"Hello? Runningpaw? I don't think he's here, Cinderhope," mewed a voice. "Runningpaw! Where are you!"

Blinking his sapphire eyes open, Runningpaw lifted his head slowly. Where was he? What had just happened? Did he even remember where he was?

Suddenly, realization struck him. Sweet, sweet realization. He was back in the bramble bush where he had hacked, laying splayed out in the middle of the bush. Runningpaw tried to blink, but felt stinging pain rushing to his eyelids. Something was wrong with his eye…

"Runningpaw! This isn't a good joke, you know! If you didn't want to see Cinnamonpaw here stitch me up, all you had to do was say so!" Called a voice.

Hey…that voice sounded familiar…too familiar… was that Cinderhope? Here, in this abandoned clearing?

Runningpaw sprung up at the sound of the deputy's voice. He had to get out of here! Was Cinderhope alright? Well, of course he was if he had walked all the way to this place!

Ducking his head this time, the apprentice slowly staggered his way out of the bramble bush. He shuddered as he saw a drop of blood run down his muzzle and then his cheek. It must have been coming from his eyelid…something had happened to his eyes.

He tried to follow the light- that was the best way to get out. Tom, this was a big bramble bush. Probably one of the biggest ones in ThunderClan territory. In all of the Clan territories, from what Runningpaw had seen of the other three.

Finally, with the last drop of strength in him, Runningpaw hurled himself out of the bush and laid down again. I don't feel so good…Runningpaw thought. Perhaps I should just lay down before I get sick again…

C.I.N.D.E.R

"Runningpaw! Wake up!" A cat hissed.

Runningpaw tipped his head open with his eyes still closed. He didn't bother to open them, it would just hurt his eye more.

"Is he okay?" Asked another cat. "I really hope so. Oh great, I have a coughing fit and then he goes off to kill himself! I didn't know that an apprentice had so much feelings for his mentor!" The cat snapped.

"Calm down, Cinderhope," The first cat replied calmly to the second cat's negative and sarcastic attitude. "I'm sure he's…fine."

Runningpaw sat up. Cinderhope? He was here? Oh yeah, he had heard the deputy's voice in the bramble bush.

Finally, he decided to open his eyes. But to Runningpaw's horror, they wouldn't open! Well, at least one would…his right eye was glued shut! Were there herbs on there or something?

That explained everything- he was back in the medicine cat's den. It only explained the overwhelming scents that had flooded his senses when he had awakened. Honestly, it was a harsh awakening, as it made Runningpaw want to go right back to sleep.

"Runningpaw!" Mewed a voice excitedly. "You're alive! Oh I was so afraid that we would never find you…"

Runningpaw looked up and saw Cinderhope was the cat that was speaking. He smiled up at his mentor.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cinderhope answered immediately.

"Cinnamonpaw just gave me some kind of herb parcel with like, four different herbs. It tasted so good I almost wanted another, but that smart cookie stopped me before I could have any more of it. She told me to eat it separate."

Runningpaw nodded numbly but didn't say anything. He was just glad that Cinderhope was alive. All of that coughing and spluttering that Cinderhope had done…it scared Runningpaw to bits. Suddenly, he felt another stinging pain score through his eye. He groaned and put a paw over his right eye.

"What was that?" She asked.

Runningpaw made sure that he kept his paw over his eye. "Nothing," He replied casually. "I- I just remembered when I was in here getting my cough cured. When I first met you…" He pretended to be in the middle of a heart-wrenching moment.

"Oh, I'm not that good," Cinnamonpaw mewed modestly. Her sorrel paws were kneading the earth and her silvery eyes were darting back and forth.

"You two are so cute together." Cinderhope remarked. "Too bad that she's a medicine cat," He reminded Runningpaw with an elbow.

Runningpaw nodded and limped out of the den, his paw still over his eye.

"Are your legs doing okay?" Asked Cinnamonpaw. "You're kinda walking sorta…funny."

Runningpaw shook his head rapidly. "No no no, it's fine, I just-"

"No, let me take a look at your legs!" Protested Cinnamonpaw arrogantly.

"I'm sure that Mossflower will be back soon, she can check on it," Runningpaw mewed urgently. He hoped he was showing good responsibility for wounds in front of Cinderhope. It was a good sign of an excellent warrior.

"Mossflower went out to find some catmint," Cinnamonpaw shot back. "She won't be back for a while, you know, since she's in Twolegplace. Please?" She asked, looking up at Runningpaw with her sterling eyes as huge as full moons.

Runningpaw couldn't help but give in. Her eyes…those absurd, but beautiful, silver eyes…they were so cute! He sat down with his paw still over his eye while the medicine cat apprentice checked his paws and legs one by one.

After his left hind leg, she peered up at his face where his right paw was resting on his muzzle. "Okay, I need to look at that one," She mewed.

Runningpaw shook his head. "No," He mewed sternly.

Cinnamonpaw sighed. "And why not?" She asked.

"B-because my eye got torn out my a…uh…badger! It's so gruesome that you don't want to look at it," Runningpaw replied gravely.

Cinnamonpaw rolled her eyes. She looked down in mock sadness. "P-please?" She asked again, looking up at him with her big, silver eyes.

Runningpaw couldn't help but stare into them with awe. They were so pretty and cute, he couldn't resist! "No," He mewed, still looking at the she-cat's face. Those wonderful white-tipped ears, the silver eyes, the pink nose…why was every part of the medicine cat made to savor like a fat, rare pheasant?

"Yah!" Runningpaw was jolted out of his daydreams as he felt his paw get snatched and caught on one of Cinnamonpaw's claws. And with that, Runningpaw's bloody eye was exposed.

Cinnamonpaw gasped. "Runningpaw! Why would you?"

Runningpaw's uncrusted eye widened. "What- why-would-I what?" he stammered.

"Why would you hide something like that from a medicine cat?" She tried to mew. "I mean, I'm here to help you with stuff like that!"

Runningpaw hung his head. "I- I didn't want you to worry too much about me. But why didn't you see it earlier when you brought me here?" He couldn't help but pointing out and asking.

"Well, maybe it was because you still had your paw over it!" Cinnamonpaw shrieked. "And…the only reason I would be worried about you is because…well…not because you were hurt so bad, but that you were hurt in the first place, Runningpaw. I- I care for-"

Runningpaw cleared his throat and flicked an ear to Cinderhope.

"…b-being a medicine cat," Cinnamonpaw finished cautiously. "I love being a medicine cat and I want to be the best one this forest has ever seen."

"I understand, Cinnamonpaw," Runningpaw mewed, going along with it. "I have ambitions like that too. Everybody does. I want to be the Clan leader when I grow up, and I don't want a flunk in my apprenticeship to happen." Out of the corner of his eye he made sure that Cinderhope wasn't expecting anything, but to his relief the deputy was staring at something else.

But something was wrong- it must have been the expression on the deputy's face. Curious, Runningpaw turned his head to see where Cinderhope was looking.

And Cinderhope had a good reason to be horrified. Runningpaw's jaw dropped as he saw a huge, bulky black shape that was slowly snaking around the nursery. It seemed as if he was trying to scent something…the queens! He was trying to see if he could scent any of the queens in the nursery!

Runningpaw tried to run, but his paws seemed rooted to the ground. He opened his mouth to shriek a warning, but nothing seemed to come out, even when he tried.

Runningpaw saw the tom poke his paw into the nursery, then his whole body. No queen, apparently, was there, but then again they all were helping get some prey to the elders (Brindlepaw and Bloodpaw were hunting and Deerpaw and Longpaw were lazily rolling around in the sunshine).

The tom squeezed his way out of the nursery with two kits hanging by their scruffs in his mouth and one kit was mewling desperately and pawing at the air as it dangled from the cat's paw.

And the last thing that Runningpaw saw was a black tail tip disappearing through the bushes surrounding the nursery, and the three kit wails were muffled by the shrubbery.