Woot! I'm finally back from a four day backpacking trip. It was amazing, and I got to ride an Enchilada!

Ashpaw growled as Jayfeather shook his head.

"Still not ready." He meowed, much to her frustration.

"I've been stuck in camp for almost a moon now!" Ashpaw complained. Jayfeather rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, it shouldn't be much longer until it is healed." Bramblestream yawned. Last night had been the half moon, and Jayfeather had finally given Bramblestream her full name.

"How long does it take a pulled muscle to heal?" Ashpaw mumbled as she slipped out of the den. As usual, Cloudpaw was sulking by the apprentices' den. Briarpelt was sitting with Firefang, her belly plump with expected kits. Ashpaw knew that was why Cloudpaw was mad. Briarpelt was now unable to leave camp at risk for her kits, and after the recent death of Mousestar, Gingerstar was still getting used to being leader. After naming Skysong as her deputy, not much had happened with the leader, except the announcement of three new kits in the Clan; the tiny half moon olds Eaglekit, Dustkit and Flickerkit. However much new kits were a great thing to any Clan, especially with the lingering threats of WindClan, RiverClan and ShadowClan, training apprentices was needed as well, and currently, Cloudpaw wasn't being trained by anyone.

"You seem distracted." Icestorm meowed, pausing from her thorough cleaning. "What did Jayfeather and Bramblestream say?" She added.

"Still not ready. And I was just thinking about Cloudpaw. Gingerstar still hasn't given her a new mentor." Ashpaw replied with a sigh.

"Well, hopefully it won't be long until you can restart your training. Gingerstar is just under a lot of stress right now." Icestorm sighed, returning to her washing. Ashpaw shrugged and padded up to her sister.

"Why did Briarpelt have to become a queen?" Cloudpaw growled as Ashpaw approached. The dappled white she-cat's tail lashed.

"You can't always plan things like that." Ashpaw pointed out.

"The least Gingerstar could do is get me a new mentor." Ashpaw couldn't tell if Cloudpaw was talking to her or not.

"You want to come see the new kits with me?" Ashpaw asked, changing the subject. Cloudpaw shook her head.

"Already have." She meowed before slipping bitterly into the apprentices' den. Ashpaw rolled her eyes and bounded back toward the nursery, slipping inside. Tiny mewls accompanied the sweet smell of milk. Ashpaw padded carefully up to her mother, giving the dappled queen an affectionate lick on the ear.

"They are so cute. Which is which?" She purred.

"Eaglekit is the brown and white tom. Dustkit is the lighter brown tom. Flickerkit is the only she-cat, the one with the tortoiseshell fur." Tawnydapple purred. Ashpaw nodded. Cloudpaw was right. They were very cute, so small and helpless. With a flick of her tail and a swift lick on her mother's cheek, Ashpaw slipped back out of the nursery. Cloudpaw was gone, and even when peeking into the apprentices' den, she was nowhere in sight.

"Do you know where Cloudpaw is? She disappeared." Briarpelt mewed. Ashpaw shook her head.

"she was sitting outside the den before I went to see Tawnydapple, but now she isn't there." The gray she-cat mewed.

"well, let me know when you find her." Briarpelt sighed and padded back toward the nursery. Ashpaw sighed and slipped into the den, noticing for the first time a small gap hiding behind some moss. Ashpaw let out a growl of frustration. Apprentices weren't supposed to be out in the forest without a warrior. With a sigh, Ashpaw slipped through the hole. She barely fit, but found another hole in the camp wall. Ashpaw shook her head and went through the second hole, coming out on the other side. She followed Cloudpaw's trail to the twolegplace. Careful not to be seen, she watched the scene before her.

Cloudpaw was talking to the two kittypets she had left Lightkit with; Cody and her son, Julius.

"Can you show me where?" Cloudpaw asked, seemingly worried about something.

"I'll tell you how to get there, but I'm not stepping foot in their territory." Julius replied, shaking a bit. Cloudpaw sighed.

"Alright." She agreed.

"Follow me then."Julius mewed, bounding a few steps on the wall to where it changed direction. Cloudaw leapt up to join him. Ashpaw let out a growl.

"Where are you going?" She asked without thinking. Cloudpaw's fur fluffed up in surprise and she almost fell of the wall. Ashpaw slipped out of the undergrowth.

"To see Lightkit. According to Cody and Julius, she has joined BloodClan of all things." Cloudpaw explained. Ashpaw was surprised at this news, but she couldn't let her sister go somewhere that dangerous.

"I thought BloodClan disbanded." Ashpaw pointed out.

"They got a new leader, Scourge's daughter Kit. Her and your sister have been causing trouble for a lot of cats lately." Cody explained with a sigh. Somehow, Ashpaw couldn't imagine blind, quiet Lightkit as something troublesome.

"I'm going to go talk to her, see if she will stop pestering other cats and come find a kittypet home or something." Cloudpaw noted.

"Then I'm coming with you." Ashpaw meowed, joining her. A small flash of pain followed from her injured leg.

"Be careful! You shouldn't be out of camp." Cloudpaw mewed, supporting Ashpaw as she wobbled slightly.

"Neither should you." Ashpaw mumbled, following behind them as they walked along the wall.