Warmpaw narrowed his eyes. He couldn't seem to sleep to sleep that night, no matter what he tried. Thoughts about Thistlepaw were bouncing around his head. Is she okay? I wonder if she's sleeping now? Can we ever be friends again?

He rolled around, so that he was on his back. He stared up at the den roof. He blinked, imagining for a moment that it was the night sky he was watching. Thistlepaw likes the night…

Regret surged through him. He jerked awake. He shook his head, ripping off a pawful of moss from his nest and throwing it across the den. I didn't want this!

He winced, realizing that it hit someone.

The cream cat raised her head, spotting him awake. "Something wrong?" She sat up and used a paw to remove the piece of moss which clung to one of her ears.

"It's nothing," Warmpaw assured her. "Go back to sleep."

She hooked the moss with a claw. "Did you wake me up?"

Warmpaw floundered around for an answer in his mind. "Twigpaw must have kicked it from his nest." The silver tom had a habit of kicking with his hind legs while he slept. "Yeah, that explains it." He hoped he sounded convincing.

Archpaw flopped back down on her nest. "I'm so beat," she mewed.

"All right." Warmpaw gestured with his tail for her to curl back into her nest. That was exactly what she did.

Warmpaw waited, making sure she was asleep. He breathed a deep sigh of relief once he saw the subtle rise and fall of her flank.

He wasn't sure what drove him to all that. He wasn't meeting Thistlepaw anymore, so he really had nothing to hide. Especially from Archpaw. She said she trusted him, right? He dipped his head, a bad feeling rising up his throat. Old habits die hard, I guess.

He wasn't sure what exactly to do next. All he knew was that he had to get out of the den before he flings any more moss towards her. And before I totally rip by nest to shreds.

He resolved to go visit the medicine cat's den. Maybe they would give him a poppy seed or two. He stood up on half-numb legs, removing the moss that clung to his pelt. He began to feel sleepy again from the scent of it. Maybe I won't need the poppy seed.

He stepped towards the bramble-lined entrance. He turned back to look at Archpaw, still out cold. He purred, remembering a scene from his kithood. He half-hoped that she would open her deep blue eyes at him. He shifted his gaze to Twigpaw, then to Sandpaw. His heart pounding, Warmpaw couldn't help but sigh, looking at the entire den. This is the closest thing to LeapClan camp we will ever get.

Sadness made his shoulders slump a little. It seemed like they hadn't spoken to one another a lot, everyone occupied with their own obligations. The few moments they did were short, and most of the time, tense. Twigpaw didn't like speaking to him, it seemed. Sandpaw was always busy with training, and whenever she wasn't training, she was talking with Blazetail.

Huffing, he padded out of the den, making sure he didn't catch any prickers from the brambles.

The clearing was lit silver by the moon above. Stationed on guard was Frostheart, reddish pelt rippling from her spot next to the entrance. Clouds thinly veiled the sparkling night sky, looking like snakes weaving through the forest. The overhanging trees that lined the hollow swayed in the gentle night breeze. It was warm and heavy, foretelling the rainy weather to come.

It's been a while since it rained. Warmpaw thought. This'll be good for the forest.

Just as he was on his way to the medicine cat's den, a sharp hiss caught his attention. He turned, scanning the clearing.

A blue tabby tail was just visible underneath the fern patch.

"Hazelheart?" Warmpaw called out the young warrior from her hiding place.

The tail disappeared for a moment, then the blue tabby slinked out of the ferns, whiskers twitching. Her tabby pelt rippled.

"You're awake," she mewed, eyes flashing slight amusement. "It's the middle of the night. Go back and get some sleep!"

"I'd say the same thing." Warmpaw tilted his head at her, looking the she-cat up and down as she sat down next to him. "What are you doing this time at night?"

"Couldn't sleep," she admitted. "Thornseed's snoring loud enough to wake the entire forest up." She glanced back at the beech den, where Warmpaw heard something that very well could have been a falling tree. He narrowed his eyes.

Hazelheart shrugged, one ear drooping in a kittish manner. "What about you?"

"I was actually on my way to see Cloudcover." Warmpaw meowed, tail-tip flicking. "I was having a hard time sleeping, so I wanted to see if I could get a poppy seed or two to help me."

The she-cat smirked. "You probably just wanted the catmint."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." Hazelheart purred, turning her head away. "You were going to get a poppy seed, right?"

"Yeah," Warmpaw affirmed.

"I'll bet my tail they're asleep." Hazelheart guessed.

Warmpaw padded silently towards the den and peeked in through the entrance. Inside were the sleeping figures of Deerpaw and Cloudcover. Deerpaw had his fawn tail curled around his neck, paws tucked underneath him. Beside him was Cloudcover, lying on her side next to a stack of herbs. There were some scattered on the floor, still unorganized. It surprised Warmpaw.

"What happened?" he asked Hazelheart.

"Sprintfoot happened." A thoughtful look passed her face. "He just wouldn't stop pestering them about Nightfall yesterday. Add that to the fact that they also had to help send Leaftail to the nursery." She chuckled. "Thornseed's going to be a father as well."

She looked to the younger cat. "You know what, why don't we go out for a walk instead? I won't be sleeping anytime soon, thanks to the living earthquake I have to share a den with."

Warmpaw looked reluctant to agree. "Maybe, but—"

Hazelheart cut him off. "We can hunt along the way. That'll tire you out. I can taste water on the air. It'll probably rain tomorrow, and all the prey will be in their burrows. If we hunt tonight, we'll have stocked the freshkill pile pretty well."

"Besides," she said, already bounding to the thorn barrier out of camp, "you're already awake this late. Do you think a little walk will change anything?"

That seemed to convince the apprentice, as he followed her. They excused themselves from Frostheart, who allowed them through the gap in the thorns. It opened into the clearing outside camp.

Hazelheart opened her jaws to scent the air. "Where do you want to hunt first?"

"You're the warrior. Why don't you choose?" Warmpaw replied, staring out into the forest.

"Let's try the abandoned Twoleg nest," Hazelheart suggested. They walked in that direction, owls hooting around them.

Being out at this time excited Warmpaw, the numbness he was feeling earlier being chased away. He noticed the moon, nearing full roundness. The light speckled the forest floor. Already, he could hear a few rustles in the dense bushes close by.

Hazelheart disappeared behind a bramble bush. When Warmpaw looked, the blue tabby was no longer there. Where did she go?

He was startled by a heavy weight falling on his shoulders. He was flattened to the ground, wind knocked off him for a moment.

"Surprise." Hazelheart licked a paw, smirking.

"Come on, Hazelheart!" Warmpaw purred. "You're acting like an apprentice!"

"You know that move, right?" Hazelheart asked, still a heavy weight on his back.

"Yes," Warmpaw thought for a moment, tail swishing. "I'm pretty good at it. Now can you please let me go?"

Hazelheart jumped off him. "Sorry. Let's keep moving."

They pressed farther on, until they reached the Twoleg nest. They jumped over the wall, landing on the other side with light paws. The scent of herbs and prey wafted temptingly around. The den itself loomed ominously above them.

They entered. Inside, it was dark, but it got better as Warmpaw's eyes adjusted to the gloom. The scent of Twolegs lingered slightly, but they were old and stale. The cat scent was stronger.

He gazed back at his companion. She was already pacing around. "I think I hear a shrew." She pointed with her nose to a flat piece of wood propped up against the den wall. Behind it was a tangle of Twolegs' things. Warmpaw could hear the shrew.

He crouched, awaiting the prey. Hazelheart flushed it out with a paw, straight into Warmpaw's clutch. He killed it quickly, thanking StarClan for the prey.

"Look out, Warmpaw!" Hazelheart called.

Bats were flying their way. Warmpaw ducked, and they swooped overhead. Meanwhile, the blue tabby warrior managed to snag two neatly, picking them up.

"Nice catch," Warmpaw mewed.

Hazelheart narrowed her eyes at the bats she caught, giving them a sniff. "Not my first choice, but it's fine. It tastes a little like mouse."

They climbed the jagged slope up the den. It was less dark here, but it actually spooked Warmpaw further. Seeing all this made him shiver.

Hazelheart just looked amused. "You're scared?"

Warmpaw's ears burned. "No, I'm not."

"I remember this one time back when you were still a kit. You were eating, and I placed my claws on your little tail. You could have jumped the Sky Oak, I swear." She purred.

Warmpaw felt a slight annoyance, but it was quickly replaced by a purr of his own as he remembered his kit days. "You would be scared if someone did that to you!"

"Leaftail started it, really. She told me to do it."

She stiffened suddenly.

"Squirrel," she mouthed.

Warmpaw spotted it, perched on another Twoleg item. Its bushy tail was strikingly obvious. Hazelheart took no time as she darted forward and snatched it with her claws. She gave it a killing bite.

She placed it down and smiled, showing the blood on her fangs. "I think this will be a long night."

...

In the end, they were loaded with prey. Hazelheart carried three mice and a squirrel while Warmpaw had to handle a shrew and a thrush. His step was heavy. The hunt had tired him out, and Hazelheart looked just about ready to sleep through a storm in WindClan.

Hazelheart's tail flicked. "Flyingfeather's been noticing a few WindClan scents inside our border for the last couple of moons," she meowed.

Warmpaw forced himself not to bite down on the shrew in his jaws. "Huh?" he mumbled.

"They're faint, but definitely WindClan," Hazelheart commented. "Should we be worried about it?"

Thistlepaw! He remembered the golden smoke she-cat, imagining her leaping the stream.

"No," Warmpaw replied a little too forcefully. He realized his mistake, seeing Hazelheart's bewildered face.

He quickly fixed his words, trying not to stutter, or do anything that would give him away. "What I'm mean to say is that maybe we don't have to react too quickly if we're not too sure. It might be just the wind blowing towards ThunderClan, after all."

Hazelheart shook her head. "Maybe you're right." She switched the topic. "Your assessment's in a few more moons. Do you think you're ready?"

Warmpaw breathed a sigh of relief. Then he found himself thinking. Was he really ready? He analysed all the moves he had been taught so far. Tree climbing, hunting and combat. I got that down. I'm pretty good at fighting, and my hunting's gotten better. But the fact that I'll turn into a warrior…

"I suppose I'll see once I get there," answered Warmpaw. "A moon is a long time."

Hazelheart blinked at him mildly. "Time flies quickly," she murmured as they reached the thorn barrier and squeezed through the gap. They were greeted by a shocked Frostheart.

"StarClan, that's a lot!" she exclaimed at their catch.

"Lucky night." Hazelheart shrugged as she crossed the clearing to place the freshkill on the pile.

Warmpaw followed suit, placing the shrew neatly on top of the pile. "Very lucky night," he droned to himself, thankful that Thistlepaw managed to disguise her scent so well all those moons ago.

As soon as he dropped the thrush, he yawned loudly. Hazelheart was right. Already, he could feel droplets of rain fall on him. He quickly found shade in the apprentices' den, but not before he nodded thanks to Hazelheart, who had just retreated into her own den.

As he curled into his nest that night, he imagined that it was Thistlepaw he was hunting with, instead of Hazelheart. The regret returned, and he shut his eyes. StarClan knows what I'd give for one hunt with you.

He glanced at his sleeping denmates. They were all still fast asleep. He shifted his gaze towards Archpaw. Another feeling flashed through his head like a falling pinecone.

"I'll explain everything one day," he vowed, looking at her sleeping figure.

...

Surprisingly, Warmpaw woke up fairly early the next day. Or was he just imagining it?

He poked his head out through the brambles that covered the den entrance. It was raining, and cold wind shook the trees above. The rain wasn't really something Warmpaw was used to, and he hated getting wet. Still, he padded out, feeling the cold water falling on him, beginning to soak him through.

There were already quite a few cats out, with Redstep in the middle, organizing patrols. But most of them were staring at the freshkill pile. Warmpaw could hear their murmurs of surprise, or of speculation. Ivystar in particular was looking at it intently. She was pleased, Warmpaw could tell.

"You're here!" Hazelheart trotted over to him.

"This rain's cold as ice!" Warmpaw meowed, shaking his fur of the rain. Hazelheart flinched from the spray.

"Ivystar's impressed with us both," she notified him. "They're saying we probably won't even need a morning hunting patrol." She smiled, and nudged his side with her paw. "Let's eat over there." She pointed with her tail towards a clump of bracken close by.

Warmpaw grabbed a shrew for them. They settled under the shade and began sharing the meal. Warmpaw took two bites of the shrew and passed it over to Hazelheart, who bit into it herself.

"Last night was kind of fun, wasn't it?" the warrior queried in between bites.

Warmpaw nodded, smiling. "Yep. Thanks for taking me out. That was amazing."

"Don't even mention it. I wish Leaftail was there too with us. It would have been a lot more fun."

Warmpaw looked towards the apprentices' den. "Archpaw, too. She likes hunting a lot, and she's really good at catching most anything." He gestured with his tail for her to come closer. The blue tabby leaned forward. "Back when she was a kit, she actually used to teach me hunting and fighting in the forest secretly. She somehow found a way to keep sneaking her way past the guard."

Hazelheart's eyes widened. "Really?"

Warmpaw nodded, now beginning to realize just how much he owed Archpaw. "Goldenfur back then absolutely refused to teach me. So she did it herself, until she managed to convince Goldenfur to start teaching me seriously." He glanced around quickly. "Don't tell Ivystar though."

Hazelheart grinned. "Is she the reason why you've been so moony-eyed these past few moons?" she whispered in his ear. "You fancy her, don't you?"

Warmpaw nearly jumped out of his pelt, the skin under his pelt heating up. His heart pelted against his chest. "Me?"

"Hello, you two." Archpaw was looking at them through the fern leaves. "Mind if I join in?" Her mew was tight as she wedged herself in between the two cats. Her eyes glowed dimly in the half-light as she glared at Hazelheart.

"No, it's fine. I'm done, anyway. Thanks for the shrew, Warmpaw." Hazelheart excused herself, waving her tail affably at both Archpaw and Warmpaw as she left. Archpaw's eyes followed the young warrior as she headed for the clump of warriors in the clearing.

Now that they were alone, Warmpaw gulped. The air around them was so thick, he could have sliced through it with his claws.

Archpaw whipped around to face him. "You went on a hunt with her last night?" Her voice was forced, tail whipping from side to side. "Why didn't you tell me when I woke up? I should have joined you!"

"It was just a hunt." Warmpaw reasoned. "You yourself said that you were pretty tired last night, so I just let you sleep, instead of waking you up."

"You never said you wanted to go hunting!" she snapped. Her eyes flashed before she turned away pointedly.

"I wasn't planning to go hunting!" Warmpaw tried to explain. "I couldn't sleep, so I went out to get a poppy seed from Cloudcover, but they were asleep, so Hazelheart convinced me to go hunting with her." He placed his tail over Archpaw's, but she withdrew it, instead curling it over her front paws.

"You didn't have to keep it secret, you know." Archpaw's voice quavered. "That you liked Hazelheart. Is she the reason why you kept disappearing some nights? Because you wanted to hang out with her instead of me?"

"It's not that!" Warmpaw's eyes widened. She's getting this all wrong!

Archpaw seemed to ignore him. "If you had just told me earlier, then it would have been fine, but now…" She huffed. "Maybe you don't trust me as much as I trust you."

She left the bracken shade, the ferns swishing where she passed. Warmpaw was stunned, looking at where she sat just a few heartbeats ago, wondering what made Archpaw like that.

What was wrong with hunting with Hazelheart? Did he always have to justify what he did to her? It really wasn't a matter of trust, but a matter of just letting him have his own life without telling her every single thing he wants to do!

At that moment, it was like a bolt of lightning flashed through his vision. What was he thinking? She was his best friend, and she probably felt like he wasn't spending as much time with her as he used to. He wanted to run out and tell her everything. About Thistlepaw, and of their runs. But he stopped himself.

It's not like she's going to accept the truth any better.

With that thought in mind, he didn't bother to shake out his waterlogged fur. Instead, he buried his face into his paws, feeling helpless.

I probably should have paid closer attention to my Clanmates first.