"Don't forget you have back legs," Dawn instructed as the apprentices swam in the stream that ran through the tunnels, "use them to help keep your flank above the water as well as your head."

Silverpaw was swimming ahead of everyone else, shocking considering she was a RiverClan cat. Acepaw was sloppy, but he was managing well. Snarlpaw stood on the side with Dawn, looking at the water timidly, only putting his paw in and snatching it back. Bravepaw was swimming perfectly fine, keeping up with Silverpaw. Wolfpaw was just behind them, but he didn't want to swim too close to them. Out of the apprentices in this cave, Wolfpaw didn't trust those two.

He then wondered if Acepaw stayed in the Dark Forest after he left. Had Wolfblood been looking for him after he left? He seemed really angry when Mimi and Snarlpaw vanished. The two ShadowClan cats weren't bad, they were probably just trying to show Marshstar they could take care of themselves without him. Not to mention, Mimi was becoming more independent of her mate, it seemed.

"Snarlpaw?" Wolfpaw turned his head to see Mimi walking down to the cave from a tunnel. Silverpaw and Bravepaw climbed out the stream, followed by Wolfpaw and Acepaw. Snarlpaw had spun around, his fur fluffing out, making him look bigger than he actually was.

"Mimi?" he mewed. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you after Sharpfang was done with training," Mimi eyed Dawn as she neared her worried son, "he told me you ran off and I followed your scent here." she sat down before her son, pulling her gaze from Dawn to Snarlpaw. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing down here?"

"I... I'm... Training to get stronger..." Snarlpaw responded, looking away from his mother and to the ground. "Sharpfang stopped pushing me and all the other apprentices are making fun of me. They say I'll be nothing but a kittypet..."

"There is nothing wrong with being a kittypet," Dawn spoke.

"Stay out of this," Mimi glared at the she-wolf before looking back to Snarlpaw, "there is nothing wrong with being a kittypet, I was born a kittypet, but I'm still a cat. Your father didn't care that I was a kittypet and if he did, you would never been born. Just because we live differently, doesn't make us that different."

Wolfpaw looked over to Acepaw, who was licking his fur dry of the water. Silverpaw pressed herself close to Wolfpaw, making him cringe slightly at her happiness. Bravepaw just flicked his tail uninterested in what was happening around him.

"I know..." Snarlpaw sighed. "But, the others make it seem like it's a bad thing to be a kittypet, or related to one. I'm more of a warrior than of them and if that means I have to train with a bunch of apprentices from other Clans than fine!"

Mimi looked at her kit for a moment before looking around at everyone else. She stopped at Wolfpaw, making him go tense. Was she comparing him to Wolfblood? She probably didn't trust him with her son in a training session. She then looked to Silverpaw and narrowed her eyes. Did she have the same feeling for her about Wolfpaw.

Mimi looked back to Snarlpaw and looked at him like a mother thinking of advice. She looked back to the tunnel she came in through then back to Snarlpaw.

"I won't tell Marshstar," she spoke sweetly, "but, I want you to stop with... All this." she flicked her tail around the cave. "The Dark Forest, this wolf, and forcing Sharpfang to push you, you're going to be a great warrior, Snarlpaw, and no apprentices are going to tell you otherwise. Just do as your mentor, your father, and I tell you and you may one take your father's place."

Bravepaw let out a laugh and both ShadowClan cats turned to glare at him. "Please, if it weren't for Wolfblood, or this wolf, I wouldn't have saved my Clan from predators and Freekit wouldn't look up to me the way she does!"

"I don't care for some stupid she-cat!" Snarlpaw spun to face Bravepaw, his claws unsheathed. "All I want is to protect my Clan from harm and prove my worth! You're just here because you're too much of a coward to just tell Freekit how you feel!"

"Say that again." Bravepaw growled as he prepared himself to pounce on the ShadowClan apprentice.

"You heard me," Snarlpaw got into a battle crouch, "SkyClan is a bunch of cowards!"

With that, Bravepaw let out a yowl and pounced on to the sandy apprentice. Mimi stepped back, her eyes wide in shock and concern. Dawn scowled as the two threw unsheathed claws at one another and bit at each other's throats. Silverpaw purred as she watched the two fight while Acepaw shared a concerned look at Wolfpaw.

"Stop them!" Mimi wailed to Dawn. "He's trying to kill my son!"

"He brought that among himself." Dawn responded, shocking Wolfpaw. She sat and watched on as Snarlpaw lashed a claw at Bravepaw's face. The SkyClan apprentice hissed before biting down on Snarlpaw's forepaw.

Wolfpaw finally decided to run in a grab Bravepaw by the scruff. Mimi ran over and grabbed Snarlpaw's. With a mighty yank from both sides, Wolfpaw and Mimi were able to tear the two apart.

"I don't need this!" Bravepaw lashed at Wolfpaw, making the silver tom release him. "You're too weak, from now on, I'm training with Wolfblood!" The light brown tom shot off through a tunnel, leaving specks of blood on the ground and Wolfpaw's chest fur. 

"Why didn't you stop them?" Wolfpaw shot at Dawn.

"Snarlpaw shouldn't have provoked Bravepaw and Bravepaw shouldn't have been here in the first place." Dawn explained, unemotionally. 

"You're insane!" Mimi spat. "Snarlpaw, I'll teach you along with Sharpfang and Marshstar," she looked to her son, eyes blazing, "I don't want you coming down here, or going to the Dark Forest, are we clear?"

Snarlpaw looked at his mother with his ears drawn back and eyes wide. "Yes, Mimi..." He mewed, lowering his head sadly. Both ShadowClan cats walked out, Snarlpaw dragging his tail.

"You shouldn't be here either." Dawn glared at Silverpaw. "You just want to he down here to flirt with Wolfpaw."

Silverpaw scoffed at the wolf, her tail flicking. "I came here for my Clan," she explained, "I'm going to get stronger and I'm trying to make allies, is that wrong?"

"Get out of here!" Dawn spat. "I didn't ask you to come here! You just came down here with that WindClan apprentice, because you're too nosy about Wolfpaw's business, now leave!"

Silverpaw gave Dawn a look that sent chills down Wolfpaw's spine. It was as if she was clawing at Dawn's neck, killing her slowly and painfully. She looked at Wolfpaw before storming out the cave, her tail high. Wolfpaw lowered his ears and began licking the blood of his chest.

He then turned to face Acepaw, who was looking at Dawn cautiously. "Are you going to go too?" Wolfpaw asked his friend.

Acepaw lowered his head to meet Wolfpaw's gaze. His fear vanished and he put his tail on Wolfpaw's shoulder. "I'm with you every step of the way, my friend."