A/N: Hey guys. Thank you for all your supportive messages. I think you're all right; I WILL continue this book but there is no guarantee that I'll be able to finish it (although I'll try my best. Let's hope I do!!) . . . If it wasn't for the support I don't think I'd even WANT to continue. I really don't deserve such readers who are so good to me! I'm very grateful for you all. And now after a long, long wait, it's about time to give this book another try.

P.S, I re-re-edited the entirety of Icetail's Enemy and what I've written so far for The New Course, so a lot of name mistakes were eliminated, as well as grammar errors and things that simply didn't make sense. I'm pretty sure that the book is 90% mistake-proof now, but since we all know I'm infamous for making silly writing mistakes, there's probably still remnants of those left. But ahh who cares, you guys always fix those mistakes for me~

Now here's a long chapter for a good come back! ;)

The moon glinted off tips of the long blades of grass as Icestar frantically shoved his way through, creating a path for him and Flameheart. Their paws beat hard against the ground, five others behind them in close pursuit. His mind whirled with thoughts of what to do.

If I take them to MoonClan, we'll be able to beat them off with our ranks! he thought. They were approaching his territory fast, and he had to decide quickly where he would lead Flameheart to escape. No, no, I can't let them know where the camp is. If these cats find out about me, then they'll want to come back to kill me and hurt the Clan! He remembered their threats about being from a larger group, and didn't want to risk the chance of not believing their taunts.

Frustrated, he aimlessly pelted through the grass in no particular direction, pushing his paws and legs to go faster. His chest ached from the sudden rush of adrenaline, and his heart beat madly from a sense of danger he'd forgotten since the fall of DarkClan. The grass was becoming harder and harder to push through as he ran.

"They're gaining on us!" Flameheart breathlessly yowled, his frantic eyes meeting with Icestar's.

Their exchange didn't last long, for one of the rogues had leaped right in between the two with outstretched claws and barred fangs. It was the younger she-cat amongst them. She turned to Icestar and bowled into him without warning, tackling him to the ground before he could react. Icestar took no time to hesitate and immediately started kicking. His eyes were turned to the dirt; he couldn't see a thing, but he felt that the she-cat was light. Her build and weight felt a lot like Amberwind's—small and lean, but swift like a moor cat. He hissed at her as she tried raking his claws at him, but she missed every blow, giving him an opportunity to push her off with one final kick. With a gasp of surprise, she tumbled off his body and he scrambled onto his paws. Another rogue tackled right into his direction the moment he stood up, but he was more prepared this time and rolled out of the way in a swift motion.

His eyes found Flameheart ahead of him, running away from three other rogues who were in close pursuit of him. Icestar didn't hesitate for another second and pelted from his spot in the direction of his friend. The other two rogues, recovering onto their paws, broke into a run after him.

The adrenaline pumping through Icestar's blood was so intense that his thoughts became a blur. His body took over instinctually, pushing to get towards Flameheart and then to safety. The she-cat rogue behind him was so close now that he could practically feel her breath on his tail, but he didn't let that faze him and focused on regrouping with his friend to save him from trouble.

Unlike Icestar, Flameheart only had one life. There was a chance that he wouldn't be returning to the camp tonight if they didn't find a solution, and fast!

The three rogues behind Flameheart were gaining on him. The rusty orange tom obviously seemed tired, losing his energy fast. He pelted as quick as he could, but Icestar could see that his tail was drooping and his mouth was wide open, gasping for air. A second later, he came crashing down to the ground, tripping over his own paws. One of the three rogues jumped on top of him and the other two stood on either side of him as if creating a barrier around his struggling body. Icestar's heart tightened—he was so far away and the three rogues had their teeth barred and claws outstretched, ready to kill.

Flameheart!

But Icestar didn't seem to speed up. Time felt slow as he frantically raced to get to his best friend. I won't reach him in time to save him! he thought desperately.

And just like that, a shadow leaped out from the tall surrounding grass. A cat tumbled onto Flameheart's attacker and ripped him off the MoonClan cat's body, sending him rolling to the side. Two other cats leaped out of the grass and tackled the other two rogues before they could react, engaging in battle almost immediately. The tension in Icestar's heart didn't release until he saw who their saviors were—CloudClan cats! He skidded to a halt, astonished at their impeccable timing.

Among the other two CloudClan warriors was Grassheart, who was fiercely clawing at the rogue leader's face as he held him down with his weight. Flameheart, looking just as stunned as Icestar felt, gazed toward the MoonClan leader's direction. His eyes widened. "Icestar, look out!"

Icestar gasped as a weight crushed him from the top of his spine. "Oof!"

"You won't get away this time!" the rogue she-cat snarled fiercely as she raked her claws along his neck.

He hissed in pain and thrashed forward, sending her flying in front of him. Flameheart dashed to his side and pinned down the tom behind him angrily.

"Well, well, look who's willing to fight now!" shouted Jinx as Flameheart threw a blow at his ears. "I didn't like you the moment I laid eyes on you!"

"I didn't like you the moment you opened your dirty little mouth," hissed Flameheart in response. Icestar knew he was talking about when they first saw him in the forest during Amberwind's warrior assessment. "We didn't want a fight, but you asked for it!"

Icestar tore his attention away from them as they started landing attacks on one another and looked to the she-cat ahead of him, who was already back on her paws and waiting to strike again. This time, instead of leaping directly on him, her eyes were narrowed to slits as she watched him intensely. Her fur was bristled and she was in a fighting stance.

He returned her gaze and flattened his ears in response to her hostility.

So far, he collected that these rogues were not battle-trained like Clan cats, but they did know how to fight, likely due to the same reasons why the Clan cats fought. He couldn't help but wonder what their forests were like and how they actually knew about the prophecy as well. It was all a mystery to him, including on how they found the Clan territories in the first place, and why they acted so violently. He observed her figure carefully, knowing that her fighting him would be futile. After all, he was much bigger, stronger, and more experienced than she was when it came to battle. He could tell that she knew it from the scars on his pelt. Despite her hostility, she seemed like a frightened kit putting up a front!

"Call off your friends," he said at last, making her jump with surprise, as if she was expecting an attack.

For a second she was about to spout back a response, but she bit her tongue and instead tilted her head. "And why would I do that?"

"If you value your life I would suggest calling them off," he threatened, stretching out his claws. Icestar knew that the rogues no longer had the advantage. He took a warning step forward, and she took a step back in response.

Her eyes flicked across his body, observing the scars and experience that spread across his fur before gulping. He felt bad for being so intimidating to a cat that could be as young as an apprentice, but he had no choice but to use any means possible to protect his Clanmate—and now the CloudClan cats, too, who were risking their lives for the sake of Icestar and Flameheart. He didn't want any cat to die today, no Clan cat nor rogue, for it would surely stir up trouble.

He took another step closer to the she-cat, his fur bristling to make him seem larger and more threatening. "Well? Are you going to call them off?"

Her eyes were round with fear as she stared at him. "A-alright, fine! But don't regret letting us go. Rowan!" She turned to her leader, who was still locked in battle with Grassheart. "Rowan, let's leave now while we still have a chance!"

Rowan broke free from Grassheart and took a few steps back, panting heavily. He turned to the young she-cat, his gaze sharp and questioning. "Why would you say—"

His words were cut short when he caught sight of the situation. Both sides of the fight were evenly matched, but the Clan cats were obviously winning. Flameheart had Jinx pinned down, and the two other CloudClan warriors had the advantage between their own fights. Even the she-cat was in a tough situation—she was no match for her opponent and it would cost her life if they wanted to carry out this fight.

He'll surely have to call off the fight! Icestar thought with hope.

Icestar and Rowan met gazes, staring intently and threateningly at one another. Both were leaders, or at least, Icestar assumed he was a leader. This meant that both cats had to make tough decisions in these situations. If Rowan cared anything for his comrades, then he would call off the fight.

Just what kind of rogues are they? Icestar wondered, anxiously waiting for Rowan's answer.

Finally, their leader took a deep breath and called out: "Forest cats, we're leaving!" The fighting immediately stopped, and his companions looked up to him with shock. "We'll let you have it tonight, Clan cats. But know this—the next time we cross paths again, blood will be shed."

"Don't cross into our territory next time!" Grassheart shot back in response.

Rowan sneered at him and started stalking away. The young she-cat slipped past Icestar and pelted by her leader's side, followed by Jinx, who was reluctantly let go by Flameheart, and the two other rogues who stalked towards the back of the group. Icestar watched them all go until they disappeared from their line of vision in the distance, and the tension in his body loosened, letting in both the exhaustion and fear that he'd pushed away.

He let out a deep breath of relief and felt his legs shake. His paws almost gave out until he felt another cat immediately by his side for support—Grassheart.

"It looks like the two of you are much too exhausted to travel back to the forest in these conditions, Icestar," he meowed knowingly, his eyes flicking in between the two MoonClan cats. "You should stay the night in CloudClan. It's the least we can do for you."

Icestar purred as he steadied himself on his paws. "Thank you for the offer, but . . ."

He stopped short from his speech when he saw the two other CloudClan warriors approaching from behind Grassheart. He recognized Smallfeather—one of the cats who opposed the friendship between MoonClan and CloudClan—and Galestorm, an older she-cat warrior that he recognized from occasional gatherings. He dipped his head to them gratefully, but he could practically feel the fumes coming off of Smallfeather.

"This isn't right, Grassheart! We can't keep risking our lives for MoonClan, you know!" the little calico she-cat snapped.

Grassheart didn't turn his gaze away from Icestar. "You know it is the will of StarClan for us to be allies."

"Was it the will of StarClan for my mother to die?" Her voice came out as a hiss, making Icestar feel uneasy. He didn't intend for the night to be used to cause trouble, but he could tell that this she-cat didn't hate MoonClan without reason. Something in him wanted to apologize to her, but another part knew that it would be best to simply remain silent in this situation.  He'd already stirred up trouble with the rogues, and he did not want to start having trouble with their closest ally.

And plus, he thought to himself, she reminds me a lot of myself when I was around that age . . .

Her anger was evident by her conduct and the way she stood, paws spread apart as if always feeling threatened, body tense and head bent down in frustration. He knew that her mind was wrapped around herself and her griefs, fresh with pain and sorrow and anger. To feel this way must be the result of losing a loved one in an unexpected, unforgiving way. Like Featherbreeze, Softpelt, Sparrowheart, Vinetail, Brighstar, Dewstar . . . and countless other cats who had died twisting up their fates in the prophecy of darkness. All cats who had left Icestar's life tragically, those he missed every single day and night, became not a source of anger for him, but a source of strength to serve the Clan wholeheartedly. And somehow, in that way, Smallfeather's uncanny resemblance to Icestar's younger self moved his heart with pity.

He dipped his head to her. "I'm sorry about the loss of your mother. Despite this, thank you for helping Flameheart and I with fighting off the rogues. We wouldn't have escaped without your help."

For a moment her eyes widened, and then her ears flattened with embarrassment. "Save your breath! If StarClan never sent that stupid dream to Swiftstar, we wouldn't have helped you in the first place. Plus, you're on our territory! We weren't helping you, we were chasing off the rogues!"

Is she talking about the Battle? he wondered, remembering Swiftstar's story on why CloudClan had joined MoonClan's fight against DarkClan. Her rudeness did not affect him at all, but her words made him more curious.

Grassheart stepped in front of the young warrior with disapproval. "I'm sorry about her, Icestar. She really doesn't mean it."

"I meant every word," she hissed, padding around Grassheart to come face-to-face with Icestar. "Why did you even make me come on this stupid patrol? MoonClan doesn't deserve our help anymore. It looks like they're doing just fine in the forest, so why don't you just—"

Galestorm cleared her throat with disapproval and stepped in front of the young warrior once more. "Enough, Smallfeather!"

This made her silent.

Galestorm looked up to Icestar apologetically. "I'm sorry about her. Smallfeather just doesn't know when to grow up."

He heard a snort of annoyance come from behind Galestorm, and Flameheart let out a mrrow of laughter. Icestar couldn't share the same joy. He knew what it felt like to be teased when you just wanted to be understood. He sighed and looked up at Galestorm and Grassheart with tired eyes. "It's no issue. Thank you again for saving us when you did, though. Despite Smallfeather being so opposed to us, she fought bravely. I am impressed beyond words."

For a second, there was silence, before a loud, "Humph!" from Smallfeather came as a response.

Galestorm sighed as Grassheart's whiskers twitched with amusement. He stepped up closer to Icestar and Flameheart, eyes bright under the moonlight. "Well anyways, it's late. I really want you to come back with me to CloudClan to stay the night; we're only a short ways away from the camp. There you can eat and rest up and tell Swiftstar about your encounter with the rogues. We only knew you were here because one of our warriors on the night watch saw the grass shifting closer and closer to our campsite. We had a feeling that it could be the rogues. If we don't return soon, they'll send more cats after us."

Icestar thought about it for a moment. If he didn't return to his own camp tonight, he knew his Clanmates would be worried in the morning to find their leader and Flameheart gone. But he shouldn't ignore Swiftstar's wishes to talk especially after his warriors had saved the MoonClan cats from a close death, twice now, if counting the battle that happened no less than three moons ago. I have to make sure to return at first light if I want to spend the night at CloudClan, he thought, weighing the decisions carefully in his mind. He was tired, and he was hungry. The mere thought of trekking all the way back to MoonClan made his stomach turn and paws feel heavier.

I suppose one night away from the camp wouldn't hurt, he thought, exchanging a knowing glance with Flameheart. His friend seemed to be thinking the same thing. They nodded to each other and Icestar turned back to Grassheart.

"Thank you for your kindness, Grassheart," he meowed at last with with a purr. "We'll gladly accept your offer."

* * *

"I'm happy we were able to help you, Icestar," meowed the CloudClan leader with a dip of his head. "You're a precious friend of the Clan. Countless times before, you had also helped us."

Icestar smiled. "Nonsense. We help each other. Thank you for risking to save us, by the way."

"You would do it for us in a heartbeat," Grassheart said with confidence.

Flameheart purred at the kindness of the CloudClan warriors, and Icestar dipped his head in return to the three, including Echoleaf, CloudClan's deputy.

When they had entered the camp earlier, most cats were already awake since they had heard the news of rogues invading the territory. The Clan watched the patrol wearily upon seeing MoonClan cats, and as usual, the younger ones, including apprentices and kits, seemed stirred up and excited. The warriors, however, muttered silently to one another, making Icestar feel self-conscious and ambushed to be in the heart of a camp that wasn't his. It's only natural for the Clan to act so guarded around him, though. They'd suffered greatly from the losses of the Dark Battle, too, and nobody but a few cats like Smallfeather and her friends seemed to actually voice their opinions about it and the closeness of their Clan to MoonClan.

I have to show them that there's nothing to be afraid about, he thought as he stared at Swiftstar's face. The last thing I should do now is cause trouble!

"So now that you're settled in, I'd like for you to tell me more about the rogues," the CloudClan leader said, laying down on his nest.

Icestar felt the burning gazes of the whole Clan on his back. He learned that everyone slept outside, rarely in their own dens. He wished that he was back in the privacy of the Moonrock. He cleared his throat nervously before speaking. "Well, Flameheart and I wanted to learn some things about the rogues in case they actually posed a threat. So we tracked down their camp and—"

"So do they?" Echoleaf interjected. "Pose a threat, I mean?"

Icestar thought of what to say, but his words felt jumbled up due to the pressure of the Clan. He knew that he was far enough from them so that they wouldn't be able to pick up on his conversation, but he still wished that they were somewhere private to talk.

Flameheart seemed notice this and cleared his throat. "They seem to be. They're not here to steal our prey or steal our territory," he informed, observing the puzzled faces of the CloudClan cats. "So far we've run into six rogues—one's being held prisoner in our territory, and the other five sleep just beyond the outskirts of our two territories. We thought that we could discover who they really were, but . . ."

"Evidently, they caught you," Swiftstar finished with a nod. "Have you figured out their purpose?"

Flameheart opened his mouth again but no words came out. He shared a glance with Icestar, and the MoonClan leader in turn looked away and back to Swiftstar, Echoleaf, and Grassheart.

"We're still trying to figure that out," Icestar said at last.

They can't know about the prophecy, he thought to himself. I can't tell anyone that they're here to find me!

Echoleaf looked between the two with suspicion. "Are you sure about that?"

Flameheart nodded quickly. "We're sure."

"So if they're not here for prey, territory, or anything like that, what could they be here for?" she wondered out loud. "There's nothing much to gain from approaching the Clans with a small group of rogues."

"And that leads to another thing," Icestar said quickly, glad to be off the previous topic. "We don't believe they're a small group. All the rogues we've encountered so far call themselves the Forest Cats, as if they come from a group that is bigger than we know."

"What?" hissed Swiftstar. "How can you be sure of this?"

"We're not," the MoonClan leader murmured, already forgetting the staring eyes of the CloudClan cats. "But I'm sure of one thing: they won't leave us until they get what they want."

* * *

"It's scary to think that the Clans are still being threatened, even after the defeat of DarkClan," murmured Grassheart as the two silently padded away from the leader's nest. "It's like it never ends, you know?"

Flameheart shuddered. "It's like the Clans aren't ready to find peace yet."

"Nonsense," Icestar whispered. It's my fault they're here, it's always my fault, he thought sadly as they took a piece of prey from the fresh-kill pile: a rabbit to share among the three of them. They're here to find me. Because of the prophecy. This isn't fair! I thought this was all over . . .

Flameheart nudged his side. "Are you okay, Icestar? Why don't you take the first bite?"

Icestar snapped out of his thoughts to meet his friend's concerned gaze. He mustered out a purr. "I'm fine. I'd rather Grassheart take the first bite. He deserves it, for his help and all."

Grassheart licked his chest with embarrassment. "I was only doing what any of you would do. But thank you." He bend down and took a piece of the rabbit's leg, motioning for the other two to start eating their share as well.

The three cats worked on their prey for a little while, before Flameheart let out a long and obvious yawn. "I'm beat."

"The apprentices laid out some nests for the two of you by the warriors," Grassheart said, pointing his nose to one end of the camp. Icestar turned to look at it and observed. He wasn't used to seeing so many cats laying outside in the clearing at once. It looked like they were a bunch of fish, if anything, caught by the cats of StreamClan and laid out in the sun to dry. Except the sight was much warmer and comforting than the peculiarity of it all.

Flameheart's reaction was similar. "So you don't sleep in dens at all?" he asked with astonishment.

"Why do we need to sleep in dens when we can sleep under our ancestors?" Grassheart asked in return.

"What about when it rains?"

He beckoned to a large den on the adjacent side of the camp. "Most of us will sleep in there. The nursery and medicine den have their own spaces, of course. But warriors, apprentices, and elders share a space when needed." He paused. "I remember that everyone slept in separate dens based on their position in the Clan at MoonClan. Here, we all prefer to sleep together where StarClan can see us."

"I'll find my nest, then," Flameheart said with a smile, padding off to find the two nests a bit separate from the rest. He took his spot and laid down in a tight ball, tucking his nose into his tail before closing his eyes to fall asleep.

Grassheart turned to Icestar. "And what about you?"

Icestar remembered feeling heavy and tired earlier, but the feeling had completely washed away due to his anxieties. The thought of his Clan's safety being threatened again made him feel too bad to sleep. He turned to Grassheart. "I'll stay awake a bit longer."

"Then I will too," meowed his old friend. "I think Windcloud and the kits are still up by the nursery. Would you like to see them and meet my kits?"

Icestar missed his own mate and kits back in MoonClan. He shrugged. "Sure. I haven't seen Windcloud since before the Dark Battle, anyway."

"Follow me," Grassheart said, beckoning him forward with his tail.

The CloudClan warrior led him towards what seemed to be the nursery: a burrow in the ground farthest away from the camp entrance. The kits weren't inside, though. As expected, they all lay peacefully outside, some asleep and others awake and talking. They were around the same age of Sharpfang's kits, born before the Battle, close to being at the apprenticeship age. His eyes widened as he counted.

"Five kits!"

Grassheart laughed. "They're less of a handful than you think."

Icestar couldn't imagine having so many kits. In MoonClan, he'd only seen litters up to four, and he'd heard of a number as big as seven in some other Clan when he was still a kit himself. Still, the number of five kits made him grateful that he only had two. He couldn't imagine how much work they must've been!

They stopped in front of the group and Icestar dipped his head a bit nervously. Windcloud's head immediately popped up. "Icestar! I haven't seen you since you were still Icetail," she purred with excitement, standing up to touch noses with him. "I didn't think we'd be allowed to say hi to you. Some cats obviously think befriending an enemy Clan is wrong."

"I don't think it's wrong," Icestar said with the same friendly tone. "Why don't you introduce me to the kits?"

"Right," she said, turning around. "Well, Airkit's asleep, but the other four are awake. Kits, come introduce yourselves!"

Grassheart purred and sat beside his mate as the kits piled up towards Icestar curiously. He watched them as they sat each down in front of him, their pelts barely visible in the light of Starpelt. He could tell that two of them had ginger coats; one of them, a she-kit, had a coat such a dark ginger that he knew it would be red in the daylight. The other two in front of him had coats similar to brown, and the one still sleeping, Airkit, seemed like a pale cream color with dark paws.

"I'm Silentkit," the dark ginger one said.

"And I'm Skykit!" the other ginger she-kit exclaimed. "We're the only she-kits. But those are our brothers—"

"I can introduce myself," snapped the one on the far left. He turned his nose up in the air proudly. "I'm Flykit. Nice to meet you, Icestar."

Icestar turned to the last one. "And what's your name?"

The kit narrowed his eyes. "Why should I tell a MoonClan cat my name? They're not our friends! They're nothing but foxhearts who can't take care of their own Clan!"

Icestar jolted back in astonishment at the kit's rudeness. So the warriors weren't the only ones who felt opposed to the friendship between MoonClan and CloudClan. It was even the kits.

His siblings looked at their brother in shock as Grassheart growled. "Stemkit! Where are your manners?"

"Why show manners to the enemy?" he hissed. "Even if it's a Clan leader, I'm only loyal to CloudClan!"

"That doesn't mean you should speak like that," his mother said disapprovingly. "You're to be nice to all cats. Even cats from other Clans."

Stemkit snorted. "That's not true! MoonClan is full of a bunch of rogues and DarkClan cats! You can't trust them, even Icestar."

Icestar stared at the kit evenly, unaffected by his words and yet also a bit agitated. He held his mouth tightly shut, words threatening to spill out.

"If it wasn't for Icestar, we'd be dead, Stemkit." Windcloud stepped up and looked at him with anger blazing in his eyes. "You must apologize to him right now!"

The kit didn't seem to grasp the importance of what she just said. "If it wasn't for CloudClan, his Clan would be gone anyway!"

"And what do you know about that?" his mother demanded.

"Anything that Swallowfur told me is the truth," he shot back.

Icestar was the one to step up this time, for he couldn't contain his agitation any longer. He didn't know why, but he felt the strong urge to justify himself. He didn't like the fact that CloudClan's split of opinions has gone as far as to the kits. He cleared his throat, catching their attention. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Stemkit. But it's not like that at all. If CloudClan hadn't helped us in the Dark Battle, StarClan willing, then DarkClan would have conquered CloudClan after destroying MoonClan. You would not be here to this day."

Stemkit was silent.

"And a kit should never fight back with his own mother, you hear?"

There was a long pause between the group. The only sound that Icestar could hear was the socked murmuring of the other three kits, glancing between their brother and the MoonClan leader with both fear and excitement in their eyes.

"Do you hear, Stemkit?" Icestar repeated.

"Yes, Icestar," he muttered with both frustration and embarrassment, before getting up to pad to his nest.

Windcloud's eyes widened as her son laid down, his back turned to the warriors. "Wow! I've never seen him so obedient before."

"Icestar's always been amazing," Grassheart said. "I'm sorry about him, though. Thank you for being so patient."

"I understand what he's so upset about," murmured Icestar, thinking about Swallowfur and Smallfeather. If their ideologies were spreading to other members of the Clan, including the kits, then MoonClan might not even have CloudClan's help in the future if the forest cats really were a threat to his Clan. He knew that he shouldn't involve them in any more problems if it meant keeping things friendly.

From now on we should be strong on our own, he thought with a yawn. Anything for the sake of MoonClan.

"Well, anyways, you've met the kits. You're starting to look tired," Grassheart observed. "Ready to sleep?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation.

"Aw, but Grassheart!" Silentkit exclaimed, bursting up from her spot. "We've barely just met him!" She turned to Icestar. "I've never met another Clan cat before. Please, can you stay?"

Icestar chuckled. Despite her name, she was very loud indeed.

Grassheart shook his head. "No, Silentkit. We've all had a long night. You should go to sleep too."

She sighed with defeat and turned around to her nest, followed by her brother and sister. Before she laid down, she called out, "I'll see you at the gathering in a few moons, Icestar!"

He dipped his head and looked at Grassheart. "She'll be an apprentice soon?"

"In less than two moons," Grassheart replied proudly. "Anyway, let me show you to your nest before we lose more time to sleep. Come, this way."

He took Icestar to the nest beside Flameheart, which was only a few whiskers away from all the other warriors. Some stared, specifically Smallfeather and Swallowfur. Their eyes glinted angrily in the moonlight. Icestar tried to shrug it off as he laid down on his makeshift nest, finding it surprisingly warm and comfortable against the cool newleaf air. Grassheart said his goodbyes and clambered off to his own nest, taking a place besides a few other senior warriors before drifting off into a quiet snore.

Lost in thought, Icestar turned onto his back so that his belly faced the sky, and stared at the stars of Silverpelt with half-open eyes. With a quiet mind, watching the stars from a place that wasn't MoonClan made it all seem new to him. All his thoughts about everything slowly washed away, and he even soon forgot that he was being watched.

He observed each and every one of his ancestors in the swirling milky patterns, bright with different colors and sizes. With every breath, he thought about his ancestors and wondered if they were watching him right now, wondering if they were protecting him and the Clan. Each twinkling star could be his mother or father or Brightstar or maybe even Dewstar. The spectacle made him feel calm, small and insignificant by its captivating wonder.

That night, his mind was free from all worries and anxieties about the rogues, the prophecies, CloudClan, or even his Clan's well-being. With the sweet and open scent of the moor in his lungs, he fell into a deep and tranquil sleep under the vast night sky.