Annnnd I'm back! Two days late and my only excuse is that I forgot. Oh well! Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Two

Three days had passed since the medicine cat den incident and now the entire thing was barely on Sorrelkit's mind! The sun was almost completely up and she was hanging out with Creekkit, Aspenkit, and Flykit!

Currently Aspenkit was repeatedly sliding his paw quickly across the ground and saying the word "Hide!" at various speeds. Creekkit was currently settled beside her, watching Aspenkit intently.

" It feels like it should have been several sunrises by now!" Flykit whined, rolling onto his back.

" It's not even Sunhigh yet silly!" Aspenkit cheerfully replied, his paw going still.

Creekkit glanced back and forth between Aspenkit and Flykit, his gaze curious.

" It's an exag - exagger… ugh! You know what I mean!" Flykit grumbled, getting to his paws and glaring at Aspenkit.

Exaggeration. So close Flykit! Sorrelkit thought, shaking her head in amusement.

" Mmm, maybe. " Aspenkit replied, his ears twitching. He suddenly raised one of his paws, tilting it downwards. " Prey! Prey. Preeeeeeey." He repeated the movements, shooting a cheerful look at Sorrelkit.

Creekkit snapped his attention back to Aspenkit, looking confused for a few seconds. Then his eyes lit up with realization and he repeated the signal back with a cheerful grin.

This entire thing was Aspenkit's idea! He wanted Creekkit to be able to (sort of) understand others without his hearing! Sorrelkit rolled onto her back, yawning. Sure, it was kinda boring, but that didn't matter!

Suddenly Aspenkit let out a squawk as Flykit barreled him over, looking triumphant. " See, I can mercilessly take you down too!" He huffed, lifting his head.

" Good job, you finally learned about surprise attacking," Aspenkit grunted, wriggling out of Flykit's grip. " But I can still do it when you're on edge!" He crowed, batting at the tom.

Creekkit shifted beside her before quickly sliding his paw across the ground, lifting it, and then tapping the ground once, his head tilted. 'Hide now?'

Sorrelkit rolled over and leaped to her paws, repeating the motion to her currently distracted siblings.

" Finally!" Flykit grumbled, looking pointedly at the sun, which was high in the sky.

"Yes! Now!" Aspenkit cheered, nodding his head.

That was all Creekkit needed, as he immediately darted off towards the apprentice den. Aspenkit chuckled, batting at Flykit again before fleeing. "You're it!"

Flykit rolled his eyes, casting a glance at Sorrelkit before he padded away, head high. She gave her head a shake, padding quickly towards the vacant elders den. The fact that it was empty was a bonus! Flykit wouldn't even think to look there!

She paused at the entrance, wrinkling her nose. The den had been empty for moons and no one had thought to clear it out. Maybe it was because of the IceClan problem, but it was a plus for her! She scampered forward, diving into the nearest nest. Now all that was left was to wait and Sorrelkit could be very patient!

_

" I found you!" Flykit's voice rang nearby and Sorrelkit froze, listening.

" It took you long enough!" Aspenkit replied cheerfully, his voice even closer.

" You shouldn't even be hiding in the walls. " The matter of fact voice of Whiteapple growled. " IceClan could come through at any moment. Then what?"

" Well I'm sure that a wonderful warrior such as yourself would gladly save us!" Aspenkit's voice was smooth and Sorrelkit could almost hear his wink at the end of the sentence.

Whiteapple wasn't having any of it though. " Maybe a wonderful warrior such as myself would let them give you something to remember them by so you don't do such a mousebrained thing again!"

" I'm sure they won't do it again, now that you've told them not to." That was Wishpaw. She had a habit of barging into random conversations.

" Yeah, I'm sure Aspenkit won't do it again." Flykit huffed in annoyance.

" Whatever. I'm still keeping an eye out on you. " Whiteapple replied. " And don't you have a hunting patrol to be on, Wishpaw?"

" Oh, right." The she cat let out a yawn. " I'll be there."

" Young cats," The voice of Whiteapple grumbled. She was probably shaking her head in disappointment as she walked away.

" Old cats, am I right?" Aspenkit sounded closer, and he clearly didn't think to whisper it. Aspenkit was always balancing on the line of mousebrained and smart, wasn't he?

Sorrelkit rolled her eyes, pressing herself closer to the old nest. This ended up being a big mistake, as she let out a sneeze.

" Over there!" Aspenkit called, his voice rising in excitement.

With only seconds to find a new hiding place, Sorrelkit abandoned the nest, slamming full force into the wall of the den. She winced as thorns scraped against her pelt. She huddled in her new spot, listening. After all, when you can't talk, you become very good at listening. At least, that's what Sorrelkit thought. She didn't have anyone else to disprove it, so it wasn't wrong!

" Wait, she's over there now!" Aspenkit called again, his paw steps quickly retreating.

" But what if she isn't?" Flykit called back, stomping into the den.

She could hear her brother stomp around, batting at random objects. The all movement stopped. She tensed, holding her breath.

" Found you!" Flykit suddenly shouted, darting into the wall of the elders den. " My sense of smell is the b-" he tripped over Sorrelkit, falling through the rest of the wall with an offended squawk.

Sorrelkit wriggled out of her spot, glancing at Flykit, who had scrambled to his paws with a whine, shaking his paw.

" Stupid thorns!" He grumbled, glaring at his paw.

Sorrelkit circled her sibling, stopping in front of him. ' Help you?' she signed, jabbing her paw at him.

Flykit scowled, before quickly giving in. " Ugh, please! Thorns are sooo," - he winced - "annoying!" He complained. " And Shadepaw will rip off my ears if I go to her for 'a stupid thorn' in my paw!" His voice had taken on a mocking tone.

Sorrelkit rolled her eyes, glancing back at Flykit's injured paw, waiting. How was she supposed to help when he was holding his paw that close to him? He seemed to realize this, holding out his paw with a frown.

Thorns were easy to deal with! She leaned forward, lapping at his paw until the thorn was far up enough to grab it. Then, with a forceful yank, it was removed. She felt a sense of pride as she spat the thorn out to the side.

If Shadepaw was so miserable being a medicine cat, Sorrelkit would happily replace her!

_

Sunhigh had come and gone! Now, with the sun setting, Sorrelkit felt tuckered out. She yawned, rolling over. Creekkit sat beside her, staring at the sky with wide eyes.

He always liked watching the sky. When she and Creekkit became apprentices, she'd find them a good tree and they could watch the sunset from a different angle! She glanced at the tom, who let out a yawn, flopping onto the ground beside her.

' Pretty!' he signed, his eyes wide.

' You say that every time we watch one!' Sorrelkit replied, nudging the younger tom.

Creekkit didn't respond and her attention was quickly dragged somewhere else.

" So, when are you picking the replacement deputy for Appletrot?" Yarrowfall's voice was quiet as he settled nearby, glancing at Swiftstar.

" Replacement deputy?" The leader replied quietly, tilting his head. " Why, I thought you were the replacement deputy. You…aren't resigning are you?" He got to his paws, quickly glancing at the sky.

She felt Creekkit shift beside her, probably watching the two cats as well.

" No! I just thought… since I'm supposed to be a temporary deputy… I just thought you were thinking about someone else replacing Appletrot!" Yarrowfall's voice sped up at the last attempt, his fur puffed. " I was supposed to be temporary." He added, his voice shaky.

" Things change." Swiftstar replied, glancing at the ground. " Appletrot was taken away from us too soon, but things happen. We must move on." His voice was solemn, different from when he talked to anyone else.

Appletrot. She knew Appletrot! She was that strange looking cat that helped find her and her siblings and took them into the clan! Then she…disappeared. Sorrelkit frowned. That was around the time Kudzu (Still a strange name!) stopped visiting them.

These cats were treating her like she was dead though! Sorrelkit glanced at the ground. They never had a body. She could still be alive! Right?

" Why do you think I'd be a good deputy? Maybe even a future leader? What do I have that others don't? What made you choose me?" The questions spilled out of Yarrowfall's mouth, snapping her attention back to the leader and deputy.

" Even with all you've lost, you can still get back to your paws and head on. Not everyone can do that. " Swiftstar's voice was thoughtful. " You're reasonable and you don't go looking for fights, among other things." He licked his paws, drawing it over his ear. " Everyone has their positive and negative traits. I'm sure that you'd make a good leader one day, even with your negative traits."

" Oh." Yarrowfall replied, clearly not satisfied with Swiftstar's answer.

Swiftstar didn't seem to notice, stretching and getting to his paws. " Well, I better get rested. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!" The leader's tone was cheerful, almost back to normal as he quickly padded away.

Sorrelkit's gaze followed the tom as he slid into his den, before glancing back at Yarrowfall, who hadn't moved. He was staring at the leader's den and she almost didn't hear his next words.

" I just hope you're right."