It was a little after dawn when Ashleaf discerned the grunting of Pantherstep in the distance, full of contempt and impatience towards his apprentice. "Sunpaw, if you and Mousepaw could get off of your lazy tails and demonstrate the leap-and-hold battle technique to Oakpaw, I'd really appreciate it."

Ashleaf ceased her hunting mission. It wasn't as if she'd catch anything. She could spare a few mice that were bound to escape her claws anyways. Besides, perhaps she could soak in a few bits of information by eavesdropping on the lesson.

She padded silently over and peered through the golden fronds of grass. The tall strands obstructed her large, bulky shape from the cats in the Great Clearing.

In the large, sandy training hollow sat the bitter black-and-brown tom, along with the trio of apprentices, Sunpaw, Mousepaw, and the newly apprenticed Oakpaw. Mudfoot and Redear, Mousepaw and Oakpaw's mentors, also lingered nearby. Pantherstep's control over the session was quite conspicuous.

Chubby Sunpaw dragged his way into the center of the Great Clearing, Mousepaw trailing shyly behind. With a sigh, he plopped down into the sand and the dry particles rose up in a puff around him. The golden tom licked his paw nonchalantly. "Okay, so, um, the leap-and-hold thing is the, um, move where, uh, Mousepaw, the smaller fighter, jumps on my back." He then stopped, clearly assuming that was all he was wanted to explain. 

Pantherstep and Oakpaw glared at him expectantly. After a few moments of silence, Mudfoot spoke up. "Well, er, Sunpaw, would you care to explain why the smaller opponent would use this move in battle? What are the benefits?"

Sunpaw narrowed his eyes. Then, with an exaggerated sigh, he continued. "It's so Mousepaw doesn't feel so useless when she's fighting me."

"Hey!" Mousepaw scoffed, the white fur along her neck bristling. "That's not fair!"

Pantherstep leapt to his feet. "Sunpaw! That is not the way to be talking about your sister! Show some respect!" He then smacked his paw, claws sheathed,  across his apprentice's muzzle.

Sunpaw flinched. "Great StarClan, I was only joking-"

"That was a very cruel joke, Sunpaw," mewed the soft, fluid voice of Lilyblossom, who had silently approached behind Pantherstep. "Your littermate's size is nothing to mock. If anything, your size is the one to be ashamed of." She flicked her fluffy gray tail towards Sunpaw's enlarged belly, which jutted out on the left side on the tom.

Ashleaf suppressed a snort of laughter. Sometimes, she could swear her brother was fatter than a badger in greenleaf.

The golden tabby tom flicked his odd red ears in embarrassment. "I really like the fish from the pond, okay? Don't get your tails in a knot."

Pantherstep let out a low growl. "Enough of this. Since Sunpaw's clearly too indolent to bother about the leap-and-hold technique, Lilyblossom and I will demonstrate." He flashed a glare at the long-furred she-cat, who padded forward. 

It suddenly to Ashleaf that Lilyblossom had no reason to attend the training session. Sunpaw, Mousepaw, and Oakpaw's mentors were Pantherstep, Mudfoot, and Redear. Who had invited her to come? Had any cat invited her to come? If so, why?

Then, something else dawned on her. Lilyblossom had been Loudpaw's mentor. 

Ashleaf's heart wrenched as she was reminded once again of her lost little sister. StarClan, please, keep her safe in your paws. Loudpaw was such an optimistic, independent, jubilant cat. She prayed that Rosestar wasn't mistreating her in MeadowClan. 

Rosestar...

Hatred bubbled in her stomach. How does StarClan allow such a conceited, fake, venomous fox-heart to live? Why? What could possibly possess a cat like Rosestar to be so...terrible? The notion that Rosestar was foretold to save the three Clans stung Ashleaf even worse. 

Her internal monologue was interrupted as she heard a loud thump sound from the Great Clearing. Pantherstep now had Lilyblossom pinned to the dry earth, claws still sheathed, but Lilyblossom's pained grimace indicated that Pantherstep was applying more force than he betrayed. 

Fox-dung, I missed it. Ashleaf chastised herself for becoming distracted. How would he learn the move now?

"As you can see, Oakpaw," meowed Pantherstep through gritted teeth, a fiercely smug expression spread across his muzzle, "The leap-and-hold technique benefits the smaller cat for two reasons. See how Lilyblossom can't reach me?" 

It didn't appear as if Lilyblossom was putting any effort into the matter.

Oakpaw nodded, amber eyes glimmering with awe. "And then now you can attack her, too! Except, well..."

Pantherstep released the she-cat with a swift flick of his paws. Suddenly, he was halfway across the Great Clearing, striding by Oakpaw. His tail flicked slyly. "I know what you mean, Oakpaw. Lilyblossom wasn't supposed to collapse like she did. Of course, that would be an advantage in battle, but for the demonstration, she should have remained on her paws." His mew ended on a peculiar note. It didn't quite sound menacing, nor cruel. It came off as somewhat...teasing.

Ashleaf watched as Lilyblossom sheepishly licked her chest fur, but her bright green eyes glittered with an emotion Ashleaf couldn't exactly process.

"Ashstar? Is that you?" 

Ashleaf could have jumped three fox-lengths in the air. She whipped around, frantically preparing a makeshift excuse in her head. "Um, no, this is a fox?" 

Mudfoot let out a cackle of laughter, a purr breaking loose. "Great StarClan, Ashstar, that was paws-down the best response I've heard in moons." Her deputy must have crept away from the grueling training session.

Ashleaf's pelt burned with humiliation. Her whiskers twitched. "Oh, um, hi, Mudfoot. A-aren't you supposed to be at the training session?"

Mudfoot's glared at her skeptically. "Well, Ashstar, I think Pantherstep's got it under control."

"I see," said Ashleaf. "But, Mudfoot, he's your younger brother. Don't you think you should be there for him?"

Mudfoot snorted. "Just because he's my brother doesn't mean I have to love him."

"Ha!" 

After a few moments of idle gossip, the topics ranging from the relentless greenleaf mugginess to the high degree of Sunpaw's laziness, Mudfoot flicked her tail, and her eyes darkened. "I understand this is quite a spontaneous change of subject, and I apologize, but I think we need to discuss a rather serious matter."

Ashleaf blinked. That was sudden. Something must be dire for Mudfoot to sound so formal. Most conversations exchanged with her deputy and friend were strictly casual. She straightened, attempting to match Mudfoot's new composure. "Yes?"

Mudfoot grimaced, as if her words were of a foreign tongue, "Ashstar, I know you know I would never say something like this unless I was extremely desperate. Well, you see, I've been a bit concerned..."

~

"Pineneedle, have you seen your kits anywhere?" Ashleaf asked at sunset that day. 

Ashleaf's mother glanced up at her from the fish she was feasting on and let out a rasping cough. "Just...just a moment...I'm...fine..." Pineneedle shook her head and cleared her throat. "Now, what did you want, again?"

Ashleaf wrapped her tail around her flanks. "I was wondering if you've seen your kits."

Pineneedle blinked. "Well, if you're implying that I am no longer your mother-"

Her eyes widened, "No, no, no, Pineneedle, I didn't-"

"I know what you mean, Ashstar. Don't get your tail in a knot." Pineneedle rose to her paws and flicked her tail across her daughter's nose. Ashleaf recognized her brother's taunt from earlier that day. Clearly, he had inherited it from his mother. 

Noting Ashleaf's distressed mien, Pineneedle rolled her pale green eyes. The old warrior sighed. "I believe I saw Mousepaw in the medicine den. As for that lazy bump on a log, StarClan knows..."

"Thanks, Pineneedle," Ashleaf murmured, and she was already tearing off towards the medicine den. Striking up conversations with Pineneedle, in Ashleaf's opinion, was harder than training with Pantherstep. This cat brought her into this world, raised her, loved her. She should have a bond so tightly weaved it couldn't break. Yet when Ashleaf stared into her mother's eyes, she felt nothing. Pineneedle knew more about Ashleaf than Ashleaf knew of herself. Ashleaf knew nothing of this past. Despite the fervency of how much she longed to remember, longed to share these bonds, these memories, her heart was barren. She could only stay faithful to her Clan, and perhaps StarClan would grant her her past life that was forgotten.

The StormClan leader made her way into the medicine den. "Snowsong? Mousepaw?" She called.

"Over here!" Snowsong's voice sounded from behind a wall of lichen. Ashleaf padded in. Mousepaw and Snowsong were perched in the middle of a hollowed out clearing, where Snowsong's herbs were stored. Snowsong had a bundle of leaves beneath her paws, and Mousepaw was staring intensely at them, her eyes glittering.

"Did I...interrupt something?"

"No, no, Ashstar, please, come in!" Snowsong motioned with her tail for Ashleaf to come forward. "We were actually coming to speak to you in a moment."

"Oh?" Ashleaf mewed curiously. "What a coincidence. I was just wanting to discuss something with Mousepaw."

Mousepaw and Snowsong both exchanged an unreadable glance. "Um, okay," squeaked frail Mousepaw, "You can go first, Ashstar."

Butterflies fluttered in Ashleaf's belly. Was there a way to express this in a delicate way as not to crush her younger sister? "Mousepaw," She began, "I've recently been speaking to your mentor, and...well...Mousepaw, you've been training for 10 moons. It pains me to say this, however, I think you would agree when I say that you should have at least mastered basic defense techniques by now."

While Ashleaf had anticipated Mousepaw to hang her head and whimper, her young, shy sister met her gaze with confidence. "I know, Ashstar. That-that was exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you. I know you wanted me to be as strong and brave as you. But I'm not. Ashstar..." The little white apprentice shut her eyes tightly and opened them again. "Ashstar...I-I don't want to be a warrior."

Ashleaf had to suppress a gasp. Wasn't that what Snowsong said all cats strived to be? "W-what?"

"I want to be a medicine cat," Mousepaw meowed frantically, preventing Ashleaf from protesting just yet. "Honestly, I kind of always wanted to be...I just...didn't know how to tell you or Lightstar. You both wanted me to be a warrior so badly. But I think my future lies here, with Snowsong as my mentor and StarClan at my side. Don't get me wrong, Mudfoot is a wonderful mentor." Mousepaw swallowed. "But I think she deserves a better apprentice than me."

Ashleaf blinked, astonished. She would never have foreseen this. Mousepaw will be a good apprentice for Snowsong, she reflected, Mousepaw is obedient and responsible. Snowsong is kind and understanding. 

She turned to Snowsong. The medicine cat nodded her approval. Snowsong's eyes shined with unmistakable pride.

"Well," Ashleaf breathed softly, "Mousepaw...that's..."

"I know what you're thinking." Mousepaw meowed defensively, "And no, it's not because I'm afraid to fight. When MeadowClan attacked at the border and took our sister a few moons ago, I swear, I fought like I never had before! I couldn't let them take her. I wasn't frightened. I was ready to take on any of those MeadowClan fox-hearts. But...but they still took her," Her gentle voice began to shake. "She was hurt. I remember her face as they drug her away. She had blood streaming from her eyes. Her eyes, Ashstar, she was so scared!" 

Mousepaw took a few moments to compose herself. Ashleaf stepped forward to comfort her sister. "Ashstar," Mousepaw whispered softly in her ear, "I can't hurt cats like they did to Loudpaw. No matter how much I tell myself I'll never do something like that, I just can't forget the look on her face. I don't want to do that to any cat. I want to help. To heal. To make things better."

"Okay. Mousepaw, I understand. It's alright." Ashleaf murmured as Mousepaw trembled below her. "You'll be a wonderful medicine cat. I'll have the ceremony tomorrow."

Mousepaw took a step back. "Really?" She mewed, blue eyes glittering.

"Yes. Of course. May StarClan light your path, my dear sister."

~

The moon was beginning to rise over the StormClan camp as Ashleaf curled up in her nest. She let out a soft purr. Mousepaw's devotion had moved her, warmed her heart, and inspired her beyond measure.

Contentedness was not something Ashleaf had grown accustomed to. As the atypical happiness pulled her into a beautiful flurry of dreams, the stars above her glimmered in the clear night sky.

If only the sky could have remained clear, for the next sunrise brought a storm.

She was awoken by a cacophony of screams.