Swiftkit's POV

I had been lying in Jayfeather's den for what felt like moons. If I tried to do so much as sit up, he would snap at me. All I wanted to do was get up, leave this den...

And claw Goldenshine's eyes out.

Not really, but I couldn't believe that she had blown my cover to Jayfeather. I didn't know exactly what he knew, but it seemed like he knew I was up to something.

Jayfeather is weird, I thought, trying to rationalize, he probably doesn't know anything, and I'm just being paranoid.

I turned my head to the entrance of the medicine den to see that it was nearly moonhigh. Cats were stirring, starting to work their way to their dens.

I'm in the medicine den, I realized, will Ashfur and Tigerstar come visit me tonight, nevertheless?

I then turned to look at Jayfeather, who was padding over to me. He sat down next to my nest, ran his tail over my wound and then sniffed it. I tensed up as he did this.

"Hm, it looks like it's getting better," he commented. "Lucky you."

I let out a small huff, detecting Jayfeather's sarcasm. Well, that's good, I guess.

I had gotten the wound at another battle training session with Ashfur. I had been trying to learn how to defend myself rather than attack.

"I am going to attack you," Ashfur had told me, unsheathing his claws. "Do all you can to defend yourself and... not allow for any wounds." For whatever reason, when he had said that last part, his eyes had been gleaming with determination.

My eyes had immediately gone down to his unsheathed claws. "Shouldn't we do this with claws sheathed?" I had asked, trying not to seem nervous. "I think that's what they do in Clan battle training."

Ashfur had hissed and said, "Foxdung! That won't get an apprentice anywhere. What if a Clan of warriors were to attack your camp, having declared a war, and they leaped into the apprentices' den? Young apprentices would have no idea how to defend themselves with sheathed claws!" Ashfur explained. "You're getting a head start."

I nodded in understanding. That's true, I had thought. Why don't ThunderClan warriors train like this?

I unsheathed my small claws and dug them into the ground, also lashing my tail back and forth, waiting for Ashfur's attack.

I barely had time to prepare any more, for only heartbeats after Ashfur's lecture, he had leaped at me, claws out and teeth bared.

I let out a squeak of fear and tried to leap out of the way, but Ashfur was faster. He landed on top of me, his eyes blaring, and then raked his claws along my flank, causing the injury that seemingly every cat in ThunderClan was freaking out about.

I had yowled in pain, not being able to bear it. Ashfur bent his head down and hissed in my ear, "That's what you get."

I let out a sigh of relief as he backed up off of me. "What do you mean?" I asked, breathless.

Ashfur had stood staring for several heartbeats, his eyes narrowed. He looked like he had wanted to spit an insult at me, but he held back. He shook his head quickly and said, "You didn't get away fast enough! If you want to be the best warrior in the forest, you're going to have to do better than that."

I tilted my head, finally starting to calm down, but still shaken by Ashfur's fierce attack. Realizing how much I had let it get to me, I dug my claws into the dry earth in frustration.

He's right. If I want to be the best warrior I can be, I have to deal with whatever is thrown at me.

I had woken up that morning feeling unbearable pain all over again. I had looked up to see that Goldenshine was still asleep. I turned my body to look at my flank. I held in a gasp to see that the wound that Ashfur had given me looked awful. It was deep and covered in dried blood.

I can't let Goldenshine see this, I had realized, what would she think?

Unfortunately though, she had seen it, and here I was now, stuck in the medicine den.

I sighed to myself, exasperated and frustrated. If I keep going on with these training sessions in the Dark Forest, who knows how often I'll be sitting in this den?

Apparently my sigh had carried over to where Jayfeather was now back to his herbs. He turned his head and faced me with his blind eyes. "Sigh louder, why don't you?" he muttered, turning back to his herbs.

"Sorry," I meowed, adjusting myself, trying to get more comfortable in my nest.

"Sorry for what, exactly?" Jayfeather asked, turning his head again with eyes narrowed.

What in the name of StarClan are you talking about, mouse-brain? I asked in my head, but not daring asking it out loud. But I did ask, "...What do you mean?"

Does he really know something?

Jayfeather slowly started to walk towards me, his tail twitching slightly. "What do you mean, flea-brain? You know what I'm talking about."

I slowly began to sink down in my nest, suddenly intimidated by Jayfeather and his words.

I'm busted.

Before I could give him any sort of response, he went on, sitting down, "I'm not going to stop you from training in the Dark Forest," he began, "You clearly are very intent on doing it. You tried to hide this injury, and I see-" He cut himself off and then continued, "It seems like it's on your mind a lot."

I looked down to the ground of the medicine den, not daring to make eye contact with the gray tabby tom. Is it that obvious? I wondered.

"You're making a big mistake," Jayfeather said, almost at a whisper. "But you're clearly as stubborn as badger fighting for its den. I'm just going to let you deal with the consequences."

I couldn't help but let my eyes widen at Jayfeather's strong words.

I have no idea what to say. He knows what I am doing. How?

Jayfeather almost seemed to know that I was going to question him, turning away from me and back to his herbs once again. "Get some sleep," he murmured. "If you want to appear as if you're not getting battered every night, you need to take it easy and let your wounds heal."

I lied my head down in my nest, still in shock. Jayfeather does know that I'm training in the Dark Forest, I thought. I curled up into a little ball, trying to get comfortable again despite my wounds. Does it matter though? He didn't try and stop me, and I'm receiving great training anyway. I don't even understand what could be wrong with doing this.

Deep in my thoughts, my eyes finally were able to close, and darkness surrounded me.

I opened my eyes to find myself in the same clearing that I had woken up in every night. I stood up quickly, beginning to brace myself for the tough night ahead.

Who cares if I get a scratch here or there while I'm training here? If anything, I'll just look tougher to other cats! I thought. I'd rather not have attention brought to my wounds though, if possible.

I hissed to myself as I remembered how Cherrykit had visibly freaked out over my flank wound, making it so much more than it actually was. I wouldn't have even had to go to the medicine den if it wasn't for her! I thought, barring my teeth. She deserved the scorn I gave her.

I then widened my eyes and shook my head, realizing how crazy I sounded, for once. Cherrykit is really nice, and a good friend. She may be a mouse-brain with a big mouth, but she was only worried.

Before I could think about anything else, I heard an alarmingly loud growl come from behind me, "You idiot!"

I let out a small squeal of fear and then turned to face the cat that had spoken to me. It was Tigerstar. It had already been apparent in his voice, but he looked incredibly angry. "Discovered by a blind medicine cat? Could you have made yourself any more obvious?"

My eyes widened in disbelief. In my shock, I didn't even realizing who I was about to talk back to, "What was I supposed to do? Ashfur practically ripped my flank apart last night! I tried to hide it the best I could!"

"Obviously if that piece of foxdung of a medicine cat discovered what you were up to, then it wasn't good enough!" I heard Ashfur's voice, and I looked to Tigerstar's side to see that Ashfur was emerging from the bushes and into the clearing.

I let out a sigh of exasperation, not knowing how else to defend myself anymore. You mouse-brain! I said to myself, They're right. I could've prevented all of this from happening.

I looked up from where I had been staring at the ground to see that Tigerstar and Ashfur were now looking at each other with smirks on their faces. Then they both turned their gazes to look at me.

"Nevermind that, anymore, Swiftkit," Tigerstar said, speaking with intent. "You clearly have taken a lot from these training sessions, but I can tell that with all you are learning in so little time, they are becoming hard to handle."

"-and hide," Ashfur added, muttering while rolling his eyes.

Tigerstar gave Ashfur a small hiss and then looked back at me. "We are going to put your sessions on hold for a few sunrises."

My eyes widened and my claws dug into the ground. What?

Ashfur then came in. "That is because we have another task for you. We wouldn't want to overwhelm you with both training and your new, important task."

Important task? I thought excitedly. Wow!

Tigerstar then looked from side to side and then took some steps forward towards me, as if he was going to tell me a secret. Ashfur quickly padded up to stand beside him.

"There is a fox lurking on ThunderClan currently," Tigerstar began, "So far, no cat has dared get in its way, but we think you would be the perfect cat to get it off of your territory."

I could barely believe what I was hearing. "Are you kidding?" I exclaimed, not even realizing how weak I might sound by questioning Tigerstar, "How would I, a kit, be most capable of fighting off a fox?"

Ashfur cut in once again. "How wouldn't you? You have received excellent training from the two of us. That's all you'll need!"

I tilted my head and narrowed my eyes. "Are you sure?" I asked, still incredibly uncertain.

Tigerstar nodded. "Surer than sure."

Before I could express my uncertainty anymore, I noticed that all of the trees and bushes around me were starting to fade away to nothing.

"Hm, it seems that you are waking a little earlier today," Ashfur commented. "Do as your were told, and if you succeed, imagine the kind of training we can give you if we see you are capable of this."

Ashfur's words echoed in my ears as my eyes opened to see the empty medicine den, besides Jayfeather, who was curled up in his nest.

Just by glancing outside for a heartbeat, I could tell that it was barely dawn, and I saw Brambleclaw, having emerged from the warriors den to stand under the Highledge, ready to organize patrols.

I narrowed my eyes, deep in thought about the meeting I had just had. I was supposed to go out and confront a fox. All by myself.

Ashfur's words stuck in my mind. Imagine the kind of training we can give you if we see you are capable of this.

Thinking of his words suddenly gave me a surge of determination. There was no way I was going to back out of this mission.

As quietly as I could, watching Jayfeather to make sure that I wouldn't wake him up as I moved, I stood up and slowly walked towards the entrance to the medicine den. I peeked out to see that Brambleclaw was not facing where I was, and was doing a quick grooming of his fur. I looked to my left to see that Lilypetal was still on guard by the camp entrance, but if I was quick enough, she wouldn't notice me escaping the camp.

I looked both ways again, and then stealthily padded through camp, scanning my surroundings to make sure that no cat was seeing me. I headed for the entrance to the dirtplace.

Luckily, I was able to walk swiftly. Jayfeather's healing herbs were already starting to work.

Or maybe my name is just that fitting, I joked to myself.

Glancing one last time around camp to make sure I wasn't being seen, I leaped out of sight and followed the trail up towards the dirtplace. Then, eventually, I just began to wander out into the forest.

I have no idea where I'm going, I realized to myself, but I am not going to fail in this task. What would happen to me then? I'm not that weak.

My mind swirling, I hesitantly wandered deeper into the forest.