A/N: Hey y'all! So I know it says epilogue but it's really a chapter of its own in a way. The Parabatai ceremony you've all been looking forward to finally happens here. Hope I've done it justice. Also, look forward to the sequel book. It'll be coming soon, though I will be taking some time to edit this book, fixing punctuation and all that. So I hope y'all enjoy! Let me know what y'all think in the comments.

************Arrowheart's POV************

The journey to the Silent Forest was a brisk one, filled with excitement and anticipation. Unlike the territories the Clans lived in, the Silent Forest was not technically in Clan territory. Instead, it was day or so journey from HunterClan territory. In order to get their, one must walk a very special path.

Arrowheart has been taught during his apprenticeship that this path was known as the Walk of Bones. It consisted of a long tunnel that went under all the Clan territories. It's entrance, surprisingly, was right inside Mother Mouth. It was breakaway cave tunnel from that of the Moon Stone. How ironic it was that such a special thing for Shadowhunters be so close to something special to StarClan. Blossomstar had led the group to it with ease.

The new warriors had been glad that their leader had let them have a day to rest and prepare before going to the ceremony. Arrowheart couldn't have imagined trying to make the journey the night after their silent vigil. His paws had felt weighed down by tiredness after it, and he'd been more then content to just fall into a nest to sleep. Goldenclaw and Nightrose had done the same. They too had been exhausted.

They had left camp early the next day. Dawnpaw and Featherflight had been happy to supply the group with travel herbs for their journey ahead. As it would take one or days days to reach the Silent Forest, along with the same amount of time to return home they could use all the strength they could get. Arrowheart could still remember the discussion he'd had with the pale she-cat before they'd departed.

"Take care of yourself while we're gone. And keep an eye on Vultureclaw for us. There's no idea what he might get up to without Blossomstar's supervision." He told the apprentice.

Dawnpaw had given him a nod of acknowledgement. Her pale blue gaze had been focused on Russetleaf's prone form. For whatever reason, the warrior was locked in some endless sleep. It had freaked Clary out a lot. Their friend was fearful of her Mom never waking up.

The healers had given her some reassurance though, saying that whatever had been done to Clary's Mom was the result of magic. Patchfur was sent in to check over the Russetleaf. He had reported that Russetleaf would be just fine, she was just under an enchantment of sorts. By Patchfur's predictions, this enchantment would only last for a few more moons at most. Clary had been deeply relieved by that, promising to check in on her mother daily.

"Sure. I may not have eyes and ears everywhere, but I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Now go, become Parabatai with Goldenclaw. It'll be great to have another Parabatai pair in the Clan again." Arrowheart murmured his agreement.

Pairings were hard to come by, which made them all the more sacred to the Clan. He promised himself to be the very best Parabatai to Goldenclaw as he could be, knowing that Goldenclaw would do the same for him. It was with those words that he had left the Medicine Den, excited for what laid ahead.

**********Time Skip/ Nightrose's POV**********

Nightrose shook her fur out as some more dirt landed on her muzzle from the tunnel stretching out over their heads. Blossomstar had been leading herself, Goldenclaw, Arrowheart, and Patchfur for the what had felt like ages through the dank tunnel. I wonder if we'll ever see light again? She knew she was being over dramatic, but the tunnel just seemed to never end.

Blossomstar had told them upon entering the tunnel to stay close to one another. The passage being so narrow that they all had to move in a single file line. That was how she ended up being stuck behind Goldenclaw, his soft golden tail tickling her nose occasionally.

Arrowheart was right behind her; Patchfur was bringing up the rear. The two were whispering about something, but their voices were muffled by the constant dripping sound. Nightrose still hadn't determined where it came from. Blossomstar had assured her it was nothing to worry about, Arrowheart being quick to do the same.

Because there was hardly any light inside the tunnel, Nightrose kept squinting to try to make out the cats around her. Occasionally, there were splashes of light here and there from what Blossomstar had called witchlights. Apparently, the Iron Sisters had created them long ago as some sort of guide.

Each time they went by a stone, it would glow with an almost blinding light. This light only receded as they moved away. Blossomstar told them that was because they were activated only by angel blooded beings. It was curious just how the strange stones worked.

Speaking of curious...she glanced down at her muzzle, where there was a slight ache. After the warrior ceremony and vigil, as per tradition they received the ability to draw runes on themselves with the tips of their claws. The night of the vigil, it was said that the angel blessed new warriors with adamas touched claws with the creation of the Angelic Power rune on their skin.

The angelic rune could be placed anywhere on the skin. Hers was on her muzzle, while Goldenclaw and Arrowheart had their runes on one of their front legs. How curious it was, the position this rune would take.

Every other rune, the warrior could choose the positioning of, with the exception of runes gained during apprenticeship. Such was the case of the clairvoyance (aka voyance) rune. It was placed on their dominant front paw for each of the three new warriors. With it, they could see through glamours among other things.

"How much farther? I'm dying for some fresh air. And also something to drink." Goldenclaw asked, his loud voice echoing through the hollow ground.

They were at another witchlight Stone, so Nightrose could make out the golden warrior's bulky frame. Over it, she caught a glimpse of Blossomstar. The clan leader's ears twitched at Goldenclaw's question.

"It'll be only a few more hours until we make it out. There should be a small pool of water up ahead for us to drink out of soon, so be patient." Blossomstar chided.

With only a few grumbles from Goldenclaw, they resumed their pace. Nightrose honestly couldn't blame Goldenclaw. The tunnel's flooring had turned from dirt to prickly gray stones. The HunterClan cats were used to the soft grass of their home. This sharp ground made their pads ache and throb. Along with her hunger and thirst that were steadily growing, she would too be thankful when they finally made it out.

Thankfully, Blossomstar had been correct. It had been roughly twenty minutes more before they reached the pool she had spoken of. Nightrose had let out a gasp when she saw it.

"Wow! I can't believe this is down here!" She mewed.

The tunnel had opened up into a small cavern. Witchlight rune stones were spread equal distantly around it, lighting the cave up in an ethereal glow. The white and blue lighting tinged their pelts all varying shades of silver. At the right side of the cavern was a gleaming blue pool. It was so reflective of the light that she was almost certain that they would be able to see their faces in it if they tried. She felt Arrowheart coming to stand beside her, an expression of amazement also on his face.

"Well, we're not sure how this got down here. Our ancestors believed the tunnel had another opening at one point, to which this water was able to flow through. The theory is it is part of an even bigger pool, that of a lake somewhere else in the world." Blossomstar explained.

"Whatever it is, it sure looks like it's water will taste delicious." Goldenclaw licked his lips in anticipation.

"May we?" Arrowheart asked Blossomstar, angling his ears towards the pool.

Blossomstar nodded. "Yes, I think we all could use a drink." She murmured. Goldenclaw didn't need to be told twice. The golden tabby tom was quick to sprint over to the pool, dipping his tongue in the water to lap up a refreshing drink. Nightrose and her other companions made their way to the pool more slowly, dipping their heads down to drink too.

The water felt refreshingly cool to the touch. Thirstily, she began to lap it up. The water slipped down her throat, it's cold temperature sending a pleasant chill throughout her body. She was certain she'd never tasted water this good in her life! That might be the thirst talking, she reflected.

Her brothers shared similar views to her own on the water. Goldenclaw pulled back from the pool after drinking his fair share. His gold muzzle was dripping with shining silver droplets. Arrowheart pulled away from the pool moments later, licking his lips.

"That was delicious, I don't think I've ever tasted water that good." Arrowheart told them.

"That isn't surprising, underground spring water is often more pure than water above ground. Twolegs can't tamper with it as easily." Patchfur said.

Arrowheart looked at him surprised. "You sure do know a lot." He commented.

Patchfur dipped his head. "When you live as long as I have, you pick up a thing or two." He agreed.

"Well, I'm impressed for sure." Arrowheart told Patchfur. The older warrior smiled at that, appreciative of Arrowheart's words.

Nightrose wanted to laugh, the two were so obvious sometimes that it almost physically pained her. They're so cute together! She wasn't the only one to notice the attraction between the pair. Blossomstar was watching the two toms interact with mild amusement. It made sense that Arrowheart's former mentor understood him better then most cats. I'm glad she doesn't mind.

Arrowheart, for all the confidence he had gained in spending time with Patchfur, was still a bit queasy when it came to coming out. It was understandable really, as being true to yourself could be a scary thing. At least he had his sister's support. Nightrose would always be there for her brother.

Goldenclaw appeared to be the only cat in the patrol not clued into Arrowheart's crush on Patchfur. Sometimes she marveled at how dense the golden tabby warrior could be. I wonder if he'll figure it out once their Parabatai? That's most likely.

Arrowheart is concerned how their brother might react, but Nightrose had a feeling that everything would be alright. She watched with amusement as the two brothers started to play around. They were chasing each other around the pool, until they eventually came to a stop a tail length away from the pool.

"Arrowheart, the water smells a bit strange, don't you think?" Goldenclaw bounded over to his brother.

Arrowheart tilted his head in confusion, his blue eyes blinking. "I don't think so, but I wasn't smelling the water before. I'll try now."

He leaned over to sniff the pool. Goldenclaw took the opportunity for what it was. The golden warrior reached forward and slammed Arrowheart's head into the pool. Arrowheart yelped our in surprise as his head was shoved under water.

The momentum of the shove causing the rest of him to stumble forward into the water. His limbs flailed as soon as he went under; Goldenclaw was laughing his head off as soon as Arrowheart's head shot out of the frigid water. The black furred tom was sputtering water, his fur plastered to his sides.

"It's-It's freezing in here!" Arrowheart exclaimed in a chattering breath.

"Are you alright?" Patchfur asked him, his eyes glowing with concern.

"Arrowheart, get back on shore quick. You'll get sick if you stay in their too long." Blossomstar told him firmly. Arrowheart nodded, beginning to make his way out of the pool. Luckily, it wasn't that deep where he was so his paws touched the ground with ease.

"Of course he's alright! It can't be that bad in there. Just watch!" Goldenclaw dipped his paws into the pool. He quickly pulled them back though, as if he'd been electrocuted.

"Never mind," he muttered, shaking his paw out to dry it, "that is freezing! Sorry bud!" He called out to Arrowheart.

The other warrior waved him off, wading over to dry ground. Arrowheart shook his fur out, water droplets flying everywhere. He glared at Goldenclaw when he regained his bearings, his blue eyes annoyed.

"What in the Angel's name was that for?" He growled, his teeth still chattering.

"I just thought it would be funny. I didn't think you would fall in." Goldenclaw defended. Arrowheart groaned at this, as if it was just the answer he was expecting. Why am I not surprised! My brothers are both such idiots sometimes.

Arrowheart was about let out another retort, but Patchfur was quick to cut in. "That doesn't matter! Right now what's important is that we get him warm again." He made the rest of the distance to Arrowheart's side. "Now hold still." He mewed.

"What are you..." Arrowheart trailed off as Patchfur began to lick his fur with firm strokes. The warlock was grooming Arrowheart in a way that caused his fur to fluff up, making him warmer. Nightrose went over to join them, going to Arrowheart's other side. Arrowheart looked overwhelmed by all the attention he was getting, so he ducked his head down to lick his chest fur dry.

"Thanks." He mewed when they were finally finished. Nightrose gave him a nod, going across the gray stones to cuff Goldenclaw around the ears.

"Hey! What was that for?" Goldenclaw grouches at her. Nightrose rolled her eyes, not dissimilar to Arrowheart's eye roll. It was uncanny just how alike the two litter mates could be at times.

"For being an idiot." Was all she told him, figuring that explanation was sufficient enough. Blossomstar gathered their attention again once she realized that Arrowheart was sufficiently dry.

"Now that you've had your fun," her gaze skimmed Goldenclaw and Arrowheart, "we need to get going. The Silent Brothers are waiting for us." She made her way to the exit tunnel.

It was with great reluctance that Nightrose followed the rest of the patrol away from the pool. Something about it made it seem so magical, entrancing her to not want to leave. Resolving herself to see it again on the return journey, she brought up the rear of the group. As the tunnel was wider here, Patchfur and Arrowheart were able to walk side by side in front of her. They were talking about something nonsensical now, so she tuned them out as she moved forward.

**********Time Skip/Goldenclaw's POV***********

Their were stars in the sky by the time they made it out of the tunnel. Goldenclaw's pads ached from all the rough stone they'd been walking on. The last stretch had been paved over with soft gritty sand, but that didn't undo the pain of two hours walking on hardened ground.

"Thank the Angel we're finally outside!" Nightrose sighed in relief, sprawling out on the ground. "I feel like I could sleep forever." She yawned.

Arrowheart stepped over his sister's sprawled form to move to Blossomstar. The leader's amber gaze was searching, as though she was searching for something. Somewhere, the crickets were chirping. Their loud chittering was annoying to say the least.

In the distance, a single owl let out a 'whoooooo'. He hoped the predatory bird wasn't anywhere close. Owls weren't likely to go after full grown cats, though they did make exceptions every so often. It was one of the biggest reasons why most Clans didn't send cats out on hunting or border patrols in the late hours of the night.

HunterClan was a special exception, but that was only in the case of a demonic alert. Yes, in their strange world there is demons. Demons came in all shapes and sizes, but they all shared one thing in common: they only came out at night. The only demons that could show up in the daylight were Greater Demons, and HunterClan hadn't seen any of those in several years.

As HunterClan is the Clan gifted with angelic might, it is their mandate to fight demons in order to protect the mundane and shadow world. Goldenclaw hadn't fought any demons so far, but now that he is a warrior, he got to do so. When their patrol arrives home, Blossomstar would put him and his siblings on the on call list. When a demon was spotted in the forest or Twoleg Place, a group of warriors would be selected at random to handle it.

Goldenclaw looked forward to fighting his first demon. All the stories he had been told by other HunterClan cats had only made the prospect all the more exciting. All the exhilaration, it'll be so much fun!

He envisioned himself fighting against a demon, Arrowheart at his side. Together the pair of them cornered the creature, giving Nightrose the chance to land the killing blow. The three cheered at their success. Then Clary rushed over to congratulate him, Arrowheart and Nightrose seeming to fade away in the background.

"Great job Goldenclaw! I knew you could do it!" She purred, resting her head on his shoulder.

Goldenclaw let out a purr of his own. "Well, it wasn't all me," he admitted, "Nightrose and Arrowheart helped."

She pulled back to look at him, her green eyes glowing with warmth. "But it was your plan! Your so brave." She touched noses with him, licking him mouth. Goldenclaw purred, letting her praise wash over him like a soft caress.

"I love you too Clary..." He mewed happily.

"What was that?" A voice from his right asked. Goldenclaw let out a squeal in surprise, nearly jumping out of his fur. He swung his head around to glare at whomever interrupted his daydream...Well nightdream now but whatever. The interrupter turned out to be Patchfur. The warlock was staring at him with mild disinterest.

"Uh...nothing. Just talking to myself. What is it Patchfur?" He asked. Patchfur's whiskers twitched, it appeared he didn't believe Goldenclaw but was willing to let it slide.

"The others are setting up camp for the night in that hollow that way," Patchfur gestured to the patch of bushes up ahead, "I came over to see what was holding you up." Goldenclaw shrugged, loosening up his shoulders a little.

"Lost in thought. Shouldn't we hunt? Being in that tunnel for hours has left us all starving." Goldenclaw said.

Patchfur dipped his head. "The others were planning to hunt top once they set up some nests. We can hunt on our way back to the hollow." A spark of challenge lit the older warrior's golden green eyes. "I bet I can catch the most prey."

Goldenclaw gave Patchfur a cocky smirk, letting his competitive drive take hold. "You're on." He told him.

**********Time Skip/Patchfur's POV**********

Weak rays of sunlight filtered through the trees as dawn approached. The patrol of five stirred sleepily from their nests, their bellies full of prey from last night's hunt. Patchfur felt another warm body pressed up against his own. He felt content to lay their, basking in the warmth that came from being pressed close together to another cat. It had been along time since he'd done so; he found that he had missed the feeling immensely.

Lazily, he opened his eyes. Blinking away the blurriness, he could make out the deep green thorn bushes that surrounded the hollow. The wind from last night had caused some of the prickly leaves to fall to the ground. He recalled having to gingerly step over the little pinpricks, his paws protesting the cautious movement.

It had been worth it though, as the center of the hollow consisted of swaying grass. Dips in the ground from the spindly roots of a nearby Cedar tree provided great places to sleep sheltered by the wind. Blossomstar, Nightrose and Goldenclaw had each found a dip to rest in, using the moss they'd found earlier to provide soft padding to sleep on.

Now that he was more awake, Patchfur could spot Goldenclaw and Nightrose's sleeping forms. Blossomstar was already awake, finishing up a small thrush. It was one of the few pieces of prey that still remained from their catch last night. The other pieces were a wiry rabbit that seemed to be more bones then meat, a sparrow, and two field mice.

He knew it wouldn't be long before his stomach started rumbling, but right now he was too comfortable to care. With a content sigh, he pressed back into the warmth behind him. He yawned, laying his head back down in the moss and closing his eyes.

It was only a few moments later that he felt a stirring behind him. He turned his head to see Arrowheart. The other tom's blue eyes were blinking sleepily at him. Patchfur relished in just how cute the Shadowhunter looked in this state of sleepiness. He had a feeling Arrowheart wouldn't appreciate being called 'cute' though, so he held his tongue, watching the other's dazed movements.

"Good morning." Arrowheart yawned, his voice husky with sleep.

"Good morning." Patchfur greeted back. The two stared at each other for a moment, just content to look into each other's eyes. It was Arrowheart who broke away, seeming to realize what kind of compromising position they were in.

The night before, Arrowheart had been more then happy to cuddle. As Arrowheart was already tired from all the traveling, as well as still chilled from the fiasco at the Sparkling Pool (that's what he was calling it) so his inhibitions were lowered. Arrowheart had made his own nest the night before, but he had went over to chat with Patchfur before bed.

Out of sheer exhaustion, the pair had fallen asleep at some point during their riveting discussion about historical leaders. If he recalled correctly, they had been talking about Honeystar, a former MagicClan leader long before either of them had been born. Patchfur had been pleasantly surprised to find that Arrowheart knew a decent amount of information of things related to Downworlders. He could still remember the younger tom's words.

"Why shouldn't I learn about the other clans? They're just as important as HunterClan."

He certainly agreed with Arrowheart. It intrigued him that a cat from HunterClan would have that sort of mindset though. It was a sign that there were cats in HunterClan that were changing for the better.

Now, Arrowheart had risen to his paws. He was picking his way down the spindly roots to where Blossomstar was. The clan leader was licking her paws clean, the prey she'd been eating finished. Arrowheart offered his former mentor a 'good morning' in greeting, which was returned in equal measure by the leader.

Then, Arrowheart snatched up the two field mice from the pile. The two gray mice swayed in his jaws as he clambered back up the the nest Patchfur was now sitting up in. The Shadowhunter dropped the mice at Patchfur's paws.

"I figured we could both use some breakfast." He responded lamely to Patchfur's questioning stare. Patchfur gave him a small nod. The two went about eating as the sun rose high in the sky, signaling a brand new day.

**********Time Skip/ Arrowheart's POV**********

The Silent Forest was a lot quieter then what Arrowheart had imagined it would be. The forest consisted of several tall trees. They ranged from cedar to oak to pine and back again. Not a single sound could be heard. The usual noises of birds chirping and mice scurrying about were nonexistent here.

The forest itself held a strange beauty. It was lush with vegetation, herbs were sprouting seemingly from every nook and cranny they passed by. It's a healer's paradise here. He thought as he saw Silent Brothers milling about. Like the rest of the forest, their movements were silent. That wasn't the creepiest thing about them however.

Arrowheart discreetly made glances at the Silent Brothers they passed by. The immortal cats were all male here, hence the brother part in Silent Brothers. Their pelts were strangely faded in coloring; the faded fur clinging to their bones. They looked more skeleton than cat by every means.

The creepiest thing about them though was that their eyes and mouths were stitched shut, runes marring both sides of their faces to silence them permanently. At the very least, the Iron Sisters were able to look like regular cats. The Silent Brothers looked like the type of strange creature you'd see in a horror story.

Arrowheart couldn't help but feel bad for them. They can never live a normal life. He considered themselves lucky that they had gotten the least creepy Silent Brother of the bunch. Brother Zachariah, or Jemsong as his original name was (Patchfur told him this...apparently the two were friends at some point) is friendly enough.

He guided them past what Arrowheart assumed to be a labyrinth of herb stocks. It was the only words he could use to describe it. There were several jagged cliff edges here, with even more rock clefts at the bottom. One of the brothers, Brother Enoch if he had guessed correctly, was stashing freshly picked juniper into a cleft. The tom's faded brown pelt almost blended into the rock formations, the stitching and pick ears the only things setting apart.

It was when they came to a ravine that Brother Zachariah finally halted them. Arrowheart felt a deep intrigue towards what they'd stopped at. There was a enormous cliff in front of them. It was so steep that he didn't think it would be possible to climb it.

Except that it definitely was, because with closer inspection he noticed the tiny gray crags. They were well worn, making it clear many many cats had transverse them in the past. It was no hidden secret that HunterClan cats were known to excel in climbing, but even he didn't want to climb such a steep slope. The height was very daunting.

This was why he focused himself onto the more spectacular sight that came with the cliff side. A powerful waterfall was spilling over the side. It's water was a mix of blue grey, the stream it formed below very choppy at first. That was before it settled out, as once it did it ran in neat curving patterns. Unlike a normal waterfall; however, this one did not make a single sound. Arrowheart strained his ears, double checking that it wasn't just some odd trick. When he continued to hear no sound, he knew it really was indeed a silent waterfall.

Goldenclaw nudged him, gesturing with a forepaw to the spectacular waterfall. "Only in the Silent Forest, am I right or am I right?"

"You're certainly not wrong." He said agreeably. The sight was not something you saw just anywhere, and he was still unsure as to how it was even possible. It was Nightrose who asked the question they'd all been wondering.

"So, Brother Zachariah, how do you guys keep the waterfall silent? I've never seen a waterfall before, but from my understanding they're supposed to be loud." She asked.

+We use magic to quiet the waterfall. Our runes grant us powers no mere mortal Shadowhunter could ever possess.+ Zachariah responded.

Arrowheart rubbed one of his ears at that. He knew that Silent Brothers couldn't speak, so instead they projected their thoughts into the minds of others. The whole process shouldn't weird him out for that reason, but he supposed knowing and experiencing were two entirely different things. It's safe to say he would've been happy with only knowing. His siblings seemed to have the same feeling towards the projected thoughts, their paws shuffling uncomfortably in front of them.

If Zachariah noticed this, he didn't acknowledge it in the slightest. The tom instead sat down patiently in front of them, tucking his tail around his paws. It was now that Arrowheart could really inspect the silent brother.

His pelt must've been a sleek black in his younger years, but now it had gained a ombré effect about it. His head and down to his shoulders remained a steady black, save for the silver coloring one of his ears. Past his shoulders was a dark gray, his hindquarters being left with faded light gray and his tail tip and pale white. He imagined that Zachariah was handsome back in the day, but it was beyond him what the tom originally looked like.

He felt movement at his side. Patchfur had moved to sit next to him. "Jemsong, it's been awhile. It's good to see you're doing well." He mewed.

Patchfur clearly was taking advantage of their waiting outside the waterfall to be called to the cave within to talk to his friend. The two hadn't gotten the chance to talk when Arrowheart and the others first arrived, as they had been quickly rushed to heading to what the Silent Brothers termed as the Cave of Speaking Stars. They still hadn't reached the cave as of yet, apparently it was behind the waterfall.

Jemsong dipped his head. +It has been some time since I've been called that name. It is good to see you too old friend. I hear you're a warrior of  HunterClan now. I never thought I'd see the day you worked so closely with Shadowhunters once more.+ Jemsong's eyes, or well where his eyes would've been landed on Arrowheart. Arrowheart couldn't be for sure, but it seemed as if the other tom was studying him.

Eventually, Zachariah continued, his face still fixed on Arrowheart. +Genetics, they are quite an odd thing. You remind me of a friend I had, very long ago.+ He thought this with such simplicity, as though any other cat make the same introspection would agree with him too. Silent Brothers really are strange, he thought to himself.

"Yes, he does look quite like him doesn't he?" Patchfur asked rhetorically. Arrowheart wondered just what cat the two were talking about. His question was left unanswered as two other Silent Brothers made their way over to them. One was Brother Enoch, the other a speckled yellow tom that Arrowheart didn't know the name of.

+It is time.+ Brother Enoch's projected voice boomed. He motioned for the cats to follow them up the craggy spires to what Arrowheart now knew to be the hidden entrance to the Cave of Speaking Stars.

Arrowheart inwardly gulped as he set foot on the first rock spire jutting out from the cliff. It didn't look like it would hold his weight, but it somehow managed. Ugh, I'm not looking forward to climbing this. Pushing his fear down, he followed behind Goldenclaw, Patchfur right behind him as they made their way up the path.

********Time Skip**********

The Cave was not as dark as Arrowheart imagined it would be. Several witchlights were spread out along the walls, giving off their blue white light. This light showed the many tapestries left here and there in the cave. They depicted a great many battles of the past.

Arrowheart spotted one of the great Emberstar defeating the Rogue Army. Then there was one of the Shimmerstar, the silver she-cat locked in battle with a rabid demon wolf. There were several more pictures, Arrowheart and his siblings couldn't help but stare at them all in awe.

The biggest picture depicted the first HunterClan leader ever to exist. Hunterstar in all his glory was sitting atop the Great Rock in this picture. The solid black tom's green eyes sparkled with strength as he gazed down at his warriors below. Arrowheart wondered what the tom would think of HunterClan now.

Would he be proud of us? Of all we have accomplished? Things had changed plentifully since Hunterstar's leadership all those hundreds of years ago. He could only hope HunterClan still made their first ancestor proud.

As always, the statue of the Angel Raziel was at the back of the cave. In its arms it held a replica of the Mortal Moss and, surprisingly the real Mortal Stick. Like the Mortal Sword of the human Shadowhunters, this stick would force its holder to tell the truth. The stick could be used for many other purposes to, but only the Silent Brothers and a select few others knew just what those purposes were.

The gray walls and brown flooring made all the colors in the cave somewhat muted. There were a few exceptions however, and the most important one was the star like patterns outlined on the floor. The patterns had beautiful pieces of adamas and gem stones interwoven into them.

This was why the cave was called the Speaking Stars, the faint light coming through the tiny holes in the roof lighting the glowing rocks ablaze. They sparkled with all sorts of colors: red, blue, green, indigo, topaz, and many more. Curiously, Arrowheart stepped down onto one, wondering what it would feel like. The star piece felt warm to the touch, though not scorching hot like some might believe.

Brothers Enoch, Zachariah and Phillip led them over these shining stars, their paw steps silent on the bumpy flooring. Arrowheart and his friends moved behind them, their paw steps making dull thuds on the ground. As they are all Shadowhunters, they were all capable of not making a single sound. The difference between the HunterClan cats and the brothers however was that the brothers have runes of silence etched permanently into their pelts, whereas regular warriors would have to reapply the soundless runes from time to time as they wore off.

+Goldenclaw and Arrowheart, it is time for you to step into the circles of bonding fire to begin the ritual. Witnesses, take your place on the side of your chooser. Blossomstar, you will stand with us.+ Phillip's voice rang out. The smaller tom gestures to two spots on the ground.

Arrowheart could clearly see the circles drawn deep into the ground. They were two rings of black earth, not a speck of it out of place. With an ease that he didn't feel, he nervously stepped into the ring on the left. Goldenclaw followed suit in stepping into the other ring. His blood was roaring in his ears, the anticipation sending him into overdrive. The moment was finally here he thought with wild exhilaration.

Patchfur and Nightrose moved to stand on either side of the two of them. Patchfur shot Arrowheart a reassuring look as he took his place behind him. From Goldenclaw's side, Arrowheart could see Nightrose giving the same look to himself and their brother. Arrowheart gave them a lopsided grin, fixing his position so he stood in the middle of the circle.

Of to the side he saw the remaining cats moving into position. Blossomstar moved to her place in the middle of the two soon to be Parabatai, the Silent Brothers clustered around her. As Blossomstar is the leader of HunterClan, it is required that she be at this ceremony regardless of whether she had mentored one of the cats about to become Parabatai.

Arrowheart reflected that this ceremony was unusual compared to others. Most pairings had their former mentors as their witnesses. In this case, Arrowheart's mentor is leader and Goldenclaw's mentor had passed on. This made neither capable of being witnesses.

In their early days of apprenticeship, when Dustcloud was still with them, they'd decided that Nightrose would be Arrowheart's witness. It was Dustcloud's death that they changed plans. It wasn't anything that made Arrowheart complain though, he got to have both Patchfur and Nightrose here now with them. It was if anything an absolute win to the young warrior.

Brother Enoch unsheathed his claws, grabbing a long brown stick in his jaws. His claws lit with tiny white flames, that he touched to the stick. It was an odd picture, the stick only lighting on its very end. With a delicate hold he touched the stick to the center of the two circles, the junction point. This junction point was the best place to light the the circles ablaze.

The fire was orange for a brief moment, as though the blackened dirt had made it change. It was only seconds later that the brilliant white glow returns, the blue flickering alongside it. Only Angelic fire burned in this way. There was no fire more powerful than it.

The only thing that rivaled it being Heavenly Fire, but it had been a long time since that had been seen. And the angels burned with heavenly fire, their bodies filled with angelic might. It was a story long told, never to be forgotten by HunterClan. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, Arrowheart hadn't heard the opening proceedings.

+You may now begin with the oath. May the Angel bless you both.+ Zachariah told the two warriors, placing a small object in front of each of them. The object was a silver piece of metal, with odd patterning down its sides. A stele his mind supplied helpfully.

Arrowheart looked across the flames to see Goldenclaw. His brother was staring back at him with the same fervor, golden eyes sparkling with the blue white light. They had discussed the oath frequently during their apprenticeship, ascertaining that they both had it memorized and knew who would say what. Goldenclaw took a deep breath, then began the sacred oath.

"Entreat me not to leave thee, or return from following after thee" He said these lines with practiced ease. He took a step forward in the circle, his paw wrapped around the stele tightly.

"For whither thou goest, I will go, And where thou lodgest, I will lodge." Arrowheart said with similar ease, taking a step forward as well with stele in paw.

"Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Goldenclaw responded.

"Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried." Arrowheart said. It was together in unison that they said the last few lines, their hearts beating as one. They were only a few mere paw steps away from each other now, their runes glowing in response to their words.

"The Angel do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." Their voices reverberated together as one, echoing in the Cave of Speaking Stars. The pair were staring at one another, blue eyes gazing into golden ones.

+It is time to draw the Parabatai runes on one another. Choose the position of the rune well, as it will remain there now and for always.+ Brother Phillip projected in their minds.

Arrowheart's runes were still glowing as he seized up the stele in his jaws, Goldenclaw doing the same with his own. With almost synchronized paw steps, the two made the remaining distance across the dirt to each other. The other cats gathered watched with bated breath.

They both sat in front of each other, reaching their heads across the angelic fire.  Arrowheart left room on his left side to allow Goldenclaw to make his marking on his skin. Goldenclaw did the same for him but the golden tom made room on his right side. The sizzling sound of adamas touching flesh was heard, a burning smell filling the air.

When Arrowheart and Goldenclaw finished drawing the rune on one another, they stepped back to admire their work. The Parabatai rune stood out in all its glory against both of their skins. Arrowheart grinned at his brother, a grin that Goldenclaw shared back. They were finally joined together under the same rune.

We may not be brothers in blood, but we are now brothers in every other way that matters. Maybe even more so. The rune connecting them now meant that they shared a piece of each other's souls. They were now bound together, brothers forever. Something settled inside Arrowheart, a warmth filling his chest. Being Parabatai with Goldenclaw, having Patchfur, Nightrose and Blossomstar there supporting them, Arrowheart finally felt whole.

************Time Skip/Unknown POV************

He moved across the grassy slope with a practice ease, his claws only sliding out as he reduced their selected meeting place. This meeting place was different than the norm, but he knew that was only because HunterClan knew of the fallen tree. Their former meeting place was now under high suspicion of the Shadowhunters. Blossomstar was having warriors patrol that area to great lengths now, something he knew personally.

The thought of those pretentious cowards made him curl his lips back in a snarl. They have no idea what being a Shadowhunter is truly about. Angrily, he heaved himself up the fence, his long claws scrabbling on flat yellow Twoleg wood that lined what was supposed to be an abandoned backyard.

Once he reached the top, he plummeted down to the ground on the other side. It was to his own great annoyance that his paws landed in slippery mud. The puddle he'd landed in squelched underneath him, sending spatters of wet earth up all over his fur.

He wasn't one to mind getting dirty by any means, but was this discomfort really necessary. It'll take hours to wash this out before heading back. He couldn't be gone for long, he had responsibilities he had to get back to. Luckily, the cat was set to meet was already here.

It had been some time since he'd seen Frostfang, but the tom looked unchanged. Frostfang's scar riddled white pelt gained a pinkish sheen in the setting sun. It almost made him look nonthreatening, not that he'd ever describe the leader of the Circle as such. Many cats have underestimated him before, and almost all of them have paid the price of their lives for it.

"Frostfang, it has been sometime since I last saw you. I heard you have the Mortal Moss now, might I ask where it is?" He asked.

Frostfang moved forward from the small patch of grass he'd been standing in. Out of the whole yard, Frostfang was the only physically clean part of it. Mud was splattered all over the garden. Where there wasn't mud, there was clay, or pine needles from the nearby pine tree.

The needles stuck to his paws, their sticky sap coating his forelegs. At this rate my coat will be ruined. So much for that grooming session I had this morning. He had no idea how Frostfang remained so spotless. Though I suppose that's the irony, considering how much blood he has on his paws from his mission. Ah yes, Frostfang's mission to kill all Downworlders was still ongoing.

"It's good to see you too, old friend. Yes, I have the Moss, it's not here at the moment, but I assure you it's somewhere safe. Now, how are things in HunterClan? I've heard you rose above in the ranks. How tragic that so many deputies have passed recently. Especially Dustcloud, he was so promising back in the day." Frostfang said, sarcasm dripping from his tone.

He rolled his eyes. "Foxtail and Dustcloud's deaths were unfortunate, but they were means to an end. They would've just been wild cards anyways, getting in the way of our plans."

Frostfang dipped his head in agreement. "You're certainly not wrong. Speaking of plans, are you ready for stage two?" The Circle leader asked.

A dark smile lit his face, his claws sinking into the dirt. "Of course. I was born ready." He told the other Shadowhunter, his eyes ablaze with passion for the dark plans that laid ahead.

**************

A/N: Yay! Book one is done! Thanks everyone who has taken the time to read it. And stay tuned for the second book: The City of Ice and Fire.