream shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm okay. It's pretty boring in here though."

Mothwing rolled her eyes. Cloudysky almost did the same. Trust Rapidstream to brush it off like nothing had happened. This was a cat who held breath-holding competitions for fun — he wasn't fazed by much, or at least he pretended not to be.

"So, has anything interesting happened whilst I've been gone?" Rapidstream prompted. "Or did the Clan fall apart without me?"

This time, she couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"Well, Heronbeak nearly fell out of a tree, but I guess that's not too strange," Rushtail replied.

Cloudysky couldn't believe they were having this conversation. For days, she'd been desperately waiting for Rapidstream to wake to finally feed the insatiable need for the truth. And now they were talking about Heronbeak's tree-climbing antics.

Unable to stop herself, Cloudysky butted in. "Do you really not remember what happened?"

"Not a clue." He smiled unconvincingly. "My memory's normally useless, but it's not usually this bad."

She hated this doubt that was growing in her belly, yet she was getting the distinct impression that he wasn't telling the truth. He kept avoiding her gaze and studying his paws intently instead, as if the secrets of life could be found written there. Rapidstream, you are a useless liar.

"Do you you remember what you were doing before?" Rushtail pressed, paws fidgeting. "Do you remember anything from the day you disappeared?"

The other warrior's brow puckered in thought. After a long pause, he meowed tentatively, "I remember being on patrol with Swanflight… But that's it."

A sigh escaped her. They clearly weren't going to get any answers today. Maybe if I talk to him alone, he'll be more willing.

"I think that's enough interviewing for now," Mothwing murmured gently. Rapidstream sat shaking his head, as if a battle was waging inside his skull. More quietly, the medicine cat added, "He's still recovering. I think he just needs some time and space. But you're welcome to come visit him later."

"Again, I'm not deaf."

Cloudysky nodded. She looked to Rapidstream's eyes, willing him to meet her gaze. But he never looked up. "I'll see you later, okay?" she mewed.

The brown-and-white tom mumbled incoherently, still frowning to himself.

Cloudysky turned to leave, but just as she did so a voice sounded behind her. "Actually…"

She also didn't recognise Rapidstream from the tremor in his voice. "Could we talk later? There's something… something you should know."

Cloudysky's heart quickened, but she fought to keep her expression neutral. "Of course."

And with his words in her mind, she at last turned and left, Rushtail clinging to her side like a burr.

Today's duties brought them to a stream near the SkyClan border. Rushtail had suggested the ShadowClan border originally, but she'd been quick to shut it down. Just thinking of it awoke too many awful memories.

They hadn't talked much since leaving camp and both were happy to keep it that way. As they sat on opposite banks of the river, the river did most of the talking for them, a constant background whisper.

Cloudysky's thoughts threatened to carry her away, but she kept her eyes fixed on the water, allowing it to anchor her to reality. As an apprentice, one of the things that Sandytail and Rushtail had latched onto was her poor fishing skills. Their taunts still followed her from the past to present sometimes, but she blocked them out now.

It wasn't like they were wrong though.

She never had been a strong fisher and part of that was due to her blind eye. Her depth perception was poor, leading her to often misjudge how close to the surface the fish was. She had certainly gotten better at it, but it was still something she was self-conscious of.

She kept glancing over at Rushtail, expecting him to make some jeer about the lack of fish she'd caught so far. But the tabby tom was watching the water with sharp-eyed focus, his recent catch glinting in the sunlight behind him.

Perhaps I have been a bit harsh on him...

The thought had an unpleasant taste.

Cloudysky dropped her eyes back to the water. Every so often, silver would flit beneath the surface, but by the time she'd stirred her paws into moving, it was long gone. She couldn't shake off the sluggish haze that had wrapped itself around her since she'd woken up, making everything seem slow and sticky. Moving was like wading through mud, the air pressing down on her from every direction.

The mumble of the river was punctuated by the slick sound of Rushtail's paw slicing through the water. By the time Cloudysky lifted her, head, the fish was already flapping in his jaws.

"Nice catch," she meowed out of habit. But Rushtail was well aware of his forte at fishing, as he had rubbed in her face several times. He didn't need the ego stroke.

Yet there was a humility in his shrugged, "Thanks." Like he hadn't been expecting it. Like luck had sent the fish leaping into his paws. Cloudysky just watched him for a moment. The more and more she got to know him, the more surprised she was by what she found.

He noticed her attention. "What, have I got mud on my nose again?"

She surprised herself with her own honesty. "No… Just thinking… About you."

He raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

Her eyes dropped. "I don't know… I guess that you're different."

He inclined his head. "Is that your way of admitting that you were wrong about me having changed?"

"I don't know about wrong," she interjected, smiling faintly. "Just maybe not entirely right."

She kept expecting that characteristic Rushtail smirk to twist at the corner of his lips. She'd grown to hate the expression, but it would be familiar, not like the ground she was currently treading. She kept expecting to find her paws sinking into mud, but instead she was moving forward. She'd never had a conversation like this with Rushtail before. Their relationship was built upon a foundation of sharp quips and pointed glares. This was a huge leap from that.

But Rushtail didn't smirk. He just inclined his head as to study her better. Then, lowering his head, he mewed quietly, "I told you before, I'm not the same cat as I was."

"I know, I…" She frowned at herself. "I just... wasn't ready to hear it."

It was easier to hate him. It was easier to see him as a heartless monster who had made her life a misery all those moons ago. Seeing him any differently somehow felt like a betrayal to the cat she'd been, to the way he'd hurt her.

Rushtail didn't reply for a while. He pretended to busy himself with one of the fish. The longer the silence stretched out, the more the air buzzed with tension. Cloudysky longed to break it, but that would mean finding words and whenever she opened her mouth, her tongue went dry.

Eventually, Rushtail looked at her. "I know you hate me and I'm not exactly fond of you, but… do you think we could try to be civil? I'm not expecting us to be friends, but it would just make this whole thing a lot easier if we weren't insulting each other all the time?"

Of all the things she'd expected him to say, it hadn't been that. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. "I…" She took a deep breath. I can't believe I'm saying this… "You're right. Maybe we should at least give it a try."

"Okay."

"Okay."

A painfully awkward silence.

What now?

"I guess that means I can't call you by your old nickname anymore," she meowed sadly, staring at her paws.

From the slight tilt of his head and the furrowing of his brow, it was clear he didn't remember but was too stubborn to admit it.

"Mushtail," she reminded him, unable to keep the wry smile from spreading across her face. "Don't tell me you don't remember?"

Rushtail snorted aloud. "Great StarClan, how could I forget?"

Their laughter gradually died away into a more comfortable silence. Their conversations always seemed to be like this, swinging from one extreme to the other in a matter of heartbeats. Even by now, Cloudysky still wasn't used to it - it was emotionally exhausting.

Her eyes dropped back down to the water and she reminded herself what they were actually supposed to be doing. The fish wouldn't catch themselves after all.

After several long moments of staring unseeingly, a flutter of movement at last caught her attention. Her paw darted into the water. She felt her paw skim scales, saw the gleam of silver and sunk in her claws…

Around nothing.

She meekly retracted her paw from the water, her cheeks flushed. Great. That was my chance to show him that I'm not totally useless.

Rushtail was silent, but she could feel his gaze pressing into her. Eventually he ventured, "Do you want some help?"

Great StarClan, it was like he thought she was still an apprentice.

"No," she replied bluntly.

His eyes burned into her, a challenge.

She tried to leash her irritation, reminding herself of the agreement. "No, thank you," she corrected herself.

She felt his attention shift away from her and she at least released a breath. Maybe this truce would be harder than expected.

"Okay, so if you're still allowed to call me Mushtail, does that mean I'm allowed to give you a nickname?"

Rushtail spoke easily, despite the carp he carried in his jaws and the two other fish tucked beneath his chin. Cloudysky still wasn't sure how he did it, she was struggling to talk with only minnow between her teeth. "Depends on the nickname."

He paused, weighing her up with a gaze. "Hmm…"

This had to be the longest they had been together without bickering. There had been a few moments where she'd come close to snapping at him for some arrogant remark he made, but she'd managed to hold her tongue. Just about. Of course they still teased one another, but for the most part, their conversation had actually been surprisingly pleasant.

"Having trouble coming up with one?" she teased. "Good luck trying to beat Mushtail."

The tabby tom snorted softly. "No. I think I just need some time to think of one."

She cocked an eyebrow. "That's just another way of saying that you can't come up with one."

"The best ideas take time," he meowed sagely. "You can't rush genius."

She rolled her eyes.

A distant rumble of thunder rolled in from the darkening sky. Though the sky had been a pale blue when they'd left camp, brooding clouds had quickly gathered on the horizon.

Rushtail lifted his chin, shuddering at the chill in the air. "There's a storm coming."

She gave him a withering look. "Where would RiverClan be without your insightful observations?"

He bit back a laugh. "Lost, probably." But his eyes lingered on the sky. "We should hurry back though. We don't want to get caught in it."

"What, afraid of a bit of rain?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not." But for a fraction of a second, she could have sworn she glimpsed something darker in his gaze, but before she had the chance to dwell on it, it was already gone.

Nevertheless, spurred on by the dark clouds, they both quickened their pace. Cloudysky might have been a RiverClan cat, but she didn't like the idea of getting totally soaked; her pelt took moons to dry.

They had almost returned to camp when Rushtail finally approached what had been lingering in the back of her mind all morning. "So, what do you think Rapidstream wanted to talk to you about?"

She bit her lip. "There's only one thing it could be about," she murmured. "What happened."

Rushtail frowned at her. "You think he's lying about not remembering?"

She bit her lip, avoiding his prying gaze. "I don't know. But I think maybe he remembers more than he's telling us."

Rushtail didn't speak for a while. "Like maybe that he's a spy for the Divisions," he put in tentatively.

She narrowed her eyes. "No."

Rushtail shrugged. "It's a possibility. You can't deny it."

That was the trouble. She couldn't. There was certainly something that Rapidstream was hiding.

"I'm just going to wait until I talk to him before I make any judgements," she said, shutting out the thoughts.

He took one look at her stubborn expression and sighed. "Okay. I just hope you'll do the right thing if you are wrong."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He held her gaze evenly. "I just hope your loyalty to RiverClan is more important than your loyalty to Rapidstream."

The words knocked her where she was least expecting and for a moment she was at a loss for what to say. "What? You think I wouldn't tell Hollowstar if I thought Rapidstream was endangering the Clan?"

But Rushtail had noticed the hesitation. He didn't speak, but she saw the disbelief written across his face.

"Did you ever tell Hollowstar like you said you would? About your suspicions of Rapidstream?" she asked, trying to deflect the attention from her.

The tabby tom kept his eyes fixed on the trees ahead. "I was going to, but…"

"But?"

He sighed. "I haven't… Not yet at least. I just wish Rapidstream would tell us what what's going on. Hollowstar's never going to believe me if I accuse him of being a spy. I need evidence."

The tightness in her chest alleviated. "Well, I'll just have to find out what's going on then."

"I? I think you mean 'we'. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you, remember?"

She feigned a smile. "Well, then you'll just have to keep an eye on me keeping an eye on him. Or you could just forget about that agreement and let me do it alone."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

She sighed. "Unfortunately."

Silence enveloped them once more, broken only by growling thunder. The storm was getting closer, the light ebbing from the forest. Fortunately for them, camp wasn't far now, hidden only by a small copse of hawthorns. They'd reached the main path now, worn down by seasons of pawsteps, and it was only then that Cloudysky noticed something was horribly wrong.

"Why is it so quiet?"

Rushtail stiffened.

There were no birds singing.

He tried to smooth away the fear that had started to furrow his brow. "The storm?" he suggested weakly.

For a moment, they just stared at one another, then back at the path ahead. For a moment, Cloudysky forgot how to move. It was as if her paws had grown roots, anchoring her to this spot forever.

And then the rain came crashing down.

One moment she was standing stock-still. The next she was bolting towards camp. She didn't even realised she'd dropped her fish until she was stood in the camp entrance. By that point, it didn't matter.

Because even the rain couldn't wash away the scent of blood.

And for a moment she was back at the ShadowClan border with Ratscar's body at her feet.

The reality was almost as bad.

At first she thought they were bodies. Lain out across camp, wherever there was shelter from the storm. But then she spotted the stirrings of life, the ragged breathing and the groans of the wounded.

"Great StarClan," Rushtail breathed.

Cloudysky didn't reply. She just stared.

No one noticed them immediately. Then, gradually, a few cats lifted their heads and mumbled greetings. But no one seemed able to find the words to explain what had happened. However, it seemed clear enough from the crimson scars that marred so many pelts.

"We were attacked?" Her words were scarcely a whisper, almost drowned out by the drumming of rain.

A few Clanmates finally found it in themselves to nod grimly.

"By… By the Divisions?" Rushtail stuttered out, finally shaking himself free from shock.

Robinwing stood, stepping away from the figure he'd been hunched over. Cloudysky was taken aback by the raw anger she found in his eyes. A cat who was usually so mellow and polite with a face of thunder. But when he spoke, his voice was tired, empty. "No. ShadowClan."

She forgot how to breathe. "ShadowClan?" she squeaked.

In the corner of her eye, Rushtail's pelt bristled. "Why?"

Robinwing broke her gaze and breathed deeply, steadying himself. After a long pause, he finally murmured a single word. "Ratscar."

An icy numbness had started to creep through her. Cloudysky waited for the blow of guilt, but instead she felt nothing. Robinwing finally dared look at her, waiting for a response. But all she could do was stare unseeingly.

This attack was because of me.

Still, nothing. Her chest felt hollow.

It was my fault.

That chill continued to spread through her. She supposed she must have kept breathing. Her heart must have continued to beat. But she didn't feel it.

She lifted her head and turned to face the rest of camp. The stench of blood hit the roof of her mouth. Ratscar's empty eyes appeared before her once more.

It was too much.

Without a word, she strode away from the two warriors. She could feel her throat closing up, her stomach roiling.

"Hey."

Cloudysky ignored him.

"Hey, Cloudysky. It's okay."

She glared at him over her shoulder. "That's a stupid thing to say. It's not okay. Cats could have died." The words were bitter in her mouth, another wave of nausea crashing over her. Oh StarClan, did anyone die?

Rushtail glanced away sheepishly. "That's… Look, it's not what I meant. It wasn't your fault, okay? Don't blame this on yourself."

"Not my fault?" She barked out a dry laugh. "Stop lying to yourself." She gestured broadly to the rest of camp. "Everyone knows that if I hadn't…" Her words lost momentum and she had to fight to keep her voice from wavering. "If I hadn't killed him, this attack wouldn't have happened."

"Cloudysky-"

"Leave me alone, Rushtail."

She didn't wait to hear his response. Gritting her teeth, she padded on.

She squinted against the rain, suppressing the urge to shudder, and scoured the bedraggled warriors for familiar faces. Blank, bleary-eyed expressions stared back at her. Mintfur. Morningsky. Pikefang. She should have felt relief at seeing them alive and breathing, but instead the dread in her stomach got heavier. There were missing faces. Cats who should have been here.

Without even thinking about it, she found her eyes seeking out a familiar golden pelt. As soon as she caught herself, she felt a sting of guilt. When was the last time she showed a single shred of care for me? But she couldn't stop the gnawing in her gut, not until she spotted Goldenlight's face amidst the crowd. She barely acknowledged her sister with more than a nod before continuing her search.

But Rainsplash spotted her before she did.

"Cloudysky, thank StarClan!"

The grey she-cat barrelled into her, nearly knocking Cloudysky off her paws. When she finally got a good look at her, she was amazed that her friend had been able to run in the first place. "Oh my stars, are you okay?" she blurted out.

Rainsplash glanced down at herself, at the long, open wound that stretched from the base of her tail to her toes. "I'd be lying if I said yes," she murmured, wincing slightly as she sat herself down. "But it could be worse. I was lucky. Mothwing's rushed off her paws tending to the wounded."

Cloudysky swallowed thickly. "Is anyone… Did anyone…"

"Die?" Rainsplash offered. Then she shook her head. "No. Thank StarClan."

Some of the tension at last left Cloudysky's shoulders. For the first time since she'd entered camp, she was able to breathe deeply. "What about Littlestream? Rapidstream?"

"Both fine," Rainsplash assured her, feigning a smile. "We've been worried sick about you though. When we couldn't find you we started to think… maybe…" She trailed off, her gaze growing empty.

"Rushtail and I were fishing." .There were still so many questions spinning around her head. "What happened? Did they attack camp? How long ago?"

A wan smile flicked on Rainsplash's lips. "Hey, slow down." She touched her tail gently to Cloudysky's side. Only when the grey-and-white she-cat had relaxed did she start to explain. "They attacked a border patrol, not long after you left camp."

"A border patrol? Then why are so many cats-"

"Just listen a moment, okay?" Her expression was stony. Cloudysky's eyes widened and she nodded slowly.

Her friend continued. "When the patrol tried to retreat to camp, ShadowClan followed them."

Cloudysky's stomach lurched.

"The patrol I was on reached them just before they got to camp. We managed to drive them away, but…" She drew in a deep breath. "I've never seen them so furious. They refused to give up, even when we outnumbered them. It was terrifying."

It took all of Cloudysky's strength to lift her head and meet her eyes. "All because of Ratscar," she whispered.

Rainsplash's eyes widened. "Cloudysky-"

"Please don't try and deny it," she interjected, her brows creased. "It's true. This was my fault."

Rainsplash leaned forward and drew her tongue over the top of her head before resting her chin there. "Don't be so mouse-brained," she murmured softly. "This was the Divisions fault. This is what they want. If the Clans are divided, it makes us easier to fight." She pulled her closer to her, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You did the right thing, Cloudysky, don't ever let anyone tell you differently. I don't think I could have been so brave if it had been me."

Why did they keep throwing that word around? Brave. It hadn't been brave. It had been reckless. She should have run to fetch a medicine cat, or anyone. She shouldn't have given in to Ratscar's pleas. She should have tried, not given up on him. Before she could stop herself, she was sobbing.

Weak, a cruel voice in her head sneered. Coward.

But there was another voice, soothing and gentle in her ear. "It's okay. Let it out. I'm here."

The dam that she'd kept around her heart ever since that awful day at last broke. At once she was shaking, her eyes blurred with tears and her tongue thick.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, weeping onto Rainsplash's shoulder, but when her sobs had become dry and her throat raw, she finally lifted her head.

"Feel better?" Rainsplash whispered.

Her heart was still heavy and her limbs weak, but the tension in her chest had been relieved. Slowly, she nodded. "A little."

Rainsplash smiled kindly. "Don't bottle it up, okay? You can come cry on me whenever you want. Though maybe not just after I've just groomed my pelt."

It was too soon for laughter, but Rainsplash's words coaxed out a faint smile. Slowly, she let her eyes drift back to the camp. Mothwing was weaving amongst the injured, pausing often to check wounds and offer herbs. However, it wasn't her that caught her eye. It was Hollowstar, who was now marching briskly towards them.

"Cloudysky. Rainsplash." He dipped his head to each cat in turn, but his eyes came back to Cloudysky. "Glad to see you back safely. Is Rushtail with you?"

She jerked her head over her shoulder towards where Rushtail still stood with Robinwing.

Hollowstar nodded, satisfied. "Good." She expected him to leave to talk to him, but instead he sat down. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Rainsplash, do you mind if-"

"No problem, Hollowstar." The grey she-cat bobbed her head in a goodbye and then headed for the Medicine Cats' Den, no doubt to visit her brother.

For the second time that morning, dread weighed in her belly. "Is this… about Ratscar?" she asked warily, staring at the wet earth to avoid his gaze.

His features softened. At once she was very conscious of the redness around her eyes. He'd probably seen her sobbing just moments before. "I'm sure Rainsplash already told you, but you're not responsible for this attack, Cloudysky." He brushed his tail gently to her side. "I stand by what I said, you did a kind thing in ending his pain sooner. Even if you hadn't been there that morning, ShadowClan still would have pinned the blame on us. He'd been left at the RiverClan border with RiverClan scent all over him, all signs pointed to us." He shook his head as if to clear his mind. "Yes, the attack was about that. But it wasn't your fault. In fact, I think it was inevitable." He paused. "I actually wanted to talk to you about Rapidstream. During the attack, Toadfoot claimed they'd been finding his scent all over their territory."

Cloudysky froze. "What?"

Hollowstar nodded solemnly. "I've spoken to Rainsplash and his friends already. I'm trying to speak to everyone who's close to him. So, I wanted to know if you had any idea what he might have been doing?"

He must have been able to hear her heart. She was sure of it. It was pounding so furiously, she wouldn't have even have been surprised if it had burst out of her chest. An internal battle was warring inside her: her heart versus her head. It would be the right thing to do to tell Hollowstar how she had seen him crossing the border into ShadowClan territory, or even of Rushtail's suspicions of his association with the Divisions. And yet… She knew Rapidstream. He was no traitor.

"How can they know it's his scent?" she asked, a desperate attempt to buy time. "They don't know RiverClan well enough to recognise him, do they?"

Hollowstar only shrugged. "I have no idea, but they seemed pretty insistent." His eyes strayed in the direction of the Medicine Cats' Den. "Have you noticed anything different about him maybe? Did he mention anything."

She bit her lip. "I don't think so. I don't remember at least."

The Clan leader frowned to himself. He eventually broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "I just don't understand it. He's never been anything but a loyal warrior. A little immature sometimes, sure, but I've never had any reason to doubt him. And now this." He stared off, his expression vacant. "I've actually started to wonder if maybe his trespassing has something to do with his accident."

Her breath hitched. "I have no idea," she mumbled, lowering her head. "Sorry."

He brushed it off. "It's not your fault," he insisted, rising to his paws. "It would just be a lot easier if he could remember what had happened to him."

"Yeah…"

"Well, thank you anyway. I'd better go talk to Mothwing, but if you remember anything or he says anything, you know where to find me."

"Of course."

She watched him leave. It wasn't until then that she noticed how tired he was. His movements were sluggish, even though his pelt didn't carry any new scars. But even if he hadn't fought in the battle himself, the aftermath of it was draining. But he wouldn't rest until he was sure that all of his Clanmates were safe and well. He was the cat entrusted with looking after them, the one who was supposed to protect them… It was a job that never ended.

And I just lied to him.

Rushtail's words came back to her with a sharp sting. I just hope your loyalty to RiverClan is more important than your loyalty to Rapidstream.

She'd made her choice. She'd chosen Rapidstream.

She cleared her lungs with a deep breath and glanced in the direction of the Medicine Cats' Den. Rainsplash was with him now, she would have to wait until later to talk to him.

You'd better not let me down, Rapidstream.

It was dark when Cloudysky made her way to the Medicine Cats' Den.

She had waited until she was sure Rushtail was sound asleep before she'd dared stir from her nest. It was a cloudy night and though the rain had long since stopped, the ground was still wet from the downpour. No matter how lightly she tried to tread, the mud squelched with each step.

Mothwing's den was almost empty. Despite the afternoon's attack, only the medicine cat herself and Rapidstream occupied the den. The other warriors had been sent to their nests, with Mothwing arguing that a night in their own nests would do them far more good than a night in her den.

Now, the medicine cat slept deeply, faint snores resounding from her as Cloudysky passed. She'd certainly earned the rest - she'd been working her paws off all afternoon ensuring the wounded were all tended to. With Willowshine still looking after Applekit, the last diseased cat in the Clan, it was too risky for her to risk returning to camp to help, in case she should bring the disease with her. So Mothwing had done the work of two cats and hadn't gone to her nest until Hollowstar had to order her to do so. Like him, the Clan always came before her own needs.

Even with the murmur of the river to muffle her words, she kept her voice to a hushed whisper. Something told her that this wasn't a conversation she wanted others to overhear. "Rapidstream… Hey, Rapidstream!"

Rapidstream didn't stir. Not even when her whisper became an urgent hiss. Great StarClan, he sleeps like a log.

She didn't have the patience to wake him gently. Instead, she resorted to a shove. "Wake up, you big lump."

Rapidstream sat bolt upright, eyes flying wide open. "What in the name of-"

She shoved her tail over his mouth before he could finish the sentence. He just stared wide-eyed at her, one paw in reality and the other still in his dreams. After blinking a few times, he finally seemed to shake off his daze and frowned at her, pushing away her tail. "What in StarClan's name are you doing here? Did you really have to wake me up?"

Truthfully, the answer to that question was probably no. She could have waited until morning. Nevertheless, Cloudysky liked to take precautions. "You said you wanted to talk."

He squinted up at her. "Again, did you have to wake me up?"

"I thought it might be a conversation that you didn't want to be overheard."

His brow furrowed. "And you didn't think that we could just leave camp for that?"

"You really think Mothwing would let you leave camp after what you've been through?"

Rapidstream held her gaze for several moments before heaving a sigh of resignation. "Okay, fine."

Cloudysky waited quietly as he stretched and then sat up again, curling his tail around his paws. His expression was strangely solemn, devoid of a single spark of that usual mischief. It made her chest tighten.

He cast a glance over at Mothwing before he finally dared speak. "Okay… So, here's the thing."

"Yeah?"

Rapidstream chewed on his lip. "I spoke to Shadewing-"

"Shadewing? What's she got to do with this?"

He couldn't meet her gaze. His eyes kept straying elsewhere, unable to settle in one place for more than a second. "Well, before I left camp, I sort of asked her to have my back."

Have his back? For what?

"And she told me what I'd said to her before… Well, before this happened." He gestured to his head. Cloudysky winced at the sight of the scar tissue. "And… what she told me has helped me start to piece together what happened."

Great StarClan, he certainly likes to draw it out. Anticipation prickled in her paws.

"I went to visit ThunderClan."

Of all the things she'd been expecting to hear, it hadn't been that. She stared. "ThunderClan? Why?"

"Did I tell you how I thought I scented the Divisions when Hollowstar and I tried to visit them? It was just after the Great Shake, I wanted to see if they were okay."

Cloudysky's brow creased and her heart quickened. "Maybe? I don't remember."

For a moment, she thought he was just shuffling his paws out of nervousness. Then she realised he'd pulled out something from underneath his nest. A tuft of fur, dark as night. Before she could ask why, he held it towards her.

And then she caught the scent clinging to it.

She could never forget that scent.

"I found this in my claws when I was grooming myself," he whispered. "I think it must have been from whoever attacked me."

Cloudysky's mind spun. She didn't want to hear what he said next. Didn't want to believe it.

But she couldn't bring herself to look away when Rapidstream held her gaze, his expression so solemn. "I think the Divisions have attacked ThunderClan."

She could hardly breathe. A chilling numbness was sweeping through her, turning her paws to ice. If ThunderClan had been attacked… Who was next?

"Why are you telling me this?" she eventually whispered, a tremor in her voice. "We need to tell Hollowstar. Right now."

Rapidstream laughed dryly, but his face was totally cold. "You really think he'll believe it on the evidence of a tuft of hair and the word of a cat who's knocked his head?"

He had a point.

"You're the only one who I knew would believe me. Besides, I broke the warrior code. I went against Hollowstar's word and trespassed on another Clan's territory. He'll never trust me again."

"But we can't not tell him," she argued. "We can't just sit here and do nothing."

"I know." He went silent for a moment. "Okay, we can tell him. But we've got to do more. Even if he does believe us, what's he going to do? We can't help. Even with ThunderClan, the Divisions outnumber us."

She frowned. "What do you want us to do then?"

He drew in a deep breath. "We need to rebuild the alliance."

Seedflight

"Okay, you're putting too much weight on your haunches. Lean forward a bit. A little more. There."

With trembling legs and the expression of a startled rabbit, Fizzy was the picture of fear, but for one fleeting moment, she was doing it. The Hunter's Crouch.

And despite the fact that she was a Division cat, despite the fact that she'd known her for barely a half-moon, Seedflight couldn't help but feel a flush of pride.

Fizzy maintained the position for just long enough to smile before she lost her balance again and crumpled to the ground.

Seedflight winced. "Just need to work on maintaining it, okay?" she mewed, smiling kindly.

The other she-cat picked herself off the ground, her brow furrowed. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Being such a slow learner."

Seedflight snorted. "There isn't a single warrior alive that mastered the Hunter's Crouch in three nights."

Fizzy shuffled her paws in the dirt. "Yeah, but I'm not a kit. This shouldn't be taking so long."

Honestly, when she'd offered to teach Fizzy to hunt, she'd expected very little of the Division she-cat. But she'd surprised her. It would still take time for her to develop her skills, but somehow, beneath that thick, fluffy pelt and those wide, doe-like eyes, Fizzy had the instinct of a warrior. Perhaps not the balance of one, but certainly the instinct.

"You just need to keep practising," she assured her. "It takes time for the muscles to develop."

Fizzy didn't appear convinced.

"I think that's enough for one night. We should probably get back to the den before someone notices we're missing."

Someone being one of the other Division queens: Della and Vixen. The two she-cats seemed to spend most of their time glaring at the Clan cats and, other than their names, hadn't breathed so much as a single word to them. Not that it bothered Seedflight, she was more than happy to keep ignoring them.

Seedflight waited until Fizzy had slid under the bramble screen and then wriggled after her. Though it was past moon-high, a few heads still turned in their direction. Seedflight wasn't looking at them though. She was staring at Della and Vixen's empty nests.

She padded back to her nest, where Dovewing had been watching over her kits. The tightness in her belly uncoiled slightly at the sight of Frostkit and Duskkit sleeping soundly, but she couldn't shake off the prickling discomfort in her belly. "Where are they?" she asked the other queen, nodding in the direction of the two vacant nests.

But it wasn't Dovewing who answered her.

"The Guardian's called a meeting."

A timid white she-cat peered at her from the corner, the moonlight casting her pelt in a hazy glow. It was only the second time Seedflight had heard her speak, the first time being when she'd told them her name - Snowy.

Slowly, her words sunk in. A meeting. She cast her eyes back towards the two empty nests. She knew better than to ask too many questions - questions got you caught. But she couldn't resist the one from slipping off her tongue. "Why aren't you there?"

In response, Snowy lowered her eyes to the kits at her belly, sleeping deeply. Seedflight watched them for a moment, tiny bundles of downy fur. At this age, they looked so similar to her own kits. And yet the futures mapped out for them were so different. Or perhaps they once been - now, Seedflight wasn't so sure what lay ahead.

At once she turned away and returned to her own kits. Duskkit and Frostkit barely even noticed when Dovewing slipped out of the nest and Seedflight took their place. She nodded her thanks to the other queen, and then she glanced towards the den entrance.

Less than two tail-lengths stood between her nest and the den walls. Perhaps if she listened carefully…

"Some of you…. why we're here…. noticed that… missing."

That distinctive venomous tone always turned her veins to ice. The Guardian. But she was too far - she could only catch snatches of his words. Cautiously, she shuffled a little closer, careful not to disturb her kits.

Leaf-fall had worn away at the bramble walls, leaving them bare and skeletal. Through the branches, Seedflight could just make out mass of cats. In the moonlight, they almost looked like ghosts, huddled figures drained of colour.

"These cats were spotted pursuing Clan cats during the battle. Two weeks have passed and they still have not returned. And so we must acknowledge them for what they are - traitors."

Seedflight felt numb. She'd seen the Division cats with Snowfall. She'd watched them escape, unable to do anything but stare.

The Guardian's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "Coal. Red. Blaze. Dart. Sniff." The last two name were spoken more deliberately, as if they carried more weight than the others.

The reaction from the gathered cats was immediate; a wildfire of whispers- exclamations of shock and disbelief. But there were some who didn't seem surprised, professing that they'd seen it coming.

"Never trusted Red," a grisly-faced she-cat growled. "Never said nothin'. Always looked startled as a deer."

Her companion grunted in agreement.

"It can't be true," a silver tabby she-cat murmured. "Dart… He would never. He must have some other reason for leaving."

"You'd defend him even if he tried to kill you," the she-cat next to her replied, shaking her head. "You need to get over him, Luna."

The Guardian waited a few moments longer before silencing them with a single stare.

"These cats haven't just betrayed me, they've also betrayed you." He allowed a pause for the words to sink in before continuing. "I've sent out several search parties, but I want every cat to keep their eyes and ears open. When these traitors are found, they are to be brought to be to face trial for treason."

When these traitors are found, not if. The Guardian had an incredible amount of confidence in his system. And why shouldn't he? From everything Seedflight had seen so far, the Divisions' efficiency was terrifying.

She didn't catch much of the rest of his speech except two words that seemed louder than the rest: "preparations" and "attack".

There was a plunging sensation in her stomach.

It confirmed nothing she hadn't already suspected; she'd heard the whispers, seen the cats lining up in formation. She and her Clanmates hungered for news about what was going on beyond their den. But there was only one thing worse than not knowing and that was knowing.

She breathed in and out, the air hissing through her gritted teeth. An attack. On who? Which Clan would be the next target?

As the meeting outside started to break up, she shifted back into her nest. Only then did she dare glance back at her denmates. She found her own fear mirrored in their faces.

"Great StarClan," Orangeflight murmured under her breath. Her kittens shrank closer to her. They might not have heard the meeting, but they could feel the shiver of fear in the air. It was impossible not to.

Della and Vixen seemed immune to the tension, however. The two she-cats padded back into the den wordlessly and instead of expressions of apprehension, they merely looked irritated to have been called away from their nests. Their kittens skittered around their paws, unfazed by what they'd just listened to.

Vixen caught her watching before Seedflight abruptly looked away. Her eyes fell on Rosepetal.

The cream she-cat lay on her side with her back to Seedflight, her dozy snores floating on the cool night air. A dull ache awoke in her chest, intertwining with the throb of grief. She had scarcely spoken to Rosepetal since that fateful day by the lake, but the more time went by, the harder it was becoming to keep her at a distance.

Rosepetal didn't kill them, she reminded herself. It wouldn't have made a difference had she kept her kits hidden at the back of the nursery or whether she'd never concealed them in the first place. All Rosepetal had done was suggest moving them out. It was stupid to remain cold towards her, but grief does strange things to cats.

Seedflight's eyes lingered on her a moment longer before glancing away. Tomorrow, she vowed. I'll talk to her tomorrow.

Now, she had more pressing matters - Duskkit was awake and was making it known with loud, demanding squeaks. Even with tiredness weighing down her eyelids, she found the energy to smile. She knew it wouldn't be long now until they started opening their eyes; they were fast approaching their first half-moon. It was a sharp reminder that they wouldn't be kittens forever.

She thrust the thought to one side and instead tried to stay anchored in the present. She nosed Duskkit to her belly and instantly she fell quiet.

It came over her slowly, like a wind slowly creeping in; Seedflight became aware of a pair of eyes pressing into her.

Initially, she ignored it. She willed herself to keep a neutral expression and didn't let her attention stray from the kittens.

Then there was a shift of movement in the corner of her eyes.

Della was walking towards her.

Don't let her get to you.

Slowly, she forced out a smile and opened her mouth to speak, but Della's voice cut precisely through the air, polished and refined.

"What have you been doing with Fizzy."

It wasn't a question. It was the demand of a cat that was used to getting answers.

There it was, that hatred boiling deep in her gut. She levelled her gaze, biting her tongue to keep from letting a retort slip out. Was it all a mask, that arrogance? Did she wear it as a shield? Maybe she's just as scared as Fizzy is.

The thought was bitter and uncomfortable, but it allowed her to put a leash on her temper and breathe deeply. "I don't know what you mean," she meowed smoothly.

Della's eyes flashed. "You might be a Clan cat, but I know you're not stupid. What have you been doing with Fizzy?"

If they found out about the training… StarClan knew what was in store for her. Queens learning how to fight was a threat to the system the Guardian had created, even if it was only one cat.

"Why do you care?" Seedflight challenged coolly.

"Because you're a Clan cat and I'm a Division cat. I have the right to know."

Her sense of entitlement was maddening. It took all of her restraint to keep from responding with a savage retort. Instead, she calmly said, "I've been teaching her to hunt."

Della looked stunned, seemingly caught off guard by Seedflight's blunt honesty. What she'd come to realise was that it was far better to be honest to the Divisions than to lie - they always uncovered the truth anyway. But although Seedflight's expression was calm and collected, her heart was thumping furiously in her chest.

The other she-cat stared her down. "And you do realise that goes against the Guardian's laws?" she hissed urgently.

Seedflight shrugged. "I was never told of them."

"You should have known them."

"How can I be expected to know something I was never told?"

Della ignored her retort. "If I see you even talking to Fizzy again, I will go straight to the Guardian," she growled. Without another word, Della strode back to her nest, making a pointed effort to sit with her back facing her.

Only then did Seedflight finally breathe, sinking deep into her nest. That had been bold; she wasn't sure if she'd been brave or stupid. Most likely both. She's not going to tell… yet. Or so she'd said. Seedflight had no reason to trust her to keep to her word.

She'd been naive to think she could hide anything from the Divisions. Or maybe she'd just been hopeful. They could all use more hope.

Her eyes slid over to Fizzy's nest. Though the ginger she-cat was curled up tightly into a ball with her eyes closed, her tail-tip twitched periodically; she'd no doubt heard every word Della had said.

Seedflight had two options: to stop the training sessions and bow quietly to the Divisions or to resist. The first wasn't an option anymore. It didn't matter if it kept herself and her kits safer in the short-run, she had to do something, she had to fight back in the only way she could, the only way that would guarantee a future for her kits. She had to fight. Even if that was just teaching another cat to fend for herself. She had to fight. Even if it terrified her.

Okay, time for a long Author's Note! To those of you who may have been wondering - no, I'm not stopping Blue Moon. However, it's no longer going to be my priority I'm afraid. I adore BM and I want to finish it, but I have another project which is an original story that some of you may have heard me talk about called Letters from No One. I'll save more information about it for later, when I've worked more on it, but it has a very special place in my heart.

Anyway. The reason why this chapter took so long has been a mixture of lack of time (I've been working on this huge project at school for several months and it's been a nightmare), plus a lack of motivation and interest. I love Blue Moon, I do, but it does get quite limiting writing about cats. And ultimately, Warriors is someone else's story. It's not mine. I also found whilst re-reading this chapter that I really don't like some of the elements of Blue Moon. It's too complicated, for one. One of the drawbacks of starting a six book series with no plan, haha. I also overdescribe way too much and I really want to work on refining my style. Also, Cloudysky is so angsty, oh my gosh. I still have so much work to do with character development. So I'm going to keep working on BM, but you may notice some changes in upcoming chapters. My style may change a lot, the chapters may become shorter, etc. My plan is to finish Blue Moon, but if I decide not to, which is unlikely, I will let you guys know! I won't let you just sit in the dark waiting on an update, promise.

Anyway, I'll round it up here for now. It's super busy in my house right now, what with Christmas. Plus on the 26th I'm visiting NYC! I've never been to the US before so that's exciting! Anyway, happy holidays! I hope you have a wonderful time, even those who don't celebrate anything this time of year. It's been a crazy year for me, but good crazy. ^^ Hope you guys are all doing wonderfully! -hugs-

Live, Love, Read and Review!

(man, it's been a long time since I've said that!)

~Leafy