A moon had passed since the battle. Rogue scent was still being found on the territory. Sharptalon had fully healed. 

The bright sun hung in the light blue sky like a yellow leaf in a puddle of clear water. Gray clouds crossed over the sky like fish in a pond. The sound of a pebble hitting water attracted Sharptalon's attention. 

"Quit, Needlepaw, you'll scare all RiverClan's prey away," Brackenclaw growled.

Needlepaw kicked another pebble into the water, lashing her tail. A scar was showing on her flank. She kicked another. 

"Quit!" Brackenclaw hissed from the shore once more. "We need to hurry up and cross into ShadowClan's territory, then get to the Great Crossing, and go through WindClan's territory, and then we'll have to go to the edge of RiverClan territory and reach their camp."

"That's a lot of walking," Needlepaw sighed. She kicked another pebble into the water.

Echostrike flashed Needlepaw a sympathetic look.

"The pebbles aren't fishfood, Needlepaw," Brackenclaw sighed. 

The small patrol stepped from the trees. They were in the sunlight now. Golden rays dappled the ground and brightened Brackenclaw's pelt.

The river was running fast beside them, its current tugging every pebble that Needlepaw threw into it. The stream was on their other side. 

Needlepaw suddenly tripped over her paws, her screech echoing around the land. The current dragged her tail and paws.

"Needlepaw!" Brackenclaw gasped, rushing forward.

Heart pounding in his ears, Sharptalon rushed down to the river's bank. The current tugged Needlepaw again and she was dragged into the river like a dead piece of prey.

Sharptalon ran as fast as he could alongside the river, his paws kicking up pebbles. He lost sight of Needlepaw. 

Echostrike was running at his heels. "She's heading towards those jutting rocks! She's going to die if she hits them!" She yowled. "The current's too fast!" She yowled.

Sharptalon looked back at her, his whiskers streaming behind him in the wind.

Brackenclaw flattened her ears, running faster.

Needlepaw's head popped up in the river. She looked dead. Her fur was dark now, wet with water, her fur plastered to her skull. She screeched in terror, but it was quickly drowned out as she was tugged back under.

Sharptalon's heart sank. Her siblings had just lost their mother. They couldn't lose their sister. He took in a deep breath and plunged in the river.

"Sharptalon-!" 

Echostrike's voice was drowned out as Sharptalon went under the water. It immediately filled his ears and nose. He couldn't breathe. He clawed at the water and tried to climb up to the surface. Gray fur was beside him. Needlepaw.

Sharptalon broke the surface finally, seeing Needlepaw as well. He darted forward, grabbing her scruff. He tried as hard as he could to swim against the current, trying to get to the bank. 

Brackenclaw was running along the bank, but Echostrike was nowhere to be seen. Had she jumped in too?

Sharptalon and Needlepaw were approaching the rocks faster. Some were flat, some sharp, but impact would kill them. 

A familiar scent wreathed around Sharptalon suddenly. A transparent shape appeared at his side, floating on the water. Her blue eyes shimmered.

"Be strong, Sharptalon," Fluffypelt whispered. Stars twinkled in her white fur.

Sharptalon felt energy flood around him. My mother... She's... she... 

"Sharptalon!" Brackenclaw yowled.

Fluffypelt's spirit was gone. 

Sharptalon yowled and swam against the current, feeling a cat under him suddenly. RiverClan scent wreathed around him. Was that a RiverClan cat?

With Needlepaw still in his jaws, he swam to the left against the current. Finally, his paws touched sand and climbed onto the pebbly bank, water dripping from his fur and whiskers.

Reedwhisker, RiverClan's deputy, appeared from the water. He shook out his wet pelt, flattening his ears. His black fur was glossy in the sunshine.

"What were you thinking?" He hissed.

Brackenclaw rushed to them. "What about Echostrike? Where is she? She jumped in the river!" She cried.

Reedwhisker turned, his ears pricking forward. 

Two other RiverClan cats slid from the water, their fur dripping water: Mistyfoot and Hollowflight.

"Reedwhisker, the current is too strong, we can't swim down there," Mistyfoot meowed.

Reedwhisker turned and ran down the bank. "That cat is going to die! Help me!" 

Sharptalon got to his paws. Needlepaw's breathing was shallow. He grabbed her scruff, helping her to her paws. She whimpered.

"Ambertuft.... I saw her.... she said it wasn't my time," Needlepaw murmured, her eyes closing.

"Don't worry, we'll get you to a medicine cat soon, I promise," Sharptalon meowed. He looked at Brackenclaw. "Stay with her, I'll help Reedwhisker." He shook out his pelt and raced off toward the rocks. 

A limp pale brown body was laying limply on the rocks, her fur dark with water. Blood pooled around her head.

Sharptalon gasped as he peered forward. There was a gash in her head, her eyes staring blankly at the sky.

"Great StarClan, what do we do?" Reedwhisker growled, lashing his tail. He looked up at Sharptalon's approach, flattening his ears. "What made you think it was a good idea to get that close to the river?" He hissed.

Sharptalon bristled. "It's not my fault! Needlepaw was at the river's edge kicking pebbles and then she got dragged in when she lost her footing!" He hissed angrily.

"Echostrike's not dead," Mistyfoot sniffed. "She hit the rocks pretty hard though."

"Yeah, no kidding, like I can't see all that blood!" Sharptalon growled.

Reedwhisker unsheathed his claws. "Then tell me this, why were you all walking by the river in the first place?" He asked.

"To come and warn you about the rogues. They attacked our camp a moon ago and a warrior and elder was killed," Sharptalon explained, his tail lashing. "And that's why Needlepaw was kicking pebbles into the water; she's been depressed ever since her mother died." I hope they understand. 

Reedwhisker sheathed his claws, slight sympathy showing in his eyes.

Echostrike suddenly jerked. She coughed up water, her paws trembling. She looked up, bristling, her eyes wide with terror. "W-who are you? What do you want?"

Sharptalon gasped, his heart skipping a beat. He blinked at the she-cat in confusion. Had she lost her memory when she collided with those rocks? Had she really hit them that hard?

Reedwhisker's eyes rounded. "It's ok," he soothed. "We're going to get you to a medicine cat and they'll fix you up," he promised.

"W-what?" Echostrike whimpered. She backed up to the edge. "Where am I?" 

"It doesn't matter. We're going to help you," Mistyfoot mewed. She padded forward.

"S-S-stay away! I don't know who you are!" Echostrike hissed. She lashed her tail and unsheathed her claws, her eyes wide with horror and panic.

"We aren't going to hurt you, Echostrike," Sharptalon meowed. He padded forward gently.

"Echostrike? Who is that?" Echostrike asked, confusion flashing in her gaze.

"That's your name," Sharptalon meowed. "Your name is Echostrike."

Echostrike blinked at him. "Is it really?" She asked, her voice shaky. "I'm Echostrike," she whispered, repeating it over and over again. "W-who are you?"

"My name is Sharptalon. I was traveling with you. We were friends," Sharptalon explained. I hope she can remember this at least.  

"Friends? Sharptalon?" Echostrike asked. She seemed to relax a bit. "I-if you're my friend, you have to help me, please. It hurts, it hurts so bad!" She cried. Blood trickled into her eyes from the gash on her forehead. 

"Don't worry, Echostrike, I'll help you," Sharptalon soothed. At least she trusts me now.

Brackenclaw rushed over, Needlepaw leaning on her shoulder. "Sharptalon! We need a medicine cat right away!" She gasped as she saw Echostrike. "Oh, Echostrike, what happened to you?"

"Who are you?" Echostrike asked, her words becoming dreary.

"We need to get to WindClan's camp. It's the closest medicine cat you'll have," Reedwhisker meowed. "Mistyfoot, Hollowflight. Go back to ThunderClan with Brackenclaw and tell Squirrelstar that her cats will be resting in WindClan camp for now."