"Where is my son, Mousefang?!"

The lavender she-cat spoke with a firm voice, her teeth baring and her fur bristling as if she were confronting a fox. In front of her was a mottled gray tom lying in a bed of moss, with a bundle of herbs wrapped around his front paw.

"I already told you, I don't know, Heatherleaf!" the tom professed. "I tried to catch him, I really did! I'm sure I would have if I didn't sprain my paw on that tree root!"

"You shouldn't have let him get away from you in the first place!" Heatherleaf snarled. "He was your apprentice! It was your job to watch over him!"

"How could I possibly have been prepared for this? I had no idea he was just going to do that! You would have been caught off guard, too, if you had been there to hear what he said!"

"Oh, really? And what might that have been?"

Mousefang lowered his head solemnly. "You... don't want to know, trust me..."

"Don't give me that! Just tell me what he said!"

"Okay, well..." The gray tom let out a sigh. "We were out hunting together, and Elmpaw was just as quiet as usual... But then, all of a sudden, he just starts screaming about how no one in the Clan ever pays attention to him, and he feels like he may as well be invisible!"

Heatherleaf said nothing, though she gave a slight wince at the sting of the words.

"Um, excuse me? Heatherleaf?" The voice came from an orange-coloured she-cat who had emerged from the den entrance behind Heatherleaf, who quickly turned around to face the newcomer.

"Skyflame! Did you find him? Oh, StarClan, please tell me you found him!"

"I... I'm so sorry, Heatherleaf..." Skyflame whispered, unable to bring herself to make eye contact. "We followed his scent all the way to the river, and then the trail was completely lost... There's no telling which direction he went from there..."

Heatherleaf barely reacted before immediately turning her attention back to Mousefang. "What else did he say before he ran off?"

"N-Nothing..." the tom stammered.

"Mousefang, I've known you ever since we were kits, and one thing that I know about you is that you're a terrible liar."

The anger in her tone was so thick that even Skyflame felt intimidated as she spoke, though she was merely a spectator at this point.

"What. Did. He. Say?!"

"Alright, alright..." Mousefang continued, his voice faltering as though the words were burning his throat as they came. "He excessively complained in particular about... about how you spend too much time with Tigerpaw, and that he may as well have never been born... The last thing he shouted before he ran off was, 'If she doesn't want me, then no one in the Clan will!' I really dont-"

"I knew it..." Heatherleaf muttered through clenched teeth, her claws piercing the dirt underneath her.

"Huh? What are you saying?" Skyflame meowed. "Surely you don't think that this is your fault..."

"I don't think. I KNOW it is!" Heatherleaf yelled, her voice cracking. "This is completely my fault for spending too much time with Tigerpaw! I made Elmpaw feel ignored and unwanted all this time... I'm surprised he put up with it for as long as he did!"

"Now, hold on!" Skyflame interrupted. "No cat could blame you for being so concerned for Tigerpaw! It was only natural for you to worry about him and give him more attention!"

"Why are you trying to make excuses for what I did? Elmpaw is gone because of me! I'm nothing but a monster!"

"Heatherleaf, stop this! You're-"

Skyflame had no time to finish speaking before Heatherleaf dashed out of the den, sobbing and cursing angrily to herself. Behind her, Skyflame whirled around to face Mousefang, the fur on her back beginning to rise.

"Look what you just did! Did you really have to be so blatant?! You know Heatherleaf is sensitive about these things!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do? I tried not to tell her. But she insisted on the truth, so I gave her the truth. If she can't handle it, how is that my problem?"

"Mousefang! Get your head out of the grass! Don't you remember what happened when Heatherleaf's mate disappeared? I'd bet the entire fresh-kill pile that it's going to happen again!"

Mousefang didn't reply. Skyflame saw that he was staring blankly at something behind her; she knew who it was from the scent before she even looked.

"Is my mother gonna be okay?"

"Tigerpaw, I..." Skyflame's voice was but a whisper now, as she gazed down into the brown tabby's shimmering green eyes. "I honestly don't know what is going to happen now... Truthfully, I fear for your mother almost as much as I do for your brother..."

"I just don't understand it..." Tigerpaw groaned. "Why did I have to be born like this? If I was a normal cat with normal eyes, then maybe Elmpaw wouldn't have run away..."

"Well, there are some things in this world that only StarClan can decide," Skyflame mewed soothingly. "No cat can blame you for what happens as a result of those decisions-especially not yourself."

"But it's not fair! Why do I have to be the one to go through all this?"

"Do not lose faith, young one. They say the strongest warriors are the ones that have gone through the toughest hardships. StarClan have something planned for you, I'm sure of it."

Tigerpaw sighed. "I hope that plan is to let me see my brother again. I just want him to come back to us..."

Skyflame bent down and gave Tigerpaw a gentle nuzzle. "We all want to see Elmpaw again, dear. And when we all wish for the same thing together, with our hearts speaking as one... That is when StarClan will surely hear us.

"Elmpaw will come back. I know he will."