The group of FoxClan members came to a halt at the top of the slope overlooking Four Birches.

Darkblood felt Wolfblaze shift beside him, and he watched as Adderstar raised his tail, signaling the clan to follow him down into the clearing.

As the FoxClan group began to disperse around the hollow, Darkblood wound his way slowly through the crowd of gathered cats, until he found a spot near some of his clanmates.

The slight glow of the full moon shone down upon the clearing, as they waited for the gathering to begin.

CreekClan arrived soon after, and Darkblood found himself looking for Silverpaw amongst the arrivals, despite everything.

"May this gathering begin!" Chestnutstar called from atop the Great Boulder, as CreekClan's leader leapt up to the join them.

Darkblood caught sight of Cherrystar stepping forward, looking like she was holding herself high.

"DuskClan can begin this time." She announced, her gaze sweeping around the clearing.

The murmuring of the gathered cats quieted as the DuskClan leader began to speak.

"It is my duty to announce to all of you, that one of DuskClan's apprentices has lost their life."

Gasps and murmurs rose up from the clans, and Darkblood felt a fresh wave of pain wash over him at the mention.

"How did it happen, Cherrystar?" Chestnutstar spoke up, his eyes focused on the DuskClan leader.

"I'll be getting to that." She flicked her tail and continued. "Our clan grieves the loss of Pinepaw, and we believe that he was killed by some sort of surprise predator attack. The back of our Apprentice's den was torn into, and although our other apprentices were not awake when it happened, Pinepaw bore the scratches and bites of something that killed without remorse. He was dead when the clan awoke that morning." She explained.

Wildtalon... Darkblood dug his claws into the ground, feeling his heart beat in his chest.

"We thought it would be right that the other clans were made aware of this matter." Cherrystar glanced around at her other leaders.

"Well, we appreciate the warning. It is truly unsettling what happened in your clan." The CreekClan leader meowed, speaking for her cats. Chestnutstar seemed to be in agreement with his fellow leader.

"If I may ask something, Cherrystar." Adderstar started. "This happened after the attack on my clan's territory, correct?"

Meows of confusion rose up from the gathered cats, and Darkblood could feel the memories of him and Pinepaw pushing against the walls he tried to keep up.

"That night, to be exact. What are you suggesting?" Cherrystar answered.

Darkblood lowered his gaze from the leaders and caught sight of Silverpaw across the clearing from him. She was seated beside her mentor, but her head was down and her eyes on her paws, before she closed them.

Darkblood wanted to go over to her, but he stayed where he was, trying to ease the flood of memories that kept resurfacing.

He raised his amber eyes to the leaders again, his heart beating.

"I'm not suggesting anything, Cherrystar. It is unsettling what happened to your clan, but I believe that other situations should be addressed as well, regarding what seems to have happened." Adderstar explained, rising to his paws.

Cherrystar held his gaze before taking half-a-step back, her eyes not leaving the FoxClan leader.

"Thank you." Adderstar said with a nod, coming to stand near her. "About a quarter-moon ago, FoxClan was attacked on our border with DuskClan, while out on patrol. A battle was fought, and FoxClan successfully defended our territory. But what led to that fight, Cherrystar?" Adderstar meowed, turning his head to face her.

The members of each clan watched as Cherrystar looked at Adderstar steadily, all waiting for her answer.

The DuskClan leader took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment.

"We thought we needed to prove something. Prove something to the other clans. But we were wrong. I was wrong." She replied, meeting Adderstar's gaze again.

"That's all?" He pressed.

Cherrystar ducked her head in reply, lowering herself into a sitting position.

Murmurs reached Darkblood's ears.

"Is she really going to stop just like that?"

"Where's her honor to fight for her clan?"

Adderstar kept his eyes on Cherrystar, looking like he was going to say more. Before he could, the CreekClan leader spoke up.

"I think that we should leave this where it is. We know what happened now, we know the reasoning, so is there any more reason to push this further?"

"What are you suggesting otherwise?" Adderstar meowed, sending the CreekClan leader a somewhat annoyed glance.

Out of the corner of his eye, Darkblood could see Stormhawk watching his leader with intent.

"A truce for now." The CreekClan she-cat continued. "It is a gathering tonight after all. And seems both of your clans have been through a lot lately."

Darkblood turned to look at Silverpaw as she watched her leader speak. The silver she-cat was watching just like every other cat, her tail tip swishing in the grass.

"I wouldn't be opposed to that idea. My clan needs some time to heal from this." Cherrystar replied.

"Adderstar?" Chestnutstar asked, looking to the reddish tom.

"Fine. I agree." The FoxClan leader responded, looking around at his fellow leaders.

"It is decided then! Does any-cat have any other news?" CreekClan's leader asked, as Adderstar stepped back from the front.

Once the other two clans finished up sharing their news, the gathered cats turned to each other, looking to talk about what had been brought up.

Darkblood found himself alone, trying to keep his mind quiet.

I can't think about it...

His gaze found a small group of apprentices gathered further away into the crowd. There was a pale tabby yellow she-cat with soft amber eyes, a dark gray tom-cat with darker green eyes, and a light brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes. Beside them sat a warrior, a brown tom. The apprentices all looked quiet, not really speaking to one another, only sending glances.

From the way Cherrystar looked at them, with her pinkish eyes, Darkblood came to the conclusion that they were DuskClan's other apprentices.

They trained with him... With Pinepaw...

The dark warrior's gaze traveled until it landed on Silverpaw, whose gray tabby mentor was saying something to her, to which she appeared to be only half-listening.

Darkblood rose to his paws and made his way across the clearing, toward where Silverpaw was sitting.

Silverpaw's mentor pressed against her for a moment, their pelts barely brushing, before he stood up and headed off in the direction of other CreekClan warriors.

He stood still for a moment, trying to the find the right words to say to her.

But then Silverpaw glanced over her shoulder, from where she had been looking around the hollow. Her eyes landed on him, and a look crossed her face as she met his gaze. She padded slowly over to where he stood, her eyes drifting toward the group of DuskClan apprentices behind them.

"Darkblood..." She meowed.

"Silverpaw..."

"Here we are." Silverpaw said, her gaze leaving Darkblood's for a moment before coming back.

Darkblood nodded, keeping his gaze focused on Silverpaw.

"It's out now. Everything about Pinepaw." He replied, quietly.

This time it was Silverpaw's turn to nod, she looked thoughtful.

"Not everything."

Darkblood's mind wandered a little.

"You're right." He agreed, not knowing how to add more without bringing up the fresh memories. "Are you okay?" He asked, simply, after a moment.

Silverpaw shook her head the tinniest bit. "I don't know about everything, Darkblood..."

"What...?" He started, as Silverpaw met his gaze with her own.

"I think it's time CreekClan returned home." Came the leader's voice from the Great Boulder.

"Same for DuskClan." Cherrystar rose to her paws alongside her fellow leader.

Silverpaw turned her head to face her mentor again, as the leaders leapt down from the rock.

"Silverpaw, wait..." Darkblood tried to say, holding on.

"Darkblood." Silverpaw cut him off, on her paws now, and her meow stronger than it had been. "We both know the whole story. Pinepaw died in the Dark Forest. And we can't change that." Her blue eyes shone with emotion as she looked up at him. "The only thing I want now is to honor Pinepaw's memory. However I can do that." She swallowed, her gaze traveling briefly to her clanmates, who were gathering and preparing for departure.

Darkblood looked at her, his heart picking up speed.

"Goodbye Darkblood." She meowed, her voice cracking slightly.

Darkblood watched as his apprentice met his gaze one more time, before she padded past him, pausing in front of the group of DuskClan apprentices. Silverpaw looked at the group, choosing not to say anything. The apprentices glanced up at her, a hint of confusion and sadness apparent on their faces.

As Silverpaw turned to follow after her retreating clanmates, Darkblood finally came to his senses.

"Silverpaw!" He called out, staring after her.

The silver she-cat looked over her shoulder.

Darkblood looked into her eyes before nodding his head to her. After a moment, Silverpaw ducked her head as well, a small smile on her face. Then she turned and padded off in the direction of her clan.

As CreekClan neared the slope out of the hollow, Darkblood heard the calls of his own clanmates.

Looking to his left, he saw Crimsonclaw watching him expentantly, with Wolfblaze beside him, as their clan began to group together for the journey home.

Memories of the past began to fill Darkblood's mind, but he tried his best to push them away, as he padded over toward his clanmates.

Silverpaw padded up the slope after her clanmates, and she couldn't stop her mind from thinking over things.

I want to live my life... The way I want to... Like Pinepaw said... Being the cat I want...

As they neared the top, Silverpaw somehow felt lighter as she followed her clanmates out of Four Birches, leaving her mentor Darkblood, and the pain of the past, further behind her.

Darkblood reached his clanmates, as DuskClan headed out of the hollow after CreekClan.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Wolfblaze send him a glance. Darkblood pushed it away, choosing to follow after the members of FoxClan who were beginning to leave.