Hawkpaw's heart raced as she charged into camp. Plunging inside, she was shocked to see the scene unfolding around her. Dozens of ShadowClan cats were attacking everywhere, claws flashing as they pushed back ThunderClan. She saw Lilyflower and Owlpelt guarding the entrance of the nursery from two burly toms, working in unison to push them back. Hightail was struggling against the cat she recognized as Sandfur while Fallengaze was grappling with a dark tabby tom. Stunned, Hawkpaw stood stiff at the entrance until Snakepaw barreled into her.

"Move it, you got to fight!" He hurried over to the queens with Rabbitpaw. Hawkpaw shook her head, this was no time to be scared. With a battle cry, she lunged at a gray tom. She landed on his back and sunk her claws into his flesh, making him howl with pain. She began churning her back paws while she bit into his shoulder, holding on tighter when he tried to throw her off. Finally, he bucked her off and pelted towards the entrance and back into the forest. Hawkpaw looked around to see if anyone needed assistance. The other elders joined Hightail, matching their blows paw-by-paw to fight back. Her littermates were with the queens and Flareheart was locked in a one-on-one battle with Amberfeet. Her mother and Raindapple were taking on Brindlespots and Goldenclaw, and her father was becoming overwhelmed by Longtooth and Berrypelt. She was about to race over to Fallengaze when Maplepaw leapt in front of her.

"Hey, remember me? This is going to be fun, you snake-tongue," she spat. Hawkpaw flattened her ears and bared her teeth, anger surging through her. She swiped her claws at Maplepaw but she ducked and executed a series of violent forepaw slashes on her. Claws raked Hawkpaw's muzzle, then her ears and her cheek. She tried to fend them off by returning the blows, but the flurry of paws was becoming too much for her. Her hind legs began to weaken from standing up for too long and her muscles were screaming for her to stop. Maplepaw was too fast and relentless, and Hawkpaw collapsed when the she-cat ducked and bit her leg. She pinned Hawkpaw down and started raking her exposed stomach with her claws. Blood roared in her ears and red tinged her vision. No! Come on, think! You can't lose to her. Suddenly, she had an idea. Hawkpaw let herself go limp, pretending to be beaten and she felt Maplepaw's grip loosen as triumph lit her eyes. She pushed against her with all her might explosively, throwing her off and staggering up onto all fours. She didn't hesitate to jump onto the cat and bite her shoulder, blood welling up in her mouth. Maplepaw whimpered as she pressed her claws into her throat.

"Get out of here, mousefodder." She released Maplepaw and she stood up glaring before fleeing back to her territory.

"ShadowClan, retreat!" Inkstar's cry echoed around the stone hollow and ShadowClan warriors pelted away into the night. Victorious yowls rang into the sky, but Hawkpaw didn't join in. Before her very eyes, seeming to happen in slow motion, she saw Berrypelt sneak up on her father and bite the back of his neck. Fallengaze dropped to the ground and the red warrior licked his lips, blood staining his teeth. He then retreated back into the woods after murdering the gold tom, his yellow eyes meeting her's before he disappeared.

"Nooo!" She ran over to Fallengaze's side, burying her nose in his side. "Dad! Get up, dad!" Her vision blurred and grief swallowed her weakened heart. Her littermates slowly walked over and joined her, Sorrelbreeze hanging back.

"F-Fallengaze?" She lurched forward, crumpling on top of him while her body shook with sobs. Hawkpaw blocked out the voices around her, her heartache an insatiable fire that was burning strongly, suffocating her.

A shrill shriek rang out then, "Morningstar!" She glanced up to see her leader sprawled out on the floor. Brighteyes nudged him earnestly until his eyes snapped open. "Are you alright, my love?"

He groaned as he got up slowly, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just lost a life."

Brigheyes stared wide-eyed, "that was your sixth."

He smiled weakly, "I still have three left."

"What was ShadowClan thinking attacking our camp?" fretted Lavenderstripe.

"I bet they were hoping to drive us out to claim our territory," Webfur snarled. "Everyone knows that Twolegs have been destroying parts of their forest."

"They did seem rather thin at the Gathering," Lightningmask piped up.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that right now. We won but lost a dear life," all the cats turned towards Hawkpaw and her family mourning over Fallengaze. She ignored them and tucked her paws underneath herself and pressed her nose against his soft fur. A rumble sounded in the distance and dark clouds rolled in, a light rain pattering down on her pelt. She fell asleep pressed against her father's body and brothers.

"I am sorry about your loss." Thistleclaw faded in, his pelt spiked up.

She sniffed, "why did you take him from me? Can I see him?" He shook his head. "Why not?"

"You aren't ready."

"How am I not ready? I was with him but a moment ago!" she shouted angrily.

"You're upset right now, and I understand your grieving. But use that sorrow to get more strength."

"Huh?"

"You want to avenge your father right?"

She thought about it, "I guess."

"ShadowClan is too cocky, if you will lead them you need to establish dominance. Murder Berrypelt." His eyes glinted even though there was no light.

"I can't just kill a cat without reason! It's against the warrior code!"

"But you have a reason," he spoke calmly. "He assassinated Fallengaze, which means you are allowed to kill him." She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Is he right? Is it okay for me to kill Berrypelt? I suppose it is StarClan's wish.

Hawkpaw looked up slowly, her dull eyes narrowed to slits, "teach me everything, Thistleclaw. I want to become strong." An odd, new feeling spread throughout her sore body, her heart deadened.

He smirked, "I shall."

"Hawkpaw? Hawkpaw? Hawkpaw!" A anxious mew brought her back to the real world, beams of light reflecting on the moist ground. She blinked rapidly and realized she was still outside next to Fallengaze.

"Hawkpaw, he's gone." Lightningmask's sympathetic whisper echoed in her ear. Gone? She realized that her father's fur was cold and his body stiff with frost.

"No!" She choked on a sob and stumbled back, falling against Lightningmask. He held her up and let her lean on him, his tail brushing her flank as he nuzzled her. His comfort didn't reach her though, instead a fresh surge of rage gushed into her head. ShadowClan was going to pay for what they did, she was going to make sure of that.

Newleaf was warming up the camp as Hawkpaw gathered beneath the highledge. Morningstar had called a clan meeting for Applekit's apprenticeship, the young tomcat prancing around his mother who was trying to clean him impatiently. "Hold still!" she scolded.

"Sorry, I'm just too excited." Applekit bushed out his pelt as Webfur purred happily.

"Good luck," he meowed.

"Thank you, dad." Hawkpaw flinched at dad and shifted her paws. The kit started towards Morningstar as the leader called his name. He tripped over his paws halfway and an amused purr erupted from the Clan.

Hawkpaw saw Ravenpelt lean over to Tallwhisker. "Don't you think it's a bit suspicious that Morningstar is making Applekit an apprentice now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Fallengaze has just recently passed, so he's probably doing this just to try to lift the spirits of his Clan," he hissed in a whisper.

Tallwhisker only shrugged, "then that means he's trying to help us get over the loss of our comrade and move on. It's good that Morningstar cares enough to do his best for us, that's what good leaders do." Ravenpelt scowled and was about to say something else, but Tallwhisker nudged him, realizing Hawkpaw was watching with saddened eyes. But I don't want to move on and forget about Fallengaze.

"Applekit," Morningstar spoke as he halted in front of him. "It is time for you to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Applepaw. Your mentor will be Gentleleaf." The she-cat shot up at her name and strode towards her apprentice who was fidgeting. "Gentleleaf, you have received excellent training from Meadowstalker, and you have proven to be enthusiastic and clever, and I expect you to pass down all you know unto this apprentice." Gentleleaf stretched her neck and bumped her nose with Applepaw who pushed onward too hard.

"Applepaw! Applepaw!" Hawkpaw joined in the shouts blankly, her brothers yowling gleefully for their new denmate. The brown tom eagerly ran over to her.

"We're denmates now! Am I allowed to explore outside with you? I really want to see the forest!" He jumped up and down, a goofy grin on his face.

"I don't feel like going out right now, but I'm sure Gentleleaf wouldn't mind taking you."

"Oh, okay," his tail drooped and Gentleleaf padded over.

"What's wrong?"

"Hawkpaw doesn't want to come with us to the forest," he mumbled.

"Oh, well let's leave her alone right now. We can still go though," Gentleleaf shot her a concerned look as she prompted him. Although a moon had passed since Fallengaze's death, the Clan was still wary of her and remained at an awkward distance. Even her brothers were uncomfortable around her. The only cat that wasn't afraid to approach her was Lightningmask. The tom spent a lot of time with her lately and she appreciated it deeply.

"Fine, though it would be more fun with her." Applepaw bolted away and Gentleleaf scurried to catch up.

"Wait up!" Her whiskers twitched at the sight of the mentor chasing after her apprentice. The camp entrance swished just then as Lavenderstripe's hunting patrol returned, prey hanging from their jaws. Lightningmask steered towards her and dropped a mouse at her feet.

"Wanna share?" She shrugged and the two settled down at the edge of the hollow and ate together.

Aware that he was watching her, she quickly swallowed. "Did you catch this yourself?"

"Yup, it was really easy. It didn't even notice me," he mewed proudly.

"Haha! I'm surprised since a RiverClan cat can hear you twenty foxlengths away," she teased.

"Those fishfaces couldn't hear a monster if it were right in front of their snouts! Their ears are way too clogged with water and arrogance," he sneered and she suppressed a purr.

Duckfeather creeped over then, "Hawkpaw, can you help me gather some herbs?"

"Ugh, fine." She shook out her pelt and followed the medicine cat away, smiling apologetically at Lightningmask who watched them leave silently. They traveled to the abandoned Twoleg nest and entered inside, the musty smell clogging her glands.

"Grab some catmint for me, make sure you only get the leaves though and leave the stems." She sniffed the green, leafy plant and drool formed in her mouth from the delicious-smelling herb. She nipped off several leaves and carried them gently in her mouth, careful not to chew them although temptation curled in her stomach.

Without looking up, Duckfeather ordered, "leave those here next to me and get a few pieces of marigold."

"What's that?"

He sighed heavily, "the bright yellow flowers over there." He pointed his tail at a low-growing vegetable and she pulled off some of its blossoms and leaves, bundling them up in her paws.

"Careful!" he growled.

"Sorry," she laid them next to the other herbs and sat down with a slow breath.

"What's wrong?" The medicine cat was gazing questioningly out of the corner of his eye at her.

Hawkpaw hesitated , unsure if she should tell him. "Nothing, it's just that, I really need power. I feel so helpless right now and I hate it, I want to become formidable and tough. When Fallengaze was murdered, I couldn't do anything to stop it except stand there like a baffled idiot." She dug her claws in the ground, recalling that night.

"But you are only an apprentice, and it was his time. StarClan wanted him, there was nothing you, we, could do."

"Why should StarClan control us, they're just a bunch of dead cats," she muttered under her breath. She thought she saw the fur along Duckfeather's spine rise but he abruptly got up at the moment so she wasn't sure.

"Let's head back, carry the marigold please." She picked up the flowers and trotted after the black-and-white tom. She dropped off the bundle at his cave and started exiting when he called out after her, "Hawkpaw, we might not always understand why some things happen, but we need to trust our ancestors to guide us. There are cats out there who oppose the idea of not having control of everything, and those are the cats that drink our blood with pleasure." He watched her steadily, her fur rippling with unease.

"Your welcome," she meowed curtly and left. She gazed at the sky above, fluffy clouds drifting lazily through the air. A bird chirped, it's song meandering as the breeze shifted its course. She felt uncertain now, trouble raking her mind and she curled her lips in a snarl. Duckfeather's wrong! Control is strength, hate is power, and I'm going to gain that.