Chapter 28

Buzzardpaw rose from his nest, stretching his limbs as he yawned loudly. Weak dawn light filtered into the apprentice's den, its gentle softness boosting the tom's spirits. A quarter moon had passed since Buzzardpaw's Dark Forest training, the night's half moon now almost a full circle. That means Eagleheart and I visit the barn today. The apprentice hummed, thinking about his brother's reluctance. I hope he doesn't get cold feet… I want him to come with me! Sauntering out of the den, Buzzardpaw looked around the relatively empty camp. Palecloud sat at the edge of camp, his back facing the apprentice as he quietly spoke with Foxgrowl. They're probably getting ready for the dawn patrol, I'll go join them!

"... and you're sure it's today?" Palecloud was saying as Buzzardpaw got closer, his voice unsure.

"I'm positive." Foxgrowl mewed. "He'll make his entrance tonight, it'll be like an inauguration." Buzzardpaw's ears perked in interest. That sounds nothing like a patrol. What are they talking about? "Do you plan on-" The warrior stopped talking as he noticed the apprentice, his eyes narrowing to slits. Uh-oh. I guess I wasn't supposed to hear that.

Palecloud turned around to see what the tom was looking at, a confused look on his face. When his eyes fell onto Buzzardpaw the deputy's expression turned to one of surprise, then fear. Letting out a quiet chuckle, Palecloud smiled. "Hello Buzzardpaw! You're awake early."

"Yeah, something woke me up." My excitement for today woke me up! "I was wondering if I could join the dawn patrol?"

The pale brown tom nodded to the apprentice, his whiskers twitching. "Of course, let's just wait for more cats to wake up. Did Russetprowl tell you to join the patrol?"

Buzzardpaw shook his head no.

Palecloud smiled, his yellow eyes warm. "He'll be mighty proud of you then. I'll make sure to tell him when he wakes up."

The three toms sat in a comfortable silence as they patiently waited for the clan to wake. Buzzardpaw noticed Foxgrowl staring at him intently, his hot gaze sending prickles down the apprentice's spine. I guess he's still mad about me overhearing. It's not like it matters or anything, I don't even know what they were talking about! Feeling awkward, Buzzardpaw padded towards the freshkill pile to find something to snack on. Sniffing around the small pile, Buzzardpaw plucked a stale mouse from the bottom, settling down to eat. It was caught last night so it's a bit stale, butit'll suffice. Finishing the meal with a few hasty bites, Buzzardpaw rejoined Palecloud and Foxgrowl, who now had Voletail sitting with them.

"Enjoyed your meal?" Palecloud mewed as the apprentice approached. Buzzardpaw nodded, swiping his tongue over his jaws. "Good. I feel like you three would be enough for a border patrol. You should re-mark the WindClan border, I didn't send a patrol there yesterday."

Nodding, Foxgrowl led the two toms out of camp, his tail held high in the air. Following behind Voletail, Buzzardpaw lifted his head to watch the sun slowly crawl its way above the horizon. He let out a quiet sigh and frowned. StarClan, make time go by faster!

Buzzardpaw rested his head on his paws, boredly watching Springkit and Brindlekit play with a ball of moss. The two kits had invited the apprentice to play with them but Buzzardpaw was too tired, having just returned from a hunting patrol. I've been on three different patrols today- two border patrols and a hunting patrol- and it's still not sunhigh! Glancing upwards, Buzzardpaw grumbled to himself as the sun taunted him, painstakingly slowly inching its way through the sky. He flinched as something soft bounced off of his head, quickly realizing it was the ball of moss the kits were playing with.

"Sorry Buzzardpaw!" Springkit mewed, bounding over towards him. "Brindlekit is a bit of a klutz, he can never catch the moss when I throw it high!"

"Am not!" Brindlekit protested, tackling his sister. "You're just a showoff!"

Buzzardpaw watched the kittens wrestle, a small smile on his face. At least I have a small distraction. He batted at Springkit's side as she flashed her tiny claws a bit too close to his face, making the kit yelp in surprise. She rounded on him and leapt at his head, a mischievous grin on her face. Brindlekit had jumped on him as well, and eventually the apprentice was on his back, the two kittens pinning him down to the dusty floor.

"The prey has been slaughtered!" Springkit yowled, her tail held triumphantly in the air.

Brindlekit nodded, a huge grin on his face. "It will feed the clans for moons!" The kit unsheathed his claws, the sharp thorns digging into Buzzardpaw's belly fur. Wincing, Buzzardpaw rolled over, careful not to crush the two kittens beneath him.

"Oof!" Springkit huffed, her paws scrabbling to get from under the much larger tom. "The prey is fighting back! Retreat, retreat!"

"I can't," Brindlekit grunted, kicking at the apprentice's belly, "he's too fat!"

"Am not!" Buzzardpaw hissed, slightly pressing down on the kits. Buzzardpaw giggled as they protested by kicking him harder, finally rising to his paws.

Gasping for air dramatically, Springkit fell onto her back. "Thank StarClan, I can breathe again! I thought I was going to die under there!"

Rolling his eyes, Buzzardpaw cuffed Brindlekit over the ears as he nodded in agreement with his sister. "Whatever. I thought-"

Buzzardpaw was cut off by a loud yowl from Palecloud. "Gather around for the sunhigh patrol!" Lifting his head to the sky, the apprentice cheered inwardly as he saw the sun hanging directly over the camp. Time to go! Beginning to step away from the kits, Buzzardpaw stopped as something yanked his tail.

"Hey, where are you going?" Springkit mewed, a small frown on her face. "We aren't finished playing."

"I'm... " Buzzardpaw thought for a second, searching for a decent lie. "I'm going to the dirt place. The mouse I ate earlier isn't agreeing with my stomach, I feel like I'm about to-"

"Yuck!" The she-kit cut him off, making a face. "TMI!"

Sticking his tongue out at her, Buzzardpaw padded towards the dirt place, trying his hardest to not seem suspicious. Not facing forwards, the apprentice leapt backwards in shock as he bumped into something furry.

The ball of fluff screeched as the apprentice collided with it, whipping around to show Softkit's surprised face. The she-kits expression turned to one of embarrassment as she realized who her attacker was, her cheeks reddening. "B-Buzzardpaw!"

"I'm sorry!" The apprentice apologized, looking as embarrassed as the kit. He slipped past her and headed towards the small hole in the ravine that led out of camp. Ducking to squeeze through it, he tensed as a small voice called out to him.

"Where are you going?" Softkit mewed, her voice sounding puzzled.

Struggling to conjure a lie, Buzzardpaw let out a deep sigh. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise." The she-kit whispered.

Buzzardpaw turned around, looking at Softkit with an unsure look. She looks sincere enough, I hope she doesn't rat me out! "I'm going to visit my brother. I haven't seen him in a while and I want to see how he's doing."

Softkit's eyes widened. "But isn't he in ShadowClan?" She squeaked rather loudly. Seeing the alarm on Buzzardpaw's face, she lowered her voice again. "Won't you get in trouble?"

"Yes, and that's why you can't tell anyone. Can I trust you?" Softkit frowned, making Buzzardpaw's eyes darken. "Please, Softkit. You know what it's like to have siblings around you all the time, I don't. I'm not doing anything wrong, I just want to check on my kin."

Buzzardpaw's heart raced as Softkit remained silent, her expression still unsure. The sound of pawsteps caught his attention, making his eyes widen. Someone's coming! Softkit turned towards the approaching cat, then back to Buzzardpaw. The apprentice silently pleaded with her, his ears flattening in desperation.

"Softkit?" The voice called, stepping into view. Russetprowl! Buzzardpaw's heart sank as he recognized his mentor's voice. That's even worse! "Whatcha doin' back here? Is someone with you?"

Whipping around, Softkit lifted her head to look at the warrior. His spine prickling, Buzzardpaw closed his eyes, preparing for the she-kit to tell on him. "No, Russetprowl, I was just chasing a butterfly! It flew back here and disappeared, I was just heading back out." Buzzardpaw's shoulders relaxed as he listened to the kit's lie. Thank you, Softkit! I owe you one! Not waiting to hear his mentor's response, he quietly crept backwards through the hole, dashing out once he was outside of camp.

Racing towards the ShadowClan border, Buzzardpaw skidded to a halt as he reached the small stream that separated the two territories, taking a few sips of the cool water. Peering across the border, Buzzardpaw frowned as no cat came, his paws itching with impatience. I wish I picked a more specific spot to meet! Letting out a quiet sigh, the apprentice slowly walked up and down the border, his ears pricked for any commotion on the other side.

His paws aching from his pacing, Buzzardpaw flopped down to his haunches and frowned. He had waited for a while, and the sun was no longer directly above the forest, now at an angle to the ground. It's been a while, I'm sure the sunhigh patrol is back at camp now! Did Eagleheart change his mind? As quickly as the thought entered his mind, a bush on the other side of the stream began to rustle, a few leaves falling into the calm water. Rising to his paws, Buzzardpaw's frown deepened as he realized it was only a small mouse causing the commotion. Clearly in a blind panic, the mouse crossed the water and hurtled straight into the apprentice, quickly meeting its end as Buzzardpaw slammed his paw onto its spine. Stupid mouse-brain! Wait… that's actually kind of funny! Before he could chuckle at his own joke, Buzzardpaw lifted his head as the undergrowth began to rustle again.

"Foxdung!" A voice hissed. The apprentice rose to his paws as he realized who it was. Eagleheart! A few heartbeats later, the warrior burst through the bushes, his claws unsheathed and nose to the ground. Following the invisible trail to the stream, Eagleheart lifted his head as it disappeared, his golden eyes falling onto the ThunderClan apprentice. Buzzardpaw frowned as Eagleheart made a face at him. "I was hoping I wouldn't find you here."

"Why not?" Buzzardpaw mewed, feeling hurt.

"Because you're going to try to take me to the rogues." the ShadowClan warrior sighed.

Buzzardpaw looked at his paws, then back to his brother. "Do you not want to go? If you don't want to, you don't have to."

Eagleheart shrugged, sheathing his claws back into his paws. "I'm here now, I might as well come."

Without a moment's notice, the warrior crossed the stream into ThunderClan territory, startling the apprentice. The two touched noses in a polite greeting, allowing Buzzardpaw to get a good look at the warrior's eye. Though it wasn't as puffy and red as it was the night it got clawed, Eagleheart's eye still looked bad, its normal shine now filmy and unfocused. His top eyelid was sliced halfway open, making Buzzardpaw wince. Realizing what his brother was looking at, Eagleheart stepped back, turning his head so only his good eye could be seen. "It's fine. Cinderpaws says that I wont go blind, but my vision will be a bit blurry in that eye." The warrior huffed, his whiskers twitching. "Hunting is a pain now."

Taking the opportunity to change the subject, Buzzardpaw lifted his paw to reveal the mouse he had killed. "Speaking of, I think this belongs to you."

Bending down to sniff the prey, Eagleheart shook his head. "It's on ThunderClan territory, so it's yours now. Enjoy."

Insisting, Buzzardpaw pushed the mouse closer to his brother. "Seriously, eat it. The barn is a ways away from here, I know a shortcut but I know you'll be hungry by the time we get there."

Not pressing any further, Eagleheart ate the furry animal with a few swift bites. His ears pricked for any nearby patrols, Buzzardpaw nodded once the warrior was finished. His paws began to itch with excitement as Eagleheart rose. "Alright, come on, we're wasting daylight!" Not waiting for his brother's response, Buzzardpaw raced deeper into ThunderClan territory, keeping close to the thick undergrowth in case the two encountered a stray patrol. Heading towards the WindClan border, Buzzardpaw ducked and swerved underneath the bramble and thorn bushes, skidding to a halt near the tunnel entrance. "Here we are!" He chirped, a bright smile on his face. His smile slowly dissolved as he realized his brother was no longer with him, his happy expression now one of dread. Backtracking his path, the apprentice sighed in relief as he found the warrior underneath a thorn bush, the spiny bristles caught deep into his thick pelt.

Unsheathing his claws, Eagleheart relaxed as he recognized his brother. "I'm stuck."

"I can tell." Buzzardpaw plucked a few thorns from the bush with his teeth, careful not to stab himself in the tongue. Mousebrained Eagleheart! It'll take forever to get him out! He continued to slowly pull the spiny trendles from his brother's fur, eventually freeing his shoulders and torso. He stopped as he noticed Eagleheart tense up. "What?"

"... and afterwards, we'll see what the others say." A voice was saying. Buzzardpaw's face fell as he recognized the voice. Goldenstar!

"An' you believe they'll take to it kindly?" Another tom's voice mewed. Russetprowl too? Great StarClan, I need to hurry! He clawed at the bush frantically, earning a hiss from Eagleheart.

"Hey!" The tom whispered angrily. "That hurts!"

"I have to get you out quickly. There's a patrol coming!"

"I can hear them, but you don't have to rip my pelt off!" Eagleheart growled, pulling his upper body from under the bush. Now only his haunches and tail were stuck, the thorns clinging to the thick fur tightly.

"I hope so." Goldenstar was saying, his voice much closer now. Buzzardpaw's heart dropped to his paws. "If not, I could-" The tom stopped, audibly sniffing. Oh no, he's detected us! Wriggling his body desperately, Eagleheart managed to wrench his hindquarters free. The thorns still clung to his tail stubbornly, the long hairs snagged in the spiny bush. Lifting his head, Buzzardpaw gulped as he saw his father's ear tips appear over the undergrowth, his head turned in their direction.

"Sorry." The apprentice whispered.

"What?" Eagleheart mewed in confusion.

Lifting his paw high in the air, Buzzardpaw brought his unsheathed claws down onto his brother's tail, causing the warrior to lurch forward in pain. Freed from the bush, Eagleheart raced deeper into the undergrowth, Buzzardpaw hot on his trail. The two eventually appeared at the WindClan border, the entrance to the tunnels hidden beneath an overgrown bush. LIfting the fronds with his paw, Buzzardpaw frowned as Eagleheart shook his head.

"Come on, this is how we get to the barn!" The apprentice mewed, motioning with his tail.

Eagleheart stubbornly remained seated, a scowl on his face. "This is the 'shortcut' you spoke of? I'd rather go the long way."

"The long way is across WindClan territory, we'll be in even more trouble if we get caught there." Buzzardpaw's frown deepned as the thrumming sound of pawsteps got louder and louder. "Come on, Eagleheart, they're coming!"

"Yeah but, is it safe?"

Growing impatient, Buzzardpaw leapt behind his brother and thrust him into the dark hole. Growling, Eagleheart continued forward, his ears flattened to his head. Buzzardpaw looked back to see the shadow of a cat blocking the light from the way they came, the tunnel too dark to make out their features. That was a close one. He turned forward to find his brother glaring at him, his face barely visible in the darkness. "Thanks, a lot."

"I had to do it, they were about to find us."

Eagleheart let out a whistling sound from his nose. "I've already lost half my tail and almost got caught by an enemy clan, and we haven't even reached the rogues yet." He shook out his pelt, glaring upwards at the low ceiling. "Seems like a bad omen if you ask me."

"It's not, I promise." Buzzardpaw reassured his brother, touching his nose to his cheek. He squeezed past the large tom to take the lead. "You'll enjoy yourself, you'll like my friends."

"If you say so." Eagleheart grunted. The two toms continued their journey through the tight tunnels in silence, aside from their ragged breaths. Buzzardpaw frowned as he felt the warm air from his brother's nostrils get faster and faster, indicating the warrior's bad nerves. He's not comfortable in the tunnels like I am. I don't want him to be any more grouchy than he already is! He quickened the pace, sighing in relief as bright light shined into the tunnel, showing the nearby exit. Bursting above ground, Buzzardpaw squinted as the harsh sunlight attacked his eyes. Eagleheart appeared next to him a heartbeat later, gulping in the fresh air. "That was horrifying. Please don't ever make me do that again."

Buzzardpaw grinned, though not at his brother's comment. The massive red figure of the barns loomed over the two cats, making Eagleheart's eyes widen in shock. I remember having that same reaction. He raced forward, this time making sure his brother was close behind him. The two toms eventually reached the fence that allowed entry into the Orion's barn, which Buzzardpaw happily slunk under. Eagleheart decided to leap over, perching on the wooden rail defensively. Shaking his head, Buzzardpaw turned his attention back to the space in front of him. "Orion! Orion?"

A small shape slunk under the other side of the fence, making its way towards the two cats. Buzzardpaw's ears swiveled backwards as he heard Eagleheart's claws scraping against the wood, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Giving his brother a look, Buzzardpaw turned back to the newcomer, a smile on his face. "Orion!"

"Buzzardpaw!" Orion mewed, bounding forwards gracefully. Buzzardpaw pressed his nose to the tom's cheek, breathing in his sweet scent. Orion returned the gesture, letting out a quiet purr. "You're here much earlier than normal."

The apprentice nodded, his smile growing bigger. "I wanted to see you. Also, there's someone I want you to meet." He gestured towards Eagleheart, who glared down at Orion suspiciously.

Orion looked at the tom perched on the fence, a curious look on his face. "Oh Buzzardpaw, is this your brother?" Buzzardpaw grinned, nodding. Orion realized that we were related right away… it's crazy how I didnt notice before. "By golly, he's a looker."

Eagleheart huffed, his tail lashing. "So you're Orion. I've heard a lot about you."

Orion turned to Buzzardpaw, a mischievous look on his face. "Awe, Buzzy talks about me? That's so cute!"

Buzzardpaw looked down at his paws, embarrassed. "It's not like that, I-"

"Well Buzzardpaw may have told you about me," Orion interrupted, "but I haven't heard anything about you. What's your name, gorgeous?"

Eagleheart raised an eyebrow at the last word. "Eagleheart."

Orion hummed, his whiskers twitching playfully. "Eagleheart? Mmh, courageous, brave, daring… very fitting for a tom as handsome as yourself. Come closer so I can get a better look at you."

"I'd rather not." Eagleheart growled, stubbornly digging his claws into the wood.

"Well, why not?" Orion purred, his tail curling behind him. "I can't promise that I won't bite, but if I do, I promise that you'll like it."

Eagleheart growled, his eyes narrowed to slits. "If you get within a hair length of me, I'll skin you alive and use your pelt as my bedding." In spite of this, the ShadowClan warrior leapt down from his perch, stalking forward to stand next to his brother.

The rogue smirked, his voice silky. "As long as I get to be in your bed, dear."

Eagleheart grunted, unimpressed with his words. He sniffed the tom before him, his eyes flashing curiously. "You're awfully clean for a rogue."

"And you're awfully stunning for a clan cat." Orion retorted, not missing a beat. He began to circle the warrior, seemingly forgetting the warning he was given a moment ago. "That brooding nature, those bulging muscles, those gorgeous eyes…" Orion batted his eyes dramatically. "Ah, you're something a tom could only dream of."

"Charming." Eagleheart hummed, a scowl on his face.

Buzzardpaw watched the two toms interact, the familiar nagging jealousy growing in the back of his mind. Sure, Eagleheart is handsome, so it makes sense that Orion is flirting with him. And besides, Eagleheart and I look just alike, so that means Orion thinks I'm handsome too! Right? He forced himself to smile as Orion winked at him, too deep in his own thoughts to realize what the tom had said. I should just be happy that they're getting along… at least I think they are.

"Well," Orion was saying, his whiskers twitching, "I'm sure you two didnt visit just to stand in the hot sun. Come on, everyone is inside!" The tom bounded towards the barn, his long tail trailing behind him.

Buzzardpaw began to follow, stopping as Eagleheart slapped his tail on his shoulders. The warrior looked at his brother quizzically, a single eyebrow raised. "Are you sure that's Orion?"

The apprentice nodded, smiling. "Yeah. He's great, right?"

Eagleheart hummed, looking unconvinced. "He's, um, very eccentric. From the way you described him, I thought he'd be less… flamboyant, for lack of a better word." Buzzardpaw made a face, which Eagleheart noticed, rephrasing. "He's just not what I expected. You don't seem like the type to have such obnoxious friends."

Buzzardpaw frowned, unsure if Eagleheart was insulting him or Orion. He decided to drop the topic, gesturing for his brother to follow him into the barn. The warrior reluctantly followed behind, his ears pricked and his claws unsheathed. Shaking his head, Buzzardpaw padded in, his nose immediately greeted by the smell of prey. His mouth watering, he hungrily looked to the pile of mice a few tail lengths away.

"You can have some if you want." A voice mewed in his ear. Jumping in shock, Buzzardpaw flattened his bristling fur as he realized it was Orion. The tom purred, his yellow eyes sparkling in amusement. "Did I startle you?"

The apprentice nodded. "A little bit. I wasn't expecting you to be so close."

"I like being close to you," Orion mewed, winking. Feeling his eartips grow hot, Buzzardpaw beelined towards the pile before the blood could rush to his face. Grabbing a plump mouse, he tore into it hungrily, only lifting his head to notice Eagleheart still standing at the barn's entrance, his pelt bristling as Orion stepped closer to him.

Before he could say something rude, Buzzardpaw motioned his brother over with his tail. Eagleheart slowly stalked over, his eyes flickering around the barn. Once he was close enough Buzzardpaw pushed the half eaten mouse to the warrior, which was immediately refused. "I'd rather not get comfortable enough to eat in enemy territory." Eagleheart grunted, sitting over his brother.

Swallowing another mouthful of mouse, Buzzardpaw sighed. "They're not our enemies, Eagleheart," he started, giving his brother a tired look, "they want to help us. Just be nice, please?"

Eagleheart scoffed, his tail lashing. "There is no being nice. They are rogues and they will be treated as such." As he finished saying this, Orion emerged from behind a haystack, the rest of the rogues in tow. He grinned eagerly, his eyes wide and playful.

"Everyone," Orion began, his tail swishing behind him, "meet our new friend, Eagleheart."

Tom, Icy, Snowball and Argus stood behind the tom, eyeing the newcomer curiously. Tom stepped forward first, a small smile on her face. "Nice to meet you. I'm Tom."

"Tom?" Eagleheart mewed, his confusion evident. "You're obviously a she-cat."

"Twolegs." Tom mewed simply, chuckling.

Eagleheart's whiskers twitched. "Kittypet rogues. Great." Buzzardpaw jabbed him in the side with his paw, which the warrior shrugged off.

"I'm Argus." Argus stepped forward next, holding something white and fluffy. Buzzardpaw frowned, not being able to tell what it was.

"What are you holding?"

"This is my guidance doll, Mr. Fluffy." Argus answered. He then turned to Eagleheart, tilting his head. "You seem to have a lot of anger inside of you. Would you like to hold Mr. Fluffy?"

Eagleheart scowled, his lip curling. "No, I'd rather-" Buzzardpaw stopped him with another jab to the stomach. "No, thank you." The warrior hissed, giving his brother a pointed look.

Snowball spoke up next, his face red. "I-I'm Snowball, and this is my sister Icy." Icy stood next to him, her intense gaze boring through the warrior.

Seeming slightly uneasy from the she-cat's stare, Eagleheart gave the siblings a simple nod, then turned to his brother. "There, I met your friends. Can we go now?"

Buzzardpaw shook his head. "We haven't found any clues yet! And besides, you haven't met everyone." Swiping his tongue over his jaws, he looked to Orion. "Where's Flurry?"

"With her she-cat friend." Orion purred, grinning. Just as he said this, Flurry emerged from behind her brother, her single eye immediately falling onto Eagleheart.

"Who is this?" The she-cat growled, her voice unfriendly.

"This is Buzzardpaw's brother." Orion mewed, glancing at her. "Isn't he a cutie?"

Flurry grunted, giving the warrior a cold stare. "You shouldn't keep your claws unsheathed like that." she hummed, stalking closer. "Makes them dull."

Eagleheart rose to his paws, returning the she-cat's glare. "Trust me, my claws are far from dull."

Scoffing, Flurry gave the tom an unimpressed look and turned to her brother. "I thought you said you weren't going to bring anymore clan cats around?" she started, her tail lashing. "They're arrogant mouse brains that only cause trouble."

Orion shrugged. "I didn't expect Buzzardpaw to bring his brother. Besides," He gave his sister a sly smirk, "you sure don't feel that way towards Aspenpaw."

Looking embarrassed, Flurry looked away. "She's different. I've known her for a long time."

"We've known Buzzardpaw for a long time."

"Well, not as long as I've known Aspenpaw." Flurry huffed and headed towards the barn entrance. "I'm leaving."

"Tell Aspenpaw I said hi!" Orion called after her, grinning. The she-cat ignored him and padded away, prompting Orion to head towards Buzzardpaw. Before he could reach him however, Icy intercepted him, her face only a whisker-length away from the apprentice's.

"Hello." Icy mewed, staring into his eyes.

Buzzardpaw shuffled his paws, scooting back a little. Icy quickly closed the distance, pressing her nose against his. Jerking away, Buzzardpaw sighed. "Hi, Icy."

Icy sat down next to him, intertwining her tail with his. "How are you? Are you well? I hope you're well. I've been okay, but I've missed you a lot. I wish you would come more often. I hate when you leave me. I think you're amazing. Have you considered taking a mate yet? She would definitely be a lucky she-cat. I hope she's pretty. I think I'm pretty. Do you think I'm pretty? I'd be so happy if you did, then we could…" Buzzardpaw desperately looked to his brother, who only snickered at him. StarClan help me!

"Have you said hello to my brother?" Buzzardpaw interrupted the she-cat, Pulling his tail from hers to point to him. Icy's attention immediately diverted to the warrior, who once again looked uncomfortable under its intensity. "He's a pretty cool cat."

"Hello." Icy mewed, her whiskers twitching. "You're very handsome."

"Um," Eagleheart looked taken aback, "thank you?"

Icy blinked, then turned back to Buzzardpaw. "You're both handsome. But I like you, Buzzardpaw. You make me happy. I think about you all the time. Do you think about me? I hope you do. I think… I think I lov-"

"Alright, that's enough crazy for today." Orion mewed, nosing Icy away from the two toms. The she-cat looked at him angrily, her nostrils flaring and claws unsheathing. "You're smothering them. They're obviously uncomfortable."

"Buzzardpaw wasn't uncomfortable." Icy turned to Buzzardpaw, her teeth bared. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Buzzardpaw?"

Buzzardpaw shuffled his paws, looking at the wooden floor. "Kind of," he mewed quietly, not wanting to upset the she-cat any further, "I don't like when you go on long tangents about how much you missed me."

"But I did miss you!" The she-cat protested, her voice a shout. "Buzzardpaw, I lov-"

Tom appeared behind Icy, grabbing her by the scruff. "Come on, Icy," she mewed, sounding annoyed, "lets go do something together. Leave the boys alone." Icy struggled in the larger she-cat's grasp, unable to break free. Watching them disappear behind a stack of hay, Buzzardpaw let out a long sigh.

"Well that was interesting." Eagleheart mewed, his whiskers twitching.

"Tell me about it."

"She obviously likes you," the tom continued, "in a strange sort of way. I wouldn't break her heart if I were you, she's not exactly… right in the head."

Buzzardpaw lashed his tail. "But I don't like her! I am nice to her, but that seems to make her go even crazier." He lifted his head, his attention on Orion, who had moved a few tail lengths away. "There's a cat for everyone, I'm just not the one for her."

Eagleheart followed his gaze, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as he looked at Orion. "I do hope you aren't talking about him."

Flustered, Buzzardpaw wrenched his eyes from the pretty tom and turned to his brother. "What? N-No! No way. Orion is just a friend of mine. Also, keep your voice quiet." Giving his chest fur a few licks, he looked at his paws. "Besides, even if it was him, what does it matter?"

"I just dont think he's a good match for you."

Frowning, Buzzardpaw looked back up. "Why not? You don't even know him! He's kind and funny and sweet, are you just saying that because he's a rogue?"

Eagleheart shook his head. "No, that's not it." He then rolled his eyes at the tom, prompting Buzzardpaw to turn his head. Orion was whispering something into Snowball's ear, his sultry purrs audible from where the two toms were sitting. As Snowball's face reddened with a deep blush, Eagleheart scoffed, his tail lashing. "I think my brother deserves more than an air headed tom that flirts with anything that breathes."

His ears pricked, Orion turned around, a smirk on his face. "Nuh-uh. I dont flirt with anything that breathes, I flirt with any tom that breathes."

His face heating up, Buzzardpaw looked at the tom. "How much of the conversation did you hear?"

"Only the good parts." Orion purred, winking. Buzzardpaw looked at his paws in embarrassment. I told Eagleheart to speak quieter!

Eagleheart's whiskers twitched, his golden eyes flashing. "Whatever," he mewed, his voice finally a whisper, "it doesn't matter if you have a simple crush on him. Just don't get too involved. We'll be meeting these cats in battle one day."

"I don't have a crush on him," Buzzardpaw protested, "and we won't be fighting them." Eagleheart gave him a disbelieving look but didn't say anything, crouching lower to the ground.

Orion approached the two, his whiskers twitching. "Well boys, I hope you're enjoying yourselves." Eagleheart gave the tom a rude, 'Not really," but Orion ignored it, his eyes bright. "It's getting late, the moon's coming out."

Buzzardpaw looked to the barn entrance, surprised to see a pale silver glow lighting the area instead of the bright orange from before. He frowned, turning to his friend. "I guess that's our que to leave."

Orion looked downcast, his tail swaying behind him. "I wish you didn't have to leave so soon, I barely spent time with you." He then perked up, as an idea came over him. "Unless you don't have to leave. Why don't we give Eagleheart a tour of the entire place?"

Before Buzzardpaw could approve of the idea, Eagleheart rose to his paws, towering over the short rogue. "No. This was a waste of time. Come on Buzzardpaw, we're leaving."

The apprentice frowned, standing up. "Come on, Eagleheart, it will be fun! We have a long while before moonhigh, we can make it back to our clans in time."

"No."

"Please? We might find some clues!"

Looking undecided, Eagleheart opened his jaws, but Orion spoke before he could. "It's settled then! We better get moving quickly!" Without another word he whipped around and bounded out of the barn, a bright smile on his face. Buzzardpaw followed behind him, making sure Eagleheart came as well. With a loud sigh of annoyance, Eagleheart tailed them slowly, his claws unsheathed. "Is he always this grouchy?" Orion whispered, once Buzzardpaw had caught up.

Buzzardpaw nodded vigorously. "Oh yeah. He acts like he woke up in a pile of fire ants every day!"

"I heard that." Eagleheart hissed behind the two, prompting them to giggle.

The three toms quickly walked through the farm, visiting every fenced area connected to the barns. They began to trek back to Orion's, the moon at an angle above the sky.

"I guess this is where our adventure ends!" Orion chirped, sitting down.

"Good riddance," Eagleheart growled, his voice low, "can we go now?"

"I'm not keeping you," Orion mewed, his voice playful, "unless you want to stay."

Eagleheart shook his head. "No thank you." He began to head towards the fence that led to the tunnels, leaping on top and perching there. "Ready when you are, Buzzardpaw."

Buzzardpaw pressed his nose to Orion's cheek, breathing in the tom's sweet scent. "Goodbye, Orion."

Orion licked his cheek, a small smile on his face. "Don't sound so sad, you'll be back in a moon."

The apprentice grinned. "You're right, I'll see you then. Goodbye! I'll-" He was suddenly cut off by a loud screech, it's sharpness sending chills down his spine. Another voice had joined the first, which then prompted another. Looking around in confusion, Buzzardpaw flattened his ears as Eagleheart appeared next to him, looking just as perplexed.

"What is that?" The warrior yowled, barely able to be heard over the loud noise. "Is some cat hurt?"

Orion seemed excited, his eyes glittering. "No, that's a meeting call!"

Author's Note:

Hello again! Sorry for the delay, but here's part one of chapter 28! Eagleheart actually came to the barn to meet everyone, but still seems unconvinced! Will he change his mind? And what's up with the meeting call? Why would the rogues need to hold meetings? All of this will be answered in part two (for the most part), so stay tuned! I've written a good portion of it so far, so I should have it up pretty soon.

Thanks for reading!

~MeltingPopsicles