"Listen, Wolffang. I'm sorry but I can't train here anymore. I have to be loyal to my Clan," Sharptalon explained. "But it was nice here."

"Who cares about loyalty to your Clan," Wolffang spat. His eyes clouded with misery. "My father wasn't loyal to me even though I told him..." he stopped suddenly, bristling. "Nevermind." 

"But listen. Maybe I can still train here if we all keep our claws sheathed," Sharptalon suggested. He blinked hopefully at his friend.

"I don't know, Sharppaw," Wolffang sighed.

Sharptalon bristled. "I told you to stop calling me that. I'm a warrior."

"And here you aren't," Wolffang hissed. He turned, leaping on Sharptalon, his claws sinking into his pelt. "Kill Kestrelflight. Kill Snowbreeze and Frostheart."

"I won't kill a medicine cat," Sharptalon hissed, kicking and clawing at Wolffang's belly. 

Wolffang clenched his teeth but held on. "You think that you won't. But I know you will eventually. That kittypet you killed... he was innocent."

"That's because you told me to kill him!" Sharptalon hissed. Rage burned his claws. "I have had enough of you telling me what to do!" He yowled. He struck forward, clamping his jaws around Wolffang's throat. Surprise lit in the tom's gaze.

Sharptalon hauled Wolffang off of him, knocking him to the ground. Wolffang's breathing was heavy and fast. He then realized what he'd done. Blood pooled from a gash in the dark gray tom's throat. He made a gurgling sound. 

"Wolffang! I'm-- sorry!" Sharptalon gasped. I've become someone I can't control...

Wolffang got to his paws, flattening his ears. Blood dripped from his throat and dribbled down his chin. "I'm fine." He shoved past Sharptalon, leaving behind a dark trail of blood droplets as he disappeared into the shadows of the trees. 

Sharptalon felt darkness swarm around him, which was then replaced by bright light. He stared around him, his paws itching. A grassy field was under his paws. Stars twinkled around him. Suddenly, a gray tom dappled with darker gray flecks appeared in front of Sharptalon, his dark blue eyes unreadable. 

The gray tom had a torn ear and a scarred pelt. He looked at Sharptalon. "Sharptalon, I'm Ashstar."

Sharptalon blinked. He'd heard of this tom before. The recent ThunderClan leader that had given his last life for his Clanmates. But why would a StarClan cat be visiting him?

"Why are you here?" Sharptalon growled, lashing his tail.

"I was hoping you'd understand me," Ashstar sighed, sitting down. Muscles rippled beneath his pelt. "When I was a warrior, I trained in the Dark Forest too. I thought it would be good for me. But I was wrong. I hope you figure that out someday." 

"You? Training in the Dark Forest? I'd never believe!" Sharptalon growled. 

"I trained there. But I learned from it. Wolffang is my son, and I'm not proud he went there after death. Sharptalon, please, I'm begging you. Don't trust any of those cats," Ashstar begged. "I don't want more of my kin to end up there." 

Sharptalon avoided the tom's gaze. I don't know how to respond. The Dark Forest practically raised me...

"Wolffang is not a good cat. Trust me." Ashstar blinked at him, his ears pricked.

Sharptalon turned on him. "Wolffang is good. He's my friend!" He hissed. "You know I don't care if I train in the Dark Forest. I'm doing it for the good of my Clan. I'm doing it to finally take revenge on my father and sister."

Ashstar narrowed his eyes. "I knew it. I knew you were the cat in the prophecy. You're the cat who will draw a bloody wound into the Clan," he snarled. 

Sharptalon bristled, unsheathing his claws. He remembered what Flamedawn had told him when he was still an apprentice. "You don't know anything about me!" 

"Yes I do. You're-" Ashstar was cut off as bushes rustled behind him. Three cats slid from the bushes. 

A gray tabby tom with cloudy blue eyes twitched his whiskers. Was this tom blind? A large golden tabby tom stood beside him, his gaze cold. A black she-cat stood beside him, her green gaze narrowed. 

Ashstar dipped his head. "Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf," he breathed.

"This tom. Sharptalon, right?" Jayfeather prompted, his whiskers twitching.

"He's part of the prophecy. He's training with the Dark Forest," Ashstar growled. 

Sharptalon bristled, his ears flattening. "Get away from me!" He hissed, lashing his tail. Suddenly a familiar scent flooded around him. Fear drained from his pelt. Memories of him being a kit in the nursery flooded his head. He froze.

A fluffy white she-cat with brown splotches padded from behind Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf. Her blue gaze was soft yet disbelieving.  

"Sharptalon..." Fluffypelt murmured. 

Sharptalon was speechless. He turned around, closing his eyes tight. He couldn't bear to hear his mother's words. He ran blindly across the star-filled meadow. 

"Sharptalon, lead a border patrol at the ShadowClan border. Take Bramblehawk, Ambertuft, Brackenclaw, and Needlepaw." Ivypool had said.

Sharptalon was now leading his patrol through the undergrowth, heading towards the ShadowClan border. He wondered why Ivypool hadn't sent them to patrol the rogue's border, but he didn't question her decision. He also wondered why Ivypool even trusted him to lead a border patrol. 

"Sharptalon? Are you even paying attention?" Ambertuft suddenly asked. 

Sharptalon shook out his pelt. His thoughts still clouded his mind. "Yes, I am," he mumbled, his tail flicking. 

Ambertuft hurried to his side, her eyes clouded with concern. "Are you ok?" She asked. "Ever since Squirrelstar called you into her den, you've been a bit shaky."

Sharptalon glanced at his former mentor, twitching his whiskers. "I'm fine, Ambertuft." He halted quickly as the scent of rogue touched his nose. "Wait."

Ambertuft halted too, her whiskers twitching. She bristled, looking around. "Rogue."

The large frame of Bramblehawk appeared on Sharptalon's other side. "Great StarClan. Why is their scent all the way near the ShadowClan border?" 

Brackenclaw bristled, her apprentice at her side. "Are those the rogues?" She asked.

"Yes. We need to be carefu-" Ambertuft was suddenly cut off by a loud screech.

"DarkClan, attack!" 

Suddenly, white fur flashed above Sharptalon. It landed on him, claws skidding down his flanks. He yowled in pain. 

Ambertuft was beside him, writhing on the ground with a large, long-haired gray tom. She hissed, throwing a paw of claws at his face.

Suddenly, the familiar scent of Snowbreeze hit Sharptalon. The cat who'd dropped on him was his father! Rage surged through him. Sharptalon turned on the tom, striking his chest. He ripped out a pawful of fur.

Snowbreeze hissed in anger, kicking out and knocking Sharptalon off his paws. He shoved his muzzle into the rough dirt and Sharptalon couldn't breath. He struggled under his father's heavy weight, his tail lashing widly. 

A memory flashed in Sharptalon's mind. He remembered when he was an apprentice, when his father tried to cut off his air supply. He struck out with his hind legs, kicking the soft belly fur of Snowbreeze. He twisted around, striking his claws across his father's cheek. 

Suddenly a panicked screech sounded behind Sharptalon. He turned around, horror spreading in his chest as he saw Rain, the long-haired gray tom, with Ambertuft's throat in his jaws. 

Ambertuft was scrambling frantically against the rogue deputy, her eyes wide with horror. Blood was streaming from her throat and bubbled from her mouth. 

Sharptalon was about to rush forward when suddenly he felt a tug at his tail. He turned around and was met with sharp claws striking his cheek. Snowbreeze crashed on top of him, then looked up, flicking his tail. "Go!" He hissed. 

Sharptalon bared his teeth, flattening his ears. He kicked roughly, striking Snowbreeze's stomach. He tore at the soft fur. Then Sharptalon swung his forepaw upward, striking his father's chin roughly. He kicked him away as Snowbreeze growled in pain. 

Ambertuft! Sharptalon turned around, his heart pounding. He saw that Rain was gone. Ambertuft was lying on the ground, a large gash in her throat.  Blood was pooled around her. Her amber fur was stained with the scarlet liquid. 

"Ambertuft!" Sharptalon cried.