Larkwing doubted she had ever felt such excitement before. In fact, it was so great that her thoughts only centred on that one thing.

For today was the day that the two cats would be chosen to join the reconnaissance patrol.

In the past few days, Larkwing had found out that Flamedash, Beechfall and Sparkletail had also volunteered to take part alongside her and Lakepelt. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the cats voted for them, Larkwing thought. After all, they are much older than Lakepelt and me. They can be trusted with such a task.

Involuntarily, Larkwing felt envy rise in her, but she quickly tried to shake it off. No matter what the Clan decided in the end, she had no choice but to accept it.

Scrutinising, she glanced down to the camp, where the Birchtunnel was. For the duration of the voting, the registered cats were to go into the forest. Larkwing didn't know where the others were at the moment. Actually, she didn't really care. She didn't need any distraction at the moment.

The more the day progressed, the more nervous Larkwing became. Things were getting serious for her. And when Mottletail came to fetch her to camp, she suddenly felt the urge to just run far away, the main thing was to get away from the result — whatever was waiting for her.

Still, Larkwing tried not to let anything show. With her head held high, she trotted towards her voting hollow and sat down in front of it without looking at it. She didn't want to know how many pebbles were in it yet. She also didn't want to know who had voted for her until she had heard it from Palestar herself.

Who would have voted for her? It had to have been a few cats, she was sure of that. But she highly doubted that it would be the majority.

I'm the youngest warrior here. Hardly anyone would entrust me with such a responsibility.

Mottletail had brought the other cats back to camp faster than Larkwing had hoped. The dark reddish-brown speckled she-cat raised her tail with unmistakable pride and her expression was strangely self-satisfied.

Larkwing couldn't help but roll her eyes excessively. Every bet she's been given the task of taking us back to camp just because she's Honeyclaw's kit.

As soon as the rest of the cats had gone to their hollows, Palestar jumped onto the Roserock.

"Cats of RoseClan," she meowed as solemnly as one usually only knew from ceremonies. "In just a few days' time, the first meeting of the reconnaissance patrol is due to take place. Their task is to gather valuable information about the possible vulnerability of the Shadowless."

Larkwing hung spellbound on Palestar's flews.

After a short, effective pause, Palestar continued, "The cats who have lined up here in RoseClan to take part are Lakepelt, Beechfall, Sparkletail, Larkwing and Flamedash."

The cats who had chosen looked at each other expectantly. Larkwing had to avert her gaze. She felt as if an ant hill was on top of her. Inwardly, she urged Palestar to hurry.

Palestar jumped off the Roserock and trotted to the centre of the clearing. "Now for the results," the grey and white she-cat announced in a clear voice. "Seven cats voted for Flamedash."

Seven! Larkwing was impressed. Compared to the total number of cats who were allowed to vote, that wasn't very many, but it was certainly more cats than those who had voted for her.

"Eight cats voted for Beechfall."

Larkwing's gaze wandered to the light ginger tabby tom. His expression was like stone. There was no telling what he thought of the results and that he had a very narrow lead at the moment.

"Ten cats voted for Sparkletail," Palestar meowed just then.

That means twenty-five cats didn't vote for either Lakepelt or me. Larkwing tilted her head, wondering how many cats were left.

"Twelve cats voted for Lakepelt, fifteen for Larkwing," Palestar concluded. "So it's decided. The following new moon, Lakepelt and Larkwing will travel to Willow Island to join the reconnaissance patrol there."

At that moment, Larkwing thought her heart would stop. Her thoughts were racing. Fifteen cats? That couldn't be! With growing panic, she counted the stones in her hollow several times.

But each time she came up with the same result. How could it be that fifteen cats voted for her? Something had to be wrong. It was highly likely that someone had cheated and placed more than one stone in the hollow.

Yes, that must have been the case. Larkwing jumped up in alarm. "That can't be right!" she meowed loudly. Everyone promptly turned to her and pierced her with curious glances. Larkwing did her best to ignore them.

"Why not?" Palestar asked calmly. "You counted the stones yourself. Would you like to know who voted for you to see for yourself?"

Suddenly Larkwing felt as small and vulnerable as a mouse. Shaking, she shook her head. "N-no, I just can't understand why it's the absolute majority," she tried to explain. "I don't understand what you see in me. Any other cat would have been a better choice..."

You're the biggest mouse-brain there is, she scolded herself. You signed up to take part in the first place, so don't be surprised if you're actually chosen.

"Have a little more faith in yourself," Palestar explained. "I'm sure you'll do a good job."

Slowly, Larkwing sank back onto her hindquarters. She simply couldn't believe it. All this time she had hoped to be chosen for the reconnaissance patrol, for Swallowfern's sake, but she never expected it to actually happen.

Gradually, the gathering dispersed. Only Larkwing remained where she was. She was still coming to terms with what had just happened.

I was chosen for the reconnaissance patrol. The fate of all the Clans depends on me.

Sighing, she slumped her shoulders. That wasn't quite true, because she shared this burden with a few other cats. Nevertheless, she was aware that she couldn't afford to make a mistake.

Then Larkwing saw Shadowpaw, Bramblepaw and Mistpaw coming towards her and curled her tail upwards in delight. The company of her former denmates would certainly help her to relax a little after all the commotion.

"We all voted for you," Shadowpaw meowed instead of a greeting.

Mistpaw poked him lightly in the flank. "Actually, Bramblepaw talked us into it for so long that we had no other choice." He lowered his voice. "You wouldn't have had to change my mind anyway, Bramblepaw."

Surprised, Larkwing twitched her ears. "I thought you were against it," she meowed, turning to Bramblepaw.

Shyly, the light brown she-cat turned her head away. "I never explicitly said that," she defended herself. "But I thought about it for a long time and came to the conclusion..." She took a deep breath as if to create tension, "that you're the bravest cat in the whole Clan! You've already survived so much, and you'll definitely be up to this task."

Embarrassed, Larkwing licked her white chest fur. "Oh, you're exaggerating," she fended off.

"Not at all!" Bramblepaw lashed her tail indignantly. "It's like Palestar just said. You have to believe more in yourself and your abilities, Larkwing. Not every cat has the chance to bring about change in the world. But you definitely can! The stones prove that."

The apprentice's words filled Larkwing's whole body with warmth, as if she was lying on a rock warmed by the sun. Her chest tightened with unbridled happiness so that she could hardly breathe.

Once again, Bramblepaw had proved what an empathetic and supportive cat she was. I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. No, as a best friend, Larkwing thought contentedly. And Shadowpaw and Mistpaw too. I'm so incredibly happy to be a RoseClan cat and to have grown up with them. Hopefully we won't ever be separated.

"Since when do you meow such profound things?" With a mocking glint in his blue eyes, Shadowpaw leapt around Bramblepaw.

Bramblepaw playfully swiped at the grey and black tabby tom with one paw, but since he had been in training longer than she had, he was able to dodge easily.

At that moment, a long meow sounded. Bramblepaw lowered her paw. "Oh no, training," she grumbled, ears flattened. "Now Frostshade will make me drudge again."

Purring in amusement, Larkwing glanced over to the Birchtunnel where the white warrior was trudging back and forth, giving Bramblepaw such an intense look from her blue eyes at every turn, as if she wanted to pierce her with it.

Great StarClan, Frostshade seems to be really hard on Bramblepaw! But as long as she doesn't lose the joy of training because of it, it's all good, I guess.

"Well then, I have to go now," Bramblepaw meowed, "before Frostshade gets the idea to come up with worse things than she's already planning."

With those words, she sped off like the wind.

Shaking his pelt, Mistpaw stepped from one paw to the other. "I think we'll go and see if our mentors want us to drudge as well," the dark grey tabby tom announced.

Larkwing flicked her tail. "All right. Go now."

Lost in thought, she looked after the two toms. So all three of them voted for me because they're sure I can change the world. For a brief moment, she thought about checking who else had voted for her. But then she discarded the idea. Ultimately, it wasn't that important. What was important was that there were cats who trusted her so much.

On the opposite side of the camp, Larkwing spotted Lakepelt and Elderpelt, who were still standing next to the hollow.

Every bet that Elderpelt has voted for Lakepelt. Lately, they've been much closer than they used to be. Ignoring the urge to see if Amberhaze had also chosen her, Larkwing wanted to go to them.

But halfway there, she paused as Rainsplash overtook her without giving her a glance, standing in front of her kits with her back arched.

Uh-oh. What's going on there? Guided by her curiosity, Larkwing took a few steps forwards and turned her ears forward to make sure she didn't miss anything.

"What do you want?" Lakepelt meowed dismissively. The tip of his tail twitched slightly.

Elderpelt narrowed her green eyes. "You voted for Lakepelt too, didn't you?" the light tabico she-cat asked, her voice as cold as a frozen river. "Why, actually? I thought you weren't interested in us."

"That's right," Rainsplash growled. "Every day you remind me of the torment I had to endure because of you."

Larkwing almost shuddered at the venomous heartlessness in the grey and white speckled she-cat's tone. No mother would speak to her kits like that. And yet Rainsplash was busy proving the complete opposite.

Angered, Lakepelt took a step forward. "But it was you who brought us into the world in the first place!" he hissed. "And what have we ever done to you? You didn't even want to nurse us or give us names!"

"Because it was my duty!" Rainsplash replied shrilly. "In truth, I never wanted kits. But I had no other choice."

Shocked, Larkwing tried to process what she had just heard. What did she mean by that? Of course she had a choice! The decision to have kits should never be a chore, but because one really wanted them.

"No, you only have yourself to blame for that," Elderpelt declared bitterly. Even from her vantage point, Larkwing could see her digging her claws deep into the ground.

"Anyway, I'm glad that at least Reedclaw has already died." Rainsplash spoke her daughter's name as if it were the worst curse on earth. "One less burden. That's why I voted for you, Lakepelt. I just can't bear to know you and Elderpelt are alive anymore. I hope you die there in the same way as your worthless sister."

At that moment, Lakepelt's ice-blue eyes once again held that dark, intimidating expression as they had during the battle against the Shadowless. He set his sights on Rainsplash, his hind legs tensed as if he was going to attack her.

Fortunately, Elderpelt stepped in front of him, preventing him from doing something he might regret. "Why are you doing this?" she howled. Anguish contorted her face. "I wish you would just disappear! I'm so ashamed to be related to you."

"The feeling must be mutual," Rainsplash snapped. "I know what you did back then. I've always known there was something wrong with you. Although that's no wonder, since there have always been cats with homicidal tendencies in Cherryfang's kin."

Larkwing's heart was pounding hard. She's talking about Fernpool! Shuddering, she remembered what the dark reddish-brown and white tabby she-cat had confided in her the other night. She still couldn't believe what Fernpool had done and had to go through.

Elderpelt's eyes widened in fear. "Did you watch us?"

Rainsplash scrutinised her paws. "You're truly insane," she whispered. "When are you going to want to kill someone again, huh? How am I supposed to live with the fact that my... kits are so villainous?"

No... Larkwing shivered. The insane one here is you, Rainsplash. It broke her heart to see how Lakepelt and Elderpelt were treated like mousedung by their mother — the she-cat who was supposed to love them the most.

Without another word, Rainsplash whirled around and left the camp. It wasn't her kits she left behind, but the cats she had wanted to create despite her abysmal hatred.

Helpless, Larkwing could do nothing but stay where she was. It caused her tremendous pain to know that her best friend had been punished with such a mother.

Perhaps that was also the reason why Reedclaw had been so hateful in her lifetime. Maybe that was why Lakepelt was so spiteful towards Larkwing when she was still a kit.

Because they were never allowed to experience love from Rainsplash.