Fur tore under my claws. My lips raised in a snarl. Cats around me twisted, and I felt a thrill when the IceClan warrior I fought drew blood. I was a warrior, and nothing would stop me from my goal.

The cats around my thrashed, and I only paid to attention to keeping the wave of IceClan cats at bay. There was some skill inside of me for battle that hadn't had a chance to shine until this day. And I was letting it get the spotlight. Nobody would hurt my Clanmates.

I chased off toms and she-cats, older warriors and fresh-out-of-the-nursery apprentices. There was no discrimination to my fighting. I clashed with any IceClan cat that went up to face me, and rarely did I ever have to flee. Warrior, I kept on thinking. Some tiny part of my mind understood how horrible and awful it was that I was even good at it, but that tiny part could not be heard in the thrill of battle. Warrior. Warrior!

Finally, my gaze landed back on the pale brown she-cat. I had scratched her up before, but she was looking cocky. I was going to teach her a lesson about who was in charge.

My muscles bunched together, and I pounced, grabbing the warrior's claws and shoving them away from my vulnerable belly. A warrior, I suddenly realized. I was up against a warrior. But I was almost one myself, really, and I had faced warriors earlier in the battle. I didn't want to let anything hold me back.

Claws clashed, fangs flashed, and we wrestled back and forth. Finally, in an attempt to give her a few good scars to think about, I shoved the warrior away and let her tumble onto a rock. I wanted to move on, to fight someone else, to defend my Clanmates, but something made me stay rooted to my spot. The she-cat was laying in place, not even trying to get back up.

Suddenly the thrill of being an apprentice warrior vanished.

I walked up to her nervously. Could I have hurt her? I had trouble breathing, looked at her battered body.

One of the IceClan toms ran up with me, looking at her with wide eyes. "Is she alive?" cried the cat. "Junipercloud? Junipercloud?" The tom poked her, and she looked up weakly.

"F-f-frozenwhisker?" the she-cat squeaked. Her eyes met mine, and she glared.

So she was alive. But… how much had I injured her?

The last few cats still fighting tore apart, padding up to watch the scene unfold. Hailclaw from the earlier patrol ran over and nuzzled Junipercloud, and she tried but failed to stand up. My eyes widened at the scratches and tears in her fur, and the long shred in her ear. Did I do that?

Flintstar walked up behind me, giving me a clever smile.

"Looks like our herb-brain finally proved herself," he sneered. "I'm glad. I thought we'd have to banish you, and we wouldn't want to let go of you and Gorsepaw."

I gulped, feeling even more sick than I felt before. "S-so… Am I going to be a warrior?"

"No doubt, herb-brain," Flintstar said with a smirk. And he padded off into the darkness, leaving me to watch poor Junipercloud struggle.