Whitepaw leapt for Shadowpaw. She let him land on her back, then reared up, knocking him off- a move she had taught herself and taken a great liking to. While he was on the ground, she whipped around and got a few slashes in on his stomach. He jumped up and she jumped back. He jumped up and balanced on her back. She slumped to the ground, and he got off saying, "See, Gemtalon? I win."

Suddenly Shadowpaw reared up and pushed the older tom to the ground, "I win," she pronounced. Snowstorm looked proud as Gemtalon, Whitepaw's mentor, looked annoyed.

"Whitepaw, get up," Gemtalon called, "You still have to fight Diamondpaw to pass your warrior assessment." Whitepaw groaned and got to his feet as he trudged after Gemtalon.

"Where did you learn how to do that battle move I didn't teach you?" Snowstorm asked as they padded as they made their way to the river to go hunting.

"I learned it at the battle with WindClan," Shadowpaw mewed, "Redpaw did something similar and I thought it would work to knock her off."

They made it to the river, "I've been wanting to try something," Shadowpaw told Snowstorm, "Can I?" Snowstorm shrugged. Shadowpaw took that as a yes, and leapt onto a rock in the middle of the river. When a fish swam by, she dunked her paw in, flipping it into the air over the rock and jumping onto a different rock. The fish hit a sharp part of the rock, killing it.

Shadowpaw jumped back to the other rock to collect her kill before heading back to the shore. Snowstorm's eyes glowed with pride as she said, "You're becoming a great little warrior." Shadowpaw purred- only seven moons old and her mentor was calling her a warrior!

They headed to camp, and as Shadowpaw put her fish on the fresh-kill pile, Miststar called, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the tall cleft for a clan meeting!"

The apprentices, Diamondpaw, Peakpaw, and Whitepaw, poked their heads out of the apprentice den. Peakpaw's mother Spottedbreeze, and Whitepaw and Diamondpaw's mother, Mossyfur, stood near them, looking proud.

"It is time for three apprentices to become warriors. Peakpaw, Diamondpaw, Whitepaw, come forth. Whitejaw, are you content that Peakpaw is ready to become a warrior?" Whitejaw nodded.

"Very well. By the powers given to me by StarClan, I name you Peakrise. I hope you will serve your clan well in these coming moons, and I welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." Miststar touched noses with him, and he licked her shoulder, "Gemtalon, are you content that Whitepaw is ready to become a warrior?" Gemtalon nodded.

"Very well. By the powers given to me by StarClan, I name you Whitesnow. I hope you will serve your clan well in these coming moons, and I welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan."  Miststar touched noses with him, and he licked her shoulder, "Runningriver, are you content that Diamondpaw is ready to become a warrior?" Runningriver nodded.

"Very well. By the powers given to me by StarClan, I name you Diamondspray. I hope you will serve your clan well in these coming moons, and I welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan." Miststar touched noses with him, and he licked her shoulder. The three newest warriors were talking quietly, until, to Shadowpaw's surprise, Peakrise walked over to her, and even more to her surprise, she was turning red.

"Hi, Shadowpaw," Peakrise said. I noticed you're, uh-" He was interrupted as a small cat burst through the tunnel. Shadowpaw recognized Redpaw.

"WindClan is being attacked!" Redpaw yowled, panic blazing in her eyes.

"Snowstorm, Stratusfoot, Gemtalon, Runningriver, Peakrise, Whitesnow, Diamondspray, Shadowpaw, and Coalpaw, go." Miststar ordered. Coalpaw, who had come out to watch the ceremony, scrambled into the medicine den to get herbs. Gemtalon started organizing the cats into four groups.

"You- WindClan cat-"

"Redpaw," Shadowpaw said.

"Redpaw. You lead Whitesnow and Stratusfoot straight into the battle. Me, Snowstorm, and Shadowpaw will attack from one side, while Runningriver will lead Peakrise and Diamondspray from the other. Coalpaw, find Rainstorm and help her."

The cats split up into their separate groups and raced after Redpaw, who was at full speed. Shadowpaw caught up to her, "Who's attacking?"

"I don't know," Redpaw replied. By then they had reached WindClan territory, and Stratusfoot, Redpaw, and Whitesnow leapt into the spitting mass of cats. Shadowpaw followed her mentor one way around the WindClan camp, while Runningriver's patrol scouted the other side. With a yowl, Gemtalon launched himself at the cats, Runningriver close behind. 

The remaining four cats circled the camp, hiding in the shadows and leaping at unfamiliar cats anytime they got too close. Shadowpaw leapt at a stocky white tom, when another cat leapt on her back. She yowled as he raked his claws across her back- and suddenly, he was gone.

She whipped around and saw Peakrise madly clawing her attacker, and she rushed to help him. She felt a purr rise in her chest as her fur brushed his, and soon, the tom ran off, bleeding from many wounds. Then, they rushed off to pursue another cat, and their attacks matched, until Peakrise didn't attack.

She turned to see him tumbling with a strange she cat, and with a hiss she bit the she-cat's side, drawing an extreme amount of blood. The she-cat ran, yowling with fear and pain, into the woods.

Shadowpaw sighed and pushed her nose into Peakrise's pelt. It was warm, and she felt content. But soon, they were off again, battling other cats until there were no more cats to fight. WindClan had won!

Stormstar walked over to Gemtalon and muttered something. Gemtalon nodded, and with a flick of his tail beckoned RiverClan to retreat.

As they left, Redpaw caught up with Shadowpaw at the back of the group, "I overheard Stormstar talking to Rainstorm," she whispered, "He knows who they are. They call themselves the Outcasted, but he has no plans to tell any other leaders."

Redpaw looked at Shadowpaw, her eyes wide with anxiety, "You'll tell Miststar, won't you?" Shadowpaw nodded, and Redpaw drew back with a few last words, "They live in the other forest."