A/N-Thanks for the reviews! But more feedback would be awesome.

Hollyblaze sent Briarpaw sending across the clearing with ease, covering his silver coat in dust. He had been training for half a moon now, but Briarpaw still couldn't get the better of his mentor when it came to battle moves. The problem wasn't that Briarpaw was better at hunting than he was at fighting; the problem was that his mentor was always one step ahead of him.

Briarpaw shook the dust out of his pelt and sighed. "I can't get close to you," he mumbled. "I'm going to be the worst warrior ever."

Pity made Hollyblaze's eyes soften. She padded over to sit next to Briarpaw and gave him a comforting lick. "You'll make a brilliant warrior," she meowed softly. "Don't forget that I'm a seasoned warrior and you've just barely started training. Once you start fighting the other apprentices you'll see that you're coming along very well."

Hollyblaze's ears pricked as the undergrowth behind them started to rustle. She let her fur relax as she scented Cloudtail and his apprentice, Bumblepaw. Cloudtail waved his tail in greeting as he padded into the clearing with Bumblepaw close behind.

"Hello Hollyblaze," Cloudtail greeted friendly. Hollyblaze felt a rush of affection for the white warrior. Cloudtail was one of the few warriors in the Clan who hadn't overreacted by StarClan's prophecy, and he always stood up for her whenever a warrior spoke against her loyalty.

"Hello, Cloudtail," Hollyblaze meowed while Briarpaw greeted his brother with a sharp nod. "I've been teaching Briarpaw some offensive moves, and I would like to see how he matches up against the other apprentices. Would Bumblepaw like to take on his brother?"



Bumblepaw nodded his broad head eagerly while Briarpaw flattened his ears in worry. Bumblepaw had the size of a seasoned apprentice while Briarpaw looked like he shouldn't be out of the nursery yet.

"This is the chance that you've been waiting for," Hollyblaze whispered in Briarpaw's ear. "He may be bigger, but just as there's an advantage with every living thing there's a disadvantage. What'll be his?"

Briarpaw closed his eyes in concentration and tried to think of any weakness that his large brother might possess. Bumblepaw crouched four fox-lengths ahead of Briarpaw and lashed his tail side to side while he jeered at his younger brother.

"Come on Briarkit," he sneered. "Let's see if you can take on a cave guard."

"We're not part of the Tribe mouse brain," Briarpaw hissed.

Bumblepaw snarled and launched himself at Briarpaw. Thinking fast Briarpaw sidestepped and swiped at his brother as he thundered by. Bumblepaw's amber eyes narrowed in anger and he turned around and sprinted towards Briarpaw while keeping his body as close to the ground as possible.

Come on, Briarpaw, Hollyblaze thought worriedly. He's trying to run underneath you.

As soon as Bumblepaw was a fox-length away, Briarpaw jumped into the air with all the power in his back legs. While Bumblepaw paused for a couple heartbeats, unsure of what to do next, Briarpaw landed in front of him and swiped at his face. Bumblepaw flinched at the strike before he pushed himself up on his two hind legs so he could land on Briarpaw. Before Bumblepaw could crash down on Briarpaw, Briarpaw head butted him right in the stomach causing Bumblepaw to fall on his back, winded.

"That's enough!" Cloudtail called while he padded over to see how his apprentice was.

Briarpaw was panting slightly, but he looked like he could keep on fighting. His eyes were shining with pride, and his pelt was bristling with excitement.

Hollyblaze padded over to him and flicked his ear with her tail. "So what was his disadvantage and what was your advantage?"

"He may be stronger than me, but he is a lot slower," Briarpaw answered proudly.



"Exactly," Hollyblaze purred. "There's no such thing as a perfect warrior, but what makes us warriors is knowing what our weaknesses are and finding a way to overcome them."

"So what's your weakness, Hollyblaze?" Briarpaw teased.

Hollyblaze gave Briarpaw a cuff behind the ears. "I have no weakness," she joked. "I'm perfect."

Briarpaw purred in amusement and followed his mentor back to the hollow. They were pushing their way through the thorn tunnel when Lionclaw burst from the nursery, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Honeywing had our kits!" he yowled happily.

"Congratulations," Hollyblaze purred while she pressed her muzzle to Lionclaw's side. "How's Honeywing?"

Lionclaw sighed and sat down. "She's exhausted. Jayfeather said that she'll be weak for a while because of the toll that fever took on her, but he's confident that she'll recover."

"That's great. What are they?"

Lionclaw twitched his tail. "Three she-cats. Honeywing named them Sunkit, Owlkit and Firekit. Firekit looks exactly like Firestar," Lionclaw sighed.

"Can we see them?" Briarpaw asked.

Hollyblaze shook her head before Lionclaw could answer. "Honeywing needs rest. We can visit when she recovers. Now you can go clean out the Elder's bedding and search them for ticks."

"Longtail is the only elder," Briarpaw meowed. "Taking care of the elders isn't much of a chore."

"It doesn't matter if Longtail is the only elder," Hollyblaze meowed sternly. "He still deserves respect, now go tend to him."

"Yes Hollyblaze," Briarpaw meowed. Waiting only to congratulate Lionclaw one more time, Briarpaw rushed to Longtail's den.

"Briarpaw seems to hold onto your every word," Lionclaw observed.



Hollyblaze sighed and pressed against Lionclaw's flank for comfort. "Millie told me that Briarpaw has wanted to be like me ever since I killed that fox. He's a great apprentice and I'm honored to train him, but I'm afraid that I'll let him down. I was lucky to survive that fox attack, but I don't think he understands that I'm not a super-warrior."

Lionclaw purred in amusement. "Don't be a mouse-brain. He knows that you have your limits, but that doesn't make you any less of a super-warrior to him."

"I guess," Hollyblaze murmured, unconvinced. "Go to your kits," she ordered Lionclaw with fake seriousness. "I'm sure that there's something that you can do for Honeywing."

"Right, I'll go hunting," Lionclaw meowed. Waving his tail in farewell he raced out of the thorn tunnel.

Hunting actually sounds like a good idea, Hollyblaze thought. Casting anxious glances over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being watched, Hollyblaze snuck out of the dirt place tunnel. Hollyblaze enjoyed the feeling of being out of the camp by herself for the first time in days. The sun felt warmer and the air felt cooler.

Hollyblaze quickly dropped into a hunter's crouch and stalked a mouse that was hiding under the dead leaves. Her black pelt blended in well with the shadows that hid underneath the undergrowth. Hollyblaze didn't dare breathe as she slowly crept forward. The mouse didn't notice her until she had pounced and she killed it swiftly with one bite.

Feeling satisfied with her catch Hollyblaze decided to return to camp. Hollyblaze picked the dead mouse up in her jaws and started heading back to camp. All that Hollyblaze could smell was the dead mouse, but she didn't need scent when she could hear the sound of breaking undergrowth behind her.

Hollyblaze dropped her catch and whipped around with her lips drawn back in a snarl. I bet it's Spiderleg, she thought savagely. Well if he wants to take on a traitor let him try.

Hollyblaze's fury quickly changed to fear as she picked up the disgusting scent that was coming her way. A large white muzzle pushed through the bracken and a large figure stood up and swiped at Hollyblaze with one large paw.

Badger!



A/N-I know that it's shorter than my other chapters, but I'm working. Review!!