Ashfur returned back to camp. He dragged Firestar from behind.

"Firestar!"

"Firestar!"

"What in the name of StarClan happened?"

"We were attacked by foxes!" Ashfur lied.

"What!?"

"Firestar!" Leafpool yowled. She threw herself at her father.

Squirrelflight joined in. "Firestar....?"

"We were attacked by foxes!" Ashfur repeated.

"I am back!!" A voice yowled. Jaykit stumbled into the clearing. "What happened??!!"

"We were attacked by foxes!" Ashfur hissed.

"Jaykit!" Cinderheart meowed. Stonekit ran over.

"Where did you go? You're soaked!" Stonekit complained.

"Calm down!" Ashfur hissed. "I have to go to the moonpool. I will go by myself," He announced.

"Aren't you going to welcome your daughter?" Cinderheart asked.

"I will when I come back. And we'll sit vigil when I come back!" Ashfur replied.

"Don't you need to send a patrol to look for the foxes?" A cat yowled.

Ashfur saw Thornclaw. "I will when I get back!" He hissed.

Sorreltail crouched in the clearing.

Ashfur ran through the camp entrance.

Jaykit blinked open her eyes. She was going to be an apprentice once Ashfur came back. Her father was gonna be a leader! Her mother would be proud. But her life was long and hard. She told the Clan about her journey. Cinderheart and Stonekit were amazed.

"Jaykit!" Cinderheart called.

"What?" Jaykit called.

"You have to clean the elders' den!" She replied.

"Ok!" Jaykit mewed. She rose to her paws and stretched. Jaykit parted her jaws in a yawn. She raced to the medicine cat den. Leafpool was there. Brightheart was with her apprentice, Alderpaw.

"Hi, Jaykit! Need anything?" Leafpool greeted.

"I need fresh moss for the elders!" Jaykit meowed.

"It's in the back of the den!" Leafpool replied.

Jaykit trotted to the back and grabbed some moss with her jaws. She raced out of the den and hurried to the elders.

"Hello, Jaykit," Poppyfrost meowed.

"Poppyfrost! What happened to your tail?" Jaykit asked

Poppyfrost hesitated and her whiskers twitched. "I was attacked by a fox. The thing bit my tail clean off!" She meowed. "And it killed my father."

"Brackenfur?" Jaykit meowed.

"Yes," Poppyfrost meowed.

"Here. Give us our bedding and we'll fix it. Go get us some fresh-kill and then you can go to sleep," Longtail meowed.

"Ok," Jaykit meowed. She couldn't believe that Poppyfrost had joined the elders. She raced over to the fresh-kill pile. She took a mole, a sparrow, and a mouse. Jaykit dragged them along to the elders.

"Thank you!" Poppyfrost meowed.

Jaykit trotted out of the den and ran into Stonekit.

"Jaykit," He meowed.

"What?" Jaykit asked.

"Can you get Leafpool for me? I don't feel good," Her brother meowed.

"Sure!" Jaykit meowed. She started to walk over to the medicine cat den. "Leafpool! Stonekit needs you. He doesn't feel good," Jaykit meowed.

"Stonekit? Ok," Leafpool meowed.

Jaykit raced over to the nursery. She flopped down and her side and curled up to sleep.

Jaykit raced through tunnels. She was in the tunnels again! How did she get here? Jaykit could hear the sound of water. She felt her way through the darkness. Then her paws touched thin air. Jaykit yowled as she realized she was falling through the darkness. She crashed into water. Her legs were stiff and numb. Jaykit was sinking to the bottom. She sprang upward and swam. Her lungs were screaming for air. Jaykit finally broke the surface. The tunnels were flooding. Jaykit realized that she was in the cave! The hole at the surface was out of reach. Jaykit would have to wait for the water to grow higher. Her paws splashed water everywhere. Jaykit spotted a rock on the side. She could hold onto it. She fiercely swam over to it. Jaykit held on with her paws, trembling. She took deep breaths. The water was rising fast. She looked up at the hole in the roof of the cave. It was just pitch black. Were there more tunnels up there. Jaykit waited for the water to rise higher. It finally engulfed around her legs. Jaykit climbed on the rock and stood. She shook her pelt and water drops flew everywhere. She watched as the water swept higher.

Jaykit sprang out of the water and through the hole. She climbed upward and popped out.

"Welcome, you are Ashfur's kin,"  A voice meowed. 

Jaykit turned to see a gray tom. He had spiky gray fur patched with white. His eyes were black with thin amber slits. "Who are you? Where am I?" Jaykit asked. Her pelt prickled with irritation.

"I am Thistleclaw. This is the Dark Forest," He replied. His eyes swept over the Jaykit.

"Well, why am I here?" Jaykit hissed. She unsheathed her claws and sank them into the lush grass. She realized that she could smell blood. She felt it under her paws, staining them with red. Jaykit hissed. She took q better look at Thistleclaw. His throat was soaked with blood, spilling every now and then.

"You are Ashfur's kin!" Thistleclaw meowed. His tail lashed and his voice grew cold. "You are to kind to do the things that Ashfur has done. Wait- Ashstar now," Thistleclaw meowed.

"My father is leader already?" Jaykit asked.

Thistleclaw groaned as blood dripped from his throat. He opened his mouth to speak but he coughed up blood and watched as it spattered the gray grass.

"You are bleeding!" Jaykit meowed. She longed to run over to him, but she held her ground.

"I know! I'm not blind!" Thistleclaw hissed. His gaze was hostile.

"My paws are covered in your blood!" Jaykit complained.

"You know, Jaykit, you aren't a kit anymore!" Thistleclaw spat.

"I may be older than a kit but at heart I still am!" Jaykit snapped.

Thistleclaw bristled but held his ground. "I have only com here to train you!" He meowed.

"I don't need training!" Jaykit hissed. 

Thistleclaw leaped at her and slashed her throat. 

Jaykit winced as blood drained from her. She dropped to her paws and her vision clouded.

Jaykit snapped her eyes open. She was in the nursery. Jaykit sighed. What had Thistleclaw wanted with her? Her pelt prickled with irritation. Her paws itched to find out more answers. 

"Jaykit! Jaykit! Ashstar has returned!" Her mother was yowling.

"Cinderheart! You're wailing like the forest is on fire!" Daisy grumbled.

"Sorry!" Cinderheart meowed. She looked at Jaykit. "Come and greet Ashstar!" 

Jaykit rose to her paws. Her throat burned like it was on fire. She seemed mouse-brained when she asked this question. "Is my throat bleeding?"

"No. You're fine!" Cinderheart meowed. She nudged Jaykit to her paws. "Come on! It's about time you were apprenticed!" She purred.

Jaykit stumbled over to her father. 

"Jaykit. I was about to call a Clan meeting. You are being rude!" Ashstar hissed.

Jaykit growled. I come over here to greet  you and you don't give a mouse-tail about me! Jaykit fought back the urge to scream the words at her father's face. That was the last thing on her mind. "Sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Her father hissed. "You'll be taking care of the elders for sure!" He hissed. Then his eyes flashed as though he had an idea. 

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" Ashstar yowled.