DOVESONG WATCHED AS Mousetail left, knowing that she should be happy she was back. In reality, she was, but she was just too deep in her own grief to be celebratory along with everyone else. She felt guilty. Guilty for letting Foxclaw die. But she was also guilty for not greeting Mousetail and Badgertooth and everyone else with cheerfulness. But at least they knew that she was upset.

     Badgertooth had made a marigold poultice for the wound and gently and expertly slathered it onto Dovesong's wound. "You can tell me anything," he informed her between licks. "I just want to make sure my former apprentice is okay."

     Will he even care that Foxclaw died? Oh, of course he will. But he probably won't grieve him, Dovesong thought as she considered telling him the entire truth. She had been in love with Foxclaw since she was a young medicine cat apprentice. She knew, even then, that she couldn't love him. It was against the code. And Badgertooth always seemed disappointed in her for breaking the code so carelessly. "Maybe later," she mumbled at last, unflinching at the sting that the poultice delivered.

     Badgertooth finished slathering the poultice on and looked at her, concern glittering in his eyes. "If you say so. Would you like anything else? Some fresh-kill, perhaps?"

     Dovesong shook her head. "No. I just want to rest. The nests in that place were horrendous," she added with forced humor. She limped toward her nest and curled up, hoping that maybe she could go to sleep and see Foxclaw in her dreams.

     "Great StarClan!" Badgertooth gasped suddenly, making Dovesong look up. "Who is that?" He was narrowing his eyes toward something outside of the den. Dovesong followed his gaze.

     It was Foxclaw.

     Ashbreeze, Icepaw, and Rosefeather brought his body into camp. Rosefeather's eyes were clouded with grief for her son. Icepaw looked struck with shock, even though he never really knew Foxclaw. Ashbreeze looked grief-stricken for her former Clanmate. The Clan around them burst into murmurs of shock and Dovesong could nearly feel their tears forming in their eyes. But mostly in the eyes of the cats that had known Foxclaw, like Hollyfern and Gorseberry. Lynxstar hurried out of her den to deal with it.

     Dovesong looked away. "Does that answer your question?" she asked Badgertooth, feeling numb with grief.

     Badgertooth was silent for a moment. "Dovesong . . . I'm so, so sorry. You didn't deserve this."

     Dovesong didn't know how to respond. She didn't even have enough energy to go out there and say goodbye to Foxclaw one more time. They probably weren't even going to bury him that moment, if they were going to at all. He wasn't their Clanmate anymore. Why should they care?

     "You know what, I'm going out there," Dovesong meowed aloud unintentionally, making Badgertooth look at her in confusion. She got out of her nest and limped outside of the den toward where Foxclaw's body lay. Hollyfern and Rosefeather were the only ones visibly grieving, crouched beside Foxclaw, their heads low. Hollyfern looked up when Dovesong, her eyes clouded. She moved closer to her mother, who seemed too deep in mourning to realize.

     Dovesong crouched beside her and buried her muzzle in Foxclaw's fur. Foxclaw, if you're listening, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I tried so hard. I understand that you were scared. I forgive you. I love you, too. She closed her eyes. The sound of the rain and her Clanmates around her vanished and she was in darkness. Comforting darkness. She could see the starry form of Foxclaw in front of her, his warm amber eyes gleaming. "Foxclaw!" she cried, running up to him, only to walk through nothing. She stepped back, her sadness returning, and she met Foxclaw's sad gaze.

     "Thank you for bringing me back to the camp," Foxclaw murmured. "Now my mother and my littermates know."

     "Foxclaw," Dovesong mewed, choking slightly on the single word. "I forgot to tell you that I forgive you. I was so caught up in trying to make up for my mistakes that I didn't realize how much I love you. I really do love you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

     Foxclaw's amber eyes glittered with fondness. He leaned forward to touch her nose with his. "I know. We both made big mistakes. That's okay. Nothing can change my love for you."

     Dovesong looked at him, unable to speak. His starry form was fading. "Don't leave me again!" she cried. When he was a mere shadow, she leaped forward as if she could catch him in her paws, but she slipped through nothing. "Don't leave me . . ."

     Dovesong could hear the camp around her again, still whimpering, "Don't leave me . . ." She could still see his fond amber eyes gazing into her own eyes, filled with nothing but love. "Why did you leave me?" she asked, hoping he was listening.

     She could feel Hollyfern's green eyes burning into her pelt, but she ignored them, willing Foxclaw to come back. Come back! I need you. I love you. His body was cold. She wanted it to be warm, like it always was. She wanted him to be alive so that he could look at her with his warm eyes. She wanted him to solace her. She needed resurrection. She wanted him to be alive so she could curl up into his warm body and fall asleep in his warm embrace.

     She wanted him to be alive so that she could be assured that he was there.

***

     "Dovesong?"

     Dovesong was asleep in her nest. She heard Badgertooth's voice as it cut into her dreamless sleep. She had been sleeping most of the time over the quarter-moon since Foxclaw's death. She knew that her Clanmates were worried about her. She wasn't only grieving heavily; she knew how much Moonclaw suffered, and now she was gone. And she had heard and seen things she wished could erase from her memory.

     She opened her eyes to see the moonbeams outside streaming into the den. The half moon shone brightly into the den, another reminder that she would be seeing Foxclaw tonight. She didn't know if she should be happy or sad about that.

     "Okay," she answered groggily, "I'm awake." She forced herself to stand in her nest, her limbs sore from barely moving most of the day. She stretched and gave herself a quick wash before joining Badgertooth by the den entrance. "Okay," she mewed again, "let's go."

***

     At the Moonpool, Swallowpaw was the first to greet Dovesong. The other medicine cats were there, including Fernpaw, who was staying close to Mapleleaf. Dovesong felt a pang of sympathy for the young medicine cat. "Hi! How are you doing? Fawnspots says I can get my official medicine cat name today! How exciting is that?"

     "That's great!" Dovesong exclaimed with forced cheerfulness. "And I'm doing fine. Just . . . tired, that's all."

     "Are you sure?"

     Dovesong sighed. "I had a vision the day he died," she admitted. "He was there. But as a StarClan cat. I told him I forgave him and that I'm sorry I was so caught up in trying to prove that I didn't love him that I didn't realize how much I loved him . . . and I really meant it. And then he told me that we all make mistakes and that nothing could change his love for me. I've been thinking about that all the time this past quarter-moon."

     Swallowpaw's eyes darkened with concern. "I'm sorry. But, Dovesong, just know that I'm here if you need anything, alright?" She touched Dovesong's ear comfortingly, and Dovesong looked up at her gratefully.

     "Alright."

     Fawnspots came to Swallowpaw's side. "We're leaving. Oh, Dovesong, welcome back," she mewed kindly. "I hope you've been doing well."

     Swallowpaw and Dovesong glanced at each other before following Fawnspots. "Thank you. I am doing well," Dovesong meowed as they followed the other medicine cats down the path toward the Moonpool hollow. She knew that Badgertooth would share what had happened with the other medicine cats, so there was no use wasting her breath and breaking down again to tell Fawnspots.

***

     The medicine cats descended the spiral pathway to the sparkling Moonpool. Dovesong glanced up at the sky, wondering which star was Foxclaw. But she quickly looked back in front of her. The meeting was beginning.

     "Before we begin." Fawnspots was the first to speak up. "I would like to give Swallowpaw her medicine cat name."

     The medicine cats murmured excitedly. Swallowpaw's eyes sparkled with joy.

     Fawnspots began quickly, looking at her apprentice with pride. "I, Fawnspots, medicine cat of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons. Swallowpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

      Swallowpaw's eyes gleamed. "I do."

     Fawnspots nodded approvingly. "Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Swallowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Swallowflight. StarClan honors your spirit, skill, and commitment, and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of WindClan."

     "Swallowflight! Swallowflight!"

      Dovesong's heart burst with happiness for her friend. She had been working extra hard ever since Dovesong became a full medicine cat. Dovesong knew because of the way Swallowflight had acted so determined the night Dovesong got her name.

     Dovesong quickly hurried toward her friend. "Congratulations!" she told her, with a voice full of genuine happiness.

     Swallowflight's amber eyes were shining brighter than ever. "Thank you! Hey, at least you're happy now."

     Dovesong smiled shyly at her. "That doesn't matter. You're a full medicine cat! Enjoy it."

     "I am!" Swallowflight exclaimed.

     Before Dovesong could respond, Badgertooth raised his voice, and the medicine cats fell silent. "I have an announcement to make."

     Dovesong swallowed back dread.

     "As you can see, we have rescued Dovesong from the MoonClan prison, along with Moonclaw. But in the process, many terrible things happened," Badgertooth explained somberly. The medicine cats murmured sympathetically.

     "Fernpaw is here alone," Mapleleaf pointed out before he could go on. Fernpaw turned her gaze down to her paws. "Does that mean something happened to Moonclaw?"

     Dovesong and Swallowflight exchanged guilty glances. They haven't told anyone about Moonclaw, except for Skystorm. But of course, he wasn't there. Badgertooth looked around at the two she-cats. "Is there something you're not sharing with us?"

     Swallowflight's paws scuffled the ground nervously as she mewed, "Yes. Moonclaw left. I don't know where. But I know that she believes she has to leave to secure the Clans' safety."

     Fernpaw looked up, her green eyes stretched wide with alarm. "What? Why would she think that?"

     Dovesong glanced at Fernpaw sadly, unsure of how to answer, then met Badgertooth's gaze cautiously, but she only found concern, not anger. "She was very distant in the prison. She slept most of the day, and she didn't really talk to me. And when she did, she sounded sadder than ever. So I believe she's been thinking about this for a while now."

     "So what will happen to Fernpaw now? She has no mentor," Fogsight pointed out.

     "My theory is that someone will have to visit RiverClan for a while to train Fernpaw. Preferably me or Fawnspots, since we're the only medicine cats with a partner," Badgertooth answered, looking at Fawnspots inquiringly.

     "I can go. I trust Swallowflight will do what is needed for the Clan," Fawnspots explained.

     "Whatever you want," Badgertooth agreed, "but we have to make a deal with Streamstar."

     "Well, we'll send a messenger, obviously," Fogsight mewed.

     "Yes. That's exactly what we'll do. And let's hope Streamstar's arrogance doesn't get in the way this time," Fawnspots sighed.

     "Don't talk like that about a Clan leader. A kit knows that," Mapleleaf informed her sternly, turning her amber gaze toward her.

     "I know. I'm sorry. But still," Fawnspots meowed, looking at Mapleleaf with what seemed to be annoyance, "Streamstar may not agree to this plan. You know how she doesn't trust cats from different Clans."

     "Yes," Mapleleaf sighed, followed by nervous murmurs from the other five medicine cats. "Hopefully this works." Turning her gaze to Badgertooth, she asked, "What was the other piece of information you would like to share with us?"

     Badgertooth glanced at Dovesong, as if silently telling her he was sorry, and meowed, "You all know about Foxclaw, a rogue who was once a part of our Clan but was exiled when he killed Frostfeather. He joined MoonClan after he kidnapped Dovesong."

     Sympathetic and curious murmurs echoed around the hollow.

     "In this battle to save Moonclaw and I, he was killed and brought back to the camp. I know most of my Clanmates don't really care for his death, except for maybe his mother and littermates, and I know that you all aren't particularly sad, but I just want you to know that I am," Dovesong explained, looking at each of the medicine cats in turn. "Because I loved him."

     Mapleleaf and Fawnspots exchanged surprised looks. Fogsight's blind eyes widened. Dovesong shuffled her paws in the pebbles and sand, looking at each of them guiltily. Before any of them could object, Dovesong meowed, "I know it's against the code. And I tried convincing myself not to love him for so long that at the moment he died, when I tried to save him, I was too late because I kept denying my true feelings. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I let him die, and I'm sorry I broke the code."

     "Dovesong . . ."

     Dovesong looked quickly at Mapleleaf, who had spoken in a quiet and maybe even shy voice. She expected her, an obedient and faithful medicine cat, to scold her for her mistakes. Dovesong braced herself.

     ". . . I understand. Don't beat yourself up for your mistakes. Cats can fall in love so easily that once you're there, it's hard to get away from it." She glanced at Badgertooth, who gave his chest fur a couple of embarrassed licks to avoid the ThunderClan medicine cat's gaze. "The only thing that matters is you forgave yourself for your mistakes. After that, you can move on."

     Dovesong gazed at the dark red she-cat gratefully. "Thank you," was all she could say.

     Mapleleaf dipped her head, her eyes glittering with fondness. "Shall we meet with StarClan?" she asked the other medicine cats.

     They all nodded.

     "Well, then, let's get to it," Mapleleaf mewed as she padded to the edge of the Moonpool and touched the surface with the tip of her muzzle. The other medicine cats did so, too.

     Dovesong's surroundings changed from the Moonpool to darkness to a forest. It looked like the forest in her Clan territory. There was a beautiful patch of flowers in front of her. They released a sweet fragrance that filled the air delightfully. Dovesong stepped toward the flowers, lured by the lovely scent.

     "I've been wanting to show you this same patch of flowers."

     Dovesong whirled around and saw the starry shape of Foxclaw. "Foxclaw!" she cried. "They're beautiful. I'm sorry you could never show me them when . . . when you were alive."

     "Don't worry about it," Foxclaw mewed. "Because you can go see it for yourself."

     Dovesong stared at him despairingly. "But I need you there with me!"

     A purr rumbled in Foxclaw's throat. "Oh, Dovesong, I will always be there. Maybe not in my body, but I'll be there in spirit. I've been watching you ever since I came here. I watched you everyday. It hurts my heart to see you so sad without me, but then . . . it reminds me that what I always wanted since I was an apprentice will always be, even if I'm not here with you."

     Dovesong found herself staring at him in shock. "Do you really mean it?"

     "Of course, I do. Why would I lie about that? That's cruel." Foxclaw had an amused glitter in his eyes, as if he were amused by the fact that Dovesong didn't believe it. "But anyway, you can go yourself. I just want you to see it at least once. It's by the stream that we always met. In the thicket by the old willow tree. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

     The stream . . . "And you'll be there?"

     "In spirit."

     "Okay. I'll go. I promise I won't forget."

     Foxclaw's eyes shone with gratitude. "Good. Thank you." He took a pace forward and touched Dovesong's cheek lightly with his muzzle. "I hope to see you again soon."

     Before Dovesong could answer, the dream spiraled away and she was back in the Moonpool hollow. She lifted her head and looked around at the other medicine cats. Badgertooth was awake and looking lost in thought, staring at the starry surface of the pool through narrowed eyes. Dovesong wondered what he had dreamed about, but she wasn't going to ask unless he mentioned it. From the looks of it, he was unsure of whatever message he was given.

     What will he say if he finds out that I'll be sneaking out again? Oh, StarClan, if a StarClan cat tells me to sneak out of camp . . . is it technically breaking the code? Or is there a way to make sure I'm not breaking the code?

     Dovesong guessed she could just say she was going out to gather herbs. There was some watermint by that stream. But it had been a while since they last used watermint, so they wouldn't be low. But the supply might be old, so maybe it would work after all.

     The medicine cats were emerging from their dream-sleep now. Swallowflight stirred next to Dovesong. "That was terrible," she muttered, standing up and arching her back in a long stretch.

     "What was?" Dovesong asked.

     "My dream. It looked like the end of the Clans . . . would StarClan really let that happen?" Swallowflight asked, half to herself

     The end of the Clans? Dovesong stared at her friend in shock, trying to figure out for herself if StarClan would really let that happen. No, they wouldn't let it happen. But they might be powerless to stop whatever was coming. So far they had guided the cats through their struggle with MoonClan, and less and less cats were being killed than before. But then, MoonClan seemed to be getting stronger.

     And with more knowledge about the Clans, they might be able to somehow get more power. They could . . . they could hurt Mousetail for what she did for me and Moonclaw. They could find out where Moonclaw went and get her to do their dirty work again. They could kidnap me again, too, and then they'd be nearly unstoppable. They could prevent anyone from saving us again because they are more prepared. Oh, StarClan, don't let this happen!

     "The end of the Clans?" Fawnspots was awake and standing beside her former apprentice. "What do you mean? What did you see?"

     "I-I saw darkness and cats-big, scary, evil-looking, bloodthirsty cats-and they were chasing me! And then there were other cats all around me, and each of them, when they were attacked by the evil cats, vanished into nothing! And soon, there was nothing. It had to be MoonClan! It had to be," Swallowflight explained. With a look at Dovesong and Badgertooth she added, "And if I had this vision, and not either of you . . . could that mean this is a problem for all of the Clans? I mean, I know it has been, but . . ."

     "Yes," Badgertooth concluded after a long pause. "Maybe this means MoonClan is after all of the Clans, and if we don't do anything, then all the Clans will fall." He looked quickly at Dovesong. "Remember that message that Softcloud gave you about something lost that can give us answers?"

     "'In the rubble of what is lost, answers can be found among the ashes.' Yes, I remember," Dovesong replied.

     "We need to find out what that means, quickly. These answers that await us may be the only answer," Badgertooth explained.

     "We already know what it means," Fogsight pointed out. "The old FrostClan camp. Surely you two remember where it is."

      "I was a kit most of the time we were there. I certainly don't remember where it was," Dovesong sighed, hoping desperately that Badgertooth knew.

     "Well . . . I only remember part of the way to that territory. I don't know the other half. I only remember the Thunderpath that we had to cross when we first started the journey. The one . . . the one . . ."

     Dovesong met his gaze sympathetically. She remembered very well, even if it was seasons ago. Featherspring, Badgertooth's brother, died on that Thunderpath. And very soon after, Flowerdawn, Featherspring's mate, went missing. Badgertooth loved both of them, Featherspring as a brother, and Flowerdawn as Featherspring's mate. "Maybe we can find it. Maybe StarClan will guide us. No, I know they'll guide us. We just have to have faith." She looked at Mapleleaf expectantly. The dark red she-cat nodded solemnly and with pride in Dovesong.

     Badgertooth inhaled deeply and straightened. "Yes. We must have faith. We must go to FrostClan's old territory."

     "I've heard it took a long time. Like, a moon," Swallowflight pointed out, her eyes wide with wonder. "And Dovesong-didn't Softcloud die on that journey? And didn't many of your other Clanmates die?"

     "They . . . they did," Dovesong admitted. "But most of them went missing. Maybe they're still there and living in peace. Maybe we can bring them back and make our Clan flourish. This journey might be dangerous, but it can help us greatly, too."

     The medicine cats looked at each other in surprise. Dovesong felt giddy at the thought of finding her long-lost Clanmates and bringing them back. Her Clan would expand in numbers and be able to fight against MoonClan in a fair fight.

     "That's true. But before we make a final decision, we must talk about this with Lynxstar. You know how strict she's been this past season," Badgertooth warned.

     "Sure."

     "We best get going now," Fawnspots mewed quickly. "I hope you two can solve this. We'll check in at the Gathering in a half moon."

     "Yes," Mapleleaf agreed with a polite dip of her head

***

     On the rest of the way to the camp, Dovesong was thinking about Swallowflight and her vision, but also about what she had told Dovesong, and she was thinking so hard about the possibility of going on a journey to the old FrostClan territory that her head began to hurt.

     What will come out of this possible journey?