A quarter-moon has passed since the group had left the Moorland. It was now leaf-bare and they had just reached the mountains.

Cindercloud shivered as she shook off snow that had fallen on her, and she trekked after the others in a line.
Sandtail brushed against her. "Hey, you alright?"
Cindercloud nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing a little cold I can't handle."

Sandtail shook his head. "No, I mean.. are you mad you aren't leading the group?"
Could he really read her that well? "Yes. I can't help it. I'm the one who came up with it, why should another cat do it while I don't?"

Sandtail twined his tail with hers. "It's okay. You should just be glad we're going to a better home because of you."
Cindercloud felt hot, which was rare from this weather. "Thanks.."

Birdflight shivered and shouted towards Badgerfang. "Badgerfang! We can't keep walking in this condition! The blizzard is too much to handle!"
Badgerfang looked thoughtful.
Please! Cindercloud begged silently.
"Alright," Badgerfang mewed at last.

They stumbled over the rocky mounds and found a rounded hole to shelter in.
As Cindercloud lay down in the hole with the others, Sandtail lay down beside her, brushing his pelt with hers.

"Oh! Sorry! There isn't enough room in here," mumbled Sandtail.
"I-it's alright," Cindercloud stuttered. Why was her heart beating so fast near Sandtail?!

To make sure she wasn't distracted by Sandtail, she turned to her other side, which was Ravensmoke. She'd been meaning to ask this for a while. "Hey.. Raven?"
Ravensmoke lifted their head from their paws. "Hm?"

She hesitated. "Do you.. regret leaving the moor?"
Ravensmoke's eyes widened. "Of course not! Why would you, of all cats, think that?"
Cindercloud looked down at her paws. "It's just.. we sacrificed a lot to do this. We lost our home, family, friends.. We won't ever see Splashheart again.. you won't see your family again."
Ravensmoke shrugged. "My family is old enough to take of themselves, and Splashheart made his choice. We made ours. And it's like you said, a home can be anywhere if you look for it."

Cindercloud sighed and rested her head on her paws. "I suppose your right."
"I'm always right," Ravensmoke grinned.
His voice was faint by then, as she was already drifting to sleep.

When she woke up, she felt a tail brush her back. She then heard Sandtail's voice. "Cindercloud, wake up! The blizzard is gone!"
When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw Sandtail was right. The air was light and speckled of white flakes floating from the sky and no threat of snow storm at all.

When they had all exit the shelter except Ashheart, who slept like a badger, Badgerfang sniffed the air. "It's time we were moving off again," he mewed.

When Cindercloud was about to agree, she felt her stomach growl. "First, we should hunt," she objected. "My belly is growling like a dog!"
"Whatever, just wake up Ashheart first," Blossomleaf added. "Berryheart, Darkflight, can you go and try hunting?"
Darkflight rolled their eyes as they nudged Berryheart. "Sure, go tell us what to do, bossy-tail." he muttered as they stalked away.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" groaned a dark gray spotted tom with blue eyes. "You just never know what kind of sleep you're gonna get when you're in this weather."
"You sound like an elder," teased Heathertuft.
"I do not!" Ashheart complained.
"Now a kit," grinned Cindercloud. How could she have ever regretted leaving the moor?

When Cindercloud looked up, she could finally see the sun rising, dawning their pelts. "Well, Badgerfang, we're finally seeing the sun. It should be easy traveling for today."

She lifted her ears and heard pebbles rumbling and bushes rustling from above them.
Every cat looked up, prepared for the worst.
Their pelts bristling and their claws unsheathed.
A rouge? A dog? A fox?

Then two cats hidden in the shadows padded down towards them.
One of them was a bit bigger than the other.

The bigger one was padding down the snowy slope and the smaller one was tagging behind.

When the dawn light splashed into their pelts, Cindercloud finally recognized them.
Only Sandtail let out the yowl. "Look! It's Splashheart and Koipaw!"

Joy reached her as they bounded to the two cats.
"Splashheart!" Blossomleaf was one of the first to reach them. "It is really you! We thought you were a fox or something!"
"I can't believe my eyes!" Cindercloud choked. She'd missed Splashheart more than she let on. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"How did you find us?" Ravensmoke mewed in awe.
"But what are you doing all the way out here?" Badgerfang mewed curiously.

Then she exchanged glances with her friends and thought that Splashheart came to find them to bring them terrible news.
"Is the group okay?" Sandtail asked.
Fear pierced Cindercloud's heart like lightning. "Is Smokyfoot alright?" She asked nervously, not ready for the real answer.
"Don't worry, everyone! Everything and everyone is fine back at the moor," Splashheart mewed calmly.

Koipaw poked his head out beside Splashheart and puffed out his chest. "I ran away to come with you guys!" he exclaimed happily. "Remember when I wanted to leave and Splashheart wouldn't let me? So I abandoned the group to come with you guys but Splashheart, being the big brother he is, came after me and lead me to you guys!"

Cindercloud tried to ignore the internal screaming inside. You did WHAT! YOUR AN APPRENTICE! HOW CAN YOU BE SO RABBIT-BRAINED! THE GROUP MUST BE WORRIED SICK! YOU WERE IN TRAINING TO BE A WARRIOR! IF I WAS YOUR MENTOR, I WOULD SEND TO THE ELDERS FOR MOOOOOONS!

She nudged Koipaw playfully. "What a responsible apprentice you are, huh?" She mewed sarcastically. "That was very dangerous, but I'm glad Splashheart came after you."

"We got to fight off a dog together!" Koipaw exclaimed excitedly.
Splashheart let out a low sigh. "It's true." He then looked at Cindercloud. "How have things been?"
Cindercloud thought back of all the troubles they had faced so far. "We're doing fine. The blizzard slowed us down, but we're pretty sure we're getting close to a good territory soon."

Splashheart glanced back at where he came from then back at the others. "Me and Koipaw climbed right to the top. From up there, we could see the land beyond the mountains. It's still a long way off, but you'll see it once you've crossed this next ridge."
"That's wonderful!" Cindercloud exclaimed. I was right! There is territory out there!

"Sorry to interrupt but we need to get moving here," Badgerfang grunted, glancing around and gathering the cats around with a flick of their tail.
That should be me, Cindercloud thought darkly.

"Once we've eaten?" begged Ashheart.
As he spoke, Berryheart and Darkflight came up the slope, with two rabbits in their set jaws.
"Perfect!" Badgerfang purred as they reached the group and explained of how in StarClan Splashheart and Koipaw were here.

Splashheart let out a deep breath as she nuzzled Sandtail. Things are going to be just fine.