"All cats old enough to cross the river gather at the base of the willow tree!"

Mintstar's call reached the ears of every cat, even through the rain. It must be urgent. Volepaw knew it was.

The other cats releuctantley stepped out on to the muddy ground where the rain poured on. Volepaw hardly noticed it, he was too worried about Fallenclaw.

"Come on! A little rain won't harm you, it's important!" The deputy, Reedtail, was nudging cats out of their dens. For what seemed like moons, the wait had halted and every warrior and apprentice had gathered.

"Out medicine cat, Lakeshade, has received a warning from Starclan themselves." Mintstar's green gaze burned into everycat's rain soaked pelts.

"It wasn't me Mintstar," A silver and white she-cat bounded up beside him, "My apprentices Yellowpaw and Splashpaw recieved the two parts of it."

"Well then," Mintstar shifted her pale blue-gray paws, "Yellowpaw, Splashpaw, step forward and say your part."

Volepaw squinted through the haze of rain at the yellow tabby and gray she-cats pushing their way up through the crowd. He felt a sudden push and looked down to see Mudkit, only a few moons old, tottering to the front.

"Mudkit no!" His  mother, Mudbird dashed from the nursery and picked up Mudkit by the scruff and hurried him back inside, Mudkit mewing defiantly.

Volepaw flattened his ears and turned back to his leader. Yellowpaw and Splashpaw were beside the she-cat, opening their mouths to say their part.

"Fallen feather." Said Yellowpaw. "River's end." Said Splashpaw.

Gasps erupted among Volepaw's clan mates. Soon their was a hiss and the tide of cats moved backwards, pushing Volepaw with them. Ducking through the crowd, he tried to see what the cats were backing away from, but in his heart he knew. Fallenclaw was sitting calmly in the middle, swiftly glancing at the medicine cat apprentices for a couple seconds now and again.

"Fallenclaw, you are a well respected warrior, mentor to young Volepaw," Mintstar started. Don't make him leave. Volepaw thought, Please! He tried to put all his willpower into his eyes as he stared helplessly up at his leader as Mintstar continued, "However this prophecy points almost directly to you. It seems we have no other choice but to ban you from our presence, for the safety of us all."

"Or we will face the River's end." Splashpaw agreed.

Fallenclaw flattened his ears and put his head down, eyes closed, shoulders sagging. 

"No!" Volepaw screeched, flinging himself at Mintstar. He felt sharp teeth clamp around his tail and looked back, eyes glazed as Reedtail firmly dragged him away. He turned to look at his mentor, but Fallenclaw had disappeared between writhing pelts. The wave of cats exited camp, leaving Volepaw without a mentor and without a friend. 

As soon as the cats left, all Volepaw's life spirit went with them, he sank to the ground, exhausted with sorrow. He suddenly felt a tail tip on his shoulder and a pelt brushing beside him. However he hardly made an effort to glance over.

Iceypaw crouched beside him and thrust her muzzle in his face, "It's gonna be alright, it's for the best."

"It shouldn't be, Starclan is so cryptic and confusing with everything." He complained, letting his head rest on the muddy ground. A flash of thunder sounded in the distance, and a sharp wind kicked up, sending rain flying straight at him. He moaned, wondering what Fallenclaw had done to derserve being cast out in this weather.

"Yes!" "No!" "Yes!" "No!"

He squinted through the rain. Yellowpaw and Splashpaw were facing each other, bristling in the rain, their voices above the thunder. Then Yellowpaw leaped to the side and trotted towards them, leaving Splashpaw with a firm "Yes!"

Yellowpaw then glanced at Volepaw splayed out in the mud, Iceypaw beside him.

"Come." She said, raising a paw.

Feeling slightly embarrassed for pouting like that, Volepaw obeyed, scrambling to his paws and jogging back up to her. She heard Iceypaw grunting loudly and the scent drifting to him signaling that Iceypaw was coming too.

Yellowpaw led them to a remote spot in camp, right next tot he camp entrance, underneath a small hollow of washed up twigs that barely fit them all.

"This is me and Splashpaw's super secret place." She told them, "And I have a secret to tell you."