"Let's call this a tie." Darkmoss told her apprentice, slightly out of breath. About half a moon had pasted since when Thistle had last got any scent of a rouge. All seemed good, but he still felt watched.
"Okay, can we continue this another day? This was fun!" Lillypaw was released from Darkmoss' grasp, she sat up, fixing her fur.
"Sounds good to me. Ready to head back?"
"Maybe we can hunt tomorrow!" Lillypaw had found energy from some where and started trotting ahead of Darkmoss and Thistle, who where shoulder to shoulder now. The staged battle had worn Thistle out.
"I could take you out." Thistle offered. The three cats headed out of the training hollow and was heading towards camp, which wasn't far away.
"I wouldn't leave this little hyper ball of fur with you, maybe Aquaspear and Sageheart will go with us, so The apprentices can have a mini-battle to see who can catch the most prey. Sound good Lillypaw?" DarkMoss called up to her apprentice, who was still giving her mentor a funny look because she was called a hyper fur ball.
"Sounds good!" Lillypaw lost her odd look and became her hype self again. "I'll beat all the other apprentices!" Lillypaw held her tail up high.
"What happened to my calm apprentice?" Darkmoss joked.
"Hey!"

"I guess her becoming an apprentice brought out her true personality." Thistle concluded. Lillypaw kicked her back leg out, throwing dirt into Darkmoss' ands Thistle's face.
"Don't ever do that again." Darkmoss' tone went to stern quickly.
"Sorry, I won't." Lillypaw dropped her tail and continued on, slowing down so the two other cats could catch up.
"Good."

The rest of the way to camp was quiet. The only noise to be heard was the crunching of their paws and the chirping of birds.
"Go get you something off the prey pile, you fought well today." Darkmoss told her apprentice.
"Thanks! Do you want anything?"
"I'll get it myself, thank you though." Darkmoss replied. Lillypaw nodded and bounced off to the prey pile, picking herself out something then running over to Snowpaw and Quailpaw. Thistle followed Darkmoss over to the prey pile, still not saying a word.
"Why are you being so quite?" Darkmoss asked, slightly tilting her head.
"I'm just enjoying spending time with you." Thistle replied without thinking. Stupid! Now she thinks I like her! Which I don't! Thistle snapped at himself in his head. Darkmoss gave a quick nod before nosing through the prey pile. Thistle did the same but a bit away from her, heat growing in his ears. He picked out a plump mouse and headed over where Silverpatch and Patch was sitting at. Patch had joined a few days ago, which the scar that Thistle had given him was still there. Thankfully, the light tom with darker grey bits still didn't mind the scar.

"Hi Silverpatch, Patch." Thistle mumbled through the mouse. Patch flicked his tail tip up in a greeting, Silverpatch gave him a quick 'hello' before digging into a rabbit that they where sharing. Thistle took a bite of his mouse. Darkmoss had turned around with a vole hanging from her jaws. She glanced at Thistle, then quickly looked away. I'm such a stupid mouse-brain! I should've known better than than to say that! Hopefully she'll forget by tomorrow.
"Hi Silverpatch, Patch." She greeted Patch with an odd tone, as of saying 'don't even try.'
"Why don't you want to talk to me, sweetheart?" Patch likes her? Darkmoss gave him a glare. Oh, he's just picking on her, good. Why should I care anyway?
"Don't call me sweetheart." Darkmoss hissed at him.
"Why not, it's fun to see you get mad." He quickly replied. Darkmoss continued to flick her tail while reaching down for a bite of her vole. "Ignoring me won't help you know." That's enough.
"Patch leave her alone." Thistle told Patch. The grey tom looked back at him, nearly examining him before replying.
"Oh, I see." He gave Thistle a quick wink before finishing off the rabbit. Oh, I see? What dose he mean-really! I don't like her! Heat flooded through him.
"I don't like her!" Thistle lightly snapped at Patch.
"Sure you don't." He responded. Thistle glared at him, although he shrugged it off. Darkmoss must had not heard because she was talking to Silverpatch.

***

Thistle stretched in his nest. He had moved to the larger warrior den a little under half a moon ago. He stood up, careful not to wake any cat up. It was a lot more crowed than the smaller den, which would soon be added to the bigger den. He stepped between Brambletail, a brown tabby she-cat that was also one of Darkmoss' friends, and Aquaspear. He gave Darkmoss a quick glance. She was still sleeping. Not a lot of cats where up yet, only Coontail, Emberstream, Lillypaw and a few others. Lillypaw looked around camp before looking at Thistle. She quickly jumped up to her paws and trotted over to him.

"Can we go hunting?" She asked, her blue and green eyes glowed with excitement.
"Can you wait a bit? Darkmoss and the other apprentices should be up in a little bit."
"What if we catch something for Darkmoss-like a vole! We could surprise her with it!" Lillypaw thought out loud.
"Alright, but if we don't see anything for a while, we're coming back, okay?" Lillypaw nodded her head. "Where should we go?"
"Fallen tree would be the best for voles, but it's your call." Thistle told her.
"Let's go there!" Lillypaw trotted out of camp. Thistle followed the young calico cat around camp, heading to the large, fallen sycamore tree. Dew had fallen though the night, untouched other than when Lillypaw or Thistle walked through it. It was on of the cooler mornings, Leafbare was coming soon. Everything was quite, for once, Thistle enjoyed it. He wished Lillypaw was Darkmoss though. I don't like her, she's just a good friend.

Opening his mouth, nothing touched Thistle's tongue. Lillypaw had pushed on further, looking for a vole.
"What are you doing in BirchClan territory!" Thistle darted to Lillypaw's statement. Someone was on our territory without permission. Thistle ran around fallen tree to see Lillypaw facing off two bigger cats. One was a large, nearly black fluffy tom, the other was a shorter, battle scarred she-cat with a stump tail. It was Birch and Curly.
"Well look who decide to show up." Birch sneered. Thistle immediately put himself next to Lillypaw, not wanting anything to happen to the young apprentice.
"What do you want!" Thistle snapped. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Lillypaw had gave him a questioning look.
"I've come to teach you a lesson! Since you decided to not follow orders and to yell at your leader! Your moon is up, and nothing has happened. Now you get your punishment." Birch quickly flicked her tail towards Lillypaw. Nearly at the same time Birch lunged at him, knocking him onto his back. He heard a cut off scream from Lillypaw as Curly attacked her. Thistle reached up and bit Birch's neck, she gave a hiss of pain before rolling him onto the ground. Panic flooded through him as his worst fears became true.

Birch tumbled with Thistle til they where near the creek. Lillypaw had only made muffed mews. Birch rolled Thistle hard onto his side, knocking the breath out of him. She place a paw on his cheek, another on his shoulder. She had positioned herself So Thistle couldn't escape. He was defenseless. Thistle was stuck looking into the creek. Curly was standing in the middle of it on top of a raised rock. Lillypaw was squirming in his grip.
"Do it." Birch demanded Curly. Panic flooded through Thistle. Lillypaw was dropped into the water, her head being held under the swift current.
"Lilly-," Thistle was cut off by Birch.
"Silence! If you cause a scene, that brown she-cat will die." Birch had a bone chilling tone in her voice. This was a side of Birch that Thistle hadn't seen. Lillypaw flailed her paws around, trying to get out of the water. Every time she would get half a grip onto the ground, Curly would knock her paws out from underneath of her. Shock held Thistle in place, he couldn't move. His blue eyes were fixed on the drowning apprentice. Her haunches where still raised, until what seemed to be seasons of waiting, her haunches fell into the water. She's dead! I just let her die! Shock slowly let away to grief, which started to grip his throat like an eagle's talons on his neck.

"If you tell a single soul, everyone you are friends with, or anyone you love will die. Do you understand?" Birch quietly hissed. Thistle nodded his head as best as he could still pined down. Curly had let go of Lillypaw's body, which it started to drift down stream. As soon as Birch let go of him he darted up to the small wet body.
"I'm sorry Lillypaw." Thistle choked out.
"Let that be a lesson." Birch sneered again.