Another note: Since Bramblestar killed Firestar, and nothing's the same, the names of some kits will be different in this story.

Chapter 4: Whitepaw

"Whitepaw, watch out!" Brackenfur called.

I raised my head to see Birchpaw hurtling toward me, his forepaws outstretched, claws sheathed. Without thinking, I reared up onto my hindpaws and leapt over him.

"Good job!" Brackenfur congratulated me. "Now, attack him!"

I nodded and lashed out with a sheathed paw at Birchpaw's head when he turned to face me. He yelped in fake pain and staggered backwards. I leapt square onto his back and held his scruff gently in my teeth, not wanting to actually hurt him. Birchpaw flipped himself over, taking me with him, and crushed me beneath his weight. I squirmed beneath him, kicking with my hindpaws until he finally rolled off of me. I jumped right back into the battle, rearing up on my hindlegs once more and pushing him with my free paws, knocking him onto his side. Then I jumped onto him, pinning him to the ground.

"I win!" I mewed triumphantly, stepping off of him so he could get up.

"Yeah, yeah," Birchpaw grumbled, flattening his ears. "If you hadn't jumped over me, I would've won.

"Even if I hadn't jumped," I teased. "You still would have missed me completely. You're as slow and nearsighted as a badger!"

Birchpaw rammed into me head on, knocking me on my side and pinning me down, just the way I had done to him moments ago.

"How's that for nearsighted?" Birchpaw meowed, flicking his tail.

"All right, you two," Brackenfur meowed gently, but with a strict edge to his voice. "Get off of each other before I have to pull you off."

As Birchpaw released me, I thought I heard him grumble, "I'd like to see him try."

"That's enough training for today," Brackenfur told us as he turned toward camp. "Let's get you two back to camp so you can rest."

As we made our way back to camp, I thought about the promise I had made to Beechpaw a quarter moon ago. His overjoyed face filled my mind, and it was all I could see, as if he were standing a whiskerlength away from me. I could almost smell his sweet scent. He smelled of cloves and oranges and cinnamon and fresh, clear water. I was so caught up in his face that I didn't see the bramble bush that stood in my path. I crashed right through it. Next thing I knew, I was falling. Just falling through the sky, then I realized that I had fallen over the ledge of the camp. Suddenly, I felt pressure in my neck, and the falling ceased. The sudden jolt made the image of Beechpaw vanish, and I was suddenly filled with real, true fear as I dangled just foxlengths above the camp.

"Whitepaw!" I craned my nexk to look down and saw my mother, Brightheart, standing int eh center of camp, her eye wide with shock, undisguised fear masking her face. "Oh, Whitepaw!"

"I...I'm fine, mom!" I called down to her as Brackenfur hoisted me back up onto the ledge. "Don't worry about it!"

"Be more careful next time!" Brackenfur scolded me. "You could have died!"

"I know," I murmured, lowering my eyes to the ground.

"Now let's get back to camp." With a flick of his tail, the bracken colored tom turned and stalked off, Birchpaw right at his heels.

"Stop making a fuss!" I cried, yanking my paw away from my mother. "I'm fine! Brackenfur rescued me! I'm not hurt. You don't have to worry about it!"

"You don't know that," Brightheart replied, continuing to examine me all over. "You could have scratched yourself."

"I'm sure that if I scratched myself, I would have felt it," I meowed, flattening my ears crossly.

Brightheart sighed. "I suppose you're right. You're free to go." Her whiskers twitched.

I trotted away happily, heading for the nursery. Sorreltail was the only queen who had kits, and I was always happy to watch them while she went to talk to her mate, Brackenfur, or get something to eat from the fresh-kill pile. I was sure she would want a break from her three kits. Willowkit, the oldest of the three, was by far my favorite. She was spunky and carefree, and a joy to be around. Her brother, the second oldest, a golden brown tom named Cedarkit, was loud and fast. He constantly tormented the youngest kit, Heatherkit, a young tortoiseshel-and-white she-cat.

"Whitepaw!" Sorreltail called from the entrance to the nursery. I quickened my pace, now sprinting toward her.

"Hi, Sorreltail," I mewed. "Do you need me to watch the kits?"

"Yes," Sorreltail replied, purring. "I would be happy if you could watch the kits while I get some juniper berries for Ferncloud. Her kits are coming soon, and she needs to be healthy."

"I'll get right to it, then," I meowed, dipping my head. Sorreltail licked my ear gratefully then turned and trotted off. I darted into the nursery and settled myself into her nest, where Willowkit, Cedarkit, and Heatherkit lay fast asleep. I gazed around the den wearily, my energy drained by the battle training. I saw Ferncloud and Whitetail, two very familiar faces, and one not so familiar. It was a light brown tabby she-cat that I knew fairly well, though I had never expected her face would end up in this den, unless it were an emergency. But by the look of her face, this was no emergency. Her eyes were closed, her ears pricked, and her whiskers drooping with pleasure. She snored lightly, obviously asleep. It was then that I noticed that she was curled up in one of the nests. She shouldn't be sleeping on the job!

"Leafpool?" I whispered.

"Who? What? Where? Crowfeather, where's the fire?" Leafpool mewed, jolting awake.

"Oh, sorry," I murmured.

"It's quite alright," Leafpool replied. "Did you want to ask me something?"

"Ummm..." I mewed. "I don't know if it's such a good idea to..."

"It's fine," Leafpool meowed. "You can ask me anything."

"Okay then," I murmured. "Why...why are you in the nursery? I thought you were a medicine cat."

"I was," Leafpool replied. "But when Bramblestar took over, he made Barkface the medicine cat, so now I can have kits."

"Have you had any yet?" I asked.

"No," Leafpool replied, a hint of gloom in her voice. "But I should be having a few soon. Barkface says within the next three moons."

"Oh," I mewed. "Well, I probably shouldn't disturb you then. you can go back to sleep."

"Thanks," Leafpool mewed, closing her eyes. Within moments she was fast asleep.