Second Chap, a little shorter. Enjoy!

Russetpaw paused outside of the ShadowClan camp, rubbing her paws in the damp dust. It was sunset, and much of the Clan was resting and just in the middle of eating their dinner, and while Russetpaw's stomach gurgled to remind her that she too was hungry, she could not bring herself to take another step into the camp. Archeye had passed her after a quick hunting trip, holding a large frog in his mouth, but had said nothing. Russetpaw and given him a quick look, trying to seem as cheerful as possible, and he did not seem to think anything different.

Russetpaw adjusted her grip on the finch she had caught. Though the smell was making her stomach even louder, she couldn't bring herself to bite into it. It had to be brought into the camp first – otherwise the other warriors would think she was eating while out hunting.

What should she do? How should she act when she saw Raggedstar, and knew that he beat Clawpaw? What would she say to Clawpaw? To anyone? Butterflies fluttered in Russetpaw's stomach anxiously, and her spine tingled nervously. By StarClan, what should she do?

"Hey, Russetpaw, you took a while."

Russetpaw whipped around, "Croudpah!" she mumbled around the finch. The white tom laughed, he himself had put down his frog that he was carrying to talk to her, and Russetpaw quickly did likewise to be comprehensible.

"Hey Cloudpaw, I got a little… um… distracted on the way back." Russetpaw said sheepishly, the butterflies in her stomach increasing.

Cloudpaw laughed, "Well, you can tell me about it while we eat, c'mon!"

Cloudpaw scooped up his frog and padded into the camp, and Russetpaw picked up the finch again then, taking a deep breath, padded after him. Fear was building inside of her, but she had to be brave. Silently, she thanked Cloudpaw for giving her strength.

Both apprentices padded over to the fresh-kill pile, where they paused as Cloudpaw put down his frog. He glanced over at her, his eyes bright, "Hey, Russetpaw… would you like to share that finch?"

Russtpaw's head almost spun off of her neck. Cloudpaw? Asking to share prey with her? StarClan, why couldn't he have asked her yesterday? Why now, when she could hardly think? She shuffled her paws and looked down, "Cloudpaw, I… I'm…"

Just then, Fernshade passed by, and Russetpaw snapped her head in her direction. Russetpaw glanced back at Cloudpaw, but then continued to follow Fernshade with her eyes, "I have to talk to Fernshade about something, b-but… I'll take you up on that offer a little later, alright?"

Russetpaw bounded off before Cloudpaw could answer, following Fernshade as she padded out of the camp. Her mentor slowed when she heard Russetpaw approach, and tilted her head to the side curiously, "Russetpaw, I thought you would be eating right now."

"I caught a frog while I was heading back," Russetpaw lied, "I ate that and brought the finch back to camp. But, um, Fernshade, what are you doing?"

"Just waiting for Cinderfur and Nightpelt, I'm supposed to be leading a night patrol tonight. Why?"

"Erm… I was wondering if I could come along with you." In actuality, Russetpaw just wanted to get out of the camp, and stay out of it.

Fernshade frowned in thought, "We'll be patrolling closer to the WindClan territory, and I've never taken you there before… It's a lot further than you've been before, and you worked very hard today… I don't think I should be tiring you out, and tomorrow you have a morning patrol."

"Well, let's consult Cinderfur and Nightpelt – they're here right now."

Russetpaw whirled around to see the two dark brothers padding up to them, their matching yellow eyes steady. Both dipped their heads to Fernshade when they saw her – she was a popular and well-respected warrior among all of the Clans.

"Would you mind if Russetpaw joined us on this patrol?" Fernshade asked.

Nightpelt frowned, "Raggedstar already talked to us about taking Clawpaw out tonight, two apprentices and three warriors could be too much for just a night patrol."

"C-Clawpaw?" Russetpaw gulped. She had winced at Raggedstar's name, but at the thought of Clawpaw being on the same patrol as her sent a fresh wave of panic through her. Hastily she started backing away from the three warriors, "I-I'm sorry, Fernshade, I am starting to feel really tired… I better go rest for the patrol tomorrow morning."

Fernshade gave her a puzzled look, and Russetpaw turned to hurry away –

Whump!

Russetpaw sat back and shook her head dazedly, and almost screamed when she looked up and saw Clawpaw standing nearby, shaking his head as well. Russetpaw scrambled to her paws, and Clawpaw glanced at her, confused. There was nothing in his eyes that betrayed what had happened only an hour before, there was no evidence of the beating he had just suffered in the way he walked. The only thing she noticed was the cut on his jaw, staunched with dust he had pressed into it at the training hollow.

"Hi! I mean – sorry, Pawclaw, I-I mean, C-Clawpaw. I was just – um, I-I need to go, uhm, t-talk to Jaggedstar, I mean, Raggedstar, I mean, Jaggedpaw and, erm –"

Russetpaw just gave up and ran, leaving behind the brown apprentice with a confused look. How did he manage to hide what had happened? How could he keep a straight face while she was a nervous wreck? How long had he put up that quiet façade? How long had she been blind to it?

Russetpaw raced through the camp, blundering into Cloudpaw as she ran, and almost collided with Yellowfang, the Clan Medicine Cat.

"Foolish kit!" the ugly cat snapped, Russetpaw winced and cowered beneath her sharp gaze. Yellowfang squinted her eyes, and then jerked her flat muzzle to her den, "Get in my den right now, kit."

"B-but – " Russetpaw began and Yellowfang thrashed her mangy tail, cutting her off. Head and tail drooped, Russetpaw padded off to the Medicine Cat's den.

It smelled warm and gentle in the den, so completely unlike Yellowfang but extremely similar at the same time. She sat down on the nest that Yellowfang made for cats who needed to rest in her den – she slept further in the den, where the smell of herbs was strongest and clung to her fur. Herbs were scattered over the entrance, and Russetpaw began to paw the ones closest to her into piles to occupy herself. What did Yellowfang want to talk to her about?

"Making yourself useful? Good." Yellowfang said curtly when she entered. Russetpaw had three good-sized piles of herbs separated by then, "And you're not mixing them either."

"They smell different," Russetpaw shrugged.

Yellowfang sniffed, "Got a good nose on you too."

Yellowfang took a mouthful of the herbs and padded to the back of the den to put them away, and then came back with a poppy head. She put it down and took another mouthful of herbs back to the den, and came back for the third. After that, she began to help Russetpaw separate herbs. Russetpaw's tail wiggled impatiently, but Yellowfang didn't say anything. Finally, when they had separated the herbs and Yellowfang had put them away, Russetpaw burst.

"What did you need me for?" she finally asked.

"What did you need me for?" Yellowfang shot back at once. Russetpaw was silenced by her shock. Yellowfang turned around, her yellow eyes narrowed and scrutinizing.

"I've been around, kit, I know when someone has a crush, I know when someone's had a bad day, and I know when someone's has a secret they should not have. Now, I know you have a crush on Cloudpaw, I know you've had a great day from Jaggedpaw, and I've only ever seen that look you gave me when you ran into me on one other cat at one other time, and that was a deadly secret. Now, what do you need me for?"

Russetpaw rubbed her paws in the moss of the nest hesitantly. What was there to say? When did she begin? With what Raggedstar said? With what he was doing to Clawpaw? With the way Clawpaw was looking at her when he saw her?

"I'm… I saw something today… something I shouldn't… probably shouldn't have seen."

Yellowfang scowled, "You have got to be more descriptive than that."

Russetpaw flinched and lowered her head, pressing her ears to her skull. Yellowfang sighed and padded to the back of her den, then came out with a leafy white flower with a yellow center. She pulled off three leaves and pushed it towards her. She pawed off a single seed from the poppy head, and pushed that at her as well.

"Eat this, I'll be back in a little while."

Russetpaw obediently ate the leaves and seed, ignoring the bitter taste that lingered in her mouth. After a few minutes, Russetpaw lay down on the nest and sighed. She wasn't feeling sleepy, only a little drowsy, but the anxious tingle in her spine was settled, and the restlessness in her paws was gone. Yellowfang returned and took one look at her and laughed.

"I gave you chamomile, to help you relax," she said, "Sit up, do you want to tell me now?"

Russetpaw nodded and sat up. She opened her mouth to tell the story, and then hesitated, shuffling her paws again, "I was wondering… if you would let me sleep in here tonight."

Yellowfang sighed, and for a moment Russetpaw thought she had seen a half-smile on her flat face, "Of course you may sleep in here tonight."

Russetpaw nodded slowly, and then took a deep breath, and told her story. She couldn't look at Yellowfang until she had finished, and when she finally did, the Medicine Cat's face was stony. Gravely, she pawed off two more poppy seeds from poppy head and pushed them to Russetpaw.

"Eat these." She said. Russetpaw opened her mouth to protest and Yellowfang growled, "Eat them. I will talk to you in the morning. Eat."

Reluctantly, Russetpaw lowered her head and lapped up with seeds as Yellowfang sat and watched her. The Medicine Cat continued to busy herself as Russetpaw grew sleepier and sleepier, and then finally curled into the nest and closed her eyes, drifting off into a black sleep.

"… You cannot stop what he will become."

Someone was talking. Was Russetpaw still asleep? She couldn't tell. It was a male voice speaking, her eyes half opened and she saw the large, dark shape of Raggedstar standing over her. But what was in front of her? Russetpaw blinked sleepily, and there was a gray form, smelling of herbs. Yellowfang, she guessed.

"I will do everything in my power. I will protect him. And her. I will protect all of them."

Raggedstar laughed, "You? Protect? You could not even protect two of your kits, how do you expect to protect the apprentices? Especially from who they will become?"

"You are a fool if you think that he is who you think he is."

"You are a fool to protect him."

Russetpaw struggled to stay away, but her eyes were too heavy. Her lids fell as the two continued to talk, and her mind began to float back into darkness.