"Bunnypaw! Softpaw! Wolfpaw! Ivypool!" The Clan cheered the cats' new names. 

Ivypool held her head high. 

Jaywing watched as her mother's kits bounced into the clearing with their new mentors. They then took off for a tour of the territory. 

Ivypool headed for the fresh-kill pile. 

Jaywing almost thought that Wolfpaw wouldn't become an apprentice. In the nursery, he had attacked his sister, Softpaw. Her ears had been torn. And she had to stay in the nursery for a few days.

Squirrelflight was mentoring Wolfpaw, and was keeping a very close eye on the apprentice. Something seemed strange about the gray tom. He acted strange and always glared at everyone. He always complained about everything.

Wolfpaw walked past her, giving her a glare. 

Jaywing had had enough. "Wolfpaw!" She growled. 

Wolfpaw turned, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"You shouldn't be glaring at cats like that!" Jaywing hissed.

Wolfpaw still had a smug look on his face. "Since when did warriors ever respect apprentices?" He asked. He lashed his tail, clenching his teeth. "I've always wanted peace, but it seems that none of these cats have it."

Jaywing couldn't believe her ears. She glared at Wolfpaw, and opened her mouth to reply to him. But no words escaped her mouth. She was glad when her mother came over.

"Wolfpaw!" She hissed. Cinderheart flattened her ears. "Don't talk to my daughter like that!" 

Wolfpaw looked at Jaywing. "Why should I respect her if she doesn't respect me?" He challenged. "And I'm your kit too. I'm your son!"

Cinderheart sighed. "I'm not gonna deal with this!" She hissed. She stalked away. 

Before Jaywing could speak again, Wolfpaw walked off. Rude apprentice..

"Jaywing? Why is Wolfpaw so mean? When I'm an apprentice, I'm gonna stay away from him!" Mothkit mewed. She curled up beside Sootkit. Her sister dozed peacefully. 

"No need to worry," Jaywing meowed. "His attitude will soon get taken care of," She licked Mothkit's head. "You're only five moons old," She meowed.

"And in one more moon, I'll be in that apprentice den with him!" Mothkit complained.

Jaywing sighed. "Go play with Sootkit for a while. I'll be back," She turned from the nursery. Outside, she saw Wolfpaw arguing with Purdy. He'll learn that he's doing everything wrong one day. She looked at the warriors' den. Birchfall and Hazeltail were quietly talking. Millie and Graystripe were gathered around Thornclaw, who was organizing patrols.

Jaywing walked out of camp. As she headed toward the lake, she saw the shadows of cats by the lake. Maybe it's a ThunderClan patrol. Jaywing crouched and crept closer. She parted her jaws and tasted their scent, it bathed on her tongue. Rogues! There were five cats. A huge black tom with a splash of white on his back was talking to the cats. There was a small brown tabby she cat with a torn ear. A white tom with silver stripes sat by the black tom. Two tall golden she-cats sat beside each other, their ears pricked forward. 

Jaywing bristled and stalked forward. "What are you doing on ThunderClan land?" She hissed. 

The cats turned to her. The huge black tom stepped forward. 

"Your land?" The black tom sneered. "Oh, I didn't know," He laughed. 

"But you're on our land!" Jaywing hissed. 

The golden tabby she-cat stepped forward. "Well now it's ours, so get lost," She snorted.

"And you're outnumbered too," The black tom meowed. "So get lost!"

Jaywing lashed out. Her sharp claws hit his muzzle. Blood spattered on the grass and oozed out of his sliced nose. 

"Hey!" The black tom spat. He lashed out at Jaywing's ears. 

Jaywing dodged his attack and fled up the hill. 

"Follow her!" The voice of the black cat drifted to her ears.

Jaywing raced toward camp. Well, they'll protect me! The rogues will be outnumbered there! She jumped over roots and swerved tangled brambles. She could hear the beating of paws as the rogue cats raced after her. Her heart beat faster as she got closer to camp. Then, her paw got caught under an outstretched tree root. She landed face-first in a small muddy puddle. Jaywing scrambled to her paws, but it was to late. 

A rogue cat jumped from the bushes and landed on her back. Jaywing felt sharp claws sink into her pelt. She hissed with burning pain and shook off her attacker. Before the golden tabby she-cat could scramble to her paws, Jaywing slithered under her belly to slice her belly open. But the she-cat struck out her paw and hooked her claws in Jaywing's belly fur. She felt her flesh rip open as the golden cat slid her across the ground.

Heaving for breath, Jaywing scrambled to her paws. She turned and raced for camp again. She could feel the breath of the she-cat on her tail. Blood continued to pool out of her belly, and Jaywing felt herself getting weaker. She started to slow down. No! I won't die! She forced her paws to run, but she slipped in her own blood and rolled into a thorn bush.

She heard the she-cat hiss as she too slipped in the blood.

Panicking, Jaywing got to her paws and sped away. Her vision was blacking, and her eyes were trying to close, but she forced them open. I can't die! Finally, she burst through the camp entrance and rolled on the ground. Blood pooled under her, and she heard gasps from her Clanmates.

The rogue cats spilled into camp. They stopped dead in their tracks, and looked around. 

The black tom pushed his way to the front of his little group. 

Ashstar raced over to his daughter's  side. "Jaywing! Are you ok?" He asked. 

Jaywing weakly shook her head. "It hurts..." She gasped out. 

Ashstar glared at the rogue cats. His blue eyes blazed with hate.

Jaywing watched as her father glared at them. Blood trickled down her mouth, and her belly ebbed with a burning pain.

Her father lunged for the throat of the white tom. He sunk his claws in the cat's head, and beat him to the ground. His head quickly dipped down and his teeth tore into the throat of the white tom. The rogue cat writhed under his grip, then fell still. 

Brightheart and Alderpaw rushed over to Jaywing, and brought her to the medicine den. Her wounds burned, and the last thing she heard was the black cat yowling. 

"Well, looks like you killed Snow. Why can't we greet in a nice way? My name is Crow."