Quakekit ran across the clearing at full speed toward Stormkit. She was looking away and focused on the camp entrance. Wind blew past his fur as he struggled to keep his claws sheathed. His paws switched between small thumps and quiet steps as he tried to control the weight he put down on them. He was downwind, almost silent, stealthy, and focused. Stormkit would never see him coming.

Just as he neared her, he pounced! Soaring through the air he fought to keep his claws sheathed. Just as he was about to knock her down, Stormkit swiftly turned and lashed at his side. Quakekit fell to the ground on his back, knocking the wind out of him. He staggered to his feet gasping for breath.

Stormkit rolled her eyes, "Seriously Quakekit? We're almost 8 moons and you still romp around like a kit!"

"We are kits!" Quakekit spat back, "Besides, I'm not just romping around. I'm practicing."

"If you were actually trying to improve in your skills you'd try to convince an experienced warrior to teach you some moves and technique like I am," the grey she-cat said turning back to the camp entrance.

Quakekit ran to sit next to her, "We'll get mentors when we become warriors Stormkit. When we're 8 moons I'll be a trainee, and I learn all that stuff,"

"Like a cat would choose to train you! You're more than a thorn in the side than a cat," Stormkit said then walked to the dawn patrol coming through the stone entrance. She made sure to add as she walked away, "Now I have more important things to do than play you petty, childish games."

Quakekit rolled his eyes, Stormkit never wanted to do anything anymore! All she did was talk about strategy and act like an old wisest! I'll go find Toadkit! He thought, he always wants to play.
Quakekit ran into the nursery to find Toadkit chatting with LeafEye. LeafEye has nursed he, Toadkit, and Stormkit after their mother, NightingGale, died. In result, Toadkit had grown very close to the calico she-cat, Quakekit however, didn't agree.
"MoleWhisker taught me and Beetlekit a new move today!" Toadkit piped with pride.
"Can you teach me?" Quakekit butted in the conversation before LeafEye could reply.
"Oh, hello Quakekit. MoleWhisker is a very advanced warrior, maybe you should learn it from him so you don't hurt yourself," LeafEye said, worry lined her tone.

Seriously? I'm an amazing fighter! I'll be perfectly fine, it's not like you're my mom anyway. Quakekit's fur bristled along his spine in annoyance, "I'll be fine," he said rolling his eyes.
"Can I please show him LeafEye? I'm good at it! MoleWhisker said so," Toadkit pleaded.
LeafEye considered his words then nodded, "Yes. But if you get hurt you'll have to explain to SnowFall why you were practicing advanced warrior moves in the nursery."

Toadkit turned away from her and looked around the den. His gaze stopped at a large root that poked out the wall, it came out then went back in creating almost a small wall of wood, "It's best to do this against trees. You need to get a good run up, then pounce sideways on the tree, and launch back at your enemy," Toadkit backed up until he hit the dirt wall of the nursery. Then, he charged forward about a fox-length and sprang at the wood. Toadkit pushes off the root back the way he'd run, claws unsheathed and landed.

"Wow!" Quakekit gasped at his little brother.
"It's not that big of a deal," Toadkit said shyly.
Quakekit ran over everything Toadkit had told him in his mind then backed up, "My turn!"
Quakekit did his usual when he prepared to fight, he focused, letting all his energy go towards his target.
He sprinted forward, eyes firmly set on the root, when Quakekit reached the spot Toadkit did, he launched himself at it. He dug his claws into the root and redirected his focus to Toadkit. He launched off, extending his forepaws out and sheathed his claws. Quakekit hit Toadkit square on his shoulders and his brother fell to the ground, caught off guard.
The two got up. Toadkit starting up in awe at his brother, "That was amazing! You took me down in a second!"
"I guess it was pretty good," Quakekit said fluffing out his chest fur with pride.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, it still needs lots of work," Toadkit and Quakekit turned around to see their father Stone sitting comfortably beside LeafEye, "Both you and Toadkit have a lot of training ahead of you."

Toadkit looked down as if he were ashamed he even tried. Quakekit new he did well, even if his father said so or not. I don't need Stone's approval, do I?
"A real warrior knows not just the move, but different ways to use a move for any situation. Toadkit, if you weren't to attack your opponent how would you change the move?" Stone continued.
Toadkit thought about the question, "Instead of launching myself back at my opponent. I could go to the left and let them ram into the tree!" Toadkit sat proud of his answer.

"It'd work in a battle with one enemy. Though, I've heard worse," Stone said in a sort of monotoned voice. Toadkit slumped down looking at his paws, disappointment in his eyes.

Quakekit looked at his brother, wanting to comfort him, but he looked up at Stone. I have to show him I'm stronger than Toadkit. Then he'll know I'm ready to be a warrior, "That was an easy question! Give me one for a true warrior!"

Stone sighed, "As I said, don't get ahead of yourself!" Stone narrowed his eyes as if he were studying Quakekit, "Alright then, if you think you can handle anything that comes your way, it's the middle of LeafBear and you're in a territory battle with TreeClan warriors. You need the extra territory for the starving kits and queens back at your camp. There are 5 experienced warriors, against you and two senior warriors, and their trainees. You think you're winning when one TreeClan cat retreats, but you see a trainee laying very injured on the ground and one of your senior warrior's starting to back off. It's your call whether you stay and fight or retreat. What do you do?"

"Stone!" LeafEye broke in, "He can't answer that!"

Stone sat with a smug look on his face, "He said he could. So let's hear it Quakekit! What's your brilliant, knowledgeable answer?"

Quakekit sat in shock, how is it even possible for me to answer that? He's insane! Quakekit ran over the parts in his head. LeafBare....extra food.....injured warriors. We need the prey, but a cat shouldn't have to die for it. A pang of sadness hit Quakekit at the memory of his mother. Could we send the tired warrior back to camp to get reinforcements? But ToadStool said in one of his stories that the TreeClan border is far. Quakekit couldn't weigh the costs of each outcome, death from battle? Or death from starvation? Then Quakekit realized what he needed to answer, I have to show Stone that I'm strong!

Quakekit raised his shoulders and slammed a paw on the ground before him to appear confident, "We continue to fight for our clan! I'd give my life for the starving kits! I will fight until I can fight no more," he said firmly and proudly.

Stone snorted, "You're not the one who's injured. You're clan mates, that you're swearing so "courageously" to protect, are the ones being killed. You're killing your cats to protect them. Completely ineffective and never worth it." Stone began to walk out of the den, "Now, I have to go and protect my clan mates from starvation in a less life threatening approach."

Quakekit drooped his head in embarrassment. Then what's the answer? How could that not be it? LeafEye nudged Quakekit's head up, "It's alright. That was a very hard question. Even leaders struggle to answer that one. You did really good."

"Okay," Quakekit responded. Her words hurt more than anything, "You did really good." echoed through his head. But not good enough!

"LeafEye, What does the last part of what Stone said mean?" Toadkit asked, perky and curious once again.

"He means he's going hunting," LeafEye responsed, giving Toadkit a lick on the ear. Toadkit nodded, then bounced to Quakekit, "Do you want to play Find the Mouse?"

"I don't feel like playing," Quakekit replied, he had lost all his motivation to practice his technique. I'll go ask the Wisests for the answer! They'll know! The Wisests are the smartest, most experienced cats of RainClan! When times are tough, even leaders and deputies turn to them for advice. Most are older but there have been a few younger Wisests, or at least that's what some Elders had told him.

As Quakekit made his way across the camp towards the rocky slope, the afternoon patrol charged through the stone entrance to camp.
"Quick! CaveClan! Attacking!" a tan, full warrior yowled.
A calico tom rushed out his den, followed by three other cats. SnakeStar and his deputies! Cats he didn't recognize tore through the camp walls and charged into the clearing. Quakekit froze in place. Paws rooted to the ground. He'd never been in a battle before. A white tom with black features eyed him, but ignored his presence, going for the bigger warriors like MoleWhisker and Sleet.

Blood splattered the ground. As Quakekit stood in the middle of all the fighting. He could see SnakeStar's pelt through the crowd, he was fighting off a large, blue-grey tom. SnakeStar countered most of his blows and swiftly dodged the tom's unforgiving claws. He slashed at his side and pinned him to the ground. The CaveClan cat squirmed under the RainClan leader's weight. SnakeStar mercilessly bit down on the toms neck. What's he doing? He can't...he can't just kill him!
SnakeStar continued until they sat in a pool of blood. The calico tom dug his claws into his shoulders and sides until the blue grey cat lay lifeless on the ground. His limp body brought back memories of NightingGale. How he opened eyes to first see her dead. Why'd she have to go so soon?
SnakeStar ran to CougarPelt's aid, forgetting about the blue grey cat like it were a leaf in the wind.
Quakekit took a few sideways steps, SnakeStar.....he just, just. Suddenly he felt the breath of a large cat on his back. Quakekits fur bristled and he looked back to see the white cat standing over him, "Well hello little fella."

Quakepaw shook with terror as the tom unsheathed his claws, I'm going to die!