"Look over there."

A paw on her shoulder gently shook Larkwing awake. Blinking, she half-opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the harsh light shining between the blurred silhouettes of the trees.

Oh, that's right. We took a break on our search for the camp and I must have fallen asleep.

"There are cats over there," Topaz continued excitedly. "I think I can recognise Cherry and Trout, and — oh! Cats from your Clan too!"

Larkwing refrained from reminding her that they weren't all just from the same Clan. She stretched extensively, her front legs pointing forwards and her hindquarters upwards. Joy came over her, making her momentarily forget everything awful.

Shaking out her paws, she looked over at Crowshadow. The poor thing hadn't spoken a word the whole journey. She was still breathing, but her eyelids kept dropping shut.

"You stay here with Crowshadow," Larkwing instructed Topaz. "I'll be right back."

She dashed off in the direction Topaz had roughly pointed. Energy flowed through her and made her run faster. Maybe it was the prospect of soon being reunited with her patrolmates, maybe it was the fact that she had finally gotten some sleep. Nevertheless, she urgently needed to have her injuries tended to, eat something and sleep for a whole day and night to recover.

Soon she could see a patrol of four cats. However, she was disappointed to see that Lakepelt's black tabby pelt was not among them. Instead, she recognised Leafwind and Splashfur.

Oh, thank you, StarClan! The thought that something might have happened to Leafwind made Larkwing shiver. But he was alive and apparently not so badly injured that he could still move.

Regardless of the fact that she had better not burst in so unexpectedly, Larkwing came to a skidding halt in front of the four cats. Her lungs burned with exertion and she couldn't get a word out.

One of the two ruin cats, a tortoiseshell and white she-cat with stripes in her coloured patches, ruffled her fur in fright and hissed. But she didn't seem aggressive, rather frightened.

"Larkwing!" Leafwind dropped the vole he had been carrying in his mouth and slid towards her. "You're still alive?"

"Why? Did you think I'd just die on you?" Larkwing joked, trying to make a faint purring sound. Damn. I can't even purr anymore.

By now, the tabico ruin she-cat had put aside her hostility and tentatively reached out a paw towards Larkwing. Her nose twitched. "Aren't you the one from the prophecy?"

Embarrassed, Larkwing froze. She hadn't even thought of that! All the ruin cats still believed that she was the Guardian of the Ancient Stone. It would certainly be fun to inform them all of the truth.

Fortunately, the other ruin cat, a brown tom with dark, almost black spots and amber eyes, prevented her from telling the whole story just yet. "Cherry! That doesn't matter now," he whispered. "She's pretty badly hurt."

Gratefully, Larkwing bowed her head. Even though she only noticed the scratch when she contorted her face too much, she didn't feel comfortable walking around with an untreated wound any longer.

"Let me see that." Leafwind's visage appeared right in front of Larkwing, so close that she could see her tiny reflection in the pupils of his green-golden eyes. Without warning, he began to lick over the injury.

Does everyone here want to lick me until I have no fur left? Larkwing backed away. "That's not necessary," she grumbled. She was aware that Leafwind was only worried about her well-being.

Well, I'm kind of his 'unbiological' sister. What else could I have expected?

The next moment Splashfur pushed Leafwind aside carelessly and stared at Larkwing's muzzle with yellow eyes as round as full moons. "Really sick," he remarked. "How did you get that?"

"Uhh..." Suddenly Larkwing was overcome with the urge to run to the nearest water source and take a look at her face. Judging by Splashfur's reaction, the scratch probably looked worse than she thought.

"I actually don't know. It just happened," she fibbed blithely, knowing it had to be from the tentacle. "Could you go find Crowshadow?" She pointed her tail in the direction she had come from. "She's got it pretty bad on her hind leg. I'm serious. Don't faint."

Trout nodded. "We'd better have a look at that," he decided.

Leafwind moved to Larkwing's side. "I'll take Larkwing to the camp," he decided in a tone that brooked no argument.

"Do that." With a twitch of his ear, Trout led Cherry and Splashfur away.

After Leafwind had picked up his vole, he and Larkwing advanced deeper into the forest.

"Who's that for?" Larkwing enquired. The scent of the fresh prey wafted seductively around her nose.

"No one in particular, I don't think."

"Could you save it for later?" she asked in the most pleading tone she could muster. "I haven't eaten anything in ages."

Leafwind flicked his tail in confirmation. "I'll put it down next to your nest," the ginger mackerel-tabby tom promised.

The prospect of being able to eat something soon lifted Larkwing's spirits and made the journey to the camp easier. Even if it was only a small vole that would hardly satisfy her hunger. Being picky would not be appropriate under the current circumstances. Besides, she loved voles.

A root almost made her trip and fall over it. She barely managed to lift her paws and avoid an embarrassing accident. "Great, looks like I can't even walk anymore," she growled, the red tips of her black ears glowing warm with embarrassment. "Where is this camp anyway?" she continued before Leafwind could get the idea to make fun of her in typical sibling fashion.

"Not far from here," Leafwind answered. He clasped the vole tighter with his fangs for a moment, then loosened his bite again so that he could meow. "Listen, Larkwing, we should never have left you and Crowshadow behind. But Cirrus has forbidden everyone to go near the ruins."

Larkwing interrupted him. "Even though she knew we were still there?"

"That's exactly why." Leafwind became increasingly queasy as he spoke. "She said that if any cat tried to run after you, it would only end in their death. You should have seen her, then you'd understand why we didn't come to rescue you sooner."

Soothingly, Larkwing nuzzled her nose against his muzzle. "It's all right," she whispered, "I'm still alive. That's the main thing."

Still, there was a twinge in her chest. Against a dozen lives, two were worth nothing. Especially the lives of outsiders. Actually, Larkwing shouldn't blame Cirrus for wanting to ensure the ruin cats were safe first.

At the same time, she couldn't help but feel angry and insulted. If the Guardians were supposedly so important to the ruin cats, why had they left her behind? Why had they allowed her to almost die?

This got Larkwing thinking, and she realised something she should have noticed long ago. All this time, everyone involved had been talking about how they were going to sacrifice her. Subconsciously, she had assumed that meant she would have to die, but it never came to that.

A shudder that made every hair in her shaggy pelt stand on end chased from the tips of her ears down her spine to the tip of her tail. Maybe it was because she hadn't locked her consciousness in the Ancient Stone. It was likely that Sunray would have killed her then, leaving her soul forever trapped in the past with no chance of reaching the afterlife.

But why did Sunray need her consciousness in this stone at all? And what had caused her to change her mind so suddenly?

If what she claimed was really true... that she is a Shadowless whose mind is strong enough not to be completely taken over by mindless malice... and that with this bite she has also turned me into a...

Larkwing's heart beat faster and faster. The blood in her veins seemed to be on fire and she felt the urge to throw herself into water on the spot to get rid of the heat.

I can't be a Shadowless! How am I supposed to live with the knowledge that I'm turning into a literal nightmare?

"Here we are."

Larkwing's pelt twitched in shock. She had been so immersed in her worries that she had blocked out her entire surroundings. Now she took a look around and discovered that they were standing in front of a narrow, sloping path that led into a long, small ravine between two rock faces. A few large but stunted-looking bushes were growing there in a criss-cross pattern and a tiny waterfall cascaded down the right-paw rock face into a pool that was more accurately described as a puddle.

There were not many cats that Larkwing could count, only three. Among them were Cirrus, Lavender and a dark grey tom whose fur had an unusual bluish tinge. A stone fell from her heart. Somehow, she was glad to know that Lavender was here. The memory of the lilac tabby and white she-cat's confession that she felt pressured by her step-grandmother to find a mate was still fresh.

In her thoughts, Larkwing resolved to talk to her soon. Lavender was nothing more than a young, naïve she-cat who had been taught the wrong view of the world. Even though Larkwing couldn't stand her at first because she had behaved so pushy towards her best friend, she was much more empathetic towards her now.

Just as Larkwing was about to follow Leafwind, who was almost at the bottom, an angry hiss shook her body.

Snorting, Cirrus stomped through the camp, stirring up the mulch with her paws. "Topaz! Where the damn hell are you when you're needed?" she yowled so loudly that her voice echoed.

Oh oh, someone is mad. Larkwing shuffled down the path with her tail hanging down.

"I can hardly believe it! I let her out of my sight for a moment or two and it's like she's vanished from the face of the earth," Cirrus grumbled to herself.

Larkwing glided silently to Leafwind's side and hissed, "That's why you listened to her."

At that moment, Cirrus' blue gaze fell on her and her jaw dropped. "Are you still alive?"

No, I'm a ghost and I've come back to haunt you. But of course, Larkwing only said that in her mind.

With fur ruffled along her spine, Cirrus padded closer. "You look awful," she remarked.

"Thanks," Larkwing replied sarcastically under her breath.

Cirrus stuck her muzzle out and sniffed. Her surprised expression changed back to one of indignation. "The scent of Topaz hangs in your fur. Don't tell me she was with you!"

"Um, yes, she was." Larkwing chose her words carefully. It was clear that Cirrus was burning inside. "She came back to look for Crowshadow and me. Please don't be angry with her! Without Topaz, we'd still be at the ruins, and Sunray wrecked Crowshadow's hind leg. There's no way I could have brought her here on my own."

An extensive snort came from Cirrus' nostrils. "Never. Mention. That. Name. In. My. Camp," she rumbled, emphatically slow. "She's a filthy traitor who deserves to be eaten by worms underneath the earth. I so regret ever having given her my loyalty."

Hearing that filled Larkwing with relief. Now she had proof that Cirrus belonged to her side. I wonder what she would say if I told her I had clawed Sunray's eyes out, she thought.

"She fooled you all incredibly well," Larkwing meowed soothingly, not mentioning Sunray's exact method for safety's sake for fear Cirrus wouldn't believe her.

"I guess she did," Cirrus sighed. "Be that as it may. Go to Cloverdapple with that horrible scratch and get it treated." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and she added more quietly, "I still can't understand why you leave the healing to toms."

Without a goodbye, the grey and cream she-cat stalked off and out of the camp.

Full of resentment, Larkwing bit her tongue. She still remembered how Topaz had flown out of her pelt just because Phoebe had played with a stick in a 'wrong' way.

What strange rules they have. They don't let toms be medicine cats and don't teach she-cats to fight.

As he passed her, Leafwind flicked her shoulder with the tip of his tail. "I'll leave you the vole here," he explained and dropped the prey in question.

Thankfully, Larkwing blinked. Then she remembered something. "Where should I sleep?"

Leafwind paused. "There aren't any assigned dens yet, so it doesn't really matter, I'd say," he replied. "Shall I build a nest for you?"

"That would be nice." A yawn escaped from her mouth and Larkwing pressed her lips together. "Preferably somewhere quiet. I'm completely worn out right now."

After Leafwind had disappeared — taking her vole with him, probably so she could find her nest more easily — she set off in search of Cloverdapple. In between, she stopped at the rivulet to have a drink. The water hardly tasted refreshing, which could be due to the fact that only a few drops at a time made it into her mouth.

The new camp evoked in her a longing memory of home. The rock walls, the waterfall, everything was so similar that Larkwing felt a twinge in her chest. I wonder what the situation is like, she mused. Hopefully there haven't been any more attacks yet.

Suddenly she wanted nothing more than to be back at her beloved camp. She wanted to patrol the borders, go hunting and make her way through the dangerous River Ravine. She wanted to share prey with Bramblepaw, Shadowpaw and Mistpaw next to the apprentices' den in the evenings and sleep in a nest padded with moss and leaves beside Amberhaze at night.

For that reason alone, they had to complete this mission as quickly as possible. Would Cirrus be willing to tell them more about the Shadowless now that Sunray was gone? After all, they had been here for over a moon and had not been able to find out anything at all. Larkwing wanted to find out everything they needed to know as quickly as possible and then disappear from this place never to be seen again.

But that wasn't so easy. They couldn't leave the remaining ruin cats alone after everything that had happened. If Sunray and her manipulated followers came back, they would need all the help they could get.

Torn back and forth, Larkwing continued her search. I never thought the ruin cats would become so important to me!

Cloverdapple was quickly found. Just as Larkwing was about to wind her way between some rocks, she almost collided with him. Dazed, she shook her pelt.

"Larkwing?" For a heartbeat, the brown tabby and white spotted tom froze, his green eyes widening as if a StarClan cat was standing in front of him. Then he curled his tail upwards, purring. "I didn't think you'd come back. Where's Crowshadow?"

It delighted Larkwing that he had been worried about her, despite the fact that they were originally from different Clans that didn't even share a border. Apparently the journey did lead to forging bonds that went beyond their own Clans.

Or it's just a medicine cat thing, she thought with amusement. "Crowshadow will follow soon," she promised with a queasy feeling. Hopefully that was true. How slow could they be? "I think one of her hind legs is... broken or something like that. I sent Splashfur and a couple of ruin cats over to get her."

This seemed to calm Cloverdapple's mind, because his tail fell back into its resting position. "It'll be fine," he meowed. "But first it's your turn."

Larkwing felt terrible as she padded after Cloverdapple. Optimism didn't help at all. The longer she pondered, the more she realised that Crowshadow would never be able to walk again like she used to. But she just didn't have the heart to tell Cloverdapple.

There was an inconspicuous crevice in the rock face, hidden by long, dry branches of neighbouring bushes. It was the entrance to a cave, albeit a rather small one with room for three cats at most. Small piles of medicinal plants and berries lay pitifully on beech and linden leaves.

Even though Larkwing had next to no knowledge of herbs — apart from those used to treat injuries — she immediately realised that the supply couldn't possibly be complete.

"We managed to salvage a few from the ruins," Cloverdapple explained while he sniffed at the piles, "but it's nowhere near enough to supply everyone. If the... if they come back, I definitely want to be prepared."

"Where did they go anyway?" Larkwing inquired curiously as soon as he had finished. "There was no one left at the ruins."

Cloverdapple separated a small section of goldenrod and dock from the leaves they were lying on and began to chew them. Meanwhile, Larkwing settled down with her paws tucked under her. Dock really stings, she remembered. That was exactly why she could remember this herb so well. She may not have been interested in being a medicine cat, but something still stuck in her head from time to time.

"From what I heard, they disappeared over the bridge," Cloverdapple told her.

"But they're not gone forever," Larkwing spoke her thoughts aloud.

Flicking his tail in confirmation, Cloverdapple dropped the mixture of chewed herbs on her face. Barely a heartbeat later, the familiar burning sensation of the dock kicked in. Larkwing tensed up in pain, anchored her claws firmly in the ground and tried not to contort her face so that the precious poultice wouldn't fall off.

Ugh! That hurts, that hurts, that hurts! But as an adult she-cat, Larkwing held still and didn't dare to complain. Better to endure this horrendous searing feeling than to wait any longer and risk infection.

"Don't move," Cloverdapple commanded. Without taking his eyes off her, he stepped backwards and felt seemingly at random for something with the white tip of his tail until he found it.

Larkwing immediately recognised it as catchweed, proud of being able to remember so many medicinal plants. Maybe I should educate myself in herbs sometime soon, she thought. It will undoubtedly be useful. Even though I'm a warrior and a battle strategist, I'll certainly feel safer if I know how to heal myself in an emergency.

She held still while Cloverdapple fixed the poultice with the catchweed. "Be careful with it," he warned her at the end. "Despite everything, we have to be as sparing as possible. Some cats have agreed to look for new supplies, but it's not yet clear whether everything we need will grow here."

Without having to say it, Larkwing knew what he was worried about. It was quite possible that certain herbs only grew near the ruins, and after everything that had happened, the ruin cats definitely didn't want to return to this place anytime soon.

She would have loved to say something, anything optimistic, but that would be a lie. Although they were still completely in the dark, it couldn't be ruled out that they had seen Sunray and the renegades for the last time.

"I'm going to get some sleep now," she meowed.

"Do that." Cloverdapple flicked an ear. "I'll wait here until Crowshadow comes."

With her nose to the ground, Larkwing quickly located Leafwind's scent trail and followed it to a low, densely branched bush with small, pointed leaves. It was more spacious inside than it looked.

Her nest was already finished, and it was obvious that it had been made in a hurry. A layer of maple leaves lay in a deep, irregularly dug hollow, with moss on top. In the centre was the vole and Larkwing couldn't help but purr at the sight. It looks like it was just waiting for me. On shaky paws, she plopped down into the hollow. Now the tiredness that she had suppressed as best she could until now was making itself felt again.

But first she had to eat something before the empty feeling in her stomach became unbearable. Which was easier said than done, however, as she had to force herself to chew. Having previously looked forward to the vole, it was now almost agonising to get even one bite down. It was probably because her body was no longer used to eating.

For a while, Larkwing was only concentrated on eating — biting out a piece, chewing, swallowing — so that there was no room for other thoughts in her head. It was only when her eyes happened to squint at the poultice on the bridge of her nose that all the worries and memories came flooding back.

Shivering, Larkwing stared at the remains of the vole. I wish I knew what Sunray was up to. She closed her eyes. The shape of the golden spotted she-cat loomed dimly in her mind. With bared fangs, her face, covered in fresh red welts, was directed at Larkwing.

Fear rose in Larkwing, which soon turned into a queasy nausea. She deserved it after destroying Crowshadow's leg. You were actually too merciful with her. You had the chance to get her out of the way once and for all.

Larkwing winced. "Yes, I really should have done that," she murmured as if in a trance. I have to punish Sunray for what she did. That is my purpose. And to do that, I absolutely have to know where she is, what she's planning...

All at once, an environment began to take shape around Sunray's figure. A raised, round, flat surface materialised beneath her paws. In the background, the rusty, ivy-covered skeleton of a skyden could be seen.

"Hear me, my subjects!" With an echo, Sunray's voice rang through Larkwing's head. As she spoke, cats emerged from shadows. "Too soon, my masters have forced me to retreat." Her tail lashed. "But we have made progress. We've weakened our targets mentally and physically. We have the blood needed to activate the main processor. Unfortunately, I have not managed to capture the memory of the sacrificial offering."

To Larkwing's surprise, fear appeared on the faces of the renegade ruin cats. They crouched like panicked rabbits while the tentacle hovered menacingly above them.

An orange and white she-cat, whom Larkwing recognised as Blaze, raised her rasping voice. "Sunray, what's going on? How did we get here? Somehow I can't remember anything, only that there was a fight and—"

"Silence!" Sunray thundered. At the same moment, the tentacle swept down and stabbed Blaze in the neck. With a gargling scream, she fell to the ground.

Agate was immediately at her side. "Blaze!" he mewed in horror and shook her with his front paws. "Blaze, wake up! Say something!"

The tentacle tore itself away from the she-cat's body and returned to its starting position. Meanwhile, Sunray looked down at them. "Don't worry, she's not dead," she purred. "She's just going through the transformation to a Shadowless. She'll stay with you a little longer, just as a different, better species. Well, assuming her body is strong enough to keep functioning long enough."

Agate's black fur began to bristle. A growl rose from his throat as he pushed himself in front of Blaze, who still lay motionless. "You're a traitor," he pressed out in disbelief. "I guarantee we won't follow you after what you've done!"

"Yes, you will," Sunray retorted. "By order of my masters, you will meet the same fate as Blaze. Your souls will be possessed and you will never be yourselves again. Instead, you will serve a higher power, one that is above all life."

Some cats began to crawl backwards very slowly. Only Agate remained at Blaze's side, not taking his eyes off Sunray.

Sunray continued, this time with an even more ominous tone. "As soon as the moon is bathed in shadows, we'll attack the camp of the weak ruin cats and destroy them. Even with the support of the strangers, they won't be able to fend us off." With a forepaw, she pointed at the crusted wounds that blinded her eyes and she bared her fangs with a hiss. "But leave the she-cat with the mismatched eyes who did this solely to me! As soon as I've killed her, I'll take what I've been denied so far and— Thistle! Where do you think you're going?"

A small, black and white spotted she-cat, who could at most be the age of a newly appointed apprentice, paused, startled. She scrambled back hastily and hid her muzzle between her paws. "I'm sorry," she squeaked in a bright voice. Her whole body was trembling. "B-b-but I... I can't f-fight. And w-w-why do you order us to do such... such terrible things? We used to b-belong to the same c-camp."

"Once you're shadowless, all you'll think about is fighting," Sunray retorted. "It's an instinct that comes with the transformation."

Agate leapt to his paws, his tail lashing. "That's enough!" he hissed. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but we're not going to let you take advantage of us anymore." He took a few steps back in a provocative manner. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to stop me?"

Visibly uncomfortable, the other cats stayed where they were. Several pairs of eyes were fixated on Blaze, an unmistakable example of what would happen to them.

Then, soundless as an owl, Sunray leapt off the platform. Agate had no chance of fending off her attack. His amber eyes widened as she dug her fangs deep into his neck.

"The subjects of the Shadowtakers are growing," she whispered almost reverently and let Agate fall limply to the ground. "Soon we will be travelling on to the main..."

At that moment, her voice and the surroundings dissolved into countless points of light, and Larkwing was back in her nest. As if she had broken through the surface of water, she gasped for air.

What has just happened? It couldn't have been a dream. Trembling, she curled up in a ball. Maybe a vision? But I'm not a medicine cat...

Whatever it was, it sounded deadly serious — and if it was true, she had to warn the ruin cats as soon as possible.