DOVESONG CHASED AFTER Goldenheart, her paws flying across the grass, which was glittering with the morning dew. The sun was just rising overhead, spreading its beautiful rays across the gray dawn sky. It was a day after they saved Moonclaw from the Twoleg den, and they had been traveling almost nonstop, except for when they stopped to sleep for the night last night. The journey through the Twolegplace was shorter than any of them expected. But they were all glad to be out of that place and back in the valley where they could run freely. Every paw step was a step closer to their destination. Dovesong was still unsure of what they were aiming for, but her companions seemed to know just fine.

"Hey! Wait up!" Dovesong called to Goldenheart. But the golden she-cat didn't seem to hear. Dovesong gave up on trying to catch up to her and slowed down, bringing her run to a walk. She fell in step beside Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt, who were so deep in conversation that they didn't seem to hear.

"The Moon Springs aren't going to work," Moonclaw was saying. "That's the last time I'll say it. I've been there. They're just the same as the Moonpool. It's just a place to share with StarClan."

"Maybe they won't," Blizzardpelt answered, "but I want to do what is best for my daughter. I won't let this slide. You understand, don't you?"

Moonclaw's gaze darkened. "Yes, I do."

"Okay. Then we're going to try the Moon Springs, even if it doesn't work. Who knows?"

Dovesong felt extremely confused, so she spoke up. "Why are we going to the Moon Springs? What is the Moon Springs?"

Blizzardpelt and Moonclaw both looked at her, looking surprised. They both exchanged quick glances, then Moonclaw answered. "So. You know how you lost . . . all of your memories?" she asked cautiously.

Dovesong tipped her head to one side. "Yeah. What about it?"

"We think we know how to get them back," Moonclaw continued, sounding cautious. "When we find what we're looking for, I think we might be able to find this place called the Moon Springs. Luna told us about it. She says it can bring back your memories."

Dovesong's eyes stretched wide with wonder. "Whoa. Really? So . . . what are we looking for first, then?"

"A group of cats," Blizzardpelt muttered.

"Why?" Dovesong asked. "Are they important?"

"Of course they're important. They're your lost Clanmates," Moonclaw mewed. "Before you and Blizzardpelt departed on this journey, you got a message. A message telling you to go on this journey to find something that your Clan lost. You guessed it was your lost Clanmates. So you left."

Dovesong's chest tightened. She left? Just like that? Was she even sure if this was the right choice? Did she lead them to certain death? Was there no way out of this? "What do you mean? Did my Clan know?"

"Of course they knew. Lynxstar forced me into this whole thing," Blizzardpelt grunted.

"Who's Lynxstar?" Dovesong asked.

Moonclaw's eyes misted with grief and realization. "She's your mother. My mate," Blizzardpelt mewed, his voice a little bit softer now. "She's the leader of our Clan."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks." Dovesong lowered her gaze. Fresh grief washed over her. How could she live knowing she didn't remember anyone, not even her kin? They all seemed grief-stricken every time she asked who anyone was. How could she ask who someone was every time if they were just going to be sad? She hated thinking about it.

"Dovesong." Moonclaw fell in step beside Dovesong, her long, soft fur brushing against Dovesong's flank. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. If there is any trouble, we can get out of it."

"That's not it," Dovesong mumbled. "I don't want to live knowing that I don't remember anyone. Anyone. Not even my own kin. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I want to remember again! I feel silly knowing that I should know the three of you well, never mind every other cat back at the Clans."

"That doesn't sound ridiculous. I understand you can be distressed about all of this. Of course, I haven't lost my memories before, but I can understand what you must be feeling now. All of these changes of events have left me . . . winded," Moonclaw explained, her voice breathy. "You were leading us, but now that you don't remember, I have to."

Dovesong sighed. Of course she did. "Oh. Sorry," she apologized instinctively.

Moonclaw let out an amused mrrow and stroked her tail over Dovesong's spine comfortingly. "Don't apologize. At least I can do something good for once."

"What do you mean? Haven't you done something good at least once? You seem like a nice cat," Dovesong queried, confused.

"Oh, I'll bet I've done many good things. But it's so hard to remember. My whole life I've tried to run away. But I guess . . . I guess it's just about time I've accepted my fate," Moonclaw mewed, her voice quiet and wistful. Her gaze drifted to the crimson-streaked sky and drifting clouds.

"Run away from what?" Dovesong asked, growing even more confused.

"Doesn't matter," Moonclaw mewed quickly and defensively. "I don't like to talk about it. It's probably better that you don't remember anyway."

Frustration tugged at Dovesong's chest. Moonclaw kept saying that. What was she hiding? And what did she mean It's probably that you don't remember anyway? "Oh. Okay. Sorry."

After a moment's silence, Moonclaw mewed, "But I guess I could tell you. You're really the only cat I feel comfortable talking about it to."

"Really?" Dovesong felt honored, but she was also even more confused. Why would Moonclaw only be comfortable talking about it to her? Why was she important to Moonclaw? "But why?"

Moonclaw shrugged. "I don't really know why I do most things. But really, you were one of the first cats to actually trust me and treat me like a real cat. Everyone else either snarls and hisses at me when I do so much as walk by, or they treat me like prey and make me do their bidding. I've thought of you as a friend since the beginning. I gave up on friends a long time ago, but I can make exceptions." She glanced at Dovesong warmly.

Dovesong held her gaze, shocked. "I . . . I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I-" Moonclaw was interrupted when Goldenheart rushed toward them, her blue eyes wild with excitement. "What are you so excited about?" Moonclaw asked her, her whiskers twitching.

"I found an abandoned Twoleg nest," Goldenheart panted. "We can stop there to rest; I could smell so many prey-scents in there!"

Blizzardpelt's fur ruffled along his spine. "Are you sure there's no Twolegs? Or dogs? Or rats?"

"I'm quite sure there's none," Goldenheart confirmed. "I searched around inside before, I was sure."

"I think we can rest there for a little bit," Moonclaw conceded. She glanced at Blizzardpelt and Dovesong. "What do you two think?"

"It sounds nice," Dovesong mewed despite the unease clawing at her belly.

"I guess we can try it out," Blizzardpelt decided. "But if there's so much as a sign of danger, we're leaving."

"I thought I was the leader here." Moonclaw sounded confused, but in a mocking manner.

Blizzardpelt bristled and curled his lip in a snarl. "Don't be smart with me. We-"

Dovesong interrupted him; she didn't like the tension rising from Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt again. "We're all working together," she reminded them. "Besides, I like Blizzardpelt's idea. Anything abandoned sounds dangerous. It was abandoned for a reason, right?"

Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt held each other's gazes, Moonclaw's calm, and Blizzardpelt's angry. "Fine. But I'm still the leader," Moonclaw mewed, turning her gaze away. "Goldenheart, lead the way."

Concern glittered in Goldenheart's gaze before she nodded and turned away, flicking her tail to tell the others to follow her. They did, in silence. Dovesong could feel the tension sliding away, but she knew that Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt would start fighting again. And what if it wasn't only with words, but with claws and teeth? They couldn't afford this. They needed to find what they were looking for, and Dovesong needed her memories back!

Goldenheart stopped at a high, wooden, old Twoleg nest that was obviously abandoned. She slipped into a hole in the wall and as her tail slipped away, she was gone. Dovesong's heart lurched. Where did she go? She stepped toward the hole and looked at it, trying to puzzle it out. She pawed at the wall, and it fell away. Part of the wall, a floppy, translucent square, fell off with a thump. Dovesong jumped away as it landed in front of her paws.

Goldenheart's head appeared from the hole. "Scaredy-mouse! Come on; it's fine."

Dovesong watched as she disappeared again. She glanced at Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt, then went in after Goldenheart. It was dark, but sunlight filtered into the dusty den from the cracked, clear walls. Vines and other growth had begun growing around the den. Prey-scent filled the air, making Dovesong's mouth water. "Goldenheart?" Dovesong looked around at the den. Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt were cautiously making their way in, but Goldenheart was nowhere to be seen. "Goldenheart, come out here! This isn't funny."

Dovesong gasped sharply when she felt something hit her head gently. She looked around, and then she saw Goldenheart standing at the very edge of a beam, her eyes glittering with mischief. "Sure it was funny! You should have seen the look on your face. This place is fun!"

"You scared me!" Dovesong retorted.

Goldenheart just shrugged and bounced away.

Dovesong glanced at Moonclaw and Blizzardpelt. "Who agreed that Goldenheart would be coming on this journey?"

"You did," Blizzardpelt answered.

"Of course I did. She's a pain in the tail," Dovesong mewed. "Anyway, there's so much prey-scent here! We should catch something."

"Sure. I can teach you how to hunt in the meantime," Moonclaw offered. "I might be a RiverClan medicine cat, but I used to be a MoonClan warrior. Let's go!" She flicked her tail and began to pad toward the more shadowy part of the den. Dovesong followed her excitedly. Moonclaw paused suddenly. "Wait-there's a mouse. Look." Her voice dropped to a whisper.

Dovesong followed her gaze and saw a mouse scuffling through the debris of the den. "How do you catch it?"

"I can catch it. But watch closely." Moonclaw dropped to a crouch and stalked forward. Dovesong watched in amazement as Moonclaw moved forward slowly and carefully, stepping graciously and with care. The mouse was totally unaware. Suddenly, Moonclaw stopped. After a few heartbeats, she pounced and caught the mouse under her claws, killing it in one clean bite to the neck. She carried it back and dropped it at her paws. "It's as easy as catching a leaf. Do you want to try?"

"I don't think I'll ever be able to do that," Dovesong mewed. "That was amazing!"

Moonclaw purred. "Thank you very much. I'll bet you can do it with a bit of practice. Here, I'll show you."

Dovesong hesitated, but then she nodded. She followed Moonclaw to a more open space. "What do I do first?"

"First, you drop into a crouch like this." Moonclaw dropped low to the ground. She looked at Dovesong, her eyes glittering. "But it's more than just a crouch-you have to be sure you take all your weight to your haunches, especially for mice. They can feel the vibrations in the earth before they see or smell you. You have to be sure your tail is lifted from the ground. You don't want it disturbing any grass or undergrowth. The sudden movement could scare your prey away."

Dovesong stared at her for a moment, finding it difficult to process all of this information. Despite her confusion, she dropped into a crouch and took all her weight to her hindquarters. She lifted her tail from the ground. She could nearly feel Moonclaw's gaze burning into her fur, so she looked at the black-and-white she-cat expectantly. "Is this good?"

Moonclaw's gaze was approving. "Perfect, in fact. Let's practice. Pretend that debris is your prey." She flicked her tail toward a scrap of bark a tail-length away from them. "Sneak up on it and kill it-but be sure your paws don't make any sounds, or the prey will run away."

Dovesong nodded and turned her attention back to her 'prey'. She began to stalk forward, bringing one paw in front of another carefully and steadily, slowly making her way to the piece of bark. When she paused to prepare to pounce, Goldenheart approached Moonclaw loudly behind them. Dovesong looked up, alarmed.

"Oh, your prey ran away," Moonclaw mewed, her ears twitching. She turned back to Goldenheart. "Yes?"

"Blizzardpelt and I caught some prey-plenty for all of us! Come and eat!" Before Moonclaw or Dovesong could respond, the yellow she-cat raced away.

"I guess that's all the training for now," Moonclaw conceded. "Great StarClan, my belly thinks my throat's been torn out. We should go eat."

Dovesong hesitated. She realized they had traveled for most of the night, but they had no time to stop, hunt, and eat. She followed Moonclaw to the center of the den where three mice lay. Moonclaw put her mouse beside the others. "See?" Goldenheart mewed, nearly dancing on her paws. "One mouse for each of us! We'll be there in no time!"

"That was quick," Moonclaw observed. "I thought I could train Dovesong how to hunt before you showed off your fresh-kill."

"Too late. I'm the best hunter in all the Clans!" Goldenheart boasted.

Blizzardpelt snorted disbelievingly. "Let's just eat and get out of here. I don't like-" He stopped himself and looked toward the fallen part of the wall. He raised his tail to silence the three she-cats. "Do you hear that?" he whispered.

"You're just being paranoid," Goldenheart hissed. "Just watch. I'm going to check out there and no one's going to be there." She trotted, head held high, to the fallen flap and slid out into the open. She immediately let out a surprised yelp.

"She was wrong," Blizzardpelt observed, heaving a long sigh as he made his way to the hole in the wall. He crouched and looked outside. "What's going out here?" he demanded.

"There's more!" A tom's voice could be heard outside. "How many of you are there?"

Blizzardpelt slid all the way out into the open. Moonclaw and Dovesong took a few paces forward and headed outside also. A lithe, dark gray tom was standing in front of Goldenheart and Blizzardpelt, his yellow eyes flashing with contempt. Goldenheart's fur was ruffled and dirt clung onto it; she must have very briefly fought the gray tom.

Goldenheart spoke, her voice calm and cool, before Blizzardpelt could. "However many you see is how many there are. What, did we interrupt your hunting?"

The gray tom's fur rose along his spine. "No. You've intruded upon my home! What do you think gives you the right to do that?"

"We didn't know you lived here, Thunderstorm," Moonclaw mewed.

Dovesong stared at Moonclaw in shock. Did she know this cat? Why didn't she tell anyone? What kinds of things was she hiding from them?

The tom's yellow eyes sparked with surprise. "Ah, Moonclaw. It's great to see you again." Thunderstorm's voice was laced with sarcasm. "How have you been doing since the last time we met?"

Moonclaw met his gaze steadily, her chin lifted with courage. "Enough with the small talk. You were never a friendly cat, were you? But please, can you just spare some time and space for us? We traveled most of the night, and we need a place to rest."

Thunderstorm snorted. "As if! Go away." Then he narrowed his eyes at Moonclaw, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Lead your companions away or I'll tell them your secret."

Moonclaw stiffened. "Please, don't! We just need a place to stay." Her voice became higher in pitch in desperation.

Thunderstorm sniffed. "You have two choices, Moonclaw. Stay and get your secret revealed or leave and stay safe. If I were you, I would choose the second one. That's a nasty secret you have. I would hate to ruin your day by sharing it."

"What are you hiding from us?" Goldenheart demanded suddenly. "You know this mange-pelt? What secret do you have?"

Moonclaw glared at Thunderstorm, her eyes gleaming with the most passionate hatred that Dovesong ever saw from her. "You fox-heart! We just want a place to stay!"

Goldenheart glanced at the others, mouthing, "Drama!" Then she turned to the tom. "We would like to finish our meal first. You see, we're on a journey that's kind of urgent, and we need all the strength we can get. We would appreciate your selfless kindness." Her voice was tinged with sarcasm.

"Don't be smart with me, she-cat," Thunderstorm hissed. "I don't care why you're here. You're in my home. Get out of my home now."

Goldenheart tipped her head to one side in mock confusion. "But we just hunted. Surely, we can take our fresh-kill with us?"

"You hunted in my territory, and any prey in my territory is my prey, so no," Thunderstorm snarled. "Go away."

Moonclaw stepped forward, glancing at Goldenheart, annoyance sparking in her green eyes. She turned back to the gray tom. "We'll leave, Thunderstorm. We don't want to start a fight."

"Good. Get out of here." Thunderstorm unsheathed his claws threateningly.

Moonclaw glanced at the others and waved her tail to tell them to follow her. And they did. Dovesong avoided the gray tom's gaze desperately as they departed.