Darkstorm shook her head, confused. DarkClan was temporary; eventually the cats would go back to their clans, and there wouldn't be anything to do to stop them. If one of their leaders declared war, then... Then they would fight. She shivered. All these cats had made new friends and new kin. Would it all end when they found the clans?

"I smell cats," Orangetail mewed, narrowing her eyes. "A group of them, but not ones that we know. Wait a minute... Is that..."

"Thinfur!" Shadeflight cried, breathing in the scent. "It's our father, Darkstorm!" Darkstorm decided that she had been forgiven, and padded over to him.

"Yes," she agreed, recognizing the smell. "It's him. And..." she trailed off. It can't be... Could it? Is it really him?

"Arrowheart," Coralfall stepped closer to her kits. "The apprentice, now a warrior. Did I doom all clans to name him a warrior?" Darkstorm bared her teeth.

"No! He's good. If anything, he's just mistaken." Duskkit looked up at her, along with Starkit. Fishkit and Riverkit were playing with each other, while Amberkit was sitting down beside Starkit.

"Let's find them," Fishkit mewed happily. "The lost warriors!"

But if they followed the scents, what would happen? Darkstorm stared at her cats. Caring Coralfall, determined Hardclaw, wise Troutfin, dedicated Comfreytail, bright Streamface, inspiring Cloudstorm, quiet Tenderleaf, loyal Yowltail, helpful Grassfang, amusing Badgerleap, fearless Orangetail, intelligent Shadeflight, decisive Thorntail, happy Bushpaw, careful Mosstail, cheerful Sparktail, trusting Ravenfur, mysterious Snarlfang, quick-thinking Sparrownose, little Duskkit, bold Amberkit, odd Starkit, playful Fishkit, calm Riverkit. They all trusted her, from the kits to former leaders. Would it be fair to lead them into battle? At first she hadn't known a single thing about them at first, and now... Now she felt that they all depended on each other, and if one more cat died, she didn't know what they would do. 

"Is it fair..." she murmured to herself. She wanted to find them. She needed to find them. But was it really fair to DarkClan? Arrowheart and Thinfur could've been captured by this group of cats; it could be rogues or just a pack of homeless kittypets. But she needed to find them... She felt a comforting tail on her shoulder and looked to see Thorntail. A cloud of doubt filled her mind as she smelled the spiky-furred warrior's sweet scent. Was Arrowheart really meant for her? But as Thorntail's scent mingled with Arrowheart's, she knew that it wasn't true. She loved Arrowheart, there was no doubt about it. But were there two cats that had fallen for her?

"Find him," Thorntail mewed. "Find Thinfur." He's not mentioning Arrowheart...

"My clan," Darkstorm mewed. "I do want to find them. No matter what you think, Arrowheart is loyal." She knew that they aall wanted Thinfur back; he was brave and kind, and his only flaw was to love a WindClan cat, which they didn't care about. "But I can't go, not if you don't agree. What do you say?"

"You have risked your life for us," Coralfall mewed. "You have braved eagles and mountains."

"So have you," Darkstorm argued.

"But you have done it with the weight- the weight of leadership. Which is hard. I may not agree aboit Arrowheart, but you deserve this. I say, we go." Other cats nodded, murmuring things, while Sparrownose was silent.

"Fine," he muttered. "I don't care."

"Sparrownose," Darkstorm mewed, "you're a member of DarkClan. What do you really think?"

"I think this is stupid!" Sparrownose lashed out with his claws, tearing a leaf and growling. "The warrior code has to be changed, but what are you doing about it? Featherheart died because of your so precious clan member, and no one has been punished! You excuse for a leader, you otter-heart! You fox-heart!" He yowled to the sky, flattenening his ears. "Coralfall has to die! She took the life of my Clanmate!"

"She is your clanmate,"

"No, she's not! She's a murderer! Finkit deserved to die, the pathetic kit! Everything to make Coralfall's heart break! She doesn't know how it feels! You're all mad, just mad! I don't need you! I don't need everyone! If I care about someone, they'll die, just like Flowershine! Just like Talonkit and Birdkit! Just like Shadeflight, the first one, the one that cared!" Sparrownose's eyes filled with grief. "Everyone dies... Everyone... Coralfall should never have been born..." He tightened his grip on the shredded leaf. "I'm glad I killed Finkit." He knew Shadeflight?

"You killed him!" Coralfall howled, leaping at him. "You killed my kit!" Her teeth flashed red as she bit his shoulder. His eyes narrowed, and he didn't move.

"Yes, I did. Are you going to kill me, too? You're the killer. You killed Featherheart and Flameclaw. And your beloved Streamface killed Flowershine... And Mosstail my kits. You and your kin are just killers." Coralfall snarled.

"We are honourable! Mosstail killed no kits! Streamface only did because Flowershine attacked her!" Sparrownose endured the blows, watching Coralfall's kits with unemotional eyes.

"Ask Mosstail if you're so sure." Coralfall bared her teeth, about to bite him again, when Mosstail pushed forward.

"Wait, I did," he mewed. "I destroyed a SkyClan den. I thought I heard a yowl as it fell. Birdkit and Talonkit- they were under it, weren't they?" Sparrownose didn't answer.

"And Streamface lied. She killed Flowershine with no reason."

"I killed Flowershine because she insulted me, and scratched me! At a gathering!" Streamface retorted. Darkstorm froze.

"You killed a cat because they scratched you?" Coralfall demanded.

"It was a gathering! And they insulted me, too! Also, she took one of your lives. Not then, but before. She deserved to die that night!"

"Do I care? I was a leader with nine lives. A cat scratched you at a gathering. So you killed them at a gathering?"

"I didn't kill her at the gathering," she defended herself. "I killed her on the way back from the gathering."

"Get out of here!" Coralfall roared. "I am ashamed to call you kin!"

"Hey, hey," Mosstail snapped. "Come on, she was only an apprentice when it happened. And Flowershine was half-dead already, after fighting a badger."

"You knew?" Coralfall slashed his muzzle. "Both of you, leave!"

"We- we're littermates-"

"I thought I knew you," Coralfall interrupted with a murderous glare. "You will leave, or I will kill you!" Mosstail backed away, Streamface following him as he darted away. Sparrownose glanced at Coralfall's kits, and then the pink she-cat.

"Are you going to kill me now? Flowershine was my mate. Your littermate killed her. Birdkit and Talonkit were my kits. Streamface killed them. Are you going to do the same to me?"

Coralfall's eyes darkened. 

Sparrownose held her icy gaze.

"No. I will uphold my kin's honor." Sparrownose looked down.

"I'm sorry for killing Finkit. I was driven with rage- all your kin has done is kill mine. And my friend." Fernstar killed Shadeflight, my once-leader his friend. That's why he hates me. And it's clear why he hates Coralfall, Darkstorm thought. All I did was think he was evil.

"Are you going to let him stay?" Thorntail asked quietly. Darkstorm took a deep breath.

"Sparrownose, I must apologize. I haven't treated you well. You shouldn't have killed Finkit, but then again, Coralfall shouldn't have killed Featherheart. He shouldn't have attacked her, either. You were mad. So I don't know what to do. Coralfall, you are the one he has offended. Will you let him stay?" Coralfall sighed.

"It's the least I can do. But kill one more of my kits, and you'll be the one with a slit throat." Sparrownose dipped his head.

"And we will change the code, Sparrownose. But first, StarClan has given us a task, which we must fulfill." Sparrownose looked away, as if agreeing with her, but too proud to admit it. "DarkClan. We have lost two warriors. But do not fear for us. We will follow the scent, which leads in the direction of the brightest star, and hopefully gain two warriors." She hid her doubts that it would be so easy. She was a leader now; she had to be confident.

"Let's go," Comfreytail mewed. "Sparrownose, I forgive you."

"So do I," Ravenfur added, echoed by the other cats. 

The kits were silent.

"We have to follow the scent trail," Starkit mewled out of the blue. "StarClan wants us to, we must." 

She's too solemn for a kit. It scares me...

"Sparrownose," Amberkit meowed sternly, "don't try to hurt us, or I'll hurt you. Okay?" Sparoownose nodded sheepishly; a kit was telling him off? Darkstorm stared into the distance. Arrowheart awaited her.