It had been a moon since Oakhowl got his warrior name, along with Sunleap, Birchnose, Flamefoot, Icestrike, and Petalheart. Goldenheart and Oakhowl became close friends and Oakhowl thought of him as a brother. Petalheart and Flamefoot were getting really close. Oakhowl thought that soon, there wood be new kits in the forest. As he, Birchnose, Cloudfoot, and Thornear split up into the forest to hunt, he suddenly heard noises coming from a nearby bush. He padded over and hear Sunleap's voice. "Are you sure this will work?" She was with someone else. "Yes." He made out the voice of Applefoot, his older sister. "What are you two doing here?" He asked, surprising both of the cats. "Oh! Oakhowl. I didn't know you were on a patrol." Sunleap mewed nervously. "We were just discussing hunting plans. We'll leave." Applefoot mewed, looking annoyed. They headed off. Oakhowl that that it was weird. What were his siblings doing out in the forest alone?

Later that day, he wondered off into the forest to collect herbs that Honeyleaf asked him to get when he scented something strange. He stopped. "Hello? Is any cat there?" He called. No cat answered. Instead, he realized what the scent was too late, as a huge badger sprung from the bushes, claws out, teeth bared.