A/N: Chapter 2. Sorry I am really late; I didn't manage to finish rewriting this chapter until just now ^_^ I still don't see any reviews.

I still don't own Warriors . . .

Chapter 2

Flamepaw slowly crept forward, focused on a mouse just out of reach. He was crouched somewhere in the midst of a leafy-green forest that had sunlight filtering through the thick trees. Before he could pounce on the mouse, it turned around a faced him, suddenly changing into a large dog. It snarled, showing it's teeth, and Flamepaw leapt back, quickly scrambling up a nearby tree.

He peered down from the shelter of a branch higher than the dog, taking in every detail. The dog was quite large, and had its front paws planted on the trunk as it stared back up at him. Leaping down from the branch to escape was not an option, so he looked around to see if he could get away through the trees.

As he scouted around, the thick, gray furred dog suddenly barked in cat tongue, "Flamepaw, get up! You'll waste the whole day away by staying in your nest, and we've got herbs to collect."

Flamepaw jerked awake and looked up at Jayfeather. He sighed in relief as he realized that it had only been a dream. Standing up, he stretched out his forepaws and yawned, curling his tail over his back. "Okay, I'm coming," he mewed. He wasn't exactly used to waking up when the dawn patrol was leaving.

Flamepaw followed Jayfeather out of their den and into camp, noticing Lionblaze standing outside the apprentice den. He was probably waiting for Mosspaw.

The two medicine cats padded out of camp and into the forest. Flamepaw couldn't believe his eyes and nose. While he had been able to see many of the treetops from inside camp, that was nothing compared to actually being outside.

"The forest smells so clean!" Flamepaw exclaimed, startling a vole nearby and sending down its burrow. Ignoring it, he turned to Jayfeather. "So what are we looking for?"

"Comfrey root. Do you remember what it looks like? I showed it to you yesterday," Jayfeather meowed.

Flamepaw stared at the ground as he fought to remember, but he had to shake his head. "No, I don't remember. You showed me tons of herbs yesterday. I'll probably remember it when I see it."

Jayfeather didn't nod, but he flicked his ears, showing he had heard. "Comfrey root is usually found best around the WindClan border. They like damp, grassy places, and the border is a stream, so that's how I know where they are. Of course, I could find it down by the lake, but something destroyed the supply a few days ago—probably a rabbit," Jayfeather added with a hiss. "We'll have to wait a few moons for it to regrow."

Flamepaw nodded, even though he knew his mentor was blind. Jayfeather understood. He knew he did.

Falling back, he opened his jaws to try and scent any other herbs that he could remember. Not paying attention to his surroundings, he somehow padded right into a tree. "Mouse dung!" he growled, reaching up to rub his nose.

Jayfeather had stopped only a few pawsteps away as if he had known Flamepaw would run into the tree. "Just so you know, Flamepaw, trees are actually rooted to the ground. That means they can't move aside when one is in your path," he called back without turning his head.

Flamepaw bounded back to his mentor's side, giving him a fierce glare. He knew he couldn't see.

Jayfeather looked down at his apprentice with amused eyes. "What's wrong, Flamepaw?" he meowed calmly. His ears twitched as he tried not to laugh. Flamepaw bared his teeth and crouched down, ready to leap at his mentor. He might be his mentor, but he shouldn't treat him like that!

Jayfeather flicked Flamepaw's flank with his tail. "All right, there's no need for that. Come on; let's go. The border's just up ahead." He started padding on in the direction of what must have been the WindClan border. Flamepaw got up reluctantly and followed, wondering how Jayfeather had noticed he was going to pounce. Maybe he wasn't as blind as Flamepaw thought.

The two medicine cats came up to a stream, obviously the border with WindClan. Flamepaw drew in the scent, turning away in disgust. It smelled strongly of rabbits, and that wasn't his favourite. But he'd eat it any day instead of robins. Robins were awful.

Jayfeather started padding along the bank of the stream, his jaws open to catch any scents, most likely comfrey root. Since Flamepaw couldn't remember what comfrey root looked or smelled like, he let Jayfeather do the tracking. He didn't bother to scent the air again until his mentor stopped.

Flamepaw looked around, tasting the air. He caught a scent he remembered from yesterday, and, figuring it could be comfrey, he followed it to a plant that had light purple flowers. He called back over to Jayfeather, "Is this it?"

Jayfeather padded over, sniffing the leaves. "No, that's watermint. I got a fresh supply a few days ago, but if you were to pick some, you bite off the plant near the bottom of the stem. Do you remember what this is for?"

"Uh . . . for . . . breath . . . ing?" Flamepaw hesitated. It was probably wrong, but he hadn't been lying when he had said that Jayfeather had shown him a bunch of herbs the day before. So many herbs and uses!

"No. You use watermint for bellyache. I prefer using it rather than juniper berries, but they work as well," Jayfeather explained. "Oh, and in case you were wondering, we can use comfrey root for soothing wounds, broken bones, and of course aching joints, which is why we're looking for it right now. The elders are complaining."

"Oh. . . ."

Jayfeather turned and padded to a patch of tiny little pink flowers with giant leaves.

"This is comfrey root," Jayfeather meowed, flicking his tail for Flamepaw to come over. "Dig up some of the roots, but not too many. We want some for future use."

Flamepaw gingerly started scraping at the ground near the base of the plants, eventually getting a few pulled up. They continued for a little while, until an unfamiliar voice suddenly sounded from across the stream.

"Finally got an apprentice, Jayfeather?"

Flamepaw and Jayfeather spun around sharply. The gray tabby's blind blue eyes flashed as he recognized the scent. His eyes narrowed and he hissed, "Breezepelt."

Flamepaw's eyes widened as he stared at the black tom across the stream, who was waving his tail calmly back and forth. Breezepelt had been exiled from WindClan by his father when he had taken the Dark Forest's side in the great battle; didn't that mean he couldn't be trusted? What was he doing back here? Was he going to send a message to the Clans by attacking two medicine cats? That was against the warrior code! Wasn't it?

Breezepelt sighed and looked away. "I didn't come here to hurt you. I just wanted to—"

Jayfeather interrupted, turning quickly to his apprentice. "Flamepaw, take the comfrey root back to camp. Tell anyone who asks that I'll be back in a while. Go now!"

Flamepaw hesitated before picking up the comfrey root and bolting away through some bracken. Once safely hidden between the fronds, he wiggled around and faced the two cats, pleading to StarClan that he wouldn't be seen. He couldn't let Jayfeather face Breezepelt alone; Jayfeather was blind! He couldn't fight if his half-brother pounced on him! Of course, Flamepaw wasn't exactly the number one fighter in ThunderClan, but if things happened, he had to help.

Jayfeather was bristling, his tail fluffed out and his claws unsheathed, but he sat down and listened as Breezepelt spoke again.

"Look, Jayfeather, I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for what I didn't. I know you could never forgive me, but I am truly, genuinely sorry," Breezepelt meowed. He looked away as Jayfeather narrowed his eyes again.

"Breezepelt, you attacked my brother, and tried to kill me and Poppyfrost. Tell me why you expect me to believe you when you say you're sorry."

"I know! I don't expect you to believe me. I just want you to hear me out," Breezepelt murmured. "I—I'm sorry for attacking Lionblaze; for hurting Leafpool; for hating you, your siblings, and Crowfeather, and mostly for siding with the Dark Forest. I was confused and angry at the world; the Dark Forest cats made me seem wanted. I never had what you had; a mother and father that loved you, even if they weren't who you thought they were. And they never stopped loving you, along with Leafpool. You're part of ThunderClan, Jayfeather. I'm a rogue now, an outcast forever. I thought the Dark Forest could get me what I wanted . . .

"I think mostly, I wanted to be with you . . . just like Lionblaze."

Flamepaw gasped, slapping his tail over his mouth immediately. What was Breezepelt saying? It was almost as if he was hinting that he had changed forces and now wanted to stay in ThunderClan . . . or something similar. But he was right; he was an outcast. None of the Clans would accept him.

Jayfeather was silent for several heartbeats, trying to comprehend what Breezepelt had just said. Finally, he mumbled, "Is that all?"

"Jayfeather, the only reason I was ever mean to you, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze, was because I was jealous of what you had. Can't you understand that?" Breezepelt meowed, his amber eyes flashing with some kind of emotion that Flamepaw couldn't distinguish—nor did he want to.

"You're a mousebrain," Jayfeather meowed calmly, obviously waiting for a reaction.

"I know."

"So then why are you still here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you understood that I am truly sorry before I left permanently. I know everyone thought I've been long gone, but I couldn't leave without making sure my Clan wasn't suffering because of me . . . and I was watching you as well," Breezepelt added after a pause.

"So you're leaving for good? Never coming back? Not even staying outside the Clan's territory?" Jayfeather asked quietly. He seemed genuinely regretful, but Flamepaw had no idea why.

"Yes, Jayfeather, I'm leaving. For good," Breezepelt murmured, turning away. "I'll never forget the way you saved my life. StarClan light your path."

Jayfeather, who had been sitting with his blind gaze lowered to the ground, suddenly straightened up before Breezepelt could leave. "Before you go . . . why don't you stay in the abandoned Twoleg nest for a while? I know it's not exactly open spaced, but if you really want to get to know me better, that's the only way possible I can think of."

Breezepelt looked back sharply, his ears twitching in surprise. "Why?"

Jayfeather shrugged. "Once I find out that you're trustworthy—and only if you want to—I could ask Bramblestar to let you stay in ThunderClan for a while."

Breezepelt purred softly, giving a running leap across the stream, clearing it easily. "All right, Jayfeather," he meowed. "Thanks." He started to move away, but then thought of something and leaned close to Jayfeather's ear, whispering something to quiet for Flamepaw to detect. Whatever it was, it made Jayfeather bristle and cuff Breezepelt over his ears with a sheathed paw.

Flamepaw's eyes widened, but he didn't leap out of the bracken, since Breezepelt just purred and loped away in the direction of the Twoleg nest, presumably. Flamepaw had never been there.

Jayfeather stood still for a few more long heartbeats, his tail flicking in annoyance. Whatever Breezepelt had said, it must have struck a nerve. But the gray tabby had still allowed him to reside at the nest. Why? What had made him change his mind? Some long lost memory of happier times? A wonderful kithood together? A . . . something?

Lost in confusion, Flamepaw didn't notice that Jayfeather had padded right up to the bracken he had been hiding in until it was too late. Oh, yeah. . . . That's right. I'm supposed to be at camp. . . . Flamepaw scolded himself as he waited for Jayfeather to notice him. It didn't take long.

"Flamepaw! I told you to go back to camp!" his mentor growled, flicking his tail for his apprentice to come out. Reluctantly, Flamepaw stepped out, tail low and head down.

"I'm sorry, Jayfeather," Flamepaw mewed. "I wanted to make sure you'd be all right left alone with Breezepelt. I've heard how dangerous he is." He ventured a peek at Jayfeather, and saw that while he looked annoyed, his eyes had grown soft. "I, uh, I heard most of what you both said," Flamepaw added.

Jayfeather's eyes widened. "Everything?"

"Well, everything except what he whispered to you in your ear," Flamepaw mewed. Jayfeather nodded.

"Good." He started to turn away, but then looked back. "Oh; do you still have the comfrey root?"

Flamepaw nodded, darting back to the bracken and pulling out the roots. Jayfeather flicked his tail and they started to head back to camp. Flamepaw continued even when Jayfeather stopped, since he hadn't noticed yet. When he did, Jayfeather was sniffing intently at patch of grass on the ground near the stream.

Flamepaw trotted back over. Putting his roots down, he mewed, "Jayfeather? Something wrong?"

Before Jayfeather could answer, Squirrelflight emerged from the shadows of some trees. She padded up to Jayfeather, sniffing the ground as well. "Leafpool?" Squirrelflight murmured, glancing at Jayfeather.

The medicine cat nodded. "Mosspaw told me yesterday she saw her leaving the camp secretly when every cat was busy congratulating the new apprentices."

"Do you think she's . . ." Squirrelflight breathed, not wanting to say it aloud.

"I certainly hope not, but it's possible from the scent here," Jayfeather murmured.

"Uh . . . Jayfeather? What's wrong?" Flamepaw mewed, not wanting to interrupt them, but needing to understand what was going on.

"Sorry, Flamepaw. I can't tell you yet," Jayfeather meowed, straightening up and turning around with Squirrelflight. "Let's go back to camp."

A/N: So! That wraps up chapter 2. Did anybody enjoy it? Hate it? Please tell, because I want to know! Oh, and can anyone guess what Leafpool's up to? Sounds to me like she's sick or something. I'm not exactly what's going on myself (not true; I just can't tell you), so don't expect me to say "You got it right!" I might say "yeah, you're close", or something, but what's the fun in showing you the surprise before the surprise party? Write out what you think in the review ^_^ It's not that hard.