Cedarpaw stepped onto the sand, letting the warmth trickle into his paws. Rush stood beside him, gazing out into the water.

"You don't have to go back," he started. Cedarpaw sighed. This was a perfectly lovely morning, why did Rush have to ruin it with his depressing words?

"You can come with me," he offered. This was a familiar dance. Rush, offering Cedarpaw a chance to run away with him. Cedarpaw, offering a place in Fjordclan.

"I can't..." Rush started, "I can't do this anymore." Cedarpaw's head swiveled to look at the tom standing beside him.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't sneak around with you like this anymore, always being afraid your clan will find us and punish you because of me. It's too much." Rush mewed, miserably.

"They won't..." Cedarpaw started. But no, Rush was right. They definitely would, and he'd probably never get to leave camp again.

"Come with me." Rush said, this time, not a question but a statement. Cedarpaw shook his head. It was tempting, the idea of running out into that open water with no responsibility, bounding across the dunes with his friend, and yet...

"I can't." He thought of his friends and family back in Fjordclan. Sandpaw and Plumpaw would be playfighting as always, his sister Owlpaw watching with the disdain only she could seem to muster.

"Fine," Rush said. This was new. Rush never agreed to what he said. Cedarpaw glanced at his friend hopefully. Perhaps...perhaps there was even a minute chance he would come to Fjordclan? "Can you promise me something?"

"Anything!" Cedarpaw exclaimed just a bit too fast. Rush was already walking away, but turned over his shoulder.

"Promise me you won't miss me too much."

And just like that he was gone. Cedarpaw didn't promise. Cedarpaw hadn't promised anything because he did miss Rush. He missed him every day.