"Thistleclaw? Thistleclaw!" Hawkpaw raced through the dark forest. Earth sprayed behind her as she barged through the tangled overgrowth. Where is he? I need to train!

"Faster!" A sharp growl sliced through the mist. "Again! Do you want to die at the paws of an average warrior?" Hawkpaw heard a thud of hard muscle hitting the ground. What's going on? Is someone else here to train like me? Ears pricked, she inched forward and ducked behind a thornbush. As the fog swirled away, she saw numerous cats moving in a broad clearing. She watched as a dark tabby tom swung a hefty paw at another tom who was nearly twice his size. The other cat evaded his blow and was on the tom in an instant, battering his head with a flurry of paws. Hawkpaw gasped as blood sprayed from the torn fur. The tom wriggled free and met his attacker with vicious, slicing jabs. Hawkpaw furrowed her brows, knowing there was something familiar with the broad shoulders of the tabby. In a flash, she recognized him. Tideclaw! What is the RiverClan deputy doing here? Better yet, what are all these cats doing here?

She barely recognized any of them apart from Sharkpaw, Brindlespots and Maplepaw. Hawkpaw shivered at the tortoiseshell apprentice who had attacked her Clan, a feeling of despair and fear streaming through her body.

"Better," the long-haired tom growled. He had a brown clouded tabby pelt that was laced with slash marks and shimmering stars.

"Thanks, Mudfang." Tideclaw staggered back into the rank of cats.

"Who's next?" Hawkpaw didn't stick around to find out, she pelted away before crashing into her mentor.

"Thistleclaw," she gasped.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry? I was looking for you." She glanced behind her and his gaze darkened. "What did you see?"

She shuffled her paws, "Um, not much. Just...other cats."

He barged past her, "Come with me." She swallowed back her fear and reluctantly trailed after him. They plunged into the clearing, startling the warriors and making them look up. Maplepaw curled her lip upon seeing her but didn't say anything.

Mudfang bowed his head deeply, "Thistleclaw. What brings you here? Furthermore," he meowed while lifting his eyes. "Who is that?" Hawkpaw felt her pelt burn from all the stares.

"She is the destined cat, Hawkpaw."

Another dark tabby with a long scar across his face stepped forward and scoffed, "Her? She's the one? She's just a scrawny apprentice." Murmurs of agreement rippled among them.

"Nettleclaw, watch your mouth," Thistleclaw warned the dead cat.

"I could take her on," Maplepaw smirked.

"If I'm not mistaken, you were already beaten by her," mewed Sharkpaw.

"Why is an apprentice the fated one, but not me, a full grown warrior?" An orange calico she-cat protested.

"Everyone quiet down!" Thistleclaw roared. "You were chosen trainees to be her supporters. Feel honored that we even picked this pathetic lot!" The warriors growled but didn't speak against him. Is Thistleclaw the leader of StarClan? That would be so cool!

"Now, continue with your training as Hawkpaw and I oversee it." The cats resumed their positions while grumbling.

Hawkpaw flinched as Thistleclaw hissed in her ear, "these warriors are your pawns. Feel free to do what you will with them, they're loyalty belongs to you and you alone. We are merely shaping them up for you, so get to know their strengths and weaknesses. Every cat has them." Hawkpaw gave a timid nod and watched.

"What are their names? All I know is Tideclaw, Maplepaw, Sharkpaw and Brindlespots."

Thistleclaw nodded, "I'm glad you're enthusiastic to learn already. Well, that bracken colored tom with the striped tail is Eeltail, a warrior in RiverClan. Leopardpelt is the spotted brown tom, while his Clanmate Spottedfire is that she-cat." he flicked his tail at the calico that spoke up earlier. "They both belong to WindClan along with Brownpaw, that tom over there." he nodded to a brown cat who was clawing the air. I remember Pebblepaw talking about him at that Gathering, she mused. All these cats seem really tough! I hope they will actually listen to me.

"I'm not sure how to lead them."

"Don't worry, you'll learn and I'll be by your side to help," he purred and wound around her. "You should go back to your Clan now, they're waking up."

She coiled her claws as she rolled her shoulders. "Okay. Bye then!"

Hawkpaw felt a paw prodding her side, "Wake up, sleepyslug." She moaned and got up.

"What time is it?"

"A little past sunup," Rabbitpaw meowed.

"Did dawn patrol leave already?"

"Yeah, don't worry. You weren't chosen."

"Good." She smoothed her fur with a few laps and stretched. "Let's go outside." They trotted out of the cave and she squinted at the sudden brightness. The Clan was already bustling about and were grooming each other while sharing the latest gossip in the usual groups.

"I'm going to share tongues with, Applepaw. See you." Hawkpaw waved her tail and decided to look for Lightningmask. He always has good gossip. She found him digging in the fresh-kill pile and tackled him playfully, purring as he squealed dramatically.

"Come share tongues with me," she begged pleadingly.

"Okay, okay. But you got to get off first, you're too heavy!"

"Are you saying I'm fat," she gasped in mock offense.

"I can't answer that," he chuckled and she swiped his ear before hopping off. He laid beneath some fronds to stay cool in the shadows and she began grooming him.

"Did Duckfeather and Fuzzypaw get back from the Moonpool yet?"

"Nope. I haven't see them since last night when we escorted them to the border and met up with the other medicine cats. By the way, is it just me or is Eaglepaw really jumpy? We just sauntered over and he nearly leapt out of his fur!" Hawkpaw laughed, recalling the skittish ShadowClan apprentice.

"He is rather high-strung."

"Poor kittenhood?"

"Who knows."

At that moment, Cedarbelly yowled, "I hear someone coming!" All the cats sprung to their paws, pelts spiked up as they eyed the entrance. The thorn tunnel rustled and...

Duckfeather padded inside with a weary Fuzzypaw. Hawkpaw exhaled slowly.

"That old flea-brain nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought we were being attacked," grumbled Lightningmask. Hawkpaw twitched her whiskers and surveyed the Clan. Everyone was gathering around the two cats, meowing excitedly. Geez, she becomes an apprentice and it's the biggest thing since the Clans formed, Hawkpaw sulked.

Fuzzypaw spotted her and her blue eyes widened. She approached her, awe and fear reflecting in her eyes.

"Hawkpaw, I..."

"Don't brag, Dazedpaw. I'll be going to the Moonpool soon enough, so don't get cocky!" she snapped.

She shook her head, worry edging her mew. "That's not what I wanted to say. It's about the..."

"Just leave me alone!" She whipped around with a snarl and stalked to the fresh-kill pile. She pawed at it, not hungry but only wanting to escape Fuzzypaw. How come that kit goes to the Moonpool on her second day of apprenticeship, but I'm already four moons in mine and still haven't visited it! Well, I already see StarClan every night so I guess it's not that big of a deal, but still! I'm never going to become a leader at this rate, she sighed. I wish Morningstar would just realize I'm the best and hurry up with my warrior ceremony. She realized Fuzzypaw was still gawking at her, Lightningmask giving her a confused look and she hunched down. Even Duckfeather was giving her an odd expression. Why is everyone staring at me? 

She glanced up at the sky and saw something strange with the clouds, almost like they were rimmed scarlet. Hawkpaw's mind swirled while her sight grew hazy, her eyelids feeling very heavy suddenly. She staggered backward, a buzzing in her conscious, her breaths shallow until she fell in a heap to the floor and everything fell into oozing, pitch-black darkness.