AN: So at this point I just am chucking out chapters willy nilly. I know I should save them but now I'm finished I just want to let you guys read it! As always, all readers, favourites, follows and comments are so appreciated. :)

Rowanpaw was so annoyed he'd missed the gathering!

Yes, he had needed the sleep like a duck needs water, but he'd been very irritated to learn from Pebblepaw and Hedgepaw how much he'd missed (and likely more that those two hadn't picked up on) the next day. The return of the kittypet who'd now joined Fieldclan was one note of particular interest he had heard about. The other was that there were other clans having rouge problems. He was dying to know what had happened at Gustclan and was frustrated by the lack of details.

Still, they had their own issues to worry about. Marshclan was an ongoing threat; and it had been several days, but there had been no rouge activity at the southern border again. It was putting cats on edge.

The little black kit they'd found had been checked over by Longtail and was doing well; Flowerdust had named her Rookkit. Rowanpaw looked in on them now and then and she seemed as strong as the rest of them. It was a relief to everyone.

The thoughts of her origins still lingered over them, particularly for Rowanpaw and Kowhaifall. His mentor hadn't told anyone else of her suspicions yet for fear of getting on Icestar's bad side as he had told her to leave the matter. A leader's word was the warrior code. They shouldn't question his decision. He was more experienced than the both of them put together. He was probably right.

And besides, they had nothing really to go off but her thinking she smelt Gustclan on the kit. With news of rouges attacking Gustclan from the gathering, Rowanpaw had immediately wondered if that was how the kit had ended up with rouges at their border, but it was a long way from Gustclan to Gorseclan… why would rouges bring them so far if they were stealing them? And why kill one? Why the dead rouge? Nothing made sense!

He'd even asked Spiderstreak more about Summer, the dead she-cat. The former rouge had given the apprentice such a piercing look that he'd nearly backed off, but then the black tom had replied that he had seen that she had obviously been nursing before he buried her; something mentioned to Icestar in Smokeblaze's report once they'd returned.

It was evidence that suggested the kits had indeed been hers. Perhaps she'd had them to another tom, and her former mate Fang had killed her in a fit of rage, then had moved onto the kits before the patrol interrupted him? There was no way to know for certain, but it was the most likely based on the evidence. Rownapaw could admit as much. Icestar announced that Rookkit was to be adopted into the clan as the mother was dead, and that was that… And yet…

And yet.

What Kowhaifall had told him and what had been said at the gathering continued to bother him. He kept thinking about that nightmare for some reason. The cries of kits and the smell of blood. It was eerie considering what they had stumbled upon days later. Were he a more faithful cat it would have made him think it had been Starclan trying to warn him, but since he wasn't, the thought didn't occur. His thoughts were occupied most of the time though; it made him make sloppy mistakes sometimes at training. Dappledpaw had gotten more than a few smug laughs in.

"I know it's bothering you Rowanpaw… I keep thinking about it to, but for now I don't think there's anything we can do. The thought Rookkit is actually from Gustclan… there's too little to back it up." Kowhaifall had told him. She was right of course. Oh, Starclan he wished he'd been at the gathering. At least then he could have tried to get one of the more talkative of the windblown cats to say what had happened when they were attacked by rouges.

These thoughts tumbled over and over in his head again as he idly watched Pebblepaw and Honeypaw playing outside the den, much in the same manner. Full of energy this morning, as per usual… The pair made for rowdy denmates. Hopefully it wouldn't be much longer before he was made a warrior…

Almost as if he could read his mind, Icestar himself was suddenly there in front of the red tom. He must have been padding over and Rowanpaw hadn't noticed with his eyes on the younger apprentices tussling and his thoughts somewhere else entirely. He shook his head out of his stupor quickly as Icestar addressed him, hurriedly rising to his feet.

"I'm taking you with me and Dappledpaw this morning." The leader said in his deep, commanding voice. "Longtail requested Kowhaifall for an errand."

Rowanpaw paused only a beat wondering why she hadn't told him herself about this but was quick to shake it off. This was training with Icestar! She probably had to go somewhere early before he woke up. Maybe Longtail had wanted to go back to Starfalls for some reason. "Yes, of course Icestar!"

"Good. We'll be doing combat training." He said nothing more and started walking away, expecting Rowanpaw to follow. He did so eagerly. Any misgivings in his head right now could be pushed down for something like this! Combat training with the leader and the best fighter in the clan! Even if he would be stuck with Dappledpaw, it wasn't something to miss!

...

As his head was pushed into the dirt for the third time that morning; feeling Dappledpaw's claws prick ever so slightly in the back of his neck, his excitement had waned somewhat.

"Since when did you learn that move?" He questioned Dappledpaw grumpily as she let him up, spitting out dry earth. Blegh! The tortoiseshell she-cat was staring down at him with that superior look on her face. Double blegh!

"Advantages of having Icestar as a mentor, I suppose." She purred back coyly. She was loving this. They had always both been good fighters, but Rowanpaw had always just had the edge on her, while she was better at hunting. She couldn't suddenly be better at fighting too! He was aghast. That was his thing! He tried not to let his offense at the whole situation show; not only because their leader was watching, but because he didn't want to give Dappledpaw the satisfaction.

"Of course, this is just training. I wouldn't recommend that move in real battle unless you intended to kill your opponent." Icestar thrummed from where he was sitting a short distance away. "Now. Again… Rowanpaw, try and see where Dappledpaw is aiming her feet. You tend to look at a cat's eyes; not a bad strategy as most cats will tell you where they are going with them, but Dappledpaw is tricking you with her gaze. You need to not fall for it."

Rowanpaw nodded silently, gritting his teeth. He crouched, eyeing up Dappledpaw as she did the same. He was determined to prove himself. "Again." Icestar repeated. The red apprentice launched towards the she-cat.

The training grounds was one of the driest parts of the territory right now; though clouds were floating about in the sky, they had so far held no rain. Their elders Clayclaw and Smallstep had been saying that this was the longest drought in their memory. Dust swirled around the three cats stirred up by the practice bouts.

By midday, both apprentices were panting heavily. Even under the shade of the trees around the training grounds, it was stinking hot. Rowanpaw had heard Icestar say "again" so many times he was certain it was engraved in his brain. But he was improving. He started getting better at reading what Dappledpaw was doing and then reacting to it. She was slippery, but then his mentor who'd he'd practice with many times was also. Eventually, he even started winning. It went back and forth. Rowanpaw pinned Dappledpaw; Dappledpaw had her teeth hovering over Rowanpaw's throat, and so on.

Finally, the white tom called an end to the training, just when the apprentice thought his legs were going to give out on him. "Alright. That's enough. We'll rest here and then return to camp. You'll both go hunting this afternoon."

The three retreated back into the undergrowth under the trees, where it was coolest. Rowanpaw had started to groom himself when Icestar spoke up. "You both did well." Warm pride spread through Rowanpaw's body, and he sat up a little straighter. "You catch on quickly, think on your feet, and have the combat instinct to back it up. One day very few cats will be able to keep up with you both in a fight. You'll make excellent assets to Gorseclan."

Rowanpaw bowed his head. It was grand praise indeed from a leader, especially one as known for his fighting talent as Icestar. "Thank you for your praise Icestar; you honour me…" He heard Dappledpaw echo him in her own words from beside him.

The big tom looked satisfied, but his expression then grew darker. "There will come a time soon I fear, where you will be put to the test again, but I'm sure you will continue to impress and prove yourselves." Icestar continued. "Rowanpaw." The direct address had Rowanpaw snap his gaze to Icestar's. It had always been hard looking the leader right in the eyes. Those intense orange orbs always looked ready to engulf you. "I need to ask Kowhaifall, but I would like you to attend extra training with me. I'll be asking the same thing for Mistpaw. I think we need an extra focus on battle training right now for you older apprentices, and while I trust Kowhaifall and Dartwing, they are both younger warriors. I would like to train you three personally in this area."

Rowanpaw didn't need to think very hard when it came to accepting. It was something any cat like him would be jealous of... "Yes, Icestar!"

Not that he could really say no to the leader anyway.