There was nothing to do but send a prisoner to their death. The possibility of the rebel plans being spilt as the prisoner plead for their life sent Nightchaser into a frenzy, pacing in front of the prisoner cave for most of the night, a curious Goosepelt watching him. Which of the prisoners would be able to hold their tongue? Would any of them?

As dawn's light creeped into the darkness all around, the truth-teller suddenly stopped.

"What are the chances of catching a trespassing cat by dusk?" he asked Goosepelt.

The guardian, weary, lifted his head from his grey and white paws. "Fairly low. Why?"

Nightchaser cursed under his breath. "Because I can't risk the attack going to waste."

Goosepelt got to his paws, shaking the early morning dew from his fur. "If you had enough guardians searching, I'm sure we could find one. I'll start now, if you'd like?"

The black tom shook his head. "I can't ask that of you. You've been out here guarding the prisoners all night."

The guardian stretched, then padded past him in the direction of the SeaClan cliffs. "This is my future in jeopardy too, you know."

Nightchaser watched him go, gratitude filling his heart. Without Goosepelt, without Birchfrost, without Sprucetail, none of this would have been possible. His faithful guardians had kept his secrets closely guarded.

"Where's Goosepelt?"

The bossy tone of voice could belong to none other than Smoketalon and, upon turning to its source, Nightchaser found himself face to face with the grey guardian. This was one cat he definitely couldn't trust.

"I sent him off on an errand," Nightchaser replied lightly. "I knew you would be coming to take his place soon."

Smoketalon scowled, but did not respond, instead settling down by the grate. With some satisfaction, Nightchaser noticed the long scar across his shoulder and chest and the nick in his ear. Wrenpaw certainly hadn't let the tom off easy.

Upon his return to the camp, he sent both Birchfrost and Sprucetail off in search of loners and rogues, hoping against hope that the three guardians would somehow manage to catch a new prisoner that would know nothing about the attack – and, therefore, would be unable to give them away. Jaystrike, noticing their exchange, offered to join the patrol and as they left they looked for all the world like a regular hunting patrol.

"I see you're stealing my position," came a deep voice from behind the truth-teller and the tom whipped around to see a nearly identical cat staring back at him. Questions bubbled up in his throat as he faced his father, so many more than before now that he knew of his mother.

"I apologize," he said, dipping his head to the deputy and forcing the questions away. "I was just hoping to ease your load."

Spiderthorn looked skeptical, but did not comment. "Can I do anything to help you with your own?"

The truth-teller's mind clouded with doubt. Did his father know? Had Dawnstar shared her suspicions with her deputy, and the events that had transpired in her den the previous day?

"I've just noticed you're often lost in thought lately," the deputy added. "Is there anything that would ease your mind?"

There were many things, but Nightchaser shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I've just got a lot to watch out for."

Watch your back, Flamestrike's voice reminded him.

The tension between father and son disappeared instantly when Mothpaw came running up, short on breath.

"Spiderthorn, Nightchaser. Dawnstar wants you in the healer's den," she panted. "Crowpaw's woken up."

The two black toms exchanged an incredulous look and took off in the direction of the healer's den. Dawnstar sat waiting, speaking with Crowpaw in a gentle tone Nightchaser had never heard from her.

"I... I remember the fox lunging and Nightchaser dodging just in time, while I was not quick enough," Crowpaw was saying. "Everything else is a blur or completely dark."

Dawnstar nodded, brushing her tail soothingly over the apprentice's ears. "It's alright. We're glad you're safe now. Jaystrike will be very excited to know you're awake."

"And Nightchaser?" Crowpaw asked, eyes wide. "And Pebblefur and Lionmask?"

The truth-teller stepped forward. "Pebblefur was killed by the fox and Lionmask sacrificed himself to save us."

The look of dismay on the apprentice's face made Nightchaser's heart ache. But there was nothing they could do to bring back the dead, or to change the past. Again, thoughts of his mother filled his mind but he quickly pushed them away.

"Let Mothpaw know that she will be rewarded for her care of you," Dawnstar said, rising to her paws.

Crowpaw blinked. "What about Cedarheart?"

"Cedarheart has taught Mothpaw well," Dawnstar replied vaguely. She left without another word, Spiderthorn nodding in farewell and following her.

"Only another quarter moon," Nightchaser assured the small apprentice, who looked as if he might faint. "Then we, and Cedarheart too, will be free of them all."

Crowpaw nodded dazedly, as if in a dream. In truth, Nightchaser felt like they were all in a dream – and a dark one at that – just waiting to wake up. If this plan failed, would any of them ever see the light of day again?

No, he thought. Dawnstar will make sure we never see morning again.

//

Just before dusk, Sprucetail and Birchfrost dragged in a struggling captive. As promised, Dawnstar executed the prisoner as they pleaded for their life and Nightchaser watched unflinchingly, knowing she would be watching his reaction. The weight on his heart was heavy, knowing he had condemned an innocent to this fate, but it was better than putting an entire group of cats on death row.

"Treachery and deceit are in the air!" Dawnstar proclaimed. "Let this be a reminder to those of you who have lost their way that darkness will always come back to claim you." She spat upon the dead body, narrowed eyes surveying the camp.

"Lie low," Nightchaser whispered to the rebels as he passed them on the way to his den. "A quarter moon left."

They had to appear as if nothing was out of the ordinary, passing each day with hunting, training and patrols as they usually would. Only Jaystrike was allowed any sort of energy, attributing his excitement to the return of his apprentice. Crowpaw, after another two days of rest in the healer's den, was cleared to return to training. His muscles were sore, and his headaches frequent, but he would be able to join the rebels in their escape on the night of the new moon.

The guardians took his advice to lie low, never once asking him about the attack. Sprucetail joined as many hunting patrols as possible, playing the ever-faithful warrior; Goosepelt returned to his guarding post at the prisoner cave, spending his nights staring up at the sky; Birchfrost offered to lead border patrols, rarely speaking to the other rebels.

Thistleshade and Oakshade stayed away from each other, the difficulty of being apart evident to Nightchaser only upon close inspection. Swallowstorm and Snailwhisker played their parts as warriors, following each of Spiderthorn's commands obediently. Bramblepaw and Wrenpaw, preoccupied with warrior training as their assessments drew near, hardly had time to sleep, let alone betray the rebels. Webpaw and Cinderblossom focused on their daily tasks.

Unlike the other rebels, Nightchaser found himself thinking over every single move he made. Any time he left the camp with a hunting or border patrol, he wondered if Dawnstar or Spiderthorn were scrutinizing him, the cats he chose to patrol with, and what treacherous activities they might get up to outside of the camp. Even visiting the nursery made Nightchaser's fur rise as he wondered if this action, too, would make him appear guilty.

"You're overthinking it," Cinderblossom said when he mentioned his paranoia. "But I feel it too. I know it's not easy, but just remain calm. Only five more sunsets." She wrapped her tail around her slowly swelling belly as she spoke, the evidence of her pregnancy not quite yet visible to the outward eye.

Nightchaser passed the next three days with the kits, telling them as many stories as possible. Lightkit, in particular, enjoyed all of the attention and Stormkit and Reedkit were slowly beginning to enjoy their time with the truth-teller as well.

Nightchaser did his best to tell the kits the stories they loved most – tales of Acornstar and Viperstrike and Nettleflight – but he found his memory lapsed whenever his eyes met Lightkit's, the figure of Morningkit suddenly clear before him. It was enough to make him stutter, but he continued on with his story-telling as if nothing were out of the ordinary. He had not told anyone else of his discovery, not even Cinderblossom.

Visions of his mother were not the only distractions. During the story-telling, Beetlekit would lead Yewkit and Rainkit into attacks against Nightchaser, interrupting his stories halfway through and resulting in a scuffle between Beetlekit and Lightkit, who argued incessantly.

"Just let him tell the story!" Lightkit screeched as she barrelled into the larger black kit.

"Why can't we play and tell stories?" replied Beetlekit, bringing a heavy paw down on the blue and cream she-kit's ear. "It would be much better than just sitting around."

A flash of two kits – one ginger and one black – passed through Nightchaser's mind as he watched the kits fight.

"Well..." The kits broke apart in an instant, looking expectantly at the truth-teller. "I think you know some of the stories well enough. Why don't we re-enact them?"

This brought all of the kits to their paws, excited squeals filling the air.

That dusk, the entire Clan watched as the kits, placed in strategic positions atop the High Rocks by Nightchaser, reenacted the story of Heatherfur's rebellion. Stormkit filled the role of Sootstar, smoky pelt fluffed up in fear as Yewkit and Beetlekit attacked him and Rainkit, who was playing a dual role of Finchwatcher and Robinfang.

The final scene, in which Reedkit, Rainkit, and Lightkit – Rushclaw, Robinfang, and Heatherfur, respectively – threw themselves upon Stormkit elicited gasps from the spectators. The kits bowed proudly to their audience, congratulating each other on their reenactment.

From across the camp, Nightchaser caught the eye of Flamestrike, whose jaw twisted up in a half-smile as the kits jumped down from the High Rocks. Not far off, Cinderblossom watched their exchange, amusement playing on her own face.

"That was quite the spectacle." Nightchaser turned to see Wrenpaw and Bramblepaw approaching him.

"The kits were tired of hearing stories, so I let them tell one themselves," Nightchaser replied with a shrug. Though the idea would have never come to him had Beetlekit and Lightkit not started fighting, he had to admit he quite enjoyed sitting back and hearing someone else's story-telling again. With a pang, he realized he missed Hailwatcher.

Watching the kits' retelling also brought to his mind images of a future Clan, one where the kits listened to stories of DarkClan's fall and put themselves in the roles of the rebels, one kit or other complaining as they were forced to take on the role of the evil Dawnstar. The rest of the Clan would watch, resting after a long day of hard work, purring and sharing to tongues, sitting near their family and friends and never afraid of showing too much love – or even the smallest hint of it.

"Also distracts from the treachery in the air, don't you think?"

Brought out of his imaginings, the truth-teller nodded, not having realized his set-up would draw attention away from him and the rebels. Since hearing about his mother, his thoughts had revolved around little else than her fate – outside of worries about the rebels, and the attack, and their own future. Having the kits – the youngest, most vulnerable of the Clan – still believing in DarkClan's laws would surely throw Dawnstar off of any evidence she'd had.

"It's almost time," Nightchaser replied. "To give ourselves away now would be completely mouse-brained."

"Anything to cover our tracks," Wrenpaw agreed and, beside her, Bramblepaw nodded. The she-cat's copper eyes sparkled with excitement and the light way she carried herself made her appear to shine with happiness. Nightchaser purred to himself, imagining seeing Wrenpaw like this all the time.

Those pleasant thoughts, too, were taken from him when Dawnstar's voice suddenly rang out across the camp.

"DarkClan, gather around!" she called. "I have an announcement to make."

Turning, Nightchaser's eyes immediately met with amber, an almost triumphant light shining out of them.

"It has come to my attention that we have a few amongst us who need to be sent away," she began and the fur on the tom's back rose. In his peripherals, he saw Wrenpaw's bright demeanour vanish and Cinderblossom's eyes go round. A couple others around the camp shifted nervously and the truth-teller realized this was Dawnstar's way of rooting out the rebels.

"Oakshade, Pigeonfang, and Skunknose tell me that three of our apprentices are ready to take on their warrior assessments," the cream and blue she-cat continued. "Which is why I will now ask Bramblepaw, Shadepaw, and Wrenpaw to step forward."

The frantic beating of Nightchaser's heart had now taken a new turn and he watched, struggling to keep his fur down, as the three apprentices stepped forward. Shadepaw was as impassive as always and Bramblepaw hid, very poorly, a mixture of excitement and anticipation. Wrenpaw, however, shook visibly and, when their eyes met, Nightchaser knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Your warrior assessment begins now," Dawnstar cried. "Remember that, over the next three days, you are only allowed drink and absolutely no prey. Anything you catch – prey or prisoner – must be returned to the Clan three sunsets from now."

Wrenpaw's eyes had never left him and the tom gave her the most imperceptible of nods, urging her on. Shadepaw and Bramblepaw had already started out of the camp and, finally, at some encouragement from Pigeonfang, her mentor, the tabby she-cat followed. Her pawsteps were unsure, and her body shook, but she did not look back as she left the camp behind.

Nightchaser felt the despair in his stomach grow as the three apprentices disappeared. Glancing up at the sky, where the faintest outline of the moon could be seen, he saw only the tiniest sliver, the new moon only two nights away.

And Bramblepaw and Wrenpaw would be returning a sunset too late.

// Will Nightchaser still go through with the attack, even if it means leaving Wrenpaw and Bramblepaw behind? Events are certainly heating up as we get closer and closer to the new moon!

I'd also like to thank everyone, once again, for continuing to read, like, and comment on this story. It's also been added to more reading lists than I could have ever dreamed of (a lot of them with "well-written" or "amazing" in their titles) so thank you, thank you, thank you very much.