Slash awoke, feeling fur around her. Why would anyone curl up with her here? Everyone knew that intimacy was weakness, especially when talking to Ice's protégé. She could still feel the fur. She opened her eyes, preparing to fight, but found Brambleclaw curled around her protectively. Why was he here in the alley?

Then she looked around more, seeing a den.

Oh. She was Squirrelpaw now, and she was in the Clans. The lifting of her head awoke Brambleclaw, who looked at her, relaxing instantly as a small smile came to his face.

"Are you alright?"

"I've faced worse than a few nightmares, Brambleclaw. I can handle it."

"You may be able to handle it, but it doesn't mean you should handle it."

At that moment, the same gray cat from yesterday – Cinderpelt – walked in.

"Ah, good. How are you, Squirrelpaw?"

"I'm alright."

"That's good to hear. You gave us a good scare yesterday and Firestar and I recommend that you start to talk to someone, get everything off your chest."

"I can handle it without relying on another cat."

"You're strong, I can see that, but you should help yourself by talking."

"I told you I'm fine!"

"Would you ignore a wound on your flank?"

"What are you – no!" Leafpaw snorted, probably remembering the wound she'd bore when she first came to the medicine den.

"Then why are you ignoring your mental health?"

"I… I told you I'm fine."

"Yesterday you weren't. You need to get help, whether that be through talking to someone or just sitting quietly."

"Every other cat doesn't need to depend on another!"

"Every cat confides in others. Look at your father. He comes to me and Sandstorm when he's worried. Brambleclaw goes to – "

"Mom – Goldenflower."

"See? Every cat confides in someone. Well most do. I doubt Tigerstar did."

"Alright… who should I talk to?"

"You choose."

"I'd like to talk with Brambleclaw, if that's okay."

"Of course, it is. Go at your own pace."

The pair left the medicine den where she spied Dustpelt picking at a chaffinch. She took a small shrew and bade Brambleclaw goodbye, coming over to sit with him.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"You didn't know about my past. I don't blame you."

"I shouldn't have been insensitive."

"BloodClan aren't exactly the warm and fuzzy type. I don't mind."

"Do you understand why elders and kits are fed first?" He queried. Squirrelpaw could see hesitation in his eyes.

"The kits I can understand, but why elders?"

"Elders are fed first to thank them for all of their past service to the Clans. They are taken care of as respect."

"That seems honourable."

"It is. We'll resume training at dawn. For now, you have the duty of checking the elders for ticks. Go and see Cinderpelt again; she'll give you some mouse bile to help."

"I will." She moved to the den, where Cinderpelt looked up from a pile of herbs.

"Back so soon?"

"I'm on tick duty."

"Your first time? Okay, I'll get you some mouse bile."

She came back with a wad of moss with a brown-green substance smeared on it. "Here it is. Don't get any in your mouth and wash your paws in water after using it. It's not poisonous, but it tastes foul."

"Thank you."

She moved over to the elders' den, hearing stories about LionClan and the First Battle as she worked. When she finished, she did as Cinderpelt said, washing her paws in a stream nearby.

When she'd finished, she headed back to camp, where Brambleclaw was basking in the sun.

"Care to join me on a hunt?" She queried.

"Sure – it's been a bit since we had the chance to talk alone."

And so, they hunted, Squirrelpaw talking to Brambleclaw about everything and nothing as they prowled the forest, in the end coming back with a respectable catch. Squirrelpaw took the first catch, a thrush, to the nursery, feeling a small fire kindle in her chest at the gratefulness in the queens' eyes. She quickly resolved to take the first catch of every hunt here if she could.