"I don't understand why Sprucefrost's punishment is all-day training. In a way, he's punishing you as well just by practising with me" Honeypaw darted forwards, making her opponent flinch and step back. Sprucefrost woke the two up at dawn for training instantly, much to her dismay. She guessed she couldn't see Nightkit with Chestnutpaw yet.

"I don't mind doing whatever Sprucefrost says," Acorncloud said with a dreamy look in her eyes, "Well, he's the deputy after all. Besides, who else are you going to train with, Sunpaw?" The slightly small she-cat used the opportunity to spring at Honeypaw, knocking her apprentice down.

There was a pause as Honeypaw struggled under her mentor. But due to the slightly distracted manner of Acorncloud, she could knock her off.

"Why'd you do it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you really scratch her?"

"Yes" Honeypaw snapped. As she faced her mentor again all she saw was a confused face. She relaxed, "Yes, I did. But I didn't mean to".

There was a thump as the golden-brown tabby landed beside her mentor after she swiftly dodged her attack.

"You've got to focus more on defense, Honeypaw," Acorncloud said, pinning the apprentice muzzle-down to the the ground, "It's an amateur mistake"

It wasn't hard to feel the anger brewing inside her. Honeypaw felt as if her mentor was taunting her. What reaction was she trying to get? She wondered as she felt her muzzle crumple.

She wanted anger. And Honeypaw decided not to give it to her.

Honeypaw lay her head to the side and tried to arch her back. Acorncloud saw this and pressed down harder, claws sheathed. With the element of surprise on her side, Honeypaw speedily rolled out of the way, causing her mentor to lose balance and land on the ground. She placed a paw on her opponent's throat.

"That's what I like to see!" Acorncloud grinned, standing up, "That was fun!"

Honeypaw sneered, "Uh huh, just because Sprucefrost said so"

"You can't talk, we all know you're head over paws for Chestnutpaw" Acorncloud retorted. Honeypaw felt herself flush.

"And in a way, I still won" Acorncloud began walking out of Cedartrees, Honeypaw padding behind her eagerly. It was a beautiful day: the sun was shining through the trees, dappling the ground, the lake nearby had light bouncing off of it and birds sang somewhere above them.

"So, what are we going to do? Hunting next?" Honeypaw bounded to her mentor, meeting her gaze.

Acorncloud sighed and sat down, gazing at the trees, "You can have the day off"

"Wait, what?" Honeypaw stared at her in disbelief. She seemed to be slipping in effort, so much so that she couldn't bother to train Honeypaw, let alone continue her punishment. "We should be bringing something back to eat in camp, we can't just laze around"

"We're not lazing around!" Acorncloud protested, shuffling her paws.

"But we are! No- you are" Honeypaw felt like she was about to burst, "You think that you can do anything you want. You're acting- you're acting like a kittypet!"

"I've had enough of you Honeypaw!" Acorncloud shouted, staring at her with fury blazing in her chocolaty eyes, "You think you're so special and hardworking but nobody needs your help! Nobody needs you. You're a waste of space, monster isn't far off"

Honeypaw was silenced instantly, her eyes glazed. Does she really think like that? Now she's just like everyone else. Am I a waste of space and a monster?

Acorncloud huffed and flounced towards the lake, grunting some words Honeypaw couldn't hear.

Honeypaw glanced at the back of her mentor's head every so often, which was still looking at the lake intently. Did she mean it? What now? Do I hunt? But before she could think of more questions something caught her eye. Acorncloud must've noticed it too, because she muttered something that sounded like, "What buzzard-faces, having a meeting in the lake".

But it wasn't a meeting they were having, Honeypaw noticed as the LakeClan cats began to chant, Eaglestar with her muscles rippling in front. She was more confident as they began to swim to the MoorClan shore.

They were there to fight.