Author's Note: I have realized that I may have made a few mistakes in the genders of some of these cats. Unfortunately, they are canon, so if you want an excuse I'll just say that they will suddenly die after I stop writing about them, and then some random rouges with their exact looks will appear, and for no apparent reason the Clan will make them warriors and name them after the dead cats. Now, for the story.

"Get away from my son!" Houndfang screeched, diving in between Darkpaw and Sloepaw.

"I just wanted to ask him a question! And then he called me a mouse-brain! Of course, I had to tell him he stank like fox-dung!" Darkpaw hissed, fury covering his face. Houndfang stared at him, surprised that he thought that Houndfang had only intervened because of that insult. Why was Darkpaw playing dumb, pretending not to notice that the whole Clan had found out he was a shapeshifter? The whole Clan was acting like he was a two-headed badger, afraid that he would hurt them or their family. Some of them actively ran into the woods or ducked into their dens when he came, those cowards. Houndfang, however, was one of the few cats who were not afraid to do something about Darkpaw. Oh yes, he was afraid of losing his family like he had lost Wrenkit, but that fear hardened into determination to protect his family and to train Brightpaw to eventually obliterate the monster in her Clan.

Wordlessly, he shoved Darkpaw aside and walked to the fresh-kill pile. He would deal with him later. As Houndfang walked, he became aware of many cats glaring at him. Oh, they included the usual cats, like Brownpaw and Dawnpaw, but there were two new cats too, ones he had thought were on his side: Jaywhisker and Leafdust. It seemed like Icestar's group of Darkpaw-loving fools had grown, despite Houndfang's warnings and excellent reasoning. However, the most painful losses occurred a few days after Darkpaw was born, when both Houndfang's cousin, Rainstorm, and (unsurprisingly) his sister, Icestar tried to defend Darkpaw, then Darkkit. Those mouse-brains. Today, he would show them all. There was a large dog loose in ShadowClan territory, and once he found it he could make Darkpaw fight it. Darkpaw would have to shapeshift to survive, and his secret would be exposed to everyone.

"What are you planning?" Rainstorm asked, startling Houndfang.

"Why do you think I'm planning something?" Houndfang responded.

"You have that smug look on your face like you always get when you're planning something. And I know from experience that none of your plans ever end well."

"Well, maybe this one will."

"I doubt it."

"The whole Clan will benefit from this."

"Another of those Darkpaw shenanigans, I see. You do realize that the more you do to antagonize Darkpaw, the more of your Clanmates think that you are a monster and stop supporting you. Between your efforts and Icestar's efforts, you're turning the whole Clan against you. Speaking of Icestar, you should really talk to her more often. She is your sister, after all."

"Icestar is as dead to me as Smolderfrost's corpse."

"Icestar didn't know that Dapplestar was going to kill Smolderfrost. She didn't think she needed to intervene."

"You learned this by listening to her, not me. I guess I don't want a cousin who never listens."

"Wait!"

But it was too late. Houndfang walked away, simmering with anger. I'm not the monster. Darkpaw is. Rainstorm would have known that if he had listened.

"Come with me. We're going to do some training." Houndfang meowed as he neared Darkpaw. The two of them wordlessly exited the camp and began to walk through the woods.

"Houndfang? I smell dog." Darkpaw mewed, breaking the silence. Houndfang did not respond. Just a few more fox-lengths!

The smell of the dog grew stronger and stronger as the two cats neared it. Darkpaw kept shooting nervous glances at Houndfang, then at the forest, then back at Houndfang again, before he seemed to come to a conclusion.

"I'm not afraid of you, Houndfang." Darkpaw hissed, surprising Houndfang. What was the dark apprentice going to do?

"You should be." Houndfang growled, taking a step toward Darkpaw, though his heart was pounding so loudly in fright it drowned out every other sound. He was completely shocked when a heavy body slammed into him from behind. The dog!

Houndfang slumped, to stunned to react, as the dog sank its teeth into his shoulder. Somebody! Anybody! Help! He thought desperately, but he couldn't seem to get the words out of his mouth. Suddenly, the weight lifted from his body. Darkpaw had pulled the dog off him! Raising to its full height, the dog lunged at Darkpaw, its huge muscles rippling. With a yelp, Darkpaw fled. Houndfang gave a snort of satisfaction. How long would it be before Darkpaw had to shapeshift to get away? Soon, many of Houndfang's problems would be solved. But why did he feel so guilty?

"Dog! Run!" a panicked voice cried.

Was that voice, could it be, Silversong's voice? Had Darkpaw brought the dog into the camp? That wicked piece of fox-dung! Yowling a battle cry, Houndfang pelted to the camp at full speed. The closer he came, the more screams he heard, until suddenly they all went quiet.Was he too late?

Finally, Houndfang neared the camp. It seemed to take an eternity, a hopeless, helpless eternity to squeeze through the entrance, and it only slightly shocked him to see two corpses lying in the clearing. One belonged to the dog. The other one was Rainstorm.