A few moons had passed, and Rain had been following instructions well, receiving little wounds from his mentor. Moonstar was proud of her deputy for training the young tom.

Though Rain's training was going well, more drama had arose in the camp between Screechshade and Tigerstripe. Bored on afternoon, Moonstar had sat in camp, watching Screechshade and Bloodfur chat.

"So, you like Tooth?" Bloodfur asked her sister.

Screechshade nodded, looking down at her paws. "But, he's mates with Leopardtail. He'd never be mates with me."

You poor baby, Moonstar thought, disgusted by her warrior's behavior.

"I'll talk to him," Bloodfur suggested.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" Screechshade asked.

"Hey, that's what sisters are for!" she told her.

Moonstar growled, knowing siblings could never rely on each other.

Moonstar turned, watching Tigerstripe sitting in the corner. His gaze was fully focused on Screechshade. She knew that her son loved the warrior, and she hoped Screechshade would love him back. The warrior would be perfect for her son, and their offspring would be powerful. The scoundrel, Tooth, would be a waste. She would be depressed if the tom ditched Leopardtail.

"Hey, Screechshade!" Tigerstripe said, walking towards her.

"Oh, hey," Screechshade replied, refusing to make eye contact with the tom.

"So, you like Tooth, huh?"

Screechshade nodded, looking up at Tigerstripe. The tom stared straight into her eyes and stammered, "Well, Screechshade, I-I like you too."

Screechshade gasped, growling. "What?! No, no, no!" she hissed. "I do not want two toms fighting over me! No!" she growled.

Tigerstripe sighed. "But I really do!" he begged. "I'd care for you, we could hunt together. Love someone who loves you back, Screechshade. Tooth already has a mate."

Moonstar looked, watching as Screechshade ignored him and held her nose up high.

Moonstar slid through bushes, watching as Bloodfur now spoke to Tooth.

"No, Bloodfur," Tooth growled. "I do not like Screechshade. You are a mouse-brain for thinking I'd leave Leopardtail and my kits like that."

"Oh, but you are. Admit it, you like my sister," she purred.

"NO, I DON'T!" he hissed, unsheathing his claws. "LEAVE ME OUT OF YOUR DUMB GAMES!" he spat, running off.

"Uh, Moonstar?"

Moonstar jumped, turning around to see one of her fellow warriors, Jetfur, staring at her. 

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Jetfur, come with me," Moonstar growled. "We're going to do something to test your loyalty."

The she-cat stiffened but did not hestiate. "All right, Moonstar," she said, following the she-cat into the forest.

"What will we be doing, Moonstar?" the black she-cat asked.

"We'll be killing, Icestar," Moonstar instructed. "Now, here's the plan. I'll create a distraction, and you kill the she-cat. I want her weakened for battle," she growled.

"A-All right, Moonstar," the black she-cat stuttered.

As they reached the SnowClan camp, Jetfur came to an abrupt halt.

"What's the matter?" Too scared?" Moonstar teased.

"Not at all, Moonstar," Jetfur replied, walking forward with her chest forward, high in the air. She looked ready to kill the leader.

"You stay right here at the entrance," Moonstar told her as they came to the camp. "Let me go in."

Jetfur nodded, and Moonstar padded into camp openly. "AH, MY FAVORITE CLAN, SNOWCLAN!"

Icestar immediately stood up and growled at the she-cat. "GET OUT OF HERE, MOONSTAR!"

"I see you've finally learned my name," Moonstar laughed. "That's nice. Please, Icestar. You wouldn't want to lose your energy before battle, now would you? Don't bother chasing me," she laughed, leaping onto the large rock in the center of the camp.

Icestar began to climb up the rock, only to be stopped by her deputy, Blacktail. Moonstar growled as she saw the familiar black tom at her side.

"Icestar, this is not a good idea. We can't have you weakened! I'll go after her! You guard the camp."

Moonstar laughed as the tom began to crawl up the rock.

"Think you can kill me? Then you're wrong!" she spat, leaping off before Blacktail could swipe at her. "NOW, JETFUR!' she hissed.

The she-cat nodded, leaping onto Icestar.

"ICESTAR!" Blacktail gasped, but Moonstar had already knocked the tom over onto his back. Blacktail growled, though all Moonstar did was smile and continue to hold im down.

Jetfur and Icestar battled viciously, and Jetfur at once began to pin her over and claw at her pelt. Cats rushed towards Icestar, ready to strike at Jetfur. At once, she had the perfect move, and Jetfur raised her claw to kill the wounded leader. Moonstar waited, but the blow did not come. Jetfur got off of Icestar and backed away, letting blood flow from her pelt.

"JETFUR! KILL HER NOW!" Moonstat spat, letting Blacktail go. All the other SnowClan cats looked at Jetfur, horrified.

"I can't, Moonstar!" Jetfur wailed.

Moonstar growled, ready to kill the she-cat. "We'll talk about this later," she hissed. Cats turned towards her, but Moonstar was swift, and she quickly slid by Icestar and slit the she-cat's throat, allowing her to lose a life. She ran off, Jetfur running beside her.

"THERE WILL BE A PUNISHMNET, JETFUR!" she hissed. But she couldn't kill the she-cat. She needed warriors. Perhaps she would wound Jetfur in enough time for her to be healed.

As they edged the camp, Jetfur went to run off, only to be stopped by Moonstar. "Nope. Here, now!" Moonstar growled.

Jetfur looked down and nodded, bowing to Moonstar.

"I'm sorry, Moonstar," she began. "I couldn't. I've never felt that way before," she whimpered.

"Well, you'll have to learn if you wish to stay in this clan! You need to have blood permanently stained on your claws! You need to get used to the taste of other cats' blood! I'll be wounding you, Jetfur. It'll hurt, but you'll recover. Then, maybe you'll feel the vengeance and you'll kill a cat with the same sense that I did."

Jetfur cowered in fear. "Please, don't Moonstar! Please!"

For the first time, Moonstar felt mercy. She looked at the she-cat who cowered in fear before her leader.

"I promise, I'll kill someone! Whoever you want! Please, don't hurt me!"

Moonstar looked up, noticing Tigerstripe and Fang standing in the corner. This was her greatest decision. To spare the she-cat, just this once.

"All right, Jetfur, I won't wound you, but next time I assign you to kill someone, which I will, you will do the job, or else you'll be killed."

Jetfur stood up happily. "Okay, okay, I promise! Thank you!" she exclaimed, running off quickly. Fang padded forward, grinning.

"That was very brave of you, Moonstar."

"You spared her life! You've never done that!" Tigerstripe exclaimed.

"DON'T REMIND ME OR ELSE I'LL SLAUGHTER YOUR THROATS!" Moonstar hissed.

Fang and Tigerstripe got the message fast. They went to run off, only to be blocked by Moonstar.

"NO CAT WILL HEAR OF THIS, ALL RIGHT?!"

The two quickly nodded, running off.

Moonstar growled at the two. She stood, about to go off, when she heard footsteps behind her.

"I've had a change of heart, Mother."

Moonstar turned around to see the most shocking cat of all. It was Hazelpaw, her daughter.