The warmth enveloping him felt foreign, something Nightchaser had not felt in a long time, if ever at all.

    Mother? The touch of fur, soft as a feather, and the sound of a soothing voice hovering just out of reach, too quiet for him to pick out the words. He didn't need to; he felt completely safe, comforted by just their presence.

    But the words grew more and more insistent, until he could hear his name being called over and over again.

    "Nightchaser!"

    The truth-teller opened his eyes to a very peculiar scene. Before him stood a nervous Mothpaw, Cedarheart's worried eyes visible just over her shoulder. As the two moved aside, the contrasting pelts of Spiderthorn and Dawnstar came into view. His eyes shifted from their figures quickly when he realized there was one more cat in the den: Flamestrike.

    "You're awake!" Mothpaw breathed. She resumed her position above him, licking his fur the wrong way.

    "Enough." Dawnstar's commanding voice caused the healer's apprentice to jump.

    "Go tend to Goosepelt and Swallowstorm," Spiderthorn suggested quietly. The healers rushed out of the den without a second glance, fur not quite flat.

    Nightchaser blinked his eyes in confusion. "Goosepelt and Swallowstorm?"

    Dawnstar's eyes narrowed. "Yes. They were on guard duty last night."

    Nightchaser's confusion only deepened. "Did something happen?" he asked.

    Dawnstar and Spiderthorn exchanged an incredulous look. The black tom rose from the moss nest he'd woken in, struggling to keep his balance, and looked about the wooden interior of his log den. Am I missing something?

    Flamestrike cleared his throat, stepping forward. "They let you leave the camp. I found you by Deathwaters completely soaked through and hardly alive enough to shiver against the cold."

    Suddenly, everything came rushing back to Nightchaser: the stormy night, his trek to Deathwaters and, lastly, his dream. His eyes widened as he remembered and Dawnstar, noticing this, stepped closer to him.

    "What were you doing at Deathwaters, truth-teller?"

    Her amber eyes bore into him and the tom quelled the urge to gulp down his guilt. She couldn't know about the true reasons behind his journey to StarClan's old sacred grounds, nor what he had seen in his dreams. They weren't what he had been looking for, but they were treasonous nevertheless. As far as he knew, DarkClan cats didn't dream.

    "I..." His voice failed him as he fell into a coughing fit. For the first time since waking up he realized how itchy his throat felt and how cold his nose was. He shivered, head feeling very heavy.

    Recovering from the fit, he looked back up at the DarkClan leader. "I honestly can't tell you. I don't remember being there at all."

    The pale tortoiseshell held his gaze for a moment longer, that strange reflection of a gold-furred cat held within her amber eyes. Nightchaser blinked and the image disappeared, leaving behind only their cold depths.

    She nodded, looking away. "Flamestrike, let Cedarheart and Mothpaw know that Nightchaser is resting. They are not to disturb him." The ginger tom dipped his head respectfully and, with one last look at his littermate, left the truth-teller's den.

    "Rest," Dawnstar said, already leaving the den. "Maybe you'll remember the events of last night more clearly then." Her voice, menacing, faded into the shadows of the log den, hardly reaching Nightchaser as the exhaustion pulled him under.

//

    The darkness was filled with streaks of white spotted with grey, a gold almost like that of the sun, blindingly bright, and of dappled browns and creams and blues, swirling together until they could not be discerned from the black. Eyes the colours of the lightest sky and the deepest of resin and of freshly sprouted leaves watched him and he held their gaze as best he could until he felt he could not keep his eyes open any longer.

    Images formed then. First, Flamekit standing atop the High Rocks, naming him Robinwatcher. Then, Hailwatcher's intelligent eyes resting on him during their first training session. Those eyes grew darker, more dreadful, until they turned amber and he found himself looking at Dawnstar, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. Her cream and blue pelt shifted into the grey pelts of Cinderpaw and Mothpaw, sitting on either side of him as they watched the stars, wondering if StarClan really did exist.

    Then, he was sitting across from Sootstar and Finchwatcher, their words echoing in his ears as the moors faded into black. Only a single figure remained: Wrenpaw, her hazel eyes wide as he unsheathed his claws and sprang at her, raising his paw to hurt her even as his mind screamed at him to stop. He closed his eyes, waiting for the stickiness of blood on his paws, but the feeling never came.

    Again, he stood on the moors, this time facing a larger tabby she-cat. Roxanne, he remembered, and wondered why this particular she-cat would be in his dreams. She paced back and forth before him, as if waiting for something to happen. A shriek sounded somewhere far away and he turned to see cats spitting and hissing, throwing themselves at each other while the prisoners, trapped far below, encouraged their rescuers.

    He raced to help, but the ground beneath his paws turned to mud, and he found himself sitting at the edge of DarkClan territory, gazing after the diminishing form of his mentor. The figure began to grow, moving and shifting until it became a golden she-cat, her fangs much too large and eyes much too bright to be real. She spread her mouth and a cackle surrounded him, growing in volume until he could hear nothing else.

    "Two moons left!" it mocked him and he suddenly stood in a forest, watching with dread as the leaves unfurled in a matter of heartbeats, time passing by much too quickly. He found himself standing in a greenleaf forest, heart pounding so heavily he could feel it in his stomach and paws.

    A squeak sounded and he looked up, eyes widening as he spotted a kit in the undergrowth. Its hazel eyes watched him with an intelligence beyond its years, the cream and blue pelt achingly familiar, yet difficult to place.

    "Nightchaser," the kit said, voice seasons older than it appeared.

    "Lightkit?" he replied, suddenly placing its figure. Then, the dream returned to him and his eyes widened. "Morningkit."

    "Nightchaser," it responded, disappearing into the undergrowth.

    Refusing to let the answers get away from him once more, he raced after it, following the trampled trail of plants through the forest.

    "Nightchaser." The trees seemed to be speaking to him, the wind whistling his name through their leaves. It came from all places at once, yet nowhere at all; perhaps it was in his mind.

    "I'm here!" he replied, coming to a halt. "I'm right here!"

    "Where exactly is that?" The question came from his own mouth, but in a voice much deeper than his own.

    Where am I? he thought. He felt completely lost, turning in circles until the overwhelming sense of anxiety washed over him and his breathing became shallow and wheezy. The trees looked unfamiliar, the leaves much too dark, the night sky above cloudless yet starless at the same time.

    "You're lost," said that same deep voice and he felt the words reverberate throughout his entire body.

    You're lost, you're lost, you're lost...
   
    He woke with a strangled cry, opening his eyes to the darkness of his log den. The moss beneath him was wet with his sweat, the walls beside his nest marked with fresh scores. Gazing down at his paws, he found them bloody for tearing at the wood.

    "Nightchaser?" The tom started at the voice, hitting the wall behind him. Shaking, he looked up to see Wrenpaw standing in the entrance of his den.

    "Wrenpaw," he breathed as she rushed to his side, pressing her warm tabby fur against his. His shivers subsided, breathing slowly deepening as the she-cat ran her tongue over the fur on his back, forcing it to lie flat.

    "You've been so distant lately," she said quietly, licking his ear and cheek.

    "I don't want Dawnstar to be suspicious," Nightchaser said quietly. "If she did anything to hurt you, or Cinderblossom, or Mothpaw..."

    "I know," Wrenpaw replied, pressing her nose to his. "And I understand that you're just trying to keep us safe. But you can't do this on your own."

    When he met her copper eyes he found he could not hold her gaze. The feeling of being lost returned to him, holding him prisoner even as his thoughts scrambled to escape his cage.

    "Two moons left," he whispered. "We need to get out of here before greenleaf begins."

    But how? Was he looking for answers in the wrong places?

    "We'll figure something out," Wrenpaw promised, seeing his consternation. "Those who do not believe in DarkClan's ways are growing in number and we will find a way to put this terrible past behind us."

    He breathed in her sweet scent, feeling his heartbeat calm. "But there's so little time."

    "We just need to pick a time and have everyone ready by then," she replied, twisting her tail through his. "Like Heatherfur with her rebellion."

    Nightchaser blinked at Wrenpaw's suggestion. "Using their own history against them?"

    The tabby and white she-cat nodded. "Why not? They're so focussed on revering Heatherfur that they would be blind to being attacked in a similar manner."

    "Of course! An eclipse brought about the rise of DarkClan; it is the darkest of nights that will bring its end." He gave the apprentice an energetic lick on the cheek, purring. "How did I not see this before?"

    Wrenpaw purred in return as Nightchaser rubbed his head against her own. "Sometimes it's hard to see what's right in front of you."

    He pulled away from her, meeting her affectionate copper gaze. "Sometimes, but not always." He pushed his nose into the comfort of her chest.

    "Or maybe you're just a mouse-brained furball."

    Nightchaser couldn't help the deep purr that rumbled up in his chest, or refrain from swatting the younger she-cat across the ear. Her purrs of happiness made him wish every day could be spent in her company, just like this.

    Soon, very soon, perhaps they would be.

    //

    "Webkit and Crowkit, step forward."

    Nightchaser straightened his back as the two kits entered the centre of the camp, Webkit glancing at him from time to time. From atop the Speaking Rock, from which he had just finished telling the story of Viperstrike, the truth-teller could see that both kits were shaking – from fear or excitement, he could not tell.

    "Webkit, from this moment on you will be known as Webpaw. You are quick to action, always full of energy and ready for a fight, and it is my hope that your mentor, Thistleshade, will be able to harness these qualities and teach you those of stealth and patience in order to make you a great warrior."

    Dawnstar nodded towards the dark grey she-cat, who stood on the fringes of the crowd. Recently having returned to the warrior den from the nursery, as Rainkit and Reedkit were old enough to be weaned, Thistleshade did not seem like her regular self. At least she could sleep next to Oakshade once more, Nightchaser thought grimly.

    "Crowkit, you are quiet but strong. The strong and silent type, perhaps. You will now be known as Crowpaw. Jaystrike, you will be his mentor. Ensure that his fighting and hunting skills become well developed, and his silence is used to his advantage. "

    The grey tom stepped forward to meet his new apprentice, and Crowpaw gazed up at him with fearful eyes. Nightchaser watched in apprehension, hoping his suggestions for mentors for the two kits would satisfy Dawnstar without bringing attention to his ulterior motives. He had been eyeing both of these warriors as potential rebels against DarkClan, and he hoped they would pass that on to their apprentices.

    "Clan dismissed." Dawnstar left the rock immediately, as if she could not stand being next to Nightchaser for a moment longer. The black tom remained, watching the Clan disperse. Since Wrenpaw's visit a half moon earlier, he had taken extra care to watch those in the Clan he believed would take his side in a rebellion. Thistleshade and Jaystrike were among the top candidates, as were Swallowstorm, Oakshade, Sprucetail, and Snailwhisker.

    Bramblepaw and Wrenpaw he knew he could rely on, as well as Cinderblossom. Cherrypool remained a wild card, as she reminded him too much of Deerfrost. Mothpaw and Cedarheart, he believed, would not betray him. Birchfrost, now that Webpaw and Crowpaw were apprentices, would likely join the cause to protect her kits from potential death or demoted statuses within DarkClan. Goosepelt was a cat Nightchaser believed he could trust with his life; Lionmask, however, he continued to be uneasy about.

    All that remained was to set a date, as Wrenpaw had suggested, and round up these cats so that they could launch an attack on DarkClan.

    "Nightchaser, would you mind joining my patrol?" The truth-teller glanced down to see Sprucetail waving her tail at him.

    His demeanour brightened. "Of course." He truly enjoyed hunting with the talented she-cat not only for the tips she shared with him but for her level personality and willingness to listen to his stories.

    "It's just you and me today," Sprucetail whispered as they headed out and something pricked at Nightchaser as he followed, but he continued on all the same. They arrived in the forest soon after and, to his surprise, the she-cat led him to RockClan's old camp. The log he had walked during the first moon of his apprenticeship to Hailwatcher seemed much easier to balance atop of now that he was larger, and even his bandaged claws did not bother him as he slid down the trunk.

    "There's not usually much prey here," he commented as he perked his ears to better hear the sounds of scurrying prey.

    Sprucetail shook her head. "That's not why I brought you here."

    He tensed despite his trust in the she-cat.

    "I brought you here to give you a message," she explained hastily, noticing his stance. "You don't really believe I'd hurt you, or turn you in, do you?"

    Nightchaser's hesitation made her narrow her eyes. "How do I know you won't turn me in?"

    The truth-teller shook the thoughts out of his head. "No one's turning anyone in. What is said between you and I in this gorge will not be repeated again."

    Sprucetail watched him for a moment longer before relaxing. "I ran into a rogue she-cat the other day. She told me she had met a black tom with white-rimmed eyes on our territory before and that she had a message for him."

    Nightchaser hid his surprise, nodding for the warrior to continue. "She said that she had gathered enough forces to help the prisoners escape and that, this time, with some inside help, they would be able to free the prisoners and any cats who wished to escape. With the combined numbers, we might even be able to defeat DarkClan."

    This time, the truth-teller did not hide his excitement or delight at the news. Only one question remained.

    "We?"

    Sprucetail blinked in confusion before realizing what he meant. "Yes, of course. You don't think I would stay in DarkClan of my own free will, would you?"

    Nightchaser shook his head. "I didn't believe so, but I needed to make sure. When is Roxanne planning to attack?"

    "On the night of the new moon, just over a moon from now."

    The tom felt his heart thump in his chest. That was just before Heatherfur's deadline.

    "Do you know others who would help?" Nightchaser asked. Sprucetail nodded enthusiastically, her claws sliding out of their sheathes at the prospect.

    "I will do everything in my power to help bring DarkClan down," she replied, venom tinting her words. "Too long have I watched my littermate, her mate, and her kits suffer."

    Her excitement and lust for blood was so intense that Nightchaser found the emotions rising within his own chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Already, he felt triumphant, and they had not even begun.

    "On the night of the new moon, then," he said, lashing his tail. "DarkClan will be brought down on the darkest of nights."

// Fun fact: 27 is my favourite number! Probably because it's the day of my birthday.

I decided to post this chapter early because of the Easter long weekend. I'm going to be SUPER busy the next couple of days, so here's the next chapter, hot off the press, so that I don't forget to update on Sunday. Happy Easter (: