It had been two days since Ashstar's dream. And since Wolfpaw left. The rogues were becoming stronger. They had attacked a border patrol last night. Thornclaw was badly injured, since he was leading the patrol. 

Brightheart came in the den. "There's a gash in Thornclaw's shoulder. It's really infected. I think he must of fallen in dirt or mud," She meowed. She dipped her head. "He might not live through."

Ashstar got to his paws. "What?! Let me see!" He hissed. He raced to the medicine den. Thornclaw lay on his side. His eyes were closed. His shoulder was patched with cobwebs.

Alderpaw was laying beside Thornclaw, his paw held to his shoulder. "It's swelling and feels hot," He meowed when he noticed Ashstar come in. "I don't think he'll make it."

"Thornclaw will make it! He's a strong warrior!" Ashstar meowed. "Thornclaw, I know you can fight off that infection!" He meowed.

Thornclaw weakly lifted his head. "It burns..." He moaned.

Alderpaw got up. "I'll get you some herbs," He meowed. He looked back at Ashstar. "He's your deputy. You need to get him some wet moss and fresh-kill," Alderpaw meowed to Ashstar.

Before Ashstar could turn, Brightheart appeared beside him. 

"I'll do it," She meowed. She turned from the den, her tail flicking. 

Ashstar turned from the den and headed for the nursery. He spotted his daughter eating a mouse near Sootkit. She was trying to get her to eat a piece of mouse. Mothkit was crouched in a corner. Ashstar flicked his tail to Jaywing, then walked over to Mothkit. He sat down and curled his tail around her. 

"Hey Mothkit, why are you alone in this corner?" Ashstar asked.

Mothkit looked up at him. "I think I have a new destiny," She whispered.

"What do you mean?" Ashstar asked.

"I've played with my sister long enough," Mothkit meowed. "She always wins our play-fights. And Softpaw came over and did a practice hunt with us. I failed that," Mothkit sighed. 

"Everyone makes mistakes," Ashstar meowed. "You'll try harder as an apprentice."

Mothkit didn't reply. Instead, she curled up for sleep.

Ashstar turned to Jaywing. "How old are they?"

Jaywing looked at him. "They're five moons old," She meowed. "One more moon and they'll be apprentices, too bad that they'll grow up without a father," She added sadly.

Brightheart appeared beside Ashstar. "It's half-moon tonight, and Alderpaw is supposed to be becoming a full medicine cat. And Thornclaw is in bad shape, so we'll stay in camp. It's dangerous anyway since the rogues are out," She meowed.

"I'll have  a warrior to go with you," Ashstar meowed. "I know Thornclaw is strong, so he can go  a few moments without you, I'm sure," Ashstar meowed to her. "Squirrelflight!" He called.

Squirrelflight padded up to him. "What?"

"Tonight is half-moon, and Alderpaw is becoming a full medicine cat," Ashstar began.

"That's great!" Squirrelflight cried.

"I need a warrior to go with them so they can travel safely," Ashstar meowed. "And that would be you," He meowed.

"I'll go with them," Squirrelfight's eyes sparkled brightly.

"Thank you," Ashstar meowed. He turned back to Brightheart. "I guess I'll have to be making the patrols for now on," He meowed. He went over to the warriors' den.

"Birchfall," Ashstar meowed. "Lead a patrol and take Graystripe, Mosspaw, Ferncloud, and Ivypool. Check the  ShadowClan border," He meowed.

Birchfall twitched his whiskers. "Ok," He meowed. "I'll go."

"Whitewing, take Thornclaw's apprentice, Rowanpaw, out training," Ashstar meowed. As she and the golden tabby tom left the den, Ashstar turned to Stoneheart and Blossomfall. "You two, take your apprentices out training as well," He meowed. 

Hazeltail and Berrynose padded up to Ashstar. "Can we lead a hunting patrol? The fresh-kill pile in kind of empty," Berrynose meowed.

"Take Millie with you," Ashstar meowed. 

The three cats walked out of camp. 

Ashstar's paws felt tired. It was already sunset, and he had worked harder than before. At least none of the patrols had gotten attacked by the rogues.

"No!" A scream came from the medicine den.

As if Ashstar had all the energy in the world, he bolted from his den and shot towards the medicine den. Thornclaw was coughing wildly in his nest. His eyes were dull.

"Thornclaw has gotten sick!" Brightheart meowed. "His fever is worse now, and so is the infection!" She cried. "We've ran out of herbs to give him, and with leaf-bare coming, there's no catmint near the twoleg den!" She meowed. 

"I'll organize a patrol to go to WindClan and see if Onestar will let us have some," Ashstar meowed. He raced to the warriors' den. The warriors' den was empty, except for it having Ivypool and Birchfall in it.

"Where is everybody?" Ashstar hissed.

"You sent everybody on patrol, remember?" Birchfall lifted his head. "But Foxleap's patrol hasn't returned," He meowed.

Ivypool twitched her ears. "Foxleap, Hawkpaw, and Icecloud were in it. I think they went training," She meowed.

Ashstar's tail lashed. "I must be stupid to send everyone out. It's almost might and nobody is in camp. Come with me, we're going in the forest to bring every patrol I sent out," He meowed. He turned from the den and headed to the entrance. As they were in the forest, the last rays of sunlight were beginning to die away; night was coming. 

"Is Thornclaw better?" Birchfall asked.

"No, he's worse. His fever is worse. His infection is worse. And the worse part is that Brightheart has run out of catmint. She doesn't think Thornclaw will live. But Thornclaw is strong, I know he can make it through!" Ashstar meowed.

"Not everyone lives forever," Ivypool meowed sadly. 

A yowl of pain ripped through the air.

"Oh no!" Birchfall meowed. "It must be one of the patrols!" He raced ahead of Ashstar.

Ashstar ran with his patrol. They jumped over a fallen tree and came to a clearing spot in the forest. Ashstar pointed with his muzzle. "This way!" He turned left pushed through the thorn bushes, no matter if the thorns raked his pelt. 

A ginger-red body flew into the bushes. 

Ashstar saw the rogues. They barely had scratches on them. Wolfpaw was among the rogues. He looked different than before. His pelt was ruffled and he had a scar across his mouth. His ear was torn and bleeding. His eyes flashed with delight.

Ashstar saw Crow, the rogue leader, pinning down Icecloud. Wolfpaw turned to Hawkpaw, and the two apprentices went rolling on the ground; a snarling mess. 

A rogue that Ashstar had never seen before was padding towards the bushes where Foxleap had landed. Her coat was a golden honey color. 

"Stop!" Ashstar growled. Birchfall and Ivypool padded beside him.

Crow left Icecloud in a pool of her blood. He came to stand in the front of his group. The honey-colored she-cat stood beside him. Wolfpaw untangled himself from Hawkpaw, and pushed the brown tabby apprentice to where Icecloud lay. 

The sky was beginning to get dark, and a chilly breeze blew Ashstar's fur the wrong way. A very light rain was starting to pour down. Ashstar could hear thunder in the distance. A storm was coming. And it was coming in fast. 

"Leave," Ashstar finally broke the silence. "Leave or else I have no choice but to kill you right here. Right now," He growled.

The rain started to beat down harder. Mud puddles were beginning to form. 

"Do it," Crow meowed to the honey-colored she-cat.

She stepped over to where Icecloud lay and picked her up. 

Ashstar was confused. He saw the rogue haul Icecloud over to a mud puddle. A spark hit him. "What are you doing?" He asked. A gash was in Icecloud's throat.

"No!" Icecloud screamed.

The rogue then pushed her muzzle into the dirty water.

"Stop!" Ashstar screamed.

"Hold them back!" Crow meowed.

Rogues jumped from the bushes and held back Ashstar, Birchfall, and Ivypool.

"Stop!" Ivypool screamed.

"Don't stop, Honey!"  Crow called to the golden rogue she-cat.

Honey dug her claws into the back of Icecloud's head and pushed her muzzle down harder. Icecloud's screams bubbled up from the mud puddle.

Hawkpaw leaped up and darted to help Icecloud, but Wolfpaw broke from the group and held him down.

"Stop it now!" Birchfall screamed.

Icecloud's struggles got weaker.

Ashstar lashed out and hit one of the rogue cat's throats. He darted from the patrol and leaped on Honey. He clawed her back and sank his teeth into her scruff. With a grunt, he hauled her up and threw her in a patch of nettles. Her screams of terror echoed around the clearing.

Ashstar sank his teeth into Icecloud's scruff and hauled her out of the dirty water. 

Crow looked around. He glared at Ashstar before turning and running away. The rest of his group followed. Even Wolfpaw. 

"Icecloud!" Ivypool and Birchfall rushed forward. 

Icecloud wasn't moving. Blood and muddy water drizzled from her mouth. Her fur was plastered to her skull. The gash in her throat looked swollen and dirty, and blood was spilling from it now. The muddy puddle was stained red, and the grass around it. The rain was pouring down very hard now, and thunder echoed across the sky. 

Hawkpaw limped over to them. "Is she ok?" He asked.

"No. She's dead," Ashstar meowed. He got to his paws. "We need to hurry back to camp quickly before this storm gets any worse," He meowed. He hauled Icecloud's dead body up on his shoulder. 

"Where's Foxleap?" Hawkpaw asked.

"I'm not sure. But there's no time to search. It's raining, it's cold, it's dark, and this storm is getting worse," Ashstar meowed. 

Thunder cracked in the air. The rain was beating down harder. 

"We've got to go! Come on!" Ashstar meowed. He started to run back to camp. Birchfall ran ahead with Ivypool. 

Hawkpaw limped beside Ashstar.

Ashstar's pelt was soaking wet. He couldn't stop thinking about Wolfpaw. He's changed so much. I don't think he's my son anymore, Ashstar thought.