Dipperflight wearily laid at the edge of camp, carefully watching Fennelstorm. The ginger tom was on the other side of camp, chatting brightly to a few she-cats. His eyes briefly left Stonevine's face to glance across the camp to Dipperflight. The brown tabby dropped his gaze at once, his ears flicking back.

      The scratch on his cheek from two days previous didn't hurt as much anymore, but the mark hadn't faded in the slightest. Heatherberry had been surprised to see the tom come in with a scratch, claiming it was from falling in a bramble bush. Dipperflight was surprised he said it, too. I should've said what really happened. Heatherberry would've tried to help me... But Fennelstorm is just too strong. Fennelstorm could cut through Heatherberry in a second and then he would hurt me again--

      He jumped at the sound of a leaf crunching under an approaching cat's paw, bringing him out of his thoughts. Dawnwhisker raised an eyebrow with amused confusion.

      "You're pretty jumpy today...," she noted as she neared. "Wow, that bramble bush really got you...!" She looked closer at the scratch. Dipperflight lightly recoiled, and the calico sat down with a small apology. "Sorry, Dip! I've been working on personal space lately, Fennelstorm told me that I always edge up too close to others." She swished her tail across the earth. Dipperflight gave a small nod. Fennelstorm. Fennelstorm judged her. She listened.

      "You aren't really that bad," he noted quietly. Dawnwhisker gave a small smile.

      "Hm. I guess you're right. Besides, what's wrong with being a bit too close to your clanmates?" She purred brightly, bouncing to her paws and playfully running her head on his shoulder up to under his chin. He let out a weak, half-hearted laugh, not even wanting to see if Fennelstorm had witnessed the joking caress. Dawnwhisker sat back down, her eyes half closed with a purr.

      "How's ShadowClan been? You went on a border patrol this morning over there, right?" Dipperflight tried to sway the topic off of Fennelstorm, his fur beginning to prickle at the thought of the tom's glare.

      "Not as dangerous as bramble bushes, apparently," she gave a sly smile as she referenced his 'accident' that never happened. He gave a small, fake chuckle, his head ducking. She purred again. "They were fine. There was an apprentice on their patrol though, they said he'd just became an apprentice this moon and he was huge. Seriously! Massive! I'd never want him an an opponent he could probably kill me with a cuff over the ear!" Dipperflight laughed again, but his mind stil wondered to a certain ginger tom. His eyes shifted slightly off of the talking caliby, over to the hard-muscled deputy.

He was staring right back.

Dipperflight ducked his head, heart beating quicker.

"He was really quiet though, the other apprentice on the patrol was really talking this kit up to be some amazing StarClan sent fighter, but his mentor kept telling him to stop being a frog-brain. Do you ever think it's weird that ShadowClan says frog-brain instead of mouse-brain?" Dawnwhisker laughed at her own thought. The brown tabby gave a stiff nod, barely listening. "Hey.. Dipperflight? Bud?" She waved a paw in front of his face, her pale amber eyes full. "You okay?"

      "Yeah...," he murmured. "I'm just.. Tired, that's all. Healing from bramble scratches, it really takes a toll on you...," he lied. His heart ached from having to lie to one of his favorite friends, and he yearned to just say it. But he couldn't. Fennelstorm might hurt anyone who knows the truth. Dawnwhisker suspiciously cocked an eyebrow. I refuse to let Dawnwhisker get hurt because of me.

      "Ah. Okay. Which bramble patch was it? I can go avenge you if you'd like?" Dipperflight shook his head. It wasn't a bramble patch.

      "I can't remember." It was Fennelstorm.

      "Hm. Was it that really huge one by the Sandy Hollow? That one's huge, I've fallen in that one before!" Fennelstorm did it.

      "Maybe. I really can't remember." Fennelstorm hurt me. Fennelstorm is bad. Fennelstorm is scary.

      "Well, if you suddenly remember we can both go out and teach it a lesson!" She held up an unsheathed paw, and Dipperflight shook his head quickly.

"No need for claws!" He yipped, bouncing to his paws lightly. Fennelstorm hurt me. He could hurt you too. Dawnwhisker tipped her head to the side, setting her small, white paw back down on the ground.

"It's a joke, Dipperflihht.. are you sure you're alright?" She stood, and Dipperflight nodded a bit too quickly.

"Yeah I just-- I need to drink something." He passed the warrior towards the bramble exit, Fennelstorm cutting him off. "I'm just getting something to drink." Dipperflight backed up, keeping a distance between the two. His heart raced, muscles tensing. Fennelstorm twitched an ear.

"Don't be long." Without hesitating, he made his way around the ginger tom, breaking into a run as he left the camp.

I can't do this anymore. I can't constantly be afraid of Fennelstorm, everything I do-- he's there. Somehow. I just-- I can't do this. I can't be here in ThunderClan anymore. Dipperflight looked ahead. The RiverClan border was ahead, and beyond RiverClan territory was WindClan, and the twoleg barn, and Mothermouth and beyond that... My mentor always told me not to run from my problems but... he glanced over his shoulder. He could barely make out the hidden camp that blended with the rest of the foliage.

In this instance.. I feel like it's the best option.

//

I didn't mean to publish this until tonight but I accidentally pressed publish oops. Might as well keep it up.