Lynxpaw winced as she recalled the looks on her Clanmates faces. Their faces wavered and twitched out of utter shock and turmoil flashed in their eyes like the haunting eyes of an approaching monster. Mousestar's voice, soothed and soft despite her obvious troubles and rage, managed to calm the delivery of the news, but Lynxpaw could only remember the horror and realization that flickered in their gazes.

The looks on HeathClan cats faces when they realized their Clanmates were being stripped away from them. The panic shadowed over Cherrytuft's face and the sorrow attached to Robinwing's.

There was more realization littered across the cats of RidgeClan though. A spark of hope and relief existed for one of them amongst them all: Hawkpaw. With the news delivered and the truth behind Cottonstar surfaced, every cat looked to him with a frown of pity. RidgeClan members came to a realization that Hawkpaw was entirely innocent, every doubt clouding their brain now vanishing. But with that, came an even bitter realization.

Cottonstar's possessor murdered Marshleap to cause turmoil within them. Tear them apart. A way to gain followers by splitting half of the Clan onto his side and make the other side appear as murderous supporters.

It shocked Lynxpaw how every cat had little to no hesitation to agree to Mousestar's proposition of battle. Most of the HeathClan cats seemed vengeful, claws digging into the soil beneath them as they were informed of their Clanmates' possession. It rattled Lynxpaw though, for she could only imagine what the battle scene would actually bring over them. Overwhelming feelings of regret and sorrow would overtake those of vengeance, and no HeathClanner would even dare to try and spill the blood of their own Clanmates.

Mousestar was obviously pleased by their agreement. She proposed that they launched a direct attack in two sunfalls, and then they would attack at the last sunfall in the midst of the night. No cat budged to make an opposition, and even Leafdance slowly nodded along in agreement with the mollies words.

Now, Lynxpaw watched as the camp buzzed with activity. Their final sunfall was happening, and Mousestar and Leafdance began towards the center of camp. A lump of nervousness formed in Lynxpaw's throat and she swallowed hard. In a matter of a few tail flicks, Mousestar and Leafdance would call for every cat recruited to battle to venture off with them.

Lynxpaw shivered. And who knows how many may come back.

"Lynxpaw? You seem nervous." The molly grew tense at the familiar, comforting voice of Robinwing. She tilted her head to watch as the tom stepped up to her side. "Are you alright?"

Lynxpaw nodded, forcing a reassuring smile. "It's just my first battle. That's all."

Since many HeathClanners still had healing, major wounds, most of the battle patrol had to consist of RidgeClanners. In the end though, the flock of Clanless cats still had little claws to aid the battle and give them an advantage, which allowed Mousestar to conclude that the medicine cats and younger apprentices join as well. Dappledpaw, Kestrelpaw, Robinwing, and Lynxpaw were brought in, and the thought of being engaged in battle rattled her.

Nightfrost had refused to join the battle, since he opposed getting involved in violence himself. It puzzled most of the other cats, but Lynxpaw knew her mentor and how he despised being involved in violence, even for the better good. Perhaps it was the bitterness of his own father, but no cat dared to object to his words. Meanwhile, Robinwing refused for Fernpaw to get involved because unlike Lynxpaw, he had absolutely no idea how to behave in combat.

It's okay Lynxpaw, you know enough to keep yourself alive, the molly told herself. You may be a medicine cat, but your friends need you right now more than ever. Just... Pray to the stars that this is the only battle you have to fight.

"Every cat who pledged to fight, please join us!" Mousestar's voice echoed across their shelter, crafting an ominous shiver that lingered down Lynxpaw's spine.

Cats began to scramble from their dens or meow a quiet goodbye to their kin or companions they were speaking to. They watched as they departed from their sides with somber expressions that stimulated a shiver down Lynxpaw's spine. Did some of them really fear that their kin and friends wouldn't return? Is this what war was like? In the end it wasn't the justice or the victory that mattered, but whether a loved one returned or not. That was the true sign of victory or defeat.

Lynxpaw kept to Robinwing's side, forcing a smile upon her face as she heard familiar, low voices grow closer. Mottledrose, Hawkpaw, and Cherrytuft stepped over to her side, each of them burdened with a different expression. Cherrytuft's face was twisted in determination, but a frown built from her past sorrows was left upon her. Mottledrose's expression was enlightening, the molly casting Lynxpaw a welcoming smile as she joined them. Meanwhile, Hawkpaw looked utterly terrified.

Despite now having the trust of every cat around him, the tom still seemed to not reconcile with ideas of war and treachery. Lynxpaw frowned, empathy for her brother making her ears drop and her form press closer to his. The smaller molly brushed against her bigger brother, who blinked in surprise but flashed his sister a faint, thankful look.

"Let's go! May we return by sunrise!" Mousestar yowled, nodding to Leafdance as they began to lead the group ahead.

Lynxpaw held her breath as if they began to submerge themselves in a deep lake. Her paws felt heavy as they left the safe confines of their new home. It was in that moment that she felt as if she was drowning in her thoughts, concerns twisted around her brain like tight, thorn covered vines. Her gaze was glossy and her head was lowered, but she kept a steady pace in between Hawkpaw and Mottledrose as they traveled into HeathClan territory.

The journey flew by in a blur due to Lynxpaw only remaining focused on her troubling thoughts. The overwhelming scents of HeathClan marks released her from her entrapment, the mollies ears perked as they entered the moor. She blinked and focused straight ahead, acknowledging the moon in the midst of the sky and its faint light blanketing the HeathClan moor. The stars appeared cluttered above them and almost as if they were blinking at her, and it stimulated a chill across Lynxpaw. Was the Star Realm watching their battle?

Swallowing her worries, Lynxpaw raised her head and glanced over the cats ahead of her. She noticed the HeathClan camp coming into perspective before them, and the rest of the group began to lower their haunches and slink towards the HeathClan shelter. Lynxpaw blinked as Mottledrose brushed a tail over her shoulder, persuading her to follow their leader and crouch silently towards the camp. The medicine cat apprentice quickly followed her friend's suggestion and slithered forward with the rest of the group.

Their attack was given a simplistic strategy: approach the camp silently but then abruptly charge in and take HeathClan by surprise. The entrance to the camp was currently downwind, therefore their scent was hidden from any cats who wandered inside. Leafdance and Mousestar had developed the strategy perfectly by combing Mousestar's knowledge of HeathClan and Leafdance's excellent recollection of ambushes. They were not being guided by a pair of blind, blood-hungry furballs, and it relieved Lynxpaw and the others enough to keep their minds concentrated and placid.

They were now within a few foxlengths of the camp, and Lynxpaw watched as Leafdance slowly rose from his crouched position. Her claws unsheathed and marked the soft soil below her. Anxiety boiled and churned in her stomach but she kept herself together, her fur rippling along her spine. Leafdance's chest heaved with a sharp intake of air before he beckoned to the others with his tail.

"Attack!" The tom yowled out in command.

Lynxpaw's ears pinned to the back of her head as they all began to quickly charge forward. She shoved into a few of her own companions as she struggled to keep close to Robinwing, mumbling them a soft apology as she did. Her and the former HeathClan medicine cat eventually entered the interior of the camp that was beginning to bustle wildly with activity.

HeathClan cats woke from their rest, groggy as they stumbled from their dens. Their foggy gazes observed the attacking group of outcasts and not a wave of sympathy or acknowledge for their old clanmates and friends passed over them. Their lips curled back and they leaped into battle, hissing and spitting as they locked onto an opponent.

How quickly the HeathClanner's attacked unsettled Lynxpaw. They locked tooth and claw with cats even of their own kin, not a wave of regret simmering over their expressions. Mousestar batted away her own deputy, but Lynxpaw could only frown as she observed the leader avoiding injuring the tom. She dodged away from as many as Newtclaw's blows as possible and merely shoved him with any chance she had open to strike. The leader was desperate to win the battle by harming as few as her clanmates as she could.

"Watch out!"

Lynxpaw's attention was pulled away from Mousestar at Robinwing's frantic warning. Her eyes widened as she whirled around to spot a HeathClan tom lunging for her, a blood-hungry look staining his foggy gaze. She shrieked in surprise but Robinwing had leaped to her rescue, the tom slamming into his former clanmate's side.

The medicine cat apprentice watched as Robinwing and the tom rolled across the earth together, hissing and spitting at one another. Lynxpaw's head buzzed with frustrations at herself for not protecting herself, stimulating an urge to help Robinwing battle his old clanmate. Her lips pulled back in a snarl and she arched her back, haunches rolling back as she prepared herself to launch towards the tom that now had Robinwing pinned down. Before she could successfully leap into battle though, a familiar cat stepped into her line of sight.

"Webpaw?" Lynxpaw murmured softly, her posture dropping at the sight of the young apprentice.

The tom didn't vocalize a response, instead he hissed and pounced at Lynxpaw. The molly panicked but managed to jump back to avoid his grasp, her eyes wide and breathing heavy. Webpaw spat in clear frustration at her dodge and aimed a blow to her shoulder, which Lynxpaw took with a yowl of pain. His claws tore through her fur and ruptured her skin, blood spilling from the open wound. She winced in pain but managed to lift her other paw while Webpaw was distracted, raking her claws across the side of his face.

The tom shrieked in pain and glanced away, his eyes squeezed shut as blood seeped beneath them. Lynxpaw took the opportunity to raise his paw again and aim a blow for his shoulder to unbalance him so she could get by. As she nearly scored her claws across his shoulder though, the tom turned and sunk his teeth into her foreleg. She yowled in pain as he twisted and her only option to avoid a fractured foreleg was to turn with the twist, resulting in the feline flopping over onto her back.

Webpaw took advantage of her situation, releasing his grip and pouncing onto her. He pinned the apprentice down, his claws seeping into her open wound in the process. Lynxpaw gasped in pain and struggled under his grasp, fear pulsating through her so quickly her mind went blank and she found herself unable to think properly. Her gaze locked with Webpaw's and a pleading hum erupted from her as she began to stop her thrashing.

Webpaw only parted his jaws, his sharp teeth slowly approaching Lynxpaw's throat. Lynxpaw squeezed her eyes shut and retired from her fighting. This is it. I was never meant to fulfill any destiny.

Shockingly, the weight from Webpaw from her disappeared after a few cold hisses and spits thrown back and forth. Lynxpaw's eyes fluttered open and she glanced sideways to spot Redpaw and Webpaw is a tustle, the RidgeClan apprentice overtaking the HeathClan apprentice. Webpaw growled angrily at Redpaw before he retreated into the spiraling battlefields around them.

Redpaw saved me? Lynxpaw questioned herself in disbelief. She watched as the tom turned back towards her, his eyes narrowed and tail whirring to and fro behind him. She began to stumble back to her paws, passing the tom a smile of gratitude for his actions.

Lynxpaw squeaked in surprise though as Redpaw charged forward and rammed into her. She groaned in pain as her side slammed into the earth below her, jaws gaping as her breath was knocked out of her. She struggled to catch her breath, lungs flaring as if they were engulfing in flames, smoke filling her system. She shifted her head to the side and eyed Redpaw, horrified by the tom's lack of empathy.

He stood before her with an ominous shadow over his face. Tales of regret and anger could be foretold through his dark gaze. Redpaw's fur was spiked and his gaze was planted upon Lynxpaw, the feline left to absorb his terrifying aura that made her thoughts waver with feelings of guilt and apprehension. She knew that Redpaw blamed her entirely for the death of his sister, and the grieving tom was desperate to latch onto a solution of vengeance for his sister.

Lynxpaw understood he would be willing to kill her if that meant conquering his grief for his sister, yet she couldn't bring herself to blame the tom as he readied to lunge for her throat.

Redpaw was quickly blocked by the familiar presence of Hawkpaw, Lynxpaw's brother. The anxious tom now took a startled, enraged look to his normally slumped, awkward posture. His back arched as he stood over his sister and protected her from Redpaw's desire to harm her. Ever since the recent situation cleared Hawkpaw's name, he was more confident and admired by the rest of the group. He was willing to protect anyone from the wrath of darkness that wrapped its horrid, long claws over the clans, and Lynxpaw was proud of him.

"Redpaw! I won't let you hurt Lynxpaw," Hawkpaw spat. Lynxpaw exhaled in relief from where she lay on her side but her ears perked as Hawkpaw continued. "Foxpaw's death wasn't her fault. It was the fault of this darkness that is ruining our clanmates! We could do nothing to save her. Not me, not Lynxpaw, and not even you. You have no reason to lash out on Lynxpaw."

Lynxpaw watched as Redpaw's expression shifted after Hawkpaw's words. His teeth disappeared behind the curtain of a disappointed, sorrowful frown and his fur flattened. The apprentice's ears flattened against his shoulder but his claws remained kneading at the earth below him. Perhaps Lynxpaw was wrong. Redpaw was not willing to kill and wouldn't have done it even if Hawkpaw didn't rush to her aid. All the tom wanted was the sarcastic, loveable presence of his dearest sister back, and the current situations left him unable to clutch a proper tactic to grief over her loss.

"Fall back! Retreat!"

Redpaw disappeared into the crowd as Mousestar's yowl echoed across the battlefield. Lynxpaw stared after him for a moment, sympathy crafting cysts of guilt in her mind. Maybe I could have done more to save Foxpaw, Lynxpaw thought. I'm just as guilty for his loss as any other cat.

"Lynxpaw? Are you okay?" Hawkpaw questioned as he turned to his fallen sister. She attempted to flash him a reassuring smile as she went to stand, but a wince burdened her expression. Hawk's eyes widened as he spotted the gash in her shoulder. "You're wounded!"

Lynxpaw scoffed and flicked her tail to the scratches across his back. "You are too, rock-head."

"Let me help you without you biting my ears off," Hawkpaw insisted. He stepped forward and Lynxpaw relaxed as she leaned against her brother. "Let's get out of here."

Lynxpaw nodded as they followed the retreating members of their group. The medicine cat apprentice shivered as yowls of victory broke out behind them. She glanced over her shoulder to spot a few HeathClan warriors desperate to pursue them, but Newtclaw dismissed their urges with a flick of his tail. The foggy-eyed deputy grimaced after the retreating band of outcasts, and Lynxpaw fixed her gaze back ahead swiftly.

"Why are we retreating?!" The voice of Mottledrose questioned, anger threaded through her tone. "We could've won that!"

Lynxpaw peeked ahead of the crowd to watch as Mousestar turned back and retorted calmly back to the calico warrior. "Why risk lives on our first battle? Plus, we already got something much more important than a victory."

The spotted mollies eyes widened as her eyes locked onto the front of the crowd. Leafdance and Cherrytuft took the lead, a slightly familiar cat standing between them. The she-cat was grumbling and disputing with the cat, who merely twitched their whiskers and continued leading the group outside of HeathClan territory.

"Violetberry?" Hawkpaw mumbled. "Leafdance and Cherrytuft must have captured her earlier in the battle. How did they manage to get her out of there? She already seems like she talks her tongue off!"

Lynxpaw didn't bother to conspire on her capture like Hawkpaw, but instead her eyes lit up at the possibilities that the capture of Violetberry brought them. The she-cat was in a violent trance herself but with a noticeable limp and wounds, she must have not dared to fight back against Leafdance and Cherrytuft. Lynxpaw's mind raced with thoughts and questioned, her wide gaze scanning over to her brother with determination simmering in her green eyes.

"We finally have a chance at the answers we need.."