I looked at Flick, shock and confusion spreading across my face? "What did you just say?"

"I said we need to stay in Mistclan." The sandy tom repeated.

"But why?" I asked him.

Flick looked around and shook his head. "Let's talk outside." He lowered his voice so only I could hear him.

I nodded and padded out of camp. Flick followed me more slowly, probably making sure no one would follow them. Although I thought that just made him more suspicious.

We padded far enough away from the camp where we could still see the entrance through the fog but no one could hear us from inside.

"What's going on?" I asked with a lowered voice.

Flick's gaze kept darting around the misty forest. "There's something not right here."

"So what makes you think we should stay? If this place is dangerous then shouldn't we leave?"

Flick shook his head. "Cats here could be in danger. I keep seeing ghostly cats wandering around the camp. Some look lost but others . . ."

My eyes widened. "You think there's someone in the clan killing off its members?"

"I'm not sure." Flick responded. "I just have the strangest feeling about this place. If we leave I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about the possibility of more cats in danger."

I shook my head. "Whatever's going on here is none of our business. We should get going or I won't find Shadeclan until I'm an elder!"

"Shhh . . ." Flick hushed me and pricked his ears. He looked at something I couldn't see through the trees and then back at me. "I know how bad you want to get back to Shadeclan, but what if the cats help us in return? Then you could probably get back to your clan even sooner."

I looked down. Flick had a point, and I was getting a weird feeling about this place, too. The feeling made me want to run away from this place, though, not stay even longer; but what if Flick was right? If someone in Mistclan was killing off cats, then I would feel guilty for not helping them. I sighed and finally spoke.

"Okay, we can stay a bit longer. But we'll have to tell Bella and explain to her." Then I remembered something. "Do you think someone could have harmed Lightstar?"

My ears pricked and we both went silent when we heard pawsteps approaching. A hunting patrol consisting of Amberblaze, a dark tortoiseshell she-cat, a white fluffy tom, and a smaller black and white tom. All four cats carried prey in their jaws.

Amberblaze narrowed her eyes when she spotted us and set down the thrush she had been carrying. "Cloudstorm, Rosepatch, bring Hailpaw back to camp. I'll catch up with you in a bit."

One look in our direction and the two warriors nodded. Rosepatch picked up Amberblaze's catch and padded into camp. Hailpaw kept glancing back in our direction but soon disappeared into the sheltered camp.

"What are you two doing out here?" Amberblaze asked, her tail tip twitching.

"We were just going hunting. We were discussing where to go since we don't know Mistclan territory all that well." I answered her. Flick nodded at what I said.

The Mistclan she-cat did not look convinced. "You should have a Mistclan warrior with you when you leave camp. You wouldn't want to get lost." She looked us up and down. "I'll talk to Fogbreeze. He can send you out with another cat or two." She turned and gestured to us with her tail. We followed her back to camp.

When we entered camp, it seemed nothing had changed. The kits could be heard playing in the nursery, cats were enjoying freshkill in different areas of the camp. A patrol left camp just as we entered. There were two smaller cats and two older cats, probably going out to train.

Amberblaze padded into the leader's den with Flick and I behind her.

Fogbreeze was sitting and staring at the wall, his face expressionless. He had a faraway look in his eyes and his whiskers didn't even twitch when we entered.

"Fogbreeze." Amberblaze called the deputy's attention.

Fogbreeze flicked his ear and turned his head slowly to look at us.

"Our guests wanted to go hunting. Who would you like to send hunting with them?" Amberblaze asked.

Fogbreeze appeared not to have heard her but then he opened his mouth to answer. "Why don't you join our guests, Amberblaze?"

Shock was clear on the ginger and white she-cat's face. She controlled it quick enough though so Fogbreeze wouldn't see. "I'm sorry, but why me? I just returned from a hunting patrol."

"Are you saying you have better plans? I don't recall you having an apprentice, and with leaf-bare the prey pile has been low. Would you rather just sit around camp instead of feeding your clanmates?" Fogbreeze asked.

Amberblaze narrowed her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she dipped her head. "Very well, Fogbreeze." She then flicked her tail and padded stalked angrily out of the den. Flick and I turned to follow her, but Fogbreeze stopped me.

"Lavenderpaw, may I have a word?"

Flick and I shared a wary look before I nodded and we parted ways. I turned back to the Mistclan deputy. "What is it?"

Fogbreeze smiled. "Are you and your friends enjoying your time here in Mistclan?"

I nodded. "We are, and we are grateful for your hospitality. We can't stay, though. As soon as Lightstar gets better, we have to be on our way."

Fogbreeze's face saddened. "Are you sure she will get better?" He asked.

I hesitated. I knew Lightstar wasn't getting any better yet, what if she never did? No. I pushed the thought away. I couldn't think like that. "She hasn't shown any signs of getting better yet, but she might soon." I almost asked how many lives the leader had left, but stopped myself. It was rude to ask, and it must be a touchy subject right now anyway.

Fogbreeze looked down and closed his eyes. He didn't say anything so I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn't think of anything to say. How was I supposed to understand how the deputy felt? I knew nothing about him, there was no way I could know the words to help him.

"How long?"

I looked at the striped light grey tom, confused. "What?"

"How long have you been away from your clan?" Fogbreeze clarified.

I looked down. "Too long." I said.

Fogbreeze tilted his head. After a few heartbeats, he spoke again. "Why do you keep going, then?"

I looked at him, surprise on my face. "Of course I'll keep going! Shadeclan is my home, I'll never stop trying to return to them."

"How do you know you'll ever find them? Do you want to spend your whole life searching for something you may never find again?" Fogbreeze asked.

I didn't know what to say to that. I had been trying for so long to get back to Shadeclan, but why? Everyone else must have moved on by now, they probably thought I was dead. Had they sat vigil for me? It had been too long, I could barely remember the sound of Cloverpaw's voice, or Pinepaw's. Pinepaw would be a warrior by now, did he have a mate yet?

"Sometimes change is just what we need to discover who we are and where we belong." Fogbreeze said after a few moments of silence.

I looked at the grey striped tom. How did someone speak like they were one of the wisest cats alive?

"Don't I belong with Shadeclan if that's where I was born?" I asked.

"The fact that you're even asking that question should say otherwise." Fogbreeze replied.

I sighed and looked down. I had thought for so long that the only purpose in my life was returning to Shadeclan, but what if I was wrong? What if there was a reason I hadn't returned yet? Was I ever meant to stay there at all?

"Have you ever thought that maybe you were taken from your clan because your future took another path?"

I looked back up at him. "You mean I'm meant to be a loner, or a rogue? Surely you can't mean I was meant to be a kittypet?" I asked the Mistclan deputy. I couldn't imagine being anything other than a Clan cat.

Fogbreeze shook his head. "That's not what I said. I never told you to stop being a clan cat. There are other clans besides Shadeclan."

I lowered my gaze. When Lightstar had been hallucinating, she had mentioned me becoming a Mistclan apprentice. Flick already thought we should stay, and Bella was working well with Poppypaw to take care of the Mistclan leader.

I then looked back up at Fogbreeze, my gaze unwavering. "I've decided; I'll stay as long as Bella and Flick want to."

"Are you sure this is the path you want to take?" Fogbreeze asked me.

I nodded. For now, my path would be wherever Flick and Bella were. "I'm sure."

Fogbreeze smiled. "Very well, I'll tell the clan the great news."

The striped light grey tom stood and padded out of the den. I followed slower and by the time I was out of the den, Fogbreeze was already calling the clan together from the branch above her.

"May all cats old enough to catch prey gather beneath the Great Pine for a clan meeting!"

As the clan gathered, Flick spotted me and padded over. "What's going on?" He asked.

I flicked my tail up to Fogbreeze. "You're about to find out."

Fogbreeze looked across at the clan. "As you all know, we have three new guests in Mistclan: Flick, Lavenderpaw, and Bella. Well I've just heard that they have decided to stay with us for a while."

Flick looked at me and I nodded. "I'm staying as long as you and Bella are."

"Since Lavenderpaw has already started her warrior training, she will continue her training here. I have decided I will be her mentor."

At those words, I looked up at the deputy in surprise. Wouldn't it be easier to choose a different cat for her mentor now that Fogbreeze was taking over leader duties until Lightstar was better?

"Lavenderpaw!"

"Lavenderpaw!"

The clan chanted her name and Flick joined in.

"Flick and Bella will keep their names, but Flick will join the warriors and I believe Bella will be our new medicine cat as she is already working on healing Lightstar. I hope you will all be welcoming to our guests. Meeting dismissed." Fogbreeze finished.

I looked at Flick. "Why would Fogbreeze want to train me himself? Doesn't he already have his paws full with his new leader duties?"

Flick shook his head. "I don't know what goes through his mind. Just be careful around him, okay? Remember, we don't know who we can trust." He said, lowering his voice.

I nodded and Fogbreeze leaped down from the pine branch beside me. "Are you ready to continue your training, Lavenderpaw?"

"Actually, I was hoping I could check in on Bella and Lightstar." I told the light grey deputy.

Something flickered in Fogbreeze's eyes but I couldn't tell what it was. "Of course, we can always train later. Just come find me when you're ready to continue your apprenticeship."

I gave Fogbreeze an appreciative nod and headed over to the medicine den, Flick joining me. I smiled and peeked my head in the den to see Lightstar laying down in her makeshift nest, her side rising and falling evenly. Bella saw us at the entrance and flicked her tail to her mouth, motioning for us to be quiet. The cream and white she-cat then emerged from the den and stood over to the side so we could talk.

"She's doing no worse, but she's not doing any better, either." Bella answered our unspoken question.

I nodded but looked at Bella worriedly. "What about you? Have you even rested since she got sick?"

Bella sighed. "Not much, no. Poppypaw and I have been taking shifts but I haven't been able to sleep. I'm not an experienced medicine cat and I don't know as many herbs as I would like to. Right now the only herbs I know will help won't fully cure her. I just wish I had better knowledge of this stuff."

I rested my tail comfortingly on Bella. "No one is perfect, not even medicine cats know all the herbs. I'm sure you and Poppypaw will be able to heal Lightstar."

Flick nodded and smiled. "Remember all those herbs you were telling us about on the way here? I don't think I've ever heard of so many in my life! Bella, you're the one who healed Lavenderpaw. Twice. She might've not made it of it weren't for you. You can do this."

Bella smiled. "Thanks you two, and you're right. I guess I do kind of have a good amount of herb knowledge for not being wildborn."

I laughed and smiled. "Exactly. Everything is hard sometimes, life is hard. It's the challenges we face that make us stronger."

Bella nuzzled the two of us. "How did I find such good friends?"

"More like we found you." Flick said with a purr.

Bella took a nice, deep breath and stepped back with a smile. "Okay, I'd better get back to it."

"Don't forget to rest." I told her before she disappeared back into the medicine den.

I turned back to Flick. "Okay, want to go hunting now? Let's find Amberblaze so we can get going." I said.

"Actually, I have a better plan."

We turned to see Fogbreeze padding toward us. Flick flicked his tail but I nudged him.

"What would that be?" I asked, tilting my head. Better than feeding the clan?

Fogbreeze smiled. "Training. With me. In the forest." He replied.

I nodded and smiled back. "Sounds great, Fogbreeze. Okay, I'll meet you at the camp entrance."

Fogbreeze smiled and padded away over to the entrance to the camp. I turned to Flick but his face was full of worry. I tilted my head. "What's wrong?"

Flick lowered his voice to a whisper. "What happened to being cautious of everyone? One of these cats could be a killer!"

I sighed. "I had to make him think I would just go willingly with him. Besides, he is my new mentor now. I can't just not train, I can't be an apprentice forever."

Flick still looked worried. "Just be careful, okay? We don't know who we can trust yet."

I nodded. "Of course." I smiled and gave him a reassurring look before padding over to the light grey deputy.

Fogbreeze smiled calmly. "Are you ready to officially continue your apprenticeship?" He asked.

I nodded. "I'm ready." I told him.

//Word count: 2481//