It was the night of the Gathering, and every cat was fighting for the right to come along. And rightly so, after all that had happened recently.

Bright leaving MoonClan was not too long ago, but it still felt like an eternity to Larkkit. Every now and then she even caught herself thinking that Bright had never been her Clanmate, let alone existed at all.

At this Gathering, it would probably become clear whether Bright had become a rogue or had joined another Clan. The former rumours outweighed the others, as Bright had made it quite clear that she wanted nothing more to do with Clan life.

The MoonClan cats took great pains not to talk about her. Shortly after she had disappeared, her nest material was cleared away and in addition, the burrow was covered up.

The only one who still showed his displeasure openly was Willowpaw. The red tom did not miss an opportunity to make slanderous remarks about Bright. Larkkit hardly believed that there was another cat with so much hate in its heart. "She doesn't deserve to be called a Clan cat ever again," Willowpaw had hissed, in response to the plea that he should finally calm down. "I hope everyone finds out what a lying, disloyal, cowardly she-cat she was, and then no one wants to be around her. Bright doesn't deserve pity or a second chance. She should be treated like crowfood. That's all she is, isn't she?"

Heatherpaw was ready to leave the nest and find her way to the fresh-kill hole with the help of Finstrike and Motleycloud, but she was barely responsive, if at all, and often flinched if one so much as touched her with the tip of one's whiskers. The long wounds that stretched across both eyes were slow to heal. It was unimaginable what she was going through, which is why the cats had decided not to tell her about Bright's disappearance for the time being. It would harm her recovery process.

Now Larkkit watched as Hailstar listed the cats for the Gathering. "Nightblossom. Finstrike, Motleycloud, can one of you come with me?"

The two looked at each other thoughtfully. Finally, Finstrike mewed, "I'll come."

"Good." Hailstar flicked his tail. "Pebbletail, Whitefur, Blacktail, Nutfur, Carnationtail, Puddlesun, Mapleblossom, Blazedew, Junipertail, Windheart, Streamwater, Firpaw and Stormpaw. The others stay here and protect the camp."

A collective groan from the cats staying in the camp followed.

Protect the camp? From what? Larkkit twitched her whiskers in amusement. Every Clan is going to partake in the Gathering. Who'd attack us?

Then a shiver, like rain made of ice and snow, ran down her spine and made her breathless. But we still don't know who or what had attacked Mapleblossom and Heatherpaw.

Mapleblossom's injuries were almost fully healed again and she was able to go on patrols again. However, she became incredibly jumpy. She seemed to have lost all her trust in other cats. Whenever someone had tried asking her about the incident, her whole body began to shake and she murmured in a slurred voice, "It doesn't exist. It's not real. It can't be caught, it can't be seen, it can't be heard, it can't be smelt." Until today, no cat could figure out what Mapleblossom meant.

Filled with deep longing, Larkkit looked after her Clanmates. She felt a desire to join them and learn the news of all the Clans, but unfortunately she was still too young.

Looking for something to do, Larkkit spotted Willowpaw trotting towards the medicine cat's den.

Larkkit followed him curiously and jumped behind a bush at the last moment when Motleycloud came out. As soon as Larkkit was sure that the medicine cat apprentice was out of sight, she crawled through the tunnel and squeezed herself between two bushes in the medicine cat's clearing.

Willowpaw stopped in the middle of the meadow, flicking his tail nervously and pacing lightly as if undecided how best to approach Heatherpaw.

After a while, Heatherpaw lifted her head and looked directly in Willowpaw's direction. "Come on now," she meowed, amused. "I can still smell you. So there's no need to be cautious."

Larkkit flinched. She hadn't considered that at all. But Heatherpaw didn't seem to have spotted her yet.

Willowpaw bowed his head and trudged over to his littermate, who was laying in a comfortable looking nest made of moss and foliage. Cautiously, Willowpaw crouched next to her and put his muzzle on her neck. "How are you?" he asked. His voice sounded dry and shaky, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time.

Heatherpaw took her time with the answer. "I'm in so much pain. I... I don't even remember how it felt like to live without the feeling of thorns piercing through my eyes."

"Is there nothing I could do?" Willowpaw whispered.

It broke Larkkit's heart to see him like that. Normally, he was just that annoying apprentice to her, but now she could finally see how important Heatherpaw was to him. No cat wants to lose a littermate. Not in this way.

Slowly, Heatherpaw shook her head. "No. Believe me, there is no herb that could heal me."

At this exact moment, Larkkit spotted her injury. It was difficult for her to not gasp loudly upon seeing the deep scratches that run across the ginger and white apprentice's eyes, or rather, where her eyes had been. This must have hurt so horribly! Heatherpaw is truly a strong cat for being so calm.

Willowpaw mewed sorrowfully and rubbed his nose against Heatherpaw's flank. "I wish I was there to protect you."

"No need to blame yourself," Heatherpaw purred softly.

"And you really don't remember who attacked you?"

Larkkit approached expectantly. They still hadn't received an answer from Mapleblossom and it would be better if they weren't reminded any further. However, Heatherpaw was still sane and might know more.

Disappointed, Larkkit watched as Heatherpaw lowered her head. "I wish I could," she replied in a hoarse voice. "But I haven't seen anyone. It just happened, and I couldn't react to it."

"I don't want to lose you already," Willowpaw murmured. "You'll get better eventually, won't you?" Anxiously, he bristled his auburn fur.

Quite a while passed before Heatherpaw spoke again. "No... I think it's time for me to go."

No! Larkkit's eyes snapped open so wide they hurt and buried her claws in the ground. She mustn't say that! Finstrike and Motleycloud would surely find a way to heal her.

"Never!" Willowpaw objected, his whole body trembling. "You can't. You mustn't go! Not yet!"

Heatherpaw sat up and put her muzzle on the tom's head. "It's alright. I've thought about that for a long time. I can't live like this. And if I did get well, what would become of me? Finding my way around the camp is one thing. But to hunt without knowing if there's a twig in the way? Or to fight without seeing who is attacking me? I'll never be a warrior like that."

Willowpaw shook his head with fierceness, shaking off Heatherpaw. He jumped up and paced restlessly. "So what? Then you'll find another way. I would have no problem guiding you all the time. Don't give up on yourself so easily."

"It's okay," Heatherpaw purred. "That's how it's supposed to be."

A soft whimper sounded from Willowpaw. "You can't leave yet! What am I supposed to do without you?" he begged.

At that, Heatherpaw turned so that she could lay her muzzle against Willowpaw's. "You'll be fine," she mewed encouragingly, but there was unspeakable pain in her eyes too. "I'll go to StarClan and watch over you from there all the time."

Willowpaw shivered. "It's not the same."

"I know. But I can't stay here any longer. It just hurts too much. The pain..."

Blinking, Willowpaw stared at his paws. "You really deserved to be a warrior. This is all so unfair!" He yowled the last words, slapping his tail heavily on the ground.

"I too wish it had turned out differently," Heatherpaw meowed softly.

Willowpaw jerked his head up. "I can ask Hailstar to give you your name!"

Heatherpaw's ears twitched. "You'd do that for me?"

The words just bubbled out of Willowpaw. "Of course! I know it's way too early for that, but if any cat deserves it, it's you!"

Will Hailstar really agree to this? Normally, a cat is only made a warrior when they have been trained for six moons and have successfully completed the final test. Larkkit pawed at the ground. Her leader was following the warrior code so strictly that Willowpaw's idea was pointless.

"All right," Heatherpaw meowed happily. "Thank you so much! It's my biggest wish to have ly warrior name."

Willowpaw jumped in the air briefly with joy, then slowly sank back to the ground beside his sister. "Sorry. I... I didn't want to disturb you."

"Don't apologise!" Heatherpaw contradicted energetically. "And don't become a piece of crowfood! When I'm in StarClan, I certainly don't want to see you there for the next leaf-changes! You can go on living without me. Just because I won't be around you anymore - because I'll be dead..." She paused. "That doesn't mean you have to mope all the time. I want you to have a good life. I want you to achieve everything you want. Keep living for me, okay? I love you so incredibly much, and I'm glad I was in a litter with you."

"I love you too, Heatherpaw," Willowpaw whispered, barely audible.

Brother and sister shared some more heartbeats of silence together, before Willowpaw got back on his paws. "I'm going to ask Hailstar tomorrow for your ceremony."

Heatherpaw blinked slowly. "Thank you," she said again. "And now go to sleep, please."

Indecisively, Willowpaw took a few steps, his gaze still fixed anxiously on Heatherpaw.

"Now go on," the ginger and white she-cat urged him more forcefully. "I'm fine at the moment. The Clan doesn't need it if you're too exhausted for your duties."

Willowpaw twitched his whiskers. "Even now, all you think about is your duties," he whispered with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Good night, sister dear."

"Good night," Heatherpaw replied.

When Willowpaw trotted past her hiding place, Larkkit ducked her head in a flash. It's lucky they didn't discover me!

Larkkit's heart had begun to pound violently and a crushing sadness had spread through her chest as if there were stones weighing it down. She had never realised what kind of bond the two of them had. Until now, she had thought Willowpaw was unfriendly and listless. But this moment showed me what was really going on inside him.

Larkkit furtively glanced over to Heatherpaw and carefully placed one paw in front of the other. Just as she had reached the tunnel, Heatherpaw suddenly meowed, "Larkkit!"

The she-kit froze in shock and whirled around. "I'm sorry!" she rattled off. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Immediately afterwards, she shut her mouth. What a pointless explanation!

But Heatherpaw didn't scold Larkkit for her rude curiosity. "Just do your best during training," she commanded in a soft, wistful voice. "And stay strong."

"Stay strong?" Larkkit repeated her words.

"No matter what happens, you have to stay strong and not lose yourself in your feelings. You are loved, Larkkit, remember that. Don't let your anger blind you in moments of despair."

What does she mean by that? Her gut told Larkkit that Heatherpaw was trying to warn her about something. "All right. Thanks." Larkkit hurried to get away from the medicine cat's den.

When she arrived at the main camp, she almost collided with Leafkit. "There you are!" he called out reproachfully. "You just disappeared like that."

Larkkit ran her tongue over her chest fur, embarrassed. "I'm here now. What's going on?"

Leafkit curled his tail upwards with joy. "We want to play Clan life," he announced.

"Clan life with only four cats?" Larkkit joked, but she too felt excitement. This was her favourite game ever! "Well then, come on, what are we waiting for?"

She ran across the meadow to her sisters. The sun had almost completely set. A cool breeze made Larkkit shiver slightly. Luckily, it was Newleaf now, so the nights were getting warmer. And my fur is thick enough to keep me fairly warm.

Dashkit ran back and forth impatiently. "What are you dawdling about for?" she scolded with a put-on seriousness.

Larkkit suppressed a purr. "Calm down, Dashkit."

"Dashkit?" the silver-grey tabby kit repeated sharply. She quickly climbed a small hill and looked down at Larkkit from atop it. "My name is Dashstar, if you please."

"All right, oh great Dashstar." Larkkit chuckled. "Which Clan are you leader of, anyway?"

The glow from Dashkit's blue eyes faded. "Of... uh, NightClan?" she suggested.

"You can't use that name because Nightblossom's name would be forbidden otherwise," Amberkit protested.

"Well, there's no Nightblossom in NightClan, so I don't care," Dashkit snapped at her. "Larkkit, you will be my deputy. What do you want to be called?"

Leafkit hissed angrily from the background. "It's always her!"

Larkkit ignored him. Helplessly, she alternately let her gaze wander over the camp and her fur. Choosing a warrior name is harder than expected. "I want to be called Larkfeather," she finally meowed. It sounded nice and elegant to her ears. It also went well with the first part of her name. Feathers are great. They're great to play with. And who knows, maybe I really will be called Larkfeather later.

"All right," Dashkit said. "How about you, Leafkit?"

Leafkit glared at her venomously for a moment, then muttered, "Leafwind, I guess."

"All right. And you, Amberkit?"

The dark reddish-golden she-kit had her eyes fixed on her small paws, as she often did. "So, well, maybe Amberfur?"

Such a simple name, it flashed through Larkkit's mind, but she refrained from saying it out loud. "Let's get started," she urged.

Dashkit jumped down from her hill. "It's morning now and the patrols have to be sent out."

For a moment, Larkkit waited for Dashkit to organise the so-called 'patrols', but then she realised that she was the deputy in this game and therefore it was her job. "First we need a border patrol to show the other Clans where... um, our borders are!"

"This is truly a good idea, Larkfeather," Dashkit replied. "The other Clans are called TreeClan, FlowerClan and BirdClan."

"Then the patrol will go to the FlowerClan border first," Larkkit decided. "Leafwind and Amberfur are on this patrol."

"Hold on!" Dashkit interrupted her. "I forgot to say that, but Amberfur is the medicine cat."

"Medicine cat?" Amberkit repeated incredulously.

Dashkit nodded. "Exactly. What would a Clan be without a medicine cat?"

Amberkit hung her head. "But I'd much rather be a warrior," she whispered.

"Well, you're not," Larkkit replied bluntly. She couldn't say any more, though, because she spotted Swallowfern coming towards them.

"Come on now, it's time for you to go to your nest," the black and white she-cat called over to them.

Dashkit promptly threw herself on the ground. "Do you have to do that?" she whined long and drawn out. "I'm not even tired yet!"

Swallowfern buried her nose in her daughter's fur good-naturedly. "Oh no, as I know you, you'll fall asleep in your nest after three heartbeats." With these words, she grabbed Dashkit by the scruff of the neck. "By my whiskers, since when are you so heavy?"

Larkkit purred in amusement. She would have loved to continue playing, but she too was slowly being overcome by tiredness and her warm nest seemed to be calling for her.

She trotted along leisurely next to Leafkit and Amberkit. Tomorrow is a new day, she told herself. I wonder what it will bring. She looked up at the Silverpelt thoughtfully. More importantly, what news had been shared at the Gathering? Larkkit was dying to know.

Suddenly Leafkit stopped. "There's something we need to tell you, Larkkit!" he blurted out.

Direct as always.

"Do you really want to do this now?" Swallowfern turned around, worry in her amber eyes. "Don't stress her. We don't even know if it will stay like this forever."

But Leafkit shook his head fiercely. "No, I think, she has a right to know as early as possible," he explained. "Before it might turn into something worse."

Larkkit froze. What is he talking about? Is there something wrong with me? Unable to control it, her body began to shiver.

Then she noticed that the other cats were casting pitiful glances at her, making her even more nervous. "Come on, tell me! I need to know!" she begged, even though she wasn't sure herself whether she would want to know what they were going to tell her. All kinds of different nightmareish scenes came up in her mind, every one worse than the last one.

"It's about your eyes," Swallowfern began. "To be exact, your eye colour."

"Is it visible now?" For a short moment, Larkkit forgot her worries. "How do they look?" Please, let them be blue! It would surely look totally awesome compared to my dark pelt.

Leafkit took a step forward. "Don't scream now, or anything like that. Just stay still."

I'm not supposed to scream when my eye colour is about to be revealed to me?

"Well, they're still developing," Leafkit stammered, "but as far as it's known, your left eye seems to become green-"

"Wait, what? My left eye?" Larkkit's voice grew loud and shrill with horror. "And my right one?" Her thoughts swirled around in her mind. Something had to be wrong. Something had to be terribly wrong.

"Well, it's blue," Leafkit revealed quietly.

My eyes are not the same colour? "This must be a joke, right?" She stared at Swallowfern in panic. "There must be a mistake! That's impossible! My eye colour is still developing, you said so yourself."

But to Larkkit's despair, Swallowfern shook her head. "I'm really sorry, Larkkit. But we've never seen anything like this before."

"We have to find an herb for it!" Larkkit jumped up and paced back and forth restlessly. "I'm disfigured! How could a cat ever look at me?" Just to think that she would be excluded or even banished because of her appearance triggered an indescribable fear in her.

"There is no herb that will help," Swallowfern meowed.

Shivering, Larkkit crouched to the ground. "I want to see it."

Swallowfern stepped forward and pushed her up with her muzzle. "Tomorrow," she promised, "Besides, there's something else I need to tell you. I think now is the time for you to know everything."

Larkkit exchanged a worried glance with their littermates. She didn't have the slightest idea what Swallowfern was talking about.

"Can you tell us right now?" Dashkit urged. "Otherwise I'll explode with excitement!"

Swallowfern purred briefly at her words, then her gaze became serious again. "It's better if you've had a good night's sleep before."

It was clear to Larkkit that she couldn't change Swallowfern's mind. Still, she couldn't