Here is the next chapter! This was a fun one to write, and I hope you all like it. I am actually forming some plans for this story, so that's good- well, good for me. You all might not like them.

Question: Who is your favorite out of the main POVs so far (Heatherpaw, Redpaw, or Milkpaw)?

Review Replies:

ThatOneVirgo- Thanks, I just imagine Leafcatcher as being a harsh mentor, but not mean. Yeah, things are sad for that family and it's definitely going to affect the kits.

- Thank you so much! I felt bad for Birdpaw and their siblings when I was writing the chapter.

SomeStormLeaf- Thanks you! And yeah, Leafcatcher could stand to be a little nicer, but she won't be. Vinefrost is best bro :). Hopefully Hawk will make a return, I do want to squeeze that in.

jabaredjf- Yeah, Heatherpaw's going to need that training with all the border skirmishes Rabbitfoot tries to start.

Ragged breaths shook Redpaw's chest as Viperpaw's fangs got closer to his throat. He bit down slightly, almost enough to draw blood. "Viperpaw, enough!" Mudwhisker commanded, his voice cool as ever, "You have won!"

Viperpaw got off Redpaw with a hiss. Redpaw laid there, gasping for a few seconds before getting up. "You're weak," Viperpaw growled at him, before turning and walking towards Mudwhisker.

Redpaw just stared after him in shock. He was trying to kill me! He looked at Clearwing, who stared back at him with a sad expression.

"That poor boy," he whispered to Redpaw, "Sometimes I think he's just misguided, he'd be happier if well… Maybe if Leopardfang were still with us."

"You feel bad for him?" Redpaw exclaimed, "As much as I want to, he hates me!"

"Oh Redpaw," Clearwing sighed and gave his apprentice a knowing look that made Redpaw frown.

"What? Viperpaw's always been cruel to me," Redpaw said defensively, "And now… now Mistlepaw won't even talk to me either." His best friend, just suddenly ignoring him beyond the occasional "excuse me" hurt more than Viperpaw's barbs ever would. Every time Redpaw tried to talk to Mistlepaw, she just looked so… hollow. She practically ran away from Redpaw, as if she was afraid of him. He hated seeing the pretty black and white she-cat so miserable. And since when do I think Mistlepaw's pretty? He had to stop his ears from flushing.

"I'm sure she's just… going through a phase," Clearwing explained, "Maybe she thinks she's too cool for younger apprentices or something. She'll grow out of it."

"But… Mistlepaw's not like that!" Redpaw blurted out, "She's the kindest cat in the whole clan, she would never… she would never want to hurt me like that."

"Cats change," Clearwing sighed, "I guess Acornfang might have rubbed off on the younger apprentices. I just hope she didn't affect Dragonflypaw or Burntpaw. Burntpaw's already distracted enough pining after Flameflight."

Redpaw couldn't help but snigger a little at the mention of his friend's crush. Burntpaw had been unhappy when Flameflight and Acornfang were named warriors. Redpaw was happy for the good natured tom, he would prove to be a valuable member of Runningclan. No one had looked at him funny at him ceremony.

Redpaw shook the thought aside, Flameflight was a loyal warrior. And Longclaw and Breezeheart are members of Runningclan who didn't have kits when they were apprentices.

Redpaw wasn't too much younger than Darkfang was when she'd given birth to him. Now, his mother was a young warrior and happier for it. Darkfang hadn't even slept in the warrior's den until after Redpaw was apprenticed. She'd given him more freedom after his apprenticeship, mostly due to her enjoying warriorhood. Darkfang still snapped at random cats in camp for small things like looking forward her the wrong way, and the other warriors were less thrilled to be sharing a den with her.

Breezeheart on the other hand was a respectable queen who had just weaned her third litter of kits last moon.

Hawkkit, Whitekit, and Graykit were a handful and Redpaw was glad to be out of the nursery. It was less crowded in the apprentice den after Acornfang and Flameflight had moved out.

He sighed when he realized Lilykit, Mousekit, and Lowkit were almost old enough to be apprenticed. That new room in the den wouldn't last for too much longer. He and Clearwing walked to camp, making amiable conversation the whole way there.

He saw Mistlepaw chatting quietly with Quickpaw near the fresh-kill pile and almost ran over to join them, but he stopped himself.

"You can always talk to me, we're best friends."

"No, we're not."

Redpaw turned his head and went to go talk to Burntpaw and Dragonflypaw instead. He found them gossiping over in a shady, secluded corner of camp. "Hey guys," he smiled as he walked over to them, "What are you all talking about?"

"Dragonflypaw has a crush," Burntpaw teased, twitching the tip of her tail.

"Oh," Redpaw was surprised, "On who? I thought she only loved taking care of the elders."

"I do not have a crush," Dragonflypaw huffed, "And there's nothing wrong with taking care of the elders!"

"Wildpelt's a grumpy piece of work," Burntpaw shrugged.

"He had a mate," Dragonflypaw gave her the side eye, "Maybe he'd tell you about her sometime if you listened."

"I thought he only talked to Appleblossom," Redpaw raised an eyebrow.

Dragonflypaw patted him on the head, "There's a lot of things you don't know, dear Redpaw."

"You all can stop treating me like I'm a kit," Redpaw frowned, "I'm seven moons old!"

Burntpaw smirked at him, "Oh little Redpaw, you have always been oblivious to the matters of the heart."

Dragonflypaw ran their tail under his nose, "For you see dearest Redpaw. The cat that I have been so desperately pining after… is you."

"What?" Redpaw gasped, his ears turning red, "M-me? Dragonflypaw, I don't know what to say-"

"They're kidding Redpaw," Burntpaw sighed, "Dragonflypaw doesn't even like toms, they like she-cats."

"Oh," was all Redpaw managed to say, looking visibly relieved.

"Specifically Flutterpaw," Burntpaw smirked, and added in a bad imitation of Dragonflypaw, "Oh, Flutterpaw, how you make my heart flutter in my chest."

"I do not sound like that," Dragonflypaw frowned.

"Yes, you do," Burntpaw grinned at her sibling, "You always have, dear littermate."

Dragonflypaw sighed and rolled her eyes. "So… Flutterpaw?" Redpaw shrugged, "Why her? She's kinda… quiet."

"She's beautiful," Dragonflypaw declared, "And her silence is so intriguing, I just have to know what she's thinking!"

"She's probably wondering why you're staring at her," Redpaw said dryly.

"Very funny," Dragonflypaw frowned.

"Oh, has Redpaw grown a sense of sarcasm?" Burntpaw chuckled, "You cheeky little thing. No wonder Dad likes you."

Redpaw just scoffed. "I'm going hunting," he muttered, "Are you going to come or are you two going to keep being weird?"

"Being weird," Burntpaw smirked and turned back to her sibling, "So, what other details must I know about Flutterpaw?"

Redpaw just rolled his eyes and headed towards the entrance of camp.

Mistlepaw normally would have come with me. He cast his best friend- or former best friend- a wounded look. She noticed him and net his gaze for one still moment and Redpaw was taken aback by the sheer amount of pain in her amber eyes.

"Mistlepaw!" he couldn't help but call out.

The black she-cat hardened her gaze and turned away. "Leave me alone Redpaw!" she hissed.

Redpaw was sick of this, Mistlepaw was his best friend and avoiding him was so unlike her. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

...

Mistlepaw looked at Redpaw, her poor, confused Redpaw- her best friend. He'd always been there for her and watching him here now…

"What's wrong?" she parroted him and avoided meeting his eyes again. Surely, she would drown in them if she did. Everything is wrong Redpaw. But that wasn't what she said.

"You're what's wrong," she hissed, "I finally realized that I'm better than you, half-clan scum."

She turned her face away, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. She heard Redpaw take in a deep breath, figuring he was probably standing there gaping like a fish. He stepped back slowly and ran out of camp.

Mistlepaw had done it, exactly what her father had wanted. She had destroyed the one relationship that had brought her the most happiness. She went to the apprentice den, ignoring the cats staring at her and collapsed in her nest. Quickpaw came and curled up beside her, placing his tail on her shoulder while she began to sob into the moss of the nest.

…

Redpaw charged through the woods. Mistlepaw hadn't meant it, she couldn't have meant it. She is Rabbitfoot's daughter. He stopped to catch his breath, leaning against a tree.

Had he done something? Is that why Mistlepaw hated him now? His chest was stringing. I finally realized that I'm better than you. But he- Mistlepaw was his friend! He couldn't lose her, then… She's still so pretty.

He shook his head, and wondered where he had gone wrong. Darkfang was right when she told him to stay away from she-cats.

Redpaw sniffed the air, there was a strange scent. He walked forward and saw a dark gray tom not much older than him lying on the forest floor covered in bloody wounds. He gasped, "Oh my, are you alright?"

"No," the muttered, taking ragged breaths, "Need… help, fox."

Redpaw looked around frightfully for the large ginger predator, but didn't see any. "Did you- did you chase it off?" he asked in disbelief.

"It was a young one," the tom grunted, "Help…"

Redpaw nodded and helped the tom to his paws. "I'm Redpaw," he said.

"J-Johnathan," the tom informed him and gave him a smirk, "You're a clan cat, camp… herbs."

"Yeah," Redpaw was surprised an outsider knew about the herbs in camp, but figured that he must have heard about Runningclan from the tales in Twolegplace. He let Johnathan lean on him as they walked back to camp.

Any guesses as to who Johnathan is?