Ashfeather blinked open one yellow eye, then the green one. She peered over the tip of her nest to the opening of the warriors' den. 

With a huff the tabby got up and began grooming herself. Around her, her fellow warriors began to wake, Skybright getting to her paws and beggining to wash, Bearthorn coming out of the den with his fur rumpled. 

Finally, Ashfeather tugged out the last knot and padded outside. The sun, barley reaching the tops of the trees, was casting a warm glow into the hollow. Ashfeather leaped up onto one of the watch boulders and signaled to Brackenfur that his watch was over.

"Let's see..." Waterstar murmured to herself on another boulder. "Who can go on a hunting patrol.."

In a few heart-beats the leader turned to the growing crowd of cats.

"Woodshadow, lead a hunting patrol. Take Snowbreeze, Bluetail, and Lightthunder."

Woodshadow and the rest of the cats she had named bounded away, and Waterstar continued.

"Ashfeather, Cloudbranch, Snowbreeze, Ravenheart, dawn patrol," she called out.

Sunpelt raised her head. "I want to go too," she mewed.

"No, maybe later, I didn't ask you," Mouse brain, Ashfeather added in her head. Why does Sunpelt always have to stick her nose into other cats' business!

She ducked out of the entrance. Cloudbranch and Snowbreeze crept out. Ravenheart followed a heartbeat later, his eyes clouded with sleep. The four of them whisked out and headed along the edge of the forest to the border, running fast against the wind. The wind buffeted their fur, and a chill sent Ashfeather's fur fluffing out. Cloudbranch and Snowbreeze's white fur was already bushed out, and they looked oddly out of place beside the brown trunks of the trees. Ravenheart's black pelt blended in a little more, and he took the lead. Ashfeather fell back, listening, looking, and smelling, just as Waterstar had taught her. Birds twittered in the trees, and mice skittered over the forest floor. The leaves fell slowly down. Suddenly Ravenheart halted.

"I smell badger," he reported, his fur fluffing up even more.

The reek of badger caught Ashfeather full in the face. She recoiled and pushed gently past the black cat. She followed the trail, nose to the ground, and the rest of her patrol came after her. Soon they found a cave-like hole in the ground.

"This is it," whispered Cloudbranch, wrinkling his nose.

"Come out!" growled Ashfeather and slid out her claws,  bared her teeth, hackles up. A badger burst out of the den. It was a female, and it was smaller than the cats, but its claws and teeth were enough to kill a cat. It let out a roar. Two cubs peered out behind her.

Snowbreeze stiffened next to Ashfeather. "She's a mother! We have to be clever! Attack formation four!" she snarled, all the while keeping her eyes on the badger.

Waterstar had come up with eight attack formations for different animals, and all warriors knew them by heart. Ashfeather nodded to her sister and leaped onto the badger's back, scored her claws into its shoulders, then leaped down. Snowbreeze had distracted it from the front, while Ravenpelt and Cloudbranch had sprang in different directions and bit it from the sides. At the same time, Ashfeather sunk her teeth into the black-and-white fur, then stepped back, hearing her Clanmates do the same. The badger gave a roar of exasperation from trying to get at all four of them, picked up its cubs, and trotted away as Ashfeather and Ravenheart harried it to the border with nips and slashes. Once it passed their scent markers, they dropped back and marked the border where it had crossed. Ashfeather paused after she marked it to lick the scratch that the badger had given her, deep across her chest. Snowbreeze gingerly stepped on her left front paw, then winced and lifted it. Ravenheart rubbed at a torn ear, and Cloudbranch had three scratches on his flank. They turned and headed back along the border, marking it here and there.

When they got back to camp, the four of them hurried to the medicine den. Goldenstripe listened patiently as they explained, while Willownose grabbed some leaves that Ashfeather didn't recognize, and put it on their wounds. Once they had their treatment, Cloudbranch went to report to Waterstar while the rest of them rested in the clearing, sharing stories and twitching their tails lazily. Birchclaw had come over at some point to see his mate, Snowbreeze, and they lay in the sun as the kits played around. At sunhigh, Waterstar called a meeting from her favorite boulder.

"I have two ceremonies to perform!" she yowled. "First, Nutkit, Streamkit, and Acornkit, come forward."

Ashfeather gasped, and heard a murmur spread through the assembled cats. The apprentice ceremony!

The kits stepped out of the crowd, their pelts well groomed. Their mother, Feathershine, sat beside them at the front, her eyes shining with pride.

"Nutkit, you are old enough to become an apprentice. You will now be known as Nutpaw, and your mentor will be Snowbreeze."

Oh well, at least it's my sister! Ashfeather thought, disappointed.

Nutpaw ran over to Snowbreeze and touched noses with her, bouncing excitedly. He sat down importantly, and looked on.

"Streamkit, you will now be known as Streampaw. Your mentor will be Brackenfur."

The young cat ran over to Ashfeather's brother, touched noses, and lay down.

Ashfeather held her breath. One apprentice left! Is it going to be me? I want to mentor Acornkit! she wailed inwardly.

"Acornkit, you will now be known as Acornpaw. Your mentor will be Ashfeather."

Yes! Ashfeather felt like jumping up and down, but instead, she sighed in relief, and bent her head to touch noses with the little she-cat.

"I'll do my best," Acornpaw whispered, eyes full of anxiety.

Ashfeather licked her nose. "I'll make you the best warrior you can be," she said comfortingly.

The Clan yowled their congratulations. "Acornpaw, Streampaw, Nutpaw!" they called, as the new apprentinces ducked their heads in embarrassment.

Waterstar raised her tail to silence her Clan. "Featherwing is dead," she reported sadly, bowing her head in grief. "He was too old to battle the sickness, and StarClan needed him more than we did."

Ashfeather blinked. Featherwing is dead! Who will she choose? she wondered, a lump in her belly. The Clan murmured and bowed their heads.

"I will choose a new deputy. Streamfur, will you do the honor of being my deputy, and leading SilverClan by my side?"

Ashfeather sat back, stunned. Maybe not me . . she thought sadly.

Waterstar cocked her head. "Do you accept?"

Streamfur rose to his paws. "I never expected to have this honor. I accept, Waterstar!" he said.

The Clan surged around the blue cat. "Streamfur! Streamfur!" Waterstar had made a popular choice.

Waterstar silenced her warriors. "Streamfur, organize the patrols, please." She pushed off from the rock and disappeared into her den, which Ashfeather noted that she did nearly all the time.

Streamfur stepped forward, his pelt gleaming in the sunlight. "Fawnberry, take some cats and make sure that Ashfeather's badger is out of our territory," he called to the brown-grey she-cat confidentially.

Fawnberry motioned with her tail and with three cats at her heels, bounded out. "Blossomfur, Jayfoot, and Breezefang, take two or three cats each for border patrols."

The cats he had named dipped their heads and weaved through the throng of warriors.

"We will do hunting in pairs today," he announced once they had left. Ashfeather pricked her ears. That was her favorite exercise! Streamfur looked around the Clan. "Lemonheart, you can go with Leafshadow," he called, his eyes roaming around the Clan. "Mousetail, go with Treestorm. Cloudbranch, you can take Honeystripe. Ashfeather and Bearthorn. Hawkfeather, you can try with Featherbreeze." The new deputy dismissed them with a twitch of his ears.

Ashfeather looked around for Bearthorn. The light-colored warrior pushed out of where he was sitting with his littermates and gave Ashfeather a friendly nod.

"Ready?" he asked with a lingering stare. Ashfeather blushed, and nodded shyly. "Let's try the eastern clearing," she suggested, looking at her paws to avoid looking at him. Bearthorn rested the tip of his tail on her shoulder, and she jumped. He took no notice. "Let's go."

Ashfeather emerged onto the trodden path in the forest, and turning into the bushes, she called for Bearthorn. "Come, I know a shortcut!" He pushed through the trees, and side-by-side they crept under the branches of the undergrowth. Ashfeather tried not to get too close, but the path was narrow, and their pelts brushed often. When they emerged onto a clearing, Ashfeather sat down and quickly groomed her ruffled fur. Bearthorn crouched down and angled his ears behind a tree. Ashfeather cocked her head, puzzled, and opened her jaws to taste the air.

Crow! So that was what Bearthorn was pointing to. But I'm not sure we can do it. . .

Determination hardened her. If Bearthorn thinks we can do it, we can.

She slipped into the hunters crouch and worked her way around the tree. Se could see a large crow, nibbling on some berries. Once she and Bearthorn were in the right position, Ashfeather shifted onto her hindpaws and leaped. The crow raised it's head and made to fly away, but Ashfeather's claws snagged in it's wing, holding it down. The bird scratched her with it's black, and she let go. Bearthorn leapt, snarling, at the crow as it was taking off from the ground, and no matter how hard the bird tried, Bearthorn sunk his teeth into it's neck and it fell limp. Ashfeather lay down, panting. Bearthorn sniffed at the crow cautiously, then walked over to Ashfeather and looked her over. "You have a scratch here," he murmured. Ashfeather couldn't believe the young warrior sounded gentle. He was just so hostile! Soon Ashfeather relaxed as he began licking her scratch. Her pelt smoothed and she looked up into his eyes. "Thanks," she murmured, settling down beside him. They rested together, pelts brushing.

* * *

Ashfeather shivered. The sun had passed its mark up high.

"We should get this crow back to the gorge," she said. "Acornpaw will be waiting." Bearthorn got to his paws and sank his teeth into the crow without a word, but as Ashfeather pulled it, she could feel his stare burning into her pelt. They dragged it down the path, huffing with the weight. Once they went back to camp, Ashfeather stopped him.

"It was a really good catch," she admitted shyly. "I would love to be friends and hunt together."

Bearthorn spat out the prey and gave her a long look.

"I was kind of hoping we would be more than that," he said. Then he ducked his head, dropped the bird and turned away. Ashfeather blinked, and tugged the moose into the gorge. Her Clanmates gave excited yowls as she appeared, and helped her get it to the fresh kill pile.

"Did you catch that yourself?"

"It must have been hard!"

"Great catch!"

"I want to hunt with you next time!"

Ashfeather relaxed and dipped her head. "Bearthorn set it up, I just helped," she said. Bearthorn padded up to her, dipped his head to her, and sat down beside his sister.

Ashfeather tried her best to push him out of her thoughts and looked around for her fellow mentors, found them by the elder's den, and trotted over.

"Hey, Brackenfur, Snowbreeze," she greeted them. Her littermates waved their tails in greeting. Snowbreeze thrust her muzzle in the elders' den.

"Nutpaw and Streampaw are doing ticks," she explained. "Where's Acornpaw?"

Ashfeather pointed to the apprentices' den, where Acornpaw had just emerged. She bounded across the clearing. Ashfeather hastily stuck her head in the den. "Are you finished?" she asked. "Yes," came the muffled reply. A heartbeat later Streampaw and Nutpaw were out, shaking out their fur. "Let's go already!" whined Nutpaw.

"Training tree?" suggested Snowbreeze. She looked at Ashfeather, who had paused. "Agreed?"

Ashfeather shook out her pelt and pushed Bearthorn's soft brown fur out of her head firmly. "Agreed."

Snowbreeze looked at her suspiciously, then bounded through the trees. The three apprentices, giggling, raced after her. Brackenfur set off with Ashfeather at his heels. Once they got to the training tree, Brackenfur and Snowbreeze immediately began to talk about hunting techniques and showed the hunter's crouch to the apprentices.

Snowbreeze's voice jerked Ashfeather out of her daydreams. "Ashfeather, are you going to stand there with a dreamy expression or are you actually going to train?" her sister snapped.

"Sorry, Snowbreeze," Ashfeather hung her head.

"Sorry fills no bellies! Show the apprentinces how you would catch that sparrow!" she said, glaring at her. Ashfeather, glancing up, saw a sparrow hopping along the branch of a tree. She waited, and Ashfeather saw the bird flutter down to the berry bush. She stalked forward, until she was in leaping distance. She checked her position and the wind. Perfect. She leaped for the bird, but in that moment she realized that its feathers were the exact same shade of brown as Bearthorn's fur. She sheathed her claws at the last second, landed on it, but the bird wriggled out, gave a hoot of alarm and flew back to the tree. Ashfeather turned away, disappointed. She had been thinking about Bearthorn again! The only thing she had caught were a couple of feathers. Ashfeather walked back to the group, guilt in her belly.

I can't take a mate now! If I want any chance of being a deputy, I can't have kits! I need to put the Clan first! And I can't admit that I'm in love, because I told Amberleaf that I wouldn't. What am I to do!? she thought. Snowbreeze glared at her. "What happened?" she demanded. "Your position was perfect, but you sheathed your claws as you jumped!"

Ashfeather blinked at her sister guiltily. "I dunno," she muttered. "I miss prey sometimes too."

Snowbreeze huffed out a breath. "Brackenfur, take the apprentices for a contest of who catches the most prey," she said, curling her tail. Brackenfur nodded and swept Acornpaw out beside her brothers. "I guess Ashfeather is in trouble!" exclaimed Streampaw, which earned him a cuff around the ears by his mentor. Ashfeather was left, Snowbreeze staring at her. Then her gaze softened.

"What's going on between you and Bearthorn?

Ashfeather sighed. "Truth? I'm not sure, but I can't take a mate!" she worked her claws into the ground. "I want to be the deputy!"

Snowbreeze sighed. "Why don't you settle down? You're too distracted. Waterstar has many seasons left in her! You don't have to be her second deputy!"

Snowbreeze regarded her. "Tell you what.."

"I guess you're right," muttered Ashfeather some time later. She padded back to camp, tail drooping to the ground, and head down.

Ashfeather found Bearthorn in the warriors' den. She hesitantly padded over to him.

"Well, you see here, Bearthorn . . . I have something to tell you . . ."

Bearthorn looked at her softly. "What is it, Ashfeather?"

She looked at her paws. "I really want to be the Clan deputy after Streamfur. I want to follow in Silverstar's pawsteps! But I can't be dedicated to the Clan, the state that I'm in. So. . .I will be your mate, but I will not have kits!" she blurted out.

Bearthorn rested his tail on her shoulder. "Of course I will be your mate. Forever. And it's perfectly fine if you don't want to have kits. To be honest, I don't want to either!"

Ashfeather blinked at him. In turn, he pressed himself against her. Then she drew away. "Snowbreeze and the others will be waiting! I'd better go!"

Bearthorn looked at her. "Be safe."

Ashfeather turned to leave when Sunpelt brushed past her.

"Oh, there you are, Bearthorn!" I've been looking all over for you! Do you want to go hunting?" the yellow she-cat asked, batting her eyelashes and sneaking a glance at Ashfeather.

Bearthorn blinked, and drew away from Sunpelt, closer to Ashfeather.

"Sorry, Sunpelt, I-I don't really want to. I'm tired, and I've been out already with-"

Sunpelt cut him off. "Then do you want to go lie in the sun?" she asked, coming closer.

Ashfeather glared at her and pushed in between them.

"Sunpelt, what do you think you're doing?" she hissed.

Sunpelt blinked innocently.

"He's mine," snarled Ashfeather in a low tone. "If I have to fight you for it, I will!"

Sunpelt blew her off. "Whatever," she growled at her sister. "Bearthorn, if you want to lie down together, let me know!" she added to him in a cheery voice. Ashfeather turned to her mate and sighed. "I'm sorry, Bearthorn. Sunpelt is really annoying. Great StarClan! I have to run!"

Ashfeather turned and dashed through the barrier, glancing back once, and with a sinking feeling, saw Sunpelt drag Bearthorn over to a sunny patch of grass as he stared helplessly at Ashfeather. But she had no time to sort out quarrels. She ducked out and raced across the forest, following Snowbreeze's scent trail. After some time, she emerged onto a clearing, and scenting all apprentices scent's, burst into the clearing. Leaves showered down as she skidded to a halt. On the other side, Nutpaw sat up with a hiss.

"You just scared off my vole!" he complained.

Brackenfur got up from his crouched position in the leaves.

"Ashfeather, you're acting like a kit today! Focus!" he growled.

Snowbreeze padded over. "Let's all take our apprentices in a separate direction and come back here when we have two pieces of prey," she suggested gently.

Ashfeather dipped her head and flicked her tail at Acornpaw. The small apprentice bounded over and fell into step behind Ashfeather. In a couple moments, she scented a squirrel. Ashfeather backed away and turned to Acornpaw.

"This is a hunting technique that is good for two cats to use," she whispered. "I will creep in a circle around the squirrel over there, and flush it towards you. When it gets close enough, you pounce and bite it. Ready?"

Acornpaw nodded, looking nervous. Without another word, Ashfeather squeezed past her and stalked around the warm prey. Then she slipped into a crouch and burst from the bushes. The squirrel gave a call of alarm and raced towards Acornpaw. The little she-cat narrowed her eyes and waggled her hindquarters. She leaped for it, and landed on the tail. The squirrel tugged, and Ashfeather could tell her apprentice was losing her grip. Ashfeather bounded forward and put a paw on it, and Acornpaw shifted and dealt the killing blow. The she-cats straightened, gasping for breath. After a couple of moments, Ashfeather flicked her ears.

"Great catch!" she said warmly.

Acornpaw sat down, panting. "I thought I was going to lose it for sure," she confessed.

Ashfeather pointed her ears to a mouse that was scuttling over tree roots a couple of metres away.

"Creep around that tree and flush the mouse to me, and try to kill it. I'll be here if you need help," Ashfeather instructed.

Acornpaw nodded and crept over to the tree and disappeared from sight. Ashfeather watched carefully as she reared up behind the mouse and landed on it, dealt a blow, and padded over with it in her jaws, eyes shining with pride.

"Awesome! We'd better start heading back, the others are finishing up now. You did very well today," Ashfeather added, picking up the squirrel and following their own trail back to the clearing.

When they got into the camp, Ashfeather deposited her prey, congratulated Acornpaw, and walked over to her mate. She sidestepped to let Frostfur's kits, Bristlekit, Redkit, Rootkit, and Bramblekit run past. Then she curled up in her nest with Bearthorn and dozed off.

I hope this long chapter was enough to make up for the short one! Enjoy!