Sorry for the late update! Here is the next chapte!

It had been four days since Leopardstep's confrontation with her brothers. It had been four days since she'd last spoken to either of her brothers. Four days since she'd seen Sharpfrost. She was pathetically saddened about that. She was lonely. She had Icefur, sure, but he was. . clingy. Snowdrop was too solemn these days, and her brothers were.. well..

Leopardstep yawned loudly, her breath showing in the air with how cold it was. The worst part of being deputy was that she had to get up earlier than everyone else: so she could arrange the patrols. She sat outside the Warriors den, shivering in the cold as she waited for them to wake up. An older warrior, Stonewhisker, made his way out of the den. "Good morning, Leopardstep," He said serenely, yawning. "Cold day."

"It is," Leopardstep agreed. "Perhaps it'll warm up near Sunhigh. That's when I'll send out most of the hunting patrols."

"Smart idea," Stonewhisker dipped his head. "You're doing a good job, Leopardstep."

Leopardstep grinned weakly at him. "Thanks, Stonewhisker," She said. Her ears pricked as she was struck with a sudden thought. "Actually, could you organize the patrols today? I want to take Berrypaw out for battle training. She isn't used to this cold, and it might be good for her."

"Of course." Stonewhisker nodded, and Leopardstep made her way towards the apprentice's den. She woke her young apprentice quickly, and the two cats left the chilly camp behind them.

"Whyyy do we have to be awake so early?" Berrypaw whined, her voice muffled in the wind. She shivered, pressing closer to Leopardstep.

"A good warrior is up early," Leopardstep told her, struggling to walk through the deep snow that covered the ground. It had snowed again last night, and by the looks of the sky, more was on its way.

"Well, then I won't be a good warrior," grumbled Berrypaw. Her creamy fur was spotted with white, and she had to struggle not to fall into the deep drifts. "Not if I have to do this every day."

Leopardstep purred with amusement as her apprentice fell into another patch of snow. "Great StarClan, Berrypaw," she said. "You look like a white rabbit!" And it was true: The younger cat's ears were sticking up, and were stuffed with white after her last tumble.

"Are we there yet?" Berrypaw asked, giving her mentor an unappreciative glare.

"Yes." They'd arrived at the training hollow. Leopardstep made her way to the other side of it and crouched down, shivering when the wet ground came into contact with her belly. "Alright, Berrypaw," she said. "Try and get past me. If you make it across the hollow, you get first pick of prey between us."

"Really?" Berrypaw brightened up. Getting first pick of prey in leaf-bare was a real treat- especially from the deputy! "Got it!" Suddenly, she charged. Berrypaw leaped forward, obviously trying to land on top of her mentor and squash her to the ground.

Leopardstep, instead of ducking under the blow, jumped up to meet it, headbutting Berrypaw in the chest. She could hear the breath rush out of the younger cat, and Berrypaw thumped to the ground, gasping for air. "That didn't go well, did it?" Leopardstep asked innocently, ignoring her apprentice's glare. "Never jump that high- there are many techniques to stop it."

"Fine," Berrypaw snapped. But her eyes were shining with excitement, and there was no true anger in her tone. She shuffled her paws shyly. "Show me again?"

"Sure," Leopardstep said. She stood taller, ready to explain. "When any cat ju-"

"Leopardstep, is it alright if Snakepaw and I train here, too?" Foxfoot made his way into the training hollow, his apprentice behind him. "Perhaps we can even do a few paired moves."

Leopardstep's fur prickled. "Of course.. Foxfoot," She said with a (hopefully) polite tone. "Hello, Snakepaw." She smiled down at Berrypaw's sister, who looked up at her with wide eyes.

"I was just learning an awesome move!" Berrypaw said, padding over to her littermate. "Next time we fight, I'll beat you for sure!"

"N-no you won't!" Snakepaw tore her eyes from her mentor to face Berrypaw. "You couldn't beat a frog!"

"Well, Leopardstep, it seems we have a rivalry," Foxfoot said smoothly. His blue eyes narrowed, giving away nothing. "Perhaps we should have them fight each other, see what their strengths and weaknesses are." Leopardstep hated the fact that he made perfect sense. She gave him a stiff nod, and sat down next to her brother.

"Alright, Berrypaw," She prompted. "Show Snakepaw just how good you are at this."

"I will, Leopardstep!" Berrypaw promised confidently. She crouched down, narrowing her eyes at Snakepaw. Her sister growled back, shifting the ground beneath her paws.

"Ready.." Foxfoot said, raising his forepaw. A few heartbeats passed, and he slammed his paw into the snow, spraying an indignant Leopardstep with the frozen water. "Go!"

Berrypaw sprang forward. She hit Snakepaw's shoulders and rolled, getting clear before her littermate could aim a blow. She pounced again, but this time Snakepaw was faster. The darker-pelted cat attached herself to Berrypaw's tail and bit down, careful not to draw blood. The victim growled to herself and pulled out of Snakepaw's grip, pinning her down in one quick move.

Snakepaw struggled, but there was no escape from Berrypaw's strength. She slumped against the ground, beaten.

"Yes!" Berrypaw leaped up, turning back to Leopardstep. "I did it-" She was cut off as Snakepaw, having recovered her breath, pounced on her from behind. It was now Berrypaw's turn to be pinned down with no chance of standing.

"Never let your guard down," Leopardstep said, nodding approvingly to Snakepaw, who grinned back. "Alright, let her stand now. It's over."

Berrypaw got to her paws with an indignant look. "The fight was over already!" She protested loudly. "That was an unfair hit!"

"Will enemies give you a chance to run?" Leopardstep asked her. "No. You need to be prepared for anything." In the midst of her lecture, Foxfoot and his apprentice turned to leave, Snakepaw's tail waving excitedly.

"Pff," Berrypaw grumbled. She sat down in front of her mentor, unwilling to listen. "It's not like we're fighting anyone. The Clans are at peace, right?"

Leopardstep's fur prickled as she thought of the unknown danger that was approaching the Clans. And Frondstar: Shadewhisker had told her the troubles with the WindClan leader. Would he even agree to let Shadewhisker be the next deputy? Only time would tell. "Yes, of course," She lied, staring down at the younger cat. "But you need to be ready for anything That includes other Clans."

"Can we go back to camp now?" Berrypaw asked. She was obviously cold, shivering violently every time a wind came. "I'm hungry. Do you think there's prey yet?"

Leopardstep wasn't sure. "I don't think so," She said, standing up and leaving the training hollow. "I wanted to wait on the hunting patrols." Berrypaw scampered after her, letting out a good-natured groan at the thought of no food. Leopardstep purred at the sound, walking faster as the wind blew once more.