Eaglenation: Whoa, it's so nice to be back!
Rainstalker: You ditched us.
eaglenation: No, I had to get further with Moon Eyes, but I'm back now.
Rainstalker: Don't ever make me wait again. I HATE waiting.
eaglenation: I'll to my best *crosses fingers behind back*
Rainstalker: LIAR! I will get you!
eaglenation: Not until you do the disclaimer, you won't!
Rainstalker: *talking really fast* eaglenation does not own warriors, only the plot and blah blah *lunges at eaglenation* get back here, you liar!
eaglenation: NEVER! MWAHAHAHAHA!

Splinterpaw bounded on the squirrel quickly, scrambling to pin it down. It squeaked once and she batted at its head for good measure, then killed it with a swift bite.

"Splinterpaw?" Her new mentor, Molestrike, was looking at her curiously.

She turned to him proudly. She liked Molestrike over Crushjaw by far. He was very patient and wise, and he didn't mind when she made obvious errors. "Yes?"

"Did they ever teach you not to play with your prey in MurkClan?"

Splinterpaw glanced at him. "Well, it shows the prey that it should fear you." She said reasonably.

"Yes, but it also causes unnecessary pain to an already frightened animal. How would you feel if you were about to die, but just to laugh at you, you were pushed around before?"

Splinterpaw nodded slowly. He had a point. But Frozenstar had always emphasized the importance of showing you were stronger….why not? She sighed. "Your right, Molestrike."

"I'm glad you understand. Now, come back to the camp with me. That was a fine leap, by the way. I've never seen a cat jump so far. I can't wait to see you climb trees."

"Climb trees? That's like spiders flying!" Splinterpaw chuckled, surprised.

"If you are going to be a part of ThunderClan, you have to learn to climb trees." Molestrike said, amusement in his eyes. "Come on."

They returned to camp, and Splinterpaw was surprised at how well she remembered the forest now. She didn't get lost anymore, like before, at least.

In camp, she deposited her squirrel on the fresh-kill pile and stretched, arching her back and yawning hugely. Some cats glanced at her and whispered to themselves. She had a feeling she would never fit in, no matter what Lightpaw said.

"Hey, Splinterpaw, how's your training?" Lightpaw herself asked from behind Splinterpaw. She glanced at the fresh-kill pile, and then glanced back at Splinterpaw. "Nice squirrel! Can I eat it?"

Splinterpaw laughed. "Go ahead." She looked around for Molestrike, but couldn't find him anywhere. She shrugged her shoulders and padded to the elders den, where she commonly found Sparkpaw when he was bored. But he wasn't there, and Splinterpaw was instead greeted by a group of rambunctious kits.

Briarlight lifted her head in greeting. "Hello, young Splinterpaw, what can we do for you?" She asked.

"Oh, no. I'm just looking for Sparkpaw." She explained.

"Oh, he's out training with Cloudtail. You want to hear a story? We were just about to tell the kits." She gestured to Flowingkit, Spiderkit and Duckkit, who were sitting beside her, their eyes trained on Briarlight.

Splinterpaw glanced around once more for Molestrike, then sat down beside Duckkit, wrapping her tail around her paws. "Why not." She said.

"That's good. If only our other apprentices were as respectful as you. Not something I can say about that Galepaw. Spoiled by her mother, she is." Briarlight huffed.

"Who's her mother?" Splinterpaw asked curiously.

"Oh, Sparklefur. Spoils her to StarClan because she is the only surviving kit of her litter."

Splinterpaw's eyes widened a bit in surprise. Maybe Galepaw wasn't that bad after all.

"Can we hear the story now?" Spiderkit whined.

"Yeah, I want to hear about Firestar and Greystripe!" Duckkit chimed in.

"No! We've heard that one so many times!" Flowingkit complained loudly. "Can we hear the one about Stormfur?"

Briarlight chuckled. "Kits, kits. Let me see. Well, Splinterpaw has never heard of Firestar before." Briarlight turned to Splinterpaw. Splinterpaw nodded.

"Then, let me tell the story of Firestar, with a pelt of fire and a heart of gold…." Briarlight began. "Well, you see, Firestar was once a kittypet named Rusty. One time….."

Splinterpaw listened in fascination as Briarlight told the story of Rusty the kittypet, who later became the best Clan leader ThunderClan ever knew. She couldn't help thinking that she wished Frozenstar had been more like that and less like Shatterstar.

"….And so, as the smoke cleared, Firestar's lifeless body was seen on the ground. He had lost his final life. But as he left to StarClan, he glanced back at his Clan once more, knowing that he would see them all again someday." Briarlight finished.

"Wow." Splinterpaw whispered. "I wish I had known him. Did you know him?" She asked Briarlight.

"Of course! I knew him very well, in fact. Squirrelflight knew him best, though. She was his daughter." Briarlight said.

"You haven't heard that story before?" Sparkpaw peeked into the den, laughter dancing in his one eye. The other one was still closed, never to open again. "Next time, ask Briarlight to tell you about Lionstar, Hollyleaf, Dovewing, Jayfeather and Ivypool. That's my favourite." Sparkpaw said. "The battle against the Dark Forest…..if I'd been alive, I would have shredded those fox-hearts!" He batted his paws in the air. Splinterpaw laughed.

"You would have ran with your tail tucked between your legs, Sparkpaw. Your mother fought them, though. Squirrelflight." Briarlight chuckled.

"I know. I'm going to be just like her!" He exclaimed.

"Your mother?" Splinterpaw asked. She hadn't known who Sparkpaw's mother was until now.

"No, my real mom isn't part of the Clan anymore." He sighed, but then smiled. "I was raised by Squirrelflight."

"What happened to your mother?" Splinterpaw's curiosity peaked.

"Her name is Tremblefrost, and she was a kittypet originally, and she tried life as a warrior. She didn't like it, so she left again. I stayed with Vaporpaw, though, because I liked it here." Sparkpaw explained. "Well, we were kits, but…" He trailed off, and Splinterpaw sensed this was a touchy subject.

I don't think he's telling the whole truth. She thought, but she didn't push. "Well, at least your father isn't a sadistic killer."

"Whoa, yeah." Sparkpaw remarked. "Sorry, Splinterpaw."

"Oh, it's fine, I guess. He wasn't the worst father."

Suddenly, Splinterpaw was struck by a wave of homesickness so strong, it almost knocked into her like a physical force. Suddenly, she wanted back to the dark, deep woods of MurkClan, she wanted to play with the creepers and go hunt lizards with Deathpaw. Deathpaw…..she wondered what he was doing right now. She missed him more than anything. She also missed Rainstalker, and she wondered if Blackflower had had her kits yet….maybe Honeypaw was a full Medicine Cat now….were Vinekit and Fallenkit apprentices yet? There was so much she wanted to know.

"Hey, Splinterpaw!" She jerked her head as Sparkpaw roared in her ear, slicing her out of her thoughts like the claws of a fox. She batted at his head, angry that he had interrupted her.

"Ow!" Sparkpaw exclaimed. Her claws had left a shallow gash on his head.

"Splinterpaw!" The appalled voice of Briarlight called. "Why would you hit him with your claws unsheathed?!" The elder hissed.

Splinterpaw wanted to shrink into a small ball, she felt so embarrassed. Why did she have to keep messing up?

"I'm fine, it's really shallow, Briarlight." Sparkpaw assured.

Briarlight shook her head. "Sorry, Splinterpaw. I guess you did things differently back at MurkClan. I shouldn't have snapped." She said.

"I-I won't do that again. I swear." Splinterpaw assured, still embarrassed.

"It's a good thing you're so eager to change, Splinterpaw." Briarlight said. "I just don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing." She finished ominously just as Lightpaw bounded into the elders den.

"Hey, Splinterpaw! You and I are going battle training! With Lionstar!" She called excitedly. "Come on!"

"Alright. Today, I want you to learn to use the build of your body as an advantage in a fight." Lionstar began, pacing back and forth. "It is crucial to be able to use everything to your advantage. I spoke to your mentors, and I know that all four of you," here he gestured to Lightpaw, Splinterpaw, Galepaw and Speckledpaw, a handsome tortoiseshell tom who Splinterpaw hadn't met yet, "know all the basic moves, and Splinterpaw, I know you have some MurkClan moves to teach us too, but we'll save that for another day." Lionstar said, flicking his tail at Splinterpaw. She nodded, and grinned at Galepaw, who was glaring at her jealously. "I will pair you up. Speckledpaw, you will work with Lightpaw, and Galepaw, you will work with Splinterpaw."

"I don't want to work with that ugly excuse for a cat!" Galepaw protested. "Can I be with Speckledpaw?"

Lionstar gaze on her was a sharp as thorns. "I put you with Splinterpaw because you two will be motivated to work. If you have a problem, you can go clean out the nursery, are we clear?"

"Yeah, Lionstar." Galepaw hissed.

"Good. Now, Speckledpaw, Lightpaw, you go work with Bumblestripe. I'll work with you two." As the other two apprentices padded off, Lionstar turned back to Splinterpaw and Galepaw.

"Face each other."

They both stood on one side of the clearing, glaring at the other with hostility.

"Now, I would like to show you something. Splinterpaw, you have really long legs. I knew a warrior like that once. His name was Spiderleg, and he had trouble with certain moves because he was not able to go low enough, or he would overjump." He glanced at Splinterpaw, who nodded.

"I have the same problems."

"Good. Now, because it would prove challenging for you to run under the stomach of a cat, why don't you try leaping over them?" Lionstar asked. "Like this. Galepaw, attack me."

Galepaw gave Splinterpaw a smoldering glare and ran at Lionstar. Instead of ducking like a cat usually would, he leaped over Galepaw, who stopped, bewildered. In a second, Lionstar had her pinned down. "Go, Splinterpaw."

Splinterpaw nodded. Galepaw hissed and ran at Splinterpaw quicker, and instead of ducking like she had always struggled with back in MurkClan, she counted off the seconds until her cue, and then launched herself over Galepaw. This time, Galepaw expected what would happen, and was ready for Splinterpaw as she crashed down on top Galepaw. She put up her paw, but Splinterpaw batted it away. Though she aimed for Galepaw's shoulders, she missed, and tumbled to the ground, where Galepaw pinned her down easily.

"Pathetic." Galepaw spat.

"That was good." Lionstar had her practice the move a few more times, and then he turned to Galepaw.

"Galepaw, you are small and lithe. What you may find hard is pinning down your opponents with sheer strength. Instead, try using cunning and slipping between their legs and unblanicng them?"

Galepaw and Splinterpaw practiced hard, until finally, Lionstar told them to pretend the other one was an enemy cat. "Dirty tricks allowed." He chuckled. "Go."
Splinterpaw and Galepaw ran at eachother. Like she had practiced, Spinterpaw leapt over Galepaw, but Galepaw slithered to the side, aiming a pawswipe at Splinterpaw's hind legs. Leaping again, Splinterpaw tackled Galepaw to the ground, churning her spine with her hind paws, claws sheathed. Galepaw unbalanced her and squirmed out of her grip, batting Splinterpaw and tripping her, hard. Splinterpaw landed on her head in a tangle of legs. Fuming with embarrassment, Splinterpaw let forth an enraged hiss, lunging at Galepaw, tossing her to the ground in a mighty leap. Like she had been taught by Crushjaw, she opened her jaws for the killing bite, ending her strike just above Galepaw's throat.

"Splinterpaw, stop!" Lionstar howled, batting them both apart, then turning on Splinterpaw. "You never, ever go for the killing bite unless your life is on the line." He hissed, then shook his head. "Sorry, I keep forgetting you were raised in MurkClan. Just don't scare me like that."

But Splinterpaw was already discouraged. As she trudged back to camp, she still couldn't come to terms with the fact that she could have killed Galepaw.

And I'm supposed to be a cat from a prophecy? She thought. She was slowly beginning to doubt it.