Hey everyone! Lots to say today, but there's a reason for it all, so please hang in there and read through it!

First: about my uploading schedule. I'm so sorry to say this, but I'm going to be taking the rest of this month off. :( I know, it's a huge disruption, but there's a good reason for it. It's because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). In case you don't know what that is, it's this huge event with writers where they just sit down and write for the month of November. The goal of all writers participating is to write 50,000 words in a month (1,667 words per day). It's a huge commitment and I'm already behind - it's (as of right now for me) the evening of November 6th, and that's 6 days I have to make up. So this will be the last chapter for a few weeks, I'm afraid. I hope you understand and I promise to be back in December with (hopefully) greatly improved writing and a determination to finish this series strong.

Also, as this story is basically on hold until December, that brings up another subject. No, this isn't as important and it won't affect the series as a whole, but it is interesting. :) For Christmas, I'm hoping to get a drawing tablet for my computer. After that, I'll be making a Deviantart account and will be redoing the chapter "pictures" (the title image? I'm not sure what it's called) to look like real Warrior covers. I'm pretty excited for that! :D

Okay, now on to the review replies. And since I'll be gone for a month, I'll probably just reply via PM for the reviews of this chapter. Well, except for the guests. (who should really get Fanfiction accounts, whether they want to write Fanfictions or not!)

QLKwriter: Don't worry, they're not a couple. XD Cinderpaw just doesn't like Foxtooth very much at the moment. And if I ever decide that they should be a couple, I'll make sure they're warriors first. I agree - apprentice couples generally don't appear in the Warriors series and is, therefore, pretty unrealistic.

EradrinSkyleaf: XD If I was planning that, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I? I don't want to spoil the series for you! (and it would spoil the series whether my answer was yes or no, believe me)

ShadowHawk: Do you mean that water is H2O and would have a mass of 33.01g? XD I'm learning about molecular mass/volume/particles in Chemistry right now, so that's how I'd know that. And yeah, it'll definitely be a one-sided relationship for a while, but what about afterward? Will it be a no-sided or two-sided relationship?

MistClan505: Yeah, sorry about giving advice I already gave you. :( I try not to do that, but either I forgot or I couldn't think of anything else. I don't really know. But yeah, you're right, Cinderpaw and Foxtooth's relationship is really tense at the moment. :P

Anova00: Yes, I do celebrate Halloween. Do you?

Nightfeather: I actually wanted the ending to be a little more final, but all I could think of was "The moss was wet." XD I'm glad it made you laugh!

Bobbie1776: I know! Will Cinderpaw ever open up to Foxtooth? Well, that depends on... a number of things. :P Sorry, I don't want to give out spoilers for the rest of the book!

Rainpaw's POV

I could barely hold my tears in long enough to make it out of camp. As soon as I crested the hill in front of camp, I let them fall. I could feel them staining darker patches down my cheeks as I ran nearly blind through the foliage, giving my fate over to sheer luck that I didn't run into a tree or a thicket of brambles. My shoulders shook with sobs as I bounded through the forest, my heartfelt cries startling the birds in the branches above me.

By the time I regained control of myself, I'd made it to the edge of the territory, close to the border with NightClan. I remembered that when Sootpaw, Cinderpaw, and I had first come to the lake, we'd entered about halfway into NightClan territory. It was too dangerous to travel back through NightClan territory, because now I knew how closely we'd escaped death before. So I was going to walk along the edge of the territories until I reached the spot where we'd crossed into NightClan territory.

I stepped out of LeopardClan territory, entering into the no-Clan lands, home to rogues and loners and Twolegs alike. Suddenly, I was all alone, completely open to attack. The fur along my spine stood on end as the reality of my situation rushed in on me. What if a rogue or loner or Twoleg came across me now? What could I do to defend myself?

But I couldn't let myself think like that, or else I'd never finish this quest. Sootpaw and Cinderpaw were depending on me. I had to do my part and bring back the forest cats. So I set off, skirting the edge of the lake territories, toward NightClan territory and my way back to the forest. To Lightwing.

My heart twisted painfully in my chest. I hadn't seen my mother in what felt like seasons, though I knew it had only been about one moon. I wondered if she was thinking of Sootpaw, Cinderpaw, and I; if she still missed us.

Don't be stupid, I told myself sternly. Of course she still misses us. Of course she still cares. She loves us with all her heart. I wondered how she would react when she saw me again. I wondered if she would even recognize me.

Stop being stupid! I commanded myself again. You still look the same, don't you? I stared down at myself, glancing over my shoulder at my back and my waving tail. Had I changed since I'd left the forest? Was I really the same kit I was?

I thought of Gray – no, I thought of Ashthorn and the tests he put us through. I thought of my role as leader of LeopardClan and of Silverdapple. No, I wasn't the same cat I was. I was stronger, more solemn, like Sootpaw. I was a better cat, I was sure of it. Wasn't I?

A sudden familiar scent tickled my nose. I blinked and glanced around – I'd been so consumed with my thoughts that I hadn't noticed where I was going. Suddenly recognizing the scent, I whipped around, thinking my brother had followed me and was going to accompany me on my journey. But no one was there. Confused, I turned back to the front and sniffed deeply, my jaws parted to better taste the air. Yes, that was definitely Sootpaw's scent. But then where was Sootpaw?

I realized there were two other scents present – Cinderpaw's and mine. Then, common sense hit me with the force of a NightClan warrior. My littermates weren't here with me. These were just our old scents from where we'd first come to the lake. Wow, it seemed so long ago, even though it had only been a little while. Maybe half a moon? I didn't quite remember.

Anyway, if this was where our scents were, then it was time to break away from the lake territories and head off over the terrain again. All I really had to do was follow our old scents and they would lead me right back to the forest. Well, that is unless if the rain washed away our scents. Had it rained since we'd arrived at the lake? It must not have, because I could still smell our scents now, but what if it rained soon? Would I still be able to find my way home?

Well, there was no point in worrying about that now. I shook my head, then began padding off across the terrain, down the side of a hill. It was time to move.

That night, I found a clump of bushes to shelter in. Hoping there weren't any ticks in them, I wriggled in and found a well-protected little clearing amongst the leafy branches. It was cold and hard on the ground, but I didn't care much. As I circled down on the bare dirt, I was thinking about my littermates. Maybe I could still communicate with them telepathically.

Sootpaw? I mentally called. Cinderpaw?

There was no reply. I was completely alone – completely alone for the first time in my life. And I was scared.

Did you like the chapter? :3 Again, I'm sorry for the pause in posting chapters, but this is something I really want to do and will hopefully be fun! If you want to learn more about NaNoWriMo, then I'd advise Googling it or something. It's really quite interesting!

Today's advice will be something I learned while preparing for my month-long writing spree. It's a good piece of advice for when you're just starting to write! And sorry, there's no QOTD. :( I really have to get working on homework and then maybe I can start my NaNoWriMo story! :D

AdOTD: Just sit down and write. Use BICHOK (Butt In Chair Hands On Keyboard). Get an idea for how you want your story to begin, develop, and end and just get going. The details will come to you in time - don't obsess over them! J. K. Rowling didn't have every glass of butterbeer planned out before she wrote the first Harry Potter book and the Erins didn't make every character have a good backstory before they started writing Warriors! Just go for it and work through all the pain!

Also part of the AdOTD: Find people to write with. They can help you find inspiration with their own ideas and encourage you in your writing. No book was made by an author working by him/herself! Work with people at all times if you can!