Her tail tip twitched as she watched the mouse up ahead of her. The silly creature hadn't heard her approach. She felt a breeze rustle through her pelt for a moment and the mouse froze and looked directly at her. Without pausing to think, she launched herself forward, flinging the mouse up into the air. The mouse began to let out a squeal of panic before she killed it with a swift bite to the neck, the tang of the blood flooded over her tongue and she felt a little flush of pride.

"Sloppy." Mewed Tigerfang behind her. "That was a poor effort."

Aspenpaw placed her prey on the floor before turning to blink at him. "But... but I got it. It didn't hear me."

"Of course, it didn't." snapped Tigerfang, his eyes hard. "Nothing hears you. Any cat would think you had no claws. But you stood right downwind of it. It smelled you within a heartbeat of that breeze. What will you do when leaf-fall comes and it's impossible to be quiet in all the crisp leaves? Or in leaf-bare when you have to catch prey in the snow? You've been in training for two moons now. You should know this."

Her ears flattened at her scolding. "I'm sorry." She mewed. "I didn't mean to let you down."

For a long moment, the mentor and apprentice stood facing each other until finally, his ears drooped and his eye softened. He moved slowly over to the mouse and inspected it. "It wasn't that poor." He mewed after a moment. "I'm sorry. I forget sometimes, we've not been doing this for that long. And we should be working with your natural talents. It's not your fault if I don't teach you the skills you need."

"No, no." Aspenpaw stuttered, slightly taken aback by her mentor's sudden change in attitude. "You're right, you have been teaching me these things and I should know."

Tigerfang watched as the apprentice stumbled over her words before looking embarrassed again. "Alderheart once told me that mistakes are the best lessons we cannot see." He murmured lowering his huge head to Aspenpaw's. "We should learn from our mistakes, and we should make ourselves better for them." He stood erect again. "And so tomorrow, when we're hunting, we'll remember to check the direction of the wind and the other elements around us, and not take our soft paws for granted, won't we?"

Aspenpaw brightened a little at her mentor's tone. Tigerfang wasn't gentle, nor was he friendly, but when he spoke to her as an equal rather than as a teacher, she found herself very fond of him. Besides that, she liked when he told her about Alderheart. "He was a really smart cat wasn't he." She mewed.

"The wisest I've ever known." Agreed Tigerfang. "Now, pick up your prey, and let's get back to camp."

It was only as she took the mouse in her jaws that it occurred to her. Ever since she had gotten Tigerfang as her mentor, the other cats had been looking at her for signs of injury or exhaustion. Lionfall and Webeye seemed to be leading the others in their concern. She would be lying if she said that Tigerfang took it easy with her. In their sessions, he pushed her until she felt she couldn't take any more. Until her limbs ached and she was breathless from effort... but he insisted on her being in the den and asleep by sun-down and always made sure she was getting her fair share of fresh-kill. When out in the forest, he would always watch out for her, calling out if there was a tree stump she was about to walk into because she had been looking at the branches for birds, holding low hanging brambles away so that she didn't...

She froze, suddenly, finally understanding. Tigerfang who had been walking a few paces ahead of her paused and looked back. "What is it?" he mewed, looking concerned.

"Webeye's eye." Murmured Aspenpaw. "That's why you're so careful with me isn't it?"

Tigerfang frowned. "Where is this coming from?"

"It's something I've been thinking about for a while." Shrugged Aspenpaw.

"Those cats have been talking, again haven't they?" he growled, his gaze hardening again. "I've already told you not to listen."

"But it's hard not to listen." Mewed Aspenpaw her eyes widening as she tried to make her mentor understand. "You of all cats should know that."

"That's enough." Snapped Tigerfang. "I'll be having words with them later. They should not be making you feel like that. It's hard enough being an apprentice and they should know that."

Aspenpaw stared at him. This was not the reaction she had expected. She had expected him to tell her not to listen, to ignore them, but to acknowledge her feelings? This was not the cat she thought she knew... the cat everyone thought they knew...

"You never caused his injury." She murmured.

"Of course, I didn't." snapped Tigerfang, his face lowering to look Aspenpaw in the face. "He was my apprentice. What would I have to gain from him being injured. Eaglefeather wanted to have someone to blame for her son being hurt. What queen wouldn't. So, I let her blame me over her own son's carelessness. Perhaps if I'd known how out of hand it would have gotten, I'd have told her that he had tripped in the brambles and gotten a thorn embedded in his eye."

Aspenpaw blinked as Tigerfang drew back suddenly. He looked slightly abashed, his ear flattening slightly. "Not even Blackheart believes that you know."

She stared at him, not fully understanding. "But... but you always warn..."

"The difference between you and Webeye..." muttered Tigerfang. "Is that Webpaw was a very excitable apprentice."

Aspenpaw nodded as she imagined the scene. She imagined Tigerfang telling the apprentice to walk beside him, but the eager apprentice bounded forward, straight through the brambles with the thorns at eye level. She winced as she imagined his pained cry, and could almost see the look of horrified concern on her mentor's face as he leapt forward to try to help, even though he didn't know what to do...she could almost feel the sense of helplessness surge through him when he realised his apprentice would never see from that eye again. She could feel the shame burning from Webpaw's pelt knowing that it was his own foolishness that caused this and thought of the relief when his mother did not blame him.

"You let them all believe it was your fault... so that he didn't blame himself..."

"It would have ruined him." Sighed Tigerfang. "Webeye is courageous when he needs to be now because deep down he learned enough from his injury. If I had let him take the blame, he would have been fearful and overly-cautious now. I just did what any good mentor would have done."

Aspenpaw hesitated. "And what about Lionfall?" she asked. "I believed that you always made sure I was well rested because of how hard he had to work during his apprenticeship."

Tigerfang hesitated for a moment before sitting down, wrapping his tail around his front paws. "Aspenpaw..." he said at last. "Have you ever heard of the Dark Forest?"

She nodded earnestly imitating his pose. "Yes of course I have." She said leaning forward slightly. "It's where the cats who break the warrior code beyond forgiveness go."

"Precisely." Tigerfang nodded. "Well they can come into the dreams of cats who are open to becoming strong and powerful at any cost. The cats who can be persuaded that with their help and by turning their backs on the code, they can achieve greatness... and they are often tested by how willing they are to kill other cats... Lionfall has always been ambitious."

Aspenpaw tried not to gasp. "Lionfall trained in the Dark Forest?"

"I couldn't be sure at first." Tigerfang mewed, his tail tip flicking. "He would finish his training and I'd ensure he was in his nest by sundown, then the next morning, he would wake as though he had not slept all night. I was worried about the silly thing. I sent him to the medicine den to make sure he wasn't sick, and let him rest for that first week or so. Then the unexplained injuries began to happen. He'd wake covered in cuts, or limping on a sprained paw. Eventually, he was well enough to train, and when he did, I noticed that he seemed to be using moves I'd not taught him... and more than that, he kept trying to train with his claws unsheathed... and as you well know, the number one rule of battle training, at least here in Thunderclan is that claws must remain sheathed at all times."

He paused for a moment, and glanced around as though to ensure no-one else was listening. "You know of course about the great battle, when Starclan themselves battled alongside the clans." Aspenpaw nodded fervently. "There was a Thunderclan cat who had been trained by the Dark Forest, Ivypool. She betrayed them and spied for the clans. Without her, the clans may not have survived that terrible battle." He paused again. "There are many cats who are praised as saviours of the forest, but she is often forgotten." He murmured. "She did more than a hundred cats and risked her life every day until we were victorious. Make sure you remember her." He said pointedly to Aspenpaw. "When you have kits, you can tell them all about the bravery of Ivypool."

She nodded again. "But what about Lionfall?"

"I was lucky enough..." Tigerfang continued. "That when Lionfall was an apprentice, Ivypool was in the elders' den. She heard the apprentices going about their duties and talking about how Lionfall was tired, and unexplainably hurt, and then quite suddenly amazing at battle training. She came to me at once and told me her suspicions. She told me to confront him, but I knew my apprentice better than that. I knew that if I told him he needed to stop, he would think he was being clever or brave by carrying on."

Aspenpaw nodded slowly as she realised what he did. "So, you exhausted him during the day so he was too tired to train at night."

"That's exactly what I did." Tigerfang dipped his head. "If he wanted extra training, I was more than happy to give it. He was up early to go hunting before he left on the dawn patrol. He was doing extra battle training after he was on the evening patrol. He wasn't allowed to get fresh-kill until he had brought at least five pieces of prey to the pile. The clan had never been so well fed as they were when Lionfall was an apprentice. He couldn't go to a gathering if not every elder had clean bedding and had been checked for ticks and the nursery wasn't spotless. He soon had a reputation as the hardest working apprentice in the camp. And it wasn't long after that suddenly he was waking up more rested with no more unexplained injuries. He was far too tired to train every moment of the day and the night. Yes, there were cats who said that I was pushing him too hard. Some tried to get Bramblestar to stop me... he was the only cat I ever told about Lionfall until now. I asked him to not say a word of it to anyone... and he understood and allowed it. Some said it was because he was my grandfather, but I know he did it so he would not see another cat go the same way his father did. He kept his promise. He lost his ninth life while I was training Webeye. No cat ever knew about Lionfall and the Dark Forest." He finally looked down at his apprentice. "But cats will know if they don't leave you alone."

She stared at him. "What?"

"I will not have them damaging you and making you feel like you're getting special treatment from me." He said tersely. "If they don't stop, I'll tell them exactly how it was. I'll tell Webeye it was his own carelessness that blinded him. I'll tell Lionfall that I know about his training in the Dark Forest. It would certainly make them realise that they are not the cats they want everyone to believe they are... and neither am I."

Aspenpaw stared up at her mentor, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. He was willing to ruin these two warriors and all they believed in... because of her?

"You can't do it." She mewed at last. "You've kept their secrets for so long. Why would you go against that for me? Isn't that giving me special treatment?"

He looked down at her. "If any other mentor were to find out their apprentice was training in the Dark Forest, they would go straight to the leader, and they would allow the apprentice to take the punishment. I kept his secret and saved his reputation. If an apprentice was injured through their own fault, most other cats would allow them to deal with that fact and spend their lives cursing themselves. Most cats don't believe me... I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't believe me. I took that blame from him and let him flourish. I sacrificed my own reputation, so that they had a chance. They are the ones I gave special treatment to. My apprentices are the ones I give special treatment to. They have always been the ones I have given special treatment to."

He hung his head and Aspenpaw could feel that sense of helplessness coming off of him again. She could almost feel the weight of the secrets he had held so long, heavy on his shoulders. She could taste his indecision, and she understood. Was he to betray cats who had been his apprentices in order to help his current one. His apprentices were like his kits, and it only took one look at him now to see how much they meant to him.

She didn't know what possessed her to do it. She moved closer to her mentor and leaned herself into him, as though she could help him to carry the weight on his shoulders, trying to comfort him. "I believe you." She mewed. "And I won't tell anyone what you've told me. I can handle cats talking..."

He blinked at her for a moment. "But... but they..."

"Cats are always going to talk about me." She mewed. "I am the lone survivor of a fire, mute kit who the leader disowned then made an apprentice too soon. Cats talk. I can take a little more. Besides, I know the truth... Starclan knows the truth... and I know that you are an incredible mentor. One day, that will be what matters."

He stared at her before letting out a throaty huff of amusement. "You really are not like any other cat your age." He said. "But I suppose... with all that has happened to you..." He gave a little purr and got to his paws. "When you are a warrior..." he murmured. "You are going to change the forest. I can tell."

She glowed at his praise. "Thank you." She murmured.

He turned to her his eyes gentle. "Do you want to try a last hurrah today?"

Aspenpaw gave a little bounce of excitement. "Yes. Definitely. Would you please take that prey back to camp for me?"

'Last hurrah 'was a task Tigerfang often set for Aspenpaw where she would make her way down to the lake just before sundown. By sundown, she needed to be back in camp with at least one piece of prey. It was a task she enjoyed as she would often challenge herself to find as many different routes through the forest as she could.

Tigerfang lifted the mouse in his jaws and glanced at the sky. "Not long until sundown. Get going now." He said as he turned and began to make his way back in the direction of the camp. Aspenpaw turned in the other direction, padding down towards the lake.

She was a little lost in her own thoughts, thinking too about how unfairly the other cats had treated her mentor. He appeared so mean and yet...

"I'm telling you it's this way." Said a voice up ahead of her.

She froze. That was no-one from the clan. Her ears pricked, trying to gauge exactly where the stranger was.

"I don't like this." Said another voice. "It'll be dark soon and we'll never find it."

The bushes ahead of her rustled and she silently ducked into the nearby dry grass just behind a nearby beech tree, hoping not to be spotted. "What's going on..." she murmured lowering herself to the ground, her eyes fixed on the rustling bush.

Suddenly the leaves parted and two cats emerged. The first, a black and grey tabby tom pushed his way through the branches, shaking his pelt out slightly before looking back at the tricolour she-cat who followed him. The two of them couldn't be more different, Aspenpaw thought. The tom was sleek and looked well fed and she could see from the way he held himself that he believed himself to be perfectly at home in the forest, despite it being painfully obvious that he was a kittypet. The she-cat meanwhile looked as though she hadn't been well fed her entire life. Aspenpaw was sure she could feel the tension coming off of her. She was not comfortable either in this tom's presence or being lost in the forest. They both seemed to be young. If they were clan cats, they would be a good few moons into their apprenticeships.

"Then we'll find it in the dark." Said the tom strutting forward. "Honestly anyone would think you'd never been out before."

She seemed to roll her eyes. "We need to stop for the night." She said firmly. "The camp will still be there in the morning."

Aspenpaw's ears pricked. What did these strangers want with the camp?

"Tomorrow could be too late." He snapped turning from her and picking up speed. "If I have to take them by surprise, I will."

Aspenpaw leapt into his path, fluffing out her copious amounts of fur to make herself look almost twice her size. She reared up as the tom skidded to a halt in front of her looking shocked. She began to pummel his ears as Tigerfang had taught her, shifting her back legs forward to force him to retreat. He hissed and reared up, trying to imitate her. He wasn't very accurate but had some strength to his blows. She suddenly felt a pain in her tail and turned swiping at the she cat as she released Aspenpaw's tail and sprang back. She gave an aggressive hiss and the two cats sprang together, their hackles rising.

"Who are you, trespassers? What do you want with the camp?" Aspenpaw spat, her claws unsheathed and baring her teeth.

The cats suddenly stopped and looked at one another. "She's from the clan?"

"Yes, I'm from the clan." She snapped and the cats turned their attention back to her. "And you'll have to get through me if you want to hurt anyone in the camp."

Suddenly the she-cat dipped her head respectfully, gesturing to the tom to do the same. He did so in a way that suggested to Aspenpaw he had never shown deference in his life. "Forgive us." Said the she-cat. "We didn't mean to intrude. My name is Dry and this is Xerxes." She paused looking up at Aspenpaw. "If you please..." she said politely. "We would like to join your clan."

A/N

Dry belongs to Meadow Leon Flower
Xerxes belongs to Nicholas Mullen