A scowling Blackpaw stood at the exit of the camp, glaring at everything. Whitewing hadn't even bothered to look at him, and a new feeling of rage surged up inside him. No one cares about me anymore! Well, I won't care about them!

Lionblaze and Blossompaw padded up to them, and Lionblaze nodded to Whitewing. She whirled around, meowed, "Let's go, everyone," and vanished in the tunnel. Blossompaw was biting her bottom lip and glancing nervously at Blackpaw, as if willing him to leave first. Lionblaze was staring at them, and Blackpaw rolled his eyes and left.

He dashed after Whitewing and soon after, they arrived at the training place. Whitewing stretched, and Lionblaze and Blossompaw caught up.

"Today we are doing mid-term assessment, just to see how well your training is going." Whitewing paced back and forth. "Me and Lionblaze will be surveying your moves, and you two will battle. Claws sheathed, be gentle. Once you've pinned the other down, and they can't get up, you win. You may begin." The two warriors went to the side to watch.

Blossompaw crouched down and faced Blackpaw, her face almost expressionless. Blackpaw also crouched, and made sure that his claws were sheathed, and waited for Blossompaw to move.

As usual, she leapt up first, and Blackpaw waited until she was practically on top of her before he pounced. Too easy, he thought.

But this time, as they met in the air, Blossompaw pushed off of Blackpaw and went sailing out of harm's way. The other apprentice, however, crashed into a bush with an oof. He pulled himself free angrily and saw Blossompaw waiting for him. He ran towards her, and they were locked in a hissing ball of fur.

Blackpaw landed a blow on Blossompaw's head. Her golden eyes were blank and confused for a moment, and then she raked Blackpaw's belly with sheathed hind claws, and he sprang away, belly stinging.

Blossompaw got up, shook her head, and jumped at Blackpaw. Again they fought while rolling around together. Blossompaw butted Blackpaw with her head, but he merely stumbled a little, then he grasped Blossompaw and held her in a tight embrace. The she-cat was twitching feebly in his grasp, and he pressed her onto the ground. Blossompaw groaned and opened her eyes just in time to see Blackpaw jump up and land on top of her.

Blossompaw made a noise like she was going to vomit, then lay still. Blackpaw suddenly regretted using his finishing move. Had it been too much for her?

But as soon as he loosened his grip, Blossompaw sprang up and knocked him over, then pinned him down by the throat. Blackpaw struggled but couldn't get up, and he admitted defeat.

"Good, good." Whitewing padded forward, her face looking satisfied. "That was some good training. Blackpaw, try not to loosen your grip on an enemy so quickly." Blackpaw bristled but before he could retort Lionblaze spoke. "You were pretty good, actually, Blackpaw. And very nice thinking and moves, Blossompaw."

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Blossompaw give her chest a few licks in embarrassment. He snorted quietly. "Can we go back to camp now?"

Whitewing sighed. "Yes. Let's go." And she flicked her tail and led them all home.

Two moons later, at the Gathering...

"Blackbreeze! Blackbreeze! Blackbreeze!" ThunderClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan chanted. WindClan did not say anything, and they were shooting hostile glares at the other clans.

Blossompaw glanced around and saw Blackbreeze. He had been named a warrior a moon earlier than when his assessment was because he had fought off a fox that tried to attack the camp. But he didn't look proud, like he should've been, but instead looked upset and kept glancing up at the sky. Blossompaw knew that he was wondering if Hazeltail was watching him.

"Hi." Blossompaw heard someone say. She turned around and saw a large grey tom with blue eyes and black flecks of fur. he wore a small smile on his face, and smelled like the fresh air and for some reason, he also had a wonderful scent that reminded Blossompaw of the fresh forest.

"Hello," meowed Blossompaw casually.

The tom tilted his head to the side. "What's your name and what clan are you from?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because...you look like someone I know."

"Blossompaw of ThunderClan."

"Oh. Stormfleck of WindClan."

"WindClan?" Blossompaw paid full attention, a bit surprised. But before she could stop herself, she asked, "Why does your clan look so grumpy, anyway?"

But Stormfleck merely chuckled. "Well-" Suddenly there was a loud yowl from the Great Oak, and all the cats went silent. "You're going to see now," Stormfleck muttered darkly as Onestar got up.

"We have found a dead rabbit with the scent of WindClan on it in ThunderClan territory. Prey-stealers!" He snarled at Bramblestar.

Angry yowls and hisses erupted from the ThunderClan cats.

"It may have just strayed into ThunderClan territory!"

"How do you know that it was on our territory? Cross the border?"

"You're framing us! Killing a rabbit and then throwing it over the border!"

"How dare you accuse us?"

Bramblestar lifted his tail for silence. "Onestar," he meowed calmly. "Is there any way that you can prove that one of our warriors killed the rabbit?"

But Onestar was already leaving with his clan. ShadowClan and RiverClan joined in yowling insults at him. Stormfleck stayed behind, then quickly whispered to Blossompaw, "Meet me at the border tomorrow night when the moon rises." Then he ran to catch up with his clan.

"SILENCE."

Bramblestar's command was so steely and so powerful everyone froze and turned to look at him.

"Now is not the time for a war," he meowed. "We have all just recovered from the battle with the Dark Forest, and we cannot-"

Blackstar interrupted him with a hiss. "Our clan is not as cowardly as yours, Bramblestar. We stand for what we think is right, and we will do everything to defend our honor. ShadowClan, let's go." And so ShadowClan left the island.

Mistystar cleared her throat. "RiverClan will be going too. Farewell, Bramblestar." And RiverClan left too.

There was a long silence, broken by Bramblestar. "Come on, everyone. It is getting late. Let's go."

Later, in the ThunderClan camp...

"Who killed the rabbit?" Bramblestar's amber eyes scanned the assemled clan. "Who did it? I just want to know why you did it. This could cause a war."

No one answered. Blossompaw shifted uncomfortably.

"You may tell me in private, whoever you are. Meeting dismissed." Bramblestar left for his den, and the crowd dispersed. Blossompaw tried to catch Blackbreeze's eye and talk with him, but he wasn't looking at anyone, as usual.

The she-cat sighed and went to her nest. As she curled up, she let her thoughts drift to her meeting with that cat Stormfleck...