Dawnpaw crouched in the bracken, her eyes focused on a wriggling shape in front of her. She flexed her claws in anticipation, wiggling her haunches as she prepared to pounce. She launched herself out of the undergrowth, her paws landing squarely on a mouse. It squealed as she bit down hard on it's neck, delivering the killing bite. She picked up her catch, her tail waving in the air proudly. Her mentor, Hightail, padded out from behind a bush, a fat squirrel clamped in his jaws. He flicked his tail approvingly as he saw his apprentices catch. Dawnpaw followed him back to camp, her ears pricked as she searched for sounds of prey.

A rustling noise came from the bushes right next to Dawnpaw, and she lifted her nose. She couldn't smell any prey, only a faint, rotting smell that made her gag. A wispy shadow flitted across her path, blocking her view for a moment. Dawnpaw glanced around, alarmed, but the shadow and the smell had disappeared. She shrugged off her feelings of uneasiness, padding after Hightail.

When they reached camp, the first thing Dawnpaw noticed were the voices of two cats, deep in discussion.

"...This isn't good, Emberstar." Dawnpaw recognized the voice of Rosepelt, the Clan medecine cat.

Emberstar growled softly. "Why now?" He asked, frustration obvious in his mew. "I don't have time to worry about Starclan! Petalnose is so close to kitting, and we have more warriors and apprentices than ever. I have enough to deal with."

Rosepelt merrowed sympathetically. "I know you're worried," She said softly, "But you have a responsibility to protect your clan. Ignoring Starclan would be putting them in serious danger, I guarantee it."

Emberstar grunted. "I'll think about what you said," He finally replied.

Rosepelt purred. "Don't forget, you have so many cats to help you!" She called after him as he left the den.

Dawnpaw set her catch down on the fresh-kill pile, which was larger than ever. Hightail had already dropped his squirrel, padding over to sit next to Rosepelt. She glanced at him happily, but sadness clouded her gaze. Ignoring the two warriors, Dawnpaw focused on the rumbling in her stomach, plucking a plump sparrow from the pile and going to find a sunny place to sit. Heatherpaw joined her, a vole clamped in her jaws.

"Hi," Her littermate mewed through a mouthful of fur. Dawnpaw flicked her ears in acknowledgement, plucking the feathers gently from her sparrow.

"How was training today?" Heatherpaw asked, trying to make conversation.

"It was fine." Dawnpaw stated curtly.

Heatherpaw looked hurt over her sister's thin response, and Dawnpaw immediately felt guilty. "Um, how was it for you?" She said, her mew brighter.

Heatherpaw beamed. "It was great!" She replied enthusiastically. "Moonleap and Blazepelt took me and Stormpaw for some battle training." She glanced shyly at the gray apprentice as she spoke, who was sitting with Sunnypaw, his littermate.

Dawnpaw purred with amusement. "You're really taken with him, aren't you?" She mewed teasingly.

Heatherpaw glanced over indignantly, her face alight with embarrassment. "I am not!" She replied, scanning the camp.

"Look," She pointed across the clearing. "There's Ashpaw." Dawnpaw followed her gaze to see the mottled tom entering the camp with a vole and a thrush. He caught her eye, looking down shyly.

"He's so in love," Heatherpaw smirked. Dawnpaw hissed playfully, batting at Heatherpaw's ears with sheathed claws. Heatherpaw reared onto her hind paws, her paws flashing across Dawnpaw's face. The orange she-cat was quick to react, ducking underneath her sister and knocking her paws from under her. Heatherpaw tumbled to the ground with an 'oof'. Dawnpaw jumped onto Heatherpaw's shoulders, flipping the tan apprentice over and battering her belly with her hind paws. Heatherpaw yowled in surrender, and Dawnpaw leaped off, her face smug with satisfaction.

Hightail and Moonleap walked over. "That was a good mock battle," Hightail noted, his eyes shining with approval. Moonleap nodded.

"Be quicker to drop from your hind paws next time," She instructed Heatherpaw. "If you drop onto all fours while your opponent is trying to sweep your paws out from under you, you can trap them and get in a few good blows."

Heatherpaw nodded eagerly. "Can we try it?" She pleaded.

Hightail and Moonleap exchanged a glance. "You've already had battle training today...but I guess it couldn't hurt to practice a little more." Moonleap looked at Hightail for approval. He nodded, gesturing to the two apprentices.

"Let's go," He mewed, bounding off towards the training hollow. Dawnpaw followed behind, Heatherpaw at her side.

"Duck now, Dawnpaw!" Dawnpaw dropped to the ground as a paw swiped above her head, grazing her ear.

"Good! Now, what should you do?"

Dawnpaw pressed herself to the sandy floor of the training hollow as Heatherpaw dropped onto all fours, her paws landing squarely around Dawnpaw. She pinned the orange apprentice, and Dawnpaw let herself go limp. Heatherpaw loosened her grip, her tail flicking triumphantly. Danwpaw heaved upward with all her might, throwing Heatherpaw off, landing perfectly on all four paws. She leaped towards her littermate, teeth bared, and planted her paws firmly on Heatherpaw's shoulders. Her sister yowled in defeat, and Dawnpaw released her grip, freeing the tan apprentice.

"Good," Hightail meowed approvingly. "You twisted perfectly to trap her after you sprung away."

Dawnpaw swelled with pride, fluffing up her tail happily.

"A few more moons of training and you two will be warriors," Moonleap added, wrapping her tail over her paws. Heatherpaw wriggled excitedly.

Dawnpaw blinked. "Really?" She asked anxiously.

Hightail looked at her warmly. "Really," He answered. "You two are doing really well."

Dawnpaw purred happily.

"Why don't you two hunt for a while, then come back to camp before dusk?" Moonleap suggested.

"I'll make sure you're not put on any morning patrols," Hightail promised. "You've worked hard; you deserve your rest."

The two apprentices bounded off into the forest, jaws open for any scents of prey. Dawnpaw quickly found rabbit scent, following it carefully. She peeked over a bramble bush, spotting a flash of white fur as the rabbit sped off towards the Windclan border. Dawnpaw hurled herself after it, her paws skimming the ground as she sprinted behind it. The rabbit's fluffy white tail bobbed as he wriggled down into a hole. Dawnpaw scooped in a paw and snagged the rabbit's tail, yanking it back out and delivering the killing bite.

"Thank you Starclan, for this prey." She murmured, her mouth watering at the scent of the fat rabbit. She picked it up by the scruff, carrying it towards the trees. She froze in her pawsteps. She was out of the trees? Looking around, she found herself on the moors. Panic rose up inside of her. I'm on Windclan territory! She looked around, searching for signs of patrols, but none were near. She relaxed slightly, padding forward and leaping across the border stream. I must have jumped over it when I was chasing the rabbit. She thought, hurrying back to camp. She met Heatherpaw on the way back, who was carrying three mice. Her eyes widened at Dawnpaw's catch.

"That's almost as big as you!" She exclaimed. Dawnpaw shrugged.

"Let's get back to camp." She suggested, grabbing her prey again. Heatherpaw followed, and together they entered the camp. A strange scent greeted them, and Heatherpaw wrinkled her nose.

"Is that Shadowclan scent?" She asked, her voice turning hostile. Dawnpaw looked around. Everyone looked uneasy.

Ashpaw, Rainpaw, Stormpaw, and Sunnypaw were sitting outside the apprentice's den, their ears straining to pick up some sort of conversation. Dawnpaw exchanged a glance with Heatherpaw, padding up to join them.

"What's going on?" Heatherpaw asked.

Stormpaw flicked an ear. "Shhh!" He placed his tail over her mouth. "Listen."

"...We can't just leave him out in the forest, Emberstar. He needs care!" Rosepelt was mewing angrily.

"He's part of an enemy clan! I don't know what happened, or why Shadowclan didn't care for him, but he should be their responsibility. Let them waste their own herbs." Emberstar spat.

Rosepelt hissed. "I'm not going to turn away a dying cat!"

"Everyone, calm down." That was Hightail. "Rosepelt is right; we can't turn away a dying apprentice, even if they are from another clan."

Rosepelt murmured gratefully.

Emberstar growled. "Fine," he mewed grudgingly. "But he's your responsibility, Rosepelt. Don't expect the clan to care for him." He stalked out of the den with his tail held high. Rainpaw sprung to her feet.

"There's a dying cat in our camp!" She exclaimed, her tail twitching.

"There's a Shadowclan cat in our camp!" Heatherpaw sounded outraged, her ears flat and her claws digging into the sandy hollow floor.

"I wonder if Rosepelt needs any help," Sunnypaw started to walk towards the medicine den.

She was intercepted by her mentor, Skyrunner. "Oh no you don't," She said, blocking her apprentice's path. "You're always running off to the medicine den, Sunnypaw. You need to focus more on your training. You're a warrior, not a medicine cat." Sunnypaw's tail drooped in disappointment. "You're going to help me collect moss for Rosepelt's patients, if you're so eager to help." Skyrunner continued. Sunnypaw perked her ears, following Skyrunner out of camp without another word. Dawnpaw got to her paws, heading towards the apprentices den. The sun was setting, and she was exhausted from all the training she'd done today.

She curled up in her nest with her tail over her nose, closed her eyes, and let sleep consume her.