OWLS HOOTED OVERHEAD and the trees cast scary shadows over the path. Dovepaw raced down the moonlit path, her fur bristling and her heart racing. Quick paw steps were heard behind her back. She raced faster each time. Snow fell and crunched under her paws. She scented the tang of MoonClan cats, drenching the forest.

Suddenly the trees rustled and a lithe brown tabby tomcat with bright green eyes jumped down, rounding on Dovepaw. Dovepaw screeched as a warrior jumped on top of her and sunk their teeth into her throat. Blood washed over her fur and she collapsed, fighting for breath. The brown tom pinned her down. She kicked at him with her dying strength. "No reason to fight, little one," the Sparrowfeather growled. "You are already dead now."

Dovepaw gasped and shot upward in her nest. She looked around, bristling. No MoonClan warriors. Good. She saw the other apprentices were sleeping peacefully in their nests, oblivious to Dovepaw's panicked actions. Outside, birds were singing and the trees were swaying. Snow was falling softly on the ground. The sun was barely up yet, and the dawn patrols would be out soon. Memories of her dream whirled in her mind. She had been having dreams like that ever since they arrived in their new camp, a moon ago. She looked outside again. Mousepaw was sitting beside the den entrance, unmoving. It was very odd for a cat as outgoing and energetic as her. Dovepaw limped over to her.

"Hi, Dovepaw. It's a lovely morning." Mousepaw sounded wistful, unlike she usually did.

Dovepaw looked up at the sky. It was a brilliant mix of the most beautiful oranges, pinks, and blues. The wind was gentle and whisked through her fur. "Yeah."

"Something's troubling you," Mousepaw observed, flicking her tail over Dovepaw's flank. "You can tell me. The other apprentices are asleep."

Dovepaw took a deep breath. "I've been having these dreams of MoonClan. And last night . . . I dreamed of Sparrowfeather. He and some MoonClan warriors killed me a-and . . ." She trailed off, not knowing what to say. All she had on her mind now was the fact that no one believed that Sparrowfeather was really evil. "I need to help the Clan, but no one believes me!"

"What about Badgertooth?" Mousepaw tilted her head to the side. "And Lynxstar? And Tawnyflight and Owlheart? I'm sure they'll believe you."

"I know that they won't want to believe me because they know that Sparrowfeather is a great and loyal warrior. He has charms, too."

Mousepaw nodded, glancing at the warriors' den. "You never know until you try. I think Tawnyflight would believe you. Haven't you asked her?"

"I didn't think of that," Dovepaw mused. "But I'm sure that she wouldn't have much to say about it." She flicked her tail impatiently.

"Did I hear someone call me?" That was Tawnyflight. She walked out of the warriors' den. "Oh, good morning, you two. Is something wrong? I heard you two murmuring over here."

Mousepaw nudged Dovepaw, her blue eyes sparkling. Dovepaw frowned, then turned to Tawnyflight. "I wanted to ask you something related to MoonClan," she started cautiously. Tawnyflight was usually so sensitive when a cat asked her about MoonClan. It was probably because of her MoonClan origins. Most likely.

Tawnyflight's eyes widened with fear. "Oh, I . . . I don't think I can answer—"

"Sure you can," Dovepaw urged. "I need to know this now, and you are just the cat that I need to answer." She lowered her voice to a whisper. Tawnyflight sat down beside her and leaned in closer. "Do you think Sparrowfeather is a traitor or will betray us someday? No other cat believes me, so I thought I'd ask you."

Tawnyflight glanced over her shoulder. "Well, since he's Rosefeather's mate, he should be fine. I mean, whoever is Rosefeather's friend is a friend of mine. But also . . . I guess you have a point. He makes a racket sometimes in his sleep, and no cat can get a wink of sleep. He says terrible things, things related to blood . . . and moonlight." She looked at her paws. "Sometimes I wish I could sink into the ground and disappear. I know that when the Clan finds out about MoonClan's influence, they'll do something horrible to me."

"Tawnyflight! We need you on patrol." That was Dawnsplash. The ginger-and-white she-cat was in a small group with Skypaw and Sparrowfeather.

Tawnyflight glanced over her shoulder at Dawnsplash. "I'll tell you if Sparrowfeather does anything bad, okay? For now, just play it cool." She got up and walked over to join the patrol. Dovepaw and Mousepaw watched her go.

"It's okay," Mousepaw meowed, stroking Dovepaw's flank soothingly. "She's going to help, and we'll get out of this."

"Get out of what?" It was Foxpaw. The dark brown apprentice came out of the den, his eyes bleary with sleep. "Oh, good morning."

Mousepaw glanced at her paws worriedly. She sat up and turned to the dark-furred apprentice. She licked her chest fur, clearly trying to think of a lie. "'Morning. We were just discussing what we think Lynxstar would do to protect us from MoonClan, and what we would do ourselves."

Foxpaw nodded coolly. "Ah. Well, we will get out of this. Especially with warriors like Blizzardpelt and Sparrowfeather."

Dovepaw suppressed a hiss of disgust at the mention of the lithe brown warrior. She glanced at Mousepaw, whose expression was indifferent. But her sister's tail tip was twitching with insecurity. "I'll have to go now," Dovepaw mewed. "Goodbye, you two."

Mousepaw nodded. "Okay. I'll see you around."

"Bye." Foxpaw's eyes gleamed with something Dovepaw couldn't quite understand as he watched her go.

Dovepaw shook off her uncertainty and limped to the medicine den. Badgertooth was awake and mixing a poultice. She opened her mouth to greet him but was cut off by a sudden screech.

"MoonClan warriors! On our territory and ready for a fight!" Tawnyflight came rushing back to the camp. Owlheart rushed towards her at the sound of her distressed yowl. "The rest of them are fighting the patrol. We're outnumbered!"

At the same moment, MoonClan cats burst into the camp, one leaping on Tawnyflight. Dovepaw froze in horror, watching as the tortoiseshell queen writhed and clawed and yowled as she fought the huge MoonClan warrior.

"Get back!" Badgertooth called to Dovepaw. "I know a place that they'll never find us. The Clan can't risk losing their medicine cats."

Dovepaw looked back and followed the black-and-white tomcat to a clearing behind the medicine den. It was small, but there were large boulders surrounding it. It must have been made by the FrostClan cats because it didn't look natural at all. Snow was falling more heavily on the ground than earlier. Since it was still early leaf-bare, the trees still had golden leaves on them.

"Hide in the shelter of those two boulders! I'll have to go and fight, but I can't risk you being lost in the battle."

Dovepaw opened her mouth to protest but hastily closed it again. She knew she couldn't fight, even if she wanted to. "Okay. Good luck. You'll need it."

"Thanks." Badgertooth turned and raced away into the swarm of fighting cats. Dovepaw silently prayed that he wouldn't be hurt.

In the meantime, though, she watched as the battle surged in the clearing. Her heart pounded in her chest. The MoonClan cats were really trying to kill them! Wipe them out! Dovepaw bristled. What if Mousepaw died? What if Tawnyflight died? What if Lynxstar died?

Snow crunched under some cat's paws. Dovepaw tensed as the tang of MoonClan's scent wreathed around her like the strong scent of crow-food. He hissed menacingly. "Come out wherever you are, apprentice. You know you can't hide forever."

Shadows loomed over her as the MoonClan cats gained on her, their paw steps increasing in speed. Their scent was as horrible as ever. Dovepaw's neck fur rose, sharp like thistles. She watched the shadows as a cat leaped in the air and aimed for her. Dovepaw screeched as teeth met her scruff.

Dovepaw darted out from the shade of the rock, tripping a little when her broken leg wouldn't cooperate. She didn't dare look back. The MoonClan warrior snarled as she dodged his blows.

Dovepaw darted out of the way clumsily and towards the camp, but not in the battle. Cloudpaw and Leafpaw were fighting one muscular black-and-cream she-cat. "Incoming!" she yowled.

Cloudpaw jumped out of the she-cat's striking range and leaped onto her back, sinking his claws into her fur. He glanced at Dovepaw. "We can fight them both! Skypaw!"

The dark gray apprentice had just driven a long-haired light gray tom into the trees. "Coming!"

Leafpaw leaped out of the way when Skypaw almost crashed into her in his dash. The young tom leaped at the small black tomcat, Bloodfur, who was chasing Dovepaw. He scrabbled at her sleek fur, trying to get a grip. Bloodfur threw him off and prepared to spring and pin him to the ground. Dovepaw darted towards Bloodfur and made a blow at his nose. When Dovepaw landed again her paw was spattered with blood.

Bloodfur growled, trying to stifle a cry of pain. He turned to Dovepaw and sprang towards her, claws unsheathed and bloodstained.

Dovepaw darted out of the way and just before she skidded to a halt she bent her leg in an awkward direction and collapsed. A yowl of pain escaped her before she knew it was coming. Bloodfur turned to her.

"No!" Foxpaw burst from the clearing, dodging a blow from the cream-and-black she-cat as he ran towards where Bloodfur pinned Dovepaw to the ground. Foxpaw head-butted the small black cat with a determined grunt. "Run, Dovepaw!"

Dovepaw froze for a heartbeat, shocked. Why did Foxpaw save her? She could save herself! What am I thinking? No, I couldn't! I needed Foxpaw's help. Dovepaw scrambled to her paws and ran away. She skidded to a halt at the pool that the waterfall made. She made a sharp turn and slipped into the den behind the waterfall, her fur lying flat when her mother's soothing scent wreathed around her. She glanced over her shoulder. No cat saw me come in here . . . right?

A terrible, high-pitched screech almost drowned out the sound of the waterfall. Dovepaw turned sharply and peeked out from the curtain of water. The cream-and-black she-cat had her teeth fastened in Leafpaw's throat. The apprentice's leg was soaked in blood already. The crimson fluid was already pooling around her. Leafpaw gradually went limp and the cream-and-black she-cat let her go.

Rosefeather's distressed yowl made Dovepaw aware of her dash to her daughter's limp body. She skidded to a halt there and stared down at her body.

"FrostClan warriors! Drive them out!" Lynxstar lifted her head from where she pinned down a gray she-cat, Frozenfang. Frozenfang looked terrified, unlike other MoonClan cats would in a battle. Dovepaw wondered why. But then, it was a battle. Every cat was scared in a battle. Some just chose not to show it.

Immediately, the Clan lined up against the MoonClan cats. They snarled and spat, driving the large cats backward.

The MoonClan deputy, Nightclaw, raised his muzzle. "MoonClan, retreat!"

The MoonClan warriors surged from the camp. The FrostClan cats lifted their voices to celebrate their victory.

Dovepaw stood frozen in her spot. She didn't join in the cheers. Rosefeather, Foxpaw, his littermates, and Mousepaw all looked shocked too. Dovepaw forced her legs to carry her to the scene of the murder. "L-Leafpaw?"

Rosefeather let out a wail. "Not Leafpaw! Why would StarClan do such a terrible thing? What did I do to deserve this?"

Sparrowfeather was celebrating with his Clanmates when he spotted his mate and kits mourning. He broke away and joined them. "Leafpaw. No . . ." He pressed his muzzle into his mate's while he pressed against Rosefeather. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm so sorry . . ."

***

Dovepaw barely noticed some of the senior warriors taking away Leafpaw's body because she was so deep in her own thoughts. Why would they do this to us?

Dovepaw sat next to Mousepaw in silence. The snow had finished falling, and there was a white covering where the snow fell. The sun was just sinking into the horizon, and the moon was a faint outline in the dusk sky. "Why would StarClan do this? Why does MoonClan hate us so much?" she asked her.

Mousepaw shook her head. "Don't ask me. I don't think we did anything wrong. They attacked first. At our old territory, and this one."

Foxpaw was padding over to them. "Dovepaw? Will you come to sit vigil with me? It would mean a lot . . . to Leafpaw and I."

Dovepaw glanced at Mousepaw, who nudged her with her forepaw. Dovepaw nodded. "Okay. For Leafpaw." She followed Foxpaw to where Leafpaw's body lay.

Foxpaw just glanced at Dovepaw, his eyes gleaming with thanks.