"What happened when Talonswipe took you to see his father?" Stardust mewed curiously as they ate some prey. "I want to know why the Snowie's leader is unhappy about us here," she added.

"Yeah," Robintail agreed as he swiftly ate his second mouse.

Moonshadow gulped down a vole before replying. "His father didn't want us to stay too long, that's all." He replied.

"Why?"

"He's just bothered."

"What's bothering him?"

Moonshadow sighed before answering. "He's not happy about me being here because he believes that I... I was responsible for someone's death."

Stardust gasped. "Who's?" Is this about someone called Elitestar? She thought.

"It's about something that happened a long time ago, about a Snowie called-"

"Elitestar?" Stardust guessed.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Moonshadow hooted with surprise.

"Dawnwing mentioned her name before and whenever she says something about a Snowie, you start acting sad and depressed." Stardust meowed.

"And I was surprised that you decided to speak up instead of me," Dawnwing hooted. "When I told you that we were going to pass through Snowie territory, you backed away from my idea."

"I thought Moonshadow wasn't scared of anything," Robintail muttered to himself with amusement.

"The last time I passed through Snowie territory, I nearly got attacked. I didn't expect most of them to act friendly towards me now, especially after what happened in the past." Moonshadow explained. "Also, when I saw Talonswipe, I know that I can trust him; he's my friend and Elitestar's brother. That's why I decided to do the talking instead."

"Could you tell me more about Elitestar?" Stardust asked, "but if you really don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."

Moonshadow blinked warmly at her. "I promised that I would tell you my whole story, so I'll continue. I first met Elitestar when I was out hunting, she was on patrol and it was she told me about the scarred wolf. Her patrol threatened that if I ever went near their border again, they would attack me. Elitestar whispered to me that she didn't want any trouble so I decided to leave."

Dawnwing nodded to encourage him to keep going. Robintail continued to eat and he devoured his third mouse; he was beginning to feel bored of Moonshadow and Stardust's conversation.

"One night, I was out hunting in that pine forest - the one we lived in for a while," Moonshadow told Stardust. "Elitestar was there too so I got worried for a second that somehow I was on the Snowie border again but she told me that she left Snowie territory because she just wanted time to be alone. She said that I could stay by her side to keep her company if I wanted to, so I did.

"We started talking and telling each other about ourselves and when she found out that I was being treated unfairly because I wasn't a pure Snowie, she believed that the Snowies were wrong. She told me that she felt ashamed of what her family and the other Snowies were doing. I reassured her that I didn't mind, I respect their borders and will follow their rules. We became best friends."

"Did you become more than just best friends?" Stardust pressed, she was already guessing what was about to be said.

"Um... yeah, we became mates." Moonshadow replied shyly. "We stayed together and lived in these oak woods, it wasn't Snowie territory back then and the Oak tribe only owned half the oak forest."

"Did you have chicks?" Stardust mewed in excitement.

"Uh, no." Moonshadow answered, "Why did you ask that?"

"Well, if you did have chicks, I could have someone to play with." Stardust mewed. "When I was younger, you always went out hunting while I stayed in the woodpecker nest watching birds fly past, eavesdropping on the crow's and the jackdaw's arguments, counting the lines on tree bark and basically, doing nothing."

"Oh sorry, I guess I didn't spend enough time with you earlier." Moonshadow apologised.

"It's okay, you're making up for it now; by journeying with us and staying with me." Stardust mewed.

"Oh, I just remembered. Robintail has something to say to you Moonshadow," Dawnwing hooted. Moonshadow looked at Robintail to say something.

"What?" Robintail asked in confusion.

"Remember what you said to Stardust earlier?" Dawnwing reminded him.

"Oh yeah. Sorry for being evil and trying to eat Stardust." Robintail apologised to Moonshadow.

"Well, alright. I accept your apology Robintail but why would you do that in the first place?" Moonshadow asked, his head was cocked to one side.

"I... uh... I was just hungry. The scarred wolf kept on forcing me to give them prey; they said that everything I catch is for them. I disagreed so they threatened to feed me to an eagle- well I thought that they were just bluffing but they showed me one and that eagle was really terrifying; it was dark feathered and had beady malicious eyes. So, I didn't have much choice. I hunted for them- including you Stardust- I'm glad Moonshadow came just in time to save your pelt, I didn't want to do it but I was starving. Now, that wolf just wants me to "own" me and make me be one of his slaves." Robintail confessed.

"So you've been forced to hunt for the scarred wolf!" Dawnwing exclaimed in shock. A couple of Snowies began to look quizzically at them from a distance.

"Shhhhh Dawnwing or every owl will hear!" Moonshadow hissed. "So you were forced to hunt for them, right?" He asked Robintail.

"Yeah, I didn't have much of a choice, did I? It was either "work or get eaten", I didn't like it one bit," Robintail growled. "That's why I felt hungrier than all of you; hungry enough to eat anything." Robintail gobbled a fourth mouse.

"No wonder you're eating so much," Stardust mewed sympathetically.

"Yeah, I haven't had this many mice in a long time," Robintail told her. "Apart from apologising, I also followed you to escape from those mangy wolves but they tracked me. Glad I was on Snowie land and then you guys came along to rescue me."

"Well, no one's facing the scarred wolf alone," Moonshadow hooted. "There has to be a way to stop that wolf."