Sunstar paced nervously on the Highrock.
"This was a battle we could not afford to lose. Our camp will soon be destroyed by Twolegs!"
"Twolegs are cutting down our forest as we speak!" panicked Ivyblaze.
"I hate Twolegs!" snarled Gingerpaw. "They think they can do whatever they want!"
"How are we going to get food?!" wailed Waterpaw. Sunstar looked desperately at her clanmates.
"Can't we do another attack?" pleaded Moonshine. "I hate the idea of sending my clanmates into battle, but we can't give up on our clan."
"We know some new battle tactics we could try," added Rosepetal. Sunstar looked at the cats.
"Very well," she said. "We will start to train using these new tactics. Snowfang and Rosepetal, train the apprentices for battle. As for Gingerpaw," she said, nodding to the medicine cat's den. "Heal quickly." Gingerpaw nodded, her leg smothered with cobweb and oak leaves, since there was a shortage of herbs in the forest.
"Alright then," Snowfang said. "Come on. Let's go train!" Snowfang, Rosepetal, and Waterpaw started towards what was left of the back of the forest. Tulippaw sat back, unmoving. Rosepetal turned back.
"Tulippaw?" she mewed. "What are you doing? Come on, we need to practice these new battle strategies." Tulippaw looked around nervously, then said "I-I-I can't."
"What in Starclan's name are you meowing about? What do you mean you can't?" Snowfang questioned. Tulippaw gulped.
"I no longer wish to be part of the clan," she said clearly.
"W-w-what?!" cried Waterpaw. "Tulippaw you can't!"
"The kittypets are obviously stronger than us. There's no point in staying with a lost clan," Tulippaw continued. "I have decided I will join the kittypets and find a Twoleg to take care of me."
"You traitor!" cried Gingerpaw, struggling to get up. "How dare you abandon the clan?"
"Gingerpaw!" Cloverpelt scolded, shoving her back down on the forest floor. "You know you can't use that leg until it heals!" Sunstar leapt down from the highrock.
"You're not gonna make me stay, are you?" asked Tulippaw. Sunstar shook her head.
"No clan can keep a cat who no longer wishes to serve," said Sunstar. "But think carefully. Do you really want to leave your clan?"
"I've made up my mind," Tulippaw spoke firmly.
"Fine! I don't need you!" Gingerpaw cried. "I've got Waterpaw instead!" Waterpaw shuffled her paws nervously.
"Actually," she choked out. "Actually- I'm going with Tulippaw."
"What?!" Vixenstep cried. "Two apprentices leaving?"
"This is the last thing we need when we're about to go into battle!" Skyclaw moaned. Tulippaw and Waterpaw glanced at each other, and then started walking away.
"Sunstar, stop them!" Ivyblaze cried. Sunstar shook her head.
"There is nothing I can do. Let them go," she said sorrowfully. As the two young apprentices walked away, their former clanmates glared at them as if they no longer knew them. Waterpaw and Tulippaw glanced at the clan one last time before disappearing into the green foliage.
