Swiftpaw blinked repeatedly. "My father never really talked much," she meowed, "Most of the time he hunted and showed us the tunnels, taught us how to catch fish in the underground river, and taught us fighting moves. But sometimes he would tell us stories about his failed attempt at becoming a Sharpclaw, when he got lost in the tunnels." She looked down at her paws. "He talked about you a lot, too." Jayfeather stiffened. He remembered his time with the Ancients like it was only yesterday. A thought struck him like lightning. "What about Hollyleaf?" The gray tom asked quietly, "What did she teach you?" Swiftpaw growled mournfully at the mention of her dead mother, the long-furred black she cat with forest green eyes and a fierce binding to the Warrior Code. "She tried to teach us different herbs, but Brightpaw and Robinpaw and Frostkit wouldn't listen." Swiftpaw started laughing when she remembered how Brightpaw had accidentally trampled the herbs their mother had brought them to study when they were only two moons old. Jayfeather cocked his head to the side, confused. "Frostkit?" He echoed. Swiftpaw stopped laughing. "Frostkit was our brother, and also the runt of our litter." She deflated, blue eyes swirling like rain clouds ready to pour. "He died when he was two and a half moons old, just a couple sunrises before mother did. Then father went after her and never came back." Her ears were flattened against her head, thick tail slowly gliding back-and-forth across the cold stone floor of the Medicine Cat den. "She also taught us about fighting techniques, but she trained with us outside the tunnels, too." She sat straighter and Jayfeather and Leafpool turned with a start at the sound of coughing. Robinpaw padded in, letting out a small bout of coughs. Swiftpaw laughed harshly at her older sister, but quieted when Robinpaw snarled. "Still regretting that moonhigh swim?" She meowed. Robinpaw opened her jaws to speak when she coughed again. Leafpool rushed over, putting her tail reassuringly across the tortoiseshell she-cat's spine. "Are you all right? Would you like something to ease your cough?" The brown tabby sounded so gentle, Swiftpaw snorted. Robinpaw glared up at her, head low. "Of course she is, Leafpool. She fell into the underground river after trying unsuccessfully to catch a fish." Robinpaw growled and dug her claws into the stone floor to prevent her from ripping her younger sister to shreds. But Leafpool took Robinpaw back anyway, disappearing into the deeper part of the cave. Jayfeather flicked Swiftpaw's ear with his tail to get her attention. "Today we will have battle practice, to get it out of the way. Not because you want to." Swiftpaw yowled with excitement and pranced around the gray tom as he padded up to where Spiderleg and Whitewing were getting ready to exit camp with their apprentices, Amberpaw and Dewpaw. The four cats turned as Jayfeather walked up, with Swiftpaw at his side. "Are you practicing mock-battles today? Could Amberpaw and Dewpaw could teach Swiftpaw some techniques?" The two apprentices brightened and glanced up hopefully at their mentors. Spiderleg and Whitewing shared a glance, and both nodded. "Of course!" Whitewing said cheerfully, "Come with us, Swiftpaw." Amberpaw and Dewpaw showed Swiftpaw different places to mark their borders, the best places to hunt, and the greatest trees to climb. When all six cats reached the training hollow, Swiftpaw bounded and leaped into the dune-like area, followed by Dewpaw and scowls and one smile. Spiderleg stepped forward. "Dewpaw!" He called, "Show Swiftpaw the very first move you learned." The gray-and-white tom reared up and balanced on his hind paws, he unsheathed his claws and swiped at the air. He swiped a few more times before sheathing his claws and dropping back down to all fours. Swiftpaw blinked. She copied what Dewpaw had done perfectly. She dropped back down again, embarrassed at Dewpaw's and Amberpaw's dropped jaws. The brown-and-white she-cat turned to Spiderleg. "Sorry, but I already know that move." The long-limbed black tom's eyes narrowed. Jayfeather cut in coldly, "If you don't want Spiderleg's advice, feel free to have a mock-battle with Dewpaw and Amberpaw." Swiftpaw brightened immediately. "Of course!" She turned to her fellow apprentices and dropped into a hunter's crouch, and they did the same. Amberpaw lunged suddenly, lightning quick, and aimed a blow at Swiftpaw's shoulder. But it never landed. She heard Dewpaw gasp, a thud, and whirled around. To her surprise, Swiftpaw had Dewpaw pinned to the ground, Her jaws inches away from his throat. "Do you yield?" She growled at him. In a wild frenzy, he lashed his hind legs out to throw her off of him. But she wasn't there. She was behind Amberpaw, and before she could react Swiftpaw had her pinned. "Do you yield?" She asked again, frustrated. "I yield!" Amberpaw gasped. Swiftpaw took a few steps back, and helped her up. Jayfeather stepped forward, tail twitching in annoyance. "Alright, I've seen enough. Since you know everything, we'll go make a poultice for our trip to the Moonpool tonight." Swiftpaw looked devastated, still drenched in sweat from the battle. She looked back and beckoned to Amberpaw and Dewpaw with her tail. The two bounded happily after her, tails up. Jayfeather sighed and called Swiftpaw back. "Yes?" The gray tabby tom cuffed her ear sharply and batted at her head. "Ungrateful furball," He hissed softly in her ear. "You should have took Spiderleg's advice. Next time, you'll know to listen to a senior warrior." The brown-and-white she-cat ducked her head. "Of course." Jayfeather was just about to tell her to go play and leave him alone, but a blur of ginger-and-white streaked past and tackled Swiftpaw. The she-cat squealed in surprise and looked up at her oldest sister. "Why hello, Swiftpaw! How's being a Medicine Cat apprentice working out for you?" Swiftpaw thrust Brightpaw off of her with a swift jab in the stomach with her hindlegs. "Okay." She meowed with a shrug. "Come on, Brightpaw!" She yowled, spraying snow as she was already breaking into a run. Brightpaw grinned."Oh, no you don't!" She took off sprinting after her. Seconds later, Jayfeather, Whitewing and Spiderleg froze at the sound of an ear-splitting scream. Whitewing and Spiderleg whirled to face each other, eyes wide and fur on end. "AMBERPAW!"