Amberclaw purred with Echoflight as they shared a rabbit. Amberclaw still didn't enjoy forest prey, but for Echoflight's sake, who had hunted it, would at least pretend she liked it.

A call disrupted them and they stood up together and padded over to where Acornstar, Luckystar, Froststar and Maplestar had gathered the Clan cats.

"We're going to do a training session," Luckystar, the oldest leader, told them before dipping her head at Acornstar.

"Right," Acornstar had a weird glint in her eyes as she mewed out the instructions. "It's a lot of physical strength. You'll be sore. But you'll be strong. Now, choose a group of four or five cats."

Amberclaw turned around immediately, putting Echoflight in her group. They looked around for more cats that weren't in a group yet.

"Hey, Blackshine, over here!" Echoflight called the black tom over.

Blackshine padded over slowly, a dejected expression on his face. Amberclaw was confused, he was always so positive.

"What's wrong?" Amberclaw asked bluntly.

Blackshine fluffed his fur out, hissing angrily, his tail lashing. "My sister died, Amberclaw. That's what's wrong. My sister died and I wasn't there. I couldn't even sit vigil for her. She's DEAD!" he screeched.

Echoflight calmed Blackshine down while Amberclaw got Midnightcall, a loner turned warrior, to join their group.

"Okay," Acornstar stalked over to them. "Run around this clearing until I tell you to stop."

Amberclaw shrugged, dropping into a sprint.

However, Acornstar did not tell them to stop. Amberclaw was beginning to feel puffed, and could tell Midnightcall was straining to breathe as well. Blackshine had given up ages ago, and was currently laying on the ground, gasping for breath. Echoflight persisted, but every cat could tell she was unfit from spending most of her days talking to cats rather than exercising.

Amberclaw shared a worried look with Midnightcall as Acornstar still kept them running. It was sunhigh now, and they had begun awhile after dawn. Acornstar sat on a rock, watching them, a weird expression on her face.

Echoflight suddenly raced past Amberclaw, and she was bewildered. How could the White Dove do that? Echoflight snarled in frustration and determination as she looped past Amberclaw, an expression of courage on her face.

She must want to prove herself.

Amberclaw slowed to a stop, catching her breath and padding over to Acornstar. "I think we should stop."

"I'm leading," Acornstar hissed back. "Go run. And Blackshine! Get up and run!"

Blackshine grumbled but picked himself up off the ground. Then, Acornstar's eyes softened. "Never mind, Blackshine. You can rest. I know you're grieving. But Amberclaw, I've heard rumors that you're the Star Warrior. And Midnightcall, aren't loners supposed to be tough? And of course, Echoflight!" Here, Acornstar's voice dripped with sarcasm. "The beautiful, brave and smart White Dove. She can heal anyone! But what if the cat..." WindClan's leader tormented Echoflight. "What if the cat was millions of fox-lengths away? GASP! What if the White Dove can't get to them in time? Oh no! She better practice her running!"

Filled with fury, Amberclaw growled out her frustration and annoyance, but Acornstar didn't stop. "The White Dove can fix anything, even me! That's why I'm trying to help you. You must exercise."

Echoflight just clenched her jaw, ignoring Acornstar, and kept running.

At sunset, Acornstar called for them to stop. She demonstrated an advanced fighting move that would allow them to flip their opponent over and lunge at their throat, while feinting to their belly.

It was hard, Amberclaw admitted it. Only WindClan cats were supposed to use this move; they were the fastest. Not ShadowClan, like Midnightcall, or RiverClan, like Amberclaw, or ThunderClan, like Echoflight. Just WindClan.

But Blackshine didn't even have to participate. He just stared at the floor, gloomy and sad.

At the end of the session, Amberclaw was dying internally. Her muscles ached and her fur was torn from falling onto the hard ground of sticks and sharp stones. Her jaw hurt from clenching it to stop herself from lunging at Acornstar. Her mind hurt from hearing Acornstar's relentless remarks about Echoflight's uselessness.

I can't even help a friend from a bully. I'm so useless. Echoflight is brilliant. But I'm the bad one. I'm the useless one.

It wasn't fair. Echoflight was so useful, so kind, so amazing, whereas Amberclaw? She was dull, aggravated easily and rude. And, she was useless.

Feeling alone, Amberclaw ignored Echoflight and Midnightcall's conversation about how Echoflight could enjoy the workout, and left. By herself.

A sudden call from Acornstar made her freeze.

"Oh, Echoflight, you would've thought that you were more empathetic. Can't you be sad for Blackshine? He lost his sister! How could you?" she taunted.

Amberclaw lost it. She let out a battle cry and leapt at Acornstar, only to feel claws dragging her back. She ripped free, just seeing a blur of black, red, and white.

A warm body threw her to the ground and promptly sat on her. Amberclaw struggled to get free.

Let me defend Echoflight's honor!

She dimly heard the sound of yowling cats, but eventually, her vision cleared and she saw Echoflight sitting on her, stopping her from attacking.

Acornstar looked shocked, a thin scratch of blood on her nose. It would scar. Good. Amberclaw thought savagely. Let it scar.

"You didn't deserve that," Amberclaw murmured to Echoflight.

"And you shouldn't have attacked her. Every cat is scared of you now, look," Echoflight hissed back, flicking her tail over Amberclaw's mouth. "Just keep silent. That's all you should do."

She's telling me I'm useless. I can't do anything right. I can't defend a friend! I attacked a Clan leader. I broke the warrior code. They should just exile me.

But no. Amberclaw surely wasn't wrong. What Acornstar had done was wrong. It was evil. My actions are right. Even if they make me friendless, I will protect Echoflight's honor. The White Dove is too valuable to be used like this.

But at that moment, despite feeling brave and powerful and slightly happy, Amberclaw felt terribly alone. No cat had supported her. Not even Echoflight.