Brambleclaw wasn't surprised to find his youngest son curled up next to his best friend. They would often end up like that, especially if she had a nightmare. They'd sneak behind the nursery, like he and his siblings often did, spoke in hushed whispers about things that no cat would have bothered to listen for. What could two kits possibly have to talk about besides their next meal and exploring the camp?

Cinderkit stretched an unsheathed paw out and Jaykit's eyes snapped open.

"Cinderkit? Cinderkit, come on, wake up!" He hissed, crawling out of the nest to give her space. The grey she-cat's eyes snapped open and she leapt to her paws, thorn-prick claws unsheathed and glaring around wildly.

"Nightmares again?"

"I don't think they ever stopped. That place is scary, Jaykit. He doesn't belong there."

"I know, and now they know they made a mistake but no one's going to just let him leave. You know that."

"But it's not fair!" She snapped. "He only did all that stuff so he could help her! Why can't he leave?!"

"Because Tigerstar would kill me if he knew what was going on." Hawkfrost appeared beside her. "I have to keep you alive. Mothwing can wait."

"Because he would get hurt if anyone knew. They can't help him."

"Why not?! They're StarClan! They can do anything, right?"

"No StarClan cat would dare to enter the Dark Forest alone, much less to help someone who's being watched. If anyone else caught wind, he'd be dead and so would you. I can't let that happen."

"So that's why you want to be a medicine cat." Cinderkit scowled.

"There are other ways to help the Clan." He assured her. "I'm not sure I want to watch cats get hurt over a piece of prey or die because some mouse-brain decided to move the borders."

"You could be a warrior if you wanted to. Stormwhisker did it."

"Stormwhisker jumped off a cliff." Jaykit growled.

"Stormwhisker helped ShadowClan," Squirrelflight corrected. "He did what was right and died in the process. ShadowClan makes sure their kits know of his sacrifice."

"That doesn't change the fact that he's dead, Squirrelflight, and it doesn't change my decision, Cinderkit. I know what I'm doing." He assured her. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She scowled. "You'd be more help as a warrior than anything, if you ask me."

"Besides, Leafpool needs an apprentice. Who better to fit the role than me? It's not like anyone ever expected anything different."

"I did," Cinderkit snorted.

"You'll always expect something different, that's why you don't count. I'm going to see what Hollykit and Lionkit are up to. See you later, Cinderkit."

"I'll come with you," Brambleclaw said. "Kits don't normally travel the camp alone and you're no exception."

Cinderkit sighed and curled up so she was no more than a grey mass.

"You like him, don't you?"

"I don't know… I just know that he can't become a medicine cat."

"Why not? He'd make a great medicine cat."

"Same reason Cinderpelt said."

"What do you know about Cinderpelt?"

"She didn't want her best friend's blindness to crush his dreams, that's what. She wanted him to be the best warrior for the both of them."

"Don't you think that's what Jaykit will ask of you?"

She sighed. If this was what her friend really wanted, then she had no words for that, but she couldn't watch him throw his life away just so she could keep hers.