"Why can't I go?" Briarkit squealed.

"I'll fight off all the DawnClan cats!" Tatteredkit squeaked. Daisypaw listened for Cloudkit's mew, but the she-kit was silent.

The battle patrol had left camp a while ago, leaving Daisypaw and Lotuspaw behind. Daisypaw felt no envy when she wasn't chosen, though Lotuspaw did.

Finally, the wounded warriors and apprentices returned. Redcloud had been pacing in the clearing, and rushed to BlazeClan fighters. Daisypaw felt a flicker of interest at how Redcloud tended to the cats. Maybe I should learn a little bit of that medicine stuff, just to be safe, she thought.

She walked up to Redcloud and asked, "How can I assist?" Her voice was monotone.

Redcloud didn't look at her. "Cobwebs."

Daisypaw bounded off, heading for the medicine den. Every cat knew what cobwebs looked like. She wrapped a wad around her paw, and dashed for Redcloud. She helped patch up the cats, apply marigold, and other herbs. Feathersong and Daywind also helped.

Soon, all the cats were patched up and either went straight to their dens, or had some fresh-kill first. Frostpaw didn't go to his den just yet.

Instead, Daisypaw and Lotuspaw were allowed to eat—Lotuspaw having hunted already that day—with him.

"The battle—what happened?" Lotuspaw asked as he left the squirrel he chosen uneaten.

"It was amazing!" Frostpaw meowed. "Goldenstar was leading a patrol through the woods, while Crowflight, Snowflight, Icefang, and I were waiting in ambush. But then Goldenstar scented us! So then we attacked, barely having the element of surprise, just as Nightpaw's patrol arrived."

"Wow!" Lotuspaw breathed, but Daisypaw didn't want to show how interested she was.

"Yeah, then I attacked this she-cat, and this tom pulled me off her. The tom was huge, probably would've killed me! But then Ripplemist fought him off. So, I turned and fought this other yellow she-cat—"

"Frostpaw." Snowflight's voice broke in. "Finish your fresh-kill and then get some rest. You fought well today." Frostpaw's mentor bent down and gave Frostpaw a lick between the ears before walking away to speak with Feathersong.

Frostpaw got up and stretched, muttering a goodbye to his littermates before heading to the apprentice's den.

Crowflight's injuries were minor, so he set some more patrols before going to get some rest himself. Daisypaw ended up going on a border patrol with Rabbitsplash, Cindersight, and Troutpaw. They were the only ones not to be in the battle, so they were told to hunt a little as well.

"Now, Daisypaw," Rabbitsplash leaned down to murmur into Daisypaw's ear, "don't try and act all tough again. Okay?"

"Yes." Daisypaw decided to just let Rabbitsplash win this one.

As they approached the border, Daisypaw scented fresh StormClan scent—so fresh, she realized there were StormClan cats really there.

A large cream and brown she-cat lead the patrol, a grey taby tom, a black she-cat with a ginger flash on her throat, and a small grey and black apprentice followed.

Rabbitsplash marked the border, ignoring the StormClan cats. The StormClan apprentice glared at her as she did, his pelt bristling.

"BlazeClan mange-pelts!" the apprentice finally snarled.

"Badgerpaw, shush!" the she-cat with a ginger flash scolded, wrapping her tail around the black and grey cat. "Excuse my apprentice. Badgerpaw's only been apprenticed a few sunrises ago."

"That's understandable," Rabbitsplash meowed calmly before flashing a glance at Daisypaw, who sat calmly.

Rabbitsplash finished marking the border then headed back into BlazeClan territory. "Daisypaw, go over there and see if you can find anything."

Daisypaw nodded, bounding off to where Rabbitsplash directed her. She tasted the air after finding a nice spot, and was satisfied to smell a rabbit. She slowly scanned the undergrowth, and headed to where she smelled it. Soon, she could tell from how strong the scent was that it was just up ahead.

She decided to try out a new method she had come up with.

Turning, Daisypaw climbed up a tree. She dug her claws in slowly, stalking up the tree as if she were stalking a mouse. Once she made it up to a branch, she climbed onto it. She was right—the rabbit was just below her now. It hadn't seen her yet.

She leaped from the tree, hoping she coordinated the jump right. Yes! Daisypaw landed and killed it swiftly. She took the rabbit in her jaws and proudly headed back to the patrol. She met them back at camp, and she dropped her catch onto the fresh-kill pile.

She looked over to where Rabbitsplash sat sharing tongues with Ripplemist. Rabbitsplash noticed her and nodded.

Relieved, Daisypaw took her own rabbit and started to eat. Daisypaw heard pawsteps and looked up to see Rainpaw there. "Mind if I eat with you?"

"Of course not," Daisypaw answered.

The grey she-cat settled herself down beside Rainpaw and took a squirrel for herself.

"You know," Rainpaw meowed, "that's a really plump rabbit—they're really hard to catch! How'd you get it?"

"I climbed a tree and dropped on it, it was too startled to run for a moment, and that's when I killed it," Daisypaw answered, feeling much more proud of her catch now that she had an admirer.

"Wow, really?" Rainpaw's squeal was almost kit-like. "I've gotta tell Duskpaw—he can never catch a rabbit! It's pretty funny."

"Really?" Daisypaw meowed, looking at Rainpaw, suddenly enjoying the she-cat's company. "That is pretty funny."

"What about your brothers?" Rainpaw asked. "What've they done?"

"Well," Daisypaw pondered. Then she sighed. "Lotuspaw's barely out hunting or training. He's always with the elders."

"Still?" Rainpaw looked amazed. "I thought he would've stopped by now. Do you think he actually likes changing the elder's moss and hearing their stories?"

Daisypaw shrugged. "Probably."

The two she-cats lapsed into silence. They ate quietly as the sun started to sink. Finished, Daisypaw and Rainpaw both got up and checked in with their mentors before heading to the apprentice's den.

Daisypaw settled down in her nest just beside Nightpaw and Troutpaw. She closed her eyes.