When Dawn woke up the next morning, she felt absolutely exhausted, despite having slept for what felt like forever. Her brain had been whirring all night, tossing around thoughts about her Clan, and Dewpaw, and Maplestar... plus, every time she closed her eyes, it felt like something, or someone was watching her. But when she opened her eyes, there was nothing there.

She stood up slowly and shook out her pelt, the other farm cats and Dewpaw still sleeping behind her. The sun was just over the horizon, its light spreading over the whole farm... and straight into Dawn's eyes. The former apprentice sighed and quietly walked outside of the barn, needing to go for a hunt. She walked through the farm for a little before scenting a mouse around a tall wooden structure and dropped into a hunter's crouch easily. The mouse stood no chance, quickly being caught and scoffed down as if it didn't exist in the first place.

Dawn wondered around the farm for a little, dwelling in her own thoughts, constantly wondering whether she should join her Clan again. It was so tempting, but at the same time she didn't want to put them in danger. The decision making was just going around in circles, with no end in sight.

Eventually, the former apprentice climbed up a slight hill and settled down under a large oak tree, sunlight gently falling on her pelt as it wove through the leaves. She rested her head on her black paws and looked out over the farm, grass blowing gently in the breeze.

"Hey," came a voice from behind her and the apprentice jumped up, startled, hackles raised and eyes wide, but it was only Dewpaw.

"Gees, Dewpaw!" she sighed, "You are going to give me a heart attack one day!" She settled down again and the older cream tom sat down next to her. His wounds were still healing and some still looked very painful. His pelt was almost shining again and after a few decent meals he would look pretty much back to normal. There was a silence between them before the tom spoke up again.

"How are you going?" he asked and Dawn sighed.

"I don't know," she confessed after a few heartbeats of quietness, "it has been hard being away from the Clan. I am always thinking about all my Clanmates, what they would be doing, how they would be going... But if I were to come back, would I be too much of a danger?

"Why would you be a danger?" asked Dewpaw.

"Maplestar of course!" she cried, "Me coming back would only increase his attacks on our Clan! Everybody knows that he hates me! Everybody thinks it is my fault that Maplestar attacks, my fault that Whiskerstar lost one of his lives! Why would I come back?"

"Because you belong," he pleaded, "you are what makes our Clan SpringClan. Not all of us think you are at fault. Why would I come all this way otherwise? We want you back... we need you back." Dawn looked away, silent, as thoughts tumbled around in her head like playful kits. Eventually Dewpaw stood up, and walked down the hill again, leaving the younger apprentice alone, and lost.