By sunset, everyone knew of Beetlepaw's prowess in battle, which only made Lightpaw more anxious about their mission with the rebels. If they thought of Beetlepaw's skill so highly, what would happen if Lightpaw took part in training? In DarkClan her littermate was a good fighter, but she was better.

What would happen if they found out just how well trained the DarkClan apprentices were? That, from the few observations she'd made of the rebels' fighting skills, they didn't stand a chance? If they were forced to help in training, would it affect the results of their mission? Would it give the rebels a better chance against DarkClan, and make them traitors to their own Clan?

And there, in the midst of all of those questions was one that caused Lightpaw even more confusion: did anything regarding the mission and DarkClan even matter? So far, the rebels had taken care of them and let them be a part of their daily lives; they were the opposite of how Dawnstar had painted them.

Since their arrival and the interrogation a few days prior, Lightpaw had kept to the medic's den. She didn't want to interact with too many cats just yet and part of it was because she didn't know how she should approach them. Did they suspect her of anything? The sense of paranoia within the camp pervaded her senses day and night.

Crowpaw, at least, seemed friendly. She saw him most often, as Mothpelt and Lily were busy with their greencough patients. They hadn't wanted Lightpaw to catch the deadly cough and had moved her into a separate part of the medic's den quickly.

From what Lightpaw had gathered, Crowpaw was a new medic's apprentice. Despite the fact, he seemed to have a good knowledge of herbs and symptoms, as well as a sense of calm even when faced with a sick patient. This stood out to her most, especially when she thought about Reedpaw.

A pang of loneliness hit her as she thought of him for the tenth time in the four days she had been here. How was he dealing with Pigeonfang's and Dapplefrost's pregnancies? They would both be due soon and she, most likely, would not be there to support him. How was he faring with the greencough descending upon DarkClan too? And how were those sick with greencough? The thought of Yewpaw, coughing loudly, and Spiderthorn, his fevered eyes far-off, entered her mind and she shook her head to keep the thoughts at bay.

"Doing alright?" Crowpaw asked, dropping a mouthful of herbs in front of her.

"Better, thank you," she said. It was a half-truth. Though her head was now fuller than ever of thoughts about DarkClan, her mission, and her worries about those she'd left behind, she still woke every night with the image of those blank, dead eyes.

"Last dose of these. I talked to Mothpelt and she seemed to think you'd be fine to join the others for training sessions."

Lightpaw nodded. "It'll be nice to get out." The thought of fighting made her queasy, but she knew she would have to try. Maybe downplay her fighting skills so the rebels didn't know the extent of DarkClan's training.

As she ate the herbs she asked, "What are these?"

"Chamomile and thyme," Crowpaw responded. "Thyme is good for shock, it calms the body. Chamomile helps to keep your mind from racing."

Lightpaw purred slightly. "Sounds like something I need right now."

"What are you thinking about?"

She saw that he was watching her very curiously. The she-cat found she remembered him, however vaguely, from when he was still part of DarkClan.

"One of my friends, Reedpaw, is the healer in DarkClan. He was put in the position without a mentor and has been trying to learn everything on his own. It works, usually, but he's always anxious that he'll hurt someone, or that an herb won't work."

Crowpaw cocked his head. "DarkClan still has healers? I thought Cedarheart and Mothpelt were the last."

Lightpaw shook her head. "No, Dawnstar decided that we needed a healer to help us stay alive. Some cats were very injured after the battle with the rebels..." She trailed off as she noticed the expression on Crowpaw's face. Thinking back to what she had just said, she nearly gasped in horror.

"I'm sorry," she spluttered. "It's just – I was raised in DarkClan. I haven't really gotten used to the fact that I'm no longer one of them."

The black tom seemed to accept her tale. "I myself have spent more of my life in DarkClan than I have outside of it. It gets easier." His tone was almost friendly, yet still guarded.

The tortoiseshell finished her herbs quickly, not wanting to give herself away. Her heart pounded as she got to her paws and said goodbye to Crowpaw, wishing him well with the greencough patients. He waved his tail in farewell before disappearing into the depths of the medic's den.

Lightpaw emerged into the camp to find it peaceful. The trainees were out for training with Roxanne, Jaystrike, and Beaver, their usual mentors. Beetlepaw had mentioned them in her stories about training – all of the two times she had visited Lightpaw in the medic's den. She had also mentioned Webpaw and her constant badgering; what little she remembered of Webpaw was that she had always been excitable and rather opinionated.

The she-cat found a spot in the sun, near the tumbled down Twoleg den that the camp was named after. From her vantage point, she could observe the camp and gather as much information as possible.

Two of the greencough patients – Cinderblossom and Flea – sat just outside the medic's den, also sunning themselves. Lightpaw noticed that Cinderblossom, despite her Clan name, had no scars on her shoulder like the other rebels did. She did not know the she-cat but, given her soft name, had a few guesses as to why she had never received her warrior stripes.

Bronco, who she had deduced was the leader of the alley cats, sat next to Sprucetail, looking to be deep in conversation. The two were sitting close together, much closer than Lightpaw could remember any cats sitting in DarkClan.

On the side of camp across from them was a motley of other cats. A mottled black and grey tom, a blue tom, and a rust-coloured she-cat lazed around in the sun like the others in the camp but, somehow, they seemed separate. The only one on his feet was a muscled black and white tom who remained alert to the ongoings in camp.

The camp was fragmented, she realized. The alley cats, to whom the camp belonged, seemed resentful of the rebels taking up their space, and even more distant from the motley group. Their leaders, Bronco and Roxanne, seemed to get along with Sprucetail, who seemed to be the acting leader of the rebels. Sometimes, they were joined by Nightchaser, a giant tom named Condor, and Jaystrike, but rarely did any of the motley group take part in decision-making.

And then, separate from all of them, was a brown tabby tom. He had a sharp appearance, as if he had lived on his own for some time, and a resourcefulness in his eyes. Lightpaw was not sure what side he belonged to. He spoke with Sprucetail and seemed much closer to her than most; he also had long conversations with the black and white leader of the motley crew; his behaviour towards Roxanne was also curious and they often seemed amused in each other's presence, as if they shared a joke that only they knew.

The lack of unity intrigued Lightpaw. Most of all, it gave her another reason to believe the rag-tag group would not stand a chance against DarkClan.

//

A half moon after they had arrived in camp, and just over a quarter moon since she'd been released from the medic's den, Lightpaw's analysis of the rebel group was only confirmed. The longer she observed, the more the fragments became apparent.

Even training with the other trainees, as they were called here, was tense. Those with Clan names were clearly shunned by the older alley cat trainees, as were the cats that Lightpaw had learned belonged to the Junkyard Gang. With the knowledge that the gang no longer existed, she thought of Stormpaw and Rainpaw, sent to infiltrate their ranks. Their mission had dissolved, and through no fault of their own, but she could not even begin to predict Dawnstar's reaction.

Today, she was training with Jaystrike. From the past training sessions, she knew she was the best fighter here. Still, she had been hiding her skills and, more often than not, Beetlepaw would come out on top. The two had argued about keeping their training a secret but Beetlepaw had already let her skill slip; only Lightpaw could hide hers now.

"We're going to gang up on one cat today," Jaystrike said to his group, which consisted of Hazel, Oats, Dewpaw, Penny, and Lightpaw. Already, Lightpaw knew Hazel was the most determined of the group. Penny seemed new to fighting training, as did all of the gang cats, and Oats and Dewpaw, younger than the rest of the group, were still perfecting basic moves. Dewpaw, especially, had a hard time because of his deformed back leg but, to Lightpaw's surprise, he had used it with great success last training session by using it as a club.

"That cat is – Penny."

Lightpaw shot forward, heading for rust-coloured she-cat. Unprepared, the former gang cat yowled, jumping over Oats and causing him to collide with Dewpaw. Hazel veered off her course, leaping onto the smaller she-cat. Lightpaw followed suit, swiping at Penny's fore legs and chest while Hazel brought her weight down on her.

"That's enough!" Jaystrike called, seeing Penny had been defeated. The rust-coloured she-cat rose shakily to her paws, looking around at the others with frightened copper eyes.

"Be more aware of your surroundings," Jaystrike suggested, "it's alright if you aren't able to take on multiple cats at once right away." The she-cat nodded, somewhat relieved.

"Next up – Hazel!"

This time, the victim was ready. She swiped Oats aside quickly. The rule in these training sessions, since claws and teeth were not allowed, was that if the blow threw them far enough out of the 'battle field', they would be injured in reality. Lightpaw knew, from experience, that reality did not work that way.

With Oats out, Hazel focussed her attentions on Dewpaw. He, too, was soon out of the battle. With only Lightpaw and Penny remaining, Hazel turned to the gang cat. She shook as Hazel leapt.

"Get out of the way!" Lightpaw cried, slightly annoyed that the russet she-cat seemed to have not a single fighting bone in her body.

To her credit, Penny moved, and Hazel landed face first in the snow. Lightpaw took her chance and pounced, pinning Hazel down by the shoulders and pushing her further into the ground. She was lighter than the older she-cat, however, and was thrown off quickly. Hazel rounded on her and made to swipe at her snout.

Lightpaw ducked out of the way, catching Penny's eyes. The russet she-cat stood on the other side of Hazel, perfectly positioned to attack her from behind.

"Go!" she shouted, hoping the gang cat would realize her plan.

"Go where?" Hazel snorted, but Lightpaw's paw had already connected with her jaw. The alley cat gave a fierce snarl and rammed her body into Lightpaw's, knocking her over. The tortoiseshell gasped as she hit the ground hard. Hazel loomed over her and she, stupidly, was belly up.

In the span of a blink, Lightpaw rolled over and Hazel's next blow half-connected with her shoulder. Lightpaw gasped, remembering the feeling of claws in her shoulder all too well, and then she was rising to her paws, turning swiftly to meet the other she-cat's next blow.

Parry, swipe, dodge. She danced around Hazel, looking for a way in.

Then, she saw it – the alley cat shifted to the right ever so slightly every time she swiped. Gritting her teeth in concentration, Lightpaw parried the next blow and jumped to the left. Then, with all of her strength, she rammed herself into the she-cat's left side. Hazel, already leaning slightly to the right with her last blow, lost her balance easily. Now, all Lightpaw had to do was push her out of the battle field and the fight would be over. Hazel struggled to get to her paws, but Lightpaw continued her assault.

Finally, it was over, and Lightpaw stood in the centre of the battle field all by herself, her sides heaving with the effort. Around her, the others in her group stood staring at her.

"Well done," Jaystrike said after some time. "I think that wraps up our session."

Oats looked in awe of her as he passed by, Dewpaw in tow. Penny scuttled away as quickly as possible. Hazel shot her a look so full of hatred Lightpaw almost felt the need to hiss at her.

Only she and Jaystrike remained.

"That was very impressive," the tom said, circling her. Lightpaw felt as she did at the interrogation, watched and mistrusted. She supposed it wasn't unwarranted.

"Thank you," she replied quietly. She sat down on the cold ground, wrapping her tail over her paws. The less threatening she looked, the better.

Jaystrike, however, didn't trust her ruse. "Don't look so innocent. From the way you fought during training today, I wouldn't be surprised if you were one of the best fighters amongst the apprentices in DarkClan."

Lightpaw's eyes flicked to the scars on his shoulder. Of course he would know that, he had once been a part of DarkClan.

"Though, I must admit, they have been teaching you much more advanced moves than they ever taught us," he continued. "The last cat I remember who could fight like that was Spiderthorn."

The tortoiseshell's eyes widened. "Spiderthorn's my father."

"I know. I can see it in the way you fight. You strategize while you move, it's why you were able to knock Hazel over. Not many apprentices show that sort of awareness when fighting."

Lightpaw acknowledged his praise with a bow of her head. "I may be good at fighting, but my stealth is no good. I've been trying to work on it but I usually came in last during training."

"Sounds like Sprucetail," Jaystrike said, a softer expression on his face. "We worked on our battle and hunting skills together as apprentices. She was always a great fighter."

"Is she the leader of the rebels now?" Lightpaw asked before she could stop herself.

Jaystrike seemed amused. "I'm not sure. I don't think anyone is. But I support her, as do Mothpelt and Cinderblossom. I think she'd make a fine leader."

Lightpaw nodded. The tension when Jaystrike first started circling her had passed.

"Let's head back to camp, shall we?" he said. "I was hoping for some good freshkill tonight."

They walked back to the camp in a comfortable silence. Though Lightpaw had a bunch of questions regarding DarkClan on the tip of her tongue, she thought it best not to pry. She didn't want to give herself away.

Before the reached the camp, Sprucetail joined them.

"I heard what happened during training," she said quickly, looking between the two of them. "You're quite the fighter, aren't you?"

"But she's not quite that stealthy," Jaystrike replied. "Quite like someone I know."

Sprucetail shot him a half-amused expression. "Good thing I had you to yowl at me every time I brushed a leaf or stepped on a twig."

Lightpaw listened to their exchange, wondering if they had ever spoken to each other like this while still in DarkClan. Belatedly, she realized Sprucetail was the littermate Thistleshade had told her about.

"Thistleshade said that about you too," she blurted out. "When I talked to her about working on my stealth."

The she-cat suddenly looked sad. "Yes, Thistleshade was always the quieter one of the two of us. I'm surprised she risked talking about me."

So the rebels did know about the restrictions Dawnstar had placed on talk of the rebellion.

"It was just to make me feel better about it," Lightpaw said quickly.

"She was always good at that too," Sprucetail replied. "Very motherly." She took up the lead and Lightpaw, looking to Jaystrike for marching orders, found he was watching her with a wistful expression.

As they approached the camp, a certain gloom reached them. Sprucetail slowed her pace, falling into step with Jaystrike. Lightpaw stepped ahead, but listened to the exchange behind her.

"There's something I need to tell you, and it might be hard to hear. I know you and Birchfrost were always close and she was one of the finest mentors and guardians in DarkClan. But the greencough... I'm here if you need me."

Jaystrike's strangled cry rang out just as Lightpaw stepped into camp and saw the white and grey body lying in the centre of camp.

// This turned out longer than expected, but hopefully it makes up for all the time I was away for. Now tell me: any ships out there? Any theories or guesses as to future events? I'd love to hear from you!