Flamewind padded into the camp, scanning it for Falconfeather. It had been two sunrises since that day when they'd went out on patrol, and thus far the she cat had successfully avoided him. He started forward as he caught sight of her brown and white pelt, but Fallowtail intercepted him. "Hey Flamewind have you seen Amberpaw around?" She asked, eyes worried.

"Uh, no Fallowtail I haven't." He looked around and searched for Falconfeather.

"I don't know where she is! Im worried she's been taken by the rouges." Fallowtail exclaimed anxiously.

"Don't worry, she's probably on a patrol." He said, trying to step around the mother. He cursed under his breath when he saw Falconfeather's tail slip out of the camp entrance.

"Riverpelt didn't remember if he'd sent her out this morning or not!" Fallowtail said annoyance creeping into her voice.

"He'll remember in a moment, look there he is now." The stocky grey tom was striding towards then purposefully.

"Fallowtail, Amberpaw's out hunting with Mossflight, Creekpaw, and Fireleap." He said. "They should be back any minute."

Fallowtail nodded, visibly deflating with relief. Flamewind turned away from then, starting towards the camp entrance. He caught Falconfeather's scent, mixed with Deerpaw, Brightstorm and Sunstreak's. They must've gone out on a patrol. He started out of camp, then stopped. What was he supposed to say to get Falconfeather away? In his moment of hesitation, Riverpelt found him.

"Hey Flamewind!" He was calling.

The tabby tom sighed in half annoyance half dejection and padded over. "What can I do for you?"

The deputy's eyes softened and he hesitated before speaking. "I can't keep up with Cypresspaw and Thornpaw's training recently." He mewed, shuffling his paws somewhat. "I know.." He began slowly. "I know you'd had a paw in their training before, and you know them better than I do, so I'd like you to take them out." It felt as if an iron paw was crushing his insides together. Cypresspaw? Cloudstream's apprentice? Thornpaw? Briarpelt's apprentice? Not to mention Ashpaw's littermate! "I'd send Featherpaw, Frostpaw, and Liondusk with you." Riverpelt said hurriedly.

Flamewind shook his pelt, and nodded. "Should we really train the RainClan cats to fight? What if they use our moves against us?"

Riverpelt hesitated then sighed . "They need to know how to fight in out territory." He muttered at last. "Teach them."

"Yes, yes of course." He mumbled. A thought sparked inside him. Perhaps he'd see Falconfeather in the forest. A few minutes later his patrol had gathered.

"Where are we going?" Featherpaw asked, grey tail waving.

"Uh," Flamewind replied, trying to gather his thoughts. "Um we'll go to the moss bank." The hollow was next to one of the rivers and the marsh, marking the transition from marsh to forest. The ground was soft but not sticky and was a good place to gather moss as well as train apprentices.

Liondusk nodded, waving his tail at the apprentices. "Come on."

Flamewind let him take the lead, while he brought up the rear. Featherpaw seemed light and happy despite her situation, and Frostpaw was listening, but seemed more stoic about it. Cypresspaw was walking behind them silently, staring at the floor. Flamewind's heart bled as he thought of all the young cat had had to endure. Both his mother and his mentor had been lost to the rogue cats. He looked to Thornpaw and what he saw was disconcerting. The young tom's eyes were burning and his claws curled out of their sheathes. The way he walked, the look in his eyes, it was all something Flamewind knew well. He thought of it all from the young cat's perspective. His sister had been trapped in unending sleep, his mentor had been taken in darkness, his mother had been sent into a mild depression and was probably fussing over Ashpaw instead of him, and after all that, Riverpelt probably had too much to do to pay much attention to him. In fact, just that morning he had said he didn't have enough time to train Thornpaw and Cypresspaw. The apprentice had had to go through so much hardship for one so young.

"Flamewind?" Liondusk's voice broke him out of his thoughts. The golden warrior was looking at his expectantly, and a quick look around showed they were already at the moss bank.

"Yes, alright. Let's get going then." He cleared his throat. "We'll work on some battle moves today I think. Cypresspaw, remember that move we practiced with..." He trailed off with a shudder. Steeling himself he went on. "W-with Cloudstream and Ashpaw?" A shudder passed through Cypresspaw, but he nodded.

Crouching down he darted forward, sliding under Frostpaw's belly. Snaking around he flipped over, raking his paw over the white tom's soft underbelly, and kicking out with his back paw to trip him.

"Good job." He praised the apprentice. "Thornpaw, did you learn this move too?" He asked. The orange tom couldn't bring himself to say, 'with Briarpelt'. Thornpaw nodded mutely. "Good." He said, moving to the center of the clearing and facing Liondusk. "Watch closely you two." He said to Frostpaw and Featherpaw. Moving slowly, he demonstrated the move. After that they broke off into groups, Liondusk supervising Cypresspaw and Featherpaw, and Flamewind watching the other two. Frostpaw was clumsy at first, unused to the sliding moss, and he had a larger build. After a few attempts, though, he started to get the hang of it. "Good Frostpaw!" Flamewind praised the apprentice as he unbalanced Thornpaw perfectly. The young tom glowed and smiled. "You try now Thornpaw."

"Okay." The tom replied, squaring up to Frostpaw. Thornpaw sprang into action, sliding under the bigger tom and dragging his paws over his belly. He kicked out and Frostpaw tumbled into his side. He tripped over a root and was sent tumbling down the side of the hollow. With a startled yelp he unsheathed his claws but only tore up some moss. With a splash the apprentice landed in the stream.

"Frostpaw!" Flamewind called looking over. He sighed with relief when the white cat appeared on the bank, shivering and shaking water from his fur.

"Mouse dung!" He spat, shaking again.

"Sorry." Thornpaw said. "And don't stick out your claws, or not all the way. The moss won't hold you."

"Thanks." Frostpaw said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Could've told me before I rolled into the river." Featherpaw suppressed a mrrow of laughter and Frostpaw glared at her.

"Well if you're alright then." Liondusk meowed, beaconing him up. The apprentice scrambled up, and sat, starting to lick himself dry. Flamewind let his fur settle and turned back, ready to start the practice again. He opened his mouth to speak when a startled cry filled the air. Flamewind looked around for the source, eyes wide.

"Where's Featherpaw?" Cypresspaw said suddenly. Flamewind looked around, noticing he was right, the grey she cat was nowhere to be seen.

"Featherpaw!" Liondusk yowled, the call soon taken up by the rest of the group. Flamewind turned towards the trees when another yelp made him turn. He saw a brown paw grappling at a tree then disappear into the bushes.

"Cypresspaw!"

Suddenly rogue cats sprang from the bushes and tree, jumped up from the marsh and leapt over the stream. The clearing was alive with writhing cats for a heartbeat, then all fell still. Flamewind rushed at a rogue, but it was already fleeing. He looked around eyes wide in alarm and apprehension. No rogue had challenged him, yet his clanmates were all out of sight. "Liondusk!" He called. "Thornpaw! Cypresspaw!" A bush rustled and the rogue leader stepped fluidly out.

"Hello." He said in a silky voice.

Flamewind's gaze hardened, and his eyes narrowed to slits. "You." He growled, voice taut with rage.

"Me." The rogue replied, whiskers twitching. Flamewind glared. How dare he treat this like a laughing matter! "Before you charge into battle," he said. "Hear me out."

Flamewind bristled with indignation. "Why should I?" He growled out. "What have you done with my clanmates?"

The leader flicked his tail dismissively. "They're fine." He said. "Any besides," his yellow eyes grew sharp and his voice scornful. "Two of them are apprentices from a different clan. Why should you care for them?" He began to circle Flamewind slowly and the young tom was baffled and at a loss for words. "The warrior code tells you to look only within your precious boundaries, does it not? That you should fight to keep others away with some scent lines."

Flamewind stuttered, struggling for words. "The warrior code makes us strong. It unites us. Otherwise we'd just be a band of rogues." His rage resurfaced and he unsheathed his claws. "Like you."

The leader growled low, but seemed to suppress his rage until he was calm and cool as ever. "Do you believe that?" He asked simply. Flamewind stepped back. What kind of question was that? Of course he believed in the warrior code! "Do you believe it is right to fight to the death to keep cats off of a few tail lengths of ground? Is it right to shun outsiders who may need help? To restrict cats of their natural rights?" By the end his voice was a growl and his eyes were burning. "Is it right to refuse help because of pride? Because of some mouse-brained code?"

Flamewind growled, growing just as angry. "That's not what we do." Anger began to cloud his thoughts, why was he standing here talking with the rogue leader?!

Again the cat seemed to suppress his anger. "Search within yourself, and ask yourself if all of this is really right."

Flamewind lashed his tail. "I don't have to listen to this." He spat venomously. "Listen to you. You who killed cats! You who capture and enslave others! How dare you speak as if you know me! As if you know what you're destroying, as if all of this is right!" He curled his lip and launched himself at the rogue leader, hatred warping his common sense. He dived at the rogue, making him slip backwards on the moss. To Flamewind's surprise the rogue dug his paws in and unsheathed his claws slightly so that he didn't slide or tear up the moss, keeping his balance like a trained MistClan warrior. With a growl Flamewind dived under his belly, using the move he had just taught the apprentices. But the rogue almost seemed to anticipate it. He used the counter maneuver perfectly, letting himself drop expertly onto Flamewind, and roll the orange tom over. The rogue kicked him away and Flamewind regained his paws quickly, panting. He was stunned this rogue seemed to know clan fighting techniques.

*"Daro!" The tom cried in a commanding voice, and a shudder passed through Flamewind. He seemed rooted to the spot and pain bursted behind his eyes. The pain slowly ebbed and he blinked to see the rogue sitting calmly and looking at him. "I didn't want to do that." He said, almost regretfully. "I told you to hear me out before you unsheathed your claws."

Flamewind growled. "You killed her! You killed Cloudstream!" Forgetting her warning, all the suppressed rage and grief and pain rushed back to the surface, bubbling up inside him.

"Cloudstream?" The rogue meowed, infuriatingly calm. "That white she cat? Who was she..." He stood and began to pace in long, even strides. He paused and cast a sidelong glance at Flamewind. "Not Snowytail and Rainstorm's kit." He said apprehensively. "Don't tell me she was your mate."

Flamewind screeched in fury, throwing himself at the rogue. He lashed out blindly, randomly with his claws, and the rogue parried and blocked him easily. "What do you care?! You killed her! Get out and stay out! Don't you dare say that what you're doing is right!" He stumbled and gasped as the black tom threw Flamewind away.

"Stupid, stupid kit!" The rogue leader spat. Flamewind noticed with a twinge of satisfaction that he was bleeding from the ear and a scratch on his flank. "This is your fight! Snowytail was a spiteful, evil thing! She turned on her friends, as did every other cat!" He growled low, the sound menacing. "Do you even know who your mother was? What they did to her? Don't try to pretend these clans are pure, perfect. Get your head out of the clouds little kit!"

Flamewind bristled. "Don't you dare talk about Snowytail that way!" He snarled. "She was a good cat! She was my mother far more than Emberheart ever was!" He spat out the words before he knew what he was saying. He had never known Emberheart, so he supposed that that statement was half-true.

The rogue leader stilled and pierced Flamewind with his yellow gaze. "Don't you ever speak those words again." He hissed. He shook his head, yellow eyes full of rage. "I am not your enemy. My enemy is what destroyed you." With one last look the rogue turned away, leaping through the trees. Bushes rustled all around him and he caught sight of black wisps running around him before all again was still.

Flamewind stood still as a stone for a few heartbeats. What did it all mean? Why did he take a particular interest in him? Flamewind started as Liondusk padded back into the clearing, shaking his head.

"I think I dozed off for a second there." He muttered, brow furrowed.

"You're alive!" Flamewind exclaimed joyfully, rushing over and touching the warrior's flank with his nose.

Liondusk chuckled. "I must've been tired." He meowed. "Sorry I fell asleep. How are the apprentices doing?"

Flamewind looked up in surprise. Voices distracted him as the four apprentices came back into the clearing.

"I hate being so wet." Frostpaw sulked. "And I think I hit my head on a rock on the way down!"

"But it was hilarious when you fell!" Featherpaw said with a yawn.

"I think I hit my head, too." Cypresspaw hissed, shaking his head. "Featherpaw you're being too rough."

"I've fallen asleep." Thornpaw said with a shudder. "I'm so sorry, why'd you let me drop off?" He aimed a friendly cuff at Frostpaw's ear.

"I didn't notice." Frostpaw replied, ducking away. "I think I was getting dried off."

"I didn't do anything to you Cypresspaw." Featherpaw replied, flicking her tail. "You're just too soft!" She purred.

Flamewind stared around at them all, his mind reeling. Suddenly, it all fell into place. The rogue had put some sort of spell onto his clanmates which made them think they'd gone to sleep, and forget any amount of time that had passed while they were under the spell. That meant they hadn't been hurt, and hadn't overheard his conversation.

"Did you always have that scratch?" Liondusk asked worriedly, sniffing at Flamewind's leg. Blood glistened on it and for the first time Flamewind felt a twinge of pain.

"I didn't notice." He said truthfully. "Must've cut it on a bramble or stone or something." The last part was a lie. He knew exactly how hed gotten that cut. He looked back. "Looks like you're all tired." He called. "That was good work. We'll go back to camp now." He set a quick pace back to camp, his paws itching to get to camp. He had questions that finally needed answers; he needed to know.

*Elvish- J.R.R.Tolkien/Lord of the Rings (stop/halt)
A/N hello all! Yes, yes I am alive...
Sooo sorry for the long wait, and a shortish chapter... My plot bunny was hiding... And yes, I know there were not answers. 😈 you'll just have to wait a little while longer I suppose.... *laughs evilly* But yes, I'm working on it. :)
Soooo what did you think? Good? Bad? Constructive criticism is always welcome!