Ok, so I know this is short, but I promise, the next chapter will be much longer. Thanks to the people who reviewed! Hope you like this chapter. :)


Lionblaze was tired. He knew it was partially from the battle, but it wasn't just his body that wanted to rest. It was his mind. He wanted, needed, to find his brother. He wouldn't rest until he did.

"Still no sign of him?" Firestar asked, padding over to him. Lionblaze noted his leader's tired expression, and how he walked slowly. Lionblaze suspected he hadn't been sleeping.

Lionblaze shook his head and sighed. "I don't know what could have happened to him. I've searched the entire territory over at least three times. He just isn't here."

Firestar hesitated, then said, "Lionblaze, I know you don't want it to be true, but isn't it possible that Jayfeather is… dead?"

"NO!" Lionblaze snarled, angry that his leader had suggested such a thing. "We can't have won just for Jayfeather to have died! Who would hurt a medicine cat?"

The leader sighed, and shook his head. "Alright Lionblaze, if he isn't dead where is he? You don't think he'd run away, do you?" Lionblaze shook his head, feeling helpless. He'd already had this conversation with himself a thousand times. The answers never came.

"Firestar, please. I know he's alive, somewhere." Lionblaze begged. He knew his brother was out there, somewhere.

Firestar sighed, and Lionblaze could see just how old he really was. Firestar had lost two lives in the battle, and Lionblaze now felt sorry for snapping at him. "I'm sorry." He said, "I know it isn't your fault, but please Firestar. Let me and Hollyleaf go and look for him, he could be a few foxlengths in one direction and we would never know! Please let us look for him."

Firestar stared at him for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Alright Lionblaze. I'll allow you and your sister to go look for him. I'll give you half a moon, ok?" Lionblaze dipped his head to his leader, relieved that he could finally go search for Jayfeather. "Rest tonight and leave first thing tomorrow." He said. Lionblaze nodded, and turned to go find Hollyleaf. She'd be so glad they could finally help Jayfeather!

. . .

Jayfeather's eyes cracked open slowly, and he took a hesitant sniff. Breezepelt wasn't in the room with him He sighed in relief, and stood slowly to stretch his aching limbs. He winced when he put weight on his back right leg. Breezepelt had broken it so he couldn't escape, though Jayfeather knew that wasn't necessary. As far as he could tell, he was in a cave. But that's all he knew. No scent told him where he was, because there was no scent. It was like his other senses had been cut off from the rest of the world.

He walked around in circles slowly, trying to ignore the pain. After pacing for a while, he sat back down and started to groom himself. His pelt, he had decided, was probably red form his own blood.

Suddenly, he became aware of a new scent. His heart nearly stopped.

"I'm back, fox-breath."