A thick layer of snow covered Thunderclan's camp. Leafbare had come. The trees and undergrowth glittered with frost in the weak sunshine. Dawn patrol was returning with Spiderleap in the lead.
"Borders safe?" Icefeather asked as she padded towards them.
Spiderleap nodded. "I think so, although Shadowclan have been straying uncomfortably close to our borders."
Icefeather gazed at him for a few more moments before twitching an ear and nodding. "I'll talk to Fernstar about it."
Spiderleap nodded before turning to Flowerpaw. "Okay, Flowerpaw, I-," he stopped midmew when he noticed a nasty scratch on the back of her neck. "What's that?" he asked her in confusion.
Flowerpaw flexed her shoulders and shook snow off her pelt. "It's nothing," she mumbled.
Spiderleap's eyes widened. "Nothing? You're bleeding," he meowed, stretching out his neck to sniff her.
Flowerpaw ducked away. "Honestly, I'm fine," she growled.
Spiderleap stared at her with surprise. "What has gotten into you?" he asked.
Dustwind, who was just walking past, halted. "Everything all right?" he asked awkwardly.
Spiderleap glanced aside. "Yes, thanks, Dustwind," he meowed. The cream tom nodded before continuing on his way. After he'd gone, Spiderleap turned to Flowerpaw. "What would your mother say if she saw that? Go see Jayfeather," he ordered her.
Flowerpaw stiffened and opened her mouth to snap something when Dawnpaw bounded up behind her. "Oh there you are!" she meowed. Flowerpaw flashed her a look that screamed for help, and Dawnpaw glanced at Spiderleap. "Also, I've gotten rid of that thorn that stabbed you in the back! How did you manage to sleep through all that?" she snorted.
Flowerpaw visibly relaxed before nodding her thanks. "Told you it was nothing," she grumbled at her father before brushing roughly past him with Dawnpaw on her heels.
Just as the two apprentices bounded past the warriors' den, Badgerblaze pushed his way out of the den. Honeyleaf's slimmer body easily slid through the gap in the bush after him. The clan was waking up.
Ravenheart, who was just finishing a mouse, raised her rump and dug her claws into the soil before arching her back into a wonderful stretch and yawning loudly.
"I thought the two of you would never wake up!" Ravenheart yawned as she padded towards her parents. "So, what do you say? You did promise me yesterday to go hunting squirrels with me," she pointed out as she sat down beside them.
"Give us peace to wake up," Badgerblaze grumbled as he blinked sleep from his eyes.
Honeyleaf gently nuzzled him before stepping towards the fresh-kill pile. "I feel like I could eat the whole fresh-kill pile!" she meowed as she started sorting through the pile. "It's not like there's much on it anyways," Ravenheart snorted as she followed her mother. As she stopped beside the yellow and white she-cat, she noticed drops of scarlet on her fur. "Honeyleaf, you're bleeding," she meowed, glancing with surprise at her mother.
"What?" Honeyleaf mumbled from around a scrawny mouse.
"Look." Ravenheart touched her shoulder with her nose. "Wait, you're not wounded, yet you have blood on your fur." Ravenheart shook her head with confusion until she looked back at her father. His shoulder was bleeding heavily.
Her eyes widened as she hurried over to him. "Badgerblaze, what in Starclan's name has happened?" Honeyleaf gasped as she hurried after her daughter.
Badgerblaze flexed his shoulder. "It's just a scratch," he muttered.
"No, Honeyleaf, look. It's so deep, how could you sleep with that?" Ravenheart asked as Honeyleaf inspected the wound.
A moment later, Adderfang stumbled out of the den. "It's probably just a thorn in his nest. I got one the other day in mine too, and I still got a nasty scratch," he mewed and raised a paw. On it was a small gash. "Seems like the apprentices aren't doing a good enough job these days," he murmured.
Ravenheart glared at him. "They're doing a better job than you did as an apprentice. Believe me, Adderfang. I've heard stories."
Adderfang bared his teeth at her but she only flicked her tail in reply before turning back to Badgerblaze and Honeyleaf.
While the cats had been talking, a silver tabby and white pelt glittered from behind the warriors' den. Ivypool stumbled out, eyes wide. Looking up, she gazed straight into Jayfeather's sightless eyes. But he was staring at her too. They knew exactly what was going on. The wounds weren't because of thorns or thistles, not because the apprentices weren't doing a good job. No, the Dark Forest was rising once again.
