DOVESONG AWOKE FEELING warm and fuzzy inside knowing that there was someone out there who loved her. There was bound to be someone else who loved her, but she didn't know who. She felt a tugging sensation in her chest at the thought. She needed her memories back now. She knew enough now that she knew that this was a dire situation and her memories were needed for it.

     Is there really a place where we can restore my memories? That seems impossible! But I guess in this world it isn't. . . . Dovesong looked around the den and saw that she was alone in the den with Luna, who was sleeping with her tail curled around her kits, who were sleeping as well. I wish I remembered who my family is, Dovesong thought, feeling miserable all of a sudden. I mean, I know that Blizzardpelt is my father only because Goldenheart told me. She also told me about . . . What was that cat's name? . . . Right. Mousetail. She said Mousetail is my sister. When is the next time I can see them? My kin? Sometime soon, I hope. She looked at Luna and her kits again. They looked so peaceful and carefree. Perhaps Dovesong's family was like that. Maybe. Hopefully. Probably. Maybe not.

     Dovesong immediately turned her gaze away when Luna opened her eyes. She didn't want the gray she-cat to see her staring. But then, she would probably understand.

     "Where did everyone else go?" Luna asked tiredly.

     "Hunting, maybe," Dovesong answered.

     Luna nodded agreement. "Perhaps. We do not have to worry about it, though. I can tell something is on your mind, Dovesong. What is it?"

     Dovesong looked at her in surprise. "How can you tell?"

     "I have known enough troubled cats in my life to know. Moonclaw, for instance. She is always thinking about something. But most of all, I know myself. So, Dovesong, what is on your mind? You can tell me anything," Luna urged.

     Dovesong held her gaze for a moment, wondering what she meant about Moonclaw. She was troubled? How? Why didn't she know? She probably did, but she just didn't remember. "I was thinking about my family. I was thinking things like who are they? Do they miss me? What are they like?" she explained, glancing at Luna and her kits.

     "I am sure they miss you very much," Luna mused. "Did my kits make you think about that?"

     Dovesong's pelt heated up. "Y-yes. Sorry," she stammered.

     "Sorry?" Luna purred. "Sorry for what? Would you like to meet them?"

     Dovesong began to like Luna. She was kind, and now she was even letting her-a complete stranger-to meet her kits. "Thank you. Sure." She left her nest and limped to Luna's nest. What happened to my leg? When did that happen? She sat beside Luna's nest and gazed down at her kits. They were tiny, probably only a few days old. Now they began to stir and wake up. One of the kits, a she-kit, looked exactly like her mother, with light gray fur and white dapples and wide green eyes, while the tom-kit was pure white with wide amber eyes. "What are their names?" Dovesong asked softly.

     "The gray-and-white she-kit is Estrella, and the white tom-kit is Sol," Luna explained. "Their names mean star and sun. Like my name means moon." When the two kits let out piteous, hungry mewls, she shifted in her nest and let them peacefully suckle. She let out a loving, amused purr.

     "Those are beautiful names. Just like they are," Dovesong murmured.

     Luna nodded. "Sol looks exactly like his father."

     "Who was his father?" Dovesong asked, knowing with a painful pang that nothing good happened to Luna's mate.

     Luna looked at her through clouded green eyes. "All I can say is I loved him. Once. But then he changed. He was always a bit strange, but it started getting worse a moon before we found out I was having kits. He wasn't the nicest to me then. I thought I could just deal with it and he would stop, but when he found out I was having kits it got worse, so I left. He left this scar on my flank." She shifted a bit so that Dovesong could see a thin, shallow, long scar on her side. "It was like he had a different personality sometimes. It only happened once in a moon, but sometimes he would act like a totally different cat. I never knew why. Sometimes I thought he wanted to . . ." She trailed off and turned her gaze back to her kits.

     "It's good that you left, then," Dovesong observed, shuddering when she pictured all of that. "I'm sorry that happened to you. It must have been scary."

     Luna nodded. "It was. I still think about him sometimes, but then I remind myself that he never did me much good."

     "His name is Flick," Luna told her. "He lives with house folk now. When you are going to the lost FrostClan camp, you will probably run into him. He is a white tom with a black tail-tip. If you do see him, please tell him that I am alive and well and he has kits now."

     Dovesong looked at her for a long moment. What would happen if they met Flick? He didn't sound particularly nice. What would he do if he met her and her companions? "Okay. I will."

     Luna's eyes glittered with gratitude. "Thank you so much."

***

     "We go now."

     Dovesong woke up and opened her eyes when she heard Goldenheart's hushed voice beside her nest. She looked up at them curiously. Where did they want to go? To the Moon Springs, where she could get her memories back? Perhaps. They seemed really desperate for her to remember them.

     "We've waited long enough," Moonclaw added. "It's been two full days. We're running out of time. Even before we left me and the other medicine cats were informed that we were already running out of time. We can't procrastinate. We have to go. Now."

     "Feel free to do whatever you want," Luna mewed from where she was curled around her two sleeping kits. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice. She must have been sad that Moonclaw was leaving. "I think the four of you are good to go."

     "I agree," Blizzardpelt put in. "I want to help my Clan and my daughter before it's too late."

     The three she-cats and Blizzardpelt exchanged looks as if they were sharing a secret message, and then they murmured agreement. "Now?" Moonclaw asked. "It's nearly past dawn."

     "That would be a good idea," Goldenheart agreed. "But Dove-oh, you're awake!" Her eyes shone when they rested on Dovesong, "Did you hear all of that?"

     Dovesong nodded. "Was I supposed to?"

     "Of course! I don't want to have to explain the entire thing again." Goldenheart flicked her tail happily. "Let's go now!"

     Moonclaw glanced at the cave entrance, her green eyes clouding with wistfulness, as if she were remembering something. Or dreading it. It was hard to tell with her. "Sure."

     Goldenheart gave a little jump. Then she turned to Luna. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here. It was a huge help . . . mostly." She glanced over her shoulder at Dovesong.

     "Don't be mean," Moonclaw warned. "It wasn't her fault. She's just trying to help us."

     Luna dipped her head. "You are welcome. And thank you for staying here a little while."

     "We didn't have a-ow!" Goldenheart glared at Moonclaw when she stepped on her tail to silence her. "-choice," she finished with a final glare at Moonclaw.

     Luna purred in amusement. "No, I suppose you did not. But I still owe you my thanks."

     "Is there anything we can repay you with?" Blizzardpelt asked.

     Luna's eyes glittered. "You do not have to repay me with anything. You four and your company is all I could ask for." She glanced away quickly, but then looked back at them. "I was not much help besides providing sanctuary."

     "You provided a way to help Dovesong. And you showed me a new way to speak to the spirits of the earth. Those are two things we could never repay you for," Moonclaw explained, her eyes shining. "Most queens that I've met like you only care about their kits, which is fine, but you care about everyone and everything. Everything you've done is something that is too great to repay you for."

     "That is very kind of you," Luna mewed. "It was the least I could do. But before you go, may I warn you: this is a very perilous and life-threatening journey. Dangers shadow the path ahead of you. I cannot tell what dangers, so you must be wary and prepared."

     Dovesong looked at the other three cats and immediately knew that they already knew that. But they still acted surprised, nonetheless.

     "Thank you for the warning," Blizzardpelt meowed, dipping his head respectfully. "With that, we best be going now." He looked at the other two she-cats, willing them to respond.

     Moonclaw's eyes widened. "Oh-yes. We should be." She turned to Luna and asked, "Do you want to come with us?"

     Luna shook her head solemnly. "I cannot leave my kits. But I wish you all safe travels."

     "Right, yes. Thank you," Moonclaw thanked her.

     Luna purred. "One thank you will suffice." After a pause, she said, "You can do me a favor. I already asked Dovesong, but I want the rest of you to know, too."

     Goldenheart, Moonclaw, and Blizzardpelt pricked their ears.

      "You will be going through the neighborhood-Twolegplace, as you all call it-that my mate, Flick, lives in when you are on your journey," Luna explained. "If you see him, I want you to tell him something. Tell him: "Luna is alive and well" and that he has kits, too. Please."

     "We will," Goldenheart promised. "What does he look like?"

     "He's a white tom with a black tail. But I will warn you: he can be a bit strange sometimes. Be wary around him," Luna told them.

     Goldenheart seemed to be unable to hold in her question. "Why did you leave him?"

      Luna returned her gaze steadily, though her eyes betrayed her sorrow. She avoided her question. She looked at the other three cats expectantly. "Will you tell him?"

     Dovesong saw Goldenheart's shoulders sag slightly in disappointment. But the yellow warrior didn't interrupt the conversation.
    
     "Of course we will," Blizzardpelt promised Luna.

     The gray-and-white she-cat's eyes glittered. "Thank you. You best be going now to be there before moonhigh."

     "Yes. Goodbye, Luna," Moonclaw meowed; there was a tinge of sadness in her voice. "I hope to see you again. And if not, I hope you live a fulfilled life. You taught me so much, and I don't know if I'll ever meet a cat like you again."

     Luna dipped her head. "You too. All of you. It has certainly been a pleasure."

     The rest of the cats including Dovesong bid their farewells to both Luna and her kits, Estrella and Sol. Dovesong found her heart aching slightly when they left. She glanced over her shoulder at Luna before they left the den, and then knew when she looked away that she wouldn't be able to see the gray she-cat again.