"You like Stoneclaw?"

I couldn't hold back my astonishment.

Mistyclan had recently finished the construction of the warrior den. Fogpaw, Dapplepaw and I were sunning ourselves just outside of the cave.

My younger counterparts stared back at me, both a little embarrassed. Dapplepaw seemed near to being mortified that her sister liked my brother.

Fogpaw was along a different train of thought, "He's just so brave. And why can't I?"

Noticing the slightly defensive tone rising in her last question, I hurried to reassure her, "Of course you can."

I was tempted to seriously question her moralities, but decided not to. Fogpaw was approximately four moons younger than my brother though she had been apprenticed nearly two moons late. The two had always roughly known each other as kits though hadn't interacted much at all. Did Fogpaw know what she was getting into?

I shook my head. No, they would make a good couple, once the gray she-cat grew up, maybe.

"What are you guys talking about?"

I looked up to meet the bright expression of my sister, the light feeling in my stomach disappearing.

Dapplepaw jumped up, and the two exchanged an almost identical glance. Immediately, it was as if Cloudypaw had been struck by lightning, "Sister, come hunting with me."

An ecstatic feeling was forming in my chest, "Really?"

She flicked her tail briskly in response and I stood up, ears pricked, "Where should we go?"

Cloudypaw didn't seem to be in the mood to elaborate too much, "We're going hunting, what do you think?"

Dipping my head a little apologetically, I followed her off, wondering whether or not I should have stayed with the apprentices. We walked in silence for a rather long time, letting the sun soak our pelts and the fresh air lift our nostrils. Prey scent was everywhere and, once or twice, I was tempted to hunt. However, Cloudypaw had either not heard the rustling of bushes or chose not to, for she walked briskly onwards and I hurriedly followed.

Finally, as I felt my stomach grumbling, I suggested, "Hey, I can smell mice in that bush."

Flicking my tail to the rosemary bush that I meant, I dropped down into a stalking crouch and started prowling towards the target. My sister sniffed a little disdainfully but obliged, pressing against the ground obediently. 

With a burst of strength from my back legs, I lunged forward, my front claws spearing the bush. In a flurry of squeaks, three mice scurried out from their hiding place and straight towards my hunting partner. 

Turning back to her, I expected a quick capture and the sweet aroma of fresh kill. However, Cloudypaw was caught completely by surprise, stumbling backwards as the mice ran into her. She snapped at one mouse then proceeded to chase another off into some bushes. 

Cursing, I leaped, crossing the distance in less than a second and killing my target at once. Whipping around, I eyed the third mouse, who had scurried off into the distance already. I sighed, there was no way we were going to be getting that one anytime soon. 

Turning almost reluctantly to where my sister was emerging from, I was not at all surprised by the lack of success in her eyes. Neither was I fazed by the missing mouse.

Smoothing down her pelt, she shrugged awkwardly, "Looks like I'm getting a tad bit rusty."

Choosing to take it coolly, I agreed, "No kidding. But you haven't hunted for what, a week? I'm sure you'll warm up soon enough."

Cloudypaw sniffed, "Hunting is a lot different from what I usually do as a medicine cat. I'm not sure I'll 'warm up' anytime soon." 

After a pause, she admitted, "I'm not sure I want to hunt at all."

How stupid. Just because she had missed one catch, she didn't want to hunt?

I stifled a hiss, "Don't be a mouse-brain. You can't just forget everything you've learnt!"

Cloudypaw lashed her tail, "Ugh, this isn't what I wanted to talk about."

How could she be complaining?

I flattened my ears, "Then what? You didn't seem to want to talk at all."

Unsurprisingly, she ignored me, "I've been meaning to talk to you about your little trip outside of camp last night."

Before I could deny it, she added, "I saw you, Berryheart and Stoneclaw leave. And I saw Cream leave only a little while before that."

I lowered my gaze, partially because I could sense her searching it and partially because I was could feel the hot guilt coursing through my veins.

Finally, Cloudypaw muttered, "Cream is bad news, Honeydrop. And news of her little rebellion group is starting to spread. Please tell me you didn't join her."

I snapped, "So what if I did? Berryheart joined her!"

Looking up, I saw her claws tearing up the grass, "This isn't about, Berryheart, for Starclan's sake. I know you've always had a thing for him, and I can understand how that can affect the way you think, but you need to give up on this stupid rebellion with Cream."

A little dumbfounded, I blinked quickly as if it would hold back the rage that was boiling in my throat, "What? Are you seriously judging me? After you abandoned me with no one to love?"

The strange itch that had been bugging my brain since Cloudypaw's transition was suddenly becoming hyperactive. 

It wasn't an itch anymore. 

It was a cloud.

A cloud that bore down on my mind like a sandstorm. 

Taking a few quick breaths, I tried to squash down, or at least diminish, this horrible feeling.

Cloudypaw wasn't exactly helping, "Stoneclaw is horrible, you know that. And you can't follow Cream just because Berryheart is."

I was having trouble controlling the words that came out of my mouth, "You want me to abandon the two cats who have actually started to give me a chance? The two cats who aren't giving me the cold shoulder? You want me to give them up?"

Cloudypaw shrugged, "Honestly? Yeah. It's not healthy."

I was struggling to not burst, "Healthy? You know what's not 'healthy'? You coming back after completely ignoring me and deciding that you can control my life all over again."

My claws had unsheathed now, and my muscles were tensing dangerously. I sincerely hoped that my sister would get the message and back off.

Instead, she scoffed, "I didn't completely ignore you. You're being dramatic, as always."

I backed away, digging my claws in determinedly, "Just, go. Cloudypaw. Please just leave me alone."

My counterpart advanced on me, looking down at me, her chin tilted slightly, "No, Honeydrop, I need you to understand the importance of this situation. Dapplepaw is having this exact conversation with Fogpaw right now."

A silver of confusion makes its way into my voice, "Fogpaw? But she isn't part of this."

Cloudypaw sighed, a little exasperatedly, "She's in love, Honeydrop. She's bound to get caught up in this stupidness sooner or later."

I was having trouble comprehending her tinted words. Never in my life had I heard my sister speak like this. Not to anyone. And especially not to me. 

Only in my kit days had she been this barging, rude and disrespectful to me. But that was when she still followed my brother around like a pet. I was tempted to leap at her, to pin her down and scream into her ears. 

To ask her why she was being like this. 

Ask if she still loved me.

 But before I could, a yowl resonated throughout the entire forest and the scent of freshly spilt blood filled my nostrils.

In a burst of strength, I shot forward and ploughed through the undergrowth, my heart screeching with fear and shock. The puffing of breath and thundering of paws tells me that Cloudypaw is following me. My thoughts seem to have left my brain for the moment. 

There was nothing else more important than the safety of Mistyclan. And the safety of Berryheart in particular. 

In a few more bounds that came from the tensing muscles in my back legs, I burst into the cave.