Chapter 2

Ivypaw woke to hear Featherpaw groaning in pain. I lifted my weary head to see what was wrong. It must have woke Rowanpaw up too because he had risen up to see what was wrong with his sister.

He nudged her shoulder gently. "What's wrong, Featherpaw?" he whispered to her trying not to wake up Mosspaw who was still snoring heavily. He blinked as he noticed that the groaning had woken me up also.

"My belly is throbbing." She mumbled slowly. "It hurts really badly. Do you think I should go see Brackensnow? She might not be up yet."

Roawnpaw placed his one of his fore paws on her stomach. "Yeah, you better go and see her. It does feel quite swollen. I'll go with you if you want me to."

Featherpaw hauled up her dark brown body with difficulty. "I'll be fine on my own." She wheezed and got on her paws. Mosspaw let out a big snort that made Featherpaw laugh. She looked back at the sleeping cat and set off for where the medicine cat was.

"There must have been a bug going around at the Gathering." Rowanpaw guessed. "I better go and tell Rabbitfoot that I'm ready for training." He began to pad off to find him. "It was so sad to hear that Toadleap and Birdwind had died "

"Rabbitfoot has moved to the elder's den with Yellowstripe and Duskleaf." I cut him off before he could make his way out to find him. "You might go tell Foxstar that you have no mentor!" I called to him before he hurried off somewhere. A growl sounded from behind me and Mosspaw thundered past me.

"Good morning sunshine!" I called jokingly after her. Mosspaw would have to wait to do her wash that she does every morning before anything else now that we're apprentices she won't have any time. I walked outside to see Mosspaw siting in the center of the clearing taking orders from Nettlewhisker while she began washing herself. Sweetbreeze was near the nursery watching Darkkit chase Foxstar's big bushy tail. The clan leader always visited his son every morning and every night after he came back from patrolling. Darkkit was so cute and small. His little paws couldn't even wrap around his father's tail. When he finally managed to get it Foxstar would fall over on his side and let Darkkit climb on top of him.

"I see you're up early." Soulfire was walking towards me. I noticed that it was beginning to become dawn when I went to sleep and how tired I still was. "I had expected you to sleep later, but I guess we can start training now." He sighed.

"Okay," I meowed. "What are you going to teach me? I always wanted to learn how to hunt." I hinted because when I asked him what the plans were he looked totally lost.

"I'll teach you hunting skills then." He agreed and headed towards the thorn barrier.

I followed obeying his wishes. The memory of Foxstar's words last night about Mosspaw stung her heart for the first time. "I'm really not special, am I?" I sighed to myself.

Outside of the barrier Soulfire pointed out a weathered path that cut in front along the barrier. The path was dusty even though it was new-leaf and it had rain still clinging to the braches and leaves on the trees.

Ahead a clearing appeared through the trees to reveal a sandy area with piles of mud that have grown stiff and hard. "Is this really where we train?" I asked really stupidly.

"Yes," Soulfire snapped. "And you better get used to it because Um, there is a reason."
"Okay." I puffed. "I already know how to do some of the stuff Silverpool taught me." Now I don't think that being an apprentice was all that fun. Soulfire is new and younger than most mentors. We stopped in the middle of the clearing where no dunes were. Most of the dunes were on the sides of the hollow anyway.

"Now," Soulfire meowed. "Show me what Silvlerpool taught you." He ordered me.

I crouched down into a hunter's crouch. There was a leaf a little ways away. I'll aim for that. I thought quickly. I lifted my tail off of the ground and began to slink towards the leaf, my paws barely making a sound. When I was a few tail lengths away from it I sprang and landed squarely on top of it. I looked up proudly at my mentor with the leaf still stuck in my claws.

"Well done." Soulfire nodded. "I think you've mastered that already. I think that you can start " his voice got cut off by Milkytail's excited mew.

"Rowanpaw and Featherpaw are going to get there warrior names!" She panted franticly. "We don't want to miss it! Come on let's go!"

Soulfire, Milktail, and I raced back on the trail that we had gone down. Ivypaw noticed that it seemed shorter that when she first came down it because they were back in the camp in no time.

Featherpaw and Rowanpaw stood beside Foxstar on the SnowRock. Silverpool was on Foxstar's other side. Clawpelt, Nettlewhisker, and Mosspaw sat under the rock with the elders behind them. Milktail made her way to the front and sat beside Clawpelt. Soulfire and I sat behind the elders. A glimpse of red and white fur caught the corner of my eye as I saw Sweetbreeze coming up to sit next to us with Darkkit.

"Hello," she greeted us and she sat down next to me. She wrapped her tail over Darkkit and looked up at the leader to show that everyone was here.

Foxstar dipped his head to her and started speaking. "I think that it's time we honor two very loyal apprentices. Rowanpaw has proven himself worthy of becoming a full warrior when he endured the long wait to come home after being captured be DreadClan, and his bravery for daring to come back. Featherpaw has proven herself worthy of becoming a full warrior by going on with life even though she had lost her brother and none of us had hope that he would come back she always believed that he would return." His gaze passed over all of us and then it stopped when it reached Rabbitfoot. "I don't think we have any other choice but to make them warriors seeing that Rowanpaw's mentor has moved on to serve as one of the elders of the clan."

"Thank you, Foxstar." Rabbitfoot's hoarse voice croaked up to him.

"Featherpaw," he addressed the dark brown she-cat. "I think Brakensnow and you discovered something this morning that I think will please everyone." He nodded to the medicine cat that was barely visible against the white rock.

"I am glad to announce that after her warrior ceremony Featherpaw will be moving into the nursery with Sweetbreeze." Brackensnow mewed happily to the clan, and Featherpaw you could tell was swelling with pride.

Rowanpaw sat on the SnowRock staring at his sister with his mouth open wide with shock. Featherpaw flicked his jaw with her tail and he shut it. His cheeks were blushing.

Foxstar let the clan cheer for Featherpaw before he started giving their names. "Rowanpaw, you will now be known as Rowanheart. Featherpaw, you will now be known as Featherstep."

"Rowanheart!"

"Featherstep!"

"Rowanheart!"

"Featherstep!"

For the first time I noticed how much Featherstep's belly bulged. It would be any time now that she would kit. Rowanheart made his way down the SnowRock with her to listen to their parents praise them.

"Who is the father?" Duskleaf asked from the line of elders behind the parents of Rowanheart and Featherstep.

"Oh," she exclaimed. "It's Nettlewhisker." She mewed casually as if it was one of those everyday things. When the elders heard that the father was Nettlewhisker they ran to congratulate him.

"Soulfire, why do cats take a mate for? I can't picture in my mind loving like that at such a young age." He looked at me strangely. It almost looked like a sad face.

"I'm afraid to take a mate because of what happened to my sister, and I'm afraid that my mate would think that I was too harsh at times, but there isn't anything I want more in the world than a mate." He bowed his head and looked at his paws. A tear began to roll down his face and I pressed my body closer to his. I felt his body shudder with another sob. Sweetbreeze turned her head to see what wrong.

"What's the matter, Soulfire." She meowed loud enough for Yellowstripe to hear and she looked around at him, too. Mousebelly and Deepwave saw that she wasn't praising the family anymore and turned around to look with her. I glared at all of them and they turned their heads away. Silverpool always said that she I looked as if I was going to kill a cat when I gave them the evil eye. Soulfire pushed me away and he went into the warrriors den. I wasn't allowed to go in there.

"So what is wrong with him?" asked Sweetbreeze more gruffly.

I just stared at her doing or saying nothing. She finally went into the medicine den with Darkkit and came back out with a bundle of moss in her jaws. Darkkit carried a tiny wad in his mouth, too.

"When are your kits going to arrive?" asked Milkytail on her way to the nursery with Featherstep.

"Oh, about three days after tonight." Featherstep replied happily.

"That's great!" exclaimed her mother before they both disappeared into the den that was fortressed by tendrils and leaves with a second layer of brambles to keep enemies away.

Rowanheart was talking to Silverpool, Foxstar, and Clawpelt. Nettlewhisker was surrounded by three elders. Rabbifoot was sitting outside of the elder's den chatting with Duskleaf while he ate a fat chaffinch. I noticed that the fresh-kill pile only had a few pieces of prey left and I'm sure that everyone will want to enjoy a big feast after hearing the great news of Featherstep's kit's arriving soon.

Maybe it would be good to get Soulfire's mind off of his brother. We should go and hunt before we have to go to sleep. Ivypaw padded towards the warriors den and saw Soulfire's bright ginger pelt glowing in the twilight.

"Soulfire," he let out a low grunt. "Do you want to go hunting with me? There isn't much prey on the fresh kill pile and I'm sure everyone will be hungry." He hesitated before getting up. When he saw that I looked disappointed that he was unhappy he smiled at me. I could tell it was a forced on but I didn't push him he seemed sad enough. I followed him back across the little path to the Dunes now it seemed even shorter. When we got to the dunes we kept on going, the whole time Soulfire said nothing. He let me straight back into the forest. Then he stopped and I saw a mouse scuffling over a tree trunk. He edged me forward. I dropped down into the hunter's crouch that I did earlier today. The mouse stopped and I stopped, too. I waited until it went back to sitting and cleaning its paws. When I was a tail length from it I pounced on its back and broke it before it could squeak.

"Well done, Ivypaw! I bet Mosspaw hasn't caught a thing." Soulfire seemed to brighten up a little bit when he saw me make my first catch. I picked my mouse up and held it proudly in my jaws and tried to show him that I was smiling.

"Come on let's hunt some more." He flicked his tail towards a bridge of rocks that led us over a stream with tiny waterfalls flowing over the stone bed. "You'll find water voles over here all the time." Soulfire whispered as we crept along the bank looking for the mouse-like creatures.

"Stop!" he ordered. Two voles were sitting on a rock looking down at the water. We would be able to catch then easily. The bubbling stream would block out the sound of our arrival. I laid my mouse down and we both went for one of the voles. The vole struggled a little under my paws but I bit its neck and it moved no more.

I went back and picked up my mouse and vole by their tails and followed Soulfire back across the bridge.

A squirrel crossed Soulfire's path not noticing the warrior staring at it. Soulfire quickly dropped his vole and charged at it hooking it up in the air and crushing it under his weight. He picked his catch up and we headed back to the camp.

Twilight was showing over the tree tops as we went down the short path to the entrance of the camp. A drop of water splashed on my head from somewhere in the tree branches and leaves above. Silverpool was coming out of the tunnel with Foxstar behind her.

"We were looking for you two all over the camp!" she shouted at me as we came into their view. "You shouldn't leave without telling some warrior!"

"What do you consider my mentor as then? If I were you I would watch my mouth, mom." I scolded her. Her eyes pierced my pelt as Soulfire and I went into the camp. He gave her a good growl and went on after me. I dropped my mouse on the fresh-kill pile and took my vole over to Deepwave who was basking in the sun with Yellowstripe while she ate her blackbird. Mousebelly was snoring in the shade of the butterfly bush that had blossoms budding all over it.

"Do you want my vole?" I asked Deepwave and she opened one of her dark blue eyes.

"Yes, I appreciate it. This has been your first day out hunting is it?" she asked as she picked up the vole. "Water vole has always been my favorite, you know." She meowed through a mouthful of meat. "Go and get you something and come eat with me, I don't mind you, you're the quiet kind of apprentices that I like. Your sister is a little bit of an entertainer, and always the center of attention."

I left Deepwave and picked up my mouse from the fresh-kill pile and went back to sit next to her. Yellowstripe and Mousebelly had joined her since I left her in such a short amount of time.

"That's very rare for a new apprentice to catch that much prey on their first time out in that small amount of time." Yellowstripe praised. For the first time I noticed how many scars the pale ginger she-cat had. It made me flinch when I observed the long line stretching down her side. "They look nasty don't they." She sighed at me. "I hope that DreadClan will get some sense in their heads before you young cats have to go what we've gone through. Birdwind was my and Duskleaf's kit along with Nettlewhisker. I hope you never know what it's like to lose your young, Ivypaw, but if these kinds of things happen it will only make you stronger."

Her sad words made me stop chewing my mouse and look up stiffly. I swallowed the rest whole with a big gulp and looked up to see her hiding her face behind her back. I looked back down at my mouse and pushed it towards her. Yellowstripe snuffled and took the mouse.

The stars had returned to the sky and the light blue was turning darker. I headed towards the apprentices den. My bones ached from the walking and were partly sore from the long run back from the Gathering. Mosspaw was the only one in the den with me now. Rowanheart and Featherstep were sitting vigil in the center of the clearing. I could already see the rise and fall of Mosspaw's flanks in the back of the den. I snuggled down in the bottom of my nest draping a blanket of moss over my body and I laid my tail over my nose to keep it warm. The nights were still chilly even though it was beginning to become new-leaf.

Yellowstripe's words rang in my head, but one quote kept coming back to me. 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' I'll have to remember that one.

Ivypaw shut her eyes and sighed. Her muscles relaxed and she was fast asleep in no time.

The next two days Ivypaw had stayed in camp with a non-contagious cough. The days were no longer warm, but cold and icy. Snow was falling outside constantly. All of yesterday had been a white-out. She had been sentenced to the medicine den by Brackensnow.

"Brackensnow," I began to get bored of being stuck inside listening to the snow billowing outside. "Didn't you just say the other day that today would be the day of Featherstep's kitting?" I looked back over my shoulder at the brown and white patched tabby she-cat.

She gasped seeming as if she were shocked. Surely Brackensnoew wouldn't be able to forget a kitting this soon. "Oh, StarClan, Ivypaw, why didn't you remind me sooner!" she ran into the store and came back out with a bundle of herbs in her jaws. "Come with me." She murmured through a mouthful of leaves. I followed her out into the howling blizzard raging outside. The chips of ice stung my eyes. I wasn't cold thanks to my thick fur. We were already at the nursery; the trip to there and back really that far of a distance.

Inside, Featherstep was curled up in a nest mostly made of feathers. The other queen, Sweetbreeze had a nest just like hers. Darkkit was fluffed up asleep in the nest while Sweetbreeze sat beside Featherstep's nest. The wind picked up outside sending snow flying around outside of the den. Featherstep opened her eyes and watched Brackensnow lay down the herbs.

"I thought I might rest before I kitted." She meowed wearily. "Do you think they'll be coming soon?"

Brackensnow sighed and lay down. "Only StarClan knows when they'll come, but I think that I judged right." She began to lick her paw and groom herself.

Featherstep's face screwed up in pain. "I think you prediction was accurate all right." She heaved.

Sweetbreeze's gaze clouded with worry. "Her stomach, I've noticed, is the most swollen I think that I've ever seen, Brackensnow. How many do you think she is carrying?"

The medicine cat looked up at the ceiling. "At least three, at the most six." She went back to licking herself thoroughly. "That's why I brought you, Ivypaw, so if we need extra help you'll be here. I know that at your age you would think that things like this are nasty at the time, but good always comes out of it. We need more warriors if we are to survive DreadClan."

I looked at my paws confused. Why couldn't she have picked one of the she-cat elders? Or Silverpool would have worked? I'm just an apprentice. Why would she put the life of Featherstep in the hands of an apprentice no older than a kit itself?

Beside me a light gray tabby figure stepped in. "Is everything okay, Featherstep my love?" It was Nettlewhisker. You could barely tell it was him for all of the snow and ice clinging to his pelt. "Are you feeling strange? Do you need something? I "

"Oh, Neetlewhisker, stop it!" She snapped playfully. "I am not the first queen that's kitted. You're more worried than I am and you're not the on giving birth!" She shuddered again bigger this time than last.

"I think they're coming, Featherstep." Brackensnow meowed padding up and rubbing her stomach. "Yes, they are definitely coming. Nettlewhisker, will you please go and get Silverpool for me? I might need her."

The gray tom nodded his head and disappeared back into the howling blizzard. Featherstep had another huge shudder. "Come on," the medicine cat encouraged her. "You have about got the first one out." Featherstep winced and she had a spasm. A light brown tabby tom with brown flecks plopped out on the ground. Sweetbreeze nudged it towards its mother's belly. Another black she-kit came out soon after it. Sweetbreeze nudged it up to the other one.

Silverpool came through the entrance with sleep in her eyes. Nettlewhisker pushed her out of his way and he stood behind his mate and licked her ears.

"What are their names?" he asked her excitedly.

Featherstep looked down at the two little bundles and replied. "The light brown tom is Ryekit and the black she-kit is Pumakit."

Brackensnow rubbed Featherstep's belly again. "You aren't done yet. I bet there are three more." She whispered. Bracckensnow pushed on her belly and another light gray tabby tom, looking just like Nettlewhisker came out.

Featherstep looked up at her mate. "He looks so much like you; I think that you should be the one to name him." The tiny light gray tabby tom looked up at his father with big green eyes and he mewed softly.

Nettlewhisker tapped the little one's head lightly. "I think he's awful eager to see the world outside, this one is. Speaking of the weather outside, why don't we name him Billowkit?" he looked at his mate warmly.

She looked back up at him. "I think that is a wonderful name, Nettlewhisker " she stopped as yet two more kits plopped out. She dropped her head down in exhaustion. A white she-kit shuddered as she let out a big sneeze. The other was a ginger she-kit that almost looked red.

Nettlewhisker looked at Featherstep panicked. "Featherstep," he shrieked. "Are you alright?" After a while of almost hyperventilating; Nettlewhiker passed out of shock. His mate opened one of her eyes and looked up at the father of her kits that had just passed out on top of her.

"Brackensnow," she murmured almost inaudible. "Will you name the other two kits? I want to take a nap." Brackensnow didn't look worried at all about her being so tired.

The medicine cat rubbed her tail over the heads of Featherstep's two unnamed kits. "The white she-kit should be Feeverkit, because of her sneeze." Then she looked at me. "Would you like to name the other one, Ivypaw?" I looked up at Silverpool who was about asleep on her paws. Then I looked down at the little red she-kit. Silverpool wouldn't care if I had just fallen off of a cliff and came back.

"Let's name the red one Blazekit." I meowed and touched my nose on the kit's head. Blazekit looked up at me with big blue eyes and licked my forehead. "Hi." I mewed to her. She probably wouldn't know what I just said, but I said what I wanted to anyway. "My name is Ivypaw." She cocked her head to one side.

Blazekit opened her mouth and tried to say something. "I ivy paw." She looked up at me again. "Ivypaw,"

"That's right," I mewed. "I'm Ivypaw."

She started bouncing up and down in place. "Ivypaw, Ivypaw, Ivypaw!" Her mother opened her eyes and looked all of her kits. Billowkit was trying to climb on her and look at his father that had passed out. Featherstep grabbed his scruff and hauled him back down and licked his head vigorously. Brackensnow nosed my Blazekti back to sit next to her brothers and sisters. She was now saying Ivypaw nonstop.

Foxstar and the rest of the clan had somehow made their way into the already crowded nursery. I pushed my way in-between Yellowstripe and Milkytail and ran into Duskleaf. He stepped aside and I made my way to the entrance. Outside the blizzard had subsided and you could see the pale dawn light through the large snowflakes that were still falling. I headed back to the medicine den. I felt light headed and dizzy. My muscles were stiff from the cold. My nose was runny and I needed some rest. Then I heard my stomach rumble, so I went to go dig up the prey that we always buried when it was snowing like this. There was only a shrew to eat, well there was a sparrow but I didn't feel like plucking feathers at the time. I bent down and picked up my shrew and turned around to see something much unexpected. A gray she-cat was standing in the middle of the clearing with a tiny white flower behind her ear. I dropped my shrew and went up to her. She was transparent with stars in her fur.

"I am Willowdream," she meowed to me. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I have come to reassure you that you have a very special place in someone's heart, Ivypaw. There is a prophecy that I would like to share with you that StarClan has been pondering on for years, but I think we have finally figured out that it is you. The prophecy is, 'Love, like most great things arrive in from a blaze. This love is stronger than the strongest warrior, nobler than the dying leader, and more loyal than the oldest elder.' You are the one Ivypaw. You were the arrival of the blaze. Be strong, be noble, be loyal, and most of all is brave for the ones you love." The StarClan she-cat was beginning to fade from view as she kept backing up the snow made her barely visible until the only thing you could see were her lavender color eyes blinking away. Then Willowdream was gone.

"Ivypaw!" the voice of Foxstar snapped me back to the future. The blizzard had started up again. "What on earth are you doing out here, you'll catch white-cough!"

I ran up to him with shining eyes. He looked utterly confused. "Foxstar, I met a cat from StarClan!" I meowed to him. "Come on, let's get out of this blizzard and I'll tell you." He dipped his head and we went into his den. He went farther in his cave and lay down in his nest that was mostly made of feathers.

"So," he purred. "Tell me about the StarClan cat." He began licking his cold paws that were probably numb."

"Well," I began to tell the beginning which made me think of my shrew that I dropped. "Oh, wait a second!" I ran out and got it and came back to him. "I forgot my shrew I dropped when she came. Her name is Willowdream. She said to me that there was a prophecy from StarClan that they have spent years trying to figure out, but I'm the one. The prophecy goes like this; 'Love, like most great things arrive in from a blaze. This love is stronger that the strongest warriors, nobler than the dying leader, more loyal than the oldest elder.' Then she told me this; 'You are the one Ivypaw. You are the arrival of the blaze. Be strong, be noble, be loyal, and most of all is to be brave for the ones you love.'"

Foxstar's gaze flickered off me to the entrance. Silverpool came in with a worried look on her face. She looked at me as if I were one of the rouges that they told in stories. "She is a liar Foxstar! She is making this up because she is jealous of Mosspaw! Do you really believe the word of this apprentice?"

He snarled at her. "And you want me to believe in Mosspaw? I think not. Why would she make up something like this even though she would know it wouldn't be true? Besides you heard her say Willowdream's name. No one has told her about my sister's death, and how could she possibly come up with that? Be a mother to Ivypaw, just for once. I would expect you of all people to be the one to know how it feels to be mistreated the most! You're repeating what your parents did all over again, Silverpool. Think about your actions! Until then I will have a new deputy. Maybe that will make you think straighter." My mother spat at him and marched away huffing. My tail and head drooped, one of my ear tips folded downwards. Foxstar lifted up my head with his paw. "Remember, this isn't your fault, Ivypaw. Silverpool deserves a punishment for what she's done, not you. It seems now that you might have a better destiny, to love with all of your heart. I know you love your mother even though the thing she says to you and about you is cruel."

"I'm not a special as Mosspaw will ever be; every cat is born with love in their heart at some point. That isn't a very good destiny, and everyone loves their mom no matter what she may do." I sighed and walked back out into the snow. The icy flecks stung my eyes as I headed back towards the medicine den. I could barely see Silverpool telling Milktail mean names that she described Foxstar as and about what he sentenced her to. Brackensnow was coming out of the den with half of her herbs left. She shot a glare at my mother when she must have caught some of her discussion. I leaped up to the young medicine cat and we walked back into the medicine den together. Sheets of ice were clinging to my pelt. My thick fur blocked out its cold chill, but it still felt heavy.

I let out a hoarse cough. My nose began to run again. Brackensnow looked at me and went to go store the rest of the herbs that weren't used. I got some extra moss that she kept in a crack behind her nest and draped it over me like she ordered me to do every night.

She came back out with a leaf and dropped it at my paws. "Eat this," she mewed softly. "It's just water mint. Has no taste to it." Brackensnow watched me chew it and swallow the leaf before going to her own nest.

Warrior's paws were shuffling outside. Some would be going out on dawn-patrol, hunting, but most would be heading back to their nests to get some more sleep. I need to go to sleep too. I thought miserably.

The sheets of ice were finally beginning to melt by the time she was asleep. Ivypaw's dreams were filled with love and laughter as she played around the nursery with the kit that she thinks will form her destiny. Blazekit, when her adventure really begins.

"Ivypaw," a paw nudged my side. "Wake up Ivypaw and look at who's here." I opened my eyes and saw Brackensnow pacing around excitedly. When she saw me wake up she lunged and grabbed me up. "Come on! DreadClan has come and they are asking us for help! They need two more medicine cats to help them and they want us. Their old medicine cat died suddenly and he had no apprentice. I thought that you've watched me enough to some and help. They also want me to train one of their apprentices to become a medicine cat. Until one of their kits gets the passion to become a medicine cat you and I will serve them. Don't worry about warrior training Soulfire has agreed to let me train you as a warrior as well as let you learn some tips that medicine cats know." She led me out to see the warriors that had come from DreadClan. Brackensnow dipped her head respectful to them. I just yawned. I know that the fur on top of my head was probably spiked like it usually was because of my thick pelt.

"Ivypaw," I turned around to see who had let out the high pitched squeak. It was Blazekit. "No go!" she raced up and planed her nose in my black and white fur. "I want to go with you."

Oh, why? I thought sadly. "Go ask your mother." I sighed. She charged off to go tell Featherstep that she wanted to go with me inside of DreadClan camp where anything could happen! The queen came out with worry in her eyes.

"Take care of her!" she shouted at me from the nursery entrance. Ryekit looked out from underneath his mother's chest. She shoved his head back with her paw.

"I'll protect her with my life " I began to reply back to Featherstep but my sassy sister cut me off.

"Yah right, Ivypaw; you don't even know how to blow someone across the nose!" Mosspaw rolled over laughing.

My pelt burned and the fur on the back of my neck stood on end. "You want to bet that I can't slash someone over the nose? If you're so confident why don't you come over here and let me show you what I can do? I swear to StarClan, Mosspaw that if you tried to throw a rock at the ground you would miss." I looked at my sister's face she looked angry, and then shocked, then she grinned.

"Silverpool," she wailed. "Ivypaw threatened me!"

I bent over to whisper into Brackensnow's ear. "Please can we leave before I have to put up with them!" she nodded vigorously and gave the warrior at the head of the patrol the look of. If you don't leave now who knows when we'll leave. He gave me a sympathetic glance and flicked his tail. His warriors followed him. Brackensnow led me and Blazekit up to the front of the patrol.

"What's your name?" I asked him. He gave me an awkward look. "Sorry, if that sounded a bit weird, but I'm trying to learn about everyone."

"That's okay." He meowed. "I know how eager I was to learn when I was your age. My name is Rattlefang, I'm the deputy. The tortoiseshell tom that isn't paying attention to what he's doing is my son, Dappledfoot." This Rattletail and his son must not have a very good relationship. "The white she-cat beside him is his sister Snowystep." She seemed friendlier than her brother seemed.

"Oh, Rattletail," Brackensnow realized that she had forgotten to say something. "Are there any queens who would be willing to feed her until she can eat prey?"

He looked excited. "Yes, my first apprentice is going to give birth! I hope that I trained her well."

We came up to the edge of our scent markers and into DreadClan territory with lots of cedar trees. I always did have liking for the smell of cedar. I smelled it on the cats that had come from walking along this side of the border.

Plunk!

Ivypaw had tripped over a root. She got up and brushed herself off. Blazekit, who was still small, was struggling to climb over. She picked the small she-kit up in her jaws. Blazekit stopped flailing and let Ivypaw carry her.

Paws were thundering towards the patrol. The ferns and bushes quivered and a tortoiseshell she-cat who looked like she was Ivypaw's age rushed towards the deputy.

"Rattletail," she heaved. "DreadClan is being attacked by MarshClan again. They are at Current Falls." The deputy looked back at his warriors.

"Honeypaw, lead those three back to camp." He ordered the tortoiseshell she-cat. "The rest come with me." He charged off through the ferns in the direction where Honeypaw had come from.

The she-cat flicked her tail. "Follow me," Honeypaw ran farther along the path we were on. Brackensnow grabbed Blazekit from me and we ran after her. "The camp isn't far from here." She called back to us.

Just up ahead was the camp walls that were tangled with brambles like ours was, except they put birch bark on the outside and you could see cedar's fuzzy looking bark sticking out of the gaps.

Honeypaw waited at the entrance and let us go in first. Brackensnow led us through the good-smelling tunnel and out into their clearing. The medicine cat immediately headed for where a queen was staring horrified at the sounds of the battle that kept getting louder and louder. She said something and dropped the kit she was carrying to her. The she- cat nodded and Brackensnow headed back to me.

"Get ready for the next sneak patrol!" a gray tom ordered Rosepaw to stand in the row at the side of the clearing. "Now everyone remember that when you see Snowpaw or Rainpaw that means that they need they us to come help."

"Yes, Berryheart." A handsome ginger tabby tom answered him. "What if either Snowpaw or Rainpaw fails to come? Will we go anyway?"

Berryheart looked at the ginger tabby. "I think we'll go anyway." He bounded off towards the entrance his patrol followed him.

A dark ginger she-cat poked her head out of the nursery. "Now take care of each other, Rosepaw, Dustpaw. Make your mother proud." The ginger tabby tom and Rosepaw swung their heads around.

"Don't worry, Burningcloud. I will make sure that they return safely." Berryheart reassured the queen, but then a black tom ran into him and pushed him over, a white she-cat followed him with blood pouring from a gash in her neck.

The queen, who had looked horrified before, pushed a kit that was peering out back in the nursery with her, afraid that it would see the injured cat.

"Ivypaw," Brackensnow snapped me back to life. "Press down hard on her neck; it will stop the bleeding while I go get some cobwebs."

I ran up to the white she-cat. She was on her side now and the black tom was with her. Berryheart's patrol had left. I quickly pushed my paws hard against where blood was spraying out from her neck like Brackensnow told me to do. The she-cat's eyes were beginning to glaze over.

"I'll tell your mom that I saw you," she spluttered. "You look just like her, you see Silverpool is her sister, and your mentor is her brother. She is Willowdream, Ivypaw. You were the last thing she saw before dying, when you were first born. I tried to get ValleyClan to keep you as my own, but they gave you to Silverpool, but I was the one who was with Willowdream when she died " her head fell back and her eyes darkened.

"Lakecloud?" the black tom beside me stammered. "Don't go I love you too much. We were going to grow old together and have kits together, and go on our adventures."

A tail brushed my spine. I looked up to see Brackensnow staring at me with sympathy of a life time or more in them. A tear rolled down my cheek and she brushed it away.

"She is right, Ivypaw." She mewed to me. "Silverpool doesn't love you because she's not your mother. Soulfire would have given anything to mentor his niece. Willowdream is your real mother, and now Lakecloud walks with her."