(Don't ship)
Ivypaw looked forward to her next meeting with Hawkfrost in the Dark Forest, which she was fooled into believing was StarClan. He was the only cat who seemed to understand her and knew she wanted to be noticed like Dovepaw. She bounced down the mist-swirled path like a kit, her blue gaze full of excitement.

Hawkfrost's head rose from up ahead, his chilling ice-blue gaze staring at her without any emotion. It took that mouse-brain long enough! "You're early," the dark tabby, who bared a somewhat similar resembelance to Tigerstar, the only difference being his belly fur that was white like frost, and his eye colour that gave a chill up a cat's spine.

But that was not the case with Ivypaw. She enjoyed the tom's company, the constant praising and the friendliness that he showed her. It was more than what any cat had given her in her whole Clan as they usually treated Dovepaw as if she was special.

"I couldn't wait any longer for my next training session," Ivypaw explained, "so I fell asleep earlier than what I have been. I hate it there." Her paws sunk slightly into the damp ground, a look of disgust appearing on her white and black-striped, gray-patched face. "Ugh, I hate stepping around here! Yuck!"

"It would be great if you could fly, now wouldn't it? Too bad you're not a bird with wings, because I'm sure you'd be flying here from your Clan. Firestar would be amazed," Hawkfrost meowed. "But you're not here for training just yet."

Ivypaw frowned. "Why not?" she asked. "I love the training I get here. Your moves are so much better than Cinderheart's. I feel stronger than my Clanmates with all that I've learned here so far." You're training to kill, not try showing off to your Clanmates. This must be kept a secret! He bit back his words as he knew he'd hurt the she-cat.

"Killing is far more important than proving you're as good as Dovepaw," Hawkfrost decided to say instead, flexing his claws. "Of course, your enemies will tremble in fear when you dart into battle. . . but Dovepaw is meaningless."

"I thought you were interested in Dovepaw. You keep asking me about her." Ivypaw's gaze then turned duller. "Please don't tell me she's not training here, too! I want to be the only cat who gets trained by a StarClan warrior!"

"Of course not. Dovepaw is not worth our time of training, but there's more to her than what you can see. . ." Hawkfrost's voice trailed off. "It's something Firestar can see above the rest of ThunderClan, too, and perhaps Jayfeather and Lionblaze. Enough talk."

She's only enjoying her time here because she believes I care about her. Pathetic! She is just another piece of prey for us to use to kill her kin and tear the heart of the Clans apart. Naive apprentices cannot see that, Hawkfrost thought darkly to himself. This is something we've longed for, Tigerstar and I.

"So now are we going to be training?" Ivypaw questioned.

"Yes, but instead you will not be fighting me."

"Then who?"

A tortoiseshell she-cat stepped out from the darkness, her piercing yellow gaze meeting Ivypaw's, and her rotting yellow teeth showing slightly. Her fur was matted as she unsheathed her claws, stopped walking, and waited for Ivypaw as mist surrounded her, her yellow gaze flashing.

"Me," Mapleshade answered. "Hawkfrost says you're a promising warrior for StarClan. If he isn't lying, then I shall be your opponent to see if it is true." If she even learns anything besides mooning over me. Love is not important to me; power is.

Hawkfrost narrowed his gaze into cold, icy slits. The Dark Forest will be stronger with Ivypaw. She is a good fighter and a worthy addition to our army. Tigerstar chose well, however she still has much more to learn that won't be pleasant.

He looked up to where the sky should be; bare trees made it impossible for the sky to be noticeable. When the time comes, I know she'll be on our side. That mouse-brained 'paw doesn't even know what's she's gotten herself into.