(A/N: Pie, I am sorry you feel that way about the characters. I know Swallowpaw comes across as cocky and arrogant, but she's supposed to. That's how I'm characterizing her. And yes, I know that forbidden loves never work out. I've read the books, and those forbidden relationships ended terribly. If you don't like the story, you don't have to keep reading it. Swallowpaw is going to stay how she is and her relationship with Newtpaw is not going to end soon.)

Chapter 11

"Mama, I don't want to be a warrior!" Streamkit squeaked, staring at Nightcloud in horror after the she-cat suggested that her kits learn a battle move from the apprentices.

Swallowkit pushed in front of her tabby sister. "Well, I do! It's never too early to practice!"

Nightcloud nodded at her bold daughter proudly. "That's right, dear! I'm sure Tawnypaw and Sunpaw would teach you a simple maneuver if you asked them nicely."

"If I learn battle moves now, that'll give me a leg up when I'm actually an apprentice!" Swallowkit mewed excitedly, bouncing around her nest. "My mentor will be so surprised!"

Streamkit shook in her nest, wondering why anyone would ever want to fight. She believed all problems could be solved peacefully with a calm, rational discussion and compromise rather than with bloodshed. "Why do we need to learn to fight, Mama?" the she-kits squeaked.

"Well, someday we might be attacked by another Clan or rogues, so we need to be prepared," Nightcloud explained. "We have to be able to defend ourselves."

"But I don't want to hurt anybody!" Streamkit cried. "I want to help cats, not hurt them!"

Her mother swept her long black tail around the tabby, bringing the kit in close. "That's perfectly alright. Maybe there's another way you can serve our Clan that doesn't include so much fighting."

Streamkit nodded happily. "I know exactly what I want to do! Jayfeather's been showing me some herbs and telling me what they do. He helps cats when they get sick or hurt and makes them feel better. I want to do what he does!"

"You want to be a grumpy old medicine cat?" Swallowkit gasped. "But you can't ever get a mate if you do that! Don't you want to find a nice, cute tom? Rowanpaw and Smokepaw are soooo handsome!"

"I'd rather live my life making cats feel better than have a mate," Streamkit squeaked. "I don't care about toms!"

Nightcloud nodded seriously. "And neither should you, Swallowkit. You're barely five moons old! That's much too young to be thinking about toms."

Swallowkit shrugged. "Whatever. As long as I get to be a fierce warrior, that's all that matters. I'm going to be a great fighter someday, and maybe even the best hunter since Sandstorm was a warrior!"

"That's great, Sweetheart," her mother mewed.

"Do you think I could be the best medicine cat?" Streamkit asked. "I want to be great like Jayfeather or Leafpool."

Nightcloud gave her daughter a loving look. "Of course you'll be the best medicine cat!" She turned her green gaze to Swallowkit. "And you'll be the best warrior! I know it!"

A rough movement jerked Streampaw from her dream. She'd fallen asleep long before her sister had come in from the night, unlike before their argument when the two she-cats would stay up late talking. The she-cat had been dreaming about her kithood, when she and Swallowpaw had been best friends and life was good and simple. Upset to have her fond memories disturbed, she glanced over at the nest next to hers. A black she-cat had just come into the apprentices' den, curling up in her nest with a huge yawn.

It's way after moonhigh! Streampaw thought. She's been gone all night and is going to be tired tomorrow! The tabby apprentice snorted, thinking that her sister was making the wrong choice. Meeting Newtpaw during the day was bad enough, not just because it was breaking the warrior code, but also because there was a huge risk of being caught by a patrol. Now that Swallowpaw was meeting her tom friend at night, the she-cat was permanently tired during the day. It was obvious to the medicine cat apprentice that her sister was not getting nearly enough sleep and Cherryfall was beginning to see that Swallowpaw was not performing as well at hunting or battle practice as she used to.

Streampaw laid her head on her paws, watching the black she-cat fall asleep. I can't believe how mouse-brained she's acting! One of these days she's going to get into major trouble and I won't be able to help her. Irritated by her sister's reckless behavior, the tabby turned over in her nest to face the other way. She wanted to get some sleep without thinking about Swallowpaw and her enemy friend.

"That's right, Applekit, come on out now," Snowtail meowed encouragingly from his place outside the nursery.

Streampaw stopped searching through the fresh-kill pile for a vole to watch the father convince his kits to explore the camp for the first time. Lilyheart had finally given in and was sitting by her mate, looking worried as her two tom kits set their paws on grass for the first time. Ravenkit and Brackenkit had come out of the nursery, staring wide-eyed at the world around them. The little family was now just waiting for the last kit to pad out of her den. The apprentice watched with amusement as the tiny white kit appeared in the mouth of the nursery. Applekit paused in her tracks to gaze around the camp with wide green eyes. After a moment the kit let out an excited squeal and bounded out of the nursery, tumbling around in the grass with her bolder brothers.

"So Lilyheart finally let them come out, did she?" a voice mewed from behind Streampaw. The apprentice turned around to see her friend Hazelpaw, who looked as amused as the tabby.

"I think Snowtail had more to do with it than anything," the medicine cat apprentice replied. "Just a few days ago Lilyheart tried to convince me that the kits were sick so they couldn't come out."

The ginger apprentice tipped her head to one side. "Were they?"

Streampaw shook her head. "Of course not. Lilyheart was just worried."

"I'm worried about someone, too," Hazelpaw meowed, giving her friend a pointed look. "I've noticed for three nights in a row Swallowpaw has not been in her nest when I've turned in. The two of you used to go to the den together and talk before falling asleep. I've also noticed that she comes back really late and is super tired during the day."

The tabby shifted her paws nervously. "She…um…stays up late to practice her battle moves," the she-cat mewed quickly. "You know how Swallowpaw wants to be the best warrior ever."

Hazelpaw snorted. "Well, it's not just me who noticed. Cherryfall wanted to two of us to have a mock fight today since Swallowpaw has always been really good at fighting, but she messed up on really basic moves! Even Dovewing was surprised to see how badly Swallowpaw fought. The whole time she was just yawning and looked like she wasn't concentrating on fighting at all."

Darn it, Swallowpaw! Streampaw thought to herself, digging her claws into the ground. Now three cats are suspicious! Look what you're doing! The she-cat wished she could tell her ginger friend what her sister was doing, but Swallowpaw was her sister and the tabby felt some littermate loyalty to her. "She just hasn't been sleeping well lately," the tabby meowed. "I'm sure she'll be fine soon."

"She'd better be," Hazelpaw growled. "My mentor used to think that Swallowpaw could possibly be named a warrior before me, but now it looks like Dustkit and Stormkit might be warriors before her! If she doesn't improve immediately, she's going to fall behind."

"I'm sure it's not that bad yet," Streampaw mewed. "She'll be fine."

The ginger she-cat narrowed her eyes. "I think something's wrong here. I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling she's up to something and you know what it is."

"I do not!" the medicine cat apprentice hissed. "There's nothing wrong with my sister, so just drop it!"

Hazelpaw's green eyes widened. "Okay, now I know something's wrong. You've never hissed at anyone before. Swallowpaw is up to something, and if she doesn't stop soon I'm going to find out what it is."

Streampaw glared at the she-cat, wishing she could just tell someone that Swallowpaw was meeting Newtpaw and end the matter now, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. As much as it angered her that her sister was breaking the warrior code, she still loved Swallowpaw and didn't want to see her get into trouble.

"I can handle it," the tabby sighed. "Let me talk to her and get this straightened out."

"You'd better," Hazelpaw meowed, "because if you don't I will, and I won't protect Swallowpaw like you are!"

The she-cat heaved a sigh as the ginger apprentice stalked away, her tail lashing madly. She didn't really want to protect Swallowpaw, but she just couldn't make herself tattle. Oh StarClan, what am I going to do? the tabby silently wailed. She's my sister and I love her, but she's breaking the code! Do I tell on her and risk her hating me or do I protect her and risk getting in trouble, too?