Leafpaw stalked forward, downwind of the thrush. It was important to catch, as it was leaf-bare, and prey was scarce.

The thrush pecked at a seed on the ground, unaware that Leafpaw was stalking it.

Leafpaw bunched her muscles and leapt forward. The thrush heard her and squawked in alarm, fluttering upwards.

Oh no you don't! Leafpaw let out a massive jump and brought the thrush down to the forest floor. She killed it swiftly with a bite to the neck.

"Well done," Snowpetal meowed softly. Leafpaw jumped and spun to face her mentor, "I messed up the leap though," Leafpaw muttered, embarrassed that her mentor had caught her mistake.

"But you caught it," Snowpetal countered, "Don't be so hard on yourself."

Leafpaw nodded numbly, "I guess," she conceded. "Come on, now," Snowpetal gave herself a brisk shake, "Let's head back to—"

A terrified shriek broke the wintry air, "Help!" Snowpetal's ears shot up, her eyes wide, "That sounded like a kit!" she meowed, "Come on!"

Snowpetal took off like the breeze, leaving Leafpaw to scamper after her.

The stink of fox hit Leafpaw's nose, making her run even faster. A large fox had cornered a tuft of gray fur and loomed over it.

Leafpaw's heart lurched as she recognized Drizzlekit, "Drizzlekit!" she yowled.

Snowpetal launched herself forward and slashed at the fox's back, spitting in fury. Leafpaw leapt onto the fox's back and began clawing at its eyes.

The fox howled in pain. We're winning! Leafpaw felt a flash of satisfaction as her teeth crunched on the fox's flesh.

But then another howl sounded, and Leafpaw tensed. It's another fox! Fear flashed through her as a russet pelt broke through the brambles, teeth snapping.

"Drizzlekit!" Leafpaw yowled, "Run back! We'll distract them!"

Drizzlekit's blue eyes rounded in fear, but she slipped off in the direction of the camp. The other fox grabbed Snowpetal and flung her off the first fox.

Snowpetal crashed to the ground, but sprang up immediately, snarling. Leafpaw clawed furiously at the fox's eyes.

The fox let out a wail of anguish as her claws struck its eye. Leafpaw slid off, letting the wounded fox limp away, crashing into the undergrowth.

That fox is crowfood! I've blinded it, it won't last long.

Leafpaw growled briefly in satisfaction before springing over to help Snowpetal. The larger fox stumbled back, spitting in fury, "Cat die," it spat.

Snowpetal's eyes widened, "You speak cat?"

The fox's eyes glinted, "Yes cat." Snowpetal screwed up her face in rage, "Then leave our territory and don't return!"

The fox's eyes narrowed, "Slash no forget you cat," it growled threateningly, "No over yet, cat."

Snowpetal lashed her tail, "Leave!" she curled her claws. The fox swung its broad head, then backed away, "Cat!" it spat, then limped away.

Snowpetal bared her teeth, "And don't come back!"

Leafpaw's fur bristled in shock, "I didn't know foxes could speak like us!"

Snowpetal shook herself briskly, "Neither did I," then her eyes glowed, "You fought like a warrior."

Pride warmed Leafpaw's pelt, thawing the cold numbness of leaf-bare. "Let's head back to camp and see to those wounds," Snowpetal meowed, nudging Leafpaw forward gently.

Leafpaw nodded and began the way back to camp.

"You're wounded!" Dovepaw cried, looking at Leafpaw's pelt in shock. Leafpaw shrugged her sister off, "It's not my blood."

"What happened?" Dovepaw meowed, licking some blood off Leafpaw's fur. "A fox attacked Drizzlekit, but we drove it off," Leafpaw explained, "Did Drizzlekit make it back?"

Worry sparked beneath Leafpaw's pelt. "She did," Pinetail meowed, her mew thick with gratitude.

Leafpaw spun around to see the brown tabby queen padding over, Drizzlekit sulking at her paws.

"Thanks to you," Pinetail's eyes shone, then she was stern as she turned to Drizzlekit, "What do you say?"

"Thank you," Drizzlekit mumbled. "It won't happen again," Pinetail meowed sternly, "You scared me out of my fur when you disappeared."

"It's Petalkit's fault!" Drizzlekit mewed indignantly, "She bet that I couldn't catch a mouse even if it sat between my paws!"

"Oh, okay. I'll make sure to give her a scolding later," Pinetail bluffed, "But now you should take a nap, you've caused enough trouble for a day."

Drizzlekit looked satisfied and waddled away. Pinetail gave Leafpaw an exasperated glance, "I can't wait until they're apprenticed! They sure do wear me down."

But there was a glimmer of affection in Pinetail's eyes that showed she really didn't care how rambunctious her kits were, she loved them anyways.

Pinetail hurried after Drizzlekit, "Thank you again!" she called over her shoulder before ducking into the nursery.

"Leafpaw," Rainfeather's meow surprised her, "Let me look at you."

Leafpaw nodded, "It's all fox blood." Rainfeather's lip curled in disgust, "You're right, you stink!" she meowed briskly, "Go wash all that blood off and I'll check it out afterwards."

Leafpaw dipped her head and darted off towards the stream. "I'll come with you," Dovepaw meowed immediately, "What if that fox is still out there?"

Leafpaw sighed, "Okay, but I'm not a kit, I can look after myself."

Dovepaw nodded reluctantly, "I know, I just…" her voice trailed off, and Dovepaw looked miserable, "I don't want to fail you the way I failed Cloudshine," her meow was raw with grief.

Leafpaw gave Dovepaw a hard shove, "Don't talk about yourself that way! Cloudshine's already forgiven you, now all you have to do is forgive yourself!"

Dovepaw nodded slowly, "Sure, I guess. But I'm still going with you."

"Fine," Leafpaw heaved a massive sigh.

Dewthorn came racing over, his fur pressed flat, "Leafpaw!" he meowed, his eyes lighting with relief, "I heard what happened with the fox, and I thought—"

"Hush," Leafpaw soothed, "I'm fine, Drizzlekit's fine, and Snowpetal's fine." Dewthorn smoothed his gray pelt forcefully, "Sorry," he meowed heavily, "I was just so scared for you!"

Leafpaw purred fiercely, "I know, I have to go now," she added, seeing Rainfeather's glare from across the clearing.

"Where?" Dewthorn's eyes widened. "To the stream," Leafpaw wrinkled her face, "To get this fox blood off me!"

"Oh," Dewthorn stepped back to let her pass, "Go safely!" he called as she bounded out of camp, Dovepaw on her heels.

Leafpaw padded, relishing the feeling of forest ground beneath her pads. The stream came into view, beside a clump of willows.

Leafpaw slipped in swiftly and sighed as the cool water relaxed her tense muscles. The blood flowed off her pelt in a wave, turning the water a sickly shade of red.

Dovepaw's eyes widened, "That's a lot of blood, are you sure it's all fox?"

Leafpaw shrugged, "I don't know, this water is freezing!" The cold water had numbed Leafpaw's pelt, making her unaware of any wounds.

Dovepaw purred in amusement, "As long as that water stays away from me!" Leafpaw's eyes glinted mischievously, "Really?"

She flung out a pawful of water at Dovepaw. Dovepaw stood, rigid in shock as water slicked down her pelt and dripped to the floor.

Then her eyes lit in surprise, "Hey!" she meowed, shivering slightly, "That's freezing!"

Leafpaw chuckled, "That's what I said! But you get used to it after a while." Dovepaw's eyes flashed, "I'll show you!" she meowed with glee, leaping into the water with a large splash that soaked Leafpaw from head to tail.

Leafpaw purred, "Take that!" she yelped, splashing Dovepaw with water. Dovepaw shook her head, water droplets flying off her fur, "Hey!" she cried, laughing.

"Are you two going to stand there yowling until all the prey's scared off?" Marshtail's scorching meow sent shudders down Leafpaw's spine.

Leafpaw spun to glare at the tom, "I'm washing out fox blood."

Marshtail's amber eyes were cold, "I can see, but does it really make that much noise? And what's the other kittypaw doing in the water."

Dovepaw's fur bristled in outrage, "Cooling off!" she meowed hotly. "From what?" Marshtail meowed scathingly, "It's leaf-bare!"

"Well I hunted all morning!" Dovepaw retorted, "What have you been doing? Sticking your stinking muzzle in other cat's business!" she meowed bluntly.

Leafpaw gave her a threatening nudged, "Hush," she hissed, "He'll tell Acornstar!"

"I don't care!" Dovepaw spat, "I wasn't doing anything wrong! Lakeshine said I could have the rest of the day to myself!"

Marshtail bared his teeth in an awful scowl, "Oh, so the kittypet can do whatever she pleases!" he mocked.

"That's it!" Dovepaw snarled, advancing, "I'm tired of you and Brackenwish calling me names behind my back! Calling me a kittypet when all I've done is for the clan! You were born with warrior blood, yet you seem less of a warrior than me, or Leafpaw!"

Marshtail buried his paws in the dirt, "Do you think you can beat me, kitty? Think again!" he yowled, springing at Dovepaw.

Leafpaw parted her jaws to cry, but Dovepaw darted away at impossible speed, "So much for a warrior," she taunted. Marshtail gritted his teeth, "Oh I'll show you!" he growled.

"Stop!" Leafpaw yowled, "Stop fighting! You're clanmates!"

"I'm not a clanmate with that stinking lump of fur!" Marshtail spat furiously, raking his claws down Dovepaw's flank.

Dovepaw hardly flinched and dived down, knocking Marshtail off his paws. Then Dovepaw leapt up and gave him a hard bite on his foreleg.

Marshtail howled in agony and wrenched free, his blood flowing freely, "You'll regret that!" he snarled.

"Stop!" Snowpetal's commanding yowl sounded from the nearby undergrowth. The snowy white deputy shoved her way forcefully through the branched, her eyes flashing furiously.

"How could you attack each other like that?" Snowpetal spat.

"Marshtail attacked Dovepaw first!" Leafpaw butted in swiftly before Marshtail could lie. "I know," Snowpetal turned her cold gaze on Marshtail, "I saw everything."

Marshtail held his head defiantly, but a twitch of his tail showed how uncomfortable he was, "Dovepaw provoked me!" he meowed, "She wants me to get in trouble!"

Leafpaw's ears twitched in outrage. How can this tom lie so badly? "No!" Leafpaw meowed furiously, "You called her a kittypet and a stinking lump of fur!"

"Marshtail," Snowpetal turned on the mottled tom, "This is unforgivable—"

Marshtail showed his teeth, "I never thought you would be a cat to side with… kittypets!" he spat the last word out like it was poison.

Snowpetal's eyes hardened, "And I never thought you were a cat to openly attack a clanmate."

Marshtail's ears flattened, and he hissed.

"I will be reporting this to Acornstar," Snowpetal meowed, "Dovepaw, Marshtail, go see to your wounds, this will never happen again, understood?"

Dovepaw dipped her head immediately, her eyes sparking with guilt, "Yes Snowpetal, I'm sorry." Dovepaw darted away, in the direction of the hollow, her tail drooping.

Marshtail held Snowpetal's gaze for a few tense heartbeats before slipping away and stalking back towards the hollow.

"Fool," Snowpetal meowed fiercely, "Just wasting herbs."

"It wasn't Dovepaw's fault!" Leafpaw meowed defensively. Snowpetal's eyes softened, "I know," she meowed gently, "You did the right thing, let's head back too."

Leafpaw nodded and padded off, her fur sparking in anger and agitation. Marshtail's a slippery cat, I've got to keep an eye on him.