A/N: I've been off for a while, I know, but that's mainly because I've been working on... other things. (grins evilly) Also, I will be taking down the poll on your thoughts about Smokepaw's Quest from my page in a few days, so make sure to get your vote in, because it matters.

Another thing; I've been looking and it seems that some reviews aren't going through. I looked at the displayed numbers on some of my fanfictions and then counted the number of reviews and unless I miscounted, some of them are missing. Help?

That's about it, I think...

Smokefrost followed Rubik warily through the Twolegplace. Although the white tom seemed perfectly at ease with the ins and outs of the Twolegplace, Smokefrost didn't trust it.

A monster roared by, spraying Smokefrost with cold water. Shivering, he shook it from his pelt. Rubik hadn't been hit by the wave and was glaring forwards at a fence.

"What don't you like about that fence?" asked Smokefrost.

"Oscar lives there." responded Rubik, keeping his gaze fixed on the fence. "He's a nasty cat. We don't want to tangle with him."

"Oh?" came a voice from behind them. Rubik and Smokefrost whipped around to see a black tom stalking from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with the malevolent light of a monster's glittering eyes.

"Oscar." spat Rubik.

"You can't come through here." Oscar meowed, languidly swishing his tail behind him.

"You don't want to tangle with me." Smokefrost narrowed his eyes.

"I think it's you who shouldn't tangle with me." responded the black tom. "But if you insist, I'll take care of you." With a leap, Oscar jumped towards Smokefrost. Snarling, he met him in midair and brought his claws towards his face.

Oscar knocked him off and crouched, tail twitching; clearly he hadn't expected a fight. With a snarl, he landed on Smokefrost's shoulders, and Smokefrost quickly rolled over, crushing the tom under his back. As Smokefrost flipped over and turned to bring his paw down on Oscar's face, he felt his blood speeding through his veins with a renewed strength he hadn't known for moons.

This is what I live for. he thought with fierce joy. I am a warrior. I always have been, even if I don't live with a Clan anymore.

Smokefrost raced at Oscar and brought his claws down on his face. Oscar snarled and jumped on Smokefrost, biting his ear cruelly, yanking back and forth as blood dripped from his nose onto Smokefrost's face and mixed with the blood from his mangled ear.

I won't be able to win this. thought Smokefrost desperately. "Rubik!" he shouted, but the tom was nowhere to be seen.

"Feel it now?" hissed Oscar into the mangled remains of Smokefrost's ear.

Suddenly, a crushing weight landed on Oscar. The black tom wiggled out and spun to face Smokefrost's rescuer.

It was a tall, heavily built ginger-and-white tom. At first Smokefrost assumed he must be a warrior of SkyClan, but then noticed the collar around his neck and realized he must be a kittypet that knew how to fight. Oakfur said that kittypet's aren't all weak, recalled Smokefrost in his dazed haze, and he showed me a scar he got from fighting one of them.

Oscar was no feeble kittypet, but the ginger-and-white tom's attacks were too much and he crumbled beneath the tom's attacks. Shrieking, he fled as another kittypet, this one black as night and with moss tucked around her collar, joined the fight.

Smokefrost pushed himself upright to see Rubik's face. "Did I do good?" asked the white tom eagerly. "I brought Billy and his friend Eb-" He cut off as he saw Smokefrost's mangled ear. "Ergh... that needs treating."

"Yes, it does." The black she-cat looked approvingly at Rubik. "You've done well, Rubik. We'll take him to SkyClan so Echosong can treat him. You can go home."

"Well.. alright." Rubik cast a doubtful glance at the kittypet-warriors. "Can you bring Smokefrost over to see me when his ear's better."

"I'll be alright..." Smokefrost pulled himself upright and blinked through the curtain of blood over his eye. "I don't need you to waste your herbs on me..."

"Don't try to wiggle out of it." warned the black she-cat. "You're coming back with us, and we will treat you."

Too tired to argue, Smokefrost allowed the tom to support him on his right side, avoiding the blood pouring from his tortured left ear. "Okay, let's go..." He felt himself slip from the tom's shoulder as blackness took him into its comforting depths.

A/N: Well, he's found SkyClan at least...

Remember, the poll on my page will close in a few days!