WHEN DOVEPAW AWOKE, Badgertooth and Mapleleaf were gone. Soft dawn light filtered through the bramble screen of the medicine den, carrying a warm breeze. She could hear birdsong in the forest, and the rustling of leaves on the oak trees just outside of the camp. The camp was alive with the bustling of the ThunderClan and FrostClan cats. Leafheart and Owlheart yowled instructions in the clearing to the warriors.

     Dovepaw pricked her ears when she saw a shadow move outside of the den. Lynxstar padded into the den. "Good morning," she mewed. Her eyes were dark. "I heard the bad news. That your leg was permanently broken."

     "What?" Dovepaw could hardly believe her ears. Mapleleaf had said that she thought it was a permanent break, but Dovepaw didn't actually believe her. Medicine cats always assumed the worst. "But I'll be able to walk again, surely?"

     Lynxstar padded over to her daughter and began to give her a fierce wash like she used to do when they were small kits in the nursery. In between licks she meowed, "Of course, my dear. Just not properly. And that also means that you won't be able to become a warrior like your sister. You'll be able to contribute to the Clan in different ways, though."

     Dovepaw looked up at her mother. "That means I can't be a warrior! Mother, what will I do then? Mousepaw and I always dreamed of fighting for our Clan and having a life for ourselves . . . now that is all gone." She buried her muzzle in her mother's soft white fur.

     Lynxstar stroked her pelt with her thick tail. "I'm sorry, Dovepaw. You and Mousepaw are always bouncing about playing those games. I wish that I could make it all better. Don't worry. You are extremely lucky to have Badgertooth as a mentor. And you are lucky because being a medicine cat is a very special experience."

     Dovepaw suppressed a feeble wail of sadness. "That doesn't change anything! I don't want to be a medicine cat, I want to be a warrior like Snowtail and Sparrowfeather and Blizzardpelt, not stuck in a den sorting herbs all day!"

     "Being a medicine cat is not all about herbs," Lynxstar murmured. "It's also about sharing StarClan's knowledge. And making the best choices for the Clan."

     "Isn't that a leader's job?" Dovepaw asked. "Your job?"

     "Well, yes, but medicine cats are like advisers to the leader. They help make big decisions that are most suitable to the Clan."

     Dovepaw sighed. "That still doesn't change a thing. Mousepaw will be a warrior before I finish my training!"

     Lynxstar sighed also. "I know, and I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do to make it better, even if I wanted to. It's the warrior code and logic. A warrior with a crippled leg won't do much good for the Clan unless she is a medicine cat, who interprets signs and heals the Clan when injured, right?"

     "I guess. It's still not fair, though!" Dovepaw complained. "Why couldn't I have been smarter and not have fallen into that river?"

     "Well, the upside to that is you didn't die or end up lame and useless, you know this," Lynxstar meowed steadily. She pressed her muzzle into Dovepaw's scruff. I guess that could have happened, Dovepaw thought grimly. She looked up when Mapleleaf and Badgertooth entered the den with a mouthful of herbs with each of them. "How was it?" Lynxstar asked when they put down their newly collected supplies.

     "It was great!" Badgertooth replied. His bright blue eyes shone with newfound wisdom and enthusiasm. "Mapleleaf showed me a place that I can go to share tongues with StarClan! It was beautiful. She says that we medicine cats go there every half-moon. Every single one of them! It's wonderful!"

     "That's great!" Lynxstar hopped to her paws and touched Mapleleaf on the shoulder with the tip of her tail. "Thank you so much for your help. Do you know if the Clan is healed up, or is healing?"

     "I've treated all the cats, and they should be coming to me when they wake. There is a patrol out from your Clan. They are all cats that did not need much healing. They are welcome to do anything now," Mapleleaf explained. Dovepaw was very excited to go to her new home where MoonClan would least expect it. And the leaf-fall chill in the air promised leaf-bare was here soon.

     "Thank you, Mapleleaf. I may have a word with Brightstar before we leave for our camp." Lynxstar purred as she looked at the three cats in front of her. She turned around and left the den, leaving for the ThunderClan leader's den.

     "While she speaks with Brightstar," Mapleleaf mewed, "I'll give you a poppy seed if that wound is still hurting. We couldn't find many healing herbs. Most of them are already dead from the frost, but I told Badgertooth where I usually find them." She held out a single poppy seed for Dovepaw to take, and she licked it up.

     "Thanks," Dovepaw mewed. She realized that almost immediately the pain in her leg began to fade.

     "Mapleleaf! Badgertooth!" Sparrowfeather yowled. He bounded from the thorn tunnel to the medicine den. Crimsonfrost was right behind him. "We went on patrol and saw a bunch of dark-furred cats! I think it was MoonClan, and we found one of your apprentices hurt!" Dovepaw saw a light brown she-cat on his back. She had a long gash on the side of her neck, which was still bleeding.

     "Get Brightstar and Lynxstar right away," Mapleleaf ordered. Dovepaw was amazed at how calm and steady her voice was, even when Crimsonfrost and Sparrowfeather had brought in a dying apprentice. "It'll be better if we talk here while I treat Robinpaw."

     Sparrowfeather looked at Crimsonfrost as if they were sharing a secret message. "Right away," Crimsonfrost meowed. She looked at Sparrowfeather with affection before turning to leave. Sparrowfeather stared at the bramble screen that rustled after she left.

     Dovepaw looked at Mapleleaf. She had an amused glitter in her amber eyes as she rummaged through her herbs. "Young love," she murmured before turning to Sparrowfeather. He put Robinpaw on a moss nest next to Dovepaw. "Make sure no cat comes into the den. I need to focus," she ordered Sparrowfeather.

     The young tabby tom left the den just as cats began to crowd the entrance, murmuring nervously. A pretty thick-furred she-cat with green eyes stared into the den with worry lining her face.

     The light brown apprentice looked scarcely conscious. Mapleleaf hurried to save her before she left them. Dovepaw didn't want to watch; blood gushed from Robinpaw's wound. She turned away and covered her eyes with her thick tail.

     She drifted into deep thought as she remembered what Sparrowfeather said about MoonClan. Why did they attack Robinpaw when she's not a part of FrostClan? Why do they care at all? Because they helped us? Even so, Robinpaw didn't help with saving us. So was it a warning to the cats of ThunderClan?

     Dovepaw was dragged from her thoughts when Brightstar and Lynxstar entered the den. Mapleleaf was applying cobweb to Robinpaw's wound. "We are here," Brightstar announced. "What do you need—oh, Robinpaw! What happened here?"

     "Robinpaw was injured," Crimsomfrost answered for Mapleleaf. She was padding behind the two leaders. "We don't know how. I think she went out by herself and those cats hurt her. We went hunting and she wandered off."

     "That doesn't sound like Robinpaw to do that," Brightstar murmured, gazing at Robinpaw.

     Lynxstar called Sparrowfeather in. "Sparrowfeather, did you pick up a scent from these cats?"

     Sparrowfeather slid into the den. "Yes, but it was very faint. It was hard to tell it was MoonClan. But from our experience, I believe it was."

     "We must leave immediately!" Lynxstar raised her voice to a near-yowl suddenly, leaping to her paws. "As long as MoonClan is present, my cats are in danger. We have to find a camp, and now."

     "What about me? I can't walk!" Dovepaw exclaimed, her heart racing. How would she be able to make it to a new camp when she couldn't walk?

     "Yes, what Dovepaw said. She won't be able to walk for at least another quarter moon," Mapleleaf meowed. "I am trying to keep your cats safe, Lynxstar."

     "I know." Lynxstar dipped her head. "But we have to go. She will have the support of her Clanmates. She will have to be a three-legged cat for a day."

     Dovepaw glanced at Brightstar. Surely she wouldn't let that happen? She tensed as she waited for Brightstar to make a decision.

     "What about your other Clanmates? They are also still strengthening from their long journey. Especially the small kits," Brightstar mewed.

     Lynxstar glanced at Sparrowfeather. "Are we fit enough to go onward?"

     Dovepaw couldn't help but feel sympathetic for the young warrior. He was thin from his lack of food and water. He was so thin that his flank seemed to stick to his bones. But then, that was what the entire Clan looked like since they arrived.

     "I think a day more would be fine. As you can see, we are not fit to go now," Lynxstar mewed. "Especially for Tawnyflight. She has just left the nursery just to become a warrior, but now she has two kits to take care of."

     "That reminds me," Mapleleaf meowed, "I'll take this borage to them and Rosepelt. Badgertooth, watch Robinpaw and Dovepaw to make sure nothing bad happens to them while I'm gone."

     "As you wish." Badgertooth sat on his haunches with his tail curled neatly over his paws.

     Brightstar turned her attention back to Lynxstar. "Of course. You can leave in two days."

***

     "Try to stand up," Mapleleaf mewed, steadying Dovepaw as she stumbled. "Put all of your weight in your three good legs. Your bad leg should be off the ground so that nothing gets disturbed."

     It was two days after FrostClan arrived in ThunderClan territory and the day that they would leave to find their camp. Mapleleaf worked Dovepaw all day trying to get her to be able to walk as normally as she could.

     "It hurts," Dovepaw complained. "I can't do this!" She huffed in frustration and sat down again awkwardly with her broken leg sticking out a little bit.

     "Yes, you can," Mapleleaf urged gently. "I wouldn't have asked you to do this if I didn't think you could. Now try again. You're leaving today."

     "I know!" Dovepaw gingerly stood up, steadying herself with her fluffy tail, and stepped down from her nest. She limped around the den a little bit with her chin high. She was doing it!

     Mapleleaf seemed impressed, too. She purred loudly. "Well done! You'll be in your new camp in no time." She and Dovepaw turned around when Tawnyflight entered the den. She had been visiting Dovepaw every day since they arrived.

     "Dovepaw, thank StarClan you're doing okay! And you're walking!" She walked over to Mapleleaf and rested her tail on the beautiful she-cat's shoulder. "Thank you so much. I thought she wasn't going to be able to walk again!"

     Mapleleaf dipped her head. "It's the least I could do. ThunderClan is known for helping others in need, especially Clans who are lost in the wilderness. Especially in unknown territory."

     Tawnyflight purred. "Dovepaw, Mousepaw and Foxpaw have been dying to see you, but I wouldn't let them in the medicine den. Mapleleaf, can she go and see them?"

     "Of course! Just watch her stepping patterns and make sure that it's nothing but a limp," Mapleleaf called as Tawnyflight led Dovepaw from the medicine den and across the clearing to the nursery.

     Mousepaw was in a large group with the other apprentices. The ThunderClan apprentices were huge and muscular compared to the FrostClan apprentices. Dovepaw limped over to them. A small light-brown she-cat pointed out Dovepaw to Mousepaw.

     Mousepaw broke away from the swarm of young cats when she saw Dovepaw. She cried, "Dovepaw! Dovepaw! Oh, thank StarClan you're okay!" She trotted up to Dovepaw and nuzzled her lovingly. She gazed at her leg. "I overheard Mapleleaf saying that it's permanently broken. It won't . . . It'll ruin your dreams of being a warrior."

     "But that just means I'll be a medicine cat apprentice in the den with Badgertooth. Lynxstar says she's a fine cat," Dovepaw meowed. She jumped when Foxpaw ran up to her.

     "You're okay!" he exclaimed. "I was so worried."

     "We all were," Mousepaw pointed out matter-of-factly.

     "True."

     "All cats old enough to catch their prey come and gather beneath the Rock for a Clan meeting!" Brightstar's yowl echoed through the walls of the camp. Lynxstar was standing beside her. The ThunderClan and FrostClan cats came streaming from the camp entrance and from their dens to hear what they had to say.

     All of the apprentices shot upward immediately and darted to the camp clearing.

     They all fell into silence when every cat had gathered. Lynxstar raised her muzzle. "Today we will leave to find a new home!"

     The Clan cats burst into cheers. The FrostClan cats were the loudest. They were finally going to a new home away from the terrorization of MoonClan.

***

     Before Dovepaw knew it, a ThunderClan patrol was leading the FrostClan cats through the forest. They soon approached a rocky plain with little trees and a large waterfall that looked like it could be a camp. There were open holes in the rocks that could be dens. It looked like a glorious place.

     "Here." Silversong, the leader of the patrol, stopped at a gap in the ring of bushes. "There are spots that are perfect for making dens. There is plenty of material in the forest that could be used to make a barrier. There's a stream nearby that leads to the lake in the middle of our territory. That is also where we hold Gatherings between all Clans."

     "Thank you," Lynxstar meowed. "You can show us all of this when we get settled. I would like to lead a patrol of my best warriors to know what the territory looks like."

     "Come, let's go in before we talk further details," Silversong mewed. She led the cats into the new camp. She and Lynxstar and Owlheart walked over to the huge roots of a tree and began to talk softly, their heads close together.

     "I have to watch over Flykit and Icekit, but you must stay with Acornshade. She will help you gather moss for the den." Tawnyflight swept her tail towards the two small kits. They began to head towards the new medicine den. Mapleleaf and Badgertooth were setting it up.

     Dovepaw flicked her tail. "Come on, let's go!" She led the other apprentices away towards the exit of the camp.