Mothflight is waiting for me outside my den, the wind ruffling her fur. She looks beautiful in the dawn light, which filters in through the trees and illuminates her. It makes me feel calm and safe, a feeling that in the past moon of apprenticeship has been uncommon to me.

I see Flintpaw and Littlepaw ducking and weaving, giggling happily. They've just been made apprentices, of course. Even though they're my age, I feel a mother's rush of pride. I guess I'm just glad they're apprentices finally. It makes me less alone in this world of power and fear.

The world of the warriors.

"You ready to go?"

I nod slowly, looking around at the others. As usual, they're much too busy for me. Lionpaw and Dragonpaw are taking their assessment today. I run up to them, and say cheerily, "Good luck!" He wraps his tail around hers.

Blazepaw walks up, and headbutts me affectionately. "Don't forget about me, fuzzball. I'm in this too."

I squeak in mock pain, "Ow! Of course I wouldn't forget."

My heart's pounding. The senior apprentices are actually talking to me!

My mother is going out hunting. I haven't seen her for a while, so I want to go up to her. I decided against it, there will be time later. I shouldn't delay Mothflight anymore. What if she gets angry at me? What if she doesn't want me as her apprentice anymore?! Scared by this, I scuttle after her as fast as possible.

She's waiting at the edge of camp with Pinepaw and his mentor, Flashstorm. I haven't seen Flashstorm much, she seems nice enough but I've never really met her. I fidget, but she's smiling and I relax instinctively.

"Let's go train. I can show you the basics of hunting today." Mothflight tells me, and adds, "Pinepaw and Flashstorm are coming too."

We head to the stream, where Mothflight shows me how to catch animals coming for a drink. "Wait in the reeds." she whispers.

I nod, and then I see a shrew. With a mighty warrior battle cry, I pounce, and the shrew skitters away. I flatten my ears. Pinepaw laughs, and Flashstorm hits him with her tail.

"Nice job. Next time, leave out the battle cry." He tells me with a smile.

I pounce on him, mock growling. "Don't tell me what to do, you little piece of fuzz. I don't see you hunting anything!"

He's laughing harder now, rolling around to try to get me off. Finally, our mentors pull us apart. "Okay," he warns, "You asked for it." He gets into a bed of reeds downstream. A mouse tiptoes up to the river and he darts out like a cobra.

The mouse struggles for mere seconds in his jaw before the blood oozes down his teeth, a kill if not a clean one. He holds it up with pride. Mothflight is watching the dead mouse and Flashstorm is watching the blood.

"Not very clean, now are we?" she mutters.

"I think he did fine." Mothflight insists, "My apprentice didn't catch anything."

I flatten my ears, annoyed and sad but trying to restrain it. I stumble off into the woods, then spot a squirrel nibbling at a nut. I aim for it's tail, just getting the edge. Fur begins to shear away but with my left paw I slam down on the creature, and it squeaks before I unsheath my claws, a quick slash that leaves it bleeding out onto the grass. My first kill. I feel a swell of pride as I bring it back to my mentor. Pinepaw drops his mouse at his feet, and says, "That's the way to do it!"

I nod graciously.

Mothflight's ears prick. "You hear something?" She says in a hushed tone.

Flashstorm nods. "There's a commotion back at camp."

"You can hear from that far away?!" I ask in awe.

"We didn't go that far. The camp's just over this hill. On top of that, Flashstorm has the best hearing of anyone in the clan. She's related to Phoenixstar."

"Phoenixstar?" asks Pinepaw.

"Yes, she was the leader before Miststar, who was leader before Silverstar, leader before Spottedstar, leader before Wolfstar." Mothflight lists the names off like old friends.

I nod, not really understanding or caring.

Flashstorm murmurs, "It's really important. We need to get back there now. Can't you hear the yelling?"

"What if someone's invaded camp?!" I yelp, scared.

"RiverClan." Mothflight and Flashstorm say at once. They both run, and Pinepaw and I follow, my heart beating fast as a scared rabbit's.

When I get to camp, I see warriors dragging a limp shape into camp.

My eyes widen as I get closer. A familiar, calico shape meets me. Volcanoheart runs forward. "NO!"

"I know, she was your daughter..." Wolfstar says, grief dulling his voice.

Other cats hang their heads.

"How did it happen?" Volcanoheart asks.

Talonfall speaks up. "We were down in the old ScarletClan territory, setting scent markers. You know, because after they disbanded, no one claimed it? We got close to the barn when a tractor came out of nowhere. She died getting us out of the way. Bluepaw would be dead without her."

Bluepaw is shivering, sitting there staring down at the ground. She's not sorry. Just happy her tiny flank was saved. I bare my teeth in hate.

I help bury her with my brothers, my paws aching and sore and dirty. I stay up all night for her, the greenleaf air filled with fireflies. Through the darkness, I mutter, "I will be the greatest warrior ever for you. No matter what the cost."

Cinderpaw, I can tell, is watching. "Yes, Cinderpaw. Even if it means... that. I'll train with Silentpelt."

"So you're huge destiny means nothing?" She says it mockingly, like it's some stupid kit dream.

"Silentpelt can help me get there."

It's a lie.

But in the midnight air it feels true.

The midnight air is filled with the spirit of old DragonClan.

Love. Loss. Vengeance.