The sun blazed down upon the moor, the air warm and thick with the scent of green-leaf. Starfaith sniffed at a clump of horsetail and carefully nipped off a few stalks with her teeth. Thank StarClan, they've grown back quickly since I picked them a few moons ago. She gathered the stalks with her paw and paused, looking up hopefully toward the treeline not far from her.

There wasn't a cat in sight by the ShadowClan border. Her heart sunk in disappointment. Where could Dewstorm be? They had decided to meet by the border at sunhigh. He never came. Three days had passed now, and each day at sunhigh she went out to gather herbs in hopes of seeing her ShadowClan companion. And each day, she was disappointed.

I don't understand... She thought worriedly, staring at the pine trees across the border. Has something happened to him? Is he sick? Has he decided to stop seeing me? Each thought filled her heart with fear.

She decided to wait a while longer. She sat down in the warm grass and wrapped her fluffy tail around her, watching the border hopefully. She stayed there for a long time until she heard the meowing of cats in the distance and turned her head.

A WindClan patrol was nearing her, led by Thunderjolt. Behind him trailed Firetail, Whitehare, Wetbelly, and Clovernose. When the patrol got closer, the large black and white tom in the lead blinked in surprise. "Hello, Starfaith. I wasn't expecting to find you out here."

"What are you doing?" Whitehare looked confused. "You look lost."

Starfaith hesitated, realizing how odd she must seem, sitting and staring at the border. "I was gathering horsetail," She purred. "I thought I'd take a moment to enjoy the sunlight."

"I see," Thunderjolt rumbled. "The weather is very nice today." He looked back at his patrol. "We're going to remark the ShadowClan border," He meowed. "Would you like to tag along?"

Behind him, Clovernose rolled her eyes. "A medicine cat doesn't patrol with warriors. They're too soft for that."

Firetail and Whitehare shot her a startled glare, but the brown and white she-cat ignored him, narrowing her green eyes at her.

Starfaith felt a pang of hurt at Clovernose's statement, but didn't let her see it. She dipped her head politely. "That is true," She meowed. "I have medicine cat duties to fulfill. I'll leave the patrolling to the warriors."

The she-cat didn't respond, and Thunderjolt nodded. "Very well. Take care, Starfaith." As the cats turned away, Firetail waved his tail at her in farewell.

She let out a sigh and crouched, taking the stalks of horsetail in her teeth and rising to her paws. I should go back to camp. Dewstorm isn't coming today. Her heart ached as she wondered why. I already miss him so much.

***

When she returned to camp, she saw Silverberry crouched outside the medicine den, laying out oak leaves in the sun. She crossed the clearing and dropped the horsetail in front of her paws. 

"You found some," Silverberry looked up at her. "You took a long time," She commented. "Did you have any trouble?"

Starfaith hesitated and sat down. "No, not at all. I was just enjoying the sun." She noticed worry in her former mentor's eyes and tilted her head. "Is everything alright?"

The silver medicine cat hesitated and lowered her voice. "I saw Otterpelt when I was collecting watermint by the RiverClan border," She meowed. "Spicewhisker told her that ThunderClan was attacked by ShadowClan."

"What?" She gasped, her fur prickling in alarm. A dreadful thought crossed her mind. "Oh no..." She breathed. "The leaders- are they...?"

To her relief, Silverberry shook her head. "Depthstar and Strawberrystar are fine," She promised. Starfaith had confided her about the prophecy and her fears after the gathering. "But a ThunderClan warrior named Hickoryroot was killed."

"Killed?" Starfaith echoed, startled. "What warrior would kill in a battle?"

The she-cat sighed and shook her head. "It is ShadowClan," She commented. "And they do believe that a ThunderClan warrior killed Maplefur. Perhaps they wanted to make it even."

That isn't right! Starfaith thought in horror. StarClan would never allow such a thing! Surely Dewstorm and Hawkfeather wouldn't have agreed to it? She looked down, unsure of what to say.

Silverberry looked up at her sympathetically and rested her paw over hers. "Other clans' business isn't our own," She reminded her quietly. "As horrible as it is, we must protect our own."

"I know," She murmured, though she couldn't shake the feeling of sadness and worry. It just isn't right... She felt relieved that she had been wrong about the prophecy's meaning. But now she was even more puzzled than before. A star will die... What star? Who is it?

She was about to ask Silverberry what she thought when she heard Tornadopaw's snarl from behind her.

"Give me that!" 

She turned to see Tornadopaw rip a small rabbit away from Scorchpaw, crouching and sinking his teeth into it. The black and ginger apprentice stared at his brother in shock. "Hey! I caught that for the elders!"

"So? The young cats need to eat! They're half dead anyway," Tornadopaw grumbled around his food.

Scorchpaw looked horrified. "Are you mad? You're breaking the warrior code. StarClan's rules!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" The dark striped apprentice snorted in amusement. "StarClan is a heap of mouse dung!"

There were several gasps of horror from the other cats in the clearing. Gladestar's eyes widened from where she lay by the boulder, and she slowly rose to her paws. Monarchwing stepped to her side, and Driftrunner and Featherblaze stared, jaws dropped.

Starfaith's chest tightened in frustration, taken back by Tornadopaw's words. Without thinking, she stood. "You must take that back!" She exclaimed.

Every cat rested their eyes on her, surprised. Starfaith was a very calm, reserved cat. She was polite to everyone she met. She'd never spoke out against any cat so strongly. 

"Starfaith?" Silverberry whispered, sounding startled.

She ignored her and stepped toward Tornadopaw. He needs to learn a lesson. The dark tabby raised his head from the rabbit, blood and strings of flesh hanging from his mouth. His yellow eyes narrowed. "Why should I?" As he spoke, Scorchpaw stepped back nervously, staring at Starfaith.

"StarClan are our warrior ancestors!" Starfaith meowed, staring back at his cold yellow eyes. "They have guided us for generations. They are your elders, your kin. Why would you dare disrespect them?"

Tornadopaw's face twisted with mockery. "Because they don't exist!" He laughed, licking his lips clean as he sat up. "StarClan is a tale for kits. No sparkling cats are flying around having conversations with you! Medicine cats are either insane or begging for attention. They want to feel special, so they say they can talk to the dead. How ridiculous!"

More cats let out stunned gasps and yowls, and Driftrunner leaped to his paws, staring at his son in disbelief. "Tornadopaw?" He gasped. "Enough!"

Tornadopaw ignored him and glared at Starfaith as his clanmates murmured around him. She could hardly believe her ears. Her pelt grew hot with frustration toward the ignorant young tom. How dare he say such a thing! "StarClan does exist!" She rasped, struggling to hold back her anger. "How could you say those things about your medicine cats?"

"Because it's true," He growled, lashing his tail slowly. "You're nothing but a soft, lazy she-cat who spends her days playing with leaves and talking to imaginary dead cats. Why don't you go run off and be a kittypet?"

Starfaith jerked back a little, taken back by his statement. Before she could respond, Gladestar stood in front of Tornadopaw, glaring at him furiously. "Have you completely lost your mind?" She spat, her fur bristling. "I have never heard of an apprentice so disrespectful!"

The tabby glared at her. "You don't scare me!"

As Starfaith stepped back and slowly sat beside Silverberry, she saw Gladestar snarl and unsheathe her claws, digging them into the ground. The apprentice noticed and unsheathed his own claws, ready for a fight.

Gladestar! She's a leader too! Starfaith started in alarm, thinking of the prophecy. What if Tornadopaw kills her?

But Gladestar only glared at the apprentice, her golden striped tail bushy with anger. "Leave my camp!" She hissed. "You are no longer welcome in WindClan."

"No!" Driftrunner shot over to them, his amber eyes wide. "Gladestar, please, give him a chance!" He pleaded.

The WindClan leader turned to him. "He's had plenty of chances, Driftrunner," She meowed in a softer tone. "You know that."

"He's my son!"

"I'm not your son!" Tornadopaw spat and glared at him. "Not to me! I like to imagine my father isn't a weak, dumb rabbit-chaser like you!"

Driftrunner bristed, his eyes lighting with shock and hurt. After a moment, he looked away. "I don't know what happened to you..." He murmured. "But it's clear that you're beyond our help." He turned and slowly padded away, pushing through the crowd and disappearing into the warriors' den. He didn't want to watch his son leave.

Scorchpaw stared after him, then looked back at Tornadopaw numbly. Starfaith felt a rush of pity for him. He cared so much about his brother.

"I will never make you a warrior," Gladestar growled, her hard gaze burning into Tornadopaw's. "I exile you from WindClan. Leave and never return."

Tornadopaw stared at his leader for a moment, then sneered. "Gladly, you bag of bones." He spun and stalked toward the gorse tunnel.

"Wait!" Scorchpaw rushed in his path. "Tornadopaw, please!"

"Get out of my way!" The dark tabby spat and raked his claws across his brother's face. Scorchpaw fell onto his side and slumped over as he tried to sit up, blood trickling from the scratches.

Tornadopaw glared at him, then looked back at the others. "My name is Tornadowind!" He sneered. "Because I will destroy WindClan! You'll all pay for your foolish ways." He rested his eyes on Starfaith, narrowing them into fierce yellow slits. "All of you will."

A chill ran down her spine as she stared back at Tornadowind. Then with a lash of his skinny tail, he was gone.

The clearing was silent for a moment. As the clan began murmuring to one another in amazement, Gladestar jerked a nod at Monarchwing. "Take out a patrol and make sure he's left our territory."

As the deputy quickly gathered a few warriors, Silverberry glanced aside at Starfaith. "Well done," She meowed quietly.

She shook her head, feeling shameful. "I shouldn't have said anything. I provoked him."

"No." Silverberry touched her shoulder with her tail. "You helped rid the clan of a rude, violent cat. He had no respect, and therefore no place in WindClan."

Perhaps... Starfaith looked up and slowly padded across the clearing to Scorchpaw. The young cat was standing by the gorse tunnel, staring out as if Tornadopaw were still there. But he was gone. 

"Come to the medicine den," She meowed quietly. "You're bleeding."

Scorchpaw didn't take his eyes off the tunnel. "I wanted to believe that he could change... That he could be a warrior..."

She nosed his shoulder sympathetically. "Not all cats have the same destiny," She meowed quietly. "His path leads to darkness. Your fate is to become a great warrior."

"I hope so..." He murmured solemnly and dragged his gaze away from the gorse tunnel to look at her. "And yours is to be a great medicine cat, isn't it?"

Starfaith gently nudged him, and they began heading back toward the medicine den. "I hope so." She meowed.

***

"Starfaith..."

Her mother's gentle voice sounded in her ear like a warm breeze. She blinked open her eyes and found herself in StarClan. Before her stood three star pelted warriors: Dreamwhisper, Weaselnose, and Sunripple.

She let out a soft purr and stepped forward, touching her nose to Dreamwhisper's. "It's good to see you!" She murmured. After a moment, she retraced her steps and looked at the two toms fondly. "There is something I must say."

Weaselnose gazed back at her, and Sunripple tilted his head. Neither spoke.

She first moved closer to Weaselnose, staring at him as her heart swelled with emotion. "You may not have been my real father," She murmured. "But you were the best one to me and my siblings. I would have been proud to be your daughter. I'm grateful for how you were there for us, always."

The ginger and white tom stared at her, his eyes filled with affection. "I'm glad to hear that," He meowed warmly. "You will always be my daughter in my eyes." He leaned forward and rested his chin on her head, and she pressed her muzzle into his soft fur.

After a moment, she drew back and padded over to face Sunripple. The golden tabby tom stared at her, his eyes full of hope and uncertainty. "I'm sorry for how I reacted to the truth," She told him quietly. "It was a lot to take in. I never knew you when you were alive, but I hope that I can get to know you now. You're my father, just as Weaselnose is, and I want to be close with you."

Sunripple's yellow eyes shone with emotion. "Thank you, Starfaith..." He murmured, slowly moving forward and touching his nose to hers. "I'm proud to be your father, and I would love to get to know you better. It's better late than never."

As Starfaith stepped back, Dreamwhisper gazed at her warmly. "I'm so proud of you," She murmured. "I know this was difficult for you. But love is the greatest gift in the forest, and there is always room in the heart for more." She paused. "Speaking of which..."

The starry forest around them faded away, and Starfaith blinked as in its place appeared the grassy hills by the ShadowClan border, dark under the night sky. She gasped when she saw a familiar cat crouched by a pine tree. "Dewstorm!"

"He's waiting for you, just as I used to wait for your mother," Sunripple murmured. "Go to him."

***

Starfaith's eyes flashed open, the dream vivid in her mind. She raised her head and found herself back in her nest. Silverberry was sound asleep across from her. Dewstorm is waiting! She resisted the urge to bolt out of the camp and wake everyone in the process.

She crept out of her nest and into the clearing, relieved that she hadn't woken Silverberry. When she padded out the gorse tunnel, she found that the guard, Whitehare, had fallen asleep sitting up. His head hung over, his chin pressed to his chest. With a mildly amused shake of her head, she continued over the hills, quickening her pace as excitement pounded through her heart.

Sure enough, Dewstorm was crouched on ShadowClan's side of the border, peering out nervously. His eyes flashed when he saw her, and as he stood up, she raced down the grassy slope to him.

"Oh, Dewstorm!" She rushed forward and pressed her head into his fur, and he nuzzled her back. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

He licked her cheek fur and she stepped back. "I'm so sorry I couldn't come at sunrise that day," He meowed, his eyes full of sadness. "It's been busy..."

"What happened?" Starfaith stared at him worriedly, seeing the stress on his face. "Is everything alright?"

Dewstorm shook his head, lowering his gaze. "Hawkfeather is dead."

"What?" She gasped, her heart skipping a beat. "No!" He can't be!

"He was found dead on our territory the day I was supposed to meet you," He said quietly. "We think a rogue killed him."

Starfaith stared back at him, still in disbelief. She'd known Hawkfeather since her first trip to the moonstone. He was a fellow medicine cat, a dear friend. And now, he was hunting with StarClan. "I'm so sorry..." She whispered and rested her paw on top of Dewstorm's, her heart heavy with sorrow. "He was a great, wise medicine cat."

"He was," He agreed solemnly. After a moment of silence, he added, "I'm the sole medicine cat of ShadowClan now. That's why I couldn't meet you. I couldn't sneak away."

She leaned forward and licked his ear. "I understand." Unease shifted inside her stomach. "Will we still be able to see each other?" She asked quietly. "Your clan needs you more than ever. More than I do."

Dewstorm hesitated, staring at her with yellow eyes filled with longing. "I can manage both. We'll just have to meet at night from now on," He paused, seeming to want to change the subject. "Bloomfire is expecting kits," He told her. "Her own."

Though Starfaith was unsure about the future of their relationship, she could see how distressed he was already. He didn't want to think about losing her. She said no more about it. "That's wonderful," She purred lightly.

"Yeah, but..." Dewstorm shuffled his paws in the grass. "I'm nervous," He admitted. "This will be the first kitting I've handled on my own without Hawkfeather. And after what happened with Poppywing..." He trailed off.

Starfaith gently pressed her head against his. "Don't worry, everything will be alright," She murmured. "You're an amazing medicine cat. Bloomfire is in good paws."

He relaxed against her and sighed softly. "Thanks, Starfaith." 

They stayed that way for a long while under the cover of the night. Dewstorm will be a great medicine cat. She thought. It's his fate. 

And I get the feeling that I'll soon find out mine.