Lionpaw groaned when he awoke, and went to treat his injuries. His messy fur helped hide the scratches, and for that he thanked his ancestors. But don't think he thanked them for anything else, because he didn't.

"Lionpaw, hurry up and get out here. I need your help." Camofur said in an urgent tone.

Lionpaw sighed and nodded, emerging from the den with a bundle of assorted herbs. When he saw what had happened he dropped them.

There was the leader, sprawled on the ground, neck torn to shreds. Lionpaw nudged the herbs to Camofur and his ears flattened.

Venomeye. He was absolutely certain Venomeye had done this. Absolutely certain. And he hated that, wishing that Venomeye had fallen off the face of the earth instead.

The entire clan stood round the body in a wide circle, their eyes wide, kits and warriors alike. Venomeye was nowhere to be seen, and no one seemed to question his whereabouts. Meanwhile, the leader let out one last gurgle and then fell still. Limp. Dead.

"L-Lionpaw...." Swiftpaw moved to his side and frowned deeply.

"Sh, it's okay...." Lionpaw murmured, setting his tail on her shoulder- an attempt at comforting her.

"It's not... It's really not..." She pulled him into the medicine cat den. "Lionpaw, I saw who did it...." His eyes went wild.

"You have to run! He'll kill you!"

"I-I know... But I can't." She whimpered and pressed her nose into his chest fur. He sighed and licked her ear.

"You can and you will. At least until Venomeye is dead. I'll kill him myself....." Lionpaw said quietly.

"I don't want to go... How will I know?" Swiftpaw blinked up at him with teary eyes.

"I'll..... I'll scent mark on the aboveground, at the border. Then and only then are you to come back." he said quietly. "I'll come with you when you leave.... But only to the border."

"Please.... If... I-If I stay you can just protect me...." She buried her nose into his fur, her eyes squeezed shut.

"I-I can't, we both know that...." He sighed and closed his eyes. I'm too weak, he added in his mind.

"Where is Lionpaw?" A familiar voice drifted through the den to their ears.

Lionpaw quickly moved away from Swiftpaw, sitting himself in front of the store.

"Here..." Swiftpaw said quietly.

Venomeye stalked into the den, his eyes sharp. They scraped over Swiftpaw, pinning themselves onto Lionpaw. It took all of Lionpaw's self control not to shiver under the deputy's gaze.

"Yes? I was just getting Swiftpaw some juniper berries for her bellyache." he said casually.

"Cut the dung, weakling." Venom eyes hissed in his ear. "You two are coming with me to receive my nine lives. And Swiftpaw, it's your lucky day. You're going to be my deputy, or I'm going to kill you." he said quietly. "Now, let's go."

Lionpaw hissed at him but padded out of the den, Swiftpaw shakily padding beside him.

"I will go receive my lives." Venomeye proclaimed with a twinge of fake sadness. "I will choose a new deputy before Moonhigh..." He gave a convincing sigh and led the two apprentices out.

The two apprentices followed loosely, and stayed so close to each other their fur brushed every moment or two.

Venomeye stopped at the entrance to the tunnel that would lead them to the Moonspring.

"If you two don't follow, I will slit both of your throats while you sleep tonight." he growled, and then began to pad down the pitch-black tunnel.

With nothing more than their noses and intertwined tails to guide them, Swiftpaw and Lionpaw reluctantly followed. Swiftpaw wouldn't say, but she was terrified of the dark. She pressed closer to Lionpaw, and he let her. He didn't mind at all.

He liked their closeness, how warmth seemed to spread across their bodies, and how his fur prickled with an odd sensation where she touched him. He liked most of all, that she trusted him enough to be this close, and that she did not trust anyone else. After all, Lionpaw was the jealous type and he felt jealous whenever another tom made a move on Swiftpaw.

Luckily that did not happen often, and so none noticed Lionpaw's attraction to her. For that he was glad.

When they emerged into the Moonspring, there was a single ray of light, shining down into the spring that welled up in the cavern. The cavern was moderately tall, but not very large. The walls were made of dark almost black-looking rock with jagged edges. The floor had a slick coating of soft and squishy moss, bright green moss. It squished underneath their paws, and reformed once the pressure of their weight was removed from it. Lionpaw almost looked forward to laying on it.

The water was clean and clear, yet it had a slight blue tinge to it. It flowed with a gentle tinkling noise, of what Lionpaw imagined the stars to sound like. It was a comforting, steady sound and he listened to it carefully. The water was slightly warm, yet it held a cold spot at one of the edges, the edge where Venomeye laid.

"Wait for me there." He growled and touched his nose to the water, asleep within moments.

Lionpaw and Swiftpaw merely waited. They carefully padded around to sniff and explore the small cave.

Lionpaw jumped when he felt Swiftpaw brush beside him.

"I don't like it in here...." she whispered. "It's so dark...." She buried her nose in his shoulder fur.

"Don't worry, we're in a safe place." he murmured, licking her ear reassuringly. "Listen to the sound of the water." She didn't reply; she was listening.

A few moments of silence passed before Swiftpaw let the tension leave her body, along with a sigh. "You're right, the water is so soothing...." She laid down.

"Keep listening." he murmured and curled himself around her gently. She lapped at his chest and opened her mouth to speak, but was asleep before she could actually talk.

"My talkative Swiftpaw.... I hope this all ends well for you, at least." Lionpaw whispered, and waited silent and still beside her.

He groomed her pelt while she slept, and after what seemed like moons Venomeye rose and chuckled to himself.

"Let's go. You are to call me Venomstar from now on, by the way." He smirked and padded off into the tunnel, going back the way they came.

Lionpaw dug his claws into the ground and hissed quietly after him. He gently moved Swiftpaw onto his back and carried her sleeping form back through the tunnels.

The entire way back he simmered in his hatred, and scowled in the darkness.

He would kill Venomstar. Some how, some way. He would drive a dull twig into he tom's shriveled up heart.

'Why not try to kill him tonight?' a little voice in his head said quietly, but the words resonated through Lionpaw as if they were bouncing off the insides of his skull.

He stopped a moment, thinking about these words carefully. Killing a leader.... Obviously it wasn't impossible. But it would take lots and lots of effort. And for this, for his clan's sake, it was worth it.

I will kill Venomstar tonight.