(Cat above is Nighthowl)

Lostpaw followed Berryseed through the forest.  The sun was beginning to go down and a few stars of Silverpelt had alreay come out. She adjusted her grip on the comfrey she carried. It was a couple of moons since her dream. The two mysterious cats from the Sandy Hollow had occupied her mind all day and Lostpaw secretly hoped that all of this would blow over.

But to her dismay, nothing went away. It clawed at her to tell about the cats and her dream but she had kept it to herself for moons. Concern for Barkpaw and Brownpaw filled her heart. What if those two cats are dangerous? What if Barkpaw and Brownpaw get hurt or killed?

"Berryseed, can I tell you something?" She asked.

Berryseed nodded, adjusting his grip on the marigold he carried.

"A couple of moons ago when I went to get herbs, I heard voices and followed them to the Sandy Hollow and I saw and black cat and dark gray cat talking. They didn't look familiar and they had this strange ghostly appearance."

Berryseed's eyes lit up with a look of what to Lostpaw look like anger and concern. "What did they say?"He asked.

"They were asking if this was were the black cat's clan's apprentices train and the names Clawfang and Deathstar." Lostpaw mewed.

Berryseed had a distant look in his eyes. Before Lostpaw could react he took of sprinting towards camp. She grabbed the dock leaves and ran after him.

She followed him to Rabbitstar's den. The light brown and cream tom jumped as they burst into his den.

"Lostpaw, tell Rabbitstar what you told me." Berryseed mewed,panting.

Lostpaw sat down and quickly explained everything. Rabbitstar stared back at her for a moment. He slowly turned his gaze toward Berryseed.

"The Dark Forest." He mewed. "I had a feeling we'd see them again."

Lostpaw had heard stories about the Dark Forest from the elders when she was a kit. She thought about what she heard in her dream and wondered if it was a prophecy. If it is a prophecy does it have something to do with me?

"Rabbitstar," Berryseed mewed. "Lostpaw said she saw the cats by the Sandy Hollow. I suggest telling Badgerclaw and Nighthowl to not take Barkpaw and Brownpaw there for a while."

Rabbitstar nodded. "Send them to me."

Berryseed and Lostpaw exited his den and found the two warriors. They padded back to their den and put the herbs away. Berryseed sat in the back of the den, hung his head, and wrapped his bushy gray tail neatly around his paws. Lostpaw went and sat next to him. She looked up at him and he had a sad look in his eyes.

"Berryseed, are you alright?"she asked him.

Berryseed let out a long sigh."Deathstar is the leader of the Dark Forest. He and his deputy,Poisonfang, started the battle that killed my mother, father, and sister when I was Berrypaw."

Lostpaw looked down at her paws. "I'm sorry." She meowed, pressing her muzzle to his shoulder.

"Thanks,"Berryseed mewed,as he stood up."I'm gonna go take a walk......alone"

Lostpaw watched him leave. Her stomach clenched with sympathy. She looked toward the gorse tunnel as a patrol came back. She saw Nighthowl among Ratfang, Ivytail, Thrushleaf, and Tawnypool. The strong feeling she felt before surged through her as she bounded over to meet him.

"Hi, Nighthowl."

"Hey, Lostpaw," He mewed. "How was herb gathering?"

"It was great until-" She stopped herself.

Nighthowl brushed his bushy tail along her back."It's okay. That's what Rabbitstar told me and Badgerclaw. He said not to take Barkpaw and Brownpaw there anymore." He paused to give his chest fur a couple of licks. "That's why we were patrolling. We were looking for a temporary place to train them."

Lostpaw nodded her understanding. "Did you find one?

"Yeah. It's not as big but it'll do."

From across the clearing, Barkpaw was calling out to Nighthowl.

"Gotta go." He laughed. "My apprentice needs me."

"Okay. See you later." Lostpaw meowed.

Nighthowl nodded and bounded off. Lostpaw felt sad after he left. Berryseed padded through the gorse tunnel, looking happier than before. Lostpaw padded over to meet him.

"How are you feeling?"she asked.

"Better." Berryseed answered. "I went and checked out the Sandy Hollow."

A shiver ran down Lostpaw's spine. The two cats' voices pierced her ears. Lostpaw's thoughts were flooded with the prophecy from before. It seem as if anytime a cat mentioned the Sandy Hollow, the scream and cries echoed in her ears .

Starclan, she pleaded. What do I do?

She was about to pad back to the medicine den when Rabbitstar leapt to the Highrock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting."

Lostpaw followed Berryseed to front of the clan. She suspected that Rabbitstar was going to say something about the two cats and the new temporary training spot. She looked up at her leader and she could see that his pale blue eyes were full of concern and uneasiness.

"Cats of ThunderClan!" Rabbitstar called from the Highrock. " Lostpaw has seen two Dark Foreat cats by the Sandy Hollow. I advise every cat to stay away from there until we know for sure that there are only two."

"Until you're sure?" Marshcloud meowed. "Dark Forest cats neve attack alone."

"What if there are more?" Redlight asked from the nursery.

"Will there be another battle?" Sedgeleaf called out

"Will the clans combine again?" Flarefur asked.

From beside her, Lostpaw heard her cousin Desertstorm whisper to his sister, Emberfrost. "Thank StarClan this didn't happen when we we training."

Emberfrost nodded in agreement. The two cat's father, Thrushleaf raised his tail to speak. "ShadowClan may not go for it." He put in. "It took some convincing for them to join last time."

"WindClan and RiverClan will." Streampelt added. "ShadowClan will have to. They won't be able to fight the Dark Forest by themselves."

"And if they think they can, then let them." Barkpath chimmed.

"What about the Sandy Hollow?" Asked Alderglow.

"We can take care of them if there were just two." Snaketail meowed. "We have to train Barkpaw and Brownpaw there."

Snowwind turned her gaze to the dark brown and black tom. "Did you not listen? There are Dark Forest warriors there. Our concern is not the Sandy Hollow. Our concern is that Barkpaw and Brownpaw are safe. They are the future of the clan as well as the kits."

"They need somewhere to train." Runningflare mewed. "If they can't train at the Sandy Hollow then where will they train?"

Murmurs and arguments erupted from the clan. Lostpaw look around at every cat. It was clear that some cats agreed with Snowwind while other agreed with Snaketail.

"Snowwind is right!" Pebblestream called. "We shouldn't send any cat there. We must protect and make sure every cat is safe."

"I agree with Snowwind." Firegaze mewed. "Barkpaw and Brownpaw are our only apprentices."

"The Dark Forest attacked the camp last time." Shrewfall called from his spot beside Deerspeckle. "My kits are the only kits we have."

"Our kits and apprentices must be protected." Rosewind cried and Daisybreeze added,"They are the heart and future of the clan."

Lostpaw shuffled on her paws. I need to tell them that the two cats are looking for the other clans' training spots. She slowly rose to her paws.

"Rabbitstar!" She called, her voice loud but shaky. "May I say something?"

"Go ahead." Rabbitstar mewed.

"I heard the Dark Forest cats say that they were going to look for the other clans' training spots starting with ShadowClan." Lostpaw meowed, her voice more confident now.

"Why should we care about ShadowClan?" Webfang asked.

"Yeah." Cedarflame agreed with her brother. "Think about all the stuff they've done to us."

"We worry and help ShadowClan just as we do for WindClan and RiverClan." Chervilcloud hushed her kits. "The right thing to do would be to warn ShadowClan."

From Lostpaw's other side, Hareleap lifted his head to meet his brother's gaze. "Rabbitstar, Chervilcloud's right. We should warn the other clans." He mewed. "They nay know what the Dark Forest is capable of but they're not prepared for or expecting another attack from them."

"None of us are prepared." Fernbreeze mewed. "None of us were expecting another attack. The first battle was so awful."

Grayshade flicked his tail from his spot outside the elders den. "We beat them last time and no cat was prepared or expecting it. We can do it again."

"What is your order, Rabbitstar?" Spidersilk asked. "What you say goes."

"I'll warn them at the gathering and yes, Snowwind is right." Rabbitstar agreed. "From now on, no going to the Sandy Hollow."

Lostpaw saw Snaketail muttered under his breath and Voletail lean in and head him whispering, "The word of the clan leader is the warrior code," in a some what smug tone.

The moon was now high in the sky and the clan began to file to their dens. Lostpaw curled up in her nest and burried her nose in her paws. Fear tore through her like a massive claw. Her mind was wirling with questions.

Had the other clans seen the cats yet? Had the other leader initiated the same rule as Rabbitstar? Had the other medicine cats received the same words she had?

She shook her thoughts away and let sleep wash over her like black wave.