Skypaw ran her paw over her ear neatly, glad it no longer smarted at the action. It had healed quickly — far more quickly than Flypaw's pinched nose — and she had vowed to never again let a crab near enough to harm her again. This, of course, had not stopped Dunerunner from taking her back to the rocky beach several times in search of them.

He appeared now, tail twined with Russetheart, his mate. Skypaw had heard Shardtooth call his name as part of a patrol earlier, which could only mean that her mentor was on his way to collect her.

"Morning!" he beamed. She wrinkled her nose, mostly at the taste of the salt she had just licked off her paw. Nearly half her life spent in SeaClan and still she was not used to it.

"Where are we off to today?" she asked, looking around to see if the other apprentices were around. She liked training with Specklepaw best, mainly because she got to be around Beetlefang too.

"No training today," Dunerunner said as he walked past her. "I've been given a special task by..."

The name was lost in the wind as the cream tabby left the main cave. Skypaw rolled her eyes only to feel her pelt burn when Pearlfur gave her a reproachful look.

"Is that any way to treat your mentor?" she reprimanded her kit. Skypaw shook her head, though her whiskers still twitched in amusement. Dunerunner would have laughed along with her.

Her mother's tone softened. "Since you're not spending the day with your mentor, why don't we spend some time hunting together? I'd love to see your progress." The apprentice leapt to her paws excitedly, always eager to show off her skills. She'd come a long way since the last time she and Pearlfur went out together — a moon at least.

It was sunhigh as they set out, but the sun was not nearly as hot as it had been the last time Skypaw set foot on the plateau. Her battle training with Beetlefang pricked at her mind and she gave a soft purr of satisfaction at the memory.

She picked her way up the cliff face sure-footedly, Pearlfur more slowly behind her. It was a good few heartbeats before the white she-cat joined Skypaw at the top; the apprentice noticed she was wheezing with the effort.

"Are you alright?" she asked her mother, worry flashing through her.

"Just not used to climbing this high," Pearlfur replied, shaking out her fur. "It's much higher than a fence."

Skypaw bristled slightly at the mention of their old life but nodded in acknowledgement. She was much younger than Pearlfur and hadn't had the time to grow accustomed to the Twolegplace before beginning her new life with SeaClan.

"Let's try the RockClan border," Skypaw suggested.

"Are you sure?" Pearlfur replied. "I was there with a hunting patrol not too long ago and there was hardly any prey. I think we might have more luck near the Twolegplace." The she-cat glanced to their right, where the tall dens of Twolegplace rose above the horizon.

Skypaw shifted her paws, struggling to remember Dunerunner's hunting training. "But the river at the border is more likely to draw prey," she argued. "All prey needs water to survive."

Pearlfur twitched her whiskers. "There's heat near Twolegplace, and it's getting colder. Prey will be seeking shelter, and this plateau has none."

The apprentice shook her head. "But Twolegplace is dangerous. Prey is more likely to be killed there."

"Well we did just fine, didn't we?" the white she-cat snapped and Skypaw flinched, taken aback. Pearlfur noticed and reined herself in. "But perhaps you're right. It's not cold enough yet for all the prey to be gone from the plateau. Let's try the river." Fur still bristling, the apprentice followed her mother in the direction of the RockClan border, backs turned to the Twolegplace.

Their discussion was quickly wiped from Skypaw's mind as they came closer to the river. The water was relatively calm in this section of the river; only when it hit the stones nearer the cliffs did rapids form before the water spilled over the edge in a spectacular waterfall.

Pearlfur lifted her fluffy tail as they crept closer, signaling a stop. Skypaw scanned the riverbank up ahead, finding their quarry quickly: a small water vole sitting at the water's edge. Her mother stalked forward, keeping herself low to the ground. Skypaw held her tongue as the she-cat narrowly avoided kicking a pebble. Then, she sprang, only to miss the water vole as it darted away.

Too early, Skypaw thought to herself. She noticed a different water vole pop up a tail-length or two away from her. Angling herself, she moved forward quietly, getting as close to the rodent as she dared before pushing herself up in a burst of energy. The vole gave a terrified squeak as her claws connected with it.

"Very good," Pearlfur said as Skypaw buried the freshkill. "Dunerunner must be a fantastic mentor."

"He is," the apprentice said proudly. "But I've trained with others too – Shardtooth and Cobaltwing and Beetlefang. If you want to be the best you have to train with the best."

"You haven't trained with me," the she-cat replied and Skypaw felt a twang of guilt. Before she could reply, however, the white she-cat cocked her head. "Besides, why must you be the best? You're good enough no matter what, my little Periwinkle."

The apprentice narrowed her eyes briefly. "I'm Skypaw now."

Pearlfur shrugged. "You'll always be my little Periwinkle to me." She turned back to the river to continue her hunting.

Rubbed the wrong way once more by her mother's referral to their old life, Skypaw returned to hunting distracted. Yet, her mother's question – why must you be the best? – stayed with her.

They did not say anything else to each other for the remainder of their hunting, or for the trek back to the camp. Skypaw tried to convince herself it was because of the prey swinging from their jaws, but how many times had she and Dunerunner had a perfectly normal conversation coming back from hunting patrol?

She was worried she'd offended her mother somehow by not including her in her list of 'the best' warriors. At the same time, annoyance pricked at her from the use of her old name, and the constant references to the Twolegplace and their old life there. Was Pearlfur not as loyal to SeaClan as Skypaw thought she was?

The camp was nearly empty as they dropped their freshkill on the pile. Not wanting to spend more time with Pearlfur at the moment, Skypaw made her excuses and headed back out onto the beach path. She reached the plateau again quickly, but this time turned in the direction of Twolegplace.

She didn't miss it – not the constant smell of smoke, or the rumble of the monsters, or the strange glow that came from the Twoleg dens. If anything, she missed their friends, Charlie and Minerva, but they had their own lives and, now, she had hers in SeaClan. But what was it that drew Pearlfur to this place?

Padding along the fence on the border of the Twolegplace it took Skypaw a moment to realize that another set of pawsteps was echoing her own. The sound came from above, unhurried and matching her pace exactly.

Without even glancing up, Skypaw leapt onto the fence, narrowly missing her stalker. The other cat – a silver she-cat – moved out of the way just in time, allowing both of them to balance atop the fence.

"Why are you following me?" Skypaw growled, fur bristling.

The silver she-cat appeared completely unconcerned. Amused, even. "I was just taking an afternoon stroll and spotted you. Haven't seen many cats on your side of the fence."

The grey and white apprentice narrowed her eyes. "That's not possible. This border is patrolled daily."

"Perhaps I choose to take my stroll at other times then." The she-cat shrugged. "Why are you out here all alone?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Skypaw replied.

"Well, a mother needs some time away from her kits, doesn't she?" The she-cat twitched her whiskers, eyes glowing with a friendly light. Skypaw found her fur flattening, but her claws remained unsheathed just in case.

"Well, sometimes a kit needs time away from her mother as well," she said.

The silver she-cat flicked her ear. "I'm Queenie. You must be one of the Clan cats. Some of the kittypets have been talking about you."

Skypaw nodded. "I'm Skypaw of SeaClan. I actually used to live in the Twolegplace." She waved her tail casually at the dens beyond the fence.

"I haven't lived here long," Queenie admitted, "but I'm curious why you left? It seems like such a safe place, especially compared to where I came from originally."

"It's not always safe," Skypaw replied. "I remember getting chased through the streets at night by gang cats. There was a war, after, between the Twolegplace cats and the Clan cats, and now there are three Clans. My mother decided the Clans would be safer." And I'm glad she did...

"A war?" Queenie's eyes widened. "I hope my kits never have to endure something like that."

The apprentice shook her head. "I don't remember much, I wasn't involved in the fighting. If there was another one now I'd fight till the end, though."

"For the Clans? Or for the Twolegplace?"

"SeaClan, of course."

"How come?"

"Are you questioning my loyalty?" Skypaw narrowed her eyes.

"It just seems strange that you would change your allegiance. You were born in Twolegplace, why turn your back on it?" The silver she-cat fixed her with a curious stare. For the first time, Skypaw noticed how bright her hazel eyes were.

"I didn't have an allegiance before SeaClan," Skypaw explained. "My allegiance was to my mother and to myself. SeaClan gives me a family to go back to, and all I need to do to be part of it is hunt and fight for them."

"Sounds like an interesting life. But wouldn't you rather be fighting for yourself? Aren't there others in the Clan who drag you down?"

Skypaw hesitated in her answer, struck dumb by the she-cat's words. Sure, there were cats in the Clan who were worse at hunting or fighting than others, but they contributed in other ways. Like Lilyfeather, who knew how to heal.

"That's why I'm training to be the best," she finally replied. "So that I can protect those who have trouble standing up for themselves."

Queenie twitched her whiskers again. "And for the bragging rights, I'm sure." Skypaw snorted but acknowledged there might be some truth to her words.

"So you wouldn't leave?" Queenie continued.

Skypaw shook her head decisively. "Never."

The silver she-cat sighed. "That's too bad. The Twolegplace could use a protector like you, especially with all these rogues hanging about."

"I belong in SeaClan," Skypaw replied. "But... If your kits ever needed a safe place, I'm sure SeaClan could take them in."

"Your Clan would do that for me?" The she-cat's eyes were incredulous.

"I can't make any promises," Skypaw said, "but I could speak to Gannetstar about it."

"Gannetstar..." Queenie tested the name out on her tongue and Skypaw could have sworn a flash of recognition crossed the she-cat's face.

"I'll think about it," she finally said. "Until then, I must be getting back to them. Farewell, Skypaw. I hope to see you again." The silver she-cat hopped off of the fence neatly, flicking her tail goodbye before disappearing into the Twolegplace.

Skypaw shook her head, as if waking from a dream. She'd come here searching for answers about Pearlfur only to find answers about herself in the place she would have least expected it. And her offer to take Queenie's kits in... She supposed she would have to pluck up the courage to speak to Gannetstar eventually.

Maybe the reason why Pearlfur missed Twolegplace was the simplicity of life there – hunting and fighting for yourself with no ties to others. Or maybe it was the friendliness of the cats – Charlie, Minerva and, now, Queenie.

But SeaClan offered all of those things too, as far as Skypaw was concerned. With a final shake of her head, she leapt down onto her side of the fence, marking the border for good measure, and began padding in the direction of home.

// Finally did some writing over the long weekend - Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends! If you were Skypaw would you choose to remain in SeaClan or go back to Twolegplace?