I never thought that I would have kits so soon after my warrior ceremony. Especialy with Tigerheart. My heart has been always looking up onto Bumblestripe since I left Tigerheart. But I had never realized that I had stayed with Tigerheart for too long. His face always popped up into my mind.

It was the time where Dawnpelt gave her thoughts about Jayfeather, accusing accusing him of murder. This made me more nervous then ever, and I couldn't possibly understand why Tigerheart agreeded whith her. Yes, they were littermates, but when Tigerheart had warned her about the threat before the Gathering, he said he didn't agree. He didn't sound like he was lying at the Gathering though, so this is what I did next.


It was two nights after the Gathering, and I opened my eyes to find a dark night await me. Ivypool squirmed uncomfortably in her sleep while she was training in the Dark Forest. A chill went down my spine. Bumblestripe lay in his nest looking very comfortable, murmuring things in his sleep. As I padded out of the apprentice denI thought I heard Bumblestripe say my name. I shook my head, he must really lie me to say my name in his sleep, I thought.

Icecloud was on gaurd outside. I trotted up to her and meowed, "I want to do some night hunting, would you like some thing?" Icecloud, nodded gratefully and I padded out into the stilness of the woods.

I let my senses reach out and let my eyes scan around. I headed toward the ShadowClan border since that is where most of the prey has been lately. I found a nest of a robin where there were three little chick with a mother bird.

I pelted through the undergrowth, noticing the distance between the nest and I were getting closer together. I past the stump meaning I only had a short way to run. I slowly crept into the undergrowth and hid myself from any weary prey.

A bird call sounded and three more followed, smaller though. Then silence followed. I felt my eyes widen in disbelief, those were my birds! I cast out my senses to see who had caught the birds. A familiar head looked up from his kill. It was Tigerheart, he looked up at the sky as if he knew I was watching him.

Quickly Tigerheart scooped up his fresh kill and bounded toward the border. I pelted foward, rage making my heart pump wildly. He was just up ahead, and in veiw.

I leaped onto his back and pinned him down. A soft sigh sounded, "Dovewing! I'm so glad to see you! We need to talk." I stared down to see a face with green eyes. A face with green eyes that were filled with tender love.

I felt my heart melt at his gaze. My paws slid down my back, and I looked at him joyfully. Then I looked at the prey beside him, and I rememberedd how he stood up for Dawnpelt at the Gathering. My heart turned icy cold.

I slashed out at him, claws unsheathed. I aimed a blow at his shoulder, it started to bleed but it was only a scratch. He doubled back and whimpered in pain. I stood over him and growled. In my mind I thought of all those nights I spent with him, and how betrayed it just to agree with his sister. Even though he knew it wasn't true.

"Why did you agree with Dawnpelt at the Gathering?" I snarled. He fidgeted away from me towards the tree and started to lick at the scratch on his shoulder.. "You wouldn't believe me when I tried to warn you. I felt myself being swept with grief." His eyes hardened, "I went onto the lake shore to rest one night before the Gathering. And there you were, with another tom, chasing each other. Chasing each other the way you and I did when we were at the abandoned house. I thought I lost you forever, so I sided by my sister."

He paused to look at me to see if it was enough. I sat a tail length away from here and stared at him. I started to realize why Tigerheart sided with Dawnpelt, and how I regretted my night with Bumblestripe. He must be heart broken, I thought. But something told me I needed to get more out of him.

"Then why are you here, why do you still care?" My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I waited for an awnswer. He finished licking the wound I gave him and he padded next to me. "It was because I hadn't had a moment where I didn't think of you. I realized that you must of thought the same way when I noticed your face. You looked have grief-stricken at the Gathering." His soft eyes were inches from my face, "I realized that you still care about me."

I looked at him and felt my heart leap for joy. All this time, we had still loved each other, but we thought we were done with us. I brushed my muzzle against his cheek. "I do still care about you," I whispered.

Tigerheart purred loudly, and together we started wandering,fur brushing, going any where. I saw the scent line of ShadowClan and thought about my own Clan. The trees rustled over head and I looked up startled. It was only a starling flying away. Beside me Tigerheart gave a mreow of laughter. "Scared of a bird Dovewing? It's hard to get you scared." Tigerheart glanced at me, "So where are we going?"

I let my senses reach out and let it travel to the abandoned nest. I searched the area to see if anyone was around. A scuffle behind a plank of wood made me turn around. A pair of glowing green eyes looked out from the shadows. I gasped and came back to Tigerheart and he looked at me with concern. "Is everything al right?" He asked.

I nodded but in my head a wind whipping thoughts chased eachother in my head. How had Ivypaw gotten there so fast? How did she know to go there? Why had she gone there. I sloly looked up at the trees.

That starling didn't fly because it saw me and Tigerheart, it saw Ivypool. I looked at the sky through the branches. It was minutes before dawn. Tigerheart seemed to notice the sky too and nodded in agreement. "That is why you gasped, the sun is nearly up. Well, godbye Dovewing, same place tomarrow?" I nodded and watched him leave to his own side of the border. When he was out of ThunderClan territory. I began climbing the tree where the starling flew away and instantly got a fresh whiff of Ivypool's scent.

I rememebred a training lesson that I had with Ivypool when we were apprentices. We were learning how to navigate through the trees. Ever since then Ivypool has been using it at every advantage. Even jumping ou of a tree to catch one in the air. Quickly I began to let my feet flow like the river, just gliding siletnly.

I began to reach the abandoned house and saw her crouching low in the shadows. I began to lightly peer down through a gap in the roof, thank StarClan there was only a claw of the moon out tonight, or my shadow would have been so easy to find.

Slowly I picked my way across the branches until I found a branch tha was stepping distance to the roof. I began to pad onto the rough and found it was easier to have my claws sheathed, unlike most wood. I padded toward the gap and peered down, I let my senses help me hear with that insane muttering. "She should know the truth about Tigerheart, she should know! All he is is some little peice of crow food who did something to make them happy. Taking some ones herbs ins't a happy thing. If Dovewing and Tigerheart hadn't been in love in the first place, we would have never had toget rid of the cat mint. And he also made Firestar loose a life when he lied to his Clan about how ThunderClan was going to take over that-" Ivypool stopped babbling and looked up. She saw me, and I guess she saw the look of shock on my face.

I looked down at her suspicously, "What was that all about? Who is 'them'?" Ivypool jumped from her corner in the shadows and used the planks to come stand next to me. "I didn't want to tell you myself. But, oh StarClan let her believe me." She looked down at me, and I actually saw sympathy in her eyes. Not the eyes that were always sleepy or shocked, or petrified. Just pure sympathy. Well, okay, not pure sympathy, they had a spark of anger. "Dovewing, I didn't want to tell you. But Tigerheart goes to the Dark Forest."