//Un//masked

// chapter 16 //

    For the next few sunrises, Nightpaw did little more than observe his Clanmates. Each morning started off the same: the tom rose with the dawn and took up his position near the apprentice den, grooming out his tangled fur patiently, then settled down to watch DarkClan as they woke to perform their duties.

    Lionmask was always the first to rise. Sometimes, Nightpaw would catch him slipping into camp at dawn, jaws stretched wide in a yawn. He assumed the tom had been tasked with watching the prisoner cave - Roxanne's littermate caused problems with some of the younger warriors, who chose not to ignore his taunts. Smoketalon nearly jumped into the cave to silence the tom, and Blackstrike always returned from the guarding post with ruffled fur.

    Dawnstar woke with the dawn as well and Nightpaw would often see her stretched out on top of the Speaking Rock. Their eyes met infrequently and, if they did, the apprentice made sure to nod respectfully. The she-cat usually returned the gesture.

    Others Nightpaw became accustomed to seeing were Swallowstorm, who did her best to avoid suspicions by staying close to Sleetfur despite her wariness of him; Goosepelt, who had taken over part of his battle training; and Birchfrost, who greeted him rather warmly whenever he went to visit Webkit and Crowkit in the nursery. The kits were just over a moon old now and Birchfrost would be returning to her guardian duties soon, the kits no longer needing her milk to survive.

    "Mind if I join you?" Cinderpaw's mew broke through Nightpaw's musings and he gave her a short nod. The she-cat settled beside him, grey fur neatly groomed and ears pricked.

    "You've been rather sombre lately," she said, licking a paw and swiping it over her muzzle.

    "I've had a lot on my mind lately," Nightpaw replied, continuing his observations. Thistleshade and Sprucetail, two littermates who seemed to share a rather close bond for DarkClan cats, emerged from the warrior den, gathering up Jaystrike and Minkfur before setting off for their chosen hunting grounds.

    "Tell me about it?" He turned to find his littermate looking at him with wide, pleading eyes.

    Nightpaw shrugged. "Just the usual. Training, and my lack of skill in it. Hunting, and my lack of skill in that. Hailwatcher's also been putting my training aside more and more. I spend more time with the healer than the truth-teller."

    Cinderpaw narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure that's everything?" Her strict gaze made Nightpaw's mouth go dry; the she-cat had developed an uncanny sense of knowing when someone was lying to her.

    He shook his head. "No, that's everything." He screamed internally at the lie, wanting nothing more than to tell Cinderpaw about all of his questions, about StarClan and their mother and the rogue she-cat out in MoorClan territory. About how DarkClan didn't seem so dark anymore, not when he looked past the masks everyone wore.

    But it was too dangerous.

    She lowered her voice, pressing herself closer. "Nightpaw, we haven't talked since Sedgecloud's attack. I'm your littermate - I know when there's something bothering you. Please, let me help you."

    Her wide hazel eyes nearly tipped Nightpaw over the edge. "I - I don't know what you want me to say. Some of the things going on in my head... They're not the kind you would want to hear."

    Cinderpaw blinked skeptically. "You won't know until you try."

    The tom sighed heavily, but kept his jaws firmly shut. Seeing that her persuasions would get her nowhere, the she-cat sighed as well.

    "I'll be around," she said, padding off to join Marshclaw by the camp's entrance. "If you change your mind, that is."

    Watching her leave, Nightpaw remembered how he first realized how motherly and protective Cinderpaw was behind her fierce mask. He couldn't blame her, really, for picking up on his anxiety and for wanting to help him. He knew he would have to tell her eventually - she was much too stubborn to let things go easily - but for now he would do all he could to protect her from the knowledge he held.