Moonshadow trudged slowly through the grass as the sun slowly began to rise, he clearly remembered the events of last night's fight; Dawnwing was taken prisoner by the scarred wolf and he had tried to save her but failed. Guilt and anxiety pricked at Moonshadow's heart.

"Moonshadow? Are you okay?" Stardust's voice brought him back to the present. They were following the ginger cats that helped them to safety.

"Moonshadow, it's not your fault that you couldn't save Dawnwing." Stardust comforted him. "No one could have saved her then. Maybe once we arrive at those ginger cats' safe place, we can make a plan to save Dawnwing."

Moonshadow nodded slowly. But what if Dawnwing's already... gone?  He thought anxiously.

"The scarred wolf won't kill her just yet Moonshadow, they'll want to know where we're going and what we'll do. There's still a chance we can save her." Stardust told him.

Moonshadow glanced at her, surprised that she could tell what he was thinking. She was not badly injured in the fight, there was only a few scratches and a small bite on her neck.

Stardust looked up at him, "I know what you're thinking." She smiled, then she padded ahead towards a pale ginger tom with black stripes. 

It seems like two days ago Stardust was only a kitten and now she's almost fully grown, Moonshadow sighed. He missed the old days when things were much simpler and less complicated. I wonder what's happening to Dawnwing right now, he thought.

***

Dawnwing blinked her eyes and looked around her. She stiffened when she saw that she was surrounded by dark pines and blackness. Moonshadow, Stardust and Robintail were nowhere in sight. 

Where am I? She thought. Looking down, she saw something thick like brambles and sharp as thorns coiled around her legs. I remember seeing these before; the giants use it to keep animals out of their territory, she recognised the tendrils as barbed wire.

Suddenly, three shadowy shapes approached slowly towards her. Dawnwing swallowed nervously. As the three shapes neared her, they revealed themselves as Icefeather, a black battle-scarred wolf with icy blue eyes and a dark brown wolf with yellow eyes like a hawk.

"Dawnwing, where are Moonshadow and the others heading to?" Icefeather asked slyly.

"I'll never tell you, you good for nothing excuse of an owl!" Dawnwing spat. They're trying to get information about where we're heading to so that they can capture Moonshadow and the others, Dawnwing thought. She tugged at the barbed wire and tried to break free but the wire tightened around her leg and Dawnwing had to stop pulling or the pain would get worse.

"It's barbed wire, you'll never break free," Icefeather told her coolly. "Anyways, answer my question!" She snapped.

"No." Dawnwing replied firmly.

"Yes you will, where are they?" Icefeather demanded.

Dawnwing shook her head.

Icefeather looked at the black wolf and nodded. The black wolf stalked menacingly towards Dawnwing. There was a loose string of barbed wire tied around Dawnwing's leg. The wolf tugged at it and immediately, piercing pain shot through Dawnwing's leg as the wire tightened and the barbed needles stabbed at her legs. Dawnwing hissed in pain but still managed to stand.

"Now tell us or we'll do it again," This time, the brown wolf spoke. His voice was edged with irritation at Dawnwing's resistance.

Dawnwing glared back at them. Truthfully, she didn't know where Moonshadow and Dawnwing were at the moment. After she was captured she had blacked out.

"Fine, I don't know where they are." Dawnwing hissed.

"Liar, tell us now or else," Icefeather retorted.

"Look, they didn't tell me where they would go and I blacked out after you captured me. How should I know where they are now?" Dawnwing bristled at Icefeather's accusation.

"Again," Icefeather signaled to the black wolf. The black wolf tugged at the wire.

Dawnwing flinched at the agony, her legs were now beginning to bleed.

"Enough," the brown wolf spoke. "If the prisoner doesn't know and she does have reason; after all, she fainted and wouldn't know a thing. We can still use her as bargain for information. Let's ask the Snowies."

"Good idea Hawkclaw," Icefeather replied. Then she and the two wolves padded away and vanished into the darkness.

***

Stardust felt better after comforting Moonshadow. Thanks to Ash, she knew what Moonshadow was thinking and feeling then Stardust came up with things to say and Moonshadow looked a lot more relieved.

"Stardust, you fought well last night but you must fight again." Ash mewed.

Why? Stardust replied to him in her mind since this was the only way they could communicate. Are we going to be attacked again?

"Yes, there is a great battle coming; it will storm towards the north and you all must unite against it, or all of you will fall." Ash murmured.

Then how should we prepare for it? Stardust asked.

"Use your instincts and share your ideas with the others, you and Moonshadow can save us all." Ash's voice and presence around Stardust began to fade. 

Talking to her father comforted Stardust; it made her feel braver and more optimistic about the future although sometimes he can be confusing and a mystery. How does he read minds? Why can't Moonshadow and the others hear and sense him around us? Why am I the only one? Also, what does he mean by "Only me and Moonshadow can save everyone"? By the way, that kind of sounds familiar. Stardust wondered to herself.

She looked around her and saw the pale ginger tom with black stripes, he was talking to the ginger and white she-cat next to him. Stardust padded closer towards him.

"Um... hi," Stardust greeted him awkwardly, unsure of how to start the conversation.

The tom turned and saw her. "Hi." He smiled, then he turned back towards the ginger and white she-cat as she said something to him again.

"So, we'll just tell Sunblaze about everything I guess, after all the code says that clan leaders should know what's going on," the ginger and white she-cat mewed.

"Sure, you can tell him." The pale ginger tom answered. The she-cat padded away and he turned back towards Stardust. "So, what's up?" He mewed curiously.

"Um, nothing. I just wanted to say thanks for saving me from that wolf." Stardust remembered the black wolf leaping at her the night before and the tom slammed against the wolf, saving Stardust from the wolf's fangs.

"Oh, you're welcome. You were in danger so I helped you." He replied with a smile.

Stardust smiled back. They continued to pad through the grass in silence.

"Um, so where are you taking us?" Stardust asked.

"To our camp. We'll tell our leader, Sunblaze, about you guys," the tom replied casually.

"Oh okay. Are you cats all part of a clan?" Stardust mewed.

"Yep. We're the Dawntreaders and we're the bravest clan."

To her surprise, the tom placed his tail on Stardust's shoulder comfortingly. "I know you're grieving about your owl friend," He mewed quietly. "I'll try to persuade Sunblaze to send a rescue patrol and save her."

"Oh, thank you." Stardust beamed.

The tom smiled. "Um... what's your name?"

"I'm Stardust," Stardust mewed.

"I'm Beesting but you can call me Bee for short." Beesting meowed.