Dart found herself wandering through the forest again, relishing in the scents and sounds that filled the air. She figured that this would probably be her last trip here before it became winter, judging by the cold. She would have to make it special.
Dart ran through the woods, stomping on fallen leaves and snapping branches. She had no interest in hunting, not today. She just wanted to enjoy herself. She skidded to a stop in front of a large oak tree. Its branches reached far into the sky, and Dart decided that it was perfect for climbing.
Maybe I should test my theory. She thought, preparing to lunge at the tree. She was just about to leap when a branch snapped behind her. Dart sat up straight and turned around, expecting to see some potential prey. She was instead greeted by the sight of Mitten and Petal walking around. They hadn't noticed Dart yet, as they seemed very absorbed in their current conversation. Dart resolved to keep it that way, at least for now. She quickly climbed the oak tree, hiding in its branches. She pressed herself against the rough bark, trying to become invisible. The pair walked right by her, completely oblivious. Dart watched them walk, and was suddenly stuck by a curious thought.
Why are they in the woods, of all places? Dart wondered. I didn't think they liked it out here. She resolved to follow them, just to find out what they were doing. After all, what harm could come from watching?

...

Twist sat with the rest of the group, quietly eating their first meal of the day. Twist felt tired, but at the same time felt energized. The time she had spent with Benny felt like fuel to her, making her move forwards. Twist knew it sounded silly, but it didn't feel that way.
"Twist? Did you hear me?" Twist was snapped out of her thoughts by Puck's voice.
"Um, sorry..." Twist had to admit that she hadn't, and silently scolded herself for being so ignorant. Puck just smiled.
"Did you sleep well?" She repeated. Twist couldn't hide a smile at that, recalling her night in the horse fields.
"Well, kind of." She said. Puck looked confused at that, her amber eyes glittering with puzzlement.
"What does that mean?" She asked.
"Well, Benny showed me the horse fields last night. I didn't do much sleeping, but it was fun." Twist said. Puck's eyes widened.
"He took you to the horse fields?!" She looked around, noting that Benny wasn't present. Twist felt confused.
"Yeah, doesn't he take everyone?" She meowed. Puck nodded.
"He does, but it usually takes longer for him to share it with newcomers." She said.
"Oh." Twist said after a pause. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, she hadn't known that the horse fields were so special.
"Benny really likes the horse fields, they're kind of his happy place. You two must be really close friends, if he's shown you already..." Puck trailed off. "Anyways, how did everyone else sleep?" She asked, changing the topic. The group talked about their nights, but Twist couldn't focus. Puck's words rang in her ears over and over, along with a million questions. Why had Benny shown her so soon? Were they as close as Puck suspected? Sure, Twist thought they were pretty good friends, but Puck talked about the horse fields as if they were a sacred place to Benny. Was she really worth that much to him?

...

Dart had been following Petal and Mitten for a long time. She was growing tired, and was about to give up, deciding that the two weren't doing anything important. It was then that Mitten decided to shove Petal to the ground. Petal made a startled noise, but then started to laugh. Mitten tackled her, and they rolled around in a heap on the ground. Mitten was eventually able to pin Petal down, still giggling. The two looked into each other's eyes for a long moment. Petal suddenly reached up and touched Mitten's nose to hers, leaving Mitten with a shocked expression. The blood rushed to Dart's cheeks, clearly this was a private moment. Petal chuckled at Mitten's surprise.
"Come on. I though you would be used to that by now." She said. Mitten laughed nervously.
"Well, it's hard to get used to something that's so surprising." She replied, batting Petal on the nose. Petal laughed again, and Mitten joined in. The couple resumed their walk after a moment, this time wth their tails twined. Dart wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't assumed that Petal and Mitten liked each other that way. It didn't seem that anyone else had assumed either. She came to the conclusion that she shouldn't share this. It was a matter of their privacy, she shouldn't invade.
"Ahem." A sharp voice interrupted Dart's thoughts, and she jumped back. Dart tumbled from the tree, landing on the ground. She opened her eyes to see grey paws, and knew who they belonged to right away.
"Care to explain?" Petal said. Dart scrambled up, trying to think of something to say. Something that would explain her presence here.
"Does anyone know?" She blurted. Dart cursed her brain for not coming up with something better to say. Petal sighed.
"Only Puck." She paused, glaring at Dart. "And you, apparently." Guilt enveloped Dart, and she wished she was anywhere but here.
"I'm sorry... it was a mistake..." she sputtered. The apology sounded weak, even to her own ears. Mitten gave Dart a sympathetic look.
"I believe you." She said. Dart smiled weakly at Mitten, murmuring a thank-you. Petal sighed.
"Please don't tell anyone." She said. "Not even Twist." Dart nodded reluctantly, she usually shared everything with Twist.
"I'll say nothing, I'll tell no one." She said. "Just... please don't kill me." Dart meowed. Despite the tense situation, Mitten smiled.
"Okay, deal."

...

"Twist, have you seen Dart?" Luke's familiar voice broke into Twist's scattered thoughts. She frowned.
"No, but she's probably out in the woods. She goes there a lot during the day." Twist said. Luke nodded his head, pleased.
"Okay, thanks." Twist watched him pad towards the forest at the same time that Dart emerged from it, Mitten and Petal close behind. Twist jumped up to greet her sister, but noticed that she looked particularly strained.
"Are you okay?" Twist asked. Dart's eyes widened, and Petal shot her a sideways glance.
"Yup! Just tired, I guess!" Dart said. Luke seemed convinced by this, but Twist wasn't falling for it. She knew Dart better than anyone, and she wouldn't be tired after a walk in the woods. She'd be energized.
"Okay, if you say so." Twist let just enough suspicion creep into her voice, letting Dart know that they'd have to talk later. Dart sighed, clearly getting the message.

...

"What's up?" Twist asked. Dart knew that this had been coming, but still didn't feel prepared to lie to her sister.
"Nothing." She said. Twist narrowed her eyes.
"It was not nothing. I would know." Twist said. Dart sighed, and for a moment thought about telling the truth. They were alone under the boilers, nobody else would hear. Besides, wasn't Twist trustworthy? Dart sighed again.
How stupid of me, contemplating trust while thinking about spilling my friend's secret.
"I can't talk about it. Please trust me on this." Dart said. Twist frowned, but nodded.
"Okay, but you can tell me anything. Just remember that." 
The two fell asleep, a secret weighing down one and concern weighing down the other.