Chapter 25-

                                            Flickerpaw's, ( or Flick's ;> ) POV

Bleak sunlight cuts into the den, shining blades against the dark herb-scented cave. Flickerpaw blinks his eyes open, before shutting them against the bright lines of light. Too bright. 

Smoothpaw's pelt is instantly visible, her orange muted against the early-morning darkness and her blue eyes focused on nothing. She must be thinking. Thinking about Flickerpaw? Maybe, probably. But it doesn't matter, because when Flickerpaw is awake, he thinks of Voidflicker. And he doesn't want to. Not now, not ever. So the tom snuggles deeper into his nest, which he notices now has magpie feathers woven into the moss. 

Smoothpaw's head raises, her eyes finding Flickerpaw's closing eyelids. Flickerpaw is glad that's all she sees, because beneath the slices of skin she will see reddened eyes from Flickerpaw sobbing, wailing in his sleep. So many dreams. All awful, horrid, dreams. 

"Flickerpaw?" Smoothpaw's voice pries, interrupting Flickerpaw's whimper, "Are you awake?" Flickerpaw stills. He doesn't want to talk right now. 

"Flickerpaw?" Smoothpaw tries again, frustration creeping into her voice, "Why won't you talk to me?" 

Flickerpaw knows why. Smoothpaw doesn't deserve this. Both of her brothers have been broken beyond repair, her mother is possibly a murderer, and her father is dead. Well, one of them, at least. None of them deserve this, but Smoothpaw shouldn't have to comfort her brothers after every single death. 

"I'm sorry," Flickerpaw grumbles, refusing to elaborate. His tail flicks over his nose, concealing his face. 

Smoothpaw only sighs. "Okay," she says simply, "I brought you prey, in case you want to eat." Flickerpaw sinks deeper into his nest. 

"No." 

"Okay." 

Flickerpaw sees through cracked eyes as Smoothpaw brightens. "Okay well, guess what! Big surprise in store for you!" Flickerpaw closes his eyes to see only blackness. 

"What?" 

"I have a little..." Smoothpaw lowers her voice in a few intervals, ending in a quiet whisper, "a little...crush!"  The she-cat squeaks like a tiny kit as it sees camp for the first time. Her excitement is a stark contrast to the sad and downy atmosphere. "But you can't tell him!" 

Flickerpaw raises his head, curiosity tingling in his stomach. "Who?" But the tom already knows. There is only one cat in their age group. 

And then a realization dawns on Flickerpaw. What if...Smoothpaw was seeing a tom-cat from another clan?

But no, Smoothpaw knows that would be wrong. Uncertainty still pricks in Flickerpaw's stomach, though. Maybe...

"You guess," Smoothpaw smiles at getting Flickerpaw's attention, "okay?" 

"Fine," Flickerpaw thinks a bit, before answering, "Yewmist." Smoothpaw's whole face breaks into a smile, her eyes darting to her paws. Something interesting must hide their. Flickerpaw doesn't bother to look, seeing Smoothpaw's pure embarrassment. It makes Flickerpaw feel a bit better, knowing that Smoothpaw is still loyal to her clan. And seeing her blushing. It is embarrassing for her. 

"Why do you like Yewmist? He's two moons older," Flickerpaw flops back into his nest, interest fading, now that he has gotten his answer. Smoothpaw still smiles though, a hesitant but genuine little smirk. 

"Who said I like him?" 

                                                                      ~~~ 

                                                       Sagepaw's POV

Sagepaw steps into camp, his pelt basically glowing with Cracklight's praise. He holds about three mouse tails, while Fallowshard holds a thrush and Orejump holds a plump squirrel. Cracklight had purred about having too much prey to bring back, so they'd have to go back soon, with his mouth full with two mice. 

Instantly Aloestar greets the four with a grin, and Sagepaw with a little purr. "My little hunter." Sagepaw beams with pride. 

The four cats walk, Fallowshard smiling, Orejump bounding forward, and Cracklight curling his tail upward, toward the sky. 

Sagepaw drops his mice onto the fresh-kill pile, the smells from the array of prey rising and drifting over his tongue. Sagepaw purrs at the scent, eyes darting over the prey pile. 

"This is the most prey I've seen in moons," a soft voice says, awe edging in its tone. Orejump purrs loudly as he wheels around to see his mate, Fringestrike, a smile painting her lips. The she-cat trots forward, letting out a pleased purr as her cheek hits Orejump's. 

"Nice catch, Sagepaw," Fringestrike smiles, nodding at the stout mouse Sagepaw had dropped at his paws. 

"You can have it," Orejump says, pushing the mouse toward his mate, "Right, Sagepaw?" Why would Sagepaw deny a queen prey? Well, not quite a queen, but still. Sagepaw nods. 

"I'm not fragile," the queen rolls her eyes, though her whiskers twitch in amusement, "I can get my own answer." Fringestrike frowns a bit at Orejump. "And prey." 

Orejump shuffles his paws. "I wish you would just...take it easy," he says, looking a bit embarrassed. Fallowshard paws out a fat squirrel, glancing towards the elders' den. Her voice comes tiny but strong. 

"She-cats aren't weak. We fight like tom-cats, we fight battles. Kits are the most natural thing in the world, no need to fuss. Calm down, Fringestrike is fine." 

Orejump only looks a bit attacked, before frowning and deflating. "Sorry, it's just-" 

"It's okay," Cracklight smiles at Orejump, "You'll be an amazing father." Sagepaw nods in agreement. He won't try to kill his kits, he's sure. 

Sagepaw turns, leaving the other cats to chat and Fallowshard to walk into the elders' den. Or he tries, before Cracklight's voice cuts into Sagepaw's thoughts. "Sagepaw, we're going to the Sandy Hollow." Sagepaw sighs, realizing his joints ache from staying in a crouch for so long. 

"No thanks," Sagepaw calls over his shoulder, stepping towards the apprentice's den. Cracklight's face crinkles into annoyance. 

"Not a choice, come on," Sagepaw's mentor calls back. Sagepaw's feet plant where he is like the roots of an oak tree, his eyes tossing threats at Cracklight. Make me. 

"Listen to your mentor, Sagepaw," Aloestar's commanding voice sounds from the edge of camp, where she sits, sharing tongues with Ferretsqueak. Right, they are sisters aren't they? Does Ferretsqueak know Sagepaw's father is Voidflicker? She must. Strange. Does Ivypaw, Whitepaw, and Cleftpaw know too? The thought makes Sagepaw's stomach flip. 

"Yeah, listen to mommy," Ivypaw purrs from the apprentice's dens' entrance. Whitepaw giggles, and Cleftpaw rolls his big kit-like eyes. Sagepaw's fur burns with anger. 

"Shut up, I don't need advice from cats with kit-fur on their necks," Sagepaw hisses back. Ivypaw laughs cruelly. 

"Stop fighting with kits, Sagepaw." 

Whitepaw laughs with a nod. "Yeah, do you like arguing with kits, Sagepaw?" 

"Ha! You hate kits, don't you?" Cleftpaw adds. 

"Forgot to add Sagepaw, birdbrain," Sagepaw mutters, adding louder, "And yes, I hate overgrown flea-pelts like you. So if you mean kits like you, yes." 

"Hey, Sagepaw you outta be a kit yourself," Aloestar rises from her prey, her muzzle twisted into a disappointed frown, "Quit teasing, you three. We're clanmates, mouse-brains! Not enemies. So quit lashing your tails and apologize. And you, Sagepaw, need to move your paws over to Cracklight and stop acting like a stubborn sparrow. " 

Sagepaw huffs, muttering an apology he's sure the three new apprentices can't hear, and drags his aching legs over to Cracklight. Sagepaw's mentor's eyes are crinkled with amusement. "You sure are entertaining." Sagepaw only growls in return. 

                                                  ~~~

Sagepaw jumps, soaring into air, but only by a few inches. The tom lands, jolting forward, before settling on his shaky paws. "I'm tired," Sagepaw says pointedly, balancing himself, "Can we just keep going tomorrow?" 

"No," Cracklight says thoughtfully, "You're not even close. An apprentice should know how to jump, especially one about to be a warrior." Sagepaw's mouth curls into a snarl. 

"You didn't teach me!" 

"Calm down, I will. I see the problem." Cracklight nods to himself, mumbling something. "Crouch, like you would to catch a mouse." Sagepaw complies, about to complain that the stance doesn't work for him. Cracklight darts forward, however, paws on his legs. He pushes them inward. 

"Under you," Cracklight directs, and Sagepaw pushes his other paws under his chest ruff. 

"This feels better," Sagepaw comments, waggling his haunches. Cracklight clicks his tongue. 

"Eyes up, you're looking at the ground." 

"Right." Sagepaw pushes his gaze up off the ground, into the darkening navy-blue sky. He leaps, reaching, reaching, his paws darting through air. He lands clumsily, but sure he went further and higher than last time. He turns to his orange mentor with a grin. "Better?" 

"Of course," Cracklight purrs in pleasure, "Good job." Sagepaw's tail curls. 

"Okay, can we go home now?" 

"Nope, one more. Maybe you just got lucky, ya know. Rode on the wind." Sagepaw frowns in disbelief. 

"You must be joking," Sagepaw says. Sure, Cracklight is tough, but not mouse-brained. How could he be lucky on a jump? 

"I am," Cracklight nods with a chuckle, "Let's go." 

The toms break into a light run, mostly a quicker trot, pushing through the stands of nettle and long tree branches. The smell of forest is fresh and the crickets chirp in sync, creating a beautiful night song. Sagepaw hums along to the nightly lullaby.

The tom trots into camp, eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Cracklight splits to sit with Cliffstoop. Sagepaw is alone, left in the dark camp, with the sun fading behind the trees. The moon sits, all high and mighty, on its throne of wispy night clouds, its grin beaming light into the night sky. 

Sagepaw blinks at the moon, looking down at his paws. His stomach is empty, grumbling in protest, but Sagepaw doesn't want to stay awake a second longer. He stumbles toward his nest, his yawns getting huge, when a bristling Smoothpaw stops in front of him. 

Oh no. 

"Tired from training?" Smoothpaw hisses quietly, "That's what you've been doing all day? Instead of checking on your own brother?" 

Oh, that's what this is about. 

Sagepaw lashes his tail, pelt pricking with guilt and embarrassment. "I was busy," he says feebly, but Smoothpaw's expression doesn't fade, "I mean...I meant to check on him, of course, but ya know... I don't like seeing my siblings sad." 

"Think I liked seeing you sad when Tansypaw died? Or Flickerpaw when Blossomkit went? No, I didn't. But I didn't distract myself with training. I sat by you, by Flickerpaw, playing games, bringing you prey. I talked to you, but you? You abandon everything you love just to continue Snapstar's twisted legacy!" Sagepaw's throat closes up. He only blinks at his sister, surprised by her anger. 

"I'm not sorry," the tom whispers angrily, "You're wrong. I want to help Flickerpaw, I do, but what can I do? I'll only-" 

"Sit with him? Tell him stories? Be there to wake him up from his nightmares? I did that for you. But no, never again," Smoothpaw spits, louder this time, before wheeling around, "I'm sleeping in the medicine cat's den tonight." 

Sagepaw sits there as all of his clanmates move around him, snuggling into nests and calling 'goodnight's. Sagepaw can't stand this. He flicks his tail. He did nothing wrong. Sagepaw yawns, stumbling into the apprentices' den. 

When he's leader, no one will question him. 

                                                               ~~~

uhh I guess thanks for reading!! and also, is this too long for a filler chapter, for future reference?? ok hope y'all liked it!!