Darkpaw sighed. Another moon of Shadepaw's silence. Two moons had passed since Frogscar's death; she had stayed to protect the Clan instead of going to the gatherings. "Shadepaw," she murmured. The dark grey tom let out a rattly breath. "Did I come too late? Please, Shadepaw..." 

"Darkpaw," Orangepaw mewed from the den entrance, looking apologetic. Shadepaw's tail twitched. "Fernstar wants to tell you something... Good luck," the orange she-cat added darkly. 

"Fernstar?" Darkpaw called, thanking Orangepaw quickly and heading for Fernstar's den. She sighed as she was out of Orangepaw's hearing, and then padded in, looking up at the grey leader. "You called for me?"

"Darkpaw," Fernstar rasped. "As you know, I have whitecough, and I am on my last life. You needn't worry." Darkpaw snorted. Like I care! "But I have noticed you, always with Shadepaw. Your loyalty lies either in ShadowClan or in Shadepaw, not both." Her beautiful eyes glittered like blue tourmalines. "Go now." 

"What!" Darkpaw snapped, disobeying her leader and rasing her hackles. "Shadepaw is my littermate, and he's loyal to ShadowClan! I can be loyal to both!" Her leader scowled, obviously angry at the apprentice's disobedience.

"One day, you will have to choose," she warned, closing her eyes briefly. "Beware where your heart lies."

"You realized you just changed the topic from Shadepaw to my whole entire future?" Darkpaw snapped. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your future, Darkpaw," Fernstar murmured distantly. "Get out," she ordered. Darkpaw slowly backed away. The grey she-cat hissed with fury. "Stay out!" 

"Shadepaw!" Darkpaw yowled, running to her littermate. "Shadepaw. Fernstar hates us because of you being like Shadeflight and Thinfur's not being her mate. Our leader hates us! Please, Shadepaw, I need you. I need you right now. Get better. Wake up!" She let out a wail. 

"Darkpaw," Tallmeadow murmured, coming into the den. "You're here." Darkpaw ignored her, studying the den solemnly. It was made of overhanging bramble branches, and Tallmeadow stored herbs in the little dents in the wall. Shadepaw should've been able to store herbs, too! He should have been a medicine cat! A wave of rage flooded through her bones. "Darkpaw!" Tallmeadow's newest mew snapped Darkpaw back to life. "Don't worry. He'll be better."

"He will?" Her head shot up, and suddenly her rage turned to hope, twisting her heart. "Really?" She widened her sharp yellow eyes. "Really, Tallmeadow?"

"Yes," Tallmeadow purred. "Soon." Darkpaw trembled with relief; Shadepaw would live! Thank StarClan, she thought wondrously. "But you've been neglecting your training," the medicine cat added. "You need to focus on one thing at a time." 

"Stop it!" Darkpaw nearly spat. "He's my littermate! Why does everyone try to make me forget about him?" Before Tallmeadow could reply, Darkpaw continued, "Fine." and walked out the den. Why? Why does everyone think I can't be loyal to both? she wondered, her fur flattening, but more than usual. Am I being selfish, or is there an actual reason?

"Fernstar," she snapped, poking her head into Fernstar's den. "I'm going hunting."

"Good for you," her leader rolled her eyes. It was as if she had forgotten their earlier conversation. Maybe she has, Darkpaw thought, studying the paler grey hairs on her muzzle. She's growing old. I wouldn't put memory loss past her. "Go with Orangepaw and Thinfur," Fernstar continued. Darkpaw simply nodded; this was a good choice, as ShadowClan needed prey.

"... Grassfang and Treepool," Thinfur was meowing in the clearing, some warriors and Orangepaw gathered around him.

"Okay," Grassfang responded. "We'll be especially careful on the SkyClan border." Thinfur nodded. 

"Don't trespass," he warned. "We don't want another fight." 

"We weren't planning on it," Treepool scowled. "Why are you always so quick to-"

"Thinfur!" Darkpaw interrupted. The last thing the Clan needed was an argument. "You, Orangepaw and I are supposed to go hunting!"

"Okay," Thinfur mewed, flicking his tail. "Treepool, I didn't mean it like that; it's just that I know I would want to trespass, to show those fox-hearts that we won't be pushed around." His eyes shone with embarrasment as he finished. Treepool sighed.

"Yeah, okay, Thinfur." Darkpaw bounded into the forest, not wanting the argument to escalate. Treepool's fur was bristling, even though the brown tom was saying nothing.

"Come on, Orangepaw and Thinfur!"   The two cats followed her out the camp, and she lifted her head proudly.. "Where should we go?" Darkpaw asked, deciding that it would be rude not to ask.

"How about the Dead Tree?" Orangepaw suggested. Thinfur flicked his tail. 

"Sure." They stopped walking when they came to a marsh with a dead tree spiraling up from the middle. Although it was dead, it was oddly sturdy, with dark brown wood and tall grass springing up from the sides of the marsh. Darkpaw smiled slightly; she liked this place, as it had lots of herbs, and made Shadepaw happy. She narrowed her eyes, spotting a few toads. 

"There," she whispered. Slowly stalking the slimy creatures, hidden by the tall grass, she lightly stepped into the marsh. She liked the feeling of it wreathing around her toes, and it helped hide her scent- not that the toads could smell her. She could see Orangepaw beside her, and Thinfur silently following them. She waited to perfectly pinpoint her prey's location; she couldn't fail in front of Orangepaw and her kin! Suddenly, she leaped, her claws unsheathed. She sunk them into the toad's smooth hide and tried for another; it began to hop away, and she scowled. A flash of dark orange leaped after the toad, and she saw Orangepaw, with the fresh-kill in her teeth.

"That's both of them," Thinfur mewed from the grass, revealing himself. Darkpaw nodded and ran over to the edge of the marsh, burying the frog in the swampy grass. Orangepaw copied her.

"Heh," the older apprentice chortled. "Didn't think you would actually catch it." Darkpaw ignored her and sniffed the air. "Is there..."

"There isn't anything else," she confirmed. "Let's go deeper into the woods. There might be something." As they trotted through the pines, Darkpaw felt happy. I wish every day would be like this. Happy, with barely a worry, and prey.

I tried to make the training interesting, as I haven't really shown it. Was it? Is there anything I'm forgetting?

-Shadowstorm