It had been two moons since the kits had been apprenticed. Stripepaw was bigger than half the Clan, even Ravenclaw! Docilepaw was an excellent medicine cat. She knew what to do in a dire situation. Sirenpaw and Crazyfeather were closer than any apprentice and mentor. They both played games and did all the insane things Crazyfeather did as an apprentice. Spotpaw, however, was only interested in battle and would unsheathe his claws during training. He was close to killing Vinetail when he wanted to fight a warrior. Mousepelt's worries for the young apprentice grew more and more.

Limptail and Viperfang ignored their kits and never praised them. Limptail had gotten hurt while chasing a RiverClan cat out ShadowClan territory. Docilepaw fixed her father up, but he left the nursery without a word. Spotpaw's resentment toward his parents couldn't be hidden. Mousepelt could understand. Navi abandoned her, but Mousepelt still have her fresh-kill and picked ticks off her back. Even Navi would share tongues and praise Mousepelt for a good catch.

It was thundering and lighting one night. Spotpaw, Sirenpaw, and Docilepaw were in the apprentice's den, close together as the scary noises frightened the she-cats. Mousepelt and Ravenclaw decided to join them to give them comfort.

"Why are you two taking care of us?" Sirenpaw asked with a pitiful mew.

"Shouldn't Limptail and Viperfang be caring for us?" Docilepaw agreed.

"Limptail and Viperfang shouldn't have had kits together," Ravenclaw answered honestly, "they didn't know how to care for them, or give them what they needed..."

"I hate them!" Spotpaw spat.

"You don't mean that!" Sirenpaw pleaded.

"Of course I mean that!" Spotpaw replied. "They don't like us why should we like them?"

"They're your parents, Spotpaw," Mousepelt choked on her words. A kit should never say that about their parent, even if they do ignore them.

"That obviously doesn't matter to them!" Spotpaw spat.

"It's okay, Spotpaw," Docilepaw reassured her brother, pressing her flank to his, "as long as we have each other, we don't need Limptail or Viperfang!"

"What kind of care can we obtain from each other if we don't have the care of our parents?" Spotpaw shoves his sister away. "If I ever become leader, I will banish those two from the forest and pray to StarClan that they stuffer!"

When the storm passed the next day, Crazyfeather took Sirenpaw out to hunt and Coldeyes announced to Docilepaw that he was taking her to the Moonpool. Mousepelt took Spotpaw out for battle training with Stripepaw and Blackclaw. But Stripepaw was wary. After the incident with Vinetail, many of the warriors eyed the grey spotted warrior suspiciously.

Mousepelt watched intently as Spotpaw and Stripepaw practiced. Mousepelt had ordered him to keep his claws sheathed, or he'd have to do all Stripepaw's duties. The tom was taking all his energy to keep himself from unsheathing his claws.

"You're doing good, Spotpaw!" Mousepelt was impressed her apprentice was wasn't using his claws, but still seemed to beat the bigger cat. "Don't forget your back paws, they'll be useful in a real battle!"

"Come on, Stripepaw!" Blackclaw called out to her apprentice. "He's smaller than you, therefore he is at a disadvantage!"

Stripepaw still fought as Spotpaw pinned him down. "But, he's too strong! He's at an advantage, because no one would expect him to be so strong!" Spotpaw's red eyes glimmered as he glared down at his opponent.

"You still need to train on how to stop an opponent stronger than you!" Blackclaw shot.

That's when the loud snapping of a twig made the cats spin to see Flowerstem. Her body lowered and ears back. Spotpaw let Stripepaw go and snarled at the ThunderClan medicine cat.

"What do you want, Flowerstem?" Mousepelt growled. If this was the cat in ThunderClan spying on her and Spotpaw, the brown warrior was going to claw at Amberheart.

"I... Came to ask if I could borrow chamomile... From Coldeyes." Flowerstem answered. Mousepelt felt as if the she-cat wasn't telling the full truth.

"Very well," Mousepelt flicked her tail, "Spotpaw, go hunt with Blackclaw and Stripepaw, we'll go on a border patrol when I come back." she made her way back to camp with Flowerstem close behind.

After a long moment of silence, Flowerstem finally spoke. "You know don't you?" her voice shook with sorrow.

"If Amberheart knows, then so do I..." Mousepelt answered, not looking back.

"Then you should know, I've been the one coming in to ShadowClan territory, not Amberheart..." Flowerstem reassured.

"I appreciate your honesty, Flowerstem," Mousepelt closed her eyes, "but I'm afraid you just weren't meant to be a mate, especially to Coldeyes."

"I know... But, no matter what... I still admire him... He's much more loyal to his duty and Clan than I am..."

Mousepelt didn't say anything as they came in to camp and into the medicine den. Docilepaw was looking down at two stacks of berries. One stack had juniper berries, while the other had a stack Mousepelt had never seen.

"These are the death berries!" Docilepaw pointed at the stack of strange berries.

"Good job, Docilepaw, now-" Coldeyes stopped when he looked up to see Mousepelt and Flowerstem. "What is it Flowerstem?" the ShadowClan medicine cat asked, with little enthusiasm.

"I need some chamomile..." Flowerstem answered. "Cinderfoot stayed up last night trying to find something for Tawnyfur's scorched paw and she's too tired for the trip to the Moonpool. I need to bring her for Docilepaw."

"Very well," Coldeyes looked around and took the white flower out from under a crack, "here, may StarClan light your path..." with a flick of his tail, Coldeyes disappeared in to his den.

Suddenly, a yowl broke out at the clearing and the thudding of heavy, running Paws. "Get your filthy paws off of her!" Mousepelt, Flowerstem, and Docilepaw ran out to see Spotpaw pounce on Limptail, who was pinning Sirenpaw down on her back. Crazyfeather helped the she-cat up, while Stoneheart and Yellowstone pulled the quarreling toms apart.

"What were you doing to her?" Spotpaw spat at his cream colored father.

"She was about to eat a plump vole, when she should have given it to Ratdung!" Limptail responded, with his fur bristling. "He's the oldest and doesn't deserve a stringy thrush!"

"Ratdung likes thrush!" Crazyfeather snapped.

"That doesn't matter!" Limptail growled. "Elder's come first!"

"I'm sorry..." Sirenpaw mewed.

"You shouldn't be the one to apologize!" Spotpaw turned on his sister. "Did you pin Ratdung down and force him to eat the thrush? No! Limptail should apologize for hurting you!" the white tom looked back to his father.

"I see no point in apologizing to her!" Limptail shot.

"She's your kit!" Spotpaw pointed out. "You should be telling her to do her job calmly instead of pinning her down and snarling at her!"

"I could never be that gentle to a kit I never went to visit!" Docilepaw bounded over to her sister's side and pressed her shoulder close to hers.

"You should love us like a real father does!"

"I could never love a kit of that fox-hearted she-cat!" Limptail turned his head to Viperfang, who just sat beside the fresh-kill pile, grooming herself as she watched.

"You should be sticking up for us!" Spotpaw hissed to his mother. Viperfang just flicked her tail and made her way to the warrior's den. She then turned to look at her kits with narrowed eyes.

"Why should I stick up for the kits of that tom?" she meowed, disappearing in to the den.

Spotpaw dug his claws in to the ground and bared his teeth. "I hope you die in the most painful way ever and I am standing over your bleeding body! I won't be the one to kill you, but I hope you feel ever minute of it!" with that Spotpaw bolted out the camp.

Mousepelt trekked through the forest with Spotpaw close to her. It was the day after he and Limptail's quarrel. Spotpaw's eyes turned dark and cloudy. His evil look made Mousepelt shiver, knowing no cat would be there to stop him if he attacked. They came to a stop when Mousepelt smelled something.

"Why'd we stop?" Spotpaw demanded.

That's when the white pelt and scarred face if Silversol appeared from the bracken. Her yellow green eyes shining down on Spotpaw. Mousepelt immediately stepped in front of her apprentice and bared her teeth and unsheathing her claws. Silversol frowned from having Spotpaw blocked off.

"What do you want Silversol?" Mousepelt hissed.

"I came for him of course." Silversol purred, pointing at Spotpaw with her nose.

"Me?" Spotpaw asked, stepping up from behind Mousepelt, his red eyes full of wonder and interest in the she-cat.

"Yes, little one, I couldn't bare to see you being treated with such harshness!" Silversol spat. "Even from your own family!" Mousepelt looked to see Spotpaw's face grow dark.

"Spotpaw, don't listen to her!" Mousepelt pleaded. "She's just going to-" She was then smacked away by Silversol as the Dark Forest cat snarled and turned back to Spotpaw with a compassionate look.

"If you come with me," Silversol purred with passion in her eyes, "you won't just be gaining a loving mother, but the power to become the best warrior in all the lake!" 

"The whole lake?" Spotpaw jumped excitingly.

"It will all be yours!" Silversol mewed. "Just come with me and I'll teach you how! You can even get back at Limptail and Viperfang!" 

"Spotpaw... Don't..." Mousepelt pleaded weakly, the pain in her side like needles.

"Forget trying to win me back, Mousepelt!" Spotpaw spat. "Viperfang and Limptail will pay for abandoning me and my sisters!" he began walking away with Silversol and Mousepelt immediately got to her paws and began running, but as Silversol spun around, a huge wall of fire blocked the brown warrior's way. "Woah!" Spotpaw's eyes widened. "Will you teach me how to do that?"

"I'll teach you more than that," Silversol purred, leading the tom in the the woods, "my son."

"Spotpaw!" Mousepelt shrieked. But, it was too late. The last thing Mousepelt saw of her apprentice was he and Silversol vanish in a puff of smoke.