Ashpaw stared at her opponent, tail twitching. The whole forest seemed to have hushed around her, and she knew the moment was drawing closer.

In front of her, yellow eyes glared back, their own body tense and prepared. Ashpaw could feel the eyes of others staring at the two of them, assessing them, judging them, telling them to move.

To jump.

Ashpaw pounced, paws reaching for the other apprentice, before slamming down on the cat.

A yowl, and she was shoved to the side, as Doepaw flashed back up to her paws. Ashpaw tumbled briefly, dust kicking up as she got back up. She had to win this fight.

The two she-cats circled each other, tails flicking with every step. Gathering up her strength, she leaned onto her back legs, preparing to jump, when a voice broke her concentration.

"Just jump already, Ashpaw!"

Startled, Ashpaw jumped in the wrong direction, and stumbled, catching dirt instead of her opponent. A collective sigh from the cats gathered in the training hollow, and Ashpaw could hear as apprentices and mentors moved on to other activities.

Ashpaw heard a soft chuckle as Doepaw came up to her. "That wasn't a very good landing," she remarked. "At least the earth here is soft."

"So soft," she replied, making a face. "Soft and crumbly and all in my mouth." She rolled over onto her back, and swiped gently at Doepaw's paws. "If only your mentor hadn't distracted me."

The voice of Nutpelt carried over from the edge of the hollow. "It was your own fault for getting distracted. Besides, you were too off balance. Even if you had jumped properly, you would have failed."

Ashpaw sighed, and sat up, trying not to glare at the warrior. She just had to keep working on it, right? Maybe she and Nightbloom could work on it later, just the two of them?

"Come along, Doepaw. I want to catch up to the midday patrol." Doepaw gave Ashpaw an apologetic look, then bounded after her mentor, brown tail swaying in the air.

Ashpaw padded over to Nightbloom, dragging her paws. "So that was a mess," she mewed, ducking her head.

Nightbloom tilted her head. "Well, you're not wrong. The biggest question is what are you going to change for next time?"

Ashpaw frowned, trying to think. "Maybe... not putting too much weight on my back legs? And actually focusing instead of being startled by Nutpelt?" She shuffled her paws. "Not that that last part will be easy. He's just so... loud."

Nightbloom nodded. "He is very..." she trailed off, as if looking for a kind word to go use. "Dramatic," she said finally, deciding that fit the occasion. "But you can't let that bother you. Battles are loud, with cats screeching and yelling. You need to learn to tune out all the large things, and listen to the little things."

Ashpaw cocked her head. "'The little things'? What does that even mean?" She looked around, at the forest surrounding them, at the trees towering above them. "I'm not seeing anything little over here."

Nightbloom started to walk away. "Then that's anything you'll need to work on. I'll tell you more about it some time soon, but I think Maplestar wanted me for something."

Ashpaw had to trot to keep up with her mentor, and looked up at the black she-cat. "Do you have any idea what he might want? Could I help?"

Nightbloom chuckled. "I have no clue what he wants, and I think he said something about wanting me to come alone." She shook her head, ears flicking with the movement. "If you ask me, it sounds suspicious."

Ashpaw stopped, appalled. "No! Maplestar is great, and he wouldn't do anything wrong, right?"

Nightbloom sighed, and placed her tail on Ashpaw's back. "I'm not saying he did anything wrong. I'm just saying it's odd that he would ask me to go alone."

Ashpaw shrugged. "If you say so." She didn't really feel like arguing about anything at that moment. "Where did he ask to meet you?"

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, and Ahspaw tilted her head, trying to read her mentor's expression. "Nightbloom?"

"Huh?" The black warrior looked dazed, then shook herself, as if trying to break through a fog. "What did you say, Ashpaw?"

"I asked where he wanted to meet you," the dark apprentice said slowly, staring up at Nightbloom with solemn amber eyes. "Because if you need to hurry and get there, I can walk the rest of the way to camp alone. I'm not a little kit anymore. I know how to go through the territory."

Silence again. It seemed as if Nightbloom was anywhere but tight next to Ashpaw in this moment. "Hello?"

Nightbloom started, eyes narrowed, before softening. "Sure. You head on to camp. Make sure you try and help out. I... I have to go." The black she-cat trotted off, slowly picking speed, until she was bounding away into the distance.

Ashpaw watched her go, then whisked her tail into the air, taking in the forest, before she continued back home.

Some of the trees were blackened and dark, and she had heard from Patchpaw that he had seen a pine that was in pieces, something about the sap inside heating up.

She had never known life before the fire, but her parents said that it was a wonderful place. Thick plants creeping all around, animals teeming through the undergrowth, birdsong filling the air.

Ashpaw thought the silence of the forest was better.

As she started for home again, her eyes flitted from tree to tree. Nightbloom had said to look at the little things. But in a place filled with towering giants, what was little?

Nightbloom was probably in one of the little spells she had been having, when she seemed to be far away.

Because nothing in life was little.

"Watch out!"

The warning came too late for poor Ashpaw, and she was toppled over as two kits crashed into her legs.

Yellowkit, who was now flopped across her chest, bounced back up. "Sorry Ashpaw!" He cuffed at his sister, then bounded a tail length away. "C'mon Butterflykit. Bet you can't catch me!"

Butterflykit let out a squeal, and pushed off of Ashpaw, knocking the breath out of her. "Not fair! You have a head start."

The two kit raced away, and Ashpaw sat up, wincing slightly. A mirth filled mrow came from behind her, and she swiveled her head to see her father.

Hazefoot grinned down at Ashpaw, amber eyes twinkling with laughter. "Seems like those two have bested you."

Ashpaw let out a sigh, shaking herself off. "I cannot wait until they're apprentices, that way they can spend their energy out in the territory, instead of knocking down cats in camp."

Hazefoot gave his daughter a pointed look. "Ah, but I remember two very energetic and clumsy kits from not too long ago."

Ashpaw made a face. "We also didn't have a proper camp when Charpaw and I were still kits. It wasn't our fault everything got messed up in that stupid fire."

Hazefoot narrowed his eyes. "Don't talk like that, Ashpaw. We lost good warriors in that fire, and if it wasn't for BarkClan, Leafgaze wouldn't have survived the kitting, and you and your sister wouldn't even be here."

Ashpaw ducked her head, ashamed. "Sorry Hazefoot. I won't talk about it anymore."

Hazefoot nodded, eyes softening a bit. "Why dont you run along and join the other apprentices? I heard that Squirrelshade managed to catch a rabbit, and gave it to the apprentices to share."

Ashpaw's eyes lit up, and she bumped her forehead against Hazefoot's shoulder. "Thanks! I'll see you later, ok?"

She trotted away, tail held high, the thought of rabbit becoming the only important thing. Rabbit was rare in Needleclan, as to catch it, one must venture out into the Open Lands, where there were no trees to protect you, only blue skies and danger.

Squirrelshade must have been so brave to catch that rabbit. Ashpaw couldn't fathom going out to the Open Lands and hunting. Just thinking about it make her pelt prickle.

She neared the apprentices, all clustered together just in front of their den, chatting and teasing each other. "Hey everyone." Ashpaw raised her tail in greeting, and Patchpaw grinned, motioning for her to sit next to him.

Ashpaw settled herself down next to the younger tom, pricking her ears to catch the conversation.

"I'm just saying, if you're going to learn how to fight, you should at least have a reason to. There's no point in learning how to fight if we're all living in peace," Patchpaw mewed, his tail flicking.

Charpaw, across from the tom, rolled her eyes. "Oh come on. You don't really believe that, do you? Peace never lasts very long here in the forest, and it's stupid to expect it to."

"Besides," Stagpaw meowed, finishing a bite of rabbit. "Even if all the clans did get along, we still have to worry about foxes and other cats. Charpaw is right. It's not smart to live life without being prepared."

Patchpaw ducked his head, voice low. "Whatever. I guess I'm just stupid then." The tom shook his head. "You guys finish up this rabbit, I'm not hungry anymore."

Ashpaw watched as he slunk away, then turned back to Stagpaw and Charpaw. "What's up with him?"

Charpaw shrugged, more interested in the remaining prey. Stagpaw watched Patchpaw for a moment more, then turned back to Ashpaw. "He doesn't like conflict, which isn't a good trait for a warrior."

Ashpaw tilted her head. "No one should like to fight, though. Right?"

Stagpaw gave her a look of disdain. "If you don't believe in fighting either, you might as well slink away too."

Ashpaw shook her head, eyes wide. "No, that's not what I meant! I mean, I'll... I'll stay here. Fighting is fine." Stagpaw nodded and turned his attention over to Charpaw.

Ashpaw looked at him, distraught. She didn't know what she had done wrong, to cause the look he had given her, but she promised herself she would never do it again.

She didn't want that cold gaze pinned on her again.

Shaking her head, Ashpaw looked around camp, and found Patchpaw over by the medicine den, speaking with Owlpaw. Probably talking about silly medicine cat things.

Ashpaw had been told by her father that medicine cats were weak, and watching Owlpaw, she couldn't help but agree.

Seeing Doepaw and the rest of the midday patrol come into camp, she got to her paws, ready to go say hi to her friend.

But on her way across camp, there was a high pitched yowl, filled with panic and fear. "Hurry!" Ashpaw swiveled her head to see Cherryjump panting in the entrance to camp, Ripplesight appearing just behind her.

"Somebody get Yarrowtuft!"