Swiftflight's POV

Even though it had now been several moments since I had been in one-on-one combat with the horrible vixen, my heart was still beating as if I still was in the middle of the action.

Nothing would beat the feeling that had run through my body when I pinned Ashfur to the ground and yowled in his face that I never wanted to see his sorry pelt again, but this was definitely a close second. This was the most exhilarated I had felt since then.

If I had the ability to go back in time and tell myself as a kit that I was going to do what I had just done - leaped into a fight with a fox, not even with a twinge of reluctance or hesitation - I wouldn't have believed myself. I would have surely been killed if Goldenshine and her patrol hadn't been there to save me...

This latest experience had almost given me a sense of closure. Facing off with a fox didn't have to be something that was scary or traumatizing anymore, and now I knew that.

And if that wasn't enough, my own personal redemption had also come with a reputation of saving my Clanmates (hopefully). That was something that I would have done for only selfish reasons even just days ago, if I would have even done it at all.

But this had been a no-brainer. Cherrypaw's yowl was enough to cause me to bolt across the forest. She surely would have been killed if I hadn't jumped in when I did, I thought fearfully, not even being able to stand the thought of the fox getting anywhere near the ginger she-cat. Great StarClan, if it had laid even one claw on her-

I then cut off my own thoughts as I shook my head and let out a hiss. And Molepaw too, I told myself impatiently. You keep forgetting that there were two cats in danger here, Swiftflight!

I had already confirmed with myself several times that the two apprentices had gotten out of this squabble injury-free, yet I had already lost count of how many times I had glanced back at them since we had begun our travel back to camp after the attack.

I had barely been able to help it, but my eyes would always fall firstly to Cherrypaw. And as my gaze fell on her yet another time as we made our way back to ThunderClan, I suddenly found myself slowing my pace so that Goldenshine was taking the lead.

Eventually, I was walking side by side with Cherrypaw, with Molepaw on her other side. "Um... are you sure you're alright? You're not hurt?" I pressed to the ginger she-cat as my gaze met hers. I then blinked, shocked by the eagerness and desperation in my own voice.

I then cleared my throat, embarrassed, and then shifted my gaze to the ground. "Because... I mean, the more injuries that there are to deal with, the crankier Jayfeather will be, I'm sure."

Cherrypaw let out a quiet purr of amusement as she looked down at me. "Yes, Swiftflight. I'm alright!" she reassured me. And after I let out an internal sigh of relief, Cherrypaw went on. "You got to us before it could lay a claw on either of our pelts... even though I'd definitely give it a scratch to remember if you hadn't!" She then lifted a single unsheathed paw up in the air as her eyes gleamed with humor and determination.

I then couldn't help but purr with amusement, and I looked back up at the apprentice to see that her big amber eyes were now glowing with concern. "What about you?" she asked worriedly as she then began to scan over my pelt. "Are you okay? Did it hurt you?"

I immediately shook my head quickly and covered my own scratches with my tail. My own injuries were honestly the last thing on my mind. "Great StarClan, nevermind that. I'm pretty sure I have a couple of scratches," I reassured Cherrypaw. "And I would have gladly received more if that meant I was getting that fox away from you." I then broke Cherrypaw's gaze and cleared my throat again. "You two, I mean."

I nervously looked back at her to see that she was shyly looking back at me, purring with amusement once again. "I know that you would," she whispered, her eyes gleaming. "You were really, really brave."

I then stared back at the she-cat, my heart pounding as I tried to seek any words to say next. But before I could even do so, Cherrypaw simply flashed me another shy look before padding ahead to walk next to Goldenshine, who was about to crawl through the gorse tunnel.

I looked after Cherrypaw for a few moments before hesitantly turning to Molepaw. "What about you?" I prompted to the cream and gray tom. "Are you okay?"

Molepaw turned to me and gave me an eager nod. "Yes, I'm great! It was amazing!" he meowed excitedly before giving me a small nudge with his shoulder and snorting. "Would you like to ask that question to my sister again?"

I stared back at Molepaw, completely confused. "What?"

Before Molepaw had the chance to explain his cryptic words, any words he could have said were interrupted by the alarmed and triumphant yowls of ThunderClan cats as we entered into camp.

The first voice that I could clearly hear among the clatter was the one of my former mentor, Foxleap. "They're back!" he exclaimed, and just a heartbeat later, I could see his dark ginger pelt pad quickly up to meet us.

Rosepetal followed behind him, many other cats doing the same. "Thank StarClan!" she breathed. "Foxleap, Brightheart, Sandstorm and I were just about to run back out there to look for you!"

Jayfeather then shouldered his way through the crowd that was forming. "Where are the apprentices?"

Cherrypaw, who had trailed back to walk beside her brother again, emerged from behind Goldenshine and I. "Here!" she replied to the medicine cat. "Molepaw and I are fine!"

"Yeah, the fox nearly ate us up," Molepaw meowed, padding with her sister up to Jayfeather. "But Swiftflight came and chased it off! Some other cat was there too, but they didn't do a thing!"

I immediately cringed and exchanged a nervous glance with Goldenshine at Molepaw's words. I'd planned on taking the information of the mystery cat that Cherrypaw and Molepaw had apparently seen straight to Firestar... but I guess the whole Clan was hearing it first.

But just as the ThunderClan leader had crossed my mind, he seemed to be urgently making his way up to Cherrypaw and Molepaw. "What cat?" he instantly pressed. "Do you mean Goldenshine?"

"No," Cherrypaw answered, shaking her head. "Goldenshine, Rosepetal and Swiftflight chased off the fox, but it returned, and Swiftflight followed it back and scared it off! But-"

"But someone else was there too!" Molepaw exclaimed, cutting off his sister out of excitement. "They just stood and watched from far away while the fox came towards us!"

Firestar still looked incredibly skeptical as he stared up at the top of the stone hollow. "I didn't see any other cat up there..."

"It sounds unlikely to me," Brackenfur then commented.

"Yes," Berrynose, Cherrypaw's and Molepaw's father agreed, his meow taut and impatient. "Look, you two, it's not funny to make up stories about something so dangerous."

Sandstorm padded up to stand next to the cream tom. "You had a big scare, but there's no need to invent mysterious cats that make it all seem even scarier," she pale ginger she-cat meowed. "Goldenshine, Rosepetal and Swiftflight did a great job of scaring the fox away."

I couldn't help but feel a small pang of sympathy as I watched so many cats insist on refuting something that Cherrypaw and Molepaw seemed so sure about. And seeing Cherrypaw's dismayed gaze made it even worse. "But we're not making this up!" she insisted.

"Right," Molepaw meowed as he gave a sharp nod. "There was another cat."

Firestar seemed to be growing more confused and more stressed with every word that Cherrypaw or Molepaw said. His eyes practically looked exhausted from worry as he turned to face Goldenshine and me. "Did either of you see who this cat was?"

While Goldenshine simply gave a shrug with wide eyes, I replied to the leader. "I didn't even realize that someone else had been there until Cherrypaw and Molepaw had said so." I was too busy scaring off that horrible, bloodthirsty creature to notice!

"I see..." Firestar murmured before giving a nod and looking back to the apprentices. "What was this cat like?"

"We never saw it clearly," Molepaw answered. "We were hiding in the bramble thicket. And we couldn't smell it above the scent of fox."

"We're not even sure it was a ThunderClan warrior," Cherrypaw added on.

I snorted at that comment. And I sure hope that it wasn't!

Several heartbeats after Cherrypaw's words, Firestar closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Very, very strange. I suppose that patrols will need to keep an eye out..." he murmured almost to himself. He then took a deep breath, hardened his gaze just a bit, and lifted his head. "The only thing that matter is that every cat is safe."

I then felt Goldenshine place the tip of her tail on my shoulder. "It's thanks to Swiftflight that that's the case!"

I flashed my mother a startled, shocked look as the gathered cats began to gasp and murmur with intrigue. Cherrypaw had mentioned earlier that I'd been the one to chase off the fox, but many cats hadn't been in earshot yet.

"So Swiftflight was the one to scare it off for good, huh?" Rosepetal meowed once the voices had died down a bit. "I will say, he did burst through that forest after that fox like his life depended on it!"

Beside her, Foxleap let out a satisfied grunt as a very smug, happy expression emerged on his face. "Well, I can only expect that much from my former apprentice!" he purred as he looked proudly back at me. I gave him a small nod in return - it was all I could do at the moment while I was being overwhelmed with attention, something I wasn't that used to.

"And he was the one who snuck out of camp as a kit and had a run-in with a fox, wasn't he?" Icecloud then commented, her eyes wide and bright with admiration. "Great StarClan, look at him now!"

Although I was a bit stressed, the attention being a bit overbearing, I was simultaneously incredibly happy to witness so many cats murmuring and meowing their admiration and approval at what I had done. I bashfully dipped my head and shrugged in response to it all. Once I lifted my head back up, I found that I'd met the bright green gaze of Firestar.

He gave me a nod as my eyes locked with his. "ThunderClan honors your courage, Swiftflight," he meowed clearly. I was then surprised to see him pad up to me and speak in a lower voice. "Well done. Very well done." He then stepped back, revealing green eyes full of approval.

It was this very moment that made me fully realize that this thing I had done must have actually been... shocking to some cats. As I looked around the crowd once again, I was able to observe that some of my Clanmates almost looked more surprised than impressed. But honestly, I could understand. I almost had to, considering how I'd been presenting myself for the past six moons. Me doing something that isn't in my own best interest probably wasn't expected, unfortunately...

I then tried to shake away these tougher thoughts as Jayfeather padded up to where me, Cherrypaw, Goldenshine, and Molepaw were still standing. "Alright, alright, we can praise the fearless hero later," the medicine cat scoffed as he beckoned us with his tail. "Right now, I must see to him, his mother, and his rescuees. Come on."

Cherrypaw and I then exchanged an amused glance as we followed Jayfeather towards the medicine den. Goldenshine trailed just behind the gray tabby tom and was staring ahead at him with her gray eyes narrowed and thoughtful. It was very strange to me that they weren't having any sort of lighthearted bicker like they always did. I really wanted to know what had changed, but it honestly wasn't much of my business.

I took a step to the side as I let Cherrypaw and Molepaw enter the medicine den first, and I followed just behind them. The four of us settled down in some pre-set moss as Jayfeather quickly padded to the back of the den to gather his herbs.

Briarlight passed by the medicine cat as she made her way towards us. I felt a small pang of worry as the brown she-cat let out an alarmed gasp when her eyes fell on Goldenshine. "Goldenshine! Great StarClan, your paws are full of bramble thorns!" the she-cat exclaimed worriedly before beginning to drag herself to another area of the den. "Come over here - I'll pull those out for you."

Goldenshine gave a couple of quick nods and stood up. "Oh, please do!" She then began to pad over to the she-cat, but paused as her fur brushed against mine. I looked back at her to meet a surprisingly stern-looking gaze. "You and Jayfeather are both very stubborn cats - let him be the only one to take on that role right now."

I flicked my ears. "What are you saying?"

Goldenshine raised a single eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "Oh, I just know that you've had tendencies in the past to... well, completely deny the fact that you are hurt and need treatment right away." She then muttered into my ear, "Let him do what he needs to do."

I sighed, rolled my eyes, and then gave my mother a quick lick on the cheek. "Fine, fine," I murmured as I watched her finally make her way towards Briarlight. I then looked to my other side to see that Jayfeather was approaching me from where he'd been checking over the apprentices.

I was shocked to see that the medicine cat wasn't giving me the usual hard stare that he always would whenever I was in his... sight, you could say. His current gaze wasn't exactly warm, but it didn't make me want to shrivel up and hide, anymore.

"Hi, Jayfeather," I greeted to the tom as he began to check me over.

The tom simply gave me a grunt of acknowledgement in return. "Hm, just a couple of minor scratches," he then murmured after a moment. "The bleeding has already stopped, so I'll just spread some marigold over them to make sure that they don't become infected."

Jayfeather then lifted his head up to meet my gaze. This time, his eyes were giving me the sort of look that made me want to shrivel up. "So," he muttered a bit more quietly. "You really chased off that fox?"

I simply gave the medicine cat the truth. "Yes, I did," I replied with a single nod.

I wondered if I'd actually seen a quick moment of pride cross through Jayfeather's blind eyes before he let out another grunt and returned to the back of the den where the herbs were.

I figured that he was going to grab the marigold that I needed, so I sat down on the moss and turned to look at where Cherrypaw and Molepaw were also waiting. "Did Jayfeather see anything wrong?" I asked worriedly, my gaze falling on Cherrypaw. I let out a quiet, frustrated hiss and began to flit my eyes back and forth between the two of them. "With either of you?"

Cherrypaw let out a soft purr of laughter, and I felt my ears grow hot. "Nope! He's going to check us over one more time, then he said we should be fine to go!" she replied, her gaze then shifting to the medicine den entrance. "Hi, Snowstorm!"

I followed Cherrypaw's gaze to see that sure enough, the white pelt of my best friend was making her way in. "Hi, Cherrypaw! And Molepaw," she greeted the apprentices as she crawled through the bramble screen. "Are you two okay?"

"We're great!" Molepaw exclaimed, then snorting and jerking his head towards me. "There's no need to check - Swiftflight's done that enough!"

Snowstorm's blue eyes then sharply shifted to look at me. "I see..." she muttered as she padded up to my nest. "So, how are you, you fox-fighting hero?"

"Just fine," I replied to her as she gave me a small flick on the ear. "Jayfeather's getting some herbs to keep my scratches from infection, but that's it."

Snowstorm's eyes seemed to light up a bit at my words. "Marigold, right?" she asked, her head tilting to the side.

Hm... I thought as my eyes narrowed. "Yes..."

Snowstorm began to nod. "Good," she breathed. "That's good."

I then watched, concerned and confused, as Snowstorm begun to urgently whip her head around the den. Her eyes seemed to fall on Briarlight and Goldenshine, Jayfeather, and then the apprentices before she proceeded to basically yank one of my legs with her tail to pull me to the side.

"Snowstorm, what are you doing?" I hissed irritably as I found my footing again. "I'd like it if Jayfeather found me in the same place he left me in!"

"And you will be there!" she insisted as she further prompted me with her tail. She then took one last check behind us before sitting down and giving me a half-eager, half-interrogational look. "Just... I must know why you were suddenly so determined to save a couple of apprentices."

I let out an annoyed scoff, as I was almost offended by the question. "Okay, first off - my Clanmates were in danger, so I had to help," I answered tautly. "Second off - I don't know why that was a question that had to be asked in secret."

"So, you were worried about some Clanmates in danger, huh?" she pressed.

"Yes, that's what I just said," I muttered impatiently.

Snowstorm cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure that you weren't worried about a specific Clanmate?" For some reason, she almost seemed to be suppressing excitement with these words.

I then lashed my tail as I realized what Snowstorm was getting at. but despite it, I answered, "I know how to count - I'm pretty sure that there were two apprentices hiding in those bushes."

Snowstorm began to nod slowly as she smirked. "Sure, sure... but I'm just saying..." She then leaned in closer, her voice going down to a whisper. "Your eyes have barely left a certain ginger pelt since you all returned to camp."

I sighed and closed my eyes slowly. Yep, yep, yep.

When I didn't answer immediately, Snowstorm gave me a light nudge and flicked her eyes over to where the apprentices still sat. "You seemed pretty worried about Cherrypaw."

My heart then began to beat even faster as I actually turned and looked over at Cherrypaw. After just a heartbeat, I looked back at Snowstorm, my tail lashing back and forth nervously. "I can't worry about a Clanmate?" I muttered.

"Yes, you can..." she replied, narrowing her eyes down to the smallest slits. "But you usually aren't one to do that very visibly..."

I looked back at my friend, actually having no idea what to say. Usually, my first impulse at an accusation like that would be to deny it profusely, and to tell Snowstorm that she was making something out of nothing. But I couldn't bring myself to now. For some reason, it felt wrong to do that. Really wrong.

I then looked back at Cherrypaw one more time. And I found that for just a moment, the horrible discomfort of this situation that Snowstorm was putting me in left for just a moment.

I almost felt surprised by my own feelings that seemed to surge in my heart as I looked at the ginger she-cat. Uh, oh...

I felt that I had to admit defeat. I sheepishly looked back at Snowstorm and gave the smallest shrug.

And with that, Snowstorm let out an annoyingly loud gasp, and her blue eyes nearly seemed to pop out of her head. "I knew that I was onto something!" she nearly squealed. She then let out a mrrow of laughter as she whipped herself around and began to trot out of the medicine den. "I will see you later, Swiftflight! Get well soon!"

I stared off wide-eyed at the place that Snowstorm had disappeared, feeling frozen and completely flabbergasted. What in the name of StarClan did I just do? I thought. What did I just admit to her?

I then took a deep breath and shook my head quickly as I committed to getting my thoughts together. I thought that I liked Ivypool for the longest time... I reflected. She was brave, determined, and such a great warrior. My heart began to beat faster every time that I saw her, and it seemed as if everything that she did absolutely blew me away. I... I looked up to her.

I then flicked my eyes over to Cherrypaw once again. But the way that Cherrypaw makes me feel is so different from the way that Ivypool made me feel. I have to suppress a purr every time that I see her, I grow excited whenever I know that I'm going to be with her... I get nervous whenever we're close... my heart practically skips a beat every time I look into her eyes... her amazing spirit... her adorable laugh... her-

I then blinked several times, utterly bewildered by these weird... weird thoughts that were spiraling around in my head. What in the name of StarClan is wrong with me? I then thought. Since when are you like this.. thinking like some dainty tom? I'm almost disgusted with myself!

I then flicked my ears, sighed, and closed my eyes. But at the same time, as out-of-place as these... emotional thoughts felt, I still had no reason to deny what Snowstorm had accused me of.

And after the way I've acted today... I'd definitely suspect something too... "She may not be wrong..." I murmured, speaking my thoughts out loud without realizing it.

At this point, I had barely noticed that Jayfeather had begun to apply the marigold to my wounds. So, I was completely startled when he spoke to me. "Who?" he asked as he spread the marigold on my flank. "If you're referring to Snowstorm, then yes, she is."

"You don't even know what we were talking about!" I meowed defensively at the medicine cat.

Jayfeather then stood up and stepped back. "I don't necessarily have to," the medicine cat murmured, his eyes certain. A chill nearly ran down my spine as I realized what the meaning by his words may have been. "Okay, that's all set," he then meowed more loudly. "Wait for that to dry for just a bit, and then you're free to go."

I then watched as Jayfeather padded up to treat the apprentices. As he came to settle beside them, my stomach twisted up, and the absolute weirdest feeling overcame me as my eyes fell on Cherrypaw yet again. I felt a weird sense of relief and happiness, possibly because I had come to accept something that I had maybe tried to deny for a while. It was one of the many things that I'd failed to acknowledge through how the Dark Forest had blinded me.

My gaze was still on the ginger she-cat when Poppyfrost, her mother, suddenly and frantically burst into the medicine den. "Cherrypaw! Molepaw! Are you okay?" she meowed, her voice cracking with fear. She then urgently whipped her head around to look at Jayfeather. "Are you treating them?"

The blind medicine cat rolled his eyes. "No, I'm thinking about how lovely it would be to sniff some wildflowers right now," he muttered, before raising his voice and snapping. "Yes, I'm treating them! Keep your fur on!"

Poppyfrost flashed the gray tabby tom an annoyed look before turning back to her kits. "What happened?"

Molepaw stood up excitedly. "It was so cool!" the cream and gray tom exclaimed. "The fox appeared, and Goldenshine told us to hide in the brambles."

"And we sat there, terrified as we listened to Rosepetal, Goldenshine and Swiftflight chase it off," Cherrypaw added in.

"It was quiet for a while, so we had assumed that it was gone..." Molepaw went on. "But then we heard its horrible growling again. We thought we were doomed!"

My eyes then grew wide as Cherrypaw stood up as well, and lashed her tail towards me. "But then Swiftflight saved us!"

Poppyfrost followed Cherrypaw's tail for just a moment, and her eyes narrowed down into slits. "Swiftflight..."

"Yes!" Cherrypaw meowed cheerfully. "He was so fearless... He chased that lump of fur off like it was nothing!"

Although my ears grew hot with Cherrypaw's praise, the flattery didn't last long, as I quickly grew uneasy as I observed the dark look that was crossing on Poppyfrost's face. "I see..." she then muttered.

A chill then ran down my spine as Poppyfrost gave me a hard stare. Now, these were something that I was quite used to... yet the tortoiseshell's expression that seemed to be a mix of anger, suspicion, and skepticism intimidated me to say the least.

I even almost felt tempted to take a pawstep back, but I stood my ground as Cherrypaw and Molepaw continued to retell the fox story to their mother.