Moons passed. I was no longer a kit. I was still smaller than many cats, but at least I wasn't a kit. My claws could draw blood. I was getting better.

Life continued as it had for the first few weeks in Bloodclan. Timber and I would train to learn new things about battle. Sometimes I would fight Striker. Sometimes I would win. More often, Striker would win and I'd be stuck in my den until after I had healed a little.

Scourge sent us on more raids. I was getting good at them. Stealing kits became easy. I didn't always like it, but at least it was easy. When a kit didn't behave and play the game, I'd knock their teeth out the way Timber would show me. Nine moons old and I already had almost enough teeth to cover three paws. As for Tally, I almost never saw him. When I did, it was alway in passing, him shooting me one of those scary smiles.

I never saw any of the kits I stole again. Not until now, when Timber was taking me somewhere secrete. Somewhere for something he kept saying was "special."

"Hurry, Ice. We have to meet the others," Timber shouted. He was walking at that ridiculous pace again. At least by now I could keep up with him.

"I'm coming. Can't you tell me why he have to go to the deepest part of twoleg place?" He shook his head, refusing to answer. We were rounding a fence when I felt something slam into my side. Furious, I rounded on my attacker to see a younger tabby tom standing there growling.

"Why you!" I leaped on top of them, my claws ripping into his fur. He clawed back. We went down in a writhing mess of claws and teeth.

"Let that cat have it, Crash. Make her bleed," came a voice. The young tabby kicked out, catching me in the stomach.

"Oof." I stumbled backwards. This wasn't going to be good…. for him. Quick to counter, I lifted a paw and slammed it into the side of his head before he could react. His body collapsed beneath me, and I stood panting over him.

"Good job, Ice," Timber's voice came from behind me. He sounded disinterested.

"You good for nothing piece of rubbish," another tom grunted. This one was bi-colored, with a short tail and torn ear. A collar with as many teeth as Timber's hung loosely on his neck. He kicked the tabby with a front paw.

"Looks like you need to train him better, Snipe," Timber said.

The older cat, Snipe, started to chuckle, low and calm. "It appears I do. Can't let Scourge think I'm not doing a better job of training kits than you. Perhaps I'm not hard enough." He leaned over and gave a swift kick to the smaller tom's ribs. "Get up, you lazy oaf."

The little tom jerked to the side and coughed. He blinked a few times, then forced himself up on shaky paws. "Y-yes Snipe."

Timber snorted. His tail tapped me on the back. "In case you haven't figured it out yet, Ice, this is Snipe and Crash. They are our…."Clanmates."' He said the word scathingly. Must be bad news.

"What are they doing here," I growled, eyeing Snipe. Any cat with that many teeth had high standing with Scourge. "Looks like they should be out working on Crash's inability to fight."

Crash lifted a lip but I ignored him.

Snipe smiled. "You haven't told her, Timber?"

My mentor opened his mouth to speak but the little tom, Crash, cut him off before he could start. "Scourge is going to check out all the mentors and trainees to see how well we're doing. Not that a stupid she cat like you would know."

"Can I fight him again, Timber," I hissed, crouching low. This little furball was going to regret those words. "I'll show him who's the stupid one." Crash flinched and pulled back towards Snipe. I smiled. He can't back up his words with tooth and claw.

Timber's tail whacked me on the ears before I could pounce. "Don't be ridiculous. We don't have time."

I rubbed a paw over my stinging ears. "But-"

He rolled his eyes and started walking down a nearby alley. "Maybe when we're done, but right now I suggest we don't keep Scourge and Bone waiting."

"Okay," I said, slightly disappointed, and bounded after him. I could feel Snipe and Crash's eyes on me as we left.

There were more cats here than I've seen in my life! The alley's end was completely encircled by stiffly sitting cats. Smaller ones sat directly in front of larger ones. Trainees and their mentors.

I was sitting directly in front of Timber. He shuffled his paws impatiently. Scourge and Bone had yet to show up.

My eyes drifted over the line of cats. All of them appeared younger than me. "Hey… Timber?"

"What," he growled.

I didn't dare look back at him. "Where did all these cat's come from?"

He leaned down next to me and pointed with a paw. "You're such a fuzz for brains. Don't you recognize that cat?" He pointed again at a cat at my side. "Or that one?"

I squinted my eyes. The did seem familiar. The one next to me glanced around nervously, revealing a scar on the other side of her jaw. Could it be? My head whipped to the other direction to look at the other kit Timber had pointed out. It was a largish brown tabby with fearless eyes.

I knew them. The she-cat was a kit I had taken my first tooth from (on purpose) on my third raid. The tom was the first kit I met on my first raid. The one that wasn't afraid. This must have been why we were stealing them.

"But they are-" My meow was cut off by a yowl. Scourge pushed his way through the crowded alley to the front of us. Behind him came Bone and, surprisingly, Striker. Their eyes flashed coldly as they smiled down on us. They knew they were better than us. Well… at least us trainees. How I hated all three of them.

"Welcome," Scourge mewed cooly. He started pacing slowly, ever so slowly, around the circle of cats. "And I suppose I should congratulate you young cats. Out of all the new recruits to Bloodclan, you are the only ones strong enough to be worthy of the Bloodclan name." He paused in front of me. I held his gaze. Just like when I joined. His mouth twitched. "Hm… Where others like you died in the attempt, you all rose to the occasion." He continued on his way down the line. "Which is why a reward is in order."

At those last few words, everyone's ears pricked. Trainees and mentors. I felt Timber stiffen behind me. I was excited. A reward! Paws were buzzing in excitement. Scourge almost never addressed anyone other than his elite and Bone, let alone reward any cat. What could it be? Food? A dog's tooth?

Scourge finished circling. He nodded at Bone. The big tom brushed against Striker, who looked like she was going to melt. What was up with those two? Were they….

"We have decided that in three moons time, those of you that can prove yourself will be allowed to join Scourge's guard. His greatest fighters. You shall be considered elite!"

Oh MAN! It feels so good to post again. Sorry about the three week break. I've been trying to post for so long now. Blame bad internet connection. I think it's fixed now, but if not I'll have to move back to my "every Tuesday is a new chapter" schedule.

As for the story, now we're really getting into the "plan." If you've read The Traveler, then you may know this doesn't go well. ;)

Am also putting up 2 new stories for pokemon. A Night's Echo and Mystery Dungeon: Breaking Away. Go ahead and check them out sometime and tell me where I might be going wrong. XD