The sun was starting to set behind the cliff, and the dusk's bright rays weaved their way through crevices and holes, illuminating the ground below. Softpaw squinted and backed off behind Blackfeather's large figure as they walked in silence back to the ThunderClan camp.

As the guard cats nodded to them and they made their way in, the small blue-grey she-cat watched as the large tom turned towards her. He gave her the mouse in his mouth and nodded towards the fresh-kill pile. "Put that over there. If anyone asks who caught it, act like it was you," he hissed through clenched teeth.

Softpaw hesitated for a moment, before gulping and nodding.

"Good," the black tom murmered, and then turned towards his friends in the warriors den. He tackled them playfully, growling. They began talking loudly, Blackfeather boasting of his apprentice's 'catch.'

The she-cat looked to the ground guiltily, and padded towards the filthy pile of blood and animals.

'This never looked so bad when I was a kit... Why now?' Softpaw pondered, before dropping the mouse onto the pile. At that moment, her mother chose to come bounding over, showering her kit in licks and purrs.

"How was your mentor my darling? Oh I hope that brute was nice to you, don't worry he'll have to face me if he tries anything," her mother rambled. Then she turned and saw the blue-grey tabby spitting out the blood from the remains of the mouse.

"Oh! You caught something! I'm so proud of you," Rainpetal continued licking her. "Blackfeather may be a good mentor to you after all," she purred. Softpaw looked at the floor, but before her mother could question it, Birchpaw strutted over to them.

"Please. A mouse? Look mum, I got a wound on my ear from a mock fight with Puddlespirit!" the tom announced with pride. The damage was barely visible, a small cut perhaps from falling on a twig.

His sister stifled a smile as Rainpetal trying not to giggle at her son's attitude, replied "Er.. Well done dear. Be more careful next time."

Birchpaw, seeing through her humour, immediately hissed with anger, prideful position slipping into defensive rage. "You can congratulate her on catching a little mouse, and when I fight you find it funny? She-cats!"

The furious sandy tom started to unsheathe his claws, but his mother blocked him, growling. "How dare you try to hurt your own sister? You know what I lost before, I won't lose another. You should be ashamed of yourself Birchpaw." his mother scolded, close to tears by the end.

Immediately, his ears flattened. "I wasn't goi-" but before he could finish the apology, the call of the leader echoing around the camp interrupted him.

"All cat's old enough to catch their own prey gather around the high rock for a Clan meeting!" Rattlestar yowled.

"I'll be having words with Puddlespirit about controlling your anger," Rainpetal grumbled, before leaving the two to walk towards the high rock.

The broad-shouldered brown tabby loomed above the cats, waiting for his Clan to sit, before beginning his speech.

"We are going to be increasing our training and defences. Instead of morning and evening patrols, we will have at least four patrols a day. Mentors, you must train your apprentices harder than ever, your training sessions will last 5 days in a row with 2 days off, from morning until dusk." Rattlestar instructed.

Immediately, angry whispers and murmurs began below.

"What does he think we are?" "We have emotions too!" "Does he have a death wish?"

A dark ginger tom stepped forward, looking slightly concerned.

"Permission to speak Rattlestar?" the tom asked tentatively. Once his leader nodded, he continued.

"Why are we doing this? We aren't ShadowClan, our warriors need rest and some of the apprentices are little more than kits. If you include the mentors, there won't be enough warriors for each patrol."

Rattlestar hesitated.

"We need to. Our medicine cat received a worrying prophecy regarding a terrible catastrophe for our Clan in the future. Rosepool, come here please."

The medicine cat padded forward in front of the rock, head dipped.

"Please inform the Clan of the prophecy you told me. They must know in order for our training to be worth it."

"B-But that's against StarClan's secreti-" "Now, please."

The tabby cat was silent for a moment, until her leader hissed at her again and she turned towards the Clan reluctantly.

"Silent fury will rain down on our Clan, only the flame of the sun and the gentle feather can save us from the dark."