A/N: Hello everyone! Unfortunately, I was sick last week and I couldn't keep my mind still enough to come up with this chapter. Sorry about that. I still feel a little sick, but I feel a lot better and well enough to do this. Anyways, back to Sootpaw's POV.

Thanks to Junipernose and Featherfrost of Stormclan for following and/or adding this story as a favorite.

Reviews

Ravenfrost of Riverclan- Thank you! Here's an update for you and idk if I have to agree with the shipping lol.

XxSilverMist105xX- I know right; Yellowpaw is basically the big bully of this story.

Featherfrost of Stormclan- Thank you!

ColouredKittens- Thank you, thank you. I think every story needs at least one character that everyone hate. Yes, Flarepaw's past is very interesting and full of pain. Hope your ready.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed, followed, and/or added this story as a favorite.

Let's get started!

…

The light grey tom had never witnessed a more elegant and beautiful display of power before the patrol. The match between the two Grand Royal apprentices could only be described as a mix of grace and intimidation. The Commoner hoped he would never get on their bad sides anytime soon. He also couldn't help but admire them even more than he did before.

As soon as the small skirmish was over, the two clans went their separate ways and to their individual camps. Sootpaw felt his body bubbling with excitement, waiting to eagerly tell the other Commoners what he had just witnessed. Currently, he could see Flarepaw's sleeping figure spread out amongst Sagepaw and Rowanpaw. The sun was overheard, beginning its miraculous descent back down to the horizon. The colors above were appealing to watch, catching the attention of most of the cats on the patrol, including the tom's.

"Sootpaw, pay attention to where you're going, please."

The light grey tom dropped his gaze from the sky above to his mentor, Thornblaze. The large warrior seemed to cast a shadow with the angle of the sun. Looking at the others now, Sootpaw noticed how everyone's features seemed brighter and more alluring. Sagepaw's distinctive pelt- which held different shades of grey to black- seemed to take on the appearance of waves on the surface of a body of water rolling with the wind. Rowanpaw's fur seemed darker than usual, with the black speckles on his body blending in with the shadows of the descending sun.

Looking at Flarepaw's shaded amber fur in the sunset nearly took his breath away. It rivaled in beauty to the colors painting the sky. With the way she was positioned, her face was turned in his direction. The sharp expression, which was normally on her face, was softened as she slept. She looked so peaceful, so at ease. The single, white stripe stretching down the middle of her muzzle was more prominent. He could see her paws twitching, almost as if she were dreaming.

I wonder what she dreams about…

Does she dream about being the Grand Royal? About leading the clan however she wants and doing whatever she wanted? Or did she dream about simply serving the clan as one of the top Royals, alongside her father?

Whatever it was, Sootpaw was convinced that it was good. He was finally drawn out of his thoughts as the patrol approached the camp entrance. The Grand Royal entered first; his red brown fur disappearing behind a curtain of leaves and twigs. Sootpaw could see some of it snagging, but it pulled away easily. The others went in relatively okay, with the exception of Rowanpaw and Sagepaw. The two had to lower their bodies even more, being aware of the sleeping she-cat on their backs. Their flanks pressed against each other uncomfortably as they walked through the tight space that was meant only for one cat to walk through at one time. It was comical to say the least; finally seeing Rowanpaw with his ears flattened and eyes downcast in nothing but embarrassment. Sagepaw didn't seem to mind, in fact, he seemed as bored and as nonchalant as ever.

All the grey Noble was focused on was the Grand Royal apprentice on his back. Sootpaw stood by the entrance of camp as he watched the two other apprentices walking towards the Medicine Cat den. The look of concern in Sagepaw's green eyes was eminent, even from a distance. The Commoner had to tilt his head in confusion at the near panic look on the Noble's face. Even Wildfire seemed mildly concerned, but being swarmed by the rest of the clan made him focus on them rather than his daughter. The Royals and Nobles that weren't on the patrol wanted to hear the story, their eyes wide and ears perked- eager to catch every last detail of Wildfire's story once he began.

Sootpaw's eyes swept over the clearing before something in the distance caught his attention. Turning his head in that direction, a frown made its way to his face when he saw the Grand Royal quietly retreating to his den. Unlike the other High Ranks, Redstar didn't walk with his head held high or with a gait that screamed that he was in charge. His posture was reserved, quiet, as if not to draw attention to himself. Sootpaw knew that the Grand Royal was more distant than any of the others, but looking at him now, the apprentice didn't know why.

He is the leader of a very strong clan. Our Royals are stronger than any of the other clans, the running for Grand Royal always comes down to a top three since they're all so formidable. So why does he look so sad? So upset?

It was almost as if the clan wouldn't care if he was gone. The Commoner noticed the Grand Royal look in the direction of the Medicine Cat den, a permanent frown etched onto his dull face. He must be worried about Flarepaw… but why?

"Sootpaw!"

The tom couldn't ponder anymore since the other Commoners came running over to him. Instead of going over to where the rest of the clan was, the other apprentices went to their friend, wanting to avoid any interaction with the High Ranks. Sootpaw felt a smile form on his face as they gathered around him. Bluepaw was the closest, as he usually was, and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sootpaw. He's grown so much…

All of them had, he could see it now more than ever. All of the Commoners- as well as the Artisans- were five moons into their training. The Nobles, Royals, and Grand Royal apprentices were nearly seven moons into their training. To his knowledge, Sootpaw knew the High Ranks trained for a total of ten moons before becoming warriors. Artisans and Commoners only needed seven, or in rare cases, eight. This was only something else to separate the High Ranks from everyone else and the reason for them being notoriously stronger and more skilled.

"Stop getting lost in thought and tell us what happened already!"

Sootpaw let out a soft chuckle at Shrewpaw's over eager voice. All the other Commoners seemed to share in her enthusiasm. Bluepaw nudged his friend with his shoulder, a light tone to his voice as he spoke.

"Something always happens when you're on a patrol. I should join you more often."

The grey Commoner couldn't help but frown internally at the reserved laughs of the others, being easily drowned out by the obnoxious sounds produced by the group of Royals and Nobles hearing Wildfire's story. The tom flicked his tail, leading the other Commoners over to their den and waiting for them to go in. Right before it was his turn to enter with the others, the emergence of Sagepaw and Rowanpaw caught his attention once more.

Rowanpaw quickly looked around before rushing over to the gathered Royals, his usual smirk appearing on his face. Sagepaw's face could only be called one of distraught. A feeble mask of calm was noticeable, but failed to hide the dark expression in the tom's sage green eyes. Something was definitely wrong if Sagepaw looked that worried. Maybe I should check on her sometime…

"Sootpaw, are you coming in or not?"

The tom shook his head and forced a smile on his face as he slipped into the den, watching as the others look over at him. As the sun continued to dip into the horizon and day turned slowly into night, the Commoners laughed and sat in pure amazement as Sootpaw told them what happened.

For once, they could all forget about the miserable life they were forced to live in- albeit momentarily.

…

Sootpaw couldn't sleep. He didn't know what it was that kept him from doing something so simple, something that was supposed to be so natural. Was it the uncomfortable, thin nest made of drying grass that he was forced to sleep on? Or was it the constant hooting of an owl in the distance that wouldn't be quiet? Maybe it's because of Bluepaw's snoring. The Commoner could feel his body sag, could feel his muscles screaming to rest and his eyes begging to close. But he was victim to his overactive mind and couldn't do anything about it.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Sootpaw pushed himself up and angrily slammed his paw against his nest. Blinking his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the den, the Commoner stood up uneasily, flinching with the rustling created by his movements. He didn't want to be the reason the others woke up, he would feel guilty more than anything.

The grey furred apprentice lifted his gaze towards the covered-up hole at the end of the den. He placed one paw out of his nest, heading in that direction, but something was stopping him. A sigh escaped his lips as he turned his gaze in the direction of the entrance to the den. It's coming from that direction. He frowned in confusion before letting out another sigh. His tail flicked before he hesitantly began padding in that direction.

A breath escaped his lips as soon as he stepped outside. When did it become so cold? The wind blew almost angrily, the leaves of the trees rustled loudly. The warriors on guard were the same as the night before, with the exception of the Nobles. Instead of Ashtail and Brightfoot, it was now Cloudeye and Dawnspot sitting at the entrance to camp. The two Artisans, Scarletfur and Blazefang, looked more exhausted than he felt. Hmm, I guess they don't have it that easy either. Ah, who am I kidding? They don't deserve my pity.

Sootpaw made sure to stay hidden in the shadows created by the dens, his body low to the ground as his flank nearly touched the wide structures. His eyes moved from one corner of the camp to the other before settling on one of the dens in the distance.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to check on her…

Like a hunter stalking its prey, the Commoner moved silently across camp, making sure to stay hidden. He could hear Cloudeye's rough, baritone voice that was loud even as he tried to whisper. Still, at least he has the courtesy to quiet down as everyone sleeps. Dawnspot and the one-eyed warrior seemed to be deep in conversation, while the two Artisans seemed to struggle simply to keep their eyes open. Every time a chilling breeze blew by, they would flinch before shivering. Sootpaw was convinced he could hear their teeth chattering even as he approached the den.

Now on the other side of the wide camp, the Commoner glanced behind himself once more before shrugging, ducking his head as he entered the den. The darkness in the Medicine Cat's den sent an uneasy shiver down his spine. The shadows on the walls looked as if they would come alive at any moment and swallow him whole. His eyes adjusted to darkness after a few moments of blinking. Since he never normally was in here at night, the den seemed entirely new to him. It took him a few moments to even locate the tunnel that led to the separate dens where the Medicine Cat's and their patients slept.

Sootpaw focused solely on his sense of smell more than anything, Hollypaw's scent being surprisingly easy to find in a den full of other scents. Moving quietly down the tunnel, he turned to an opening at his right and mentally sighed in relief that he saw Hollypaw there. If he had run into Roseberry's den by accident, he wouldn't know how to explain himself as to why he was there in the first place if she woke up. The tom only hesitated when he was about a pawstep away from the she-cat's nest, a feeling of guilt washing over him.

Do I really need to wake her up? She didn't sleep that much last night because she was dealing with my problems already.

Swallowing thickly, the tom decided to leave her alone before he turned and went back into the tunnel. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, his nose scrunching up as he took in the bitter scents of the herbs nearby. Sootpaw only realized his problem after wandering around for a few moments. He didn't know Flarepaw's scent, nor Roseberry's. What if he went into the wrong one?

Shaking his head, Sootpaw decided to follow his gut feeling, his tail flicking as he tried to reason with himself. Roseberry's scent is probably mixed in with the herbs, a sweet and bitter combination to say the least. Flarepaw's scent…

Leads right here.

He felt his lips pull up in a smile of self satisfaction that he was able to successfully locate where the Grand Royal apprentice was on his first try. Only as he stood at the entrance of the den, looking at her sleeping figure, did he seem to hesitate. What am I doing here in the first place? If she wakes up, she's going to kill me! Still, the tom didn't move as he watched her flanks moving. Her breathing wasn't exactly even, and every once in awhile, he could here her take in a sharp inhale. Sootpaw flicked his tail as he tilted his head to the side. The den itself was illuminated with a soft light casted from the moon above; the light managing to seep into cracks at the top of the cave-like den.

The Commoner frowned as she let out a shaky breath, her body curling up even more. Sootpaw's tail bristled as she whispered incoherently under her breath. With his growing curiosity, the tom could do nothing more but step closer. He didn't even realize he was walking towards her until he was suddenly a tail-length outside of her nest. His ears perked as they tried to catch the words he couldn't understand, the words he was sure nobody should hear without her permission. Yet, here he was.

"I'm sorry…"

A gasp escaped his lips as he recoiled back, almost as if Flarepaw lashed her paw at him. Sootpaw's eyes widened when she repeated that phrase, her body shivering. The tom did nothing but stand there as she buried her face underneath her paws, hiding herself from the world.

"I'm so sorry…"

Sootpaw's ears flattened against his head at the roughness of her voice, hearing it crack on that last word. The raggedness of her breathing was even more noticeable as her body grimaced and tried to bury itself in the moss nest. I shouldn't be here… I shouldn't be here…

Shaking his head, the tom clenched his teeth as he turned around and exited the den. His pawsteps were quick against the ground, but thankfully, the soft earth underneath quieted the noise he made as he ran through the tunnels. They seemed even more maze-like than when he came in.

She was having a nightmare. She sounded like she was crying. Flarepaw never cries. Her voice…

It sounded so broken… so sad…

So miserable.

…

"Wake up Commoner! I don't want to spend another second in this filthy den!"

The grey furred tom woke with a groan, the warmth from his nest seeping away as he was practically dragged out of his den. With a growl, Sootpaw shook off whoever was responsible for waking him up and lifted his head- a snarl pulling his lips back. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, his expression dropped and his eyes widened as he saw the one cat he didn't want to see.

Yellowpaw- also completely covered in cobwebs and with his eyes looking at everything but the Commoner- stood there with his face in a grimace. The Artisan shuffled the weight on his paws before turning, stepping halfway out of the den in a single stride.

"Wait, Yellowpaw!"

"What?"

Sootpaw was suddenly at a lost for words when he was met with Yellowpaw's two-toned eyes. He had wanted to apologize for what he did, even if he saw it merely as self-defense. Still, something deep within the Commoner's heart- below all the hate and bitterness he held for the Artisan- made him feel guilty for the whole thing. Those words danced at the tip of his tongue, the same words that Flarepaw had whispered in her sleep. The Commoner stood halfway out of his nest- having taken a step towards the other tom- and now had his mouth partially opened. Yellowpaw waited patiently before his brows furrowed, as if he suddenly remembered what he was there to do.

"Close your mouth before a fly winds up in there. Don't make it suffer more than it already has in its puny life. Come on; our presence is being requested at the Prisoner's Den."

A cold chill passed through Sootpaw's body, similar to the wind he felt at night, but felt so much more sinister. The Prisoner's Den? I haven't even stepped inside of there! Why are we going? Am I going to end up there after all?

"Did you not hear me or are you just acting stupid like you always do? Hurry up!"

With those words, Yellowpaw stalked out of the den with his ears flattened and fur bristling along his spine. Sootpaw scrambled out of his nest and chased after the tom until they were walking shoulder-to-shoulder. The sudden and harsh change in light made the Commoner squint as he walked, his eyes slowly adjusting to the brightness of the fast-approaching Sunhigh light. He could already see his clanmates performing their duties or simply lounging around. A patrol was gathering near the entrance to camp, and by judging by its small number of member- the tom guessed it was merely a hunting patrol. Since all of the usual apprentices were gone, he could also guess that they were all out training.

"You're acting stupid again aren't you? I said that we're here."

Sootpaw glanced to his side and nodded absentmindedly as he joined Yellowpaw beside the Prisoner's Den. Or, at least that's what Sootpaw thought it was. From what he could see, the Commoner could assume all the prisoners were kept underground; with the entrance being a wide hole in the ground. It was in a remote part of camp, with the closest den being quite far away.

"Why are we here again?"

"I already told you," Yellowpaw let out a heavy sigh, his posture straight and body stiff as he sat down, "our presence was requested."

"By who?"

"How am I supposed to know, Commoner? The Grand Royal told me to come and I'm smart enough not to question his orders. You'll be wise to do the same."

Sootpaw blew out a frustrated breath and gave a sideways glance to his companion. He didn't know why, but he was much more exhausted today. He definitely didn't have the energy to argue with the hotheaded Artisan.

"What did I ever do to you? To make you hate me, I mean."

"Why are you asking me that ridiculous question?" Yellowpaw scoffed, not tearing his gaze away from whatever he was looking at, "It's just how it's supposed to be. You're a Commoner, and I'm a higher rank than you. So, deal with it."

"Just cause you're one rank higher than me doesn't mean it gives you the right to nearly kill me."

"I wasn't going to kill you, don't be so dramatic."

"Dramatic? Yellowpaw, I was losing consciousness." Sootpaw whipped his head in the Artisan's direction, his eyes narrowing slightly and his posture breaking. He could hear the other tom let out a short growl as he tried very hard to keep his demeanor calm. A frown made its way to the grey tom's face, his ears drooping almost sadly. "Can't we just, you know, call a truce?"

"A truce?"

"Yeah; you don't pick on me or any of the other Commoners, and I don't talk back to you."

"Why do you care about them so much?"

"Cause they're my friends."

Yellowpaw chuckled at that, his head shaking as an amused and half-hearted smirk appeared on his face. His head turned to the side ever-so-slightly, and Sootpaw followed his gaze to see a group of three of carefree Artisans talking. Silverlight and Smoketail looked particularly the happiest amongst the trio. Redflame glanced at his dark grey fellow Artisan, a look of hidden disdain and obvious jealousy appearing for just a second. Sootpaw was surprised, to say the least, because he knew these three considered themselves best friends.

"Friends bring you nothing but complaints and misery. You're better off just taking care of yourself in our world."

Sootpaw couldn't help but look at Yellowpaw's forlorn face with a confused expression. The air around them seemed heavy with the conversation they had; so as he usually did in situations like this, Sootpaw wanted to lift the mood. Bumping his shoulder with the ginger tabby, the Commoner put on a wide grin on his face.

"Look at that, we can have a decent conversation."

Sootpaw expected Yellowpaw to deny this, but he was blissfully surprised when the Artisan simply rolled his eyes and let out a soft chuckle before speaking.

"What has the world come to?"

"About time you two show up, I was beginning to think you disobeyed the Grand Royal's orders."

The two apprentices let out squeaks of surprise before whipping around, their eyes widening when they saw the intimidating amber eyes of Tigergaze. They could only stare at the massive figure of the Royal who was amongst the strongest of warriors- being only outmatched by Whiteshadow and competing in strength with Wildfire. Sootpaw could remember- quite vividly mind you- the sparring match between the two Royals. Whiteshadow had ultimately come out victorious, but Tigergaze had put up quite a fight before he was pinned.

Yellowpaw was the first to recover from his initial shock as he quickly bowed his head. The ginger Royal moved his gaze over to Sootpaw expectantly, a smirk crossing his features when the Commoner raced to bow his head and ended up slamming his nose against the hard ground.

"I don't care how and why you two are injured, but the Grand Royal put you in my paws for the day. I, along with a few others, are responsible for keeping an eye on Blazeclan's prisoners. Fortunately, it's just me today. Now, come along."

Without another word, the Royal turned and entered the hole in the ground, gesturing the two apprentices forward with a flick of his tail. Sootpaw entered last, following after Yellowpaw. The darkness of the den rivaled that of the darkness that came at night. Even with Yellowpaw walking a mere whisker-length in front of him, Sootpaw couldn't see anything but the glow of the Artisan's colored eyes.

After what felt like eternity, Sootpaw could finally feel the tunnel expanding until all that was around him was empty space. The Commoner focused on the glow of his clanmate's eyes to distinguish where they were. The only light visible was near the center of the den, a single beam of light not being able to brighten the den. Tigergaze kept walking until he was standing directly in front of this light, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Time to eat you filthy rats."

Sootpaw blinked as Tigergaze tossed a measly shrew and thin squirrel into the center of the light. Those two combined can't even fill up a kit!

The sudden sound of something moving caught his attention, a gasp escaping his lips as he took a few pawsteps back when something moved forward. He could feel his jaw dropping as the creature stepped into the light. It was a cat, a tom from his scent, with dark amber eyes and dark grey fur that was marked with black tabby stripes. One of his eyes was half-lidded, and the Commoner could see countless scars- both big and small- stretching across the tom's face.

"Get the food before I change my mind."

Sootpaw looked at Yellowpaw with wide-eyes, seeing a similar expression of horror and disgust on the Artisan's face. The prisoner simply stared at Tigergaze, his expression free of emotion but his thin body shaking with held-back rage.

"Go on."

Sootpaw could hear the smirk in Tigergaze's voice, hear his own heart thrumming against his chest. Every instinct in his body was telling him to run forward, to help the cat. His nerves only screamed more when the Royal finally decided to strike.

As soon as the prisoner attempted to grab the food with a single paw, the ginger Royal sprung forward. The starving prisoner let out a yowl of pain whenever Tigergaze's claws met his body. Sootpaw and Yellowpaw could only sit back and watch. The Commoner gritted his teeth together, his head turning away and eyes squeezing shut as the sounds increased in pitch. Even Yellowpaw looked uneasy, biting his lip as he sat and watched. When the sounds suddenly stopped, Sootpaw quickly lifted his head again. His eyes widened when the prisoner was suddenly thrown into the beam of light, landing on the shrew and squirrel.

The Commoner could see the brutality the prisoner endured. Long lashes marred his shoulders and back, deep bite marks puncturing the skin on his shredded ears and spreading down the skin on his legs. The dark grey tom panted heavily, his half-lidded eye now fully closed as he shakily stood up.

"Oh? Standing up again? When are you going to learn that the best thing to do is stay down, Smoke?"

"Smoke-"

"Stay out of this Vixen."

Sootpaw could see another pair of eyes appear from the darkness; this time, a color of dark green. Yellowpaw shuffled the weight on his paws, his ears flattening against his head as he shakily whispered to the Commoner beside him.

"Tigergaze has gone crazy."

"Yellowpaw! Why don't you come over here and show me what an Artisan can do?"

The two apprentices froze, convinced that the Royal somehow heard what the Artisan said. But no, Tigergaze was standing beside the prisoner- now identified as Smoke- with a malicious grin on his face. Sootpaw knew what he wanted right away.

Yellowpaw needed to attack the prisoner.

Since the Artisan's eyes widened, Sootpaw could tell he also knew what the Royal was talking about. He gaped at the Royal and looked at the Commoner for help before moving his gaze to the prisoner.

"A-Are you serious?"

Tigergaze's expression dropped into a deadly glare before he looked down at Smoke. He casually lifted one of his clawed paws, tearing the skin on the prisoner's cheek with a single claw as he drew it down his face. Smoke did nothing but clench his jaw and squeeze his eye shut to withstand the pain. And just like that, the Royal's grin returned to his face.

"Of course not. You're too injured to show me your proper skills. Maybe next time. For now, we're spoiling the rat's meal for this quarter-moon. All we have to do now is sit back and make sure they don't kill each other or themselves."

Tigergaze flicked his tail as he padded over to the apprentices, sitting beside them with a huff and casually lifting a paw to clean it. Yellowpaw cautiously glanced at him before moving his gaze over to the prisoner's, watching as all three of them sat in a semi-circle, practically devouring their food. The Artisan then looked over at Sootpaw, a frown appearing on his face, but it was hidden from the others by the shadows of the den. Still, with the minimal amount of light in the den, one could see the Commoner visibly shaking. His jaw was clenched and his ears were flattened against his head. His golden-yellow eyes flashed dangerously, reminding Yellowpaw of the night before.

The Commoner had looked similar to what he did now, with enough rage in his eyes to kill anyone with a single glare. Only now was Yellowpaw understanding why Sootpaw defended his friends so fiercely.

He didn't care about himself, because if he did, the Commoner wouldn't talk back like he did. But he had something that- in this world- could potentially kill or save him. Empathy; the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. It was almost as if the tom could feel someone else's pain, could share in their sorrow. He hated when others were hurting, hated seeing them in pain when he couldn't do anything. Hated feeling useless.

"Hey… Tigergaze isn't going to kill them, you know? They're prisoners; they trespassed on our territory and did other things to tarnish Blazeclan's name or threaten our safety."

"That doesn't justify what he's doing to them. Nobody deserves this miserable life. Nobody, no matter who it is."

Yellowpaw blinked at him before blowing out a sigh, moving his gaze back over to the prisoners. As they stood in the light, even from a distance, he could see their skin barely hanging onto their bodies, their ribs poking out visibly. A flicker of sympathy fluttered in his chest, and all he could do was imagine how the Commoner felt.

Sootpaw looked down at his paws, digging his claws into the dirt, imagining it was Tigergaze instead. Nobody deserves this life of misery. Nobody deserves to feel this pain and nobody has the right to determine who has to deal with it.

It's not right! It's not fair!

Why am I so powerless to do anything? Why am I not doing anything but watching?

I guess… even I'm scared. No, I'm not scared.

I'm terrified.

…

"I've never been so glad to step outside of a den."

"I've never been so glad to see the sunlight."

Despite themselves, Yellowpaw and Sootpaw shared a smile. They stood directly outside the den, having been dismissed from "Prisoner Duty" by Tigergaze. Secretly, Sootpaw guessed Tigergaze only wanted the apprentices gone so he could attack the prisoners again.

"Yellowpaw! Come on over here and share this rabbit with us!"

Sootpaw lifted his gaze when he heard Stripepaw call his fellow Artisan over. Icepaw, as usual, was sitting beside him and sending a wide smile to Yellowpaw. The ginger tom could only blink at them, a frown forming on his face. Sootpaw flicked his ear before bumping the other tom with his shoulder again.

"Go on, be with your not-friends."

"Shut up."

Yellowpaw said this half-heartedly, shaking his head as he began trotting over to the other Artisans. Sootpaw blew out a short breath as he looked around the clearing. He was about to walk over to where he saw the other Commoners, but someone walking over to him made him stop.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a while."

"Miss me already, Sagepaw?"

The Noble apprentice let out a scoff as he sat beside Sootpaw, his tail flicking against the ground in thought.

"Of course."

Sootpaw rolled his eyes, standing in his place as he looked around, taking in a deep breath of the cold wind that blew by. Sagepaw blinked, his eyes focusing again as he glanced at the hole behind Sootpaw.

"You were in the Prisoner's Den?"

"Unfortunately."

"How was it?"

"Horrible."

Sagepaw nodded in agreement, his tail stopping and eyes closing briefly. Sootpaw could see the start of a frown appearing on the Noble's face, and the Commoner opened his mouth to start a conversation, but before either of them could speak, they were both cut off by a yowl in the direction of the Medicine Cat's den.

Sootpaw looked in that direction, his words catching in his throat when he saw the signature amber fur of Flarepaw. The Grand Royal apprentice rushed out of the den, running across the camp and exiting in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Roseberry ran out of the den as well, calling for her back, but Flarepaw seemed long gone already. Even the Grand Royal- as well as Sagepaw- called for her as she ran. The warriors and apprentices in the clearing looked on in confusion, all of them looking at the Grand Royal afterwards.

"Roseberry, how concerned should I be for her health?"

"Concerned enough to send a patrol after her. Just the apprentices though, I doubt she would want to see any of the warriors."

"It's settled then. All apprentices, report to the entrance of camp!"

Sootpaw practically had to run after a rushing Sagepaw. The Noble's fur was bristled in distress, his ears flat against his head and tail lashing in agitation. He knows something about her that I don't.

Why does he look so worried?

"This is an opportunity for you to practice your tracking skills. Find and bring back Grand Royal Flarepaw. Don't harm her in any way and don't force her either. You may go in groups of two, or by yourself. Now, go!"

"Yes, Grand Royal!"

All at once, the apprentices streamed out of camp like the water in a river. Sootpaw ran after Sagepaw as the grey Noble sprinted forward, seemingly forgetting to track her scent at all but looking as if he knew exactly where to go. It would be best to follow him.

The tom followed after the Noble, ignoring the voices of the others as they began to "strategize" how to find the Grand Royal apprentice. They were acting as if this was another test, another form of training. But Sootpaw could see the concern showing freely on Sagepaw's face.

This isn't a test. If Sagepaw is acting this way, then that must mean Flarepaw could really be in danger.

But, she can take care of herself, right?

Remembering how vulnerable she had seemed at night, Sootpaw was convinced that she somehow wasn't going to be okay.

…

"Sagepaw! Calm down!"

"I have to get to her!"

"Sagepaw! Listen to me; Flarepaw can take care of herself! You and I both know this."

"No! No, you don't know her at all."

"Then tell me, why are you so scared?"

Sagepaw finally stopped, panting heavily as they entered a clearing. The flustered tom looked around expectantly, but his entire expression dropped as he realized the she-cat wasn't there. Sootpaw stood near the forestline, a frown appearing on his face when the Noble slammed his paw against the ground, standing in front of a dead willow tree.

"Damn it."

"Sagepaw-"

"Shut up!"

Sootpaw let out a heavy sigh as he walked over to Sagepaw. Now that he was standing beside the Noble, Sootpaw could see two spots in front of him, in between the apprentices and the willow tree. It seemed as if something dug out the dirt and placed it back in. Upon closer inspection, the tom let out a gasp when he realized what it was.

Graves.

Glancing to his side, the expression on Sagepaw's face gave it away, but in the need for conversation, the Commoner couldn't help but ask.

"Did they belong to you?"

"You don't know Flarepaw if you don't know who they are."

Sootpaw frowned as he returned his gaze to the two graves in front of him. He tried remembering anything that happened in the past, but not wanting to dwell too far into his past, the tom decided to let Sagepaw explain.

"Do you remember… our old territory?"

"I try not to," Sootpaw couldn't help but flinch at those memories. The fire that ravaged for nearly a whole quarter-moon and destroyed all of Blazeclan's former territory was terrifying to remember.

"Right before you became an apprentice- a little bit more than two moons after the High Ranks became apprentices and all the Royals were in the running for Grand Royal- that was when it happened. If you recall, Flarepaw had another brother."

"Wait, another? Does that mean you're…"

"You didn't know?"

Sootpaw answered with a small shake of his head. Sagepaw could only snort in response before he spoke.

"Go figures. Royals are only allowed to have two kits. Wildfire and Willowflame, however, had three; Flarepaw, Flamepaw, and me. Apparently Wildfire knew I was weaker than the other two and decided that I wasn't worth it. The clan was forced to keep it a secret, even my foster mother. The only reason I found out was because of Willowflame. She was an amazing mother, to both Flamepaw and Flarepaw, and even to me- the son she wasn't supposed to have. She told me and secretly raised me as well, despite knowing how much trouble she would be in. I'm all Flarepaw has left now, since neither of us consider Wildfire a father."

"So, that's why you're always so concerned for her."

"I love Flarepaw with all my heart. And I vowed to my mother that I would protect her for as long as I lived, from everything and everyone. Flarepaw isn't making it easy though."

"Why?"

Sagepaw's wistful expression turned to one of grief. His half-smile disappeared and turned into a complete frown.

"Because, she blames herself for their deaths."

Sootpaw's eyes widened and he snapped his head in the direction of the graves. So, this is Willowflame and Flamepaw… now I remember them. They were the only ones that died in that fire…

"Why does she blame herself though? It's not like she started the fire."

"Because she was supposed to be on a patrol that night, with Flamepaw, but they had gotten into an argument prior to it. She never told me what it was about though. Flarepaw decided to go hunting instead, on the complete opposite side of our territory and in an area where she was practically trapped on all sides by the fire. Willowflame and Flamepaw… they went to save her. You can guess how that ended."

Sagepaw's ears drooped and his shoulders dropped as he stared at the graves. Sootpaw looked back at the graves with a deep frown.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Was she apologizing to them?

"I'm worried about her because her body wasn't the same after that fire. For a long time, she was in the Medicine Cat's den and they had to give her specific herbs to clear the smoke from her body. Her lungs haven't fully healed though, even after all this time. She has grown stronger over the moon's, therefore she could ignore the pain, but pushing herself like she did yesterday against the other Grand Royal apprentice… it's too much for her, or whenever the wind is knocked out of her. Running off like she did right now, it might be too much for her. Flarepaw's too stubborn to accept that she is crippled and needs to slow down, so she is choosing to ignore it instead. All I know is that if she isn't careful, she could never become the warrior she wishes to be. And that would make her absolutely miserable… I would break the promise I made to my mother."

"Flarepaw's strong… stronger than anyone in the clan after what she's been through. She'll get through this, I promise."

Sagepaw glanced at the Commoner, searching his eyes for something. Sootpaw only stared back, a determined and unwavering expression on his face. The Noble let the corner of his lips pull up as he looked back at the graves in front of him.

"I hope you're right, Sootpaw."

"I hope I'm right too."

…

A/N: Again, I apologize for this chapter coming out late. I sincerely apologize, but I simply couldn't get it done last week. I hope I make it up to you guys for this chapter being longer? Maybe?

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Question of the Day

Do you think Yellowpaw was right about his opinion on having friends?

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Thank you and peace out!

~Wolfcreations17