It's been four sunrises now since Daisypaw's apprentice ceremony. She wakes to find that, no, no ones in the apprentice's den other than her, Troutpaw, Swiftpaw, and Frostpaw.

She leaves the den, scanning the camp for Rabbitsplash's black and white pelt. She was hungry, but wouldn't dare eat before she's hunted for her Clan. Instead, she doesn't see her mentor. She flicks her tail, annoyed.

Daisypaw does however spot Ripplemist beside the fresh-kill pile, quickly eating a mouse. Daisypaw walked up beside him.

"Ripplemist," she meowed.

The black and grey warrior jumped a little, surprised. "Oh... Daisypaw. Hello."

His mouth is full, and the tasty smell of the mouse is going to drive Daisypaw insane. Ripplemist swallows his mouthful, then asks Daisypaw, "What is it?"

"Where's Rabbitsplash?" Daisypaw didn't feel like hiding the mystery in her question.

"Oh, she's still asleep," Ripplemist answered, turning to get some more of the mouse. "The dawn patrol just left. I've never seen an apprentice wake up before their mentor before."

"Do you think she'd appreciate it if I woke her?" Daisypaw asked. She had the whole day planned out: hunt for the Clan, do some battle training, hunt some more, then let the rest of the day play out the way it does.

She was eager to get the day started.

"You want to go do apprentice duties?" Ripplemist's eyes widened.

Daisypaw glared at him. "No, I want to serve my Clan." Then she turned and headed for the warrior's den. "I'm going to wake her. The Clan needs to be fed."

As Daisypaw walked off, she felt a glow of pride at how firm and scolding her voice was. She poked her head into the warrior's den.

She saw Aspenbreeze's sleeping form, Cindersight's too, and then Flintstep's. She spotted Rabbitsplash not too far off. She prodded her mentor awake. "Wake up, Rabbitsplash."

Eventually, the black and white warrior stirred, then stretched out her paws and got up. "Am I needed on a patrol—"

Rabbitsplash stopped when she Daisypaw. "Daisypaw...?"

"I want to go hunting," she meowed.

The she-cat looked down at Daisypaw, clearly surprised. Then she nodded. "Alright."

Rabbitsplash stretched, then walked out of the warrior's den. She laid down at the fresh-kill pile, quickly picking up a squirrel and devouring it.

Daisypaw suddenly scented Cindersight. She watched as the mottled tabby she-cat strode past and sat down and got herself some prey. Daisypaw's paws itched.

Eventually, Rabbitsplash finished. "Cindersight, do you think you could take Troupaw with us? We're going hunting."

Cindersight purred. "Of course! I'll go wake him now."

Good, Daisypaw thought, twice the amount of cats out there will double the amount of prey, but then another thought crossed her mind, but as long as Troutpaw's a good hunter.

Moments later, she saw the mottled ginger pelt of the older apprentice. "Where are we hunting?" he asked.

"I was thinking near the lake," Rabbitsplash meowed.

"Sure, let's hunt there," Cindersight agreed. The four cats headed out of camp, and broke into a run towards the lake shore.

Soon, they stopped, and were all told to split up.

Daisypaw and Troutpaw stayed, tasting the air. Daisypaw caught the scent of a squirrel. She followed it. After long, she returned to the place they were all before with a squirrel and two mice.

Cindersight was there, a rabbit in her jaws. Rabbitsplash came next, holding a thrush and a mouse, while Troutpaw carried a single mouse.

They all headed back to camp, prey in their jaws. The fresh-kill was making Daisypaw's mouth water. She started to forget her serious demeanor has hunger set in.

She dropped her prey on the fresh-kill pile, ignoring Redstep's praise. She waited for Rabbitsplash's permission before starting to eat.

She got Cindersight's rabbit, and settled down to eat it.

The sun was nearing its highest point in the sky. Daisypaw watched as Lotuspaw entered camp with Leafsong at his side. He carried a small thrush in his jaws, while his mentor had a water vole and a rabbit.

"You may eat," Leafsong told her apprentice before getting some fresh-kill herself and settling down to eat with Dashwhisker and Icefang.

Lotuspaw sat down beside Daisypaw. "Hey," he mewled shyly.

"Hi, Lotuspaw," Daisypaw meowed. "Is Frostpaw awake yet?"

The mottled grey tabby shook his head. "I don't think so. Redcloud said he should be waking up right around now."

Just then, Frostpaw's white and blue pelt appeared at the mouth of the apprentice's den. His flank was covered in herb poultice, covering the small flash of blue-grey there.

The blue and white apprentice stretched until his tail trembled. Snowflight walked up to his apprentice, meowing something to him, and then Frostpaw headed for the medicine den.

"Ah, Frostpaw's awake," Redstep meowed from his spot next to his sister, Lionflower. "From what I hear he fought pretty viciously in the battle."

"He'll be a fine warrior one day," Lionflower agreed.

Frostpaw stumbled out of the medicine den, and he and Snowflight exchanged some more words before sending Frostpaw to the fresh-kill pile.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own, gather beneath Talltree for a Clan meeting!" Dapplestar's yowl was sudden.

Daisypaw looked up, confused, but joined the other cats as they started to crowd the clearing. She didn't think any apprentices would be made warriors yet. Maybe Nightpaw? He was the oldest apprentice since Lionflower, Redstep, and Stormstride were made warriors just a moon ago. Maybe it was his ceremony?

"What do you think Dapplestar's calling us for?" Frostpaw asked beside Daisypaw. She shrugged.

"As you all know," Dapplestar started, "Tulipblossom and Maplescar have grown rather old, and have decided to retire to the elder's den."

All eyes landed on the two elderly cats, both heading for the elder's den. Maplescar's ginger and white tail disappeared as he entered.

"They were strong warriors." Daisypaw heard Aspenbreeze reminisce his old mentor, Tulipblossom.

"Now, that Maplescar has retired, Rainpaw needs a new mentor," Dapplestar turned to Dashwhisker. "Dashwhisker will be Rainpaw's new mentor." Dapplestar leaped down from the Talltree.

Daisypaw saw Rabbitsplash heading towards her after the crowd started to dissipate. "Battle training?" Daisypaw asked once Rabbitsplash was close enough.

"Battle training?" Rabbitsplash sounded disbelieving. "Already? I was going to send to your nest to get some rest, since you'd be tired after that hunting—"

"No, I want to train." Daisypaw looked up, begging Rabbitsplash to say yes silently.

Rabbitsplash eventually nodded. "Very well."

--

It was evening when Daisypaw finished training. She settled down in her nest, waiting for the noises of the Clan to die down.

"I don't wanna go to sleep!" Briarkit protested.

"Fine then. But if you don't go to sleep right now, Squirrelspring won't take you out to tour the camp."

Immediately the kits' mewling ended, and Daisypaw heard the scramble of tiny paws as the kits raced for the nursery.

"Lead the evening patrol to the DawnClan border, Skywillow," Crowflight was meowing. "Take Cindersight, Troutpaw, and Redstep with you."

Daisypaw watched the pure white she-cat head for the warrior's den, coming back out with Cindersight and Redstep. Cindersight went into the apprentice's den, calling for Troutpaw.

Starting to grow impatient, Daisypaw shifted. Clan activity to lapse yet.

After what felt like forever, the noises died down.

Thankful, Daisypaw poked her out the apprentice's den. No cats were in the clearing. She quickly left camp the same way she did last time.

She met Badgerpaw at the StormClan border. This time, he could see her. Her shoulders were broader than his, and she's always been a big cat.

"You came," Badgerpaw mewed. His voice is laced with anxiety.

"I did," Daisypaw meowed. "Explain."

Badgerpaw took a deep breath. He looked around nervously, then looked at her and said, "I can't hunt that well in the marshes." Badgerpaw looked over his shoulder. "And I can't stand the way Dawnthroat and the other apprentices treat me. So..."

"You steal prey from BlazeClan territory at night instead of trying to better your StormClan hunting skills," she finished for him.

He looks up at her, surprised. "That's... it's not..."

Daisypaw started to feel tired again. "It's an issue."

"Okay, sorry... I'm just... confused," Badgerpaw mewled, looking down at his paws. He sighed. "I'm really tired now. Think you'll be at the Gathering tomorrow?"

Daisypaw shrugged. "I don't know. If we're both there, then we'll talk. If not, we'll meet here again."

"Okay," Badgerpaw agreed. "I'll go now. Bye."

Daisypaw dipped her head and bounded deeper into BlazeClan territory, heading for camp.