Shadestar paced atop of the Dark Rock, his claws clicking against the stone. It was late, but ShadowClan was more awake than ever. Mistflower raised her tail before she spoke.

"What if they're lying just to get under our fur? They weren't exactly specific." She meowed. Nightfeather detected the hope in her voice.

Pebblepelt shook his head. "If all the Clans are in on this, that can't be possible. Besides, they were really worked up over it."

Addertooth unsheated his claws. "I say we take out Rosefeather."

Birdsong rolled her eyes at the tom and flicked her tail. "That's unreasonable. How do we get onto RiverClan territory?"

Rainheart let out a gasp. "We don't all need to get onto RiverClan territory. We could send a spy!"

Shadestar nodded, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "That could work. But who can we send?"

No cat stepped forward. They all glanced at each other. Nightfeather could almost taste the unease in the air. After what seemed like an eternity, a small voice came from the back of the throng of cats. "I could go. They don't know I'm here."

Nightfeather turned around, shock rushing through her as she spotted Thistle. "You can't!" She gasped, "You're going to have kits!"

Thistle shook his head. "This is for my kits. If I do this, I'll be able to secure a future for them here."

Nightfeather dipped her head in respect. "Alright then." Deep down, she thought he was being foolish, though she'd never admit it out loud.

Shadestar frowned at the loner. "Are you sure? I won't lie, this will be very dangerous. I can't guarantee your safety. However, if you were to survive, your family will be welcomed into ShadowClan."

Fawnfur narrowed her eyes. "This isn't fair," she argued. "We weren't all asked to risk our lives to prove our loyalty."

Leaftail nodded in agreement. "This feels wrong. It feels like...like we would be using a cat."

Thistle, who had made his way to the front of the crowd, laid a tail on Fawnfur's shoulder, eyes flashing. "It's alright. I want to do this. Rosefeather has hurt my mate in more ways than one. This wouldn't only be for ShadowClan. This will be for her as well."

Mistflower stepped forward. "You are the most noble cat I have ever met." She said seriously.

Thistle gave her a small smile. "Thank you."

Shadestar leaped down from the Dark Rock. "Thistle, I must warn you again. As you already know, Rosefeather is a horrible cat. She will not hesitate to kill you. Is it still your wish?"

Thistle nodded, his gaze steady. "Yes."

Snowstripe murmured something in his ear, but Nightfeather was close enough to hear.

"If you find a cream she-cat there, tell her I miss her."

Nightfeather's eyes shone with sympathy for the black she-cat, but she kept it to herself. Snowstripe needed to heal on her own.

Thistle dissapeared into the medicine den, presumably to tell Lily the news. Nightfeather shivered. She wouldn't be happy to hear it.

Sparrowwing trailed behind the dispersing crowd, and turned to Nightfeather. "Remember what you said about looking for them?"

Nightfeather nodded cautiously, unsure of where this was going. "Yeah?"

"I think we should go." He sounded completely serious.

"What? Why? Whst changed your mind?" Nightfeather asked, shocked. Thistle was already going. Why did they need to go?

"Well," Sparrowwing started, his eyes flashing with something Nightfeather didn't see often in his yellow eyes: fear. "I was hunting kind of late yesterday, by the ThunderClan border. I smelled something weird, like flowers. I found a trail of leaves that lead to camp. They were rose leaves. And, at the end of the trail, there was a rose. It had blood on it, Nightfeather."

Nightfeather stared at him, thoroughly shocked by this news. "Do you think Rosefeather was in our camp?" She whispered.

Sparrowwing shook his head. "Her scent wasn't on it. ShadowClan scent was on it. I think... I think we have a spy in our camp."

Nightfeather lashed her tail, trying to process this information. A spy? It seemed unlikely, but only a ShadowClan cat could have gotten that far into camp.

"Wait. Who was guarding the camp?" She asked.

Sparrowwing flicked his tail. "Addertooth. But he told me had just gone to make dirt and came back. He said he didn't see the rose."

Nightfeather closed her eyes, frustrated. "Have you told Shadestar yet?"

"No."

"Good. Before we decide to do anything, let's scope out the territory. We need to make sure Rosefeather isn't here now." She padded towards the camp entrance.

Sparrowwing raced past her. "Let's go then."

》》》》》》》》》》

Nightfeather sighed, her tail drooping with exhaustion. "We've checked the whole terriorty. What else is there?"

Sparrowwing smiled and curled his tail around her. "Don't worry. We only have one place left. The Night Cave."

"What are you talking about?" She snapped.

"I'm talking about the cave where we had the Night Battle Test. She could be hiding there." Sparrowwing meowed crisply, turning around and padding towards the stream.

Nightfeather groaned and sprinted after him, watching as the cave rose from the tops of the trees. Sparrowwing pushed through the line of bushes shielding it from view and squeezed through the hole.

She groaned and followed him, wincing as the edges of the hole pulled at her long fur. Sparrowwing scanned the expense of the cavern, his eyes narrowed.

Nightfeather tasted the air, ears pricked. "It's faint," she whispered, "but I can smell it. Dawnpaw."

Sparrowwing shivered. "What if she's here?"

Nightfeather frowned and trotted towards the tunnel. "Let's find out."

The tunnel was dark and still whistled, though this time around, she knew what to expect. It quickly ended and Nightfeather stopped. Her eyes stretched wide as she looked at the floor.

Sparrowwing studied the floor. "What? What is it?"

Nightfeather dipped her tail in the liquid and lifted it to the light. Sparrowwing's jaw dropped.

It was blood, dripping from her tail and matting the fur. She turned around, tail stiff. She flicked it, and Sparrowwing rushed in, claws unsheated. She heard a meow, a growl, and a loud thump. Nightfeather entered the cave next, her fur on end.

She let out a screech. There, on the cavern floor, lay Duskpaw and Dawnpaw, their throats slit and eyes glazed. Sparrowwing had pinned down Ashcloud. His claws were splattered with blood. Their blood.

"Ashcloud?!" She growled, her gaze blurring with tears. "What did you do?"

Sparrowwing flicked his tail, surprised. "You know him?"

Nightfeather hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. He keeps following me and asking me to give him a chance."

Sparrowwing turned back to the gray tom and dug his claws into him. Ashcloud growled.

Nightfeather studied the dead body of her brother and his lover, her claws unsheating. "Sparrowwing. Go get Shadestar and tell him what happened." She meowed quietly, eyes slits.

"What?! I'm not leaving you with...with this murderer!" He hissed, his tail lashing.

"Leave!" She growled. "I'll be fine. I can handle him."

Sparrowwing stared into her eyes. "Fine." The brown tabby tom stepped off Ashcloud and dissapeared into the tunnel.

Ashcloud got up, shaking out his pelt. He sheated his claws and turned to Nightfeather, only to be pushed to rhe ground again. He let out a yelp.

Nightfeather stuck her muzzle close to his, her claws digging deep into his pelt. "Now, snakeheart, you're going to tell me everything or I will kill you." She snarled.

Ashcloud looked up at her, fear in his eyes. "Alright, alright!"

Nightfeather didn't loosen her grip.

Ashcloud gave her a look of pure hatred. "I trained in the Dark Forest with Rosefeather and Dawnpaw. She told me she was going to take over RiverClan, and if I wanted to join her Clan, I would have to find you and get close to you. So I did. I reported back to her every night. She... she told me I had a final test to prove my loyalty. I had to kill Dawnpaw and Duskpaw."

Nightfeather stared at him, shocked. "So it was all fake? You never loved me? You lied to me? You used me?" Her voice grew louder with each word, and her claws dug deeper into him.

Ashcloud gave a yelp of pain. "You have to understand, Nightfeather! It was the only way into her ranks!" He pleaded.

Nightfeather's dark blue eyes flashed. "Congratulations on losing the way into my heart," she whispered, raising a paw above his neck.

Ashcloud's eyes widened. "Nightfeather, I-"

He was cut off by Nightfeather's claws. She dug them deep into his neck, watching as the light faded from his eyes. Watching as blood pooled around the wound, staining her pelt and claws. She smiled and pulled them out of his neck.

Nightfeather moved away from the dead body and put a frightened look on her face. Shadestar sprinted into the cave, followed by Mistflower, Addertooth, Snowstripe, Pebblepelt, Birdsong, Fawnfur, and finally Sparrowwing. They all glanced at her, shocked.

Nightfeather opened her jaws, forcing the words out. "He attacked me. I had no choice."

Sparrowwing curled his tail around her as she got up and began to lead her away. Shadestar flicked his tail, taking charge.

"Alright then. Mistflower, Addertooth, Birdsong, and Pebblepelt, carry Duskpaw and Dawnpaws' bodies back to camp. Leave the ThunderClan cat here." He let out a hiss.

Fawnfur was caressing Duskpaw's dead body with her tail. "My kit... My precious, precious kit..." she sobbed.

Mistflower gently nudged her to her paws. The same had to be done to Snowstripe, who was wailing Dawnpaw's name.

Nightfeather shivered and followed Sparrowwing, closing her eyes as he led her through the tunnel. He was murmuring reassuring things. Shadestar followed after them.

"Nightfeather, Sparrowwing, did Ashcloud tell you anything else about Rosefeather?" He inquired cautiously, voice low.

Sparrowwing stopped and turned around. Nightfeather turned as well, inwardly smiling. It had felt so... satisfying to dig her claws into Ashcloud's neck. She unsheated her claws and stared down at them, quietly admiring the red splattered on them. Maybe StarClan was right. Maybe she did have a thorn in her heart. And maybe she liked it.

Shadestar's voice shook her back to reality. "Did he mention anything, Nightfeather?"

Nightfeather quietly debated wether to tell him anything. She sighed and opened her jaws. "Yeah. He said something about Rosefeather training him." She purposely left out the Dark Forest. She could take care of that. "And about her taking over RiverClan."

Sparrowwing stared at her, shocked. Shadestar blinked. "Alright then. Let's get back to camp."

Sparrowwing flicked his tail, unease in his eyes. "A-are we going to hold vigil for Dawnpaw and Duskpaw?"

Shadestar nodded and turned around. Nightfeather narrowed her eyes and scrambled after Sparrowwing.

Echowing greeted them at the camp entrance, and Nightfeather felt a pang of nostalgia for when she was a kit.

"What happened?" She whispered, eyeing Nightfeather'a blood-stained fur.

"Ashcloud tried to attack her. She defended herself. Call the Clan together, we're holding vigil for Dawnpaw and Duskpaw." Shadestar flicked his tail and padded away.

Echowing nodded and dissapeared into the warrior's den.

Nightfeather felt a growl rise in her throat. Why was every cat so... accepting of this? They were traitors!

Sparrowwing gave her ear a lick. "Let's get you cleaned up," he murmured.

Nightfeather nodded, eyes slits, and followed him to the overhanging willow tree. He laid down in the shade, even though it was night. Nightfeather laid next to him, resting her head on him. She was significantly smaller than him, so he had to bend down a bit to groom her. She closed her eyes and faded into his rhythmic strokes.

"I love you," she whispered, and this time, she meant it.

"I love you too."

》》》》》》》》》》

Nightfeather stared out of the warrior's den, eyes slits as she watched her Clan sit vigil for Dawnpaw and Duskpaw. Fawnfur and Snowstripe seemed to be grieving the most. Sparrowwing was among those grieving, though she sensed it was more out of respect than anything. She wasn't the only one who dissaproved of this. Addertooth, Pebblepelt, and Birdsong were all in the warrior's den as well, speaking in hushed voices.

Flashbacks raced through her mind. Ashcloud. Ashcloud. She shivered. She had enjoyed killing him. What was wrong with her? Why had she done it?

A pelt brushed against her and she opened her eyes to see Foxfang staring at her.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you sitting vigil for your brother?" The russet she-cat murmured, her tail trailing down Nightfeather's back.

"He's a traitor! And he isn't my brother. Not anymore." She hissed, ripping moss under her claws.

Foxfang gave a snort. "It doesn't work like that. And Dawnpaw was my sister as well."

Nightfeather flicked her tail, irritated. Why couldn't she just leave her alone? Why was it her buisness how she felt? "Dawnpaw tried to murder me! Duskpaw went with her. He's nothing to me." Her voice took on a cold tone. "And Dawnpaw shouldn't be anything to you either."

Foxfang narrowed her eyes. "Sometimes, when you've been hurt, you allow yourself to carry on hurting. That's what you're doing. Let it go."

"I can't!" Nightfeather sobbed, eyes screwing shut. "I just can't."

Foxfang gave her a lick on the head before getting up and leaving to re-join the vigil.

Nightfeather flicked her tail, anger burning deep inside her. It took her a moment to realize she wasn't angry at Ashcloud, or Foxfang, or even Duskpaw.

She was angry at herself.