A/N: Thinking about it, I really shouldn't be posting chapters this often. Like, I'm really just setting everyone up for disappointment, because there is no way in hell I'm going to manage to consistently update chapters this often. I mean, I'm already writing and then updating at this point - I don't have a single chapter prepared in advance. Example B of me being the absolute worst at writing fanfics (example A shows up again here...I didn't edit this chapter at all. I don't know what it is about editing, but I just can't stand doing it).

The writing in chapter this feels a bit all over the place to me. I had a plan for this one as well, and then I realized that if I followed it I was going to have to rewrite half of what I'd already written to have it make sense, so I figured I'd put off the rest of the plan until a later chapter. I hope it doesn't come off as too scattered.

Here's Reedpaw's first POV chapter! He's one of the characters that I have the most trouble writing...it's a bit difficult to convey his personality, especially when he's younger. Hopefully it will become clearer as everything progresses.

Also, you know what would be super wonderful? If you leave a review, you should tell me who your favorite character (and maybe also your least favorite) is so far. It doesn't necessarily have to be one of the apprentices (I'm pretty fond of Eagleclaw, for example). I'd really like to see everyone's opinions!

For the first time in his life, Reedpaw wasn't hanging onto a grudge with all of his strength.

He supposed that it was because Shadepaw was his friend, and even after what they had said to each other, he wasn't ready to ruin the one of the strongest bonds he had ever known. He had quickly grown tired of having to avoid the dark gray molly, unable to look her in the eyes. Although he hated to admit it, Reedpaw knew that he needed to apologize.

Now, if only he could get away from Pebblepaw for long enough to do so.

The little gray molly sat beside him, babbling on about something that he had stopped paying attention to ages ago. When he'd last been paying attention, she had been talking about how she'd finally managed to catch more than a single scrawny mouse on her most recent hunting patrol with Brambleflower. He figured that he should have felt happy for her, or perhaps should have offered congratulations, but he was far too focused on what he was going to say to Shadepaw.

I wonder if she's still angry with me… Reedpaw's ears lowered at the thought. One of the reasons he got along so well with Shadepaw was because of how similar they were – she wasn't one to let go of grudges easily, either. What if she didn't accept his apology?

I'll just have to make it extra special. Then she'll have no choice but to forgive me.

"Reedpaw?" Pebblepaw's high pitched voice drew his focus, making him turn his head in her direction. She gazed up at him with wide blue eyes, head tilted slightly to the right.

"Yes?" He replied, his tail flicking in irritation. He hadn't yet gathered the courage to tell Pebblepaw that he didn't want to spend time with her today – the tiny tabby molly had a tendency to trail behind him when Firepaw was not around. Reedpaw typically found it endearing, but today her clinginess was grating at him.

"I think – " She paused, shuffling her paws anxiously. "I think Shadepaw is watching you." Her voice was quieter this time, soft and hushed so that only Reedpaw was able to detect her words.

"Really?" Reedpaw's ears pricked up, his dark amber eyes scanning the clearing in search of Shadepaw. He found her sitting beside Eagleclaw and Nightstorm. The two older cats seemed to be chatting, but Shadepaw was not involved in their conversation. Instead, her eyes were focused on Reedpaw. From where he sat, he couldn't be quite sure if she was glaring at him or not.

"What do you suppose she's thinking about?" Pebblepaw whispered, nudging him a bit with her shoulder.

"How would I know?" Reedpaw murmured. "I can't read minds, Pebblepaw."

"I know, but – " Pebblepaw cut herself off once again with a squeal. "I think she's coming over here!" Reedpaw felt her press against him, slowly taking a few steps back and crouching down so that she was hidden behind him.

Surely enough, Shadepaw did seem to be approaching them. She said something to Eagleclaw and Nightstorm that he could not hear, and then she stretched her limbs and began to head in their direction.

"Why is she coming over here?" Pebblepaw muttered softly, her voice barely audible. "I thought that she was angry with us…and didn't Eagleclaw tell her that she was supposed to – "

"Hello, Reedpaw." Shadepaw's tone was cautious, as if she was unsure as to whether she should be talking to him or not. She cast a glance in Pebblepaw's direction, but otherwise ignored the gray tabby apprentice.

"Hey, Shadepaw." Reedpaw mirrored Shadepaw's caution. He'd hoped to speak with her outside of the clearing – with all of his clanmates wandering about, and Pebblepaw cowering behind him, he felt as if all eyes would be on him. Reedpaw was not often nervous, but he couldn't deny that his heart was pounding in his chest, sending a surge of anxiety through his veins. "What are you…" He paused to clear his throat. "Uh, what are you doing over here?" When Shadepaw frowned in response to his words, he quickly added, "I mean, I saw you talking to Eagleclaw and Nightstorm…"

"I wasn't talking to them, really; just listening." She glanced back at Pebblepaw once more. "Though there is a reason I came over. Eagleclaw was suggesting a hunting patrol later in the day, and he told me that I should bring along a friend or two."

"Oh!" Reedpaw couldn't help but smile. "Well, I don't have anything to do today…Frostface hasn't been taking me out for many patrols lately." He felt a stab of anger at the thought of his mentor. Compared to Eagleclaw or Brambleflower, she was nothing impressive. Sure, she was decent when it came to battle tactics, but Reedpaw would have preferred to have been mentored by a true LightClan cat. He couldn't understand why he hadn't been assigned to Nightstorm or Sorrelfur, or even to Silverfang. Sometimes he envied the other apprentices – he would have given up nearly anything to have been trained by a different LightClan warrior.

"Really? Maybe you should talk to Dawnstar. You wouldn't want to fall behind in your training," Shadepaw mewed.

"Well, it's not like I never get to do anything…she took me out hunting by the OwlClan border a little while ago. That was pretty fun."

"Wait – she took you to OwlClan's border?" Pebblepaw piped up, sitting up straight. Both Reedpaw and Shadepaw turned toward her. The molly's blue eyes were wide with fear. "But that's…that's dangerous!" Her tail lashed back and forth. "Frostface should know better! She shouldn't be putting you in danger like that." Pebblepaw's whiskers trembled. "What if you had been attacked? What if – "

"Surely Frostface would have protected him if they had happened upon an OwlClan patrol." Shadepaw said. "She is a LightClan warrior, after all."

"But why would she, of all cats, have gone to OwlClan's border?" Pebblepaw inquired.

"Maybe she was hoping that some of her old friends would show up and finish her pesky apprentice off." Reedpaw mewed jokingly.

"Reedpaw!" Pebblepaw scolded, her voice cracking slightly. She rested her muzzle against his shoulder. "Don't say things like that!"

"It was just a joke," he frowned, drawing away from her.

"But what if you had gotten – "

"Shadepaw!" Reedpaw turned his head to see Eagleclaw approaching the small group of apprentices. He glanced warily at Reedpaw and Pebblepaw, likely surprised to see that Shadepaw had chosen them to speak to. "Have you chosen who you want to come on our hunting patrol?"

"Reedpaw said he'd come," She mewed, "If that's alright with you."

"And what about you, Pebblepaw?" Eagleclaw asked, looking at her.

Pebblepaw's gaze flickered between Reedpaw and Shadepaw. "Well…I guess I can come, too."

Reedpaw resisted the urge to sigh. He normally wouldn't have minded a patrol with Pebblepaw, but he had been hoping that this would have been his chance to get to speak to Shadepaw alone.

"Alright, then," Eagleclaw nodded. "Nightstorm is going to come along with us, too. Why don't we set out now?" He paused for a moment. "Unless the three of you have other duties to do."

"Brambleflower wanted me to collect some moss for the nursery…" Pebblepaw mewed. "Do you think it can wait?"

"You might as well do it now," Eagleclaw suggested. "You know how Brambleflower is when it comes to the nursery…" He smiled a bit. "Especially when our daughter's kits are current residents."

Pebblepaw looked a bit disappointed, but was otherwise compliant. "I'll try to hurry back, then!" Without another word the little molly rushed away, gone in the blink of an eye.

"I suppose I'll come and find you later, then." Eagleclaw said to Reedpaw and Shadepaw, nodding slightly. He then padded away, returning back to where Nightstorm sat.

Shadepaw watched as her mentor walked away. "Do you think we should go help Pebblepaw collect moss?" She asked, looking over at Reedpaw. "She'll get it done faster if we're there to help."

Reedpaw shook his head. "I have a better idea…"

"Reedpaw, where are we even going?" Shadepaw yelped as her paw became tangled in a bramble thicket, tufts of gray fur remaining trapped in the thorns when she managed to escape. "I'm going to have to spend hours picking thorns out of my paws!"

"You'll see!" He called, waving his tail as a signal for Shadepaw. Even he was too short to be seen through the heavy undergrowth – he had to stretch his tail to its full length for it to be seen above all the plants and thorns. "Now stop complaining and hurry up! Pebblepaw could already be finished collecting moss by now."

He heard Shadepaw sigh loudly, but soon she had found her way through the thorns and took a spot beside him. Leaves were tangled in her dark gray fur, streaks of dirt and dust coating her so that she appeared more brown than gray. Reedpaw was tempted to lean forward and clean the dirt away, but he figured that Shadepaw wouldn't appreciate the gesture.

"I think that I have a thorn stuck in my paw," She muttered, wrinkling her nose.

"Let me see," Reedpaw urged, waiting for Shadepaw to life her paw.

"You're not a medicine cat," She scoffed. "I don't want you making it any worse."

Reedpaw rolled his eyes. "If you don't pull it out it could get infected."

"I'll just have to take that risk, then," She replied, trotting ahead of Reedpaw. He noticed that she was limping slightly. With his ears flattened in annoyance, Reedpaw trailed after her, promising that he would usher her into Mistleaf's den as soon as they were back at camp.

"Almost there," Reedpaw mewed, although he was unsure if he was right. He hoped that his memory was still correct, or else he would have been leading Shadepaw through a forest of thorns for no reason.

"Thank StarClan…" Shadepaw murmured, letting out a little sigh of relief.

They continued on through a tangle of brambles and other thorny plants for a few more minutes. Shadepaw continued to whine about her paw while Reedpaw fretted about having made things between him and the gray molly even worse. He could only imagine how angry Shadepaw would be if he had led her here for no reason.

Finally, the two apprentices came to a small clearing, sheltered by oak trees and densely woven bushes.

With a rush of excitement, Reedpaw exclaimed, "We're here!"

Shadepaw looked at him dubiously. "Uh…sorry, but, where exactly are we?"

"Come here," Reedpaw mewed, his voice much quieter. He suddenly felt self-conscious, and was tempted to suggest that he and Shadepaw just head back to LightClan's camp, but she had already joined him. Reedpaw took a deep breath before he prodded at one of the bushes with an extended paw, wriggling his way inside the newly created opening. "Follow me," He mewed.

"Remind me why I followed you out here…" Shadepaw sighed, but obeyed Reedpaw, squirming in alongside him.

Once Shadepaw had found her way inside the bushes, Reedpaw advanced, hissing at the feeling of branches scraping against his pelt. It had been much easier to find his way through the bushes when he had been younger and much smaller. He wondered how his mother had ever managed to push her way through to the other side.

"Reedpaw, if you don't tell me where we're going this moment – "

The pair of LightClan apprentices finally emerged. Reedpaw was almost certain that he heard Shadepaw gasp beside him. He shuffled his paws awkwardly, unable to meet her gaze.

"This is…" he trailed off for a moment. "This is where I was born. Where I lived until…" His voice broke off.

"Reedpaw, this is…" Shadepaw started to speak, and then seemed to realize Reedpaw's current emotional state. She gently rested her tail against his flank. Reedpaw leaned toward her, unable to conjure up any more words.

"You know," Shadepaw mewed. "If I had known that this was where you were taking me, I wouldn't have complained even half as much." That coaxed a small laugh out of the golden brown tom.

"Sorry about that…I just didn't know how to explain it, I guess. I was worried that you would think it was stupid, and that you'd be even angrier with me."

Shadepaw chuckled. "You know, if you had taken me anywhere else that might have been the case." A comfortable silence fell over the pair. Shadepaw settled down in the tall grass, gesturing for Reedpaw to do the same. He curled up beside her, resting his head on top of his paws, gazing out at the little area in which he had lived for the first few moons of his life. He could still remember what it had been like, spending every moment of his day at his mother's side. When she had fallen ill with an incurable sickness, she had chased Reedpaw away. For the longest time, he hadn't been able to understand why she had done it – why she had banished her only son from his own home. He realized now that it had been for the best. If he had stayed, he would have likely ended up dead as well. With a soft sigh, Reedpaw closed his eyes, the feeling of Shadepaw's sides rising and falling against his lulling him into a peaceful sleep.

"Reedpaw! Reedpaw, get up!" Reedpaw yelped at the feeling of sharp claws piercing his skin. He was up in a moment, claws out and eyes alight with fury. He searched for his attacker, but found only Shadepaw standing in front of him, her eyes wide.

"Finally!" She groaned. "You fell asleep and you wouldn't wake up and we've been away from camp for far too long and – " She gasped, pausing for the briefest moment. "Oh, StarClan, we're going to be in so much trouble!"

Blinking sleep from his eyes, Reedpaw surveyed their surroundings. The sky had begun to darken, shades of red tinting it. He could just barely see the sun, obscured by branches and leaves.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because I…" Shadepaw shook her head. "Oh, forget it! We need to go back, and we need to do it quickly. Let's go!" She threw herself into the bushes, writhing until she was able to push her way through. Although his mind still felt a bit fuzzy, Reedpaw soon followed.

"I bet they think we were taken by a fox…Eagleclaw must be so worried…" She muttered, crawling through the bushes. She made her way through in record time, waiting impatiently for Reedpaw.

As soon as he was free of the tangled branches, Shadepaw began to race ahead, her paws pounding against the forest floor as she ran. Reedpaw hurried behind her, breathing heavily and wishing that he was as swift as Shadepaw. He was already feeling as if he was about to collapse.

Shadepaw came to a sudden, screeching halt. Reedpaw was unable to slow down in time, and ended up crashing into her, sending them both tumbling. When they finally stopped, Reedpaw was hit with an overwhelming stench.

OwlClan.

"Reedpaw!" Shadepaw hissed, just as a familiar voice called,

"Reedpaw! Shadepaw!"

Reedpaw winced, turning just in time to see Eagleclaw rushing toward him. Sorrelfur and Nightstorm stood behind him, Sorrelfur watching with a startled expression, Nightstorm glaring at them as if they had stolen the last piece of fresh kill from her in the dead of leafbare.

"What in StarClan's name are you two doing?" The warrior demanded. Before either apprentice could answer, Eagleclaw dug his teeth into Reedpaw's scruff and dragged him backward. He yowled in protest, fur prickling along his spine. Eagleclaw abruptly dropped him, ready to fetch Shadepaw. Fortunately, the dark gray molly had already scrambled over to her mentor. For the first time since he had joined LightClan, Reedpaw saw that Eagleclaw looked furious. It was frightening to see – he had always thought of Eagleclaw as a cat who never lost his temper, even in the direst of situations.

"We've been searching for you two for ages!" Nightstorm stalked forward, her voice raised. "And what do we find you doing? Playing right along OwlClan's border, as if you don't have a care in the world! You could have been killed!"

"We weren't – " Shadepaw was interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"I would have expected this from Frostface's apprentice, but you, Shadepaw?" Nightstorm's comment made Reedpaw's eyes narrow indignantly. "Eagleclaw has taught you better."

"We're sorry – we really are – "

Reedpaw pushed his way forward, shoving his face in Nightstorm's. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" He hissed through clenched teeth. Nightstorm looked as if she wanted to rake her claws across his face, but Sorrelfur quickly stepped in before she had a chance to.

"All of you need to calm down!" He shouted, raising his voice so that it could be heard clearly. He glanced at Shadepaw, and then at Reedpaw. "Now, why don't you two explain why we found you at the edge of OwlClan's territory? Surely you know how dangerous it is for you to be here."

"We do!" Shadepaw confirmed, nodding vigorously. "But we weren't…We weren't even here, not until just a few moments ago. We were off in…in some other part of the forest. I don't know where, exactly, but it was definitely LightClan land." She looked to Reedpaw for support. He nodded, but otherwise remained quiet. "Reedpaw wanted to show me something out in the forest, so he figured that we could go out really quickly before we had to go on our hunting patrol…we lost track of time, so we were trying to hurry back before anyone started to worry. I didn't realize how close we were to OwlClan's border, I swear."

Nightstorm scoffed, but Sorrelfur and Eagleclaw listened to Shadepaw's tale quietly. When the gray molly had finished, Eagleclaw let out a deep sigh.

"Shadepaw, you know that you aren't supposed to leave the camp without a warrior to accompany you. I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but…" The muscular tom paused. He then fixed his amber eyes on Reedpaw. "And you – you only seem to be encouraging this…whatever this is." He sighed once more. "If this is what happens when the two of you spend time together, I think that perhaps you should be separated."

"No!" Reedpaw growled, digging his claws into the ground. He didn't want to be separated from Shadepaw, especially when they had just started to get along again.

"Just until you learn how to behave yourselves," Eagleclaw clarified. "I am sure that Frostface will agree with me."

"But you can't do that – it's not fair!" Reedpaw whipped around to look at Shadepaw, waiting for her to agree. Shadepaw frowned, but kept her mouth tightly sealed. Anger rose within Reedpaw. Why wasn't she backing him up?

"It is time for us to return to camp," Eagleclaw said, a tone of finality in his voice. He wasn't going to argue for any longer. Reedpaw lashed his tail, only remaining quiet in fear of a greater punishment. Grudgingly, he trudged back to camp with the rest of his clanmates, Sorrelfur and Nightstorm creating a barrier between himself and Shadepaw. When he tried to glance back at her, Nightstorm growled softly, as if to warn him.

With fury still coursing through his veins, Reedpaw allowed himself to be led back to LightClan's camp. An instant after the small patrol arrived, Reedpaw saw Pebblepaw shove her way through the crowd of cats who had gathered in the clearing, rushing directly toward him.

"Reedpaw!" She squeaked, passing up Shadepaw without a single word. Her whole body was trembling. "I was so worried about you!" She pushed her head up underneath his chin, nestling as closely to him as she could. Reedpaw didn't miss the irritated glance that Shadepaw threw their way, but he had no problem ignoring it. She had no right to be upset with him.

"I'm okay," He replied, softening his voice so that only Pebblepaw could hear. "See? No wounds or scars." Nightstorm and Sorrelfur passed by him. Nightstorm gave him a pointed glare. Reedpaw rolled his eyes in response.

"I know, I know, but…" Pebblepaw exhaled. "I'm just glad you're alright." She drew away slightly. "Where were you, anyway? When Eagleclaw noticed that you were missing, he thought that maybe you had gone to help me collect moss."

"I was…" He shook his head. "It's not important. What matters is that I'm here now."

Pebblepaw nodded in agreement. "Come on – let's go get something to eat. You must be starving!"

He followed Pebblepaw to the fresh kill pile, settling down just outside of the apprentices' den once they had picked out a piece of prey. Pebblepaw chatted while they ate, surprising quite a few laughs out of Reedpaw. He found himself feeling grateful for her company, feeling slightly guilty for the way he had behaved toward her at the start of the day. And all because you wanted to get Shadepaw on your side again. Reedpaw felt a prick of anger when he thought about her. He had wasted the entire day on her, and she hadn't even had the decency to support him.

Perhaps spending some time away from the molly he had believed to be his closest friend would be a good thing, after all.