The thrush let out a startled squawk as Mistypaw pounced on it, closing her teeth around it's neck before it could take flight.

"Great catch!" Coldpaw meowed from behind her.

She turned to face her brother, purring. "Thanks." She nodded toward the large blackbird rested at his paws, purring. "I don't think I can top that though!"

A few moons had passed now, and most of the snow had melted away. The air remained brisk and hardened the dead grass under her paws. She and Coldpaw had grown significantly in this time, their once fluffy kit fur now sleek and proportionate around their bodies. They had quickly grown used to waking at dawn for training and became exceptional hunters. Neither of them were too eager about battle training, though they quickly became familiar with the moves and strategies Song and Stripednose taught them. 

During this time, Bloodpaw seemed to have become very depressed. Mistypaw often saw him crouched alone in the shadows, his yellow eyes dull and pained. Despite how he ended their friendship, it hurt to see him like that. Last moon she considered approaching him, but Revengepaw had talked her out of it. 

"He just wants attention." Revengepaw had told her in a growl. "Remember what he said to you? Why should you care about him when he doesn't care about you? I say let him suffer in the hole he's dug for himself."

Mistypaw guiltily agreed with him. Bloodpaw didn't care about her. What if she tried to comfort him and he pushed her away? She didn't think she could take any more painful words from him. Perhaps it was best she avoided him.

"Well done, Mistypaw!" Stripednose stepped out from behind the trunk of a pine tree where he'd been observing. He padded forward to join Mistypaw, who was now at shoulder height with him. "Catching a bird isn't easy, especially for ShadowClan cats. But you've been very successful the past few moons."

She let out a purr, curling her tail. "I've had lots of practice with Revengepaw." Since that evening, they had continued to hunt together almost every day. Though once or twice now, Revengepaw had disappeared for most of the day. Mistypaw couldn't find him, nor Swiftpaw or Poisonedsap. It puzzled her that they vanished without any explanation, and when she questioned Revengepaw upon his return, he wouldn't give her any information.

"Both of you are going to be some of the best hunters in the clan!" Song purred as she joined her mate, sitting and curling her white tail around her. "You should be proud." 

As Mistypaw and Coldpaw exchanged a look of pride, Stripednose looked over his shoulder toward the camp. "We'd better get back to camp. The elders will be glad to have this prey."

As Song rose to her paws, Mistypaw grasped her thrush by the neck and turned, padding to Coldpaw's side as the four headed back through the trees.

When they reached the camp and emerged from the thorn tunnel, the sun was setting over them. Many cats were sharing tongues in the clearing. Rosebreeze and Brownstripe were settled outside the nursery, watching as their kits played. Foxshadow and Blackstorm spoke quietly in the shadows, glancing around as though afraid someone would overhear them. Boost lay outside the warriors den grooming himself.

Mistypaw dropped her thrush on the fresh kill pile and brightened when she saw Revengepaw. He stood by the base of the meeting rock with Swiftpaw, their attention on Depthstar's den.

I'll tell him about the thrush I caught. She decided and let out a purr, rushing over to him. "Hey, Revengepaw! I-"

Before she could finish, Revengepaw whipped his head around to face her, his eyes blazing eagerly. "Guess what? I passed my assessment!"

Mistypaw stared at him in amazement. "That's great! I knew you would!" She quickly forgot about her thrush, overjoyed for him. I completely forgot he and Swiftpaw were having their assessments today! Beside Revengepaw, Swiftpaw looked calmer, though his blue eyes were alight with excitement.

"Yeah, Cougarfoot is talking to Depthstar now." Revengepaw puffed out his chest. "I told him to tell Depthstar to name me something awesome, like Revengestrike or Revengeseeker!"

Just then, Cougarfoot and Timberstorm emerged from the den, followed by Depthstar himself. While the clan leader leaped onto the meeting rock, Revengepaw stepped forward to meet his mentor. "Did you tell him?" He demanded.

Cougarfoot scoffed, twitching a tufted ear. "Of course not! Depthstar will decide your name." As he padded away, Revengepaw glared after him, lashing his tail.

Cougarfoot is right about that. Mistypaw thought. She hesitantly nudged her shoulder against Revengepaw's. "I'm sure Depthstar will give you a great name."

"He'd better," Revengepaw muttered, sounding unconvinced.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather for a clan meeting!" 

Mistypaw looked up as Depthstar yowled from atop the meeting rock. She nodded to Revengepaw before turning to join the crowd forming behind them. She saw Diamondrain sitting near Flameheart and Bloomfire. She quickly sat beside her mother, purring a greeting. Diamondrain rested her warm blue gaze on her and gave her a lick on the head.

Cobratail took his place below Depthstar, studying Revengepaw and Swiftpaw as they moved to the front of the rock, staring up at their leader. Not far from their apprentices watched Cougarfoot and Timberstorm. Poisonedsap watched from the mouth of the nursery, her amber eyes glowing.

"I, Depthstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices," Depthstar's voice rang across the clearing as the cats fell silent. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He looked down to the two apprentices. "Swiftpaw, come forward."

Revengepaw's eyes flashed with irritation, clearly expecting to have been called upon first. But he remained silent as his brother stepped forward.

"Swiftpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Depthstar asked.

Swiftpaw's blue eyes glistened with emotion as he stared up at his leader, as though the question held a deeper meaning to him. One that no other cat could understand. "I do." His voice cracked as he took the oath.

"And Revengepaw." Depthstar's gaze rested on the larger tom who quickly moved forward to Swiftpaw's side. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Revengepaw's response sounded forced, his tail twitching impatiently.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Depthstar raised his voice. "From this moment you will be known as Revengeheart and Swiftstalker. StarClan honors your courage and strength, and we welcome you as full warriors of ShadowClan."

A purr rose in Mistypaw's throat as the clan began to chant around her, and she quickly joined in. "Revengeheart! Swiftstalker!" She cheered.

Revengeheart held his chin high as he turned to survey the clan around him. He caught Mistypaw's eye and started toward her.

"Revengeheart! Swiftstalker!" Poisonedsap hurried over to greet her sons, and Revengeheart paws, turning his attention to her. "I'm so proud of you." She rubbed her muzzle against his neck, and he gave her a quick lick on the ear. She moved to nuzzle Swiftstalker, whose ears flattened uncomfortably.

Poisonedsap is very close with her kits. Mistypaw thought, her heart warming as she watched them and waited patiently. When Poisonedsap turned away, Revengeheart continued toward Mistypaw, his white raised triumphantly. 

She stepped forward to meet him, purring loudly. "Congratulations, Revengeheart."

He shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's an okay name, I guess. Revengeseeker would have been better."

As he spoke, Swiftstalker padded to his brother's side, looking distant and uneasy. Mistypaw purred to him. "Congratulations, Swiftstalker. You-"

"How about tomorrow we go hunting?" Revengeheart shouldered Swiftstalker aside before he could respond. "It'll be my first hunt as a warrior, and I'd like it to be with you."

Mistypaw blushed under his gaze. "Y-yeah, that sounds great!"

He purred and swished his tail behind him, eyes gleaming. "I look forward to it." He turned away and headed toward Mottledface and Foxshadow, greeting them with a chuckle.

Swiftstalker stood still, looking over his shoulder at his brother for a long moment before turning and stepping closer to Mistypaw, speaking quietly. "You should be careful." He seemed to choose his words carefully. "Make the right decision when the time comes."

Mistypaw blinked at him uneasily. "What do you mean?" She became aware of Poisonedsap sitting by the nursery, watching them through narrowed eyes. 

Swiftstalker seemed to sense this and didn't respond to Mistypaw, turning away to join Revengeheart and the others. She stared after him. Right decision? About what? 

***

It was dawn, the air cool and chilly as Mistypaw padded alongside Revengeheart. The early light lined the pine trees in gold, and birds chirped above them. "How does it feel being a warrior?" She prompted.

Revengeheart purred. "Much better than being an apprentice, that's for sure. I was sick of being ordered around." He paused, studying her. "You'll be having your assessment soon, won't you?"

"I think so," Mistypaw meowed. "Stripednose and Song don't have much more to teach us." She hesitated before adding. "I miss talking to you in the apprentices den."

He gave her a friendly flick on the shoulder with his tail. "I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other soon enough."

Mistypaw blinked warmly at him. "I can't wait. Then we can-"

A startled yowl echoed through the trees, abruptly cut off. The blood froze in her veins, her startled heart racing. "Some cat is hurt!" She gasped.

Revengeheart blinked at her, seeming unphased. "I didn't hear anything."

"No, something's wrong!" Mistypaw fled in the direction of the sound, ignoring Revengeheart's yowl to stop. Her paws pounded over the earth, kicking up leaves as she headed for the marsh. She rounded the trunk of a pine tree and stopped dead in her tracks, letting out a horrified gasp as her heart skipped a beat in her chest. 

Hawkfeather lay on his side in the muddy grass, his yellow eyes wide and sightless. His jaws were parted in a yowl that he had never finished, his toes stretched out as though he had prepared to unsheathe his claws. Blood oozed from deep, ragged teeth marks in his throat.

As Mistypaw grew unsteady on her paws, dizzy with shock, Revengeheart crashed through the bushes beside her. "What is it?" He paused when he saw the medicine cat's body. "Oh... Hawkfeather..."

"Some cat killed him..." Mistypaw breathed and shut her eyes, not wanting to look at the gruesome discovery. She remembered how moons ago Maplefur and Milkblaze had been found dead on ThunderClan land. Could ThunderClan be responsible for this too? She wondered anxiously. But this is on our territory... She sniffed the air for ThunderClan scent, but smelled nothing but the reek of blood and fear.

Revengeheart shook his head slowly. "This is horrible. I suppose we'd better take him back to camp." 

"No." Mistypaw stared at him. "We should bring Depthstar here and show him. It might be important to know where and how he looked when he died. Otherwise how will we find the killer?"

He studied her for a long moment. "I guess you're right."  He started in the direction of the camp, and Mistypaw followed, feeling numb and shocked. The clan medicine cat has been murdered... Who would do such a thing?

***

Mottled clouds blanketed the pale sky above the camp. The news of Hawkfeather's death had stunned the clan. Revengeheart and Mistypaw had led Depthstar to the body. After studying the scene of the crime, the clan leader had carried his medicine cat back to camp. He had given nothing away regarding his thoughts on a killer.

The entire clan sat in the clearing, gathered around Hawkfeather's body. Dewstorm was gently grooming his old mentor's tabby pelt, his eyes dull with grief. Hawkfeather's sister, Greenpine, had rested her chin over his shoulder, her eyes shut tight. Behind her, Cliffshade watched solemnly.

Mistypaw sat beside Coldpaw, watching in silence. "I can't believe he's gone," She meowed quietly. "We've known him since we were kits."

"Yeah. He was a great medicine cat." Her brother responded lowly.

Depthstar stood atop the meeting rock, his clouded gaze rested on the body. After a long while, he raised his head and spoke. "Hawkfeather was a wise and skilled medicine cat. He will be missed dearly. We-"

"Depthstar?" Greenpine raised her head from her brother's body, her green eyes filled with misery. "Who did this?"

Crowmask nodded as he rose to his paws, his amber eyes lit with anger. "It was ThunderClan again! It had to have been!"

"Right!" Foxshadow yowled his agreement. "They killed Milkblaze and Maplefur, and now they've killed Hawkfeather!"

"That's enough!" Depthstar raised his voice, and the others quieted. "Hawkfeather was killed on ShadowClan territory, unlike Maplefur and Milkblaze. There wasn't a trace of ThunderClan scent anywhere near him." He hesitated. "I believe this is the work of a rogue."

Below him, Cobratail flashed his amber eyes at him in surprise. "A rogue? How would one get on our territory without being scented by a patrol?"

"That's what we're going to find out." Depthstar's eyes narrowed. "We will not let Hawkfeather's killer get away with this." He nodded to his deputy. "I'd like you to increase patrols for a while, and if Dewstorm needs to collect herbs, he is to be accompanied by a warrior. We cannot risk more deaths."

"Yes, Depthstar."

As the clan leader continued with Hawkfeather's vigil, Mistypaw wondered why any rogue would murder one of their warriors. A cat needs a motive to kill. We don't have quarrels with any rogues. She continued searching for possible answers, but couldn't find any. If not a rogue, then who? And why?