So sorry for that month's wait, I've been extremely busy. However, I managed to squeeze out a chapter for y'all despite having lots of homework I should be doing.

Silentpaw rears up in the air, reaching for the leaf, paw burning. She thumps to the ground with a yowl. I can't keep doing this. It hurts too much. Bloodfang was doing a training exercise with her to train her to balance on her hind legs better, and to reach up as tall and high as possible. Silentpaw was supposed to rear up on her hind legs and stretch towards the lowest leaf on one of the low hanging branches of a beech tree.

This exercise wasn't supposed to be easy, but not super hard, either. However, with a twisted paw, Silentpaw was finding it very hard to reach. Bloodfang sighs loudly. "Birchpaw and Heatherpaw were supposed to be joining us for a group training session, but I guess we'll call it quits for today. As much as I believe you should work through the pain, that will only make your paw worse. You can still pick ticks off the elders with one paw," she said.

"Ticks?" Silentpaw yelped. "I don't-"

"Would you rather we keep training?" Bloodfang snapped. Silentpaw shook her head. "That's what I thought," Bloodfang growled. "Let's head back to camp."

Silentpaw limped all the way back to camp, Bloodfang shooting annoyed glances at her every few steps. Silentpaw wanted to snap something at her mentor, but didn't know what. I should be happy she's not asking about how it really happened. Silentpaw limped into camp behind Bloodfang. "Silentpaw! Are you okay?" asked Oneflower, who was eating a sparrow with Doveheart, a light gray she-cat with yellow eyes. The light brown she-cat with dark brown spots and stripes bounded over. "You're limping!" she exclaimed.

"She's fine, she's fine!" Bloodfang growled in annoyance, lashing her tail.

"I don't know, she's really limping," said Mothshine, a pale orange and white tabby, who had been grooming herself nearby. "I think she should go to see Spruceheart."

"Don't you have a patrol to go on or something?" Bloodfang snapped at her.

"No, so I can go get Spruceheart for you," Mothshine replied innocently. Bloodfang looked ready to rake her claws down the tabby she-cat's face.

"Thanks, Oneflower, Mothshine, I'm okay, I'm going to go to Spruceheart, you don't have to worry," Silentpaw said quickly. Mothshine nodded and walked away.

"That's good, tell me if you need anything," Oneflower meowed, quickly touching her nose to her ear tip. Silentpaw felt warmth spread through her body at the kind gesture.

"Get going," Bloodfang growled.

Silentpaw limps ahead, slipping into the medicine cat den. She blinks her eyes, adjusting to the gloom. Spruceheart was sitting with his back to her, nose-to-nose with the stone wall. Silentpaw hesitates.

"Um, hello? Spruceheart?" she calls. The tom whipped around, making Silentpaw flinch in surprise.

"Oh. Hello Silentpaw. I didn't see you there," he said slowly. His eyes were far away and distant, like he wasn't really there, looking at her. "Come closer. What's wrong?" he asked. Silentpaw shuffled closer, muscles tense. She was afraid Spruceheart would snap out of his trance at any moment, teeth ripping at her neck. Silentpaw shook that visual away. I'm being silly. Spruceheart is a medicine cat! He's probably just distracted by something. Silentpaw stuck out her paw.

"I twisted it," she replied, just as Bloodfang slipped in behind. Please don't ask how! Spruceheart didn't, just sniffed her paw. He then instructed her to place it on the ground.

"I'm going to apply some pressure, tell me if it hurts," he said. He placed his paw on hers, pressing it into the ground.

"Ouch! That hurts," Silentpaw yelped, and Spruceheart took his paw off.

"Yes, definitely strained. Stay off it for two days, then after, gentle exercise until it's fully healed," he told her.

"Two days? That seems excessive," Bloodfang growled. Spruceheart didn't blink.

"Two days, or it will only get worse." Bloodfang sighed loudly.

"Silentpaw!" came a yelp. The three of them turned their heads towards the entrance of the den, as Heatherpaw rolled in. "I heard you hurt your paw. Did it happen fighting Swallowpaw?" she asked. Silentpaw's heart sank, as Bloodfang whipped her head towards her.

"You. Fought. Swallowpaw?" she growled. Silentpaw's ears swiveled back.

"Yes," she muttered, and shot an angry glance at Heatherpaw, who looked guilty. Bloodfang sighed.

"Silentpaw, Silentpaw. Will you never learn?" Silentpaw's mentor turned towards Heatherpaw again. "How did it happen?"

"Well, Swallowpaw started it. He was trying to tell Silentpaw what to do, but she wasn't having it. Then he started making fun of her for not having a mom, and Froststar stepped in. He said they needed to fight it out at the sandy hollow," she replied.

Bloodfang flicked an ear. "Oh?" she responded, voice laced with intrigue.

"Yeah. So they fought. Swallowpaw won, but Silentpaw didn't give up. It was Froststar who finally called it," she finished, chest puffed up in pride for her adopted littermate. Bloodfang turned back to Silentpaw.

"Hmm. You surprised me, Silentpaw. Good job. Fighting till you couldn't anymore. That's a true warrior. I suppose you have some claw and fang wounds you're hiding, have Spruceheart put something on them. You do deserve a rest." Relief flooded through Silentpaw. She's not mad! "Heatherpaw, go get Silentpaw a mouse please," Bloodfang said.

"Sure thing!" Heatherpaw replied, bounding out of the den. Bloodfang's tail twitched.

"Eat the mouse, and rest. The moment your paw is ready, we'll start training again. I think you're ready to start learning."

"Learning what?" Silentpaw asked, curious. Bloodfang's eyes darkened, and her lips peeled back, exposing her fangs.

"Learning to kill."

*******

Swiftkit finished placing the last marigold leaf in a pile, then placed a small rock over top of it, to keep the leaves from scattering. There were a total of five piles: marigold leaves, marigold flower, burdock root, catmint, and a pile of new leaves she had never seen before. They were small, longish green leaves with jagged edges. I wonder what herb this is? I'll have to ask Wishfeather when she gets back.

As if her thoughts summoned her, Wishfeather slipped into the den. Swiftkit noticed she had a distant look in her eyes, and overall looked a bit dazed. "Welcome back!" Swiftkit chirped, hoping the sound of her voice would cause Wishfeather to snap out of it. The silver she-cat didn't, only muttering a thank you. Swiftkit frowned, and tried again. "Wishfeather, what is this herb?" she asked, hooking a mystery leaf in her claws. Wishfeather blinked, eyes finally coming into focus.

"Oh- those are daisy leaves. They are used for achy joints. I don't know why I got those, we don't need them, I guess it was just out of habit. I would chew them up and give them to the elders," she meowed. Swiftkit cocked her head.

"Elders? What are elders?" she questioned.

"Oh, Swiftkit!" Wishfeather sighed loudly, making Swiftkit flinch slightly, at the sudden volume change. "You would have been such a good medicine cat apprentice!"

Swiftkit flattened her ears against her head. Wishfeather was speaking nonsense now. What's wrong with Wishfeather? What's a medicine cat, elders, an apprentice?

"There's something I need to tell you. A lot of things, actually. Sit down," Wishfeather said, sitting down as well. Swiftkit walked over, sitting in front of her, eyes wide in anticipation. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not.... but StarClan told me I should."

"What's StarClan?" Swiftkit asked quietly.

"I guess I should start there," Wishfeather sighed. Swiftkit listened, paying attention the entire time, as Wishfeather explained the Clans to her. ThunderClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, WindClan, and SkyClan. She told her about StarClan and the Dark Forest, and how an evil leader named Froststar took over, killing so many cats. He drove out all the Clans but ShadowClan, with an equally evil leader, Russetstar. The two clans live in harmony, if that's what you can call two clans living for blood.

"I was the medicine cat in ThunderClan, Swiftkit. Medicine cats are forbidden to have kits. I am not your mother," she said. Swiftkit's gut twisted painfully. She had never thought about this before. It was always just Wishfeather and Swiftkit, in the old fox den. She didn't know there was a whole other world.

"Your mother is Coldrose. She was also in ThunderClan. She saved my life, Froststar was going to kill me but she helped me escape. She had her kits. But..." Wishfeather trailed off, voice full of pain. "She... she's dead now, Swiftkit," she choked out, looking away. Swiftkit was thankful she was sitting, because she felt woozy, the world spinning before her eyes. I have a mother.... no, had a mother. I'm part of a Clan.... ruled by a killer. It felt hard to breathe.

My whole life has been a lie. This life in this old fox den has been a peaceful illusion, the real world lurking right outside. There's more troubling things in life than mystery herbs and having to stop playing at dark. The dark is in fact full of snarling monsters, gnashing teeth, claws stained red with blood worn by cats with rotten hearts and frozen souls who's every breath they release shrivels the flowers and muddies the water. Cats who see no problem with a leader who will kill you if he pleases, who'll kill a mother with newborn kits and-

Swiftkit paused. "Wishfeather... you said kits. Am I not Coldrose's only kit?" Wishfeather turned her gaze back on Swiftkit, and it seemed to hurt her to do that.

"Yes," she replied, voice hoarse. "You're not the only one. You have a sister, in ThunderClan. Her name is Silentkit- Silentpaw now, she's an apprentice. And if we don't help her, she'll turn out just like the rest of them."

Swiftkit shook her head slowly, looking at her paws. This is so much to take in. I have a sister?

"Swiftkit," said a new voice. Swiftkit snapped her head up, to see a shimmering tortoiseshell she-cat standing before her. With a squeak of surprise, Swiftkit scrambled back until she bumped up against the dirt wall of the den. "Don't be alarmed," the she-cat meowed. Swiftkit caught Wishfeather shooting the cat a glare. "My name is Ivyclaw, I am from StarClan. I was killed by Froststar. I am also his older sister. I understand this is a lot to take in. But we need you to understand something. Your mother is dead, and your sister is in danger. The Clans are at risk of being destroyed forever. You're our last hope."

"You don't have to to do this, Swiftkit," Wishfeather said. Swiftkit looked back and forth between the two cats. Now that she knew this information, her life would never be the same. She couldn't just stay in the den, romping outside like she had only minutes before. Everything was different now.

But these Clans aren't my responsibility. I may have ThunderClan blood, but the Clan it is now clearly isn't the one it was before. And I don't even know my sister. She could be evil. She doesn't know I exist. Besides, I'm fine without a sister now.

But what if you had one? Whispered the voice in the back of her head. You could save the Clans. You're their last hope. Swiftkit closed her eyes. She imagined bounding through the forest next to Silentpaw, laughing and purring, catching roads and beetles, resting under cool bushes and eating mice. She imagined running back to her mother at the end of the day, curling up next to her. Swiftkit opened her eyes, heart aching. That was never to be, because her mother was dead.

Because Froststar killed her. He tore my family apart. Swiftkit looked at Ivyclaw's pleading expression, and Wishfeather's sullen one. Wishfeather knows it will be dangerous, whatever I have to do. But she misses the Clans, I can tell. Swiftkit took a deep breath. Her decision, she knew, would decide her fate, the fate of her sister, and maybe even the fate of the Clans.

"I'll do it," Swiftkit said. "I'll stop Froststar." Wishfeather let out a sharp cry, while Ivyclaw sighed in relief.

"Then it's time you become an apprentice, Swiftkit. I will train you in the ways of a warrior, so you will be prepared to enter ThunderClan. You will go when you are nine moons old, that should be enough time to train you. When you finally take on Froststar, you won't be alone. StarClan will be with you every step of the way," Ivyclaw finished. Wishfeather stepped forward, brushing her muzzle against Swiftkit's.

"I hate that you have to do this, but it's for the Clans. I know you can do it, and we'll prepare you well, Swiftkit." Wishfeather stepped back, eyes twinkling. "But I guess you're not Swiftkit now. It's time for your apprentice ceremony." Swiftkit's heart fluttered. "You're going to be Swiftpaw now."