"Nightpaw, what happened?" asked Eaglepaw as he bounded into camp. The black striped apprentice was sitting beside the apprentice den, his face plastered with a look of fear. As he looked to his brother, Nightpaw stepped back.
"N-nothing," he murmured. "Just some b-bad prey." Eaglepaw snorted.
"Sure," he meowed. "Where's my brother, usually feeding kits rabbit droppings and stuck in the elder's den hunting ticks from your misdoings! Now you're just sulking around, and you're as noticeable as a spider in a bramble thicket!" Nightpaw shrugged.
"Beechfoot!" Eaglepaw turned to see Nightpaw's mentor being called by Leafstar. Her pale brown pelt was ruffled in the strong wind, and her hazel eyes were clouded with sadness and sorriness. Eaglepaw, interested, silently followed the golden warrior to the leader's den, which was a small cave. She waited outside and pricked her ears to listen, leaning forward so he could just see the inside.
"Beechfoot," Leafstar began. "it's about Nightpaw..." Beechfoot sighed and bowed his head.
"He is not doing well since that sunrise. What happened to him?" Leafstar shook her head.
"Just a horrible dream. Frozenfire can't get any information about it, though. She could just give him honey and soothe him with thyme." Beechfoot nodded his head solemnly.
"Now, what is it?" he asked, worry in his tone of voice. Leafstar hesitated, then answered.
"He will be taken out of training and immediately be made a warrior." Beechfoot gasped.
"Are you sure this is what will help him? He asked doubtfully. Leafstar nodded firmly, her tail swishing.
"He has had a traumatizing experience, and something like getting a warrior name might take his mind off of it." Eaglepaw jumped away and walked off. His brother, a warrior already? Eaglepaw shook his head. Perish the thought! Nightpaw had fooled around his whole apprenticeship, and now just because of a bad dream, he got to be a warrior? Eaglepaw, growling, rushed into the apprentice den and fell into an uneasy sleep.
Cloudpaw settled down into her pine needle nest, the smooth, sleek skins cooling her pelt.
"Rowanpaw!" The ginger apprentice, three moons younger than Cloudpaw, jumped out of his nest, picked a pine needle from his pelt, and raced off to his mentor, Snowstorm. Cloudpaw sighed and went to her mentor. His tabby markings were blurred in the dim light, though his bright green eyes were as clear as ever.
"Oh, hi, Cloudpaw," he said.
"Hi, Nettlefoot," greeted Cloudpaw. Nettlefoot dropped a frog in front of her.
"Eat up," he said. We need all our strength for the battle to come." Cloudpaw took a gulp and bit into the frog, thinking about the battle. ShadowClan planned to attack RoseClan tonight and steal their herb supply, for their medicine was running low, only a few dried up leaves and shriveled berries in their stores. Cloudpaw thought the battle fair; Clans need what they need, after all. And ThunderClan boasted at every Gathering about their bursting medicine store. However, she wasn't so certain she was ready.
"What if I mess up with my back left kick, or unsheathed side blow, or don't roll fast enough and get crushed, or-" Nettlefoot sighed.
"Look, Cloudpaw. Every warriors will have good battles and bad ones. But they never stop trying their hardest. As long as you try your best, you win on my terms." Cloudpaw purred and took another bite, spitting out the slimy skin.
"Herb raiders, by the thorn bush! Warriors den attackers, on their left! Apprentice den attackers, on their right! Elders den attackers, in front of apprentice attackers, leader's den holders, in front of warrior attackers! And the remaining cats for nursery, front center! Nettlefoot and Snowstorm, front with me, ready to take away the watch cats!" Nettlefoot nodded farewell and padded off, Cloudpaw heading to the thorn bush. She would grab as many herbs as she could and run out of camp, no coming back. At least five cats were in the group, including the medicine cat apprentice, Lilypaw. They headed off into the dark forest, and came to an abrupt halt at the border. Hesitantly they crossed, one line by one, until they were all in ThunderClan territory. The horrible stench of RoseClan filled her nostrils and drowned out her other senses.
Finally, they came to the camp. A cat was on guard, who she recognized from Gatherings and Mintpool. Her pale gray pelt was dark in the dim light of the crescent moon, and her head was lifted, scenting the air suspiciously. Suddenly, Nettlefoot and Snowstorm pounced on her, each covering her mouth with a paw so her cries were muted. Their leader grabbed her scruff, and the three dragged her away. Then, the plan came into work.
Elders den attackers went first. They rolled in a mud pool and stalked silently over to the elders den opening. Next, the apprentice den attackers rolled in the pool and positioned themselves around the den. Next, the nursery attackers, then the warriors den, then the leader's den. Finally, the medicine raiders rolled in the mud. Cloudpaw gulped and dipped into the mud, then out when her scent was hidden. They all padded over to the medicine den and began silently grabbing stacks of ordered leaves. Rowanpaw, part of the medicine raiders group as well, was right behind her, and accidentally stepped on the medicine cat apprentice, Limpaw's, tail. The cat yowled in pain, waking the Frozenfire. She yowled in surprise when she saw the cat's around her. That woke the whole Clan.
Nightpaw jolted awake when he heard the yowl. What was going on? He peeked out, to see big feet. He jumped back. Nightpaw looked around the apprentice den, a shallow in the ground surrounded by ferns, making walls.
"Eaglepaw!" he whispered. His brother fluttered his eyes open. He immediately got up. Yowls were going through camp coming from the medicine den, waking everyone in the apprentice den.
"What's happening?" Nightpaw showed him the feet. Hetaherpaw and Breezepaw padded up, as did Stonepaw and Lilypaw. Stonepaw and Lilypaw, being the oldest, decided to make a move.
"Come on, you guys, dodge them." They slipped past the feet, yowling in surprise when they reached the outside. The other apprentices went through as well.
The camp was in chaos. Warriors were slashing claws with ShadowClan cats, and the medicine den had many ThunderClan cats battling off ShadowClan cats with herbs in their jaws. Eaglepaw panicked. His brother began to breathe fast and dart his eyes everywhere. Finally, Nightpaw and Heatherpaw darted off to the nursery, where Frostcloud, belly swollen, was fighting off a bulky ShadowClan tom. Behind her was Flowerblossom and her kits shrinking back in fright in the corner of the den.
Breezepaw, Lilypaw, and Stonepaw pelted off to the elder's den, where Jingle was fiercely fighting alongside Vinenose and Lizardtail against five warriors. Eaglepaw darted over to the medicine den, where a blur of gray fur shot at him. Shocked, he was barreled over. Fury surged through him. This is what I've been practicing for! He threw the fur off, still not realizing who it was until it pinned him down; it was Cloudpaw. A mysterious look passed through her eyes, and Eaglepaw stared at her, unable to fight back. Her fur was ruffled and she held a stack of herbs in her mouth; he though marigold. Her dark green eyes glittered like leaves shining with morning dew. Then, the moment of calm was over. She bounced off of him and bolted away. Eaglepaw was dazed for a moment, struck by his feelings. Then he raced after her. She didn't make it far until Eaglepaw grabbed her tail with his teeth and yanked her backwards. He grabbed the herbs from her mouth. Cloudpaw hissed.
"I need those," she said through gritted teeth. He stared at her again, for a longer moment this time.
"Why?" he mumbled through a mouthful of sour herbs. Cloudpaw hesistated, then sighed, sitting down.
"My Clan has more sick cats than herbs," she finally said. Eaglepaw spit out the herbs.
"Have them," he said. Cloudpaw stared for a moment in confusion, then, with a shrug, grabbed them and began to pad away.
"Wait! Cloudpaw!" he yowled, unsure why. She turned around, confused. He shifted his paws awkwardly.
"Uh, meet me tomorrow night at the Four Rocks, okay? The she-cat flicked her tail and ran off. He wasn't sure what that meant, and also wasn't sure why he had said that. All he could think of was her eyes as he grabbed herbs from other warrior's mouths, only about two escaping with bundles.
She was the only thing he could think of even when he came back to camp and Leafstar announced that Vinewing had died in the battle.