Dawnpaw shook the sleep off and padded out of the den.

Luckystar described the training sessions and which senior warrior would help with which. "I want Echopaw, Hollyleaf, Foxleap and Frogpaw to go out with Goldenperch first. Dawnpaw, Sunpaw, Rosepetal and I will go with Goldenperch next. Thunderpaw and Lightningpaw, go with your mentors and Brackenfur to battle training. Lionblaze, take out a patrol to play out a fight."

Echopaw, Frogpaw, Hollyleaf and Foxleap gave a brief nod before heading out of the camp.

Dawnpaw didn't hear, but Luckystar and Goldenperch exchanged a few words.

Luckystar addressed the Clan members still in camp. "Brackenfur, organize some hunting patrols and a border patrol. We mustn't let this get to us."

"Sure," Brackenfur replied.

"And I want Hazeltail, Dovewing and Larkleaf to go to WindClan and tell them about this threat. Jayfeather, Whitewing and Toadstep can go to ShadowClan. I shall go to RiverClan with Duskpelt and Pineleaf." Luckystar finished.

Dawnpaw trotted to her favorite bush and selected a mouse to eat. A battle. That was scary. And so soon after Demonpaw leaving.

StarClan, I can't lose anyone else. Please make sure Duskpelt, Frogpaw or Sunpaw don't die. Please.

"Are you alright?" Luckystar had appeared at her side.

Dawnpaw shook out her ginger fur and curled her tail up. "I will do my best to fight for my Clan."

Luckystar dipped her head. "Good. But be careful. Battles can be dangerous." She warned.

"I will." Dawnpaw promised.

She lounged around, waiting for Luckystar to come back from RiverClan. Finally, Luckystar arrived.

"Dawnpaw! Find Sunpaw and Rosepetal and tell them to meet us in the training hollow. I'll fetch Goldenperch." Luckystar ordered.

"Okay." Dawnpaw replied, dashing off. Sunpaw and Rosepetal were already in the training hollow, so she waited for Luckystar and Goldenperch there.

At the training hollow, Dawnpaw watched Goldenperch demonstrate the most commonly used move by DarkClan cats. Rosepetal stood in front of her, looking uneasy. When the older she-cat lunged at the golden she-cat, Goldenperch ducked the bite and whipped her body around so suddenly, she was the one lunging. Then, she closed her jaws delicately around Rosepetal's throat.

"If I was a real DarkClan cat, Rosepetal would be dead." She announced solemnly.

Kind of cool. Dawnpaw thought internally but let out a cry of shock.

"This is how you can stop it from killing you." Goldenperch continued. She flipped Rosepetal around, so she was the one on the ground. Using a forepaw, she batted Rosepetal's jaws away and they closed on thin air. She thrust her neck forward, nipping Rosepetal's ear. With amazing speed, she rolled out of the way as Rosepetal tried another bite. Goldenperch raked her claws on her flank while she was distracted. Pushing her over, Goldenperch went for a last blow. Victorious, she nodded to the cats watching. "Most DarkClan cats are cocky and power-hungry. They want revenge. They don't follow the warrior code. They will kill you."

Dawnpaw nodded, taking it in. She partnered with Sunpaw. Lunging at her sister, Sunpaw ducked. Dawnpaw staggered, trying to find her balance, but it was too late. Sunpaw had already closed her jaws on her neck.

"Swap over!" Luckystar commanded.

In an instant, Sunpaw was lunging at Dawnpaw. Exhausted, Dawnpaw didn't have the energy to dodge, so rolled on the ground instead. Sunpaw, like Dawnpaw earlier, lost balance. Finding sudden energy, Dawnpaw raked her pads on Sunpaw's flank and nipped the fur around her neck tenderly.

After the training session, the five exhausted cats trooped back to camp. Dawnpaw grabbed a blackbird that the hunting parties had brought back and shared it with Sunpaw. That was when she heard Luckystar's summons.

"We have news." Luckystar looked down at the Clan. "Cloudtail and Brightheart are retiring to the elders' den."

"Cloudtail! Brightheart!" Dawnpaw cheered somberly.

"They have earned their rest. Now." Luckystar cleared her throat. "Some of you may know, but Longtail died today. He was old and it was his time."

He was old anyway. Dawnpaw thought with a dismissive flick of her ears. It was little mean, but it had been the pale tabby's time.

"We will sit vigil for him tonight. And remember, he watches us from StarClan now." Luckystar reminded the Clan gently.

Dawnpaw left Longtail's grieving kin and headed to her den.

Tossing and turning, Dawnpaw couldn't sleep. Her nightmares from the night before were still bugging her. Finally, she decided to take a walk around her territory.

Upon reaching the Twolegplace border, she saw a dark shape. A familiar dark shape. One with bright blue eyes- eye.

"Demonpaw." She breathed.

Suddenly afraid, she turned tail and bolted back to the safer territory of her den. Squashed in between Frogpaw and Sunpaw, she tried to calm her heartbeat.

Why's Demonpaw back? I thought he was exiled.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she was called upon for duty. She ran with Luckystar, . Goldenperch, Hollyleaf, Larkleaf and Fogwhisker to the Gathering island, where a she-cat had sent a distress call of help.

Mistystar?

Dawnpaw slashed, bit and clawed every bit of DarkClan pelt she could, but the cats wouldn't leave. Only when Brackenfur brought their second patrol did DarkClan seem slightly hesitant.

"This is only the beginning!" a red-orange tabby purred, his eyes alight with wild laughter. "DarkClan will rule!"

Dawnpaw watched Redstorm and Luckystar duel, her mouth open in shock. Never had she seen so much death. Fogwhisker had died before her eyes, for StarClan's sake!

Luckystar fell to the ground. A cat yowled. "She's losing a life!"

Dawnpaw winced and pretty much just cowered on the ground, terrified. At the age of 10 moons, she wasn't ready for a vicious battle where the opponent fought to kill!

Duskpelt, mother, where are you?

Soon, the battle died down; the DarkClan cats fleeing again. Dawnpaw emerged from her hiding spot to see Fogwhisker and Brackenfur's bodies laying limp on the ground.

Brackenfur. StarClan, no!

Dawnpaw followed the patrol back to the camp, where Luckystar performed the deputy ceremony.

"Goldenperch!" Dawnpaw cheered half-heartedly with the other cats.

Thunderpaw, Lightningpaw and Echopaw were then made warriors; Thunderstorm, Lightningstrike and Echoflight.

After the ceremony, Echoflight strode over to Dawnpaw.

"Look, Dawnpaw, I'm glad that Demonpaw's exiled. You and he were growing too close. It's not good to mate with a thief and a traitor." Echoflight hissed. "Now, goodbye. I have a vigil to attend to."

Glad?

"You fox-heart!" Dawnpaw hissed back.

Echoflight growled in her throat but joined Thunderstorm and Lightningstrike in the clearing.

Echoflight wishes Demonpaw were exiled. Is that true for all cats? Do they really believe he's vicious, mean and a thief?

Looking around the clearing, Dawnpaw realized no cats had been sad that Demonpaw was leaving, except Goldenperch and her.