"Shadowclan, retreat!" Snakestar yowled.

Immediately, every cat stopped fighting.

Wolfstar stepped forward, "Take your warriors and leave. This battle was worthless, Snakestar! If any of you are found on my territory, you will be shredded, and that's a promise."

Snakestar flattened her ears and spat. "Don't think that this is over, Wolfstar."

Wolfstar snarled and slid out her claws, "Leave!"

Snakestar flicked her tail and her warriors gathered. She hissed one last time, then led her wounded warriors out of the Thunderclan camp.

Flamepaw was out of breath, and her wounds stung. She still couldn't believe how good Sharpkit had fought.

She looked around the camp. Bramble tendrils lay strewn about and the grass under paw was spattered with blood. They were cruel to attack our camp!

Flamepaw remembered, Jaggedfang! He was hurt!

Panicked, Flamepaw ran through the camp looking for her mentor. She spotted him by the highledge, standing with a pained expression on his face.

"Jaggedfang, are you okay?" Flamepaw whispered, struggling to keep her voice from shaking.

Jaggedfang began to speak, then collapsed to the ground. Flamepaw desperately looked for the wound that was causing the blood to gush out onto the soft grass.

She glanced at Jaggedfang's neck and almost gagged. A claw mark stretched across his neck, a deep claw mark. Blood was gushing out.

"Help! Jaggedfang is badly hurt!" Flamepaw howled.

She heard pawsteps thrumming on the ground. Flamepaw looked up to see Dappleleaf with a wad of cobwebs in her mouth.

"Do something!" Flamepaw hissed through gritted teeth.

Dappleleaf nodded then began pressing cobwebs onto the wound. Slowly, but surely, the bleeding began to stop.

Flamepaw let out a sigh of relief when Jaggedfang lifted his broad head, "I'm not going to leave Thunderclan yet. Don't get your fur ruffled over me!"

Flamepaw's whiskers quivered, Jaggedfang was going to be alright! She licked her mentor on the head, then went to check on the other apprentices.

. . . .

Flamepaw settled into her nest. Though it was dawn, almost every cat was sleeping. Everyone was tired from the battle.

I definitely am.

It was just two days before that the badger attack had occurred. Flamepaw's leg still ached from where the badger had sunk its teeth into her soft flesh.

Flamepaw shook her head. She didn't want to think about that day, the day that everything had changed...

. . .

Flamepaw opened her eyes; light streamed through the den entrance. Flamepaw painfully got to her paws and yawned.

Suddenly, Wolfstar's voice rung out, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather!"

Flamepaw nudged Hawkpaw, who was peacefully sleeping, "Wake up! Wolfstar has called a meeting."

Hawkpaw grunted, then stretched.

"Ok, you don't have to wait for me." He meowed.

Flamepaw flicked her tail, then walked outside the den.

Cats were already gathered underneath the highledge. Wolfstar surveyed her clan through narrowed eyes, when she looked at Flamepaw, she nodded. She had a strange look in her eyes. It looked like... fear.

What's that supposed to mean?

Wolfstar began to speak once again," Sharpkit, Badgerkit, and Lillykit, please come forward."

Badgerkit and Lillykit exchanged an excited glance. Ambertail immediately darted over and began to groom their fur.

Sharpkit stood with her head and tail held high.

Arrogant furball! She thinks she's a gift from Starclan!

All three kits padded forward.

"Now, as you all know, these kits have waited a few extra moons before becoming apprentices as a punishment. I have decided that it is time for them to become apprentices." Wolfstar meowed.

Flamepaw watched her leader intently as she continued, "Runningspirit, you received excellent training from Jaggedfang, I expect you to pass down all you know to Badgerpaw."

Badgerpaw bounded forward to touch noses with his new mentor. He definitely had a good one. Runningspirit was a great fighter and one of the clan's best tree climbers.

"Owltalon, you have received excellent training from Addertooth. I expect you to pass down all you know to Lilly-"

"Wait!" Lillykit interrupted.

Wolfstar tilted her head, "Yes Lillykit? Is there a problem?"

Lillykit looked embarrassed, "Well, uh, actually I wanted to be Dappleleaf's apprentice."

Flamepaw turned to look at the medicine cat. She looked as surprised as the rest of the clan.

One of the elders gasped. No one was supposed to interrupt the clan leader, especially in a clan meeting.

Wolfstar nodded, then continued, "Since Lillypaw's wish is to become a medicine cat, her mentor will be Dappleleaf. Do you accept her as your mentor?"

Lillypaw nodded,"I do."

Dappleleaf began to speak, " This half moon, I will present you before Starclan at the moonpool. Then, you will officially become my apprentice."

Lillypaw came forward and touched noses with her new mentor.

Owltalon looked disappointed.

He must have been looking forward to his first apprentice.

Wolfstar flicked her tail, then meowed, "Snowstorm, you have received proper training from Whitesky, I expect you to pass down all you know down to Sharppaw."

Snowstorm purred as Sharppaw touched noses with him. Sharppaw looked as if she had just caught a massive squirrel. Her tail was held high, she had a cocky smirk on her face, and she stood straight.

Flamepaw rolled her eyes. Her sister could be so arrogant.

"Now, Sharppaw and Badgerpaw, Is it your wish to train to be a warrior and do you promise to learn the ways of our noble code?" Wolfstar questioned in her authoritative voice.

"Yes." Badgerpaw vowed.

Sharppaw whipped her tail, "Of course."

"Let's welcome our new apprentices!" Wolfstar meowed happily.

"Sharppaw! Badgerpaw! Lillypaw!" The clan welcomed the three new apprentices.

Flamepaw yelled their names loudly. She shouldn't be worried. Her sister was an apprentice now, surely she wouldn't be angry with Flamepaw anymore!

Sharppaw bounded over to Flamepaw with a sly look on her face, "Aren't you going to congratulate me?"

Flamepaw sighed, as she rolled her eyes  "Gee, congratulations. I'm happy for you."

Sharppaw growled, "Don't think that you are going to be the best warrior, because I am."

Her sister flicked her tail, then joined the other apprentices. They began to gather around her, congratulating her.

I think she has changed for the worst...