Flamewind looked up at as a paw prodded him in the side. His muscles felt stiff and he wondered at the lightening sky above him. Did he fall asleep outside? He looked down and saw Cloudstream's white pelt, cold and darkened with the stench of death. The weight came crashing down upon him. Cloudstream was dead. Briarpelt was captured and corrupted. Ashpaw was sick in an unending sleep. And it was all becuase of these rouges. He stood sharply, his muscles aching. "Flamewind!" A voice said sharply. It was Rosepaw, the she-cat's eyes were wide with worry and sympathy.

He looked at Cloudstream's prone form, a clump of white fur on the dusty ground. His gaze hardened and he pushed past Rosepaw striding purposefully towards the camp entrance. Riverpelt blocked his way. "Riverpelt." He said shortly, anger clouding his vision.

"Flamewind, you can't just march off and confront those rouges by yourself."

"They killed her." He growled. "They killed her, and you're telling me not to go?!" His claws slid from their sheathes and he kneaded the soft earth. 'Couldn't they see he had to avenge her? Her and Cedartail and all the rest?'

"Flamewind." The deputy said sternly. "I know."

And for the first time, Flamewind saw the immense pain and hurt in the deputy's eyes. And with a pang, he remembered all that he had lost as well. The usually strong and stoic stone-grey cat was vulnerable to him and he sighed. "Ashpaw." He said slowly. But the light came back to his eyes. "Don't you want to avenge her?! Don't you want to kill the cats that did that to her?!"

"I do!" Riverpelt yowled. "I do. You don't know how much I long to banish those fox-dung rouges, but don't you see? We can never defeat them like that! They have a whole clan of cats, and more trained rouges. You can't just go and meet that head on." Flamewind lashed his tail, refusing to see the truth in those words. "We can't afford to lose you too. With so many of our warriors gone, we can't spare any now." With a sign, the orange tom deflated, and Riverpelt relaxed. "You look exhausted, go lie down for now, and you can go on the sunhigh patrol."

Flamewind nodded slowly, padding sullenly to the Warriors den. He laid down and closed his eyes, but the dark brought no comfort. The loss of Cloudstream and Briarpelt crashed over him like a wave, drowning him in the deep waters of pain. But he knew there was nothing to do about it at the moment, he would just have to keep thinking on it. He felt so helpless to stop them, and hate pulsed through him as he drifted off the sleep.

Flamewind opened his eyes. He was in an unfamiliar forest, and he looked around. 'I'm dreaming!' He thought in surprise, and alarm jolted through him as a menacing yowl pierced the air. A black rouge pelted toward him and Flamewind yet out a hate-filled yowl. He met the rouge head on, hissing and spitting in rage at her. 'You killed Cloudstream! You hurt Ashpaw! You've taken Briarpelt!' He thought with each blow. But the rouge would not relent. Far after any cat would have turned tail and ran, the rouge kept on, her anger seemingly mounting until it smothered Flamewind. Claws landed on his face and back, but he felt no pain in the dream, only a hot warmth. The rouge battled menacingly, driven by anger and Flamewind was slowly pushed back. Finally the black she cat pinned him down and he gasped. Briarpelt's unmistakable eyes were twisted in rage. Rage at him, and they were unnervingly cold. Cloudstream's sweet scent filled his nose as her voice drifted to him. "What is stronger than hate?" She said, and Flamewind let out a yowl as Brairpelt's claws slashed open his throat.

"Flamewind!" A voice yowled, and the tom woke with start. Scorchfur was looking down at him, her expression puzzled and worried. Flamewind's old wounds prickled and felt warm, but the sensation soon faded. "You were thrashing around like an injured fox!"

"Sorry," he murmured, giving his chest a few, quick licks.

"Well, Fallowtail's kits have been apprenticed." Scorchfur said, sitting down. "Creekpaw's mentor is Fireleap, Amberpaw's is Mossflight, and Deerpaw's mentor is Brightstorm. "

"Brightstorm?" Flamewind said in surprise.

Scorchfur nodded. "I think it'll be good for her, get her mind off of everything that's happened, you know? Oh, and Riverpelt is taking care of Cypresspaw and Thornpaw's training." It hit him like a physical blow, reminding him that the two cat's mentors had been lost. Flamewind nodded listlessly. "Oh! Almost forgot, your due in the Sunhigh patrol. Brightstorm's leading."

The orange tom nodded, and stretched. He padded out and met Brightstorm and Deerpaw who were standing near the entrance to camp. Brightstorm nodded to him, and while she looked better and happier, her eyes were still clouded with pain. "We're waiting for Liondusk, then we can go."

Seeing Brightstorm was too much to bear. She was Cloudstream's sister, and bore so many memories. Flamewind looked down, and his claws came out. If those rouges put on more paw on their territory...

"Sorry!" Liondusk said as he padded up to them. "I got a late start.." Brightstorm only nodded at him, the led the way out of camp. Flamewind followed blindly, his thoughts full of blood and death and revenge. He didn't look up until, they were nearly at the RainClan border. Unease prickled his fur and he payed more attention to his surroundings. The old border was unclear and the patrol remarked it, but there were no RainClan markers. Neither was there a scent of rogue. The forest seemed peaceful, but he couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness prickling his pelt. He glanced around at his companions. Deerpaw was excitedly chattering away to her mentor, seemingly oblivious to the she cat's obvious hurt. Brightstorm kept her eyes fixed ahead of her, and her tail drooped. It didn't seem like she heard one word Deerpaw said to her. Liondusk was re-marking the border, but his ears were up as well, listening for danger.

Flamewind narrowed his eyes. "Something is not right." He said under his breath. He unsheathed his claws, and so did Liondusk. The two toms looked around warily, as Brightstorm looked back at them curiously. Flamewind's fur fluffed up and he crouched, the forest, the trees, the very air seemed...tainted. Deerpaw had stopped chattering by now and was looking between the Warriors fearfully.

"What?" She said.

"Shh." Brightstorm hushed her and pricked her ears. Silent as death, two rouges slipped from the brambles around them. The clan cats tensed, hissing.

Fury coursed through Flamewind and he yowled, lunging at the black she cat. He drew his claws over her pelt, and she yowled. He hissed as her claws raked his belly, and he sprang back. She pelted towards him and he met her head on, disappearing into a mass of fur and claws. He bit into her tail, earning a yowl. The rogue slashed at his leg, making him loosen his grip. She sprang away, but Flamewind dove for her, rage blinding him. He crashed into her sloppily, striking out randomly with his claws. He threw her and she crashed against a tree. He took the moment to glance around. Brightstorm was writhing furiously with the other rogue, Liondusk placing well-aimed blows here and there, but mostly he avoided them, in case he hit Brightstorm. Deerpaw crouched in the brambles, watching apprehensively. The tom didn't get a chance to see more, as the rogue threw herself at him, catching him off guard. For a moment, he was surprised. A hit like that would have sent any cat limping back to camp. Rage coursed rough him a second later. He clawed at her eyes, and scored her flank deeply. She yowled, but fury grew in her. She slashed faster, streaking away, then rocketing off a rock back into him. Her anger seemed to give her power and Flamewind was soon struggling to defend himself.

The she cat pinned him down, and a horrifyingly familiar sight meet him, though the eyes were amber not Briarpelt's queer ones. Flamewind struggled, but she pinned him down securely. Her claws came down to slash at his throat, but Liondusk tore at her with a yowl, sweeping her off of Flamewind. He bit her shoulder, and clawed her her leg. Behind him, Brightstorm chased off the other rogue, eyes blazing with anger. Soon the rogue wriggled out of Liondusk's grasp, fleeing into RainClan territory.

Flamewind panted, horrifying scenes of his dream rushing back to him. He started as a paw prodded him. "Woah!" Liondusk said, jumping away from him. "It's alright, just me." Flamewind let his fur lie flat and shook himself.

His leg stung, and he was bleeding from several scratches over his pelt. He looked around. Deerpaw, crept out of the brambles, her fur standing on end. He ran a soothing tail over her shoulders. "It's alright." he said. What an experience for an apprentice's first time out of camp! Brightstorm's fur was clumped whit blood, but her eyes were shining with fire. Anger pulsed off of her in waves, and she was bristling. Liondusk ran a soothing tail over her shoulders, but she jerked away. She met Flamewind's eyes and he knew what she was feeling. It felt so good to be avenging her. So good to be fighting the evil, so good to feel their pelts trapped beneath their claws. Brightstorm nodded once, then turned to her apprentice.

"Run to camp, Deerpaw. Tell Riverpelt what happened; we've got to make sure there are no other cats here."

Deerpaw nodded stiffly, still stunned with fear, but she ran off in the direction of camp. Brightstorm stared after her for a moment, then turned and continued along the border. Her speckled pelt was stained red at her shoulder and flank, but it didn't seem to be bothering her that much.  Liondusk had small scratches on his pelt but nothing severe, and Flamewind himself had small cuts and bruises all over his body, and his old wounds had reopened. Anger kept him going and alert. It gave him strength and power. They continued on the RainClan border, remarking it. The undergrowth twitched and the patrol tensed, ready for a battle.

"Riverpelt!" Came Liondusk's relived mew. The MistClan deputy was striding towards them, flanked by Scorchfur and Fireleap.

"Are you okay?" He asked, glancing uneasily at their tattered fur.

"We're fine." Brightstorm mewed tersely. Pain flashed in Riverpelt's eyes, but it was gone so quickly that it might have been a trick of the light. He merely nodded.

"You should come back to camp and let Mintleaf look at you." Fireleap meowed. "The patrol's finished anyways."

Flamewind nodded and followed his clan mates back to camp. "Foxflight has gone to EarthClan." Riverpelt said. Flamewind stopped and looked at him in shock. 'Why?!' He thought.

"What?! Why?!" Brgithstorm's surprised mew echoed his thoughts.

Scorchfur's amber eyes glittered. "RainClan has been sheltering there. They are not all vanquished."

A/N, sorry for the long wait, my plot bunny was hiding :3  soooo, what did you think? Good? Bad? Constructive criticism is always welcome! Please don't be a silent reader :):)