DOVEPAW HEARD RUSTLING next to her and woke up. The sky was still dark, though the gray dawn light that usually spread throughout the dark night sky. She glanced at Whitefoot's nest. The black-and-white tom was muttering in his sleep and his tail-tip flicked back and forth stressfully. Dovepaw stood up and padded towards him. "Whitefoot . . . ?" she touched his side with her paw.

Whitefoot moaned softly and curled further inward. He was muttering something to himself, but it was so soft and slurred that Dovepaw couldn't grasp what he was saying.

"Whitefoot, wake up," Dovepaw hissed urgently in his ear. When her breath touched his ear fur, he twitched again as if he were startled by something. "Whitefoot," she hissed again.

Whitefoot groaned hazily. He stirred, but he didn't fully wake up.

He's not even properly awake. . . . What is he dreaming about? Curiosity pricked at Dovepaw's pelt. She gazed at Whitefoot a moment longer before backing into her nest again. I guess I'll ask him what his dream was about later.

***

Dovepaw opened her eyes again when bright sunlight filtered into the den, spraying its colors onto the ground and onto their pelts. Badgertooth's nest was empty. He had probably gone to make dirt or something like that. She glanced at Whitefoot's nest; he was surfacing from the haze of sleep. When the time comes, I'll ask.

Whitefoot licked his ruffled fur thoroughly. "What happened? The last thing I remember was eating that foul mouse. Was it crow-food?"

Dovepaw eyed him. "You were fed deathberries. Luckily we saved you before you died, and now you're here. How did you get that mouse?"

"Another cat gave it to me. I was too tired to tell who it was. Also, I was extremely hungry. But I guess that was a mouse-brained decision I made." He looked away guiltily. "Who guarded the camp?"

"Frozenfang," Dovepaw answered hesitantly.

Whitefoot shook his head disapprovingly. "No, no one trusts her. Lynxstar will never forgive you for that."

"She was the only warrior awake!" Dovepaw argued. "I don't care what Lynxstar thinks. Her warrior was dying, and I was under a lot of pressure, so . . . I don't really care. By the way, what were you dreaming about last night?"

Whitefoot looked startled. "How do you know about that?"

"You woke me up."

"Oh. Sorry." Whitefoot glanced at his paws. "It's hard to explain. It was about—"

"Dovepaw!" Lynxstar was crossing the clearing, her eyes curious.

Mouse dung! He was just about to tell me! "Yes, Lynxstar?" Dovepaw looked over to where her mother's voice came and saw Lynxstar standing at the foot of the den.

"What happened last night? I heard rushing and hushed voices, but I couldn't tell what it was." Lynxstar cocked her head, eyeing Dovepaw and Whitefoot one by one.

Dovepaw flicked her tail towards Whitefoot. "He accidentally ate deathberries last night. But Badgertooth and I returned just in time to save his life."

Fear and shock sparked in Lynxstar's blue eyes as she looked at Whitefoot. "Is he all right? Who guarded the camp last night?"

"He is. He just needs to gather his strength before he returns to warrior duties. And for the cat who guarded the camp. And Frozenfang guarded the camp," Dovepaw answered, scared for Lynxstar's reply. The FrostClan leader's fur started to rise along her spine.

Lynxstar got to her paws and started to pace. "Frozenfang . . . why would you do that, without your Clan leader's permission?" The FrostClan leader didn't sound like she was talking to her daughter anymore. She sounded like she was talking to a misbehaving kit.

"She was the only warrior awake, and she wanted to help. . . . Whitefoot was dying, Lynxstar!" Dovepaw exclaimed, fury rising in her throat like mouse bile.

A growl rose in Lynxstar's throat like a roaring monster in the distance. "You could have gotten another warrior!" she retorted.

"I couldn't leave Whitefoot, for one. Second, Badgertooth was gone, and if I did leave, Whitefoot would be alone! I can't leave a patient alone. It's not what I was taught," Dovepaw meowed.

Lynxstar opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again and shook her head. "You could have asked for help. I don't care that the whole Clan would be woken and disturbed. I just want them to be safe."

Dovepaw thrust her muzzle into her mother's face. "Well, if you want them to be safe, then let me take care of Whitefoot."
Frozenfang was just entering the den. Lynxstar and Dovepaw glanced at her. The dark gray she-cat's icy blue eyes sparkled with sadness with Lynxstar's distrust. "I didn't do anything wrong. I just guarded the camp, nothing else. I didn't mean to make you mad . . ."

"Well you did!" Lynxstar raised her voice. Dovepaw cringed.

"Keep it down! I'm trying to rest!" Whitefoot complained hoarsely. It sounded like it hurt to talk.

Concern rose in Dovepaw's chest. "Are you hurting?" she asked.

"My throat hurts," Whitefoot replied.

Badgertooth entered the den, holding a folded leaf in his jaws. "Honey will do," Badgertooth meowed. He was coming into the den, his mouth full with herbs. He put them down and padded over to Dovepaw.

"Okay." Dovepaw went and got some honey. She limped over to Whitefoot. "Swallow this. It'll help soothe the pain in your throat." When Whitefoot looked unsure she added, "It's sweet."

"I know. It's just . . ." Whitefoot trailed off and swallowed the honey. He shuddered as it went down his throat. "Too sweet."

Dovepaw let out a purr of amusement and put the leaf away. "Would you like some poppy seeds? To help you sleep?"

"That would be great, thanks." Whitefoot watched as Dovepaw scooped up three seeds onto her pad and offered them to him. Whitefoot licked them up and went to sleep almost immediately.

"I'm sorry," Lynxstar apologized, glancing at Frozenfang then at Dovepaw. "Frozenfang, I do trust you. I'm just frustrated at this situation. My warriors just don't understand how much you support the Clan, and I was just acting for them, I guess. You didn't deserve my reaction."

Frozenfang dipped her head. "As long as you're sorry."

There was a scoff of disbelief from outside the den. Snowtail entered, her green eyes mocking slits. "And as long as you stay trustworthy."

Dovepaw hissed. "What are you doing here? Get out!" she asked, ignoring the venom that snuck into her voice. She was done with how rude everyone was to Frozenfang; Dovepaw saved her life.

"I just returned from a hunting patrol, and as I was dropping off my fresh-kill, I overheard the conversation," Snowtail explained carelessly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dovepaw caught Frozenfang's lip curl in a snarl. Lynxstar began to bristle.

Dovepaw also caught a nod of encouragement from Lynxstar. She faced Snowtail again. "Leave this den immediately. This is none of your business."

But instead of leaving, Snowtail thrust her muzzle into Dovepaw's face. Dovepaw could feel the she-cat's hot breath on her cheek, but she didn't flinch. "If you didn't bring her here, this would have never happened!"

"Now, now." Badgertooth got in between the arguing she-cats. Snowtail hissed at him and he flinched backward. The vicious she-cat looked back at Dovepaw and leapt, teeth bared. Dovepaw prepared to defend herself, ducking so that Snowtail would miss her and fly out to the clearing behind her.

Snowtail landed face-first in the clearing, and got up, spitting. Dust was smeared on her face, but she wiped some off with a paw. Dovepaw bared her teeth and sank her claws into the ground. She shot off towards Snowtail, her effort to stay calm forgotten. She leapt at Snowtail but the she-cat sank her claws into Dovepaw's neck fur and threw her to the ground. Dovepaw yowled in agony as the claws sank into her sides and threw her to rocky ground.

Dovepaw tried to get back up but Snowtail pinned her down. She raised her muzzle and aimed for Dovepaw's throat with sharp, yellow teeth.

"That should teach you to respect others, apprentice," Snowtail snarled. Dovepaw let out a mock whimpering noise before Snowtail shot off towards the forest in ThunderClan's territory. Dovepaw let herself go limp with exhaustion and pain. Badgertooth hurried over to her. His blue eyes were angry.

"Are you alright?" Badgertooth asked. "What was all of that for?"

"I'll be okay . . . I'll just have a few bruises tomorrow. And I think she's mad at me for something I did a moon ago. For bringing Frozenfang here," Dovepaw explained. She groaned softly, flexing her sore shoulders. "I think she hurt something." Her wounds on her sides were stinging.

Badgertooth's tail swished over the surface of the clearing. "Either way, she didn't need to do that. Here, come into the den. Frozenfang, fetch some marigold. Do you know what it looks like?"

Frozenfang nodded, clearly in shock at the sight of Snowtail attacking Dovepaw because of her stiff nod, and went to get some marigold. She hurried back over to Badgertooth.

"Good. Now chew it up into a poultice. I'll tell you when it is good enough to use." Badgertooth was looking nervous, his gaze flicking from his son to his apprentice.

Lynxstar stepped forward and started to lick Dovepaw's wounds clean. Dovepaw flinched a little but let her continue.

"That's good," Badgertooth told Frozenfang after she had chewed it up into a liquid. He took the poultice up and started to apply it onto the wounds that Lynxstar had already cleaned. Soon enough the wounds were treated and the blood had been soaked up in moss. Badgertooth offered a single poppy seed to Dovepaw.

Frozenfang was smoothing her ruffled fur when she looked up and gazed into the clearing. "We need to find Snowtail."

Lynxstar, Badgertooth, and Dovepaw exchanged quick glances.

"Well . . . I guess. But what makes you so determined?"

Frozenfang exhaled slowly. "I think I know where she's going, and what made her do that."

The three cats pricked their ears.

"I think MoonClan has been training her."