Bluestar gasped. "Thistleclaw is gone?!" She hissed. "Why did no-one realise?!"

Petaldust flinched. "He must've snuck out! He's like a snake, Bluestar! I'm sorry!"

Bluestar's eyes narrowed. "It's alright. I'll follow his trail, and-"

A yowl came from the nursery. "My kit!"

Bluestar exchanged an anxious glance with Petaldust and ran into the nursery. Leopardfur was looking terrified. "Lionkit is gone!"

Bluestar's claws sunk into the ground. "Do you think that..."

Leopardfur looked up at Bluestar furiously. "Thistleclaw must've stolen her! We need to find him and make him pay!"

Bluestar gave the queen a comforting lick. "It's alright," she murmured. "I'll go after him and find him myself. I promise I'll bring Lionkit back with me if he has her."

Leopardfur still looked horrified but nodded with a whimper. "Please bring her back. I don't know what I'll do without her."

Bluestar smiled warmly. "I will," she meowed, padding out of the den.

When she left, she was greeted by Whiteclaw and Oakheart looking nervous. "We heard what you said-" Oakheart began.

"Let me come with you!" Whiteclaw blurted, eyes wide. "Lionkit is my daughter and I need to find her!"

Bluestar shook her head. "I'm going alone. I don't want anyone else to get hurt," she meowed firmly. She knew exactly where Thistleclaw was going.

Right to Whitestorm, Tigerclaw and Darkstripe, she thought with a lurch.

Oakheart gasped. "But your kits! What if you..."

Bluestar stared at him with an eyebrow raised. What a silly question, she thought tartly.

"I'm not going to have my kits for three more seasons, Oakheart. I won't be gone for that long. She waved her tail. "Whiteclaw, you need to look after the camp while I'm gone. Brokenstar might try to attack and we need you here."

Whiteclaw looked away from the leader's intense gaze. "Yes, Bluestar."

"I pray to StarClan this won't happen, but if I don't come back after a moon, then you need to go and get your nine lives," she hissed in a low voice. "Don't tell anyone else that."

"But-" Oakheart began to protest.

Bluestar interrupted him with a grunt. "Just in case, Oakheart. It's not likely."

With wide eyes, Whiteclaw nodded. "Yes, Bluestar," he repeated. "But you'll come back."

Bluestar dipped her head. "RiverClan!" She announced, padding to the entrance of the camp. "I will be leaving to find Thistleclaw and Lionkit and bring them back. Do not panic, I will find them both. Whiteclaw will look after the camp while I am gone!"

Feeling determined, Bluestar turned to the entrance of the camp. She took a deep breath and left her clanmates behind for what may be forever.

--

Bluestar trekked through RiverClan's forest, eyes narrowed. She followed Thistleclaw's scent to the border that RiverClan shared with ThunderClan. Bluestar bit her lip. Maybe Thistleclaw just went to ThunderClan camp and they're looking after Lionkit and holding him prisoner? She knew she was being naive as she followed the scent more. It went past ThunderClan territory and to the unknown. Bluestar realised that she was about to go far out of Clan territory, and squashed her doubts and anxieties down. She stepped off of ThunderClan territory and into who knows where.

--

Bluestar padded through a grass field, beginning to shiver. Snow was falling harder now and she was worried she'd lose Thistleclaw's scent. She sped up, hoping the scent wouldn't disappear. Anxiety flooded her stomach, threatening to choke her. She sunk her claws into the ground, her teeth beginning to chatter. But he trudged on through the forest, still following Thistleclaw's scent. The snow began to fall faster and it became colder but she didn't dare stop and rest. Not when she had to find Thistleclaw and Lionkit. As she walked, she heard a yowl from someone.

For a second she was excited, thinking it was Thistleclaw or one of his cats, but realised a few moments after it was a stranger. A young tom trotted over to her with a curious expression on his face. "Hi! Who are you?" He asked. "Are you one of those forest cats?"

Bluestar studied the black and white tom thoughtfully. His questions were quiet and sincere, not overwhelming at all. "Yes, I am. My name is Bluestar. Who are you?"

The tom tipped his head to one side. "My name's Barley. Are you looking for the cat that passed here not too long ago? He had a little ginger kit with him. Big, battle-scarred, grey?"

Bluestar nodded. "Thistleclaw and Lionkit! Do you know which direction he went?"

Barley looked startled. "You're going after them in all this snow?"

The leader's expression was firm. "Yes. I need to find him. Did you ever see another group of cats, maybe three of them? A white tom, a tabby tom and a dark grey tom?"

Barley nodded. "Yeah. They were hurrying pretty fast, it seemed. They went that way," he meowed pointing with his tail in the direction Bluestar was walking, "As did the grey tom and the kit."

Bluestar purred, relieved. "Thank you, Barley. Where's your den?"

Barley shrugged. "I was thinking of moving into the barn over near the big moor. Looks comfy, but haven't really gotten around to it. There might be twolegs or other things."

Bluestar dipped her head. "Good luck. I've been in there before. If I weren't a warrior I'd probably live there. See you, Barley."

Barley smiled. "Thanks for the help. Good luck with who you're looking for!"

Bluestar dipped her head. "Thank you!" She called as she began to trek in the direction of Thistleclaw. She had to find him.

--

Bluestar continued walking until she picked up more than two scents on the cold breeze. Tigerclaw? She thought disbelievingly, speeding up. She sprinted after the scent, desperate to catch Thistleclaw before anything worse happened.

Suddenly she skidded to a halt. Thistleclaw, Lionkit and Tigerclaw were right in front of her. Tigerclaw wasn't meeting Thistleclaw's eyes, shaking and looking scared. His ribs stuck out of his pelt, making Bluestar rather concerned.

Lionkit looked up at Thistleclaw sadly, looking like she was going to collapse. "I'm cold," she meowed through chattering teeth.

Thistleclaw ignored the kit, a smile appearing on his face.

"We're here."

Bluestar looked past Thistleclaw and saw Whitestorm and Darkstripe.

Oh, no.