''Pay attention! In a battle, nobody's gonna wait for you!'' Hawkfur's yowls snapped Frostpaw into focus. She was watching Crowpaw and Squrrielfur. At least they seemed to have fun. Hawkfur was strict, mean, and cruel. He whacked a paw across her ear, claws out. Frostpaw flinched, and then leaped onto his back, and dug her hind paws into his pelt. Hawkfur gave a grunt, and knocked Frostpaw off as if she was no more than a pile of feathers. Frostpaw's head spun, and Hawkfur charged at her, and pinned her. ''That's how you fight, Frostpaw,'' He snarled into her ear, ''Get back to camp. I don't want to see you until sunhigh tomorrow!'' Frostpaw slipped away, into the pine forest back to the ShadowClan camp, grumbling about her ear. That night, when she went to her nest, she woke up in a odd place... It was dark and gloomy, and slimy? No stars were seen in the black sky. The place had a odd red glow, and the smell of decaying..... cats. She turned around, and stifled a screech. There was a cat.. a cat body! Frostpaw backed away, terrified for her life. Then a smooth voice mewed behind her, ''Hello there, Frostpaw.'' He shoved the body away like it was nothing. The tom had a smoky gray pelt with a white underbelly. His stripes looked exactly like Frostpaw and her siblings'. And his eyes were a frost blue, similar to Frostpaw's own eyes. ''Who are you?'' Frostpaw's voice shook, and she cursed herself. The large tom seemed to ignore her. ''I've been waiting for you a while... I can help you fight. You could be better than everyone..'' Frostpaw couldn't help sounding interested by his offer. She nodded her head slowly, and then she repeated, ''But.. who are you?'' The tom looked her straight in Frostpaw's eyes. She felt a shiver pass down her spine. ''My name is Slatefang..... And I'm your father.''