"The value of identity of course is that so often with it comes purpose."
-Richard Grant

"What in the name of StarClan is he talking about?!" Blossompaw cried.

"I don't know but we're not staying to find out!" I gasped. "We need to run out of Twolegplace! Now!"

I ran away from the toms and looked back to make sure the rest of us were following. We ran farther and farther away till we reached the end of Twolegplace panting.

"*pant* We *pant* did it!" I gasped, overwhelmingly tired. "Is everyone still here? Blossompaw?"

"Here!" Blossompaw called, she was beside Sagepaw and I looked to see Lionpaw and Hogpaw also with us. I sighed with relief.

"Don't think this is over yet."

All five of us quickly turned to see the brown tabby tom that leaded the group of cats that seemed to be missing. I stood and unsheathed my claws.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"Aren't you five RiverClan cats? RiverClan constantly takes queens and kits and turns them into vicious warriors!" The tom snapped. "My mate Giselle had my kits and then one day she never came back!"

Giselle...? Wait! She's that grumpy mother of Birdflight and Petalstep!

"What's your name?" Hogpaw asked the tom.

"Ajax." The tom growled. "Now answer my question!"

"We're Clan cats, but we've never heard of this 'Queen-Napping Patrol.'" I admitted. "We have a cat in our Clan named Giselle with two daughters..."

"That's...that's my mate!" Ajax gasped. "Take me to her!"

"We're on a journey flea-bones." Sagepaw growled. Ajax looked ready to leap at him but Blossompaw stepped in his way.

"We're on a journey to find a cat valued greatly." Blossompaw meowed. "We're heading to the mountains, but we'll find you on the way back and bring you."

"Promise?" Ajax hissed.

"Promise."

"We'll be seeing you, bye Ajax." Blossompaw looked to us expectedly and we nodded our heads respectfully before the five of us left Twolegplace.

"What's the Queen-Napping Patrol?" I whispered up to the sky hoping for Amberfern to answer.

When RiverClan was under Splotchstar's rule, every few seasons a patrol was sent to capture queens and kits to keep RiverClan strong and well-populated. Especially when there's no Queens in the Nursery.

That's terrible! I thought. How long do you think it'll be till we reach the mountains?

It should take less than a moon.

Half a moon later(Blaze's POV)

I laid contently on a big boulder not too far away from my Tribe's camp. The sun bathed my pelt and as usual, I daydreamed about swimming in water. Tribemates were weirded out by my fixation of water, but I didn't care. I liked it.

My sister was very mean, but it felt like nothing new. At least I had the whole mountains to escape to.

"Hey furry fish, what're you doing up there?" I heard my closest friend purr from below the boulder.

He was a big tom named Flint, and even though most of my Tribemates didn't care about me too much, they certainly made it clear that we were probably going to become mates when we were older.

I wasn't against it, Flint was very nice. There was just...a weird feeling I got whenever I thought about it. Like I was betraying someone. My parents? They would love having grandkits, so I don't think it's them.

"I'm just relaxing, shouldn't you be guarding the cave with Ebony and Sunlight? There isn't that many Cave-guards and they'll need you." I pointed out.

"Are you just trying to shoo me away? Always the stubborn kitty." Flint chuckled. "And what about you? The Tribe can never have too much fresh-kill."

"There's two patrols out." I retorted.

"Can I join you?" Flint meowed, looking up at me with big amber eyes.

"Sure." And in an instant, Flint leaped onto the boulder and cozied himself next to me as we watched the sun begin to set.

"Hey...Flint?" I asked my friend next to me. "Do...do you ever feel like something is missing?"

"What do you mean?" Flint replied. Thanks for answering my question with a question.

"I mean like hunting for this tribe can't be it." I explained. "There's cats I haven't met yet that I dream about. And they're not here..."

"Blaze...I'm your future." Flint insisted looking right at me. What?! Who was he to tell me how things were going to be?!

"...no you're not!" I snapped, I wanted to take it back. To reword it. I was literally okay with being mates with him a few moments ago, so what happened?

"Flint, we're still friends right?" I whispered.

"Like hell we are." Flint spat before he leaped off the boulder and stormed off. Great, I lost my only friend.

After he disappeared from view, I decided that it was getting a little late. I caught a mouse so I wouldn't get in too much trouble and headed back to camp where Ebony and Sunlight were giving me weird looks.

"Heard you and your mate had a falling out." Ebony giggled, her green eyes glinting. I wasn't going to play their game any longer.

"He was never my mate." I growled, walking past the two Cave-guards before they could reply. I saw my sister Moss sashay towards me looking quite pleased.

"Our parents are livid that you rejected Flint. They're certain that you aren't having kits with anyone." Moss purred evilly.

"First of all we're only to-bes!" I hissed. "Next of all, I was never interested in having kits. None of the toms here interest me."

"That's because they actually have good taste." Moss retorted viciously. "And at least three of the to-be toms are fighting to be with me. Flint was your only chance at love. And as usual, you blew it."

Moss smugly turned away and went to the fresh-kill pile. There was no family or friends to love me, and at that moment, one thing was certain.

I did not belong here. And with beautiful timing, I heard a cat call out from outside the cave.

"Hey! Look! It's the Crimson Heroine!"