"And then..." Acornclaw meowed and lifted her paws into the air. She took a deep breath in, the sides of her brown pelt heaving. She stayed suspended in the air for a few moments. Blizzardfur gave a little grumble. "You seem to be feeling perfectly fine so I don't think you need help with your so called..." He paused for a moment. "Sore joints." Acornclaw sat down again, not finishing her planned dramatic finish to the story. "Oh, come on, Blizzardfur. You know I have achey-achey joints," she mumbled, purring teasingly. Fishpaw couldn't help but chuckle. She admired Acornclaw's youthful mind, despite being an elder.

Blizzardfur rolled his eyes and finished applying the poultice of daisy leaves. The elder's den was empty, besides Acornclaw. It's sad that she never stayed with a mate, thought Fishpaw, but I guess nobody could keep up with her energy. Fishpaw twitched her ears as Acornclaw continued her story, "And then..." She whispered dramatically, pointing a playful glare at Blizzardfur. "The badger fell! We defeated a badger!" she boasted. Fishpaw purred and licked a paw. "I bet I could never beat a badger," she meowed. Blizzardfur began to make his way out of the den. "You better not be fighting badgers! You're a medicine cat!" He shouted back and padded back to the medicine den. Fishpaw frowned and watched him leave until she felt a tail rest on her shoulders. "If I were a badger, I'd let you beat me. Even as a medicine cat," purred Acornclaw. Fishpaw's frown faded and was replaced with a smile.

"Thanks, Acornclaw."

"Thank you too! And thank Blizzardfur for me if you get the chance!" Acornclaw's whiskers twitched.

"I will! I should be going now," mewed Fishpaw. Acornclaw waved her tail with a purr as Fishpaw exited the comfortable den. She shook bits of moss from her tail and advanced toward the medicine den. The sun was starting to sink lower in the sky and create an orange tint to everything. She glanced around camp and spotted Carpstar's greyish-brown pelt moving among a small group of warriors. Her ears twitched to the sound of moving grass beside her. "What do you think they're saying?" asked Eaglepaw. Fishpaw's fur rose. "You scared me!" She whipped around to see her brother swiveling his ears in order to pick up what they were conversing about. "Maybe we can get closer to listen," he suggested. Fishpaw shook her head. "It's their business!" Her brother rolled his eyes. "I'm going to get some slee-" A loud yowl from Carpstar caught their attention. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather for a clan meeting!" He called as he sat upon a stump next to his den.

The clan gathered outside, flooding from their dens. Fishpaw spotted her mother- Hailfall, a stunning white cat with icy blue eyes. Hailfall sat down next to whom was instantly recognized as her father- Falconflight, a silver tabby with piercing amber eyes. Fishpaw resembled both of her parents, having patches of silver tabby, but mostly having white fur. She had her father's amber eyes. Her brother, Eaglepaw, resembled his father almost exactly despite having white socks, white underside, and a white patch creeping up his face just above his eyes.

She and Eaglepaw sat next to their parents. "Fishpaw! Eaglepaw!" mewed Hailfall, licking both of their ears. Falconflight purred and wrapped his tail around the apprentices. "We don't get to see you very often anymore with all of these apprentice duties," mewed Eaglepaw. Fishpaw nodded and licked her smooth chest fur. A flash of a beaver colored cat's tail. Carpstar had raised his tail to silence to clan, and the deputy, Pinefoot, had done the same. "We would like to warn you about a strange cat who has been wandering around the clan's territory for quite some time. From what we've been told, the cat is a black furred tom. He doesn't seem like too much of a threat, but I advise to watch your pelt."

Pinefoot stepped forward. "Sometimes you have to be careful who you trust," He mewed with his eyes scanning the clearing. Carpstar nodded and stepped down from the stump. "Meeting over."