Cinderpelt was padding through the forest,herbs clamped in her jaw.She had gone out to collect herbs for the medicine den.

She was at the twoleg border,getting ready to jump into one of the yards to collect some cat mint when she heard groaning coming from a near by tree.

Catiosly,the smoky gray she-cat limped over to were she heard the noise when she heard it agian.It was coming from a hollow tree trunk that was covered by gorse.

Cinderpelt went over to the tree.She peered through the overhanging to see a small black tom with one white paw.He would have been almost cute if it weren't for the purple color around his neck that was strewn with dog teeth.

Cinderpelt crinkled her nose from the stench of sickness coming off of him.He was ragged,and his other wise threatening appearence was diminished by the obvios weakness from sickness.She recognised his symtoms from the ShadowClan cats she had helped moons ago.

"Uh,"Cinderpelt hesitated.Even though he was obviosly sick,his appearence was still slightly threatening.

The tom let out a ragged breath."What do you want?"He rasped.He obviosly wasn't in any condition to hurt her.

"Uhm,your sick."Cinderpelt said.Though the tom wasn't very threatening,something else was keeping her from talking like a normal cat.

"No duh,"The tom coughed,"How about you just leave now?"

"I can't."Cinderpelt said.

"Why?"The tom said before he broke out into a hacking cough.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you die."Cinderpelt sighed,"It's kinda my job to help sick cats."

The tom continued to cough as Cinderpelt looked him over.He didn't seem to have any fight left in him.

"Now,what's your name?"Cinderpelt asked.

"Why do you need to know?"The tom asked skeptically.

"Because I wanna know what to call you."Cinderpelt replied.

"I'll only tell you if you tell me your name first."The tom said.

"I'm Cinderpelt."She said with a slight smile,"Now,your name?"

The tom sighed."Scourge."He said.

Cinderpelt was slightly confused by the name.It sounded as threatening as the tom would have been if he hadn't been sick,which made Cinderpelt wonder why his mother would give him such a name.

"What kind of name is Cinderpelt,anyway?"He scoffed,soon breaking out into anouther coughing fit.

"Your one to talk!"Cinderpelt said defensively,"Why would your mother name you Scourge,of all things?"

"I gave myself that name,thank you very much."Scourge wheezed out.Cinderpelt knew now probably wasn't the time to argue,but this tom made her feel a way she had only felt once before,and that somehow made her more defensive.

"Well,I'm going to get the things I need to help you right now."Cinderpelt said,"I'll be back later."

-----------------------------TiMe SkIp

Cinderpelt continued to visit and help Scourge over the course of that moon until he was fit enough to go back to where ever he came from.

Over the course of that moon,she had talked about her life in ThunderClan and he had talked about his life were he stayed.

Though he had seemed slightly intimidating at first,Scourge had become very close to Cinderpelt.That's why when Scourge was fully healed,Cinderpelt was rather sad to see him go.Nobody had found out about Cinderpelt helping him,though Yellowfang and Fireheart had been slightly suspicious because of her leaving for long periods of time,but had never found out.

-------------------------------------TiMe SkIp

Moons later,Cinderpelt had almost completely forgot about the small tom that called himself Scourge.

She had been told to stay in camp during the great battle.She wanted to help on the field,but Firestar had said it would be to dangerous.Now,she was waiting in her den,sorting herbs.

When the group brought to the battle came back,Cinderpelt got to work.While treating wounds,she asked about the battle.

"What was the leader of BloodClan like?"She had asked Firestar,while tending to his numerous cuts.

Firestar picked up his head a little."Cold.Ruthless.Dangerous.What you would expect from a rogue leader."

"Oh."Cinderpelt said,slightly disappointed.She had been hoping he would be more interesting."What did he look like?"

"He was black,"Firestar said,"He had one white paw and a purple collar with dog teeth all over it."

That description struck a chord in Cinderpelt.She had seen a tom like that.One she thought she would never hear of or see again.

"W-what was h-his n-name?"She asked,scared for what she had done and what had happened to the tom she had grown to care about.

"Scourge-"

The rest of what Firestar said was incoherent to Cinderpelt.

Not only had she helped heal a tom that had caused so many deaths in her Clan,but she had grown to care about said murderer.

And he was dead.

"Cinderpelt!Can you hear me!?"Firestar yelled,concern laced in his voice.

"Oh!"Cinderpelt exclaimed,nocked out of her thoughts,"I'm fine.Just fine."

The truth was,she wasn't fine.At all.