Thistlestar's gaze snapped away from Hero's as she continued speaking. "That is all I have to say. The Gathering is finished." With that, she turned and padded away, the other leaders following suit.

The cats around Hero surged and began to merge, voices rising up and overlapping each other. His short fur bushed out slightly as a dark tabby who reeked of rotten prey brushed against him, tail flicking over the tom's nose. Hero shouldered his way through the crowd, moving toward Thistlestar. Her eyes were sparkling with a slight hint of agitation, and Hero's pelt prickled as he padded up to her. 

"Why did you choose me?" His voice was deadpan as he stared into the AshClan she-cat's eyes. Thistlestar froze in his gaze for a heartbeat, stopping mid-stride as her head moved in slow-motion to meet Hero's sharp glare.

She swallowed. "Well," Thistlestar began with a bite of frustration. "You promised something to my son. I expect you to protect him like you said, so that's the base of my reasoning." Hero's tail lashed back and forth, pausing at the peak of each stroke against the ground. His eyes narrowed slightly as the AshClan cat continued. "The cats beside you fit together. . . they know each other, they compliment each other's strengths and defend their weaknesses. They're the pieces to the puzzle of finding my son. But they are missing one thing that you possess with a strong ability. . . you know the Twolegplace. You know that place like the back of your paw, and I expect you to find my son." A hint of desperation made Thistlestar's words rise in a warble of begging. "Please."

Determination flooded Hero's eyes as he met her gaze. "I will find him," he confirmed confidently. "And we will bring Whiteshadow back." The tom rose to his paws, snapping around full-circle and padding away with a sway in his step. Hero spotted the other chosen cats in a semi-circle at the edge of camp. He quickly padded toward them, heart threatening to pound of his chest. The tom's thin tail whipped back and forth as he padded up beside Lilypool. She tossed his a glance, hardly paying attention to the brown-and-white tom. 

"—we will be leaving in a sun, at sunrise of course so we can have as much light as we can," Jayflight had been meowing. Her ears twitched, and she paid no attention to Hero as she talked. "Of course, Thistlestar talked to me about it earlier. She's desperate to find her son, so she turned to her best warrior." A smirk rose to the gray warrior's face, lighting up her blue eyes and casting a shadow of confidence on her slim body. 

Smokewhisker looked doubtful. "Alright. . . will we be getting herbs from Harestripe?" His tone had a hint of sharpness in it.

Jayflight narrowed her eyes slightly. "We'll deal with that tomorrow," the long-furred she-cat replied smoothly, not missing a beat as she stared deep into Smokewhisker's yellow irises. She captured the tom in her gaze, holding him there for a heartbeat, before snapping her head to the side and stalking off into the trees.

Hero met Lilypool's eyes, who looked amused by Jayflight's antics. An expression of fear decorated Smokewhisker's flat face, and the gray tom got to his paws, towering over the smaller AshClan cats. Feeling dwarfed in his shadow, Hero trailed after the other cats, his heart thumping irregularly in his ears.

<--------->

Hero stretched out his paws, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he padded out of the warrior's den. It had been a rough night of tossing and turning, and the moon's light seemed to slip through every crack in the roof. He had hardly gotten a wink of rest, so his body was sluggish as he padded into the clearing. Jayflight beckoned him with her tail, and the brown tabby tom jogged over to the threesome of cats. "Hi, Hero," Lilypool muttered. "Took you long enough to wake up. . ."

Hero held her gaze for a few moments before tearing his eyes away, anger drumming in his heart. Ignore her. . . she's just trying to anger you. "Sorry," he apologized, forcing sincerity into his tone. "I was. . . tired. I was up all night, too nervous to sleep." He dipped his head.

Lilypool let a hmph and turned back to the other cats. "Thistlestar and Harestripe will be out in a moment to explain some more details." Hero's breath caught in his throat. Will they tell them about the prophecy? I know it; I should be the one to do it. He made a decision and cleared his throat.

"Before we continue, let me mention something. Before Whiteshadow left, he seemed very stressed out about something. He had woken up in the middle of the night and seemed. . . terrified of something. Something dark. Like he had a burden placed on his shoulders. Apparently, he told Harestripe that StarClan had given him a message. . . a prophecy that he was the hero. That he would save the Clans with the help of someone from the city," Hero swallowed, watching the looks on the other cats faces. "Whiteshadow insisted that he needed to be alone. Thistlestar didn't want him running off on a journey based on some. . . random dream, and she wants us to take him back."

They stood in silence for a moment. Lilypool was the first to speak. "Why wouldn't Thistlestar trust StarClan? Surely they cannot be incorrect. . . they are our ancestors, after all." 

Hero shrugged. Jayflight was the next to comment. "When Thistlestar told me who was on the patrol, I asked about you. She said that you knew every inch of the city, and I believe her. But that can't be the entire reason, can it? Thistlestar seemed. . . hesitant. Knowing, like she was withholding information." Her blue eyes dilated with curiosity. "So, if you have some other reason. . . tell us about it."

Hero's mew was shaky as he realized he would have to start from the beginning. "Well. . . when I was a young kitten, I would have these severe headaches all the time. I blacked out for maybe a few suns, and a Twoleg found me. He sent me to the vet—they're like a Twoleg who fixes animals—and I got better quickly. But when I recovered, my mind was different. My paws know where I'm going before I do, I recall memories down to the whisker-length of detail, and my vision is excellent. Sure, they healed me, but they improved me as well," he finished, looking at each of the cats in turn. "If anyone can find Whiteshadow, I can."

A heavy silence swept the cats off their paws, gluing their jaws shut and quieting them with thought. Hero shifted on his paws. Lilypool's tail swept back and forth. Jayflight's tongue swept the remnants of prey around her jaws. Smokewhisker slouched lower, trying to mask his height.

The silence was broken by pawsteps; Harestripe padded into the clearing, his brow furrowed and expression twisted with thought. "Come with me, warriors," he murmured, voice loud and clear. "We have a journey to prepare for." Hero's pelt prickled as he followed the tom across the camp. The five cats moved in a harmony, only broken by the ragged breathing of nervous cats. They entered Harestripe's den. He pushed forward five separate bundles of small plants. The bitter smells rose into Hero's nose, leaving a bitter memory behind. He leaned forward without words, biting into the stems and raising his neck so that they would fall back into his mouth. Hero swallowed.

"You all seem ready for such a simple journey," muttered Harestripe. "What lays before you is the unknown. Be wary, warriors. Be wary."

A collective murmur of thanks and agreement escaped the muzzles of the traveling cats. Jayflight led the way toward Thistlestar and Slatefur, who were standing near an opening in the camp wall. Hero swiped his tongue around his jaws, trying to escape the bitterness of the herbs. It's not as bad as the medicine that my owner made me take, Hero remarked mentally, flicking his tail. 

"Whiteshadow's trail disappeared at the edge of the Burning Plains," Slatefur meowed, his eyes dark as he greeted the group with twitching ears. "You will set out to find him in the city. Your journey will be long and hard, but we selected you for a reason." Hero nodded along with the other cats. The tension was thick like smoke in the air; each gulp of air required a struggling breath and a pulsing heartbeat. The brown-and-white tom adjusted on his paws, avoiding Thistlestar's eyes. Can I deliver what I promised to her? His mind felt empty. He lifted his head and met her sharp, green irises, feeling swallowed by the grass-like color of them.

Jayflight got to her paws, starting to pad away. Smokewhisker and Lilypool rushed after her, not bothering to glance at the other cats. Hero didn't move, standing still, captured in Thistlestar's gaze. "Thank you, Hero," Thistlestar meowed softly as Slatefur padded away. "Thank you for trying to save my son. . ." Her green eyes glazed over as the brown-and-white tom got to his paws and started padding away.

Hero swallowed, letting his muzzle hang open so he could collect the wafting scents of AshClan warriors. Smokewhisker. . . Finding the large tom's smell wasn't difficult, and the former kittypet scampered off into the waving grass. His paws stepped into the grooves of the AshClan cats that had come before him. I belong here. I will find my place by bringing Whiteshadow back to where he belongs.

"Hero, hurry up!" came Jayflight's sharp meow. 

"Coming," muttered Hero. 

They started padding into the grass. Hero stepped on a sharp rock, but he stayed silent as the pain echoed through his body. They saw prey, but it darted quickly under their feet. They did not speak, for the mission that Harestripe had laid in front of them was much too complex for simple conversation. They could hear pawsteps, but the cats dismissed them. A shared glance between Jayflight and Hero confirmed that it was meaningless fear.

Then they saw the Burning Plains. Hero tossed a glance over his shoulders, spotting a pair of pelts. Two small cats: Swiftpaw and Snowpaw. "Hey," he muttered, bumping his shoulder against Lilypool's. He mentioned behind her, and she folllowed his gaze.

"Swiftpaw! Snowpaw! What are you two doing here?" the brown and white she-cat hissed, her haunches rising slightly with anger. The pair of troublemakers froze in her gaze, mouths gaping open like fish and paws lifted mid-step.

"I know where you guys are going. Slatefur's my mentor." Swiftpaw mewed the tom's name with distaste. "I want to come too."

Snowpaw added on, "I only came 'cause I heard her leave the apprentice den, and I don't want her to go get hurt or something." Concern shone softly in his eyes. 

Jayflight snorted. "Like we'd let you come. You're both just little apprentices!" Her tone was sharp and cynical. I was once small like them, Hero thought, reminded with an echoing pang of pain. I was once glanced over and ignored.  

"We don't want to waste any time," Hero broke in sharply. "And I'm not going to waste it fighting with her." He gave a pointed glance to Swiftpaw. The she-cat recoiled with a harsh glare. "So, let's just take them. What harm can it do? Eight extra paws aren't going to be problematic."

"Two extra stomachs will," Jayflight pointed out, but the decision was made. Swiftpaw tossed a smirk at Jayflight, who flicked her tail and turned around, facing the Burning Plains. They started padding away. 

This chapter was brought to you by Rio Incorporated! We're super-sorry for being late, but we've been rushing to get this done.  ~Rio 

DUSKIE WROTE EXACTLY THE FIRST FIVE SENTENCES.