MOUSETAIL SIGHED AS she watched the dawn patrols leave from where she lay at the mouth of the nursery. She desperately wanted to be on the patrol, side by side with Skystorm, but she knew how important it was to stay in the nursery and make sure that she did as much as she could on her part of keeping the kits safe and healthy. And whether they both liked it or not, Skystorm still had to take care of the Clan and his expecting mate.

     She looked up when she heard commotion outside. Her heart leaped. Owlheart and Lynxstar were at the medicine den, investigating something. But Mousetail couldn't tell what it was. A couple of the remaining cats in the Clan, which weren't too many, were murmuring curiously and trying to get a closer look at what was happening.

     Mousetail heaved herself out of the nest, feeling heavy with the weight of kits, and padded toward the scene. Dovepaw was standing beside the medicine den, waiting nervously. Mousetail hurried toward her. "Dovepaw!" The white she-cat looked up quickly. "What happened?"

     "Foxclaw went missing. We're not sure where he is. When Badgertooth woke up this morning, he was informed by Spottedsong that Foxclaw was gone. She said she had no idea where he went, either," Dovepaw explained quickly.

     "You didn't see anything when you came back from the half-moon meeting last night?" Mousetail asked curiously.

     "No. I would know because he was flirting with me the moment I came in," Dovepaw muttered under her breath. "I swear, I would have clawed his muzzle off by now to shut him up if I wouldn't get in trouble for it."

     Mousetail stifled a purr of amusement. "Okay . . . was there a scent trail that you could follow?"

     "I don't know! That's what they're trying to find. Anyway, on a happier note, I got my full name yesterday!" Dovepaw's eyes widened with pride. "I'm Dovesong now."

     "That's great! I'm so happy for you." Mousetail touched her sister's cheek with her nose happily.

     They both turned around when Lynxstar hurried out of the medicine cat den. Owlheart and Badgertooth followed close behind her. Badgertooth rushed to Dovesong. "We found no trace of where he could have gone. Spottedsong and Frozenfang have no idea where he went, and there's no sign of a struggle or scent trail. When the hunting patrol comes back, Lynxstar will send a search party," he told Dovesong. "Oh—and do you know what happened to Frozenfang?"

     "Hopefully he hasn't gone too far and we can still catch him. What happened to Frozenfang?" Dovesong asked, looking alarmed.

     "Her wound is gone. She says she doesn't hurt anymore, so I was wondering if you knew anything about it," Badgertooth responded.

     "Oh, yeah. I knew about that. It happened before we left." Dovesong glanced around her and then continued. "She wanted me to check her wound because it hurt, and when I took the cobwebs off, there was no wound. But before I took them off, I ran my paw over the bandaged part. I'm guessing that it was my ability that I have been too scared to use."

     Badgertooth and Mousetail exchanged shocked glances. "Are you sure that's what happened?" Mousetail asked.

     "I'm surer than ever," Dovesong assured her.

     Then Badgertooth let out a small gasp. "I think I know what happened to Foxclaw."

     Dovesong and Mousetail looked at Badgertooth, willing him to speak. "What is it?" Dovesong asked.

     "Remember when you were given that message, Dovesong, to not let the knowledge of your power get in the paws of the wrong cat?"

     Dovesong nodded, looking fearful all of a sudden.

     "Foxclaw might have seen what had happened and left to tell MoonClan," Badgertooth finished.

     "No! He couldn't have. He already knew because Spottedsong told him. He would never betray me like that. He knows better," Dovesong explained desperately.

     Mousetail felt a pang of sympathy for her littermate. Oh, Dovesong, you have so much faith in him, but I don't know if that's it. "He's unpredictable. For example, when he was exiled, no one knew that was coming until it did. Sometimes things aren't as they seem. It's the ugly truth, but it's knowledge that you need to survive."

     Badgertooth nodded solemnly. "Sadly, Mousetail is right. You mustn't assume that a cat like him would go so low. It is sort of predictable, though. He's done something like this before."

     "He would do anything to get me to love him! I would doubt that he did this for the sake of our future. Not that I care," Dovesong exclaimed. "He has to be doing something that could put our Clan—or all of the Clans, for that matter—at risk! And if so, we have to take action now. I'll go look for him. He'll be more likely to come back if it was me."

     Mousetail shook her head quickly. "You can't. It's too dangerous. I can't let you. What if you get hurt out there? What would we do then?"

     Dovesong touched Mousetail's ear with her nose reassuringly. "I won't get hurt, I promise," she assured her.

     "If you say so . . . ," Mousetail muttered unconfidently. "But I still don't think it's safe, even if you say it will be."

     "Yes. You shouldn't go. Lynxstar's warriors will figure it out. In fact, here they come now," Badgertooth meowed, flicking his tail to the camp entrance.

     Mousetail turned her gaze to the camp entrance. Ashbreeze, Icepaw, Gorseberry, Flypaw, and Blizzardpelt were on the patrol. Lynxstar and Owlheart hurried toward them and began to explain what was happening. Mousetail stifled a mrrow of laughter when Flypaw and Icepaw looked at each other and exchanged groans of disappointment.

     Mousetail turned around to face Dovesong. "Did you see Fly—Dovesong?" Dovesong was gone and nowhere to be seen. "Where are you?" She looked around. Her scent was fresh in the air and led to the medicine cat den. She followed the scent and found that it led to the clearing that then led to the outside of the camp. What in the world? Why did she leave?

     Sighing in exasperation, Mousetail ran into the open, following her sister's scent. It led into the forest. She ran deeper and deeper into the undergrowth until the scent lingered in a clearing, ending at the end of the clearing. What happened? Oh my—that's Foxclaw's scent! Mousetail caught Foxclaw's and Dovesong's scents mingling together in the air. But when she scanned the clearing, she saw a half-eaten mouse laying in the grass with small black dots scattered inside. She stepped forward and sniffed the mouse. Around the warm smell of fresh-kill, she detected poppy seeds.

     What happened to Dovesong? Did Foxclaw feed her poppy seeds? Why? And where are they now? Mousetail felt a rush of fear when she thought about all the things that Foxclaw would be doing. Why would he stoop so low? What was he offered, if anything? Well, no matter what it is, the rest of the Clan has to know. She pelted out of the clearing and to the camp. When she darted inside, only Lynxstar and Badgertooth were in sight. They both turned to look at her.

     Mousetail took in a huge gulp of air and found all of the words tumbling from her mouth in a whirl. "I found Dovesong's scent. And I followed it, and it led to the forest. I found Foxclaw's scent with it. They were together. But there was also a half-eaten mouse with poppy seeds in it. I worry that something happened to Dovesong."

     Eyes stretched wide, Lynxstar and Badgertooth exchanged glances. "Then we must inform the patrol! They already left, but they shouldn't be too far. Badgertooth, you stay here. Mousetail, come with me," Lynxstar instructed. The two cats nodded.

     Mousetail followed Lynxstar as they ran out of the camp. The patrol was in sight, and not too far ahead. Glancing at Lynxstar for consent, Mousetail ran ahead toward the patrol. "Hey! Wait up!"

     Blizzardpelt turned around, and so did the rest of the cats. "What is it?"

     "We found Foxclaw's scent. Dovesong just went missing, too. And their scents are mingled together. Follow me, I'll show you," Mousetail meowed hurriedly.

     "Oh, sure. Come on," Blizzardpelt told the rest of the patrol. They all looked hesitant, but they followed Mousetail to the forest and toward the clearing. When they came to it, some of the cats in the patrol let out curious murmurs. "What is it?"

     Mousetail barely heard him in her shock. The mouse was gone. Her proof was gone. "No, it was here!" She opened her mouth to taste the air, but the scents were gone, too. "And I smelled their scent right here. You've got to believe me!"

     "Mousetail . . . ," Lynxstar sighed, coming to her daughter's side, shaking her head in disappointment like Mousetail was a misbehaving kit. "We have no time to play. This is a serious situation."

     Anger and annoyance clawed at Mousetail's heart. "No, it was here! I saw it. And their scents were as clear as the daylight! You've got to believe me!" She shook her head and scolded the other cats inwardly. "I can find her myself if you really want me to."

     "If this is even all real," Blizzardpelt scoffed. "I should have known better than listening to a young cat."

     Mousetail glared at her father when he wasn't looking. "Fine. You can continue your search." But you're looking in the wrong place. She turned away from the older cats and toward the camp. Let's see . . . where could Dovesong possibly be if I can't find her scent? She hurried to the medicine den to think in a silent space. For a heartbeat she was grateful that no one else shared the nursery with her.

     She flinched when she felt her kits make a sudden movement, wriggling inside her. She laid down in her nest, wishing that she could comfort them. It's alright, little ones. Everything will be alright. She focused again on Dovesong. Let's see . . . where could she possibly be? She remembered that Foxclaw once left because of MoonClan, and only MoonClan could possibly stoop down that low. But then, she really had no idea how low the other Clans could go. They were probably just as vicious. She had no idea.

     So Mousetail guessed that since Dovesong's ability was possibly not safe in the paws of MoonClan, then Foxclaw took her to MoonClan. But why would he do that? He loved her so much. Why would he do something like that? Mousetail felt sick at the thought of something like that happening to Dovesong. What if something terrible happened to her when she wasn't protected?

     If Foxclaw used poppy seeds, then he had to be pretty desperate. Poppy seeds were a strong herb that could be used for great good or great evil. It only made sense. He had to bring Dovesong to MoonClan.

     Mousetail jumped to her paws. She had to find Dovesong immediately before they hurt her! But she was stopped by Skystorm. "You're not going anywhere," he told her firmly. "I love you, and I love that you care about Dovesong so much, but I can't let you go."

     "W-what? How did you know I was going to find Dovesong? I mean—how did you assume? I'm not going to find Dovesong. That's too dangerous!" Mousetail scoffed.

     "Stop lying to me. I know you well enough to know that you are worried and when you are thinking of something mouse-brained," Skystorm meowed. "You're expecting our kits, Mousetail. What would you do if something happened to them?"

     Mousetail sighed, turning back to the nursery, Skystorm at her side. "I know. But I would also be devastated if I found out that something terrible happened to Dovesong and I wasn't there to protect her."

     Skystorm sighed. "I understand. And I respect that. But I can't let you go out there alone. Where were you going to go, anyway?"

     "Well, to find Dovesong, of course!" Mousetail exclaimed obliviously.

     "No, where were you going? Where do you think Dovesong is?" Skystorm asked gently.

     Mousetail returned his kind look, considering telling him the truth. She simply couldn't resist telling him. "Alright, you got me. I was going to the MoonClan camp. I know they must be holding her captive because of her ability."

     Skystorm seemed indifferent. "Her . . . ability?"

     "Yes. I'm sorry I haven't told you, but she has the ability to heal cats with the simple touch of her paws. I'm afraid that MoonClan wants to use the ability for themselves," Mousetail explained worriedly.

     Skystorm was silent for a few heartbeats. "I . . . okay, that makes sense," he confessed. "They were never always the compassionate type."

     "You can say that again. And I'm worried that they'll hurt her if she doesn't help them," Mousetail told him. "I tried to tell Blizzardpelt and Lynxstar, but they didn't believe me because I had no proof after I tried to show them the proof! So no one's on my side."

     "Wait—so what happened to your proof?" Skystorm asked.

     "There was a half-eaten mouse with poppy seeds in it where Foxclaw and Dovesong were. And when I came back to show the patrol, it was gone! The scent was covered up, too!" Mousetail exclaimed as if she couldn't believe it.

     "I can help you," Skystorm offered.

     Mousetail brightened up and looked up at him excitedly. "Really? You think you can? Are you sure?"

     "It might be dangerous, but I think I can handle it," Skystorm promised. "I promise I'll be back."

     Eerie foreshadowing seemed to surround them like mist all of a sudden. Mousetail tensed. "If you say so . . . just tread carefully. I don't want you coming back dead."

     Skystorm purred, licking the top of her head assuringly. "I'll be fine, I promise." He stood up and prepared to leave the camp.

     "Okay. Good luck." Mousetail stretched up to touch Skystorm's nose with hers in farewell.

     Skystorm nodded thankfully and left the den. Mousetail stared after him, praying desperately to StarClan that he would come back in one piece.