Firepaw gripped the branch with her claws, heaving herself up the branch with her front paws as she looked up at the scurrying ball of brown fur that climbed higher. Her green eyes narrowed as she leapt onto the next branch, heaving herself up and gripping onto the bark to get a little more ground with a second heave up the tree. Climbing the branch carefully as the squirrel had stopped to catch its breath.

"Hey Firepaw, wake up!"

Firepaw blinked open her eyes, Graypaw was sitting there with his tail flicking and paws shuffling. His long gray hair being put into place with his paw, giving it a couple of licks before rasping it over his head.

"Training begins at sunrise; Dustpaw and Sandpaw are already up!" Graypaw added urgently.

Firepaw stretched the sleep and raised herself up onto her paws, drowsiness slightly starting to close her eyes; she then remembered it was her first day of training. Firepaw shot up to her paws, her fur bushing as she looked around the empty den; the drowsy feeling in her bones quickly replaced with excitement.

Graypaw carried on with his washing, between the licks he meowed. "I've just spoken to Lionheart; Ravenpaw won't be training with us until his wounds are better. He'll probably be in Spottedleaf's den for a day or two. Dustpaw and Sandpaw are on hunting duty, so Lionheart suggested we train with him and Tigerclaw this morning. We better get going though, they'll be waiting!"

Graypaw led Firepaw quickly through the gorse entrance of the camp and up the side of the rock strewn valley. As they climbed over the crest of the ravine, a cool breeze ruffled their fur and Firepaw fluffed her fur to protect against it. fat white clouds raced across the blue sky overhead. Firepaw felt fierce joy well up inside of her as she followed Graypaw down a tree shaded slope and into a sandy hollow.

Lionheart and Tigerclaw were waiting there, they sat with their tails wrapped around their paws just a few tail lengths apart on the warm sand.

"In future, I expect you to be… punctual." Tigerclaw grumbled, his eyes narrowed.

"Don't be too severe Tigerclaw; it was a busy night last night. I expect that they were tired," meowed Lionheart meowed kindly. "You have not been assigned a mentor yet Firepaw, for now tigerclaw and I will be sharing your training. it should be great practice since he won't have his apprentice for now."

"Yes, tis a shame Ravenpaw couldn't join us…" Tigerclaw meowed, his eyes turned towards the camp.

Firepaw met the dark warrior's gaze from the sidelines, his amber eyes gave nothing away that said anything about what is going through his mind. Firepaw deeply inhaled, despite those details she could tell tension in Tigerclaw's facial features.

"Come," tigerclaw growled, breaking the silence suddenly. "Today we are going to show you the edges of our territory, so that you will know where to hunt, and what boundaries you need to protect. Graypaw, it wouldn't do you any harm to become more aware of these boundaries either."

Without another word, Tigerclaw leaped up and bounded out of the sandy hollow. Lionheart turned and nodded to Graypaw, and they followed at equal pace. Firepaw scrambled after them, her paws slipping on the soft sand.

The trees were thick in this part of the forest, birch and ash trees overshadowed by mighty oaks. Ground was carpeted with crisp dead leaves that rustled underneath their paws. Tigerclaw paused to spray his scent on a thick clump of ferns. The other cats stopped beside him.

"There is a twoleg path here," murmured Lionheart, "Use your nose Firepaw, can you smell anything?"

Firepaw sniffed. There was the faint scent of a Twoleg, and the stronger smell of a dog, familiar to her from her old home. "A Twoleg has walked his dog along here, but they are gone now," she mewed.

"Good," meowed Lionheart. "Do you think it's safe to cross?"

Firepaw sniffed again, her eyes flicking from side to side of the twoleg path. the odors were weak and overlaid with fresher forest scents. "Yes." She answered, eyes wandering up to the magnificent golden tabby tom. before flicking to the dark brown tabby beside her.

Tigerclaw nodded, and the four cats stalked out from beneath the ferns and crossed the sharp stones of the narrow twoleg path.

The trees beyond were pine. They grew tall and straight, row after row. It was easy to walk silently here. The ground was thick with layers of dead needles, which prickled against Firepaw's pads but felt spongy underneath. There was no undergrowth here to hide in, and Firepaw sensed tension in the other cats as they stalked unprotected between the tree trunks.

"Twolegs planted these trees here," meowed Tigerclaw. "They cut them down with foul smelling creatures, which spew out enough fumes to make a kit go blind. They then take the trees they uproot to the Treecut place, which lies not far from here."

Firepaw stopped and listened for the tree eater, which she had heard before.

"The Treecut place will be silent for a few moons now, until greenleaf," explained Graypaw, noticing her pause.

The cats padded onwards through the pines.

"Twolegplace lies in that direction," meowed Tigerclaw, flicking his thick tail from side to side. "No doubt you can smell it, Firepaw. Today, however, we will head in the opposite direction."

Eventually they reach another Twoleg path that marked the far edge of the pine forest. They quickly crossed over into the safe bushes of the oak woods beyond. But Firepaw still sensed tension in the other cats.

"We're approaching RiverClan territory," whispered Graypaw. "The Sunningrocks are over there." He pointed with his soft muzzle to a treeless mound of boulders.

Firepaw felt her fur stand up on end. This is where Redtail had been slain.

Lionheart stopped by a flat gray rock. "This is the boundary between ThunderClan and RiverClan territory. RiverClan rules the hunting grounds beside the great river," he meowed. "Breathe deeply, Firepaw."

The pungent smell of unfamiliar cats hit the roof of Firepaw's mouth. She was surprised how different it smelled from the warm cat scents of the ThunderClan camp. And she was also surprised to realize just how familiar and comforting the ThunderClan scents seemed to her already.

Not far from Lionheart was a rock fall that seemed to have been recently occurred. A sight bit of reddish brown flew in the slight wind and out into the distance.

Firepaw watched it fly away, until it was out of sight. But she was drawn back to the other warriors in an instant as tigerclaw lifted his muzzle.

"That is the smell of RiverClan," Tigerclaw growled beside him. "Remember it well. It will be strongest at the boundary, because their warriors will have scent-marked the trees along here." With these words, the dark tabby lifted his tail and sprayed his own mark on the flat rock.

"We'll follow this boundary line, as it leads straight to Fourtrees." Lionheart meowed.

He took off quickly, away from the SunningRocks, followed by Tigerclaw. Graypaw and Firepaw trotted after them.

"What is Fourtrees?" Firepaw panted.

"It is where the territories of all four Clans meet," replied Graypaw. "There are four great oaks there, as old as the Clans–"

"Be quiet!" ordered Tigerclaw. "Don't forget how close we are to enemy territory!"

The two apprentices fell silent and Firepaw focused on walking silently. They crossed a shallow stream, keeping their paws dry by leaping from boulder to boulder across the pebbly riverbed.

By the time they reached Fourtrees, Firepaw was feeling completely out of breath and her paws ached. She wasn't used to traveling so far and so fast. She was quite relieved when Lionheart and Tigerclaw led them out of the thick woods and stopped at the brow of a bush-covered slope.

It was sunhigh now. The clouds had cleared, and the wind had dropped. Below, in the dazzling sunlight, stood four enormous oaks, their dark green crowns reaching almost to the top of the steep slope.

"As Graypaw told you," meowed Lionheart to Firepaw, "this is Fourtrees, where the territories of all four Clans meet. WindClan governs the high ground ahead of us, where the sun sets. You won't be able to catch their scent today–the wind is blowing toward them. But you'll learn it soon enough."

"And ShadowClan holds power over there, in the darkest part of the forest," added Graypaw, flicking his head sideways. "The elders say that the cold winds from the north blow over the ShadowClan cats and chill their hearts."

"So many clans." Firepaw exclaimed, her eyes darting between the separated territories. 'And so well organize!' she thought as she remembered the stories smudge told her about the forest cats.

"You see now why prey is so precious?" meowed Lionheart. "Why we must fight for what little we have?"

"But that seems foolish!" exclaimed Firepaw, her eyes wandering up to the golden tabby's green eyes. "Why can't the clans work together and share their hunting grounds, instead of fighting over them?"

Silence greeted her words, she instantly looked down at her paws.

"That is treacherous thinking, Kittypet." growled Tigerclaw.

"Don't be too fierce, Tigerclaw," warned Lionheart. "The ways of the Clans are new to this apprentice." He looked at Firepaw. "You speak from your heart, young Firepaw. This will make you a stronger warrior one day."

Tigerclaw growled. "Or it might make her give in to kittypet weakness right at the moment of attack."

Firepaw fluffed out her chest, giving a daring glare at Tigerclaw, but Lionheart was next to reply. "The four Clans do come together peacefully, in a Gathering each moon. Here"–he bent his head toward the four mighty oaks below–"is where they meet. The truce lasts for as long as the moon is at its fullest."

"Then there must be a meeting very soon?" Firepaw suggested, remembering how bright the moonlight had been the night before.

"Indeed there is!" answered Lionheart, sounding impressed. "Tonight, in fact. The Gatherings are very important because they allow the Clans to come together in peace for one night. But you must understand that longer alliances bring more trouble than they're worth."

"After all, it is our loyalty that keeps us strong," Tigerclaw meowed in agreement. "If you weaken that loyalty, you weaken our chances of survival." He spoke those last words as if he was making a note of it.

Firepaw nodded, her eyes studying the tom's expression. "I understand."

"Come on," meowed Lionheart. "Let's keep moving."

They paced along the ridge of the valley where Fourtrees stood. Now they were heading away from the sun as it began to sink in the afternoon sky. They crossed the stream at a place where it was narrow enough to leap over in one jump.

Firepaw sniffed the air. A new cat-scent touched her mouth glands, strong and sour. "Which Clan is that?" she asked.

"ShadowClan," answered Tigerclaw grimly. "We are traveling along their border. Keep your wits about you, Firepaw. Fresher scents mean that a ShadowClan patrol is in the area."

As Firepaw nodded, she heard another noise. Her eyes went straight towards the direction they were heading in. She stiffened but the other cats kept up their pace, heading straight for the ominous rumbling.

"What is that?" she called, trotting forward to catch up with them.

"You'll in a moment." Lionheart answered

They reached a dark path that ran through the forest, it's stench was immediately picked up by Firepaw's scent glands, she reeled her head back, the roaring from before was louder here. "What…"

"This is the thunderpath, it runs in between our territory and ShadowClan's." Tigerclaw explained, his eyes staring down at her.

The gray path lured Firepaw a little closer, she remember seeing this kind of thing outside of her old twoleg nest. but there was one thing missing, where were the…

A large beast roared by, Firepaw scrambled back; her fur bushing in fear.

"Scared me too the first time," remarked Graypaw. "But at least it helps to keep ShadowClan warriors from crossing into our territory. The Thunderpath runs for many pawsteps along our boundary line. And don't worry; those monsters never seem to leave the Thunderpath. You'll be fine as long as you don't go too near."

"It's time we returned to camp," meowed Lionheart. "You have seen all our boundaries now. But we'll avoid Snakerocks, even though the way around is longer. An untrained apprentice would be easy prey for an adder, and I expect you are getting tired, Firepaw."

Firepaw let out a sigh of relief as the others turned around, and pressed back through the forest. She turned after them, but she took one look behind her at the opposite side of the thunderpath. Nothing, it seemed almost dead. Her head was still spinning with all the new smells and sights, and Lionheart was right: she was tired, and hungry. She fell in behind Graypaw as the cats continued to press deeper into the forest.

The dewy scents of evening filled the air as Firepaw made her way through the gorse entrance and into the camp. Fresh-kill was waiting for them. Firepaw and Graypaw took their share from the pile that lay in a shady part of the clearing and carried it to the tree stump outside their quarters.

Dustpaw and Sandpaw were already there, Firepaw shielded her face from the two of them as she lay down to begin eating.

"Hey there, kittypet," meowed Dustpaw, narrowing his eyes scornfully at her. "Enjoying the food we caught for you?"

"Who knows, you might learn how to catch your own prey one day." Sneered Sandpaw.

"Are you two still on hunting duty?" asked Graypaw innocently. "Never mind. We've been patrolling our territory borders. You'll be glad to know all is safe."

"I'm sure the other Clans were terrified when they smelled you two coming!" yowled Dustpaw.

"They didn't even dare show their faces," retorted Graypaw, unable to hide his anger.

"Well, we'll ask them tonight when we see them at the Clan Gathering," mewed Sandpaw.

"Are you going?" Firepaw blurted out, impressed in spite of the apprentices' hostility.

"Of course," replied Dustpaw loftily. "It's a great honor, you know. But don't worry; we'll tell you all about it in the morning."

Graypaw ignored Dustpaw's gloating and started eating his fresh-kill. Firepaw was hungry too, and crouched down to eat. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy that Dustpaw and Sandpaw were actually going to meet the other Clans tonight.

A loud call from Bluestar made Firepaw look up. She watched several of the Clan warriors and elders gather in the clearing. It was time for the Clan party to leave for the Gathering. Dustpaw and Sandpaw leaped to their feet and trotted off to join the other cats.

"'Bye, you two," called Sandpaw over her shoulder. "Have a nice, quiet evening!"

The assembled cats stalked out of the camp entrance in single file, with Bluestar at the head. Her fur glowed like silver in the moonlight, and she looked calm and confident as she led her Clan to the brief truce between old enemies.

"Have you ever been to a Gathering?" Firepaw asked Graypaw wistfully.

"Not yet," replied Graypaw, crunching loudly on a mouse bone. "But it won't be long now; just you wait. All the apprentices get to go sometime."

The two apprentices ate the rest of their meal in silence. When they had finished, Graypaw wandered over to Firepaw and began to groom her head. Together they washed, sharing tongues as Firepaw had seen the other cats do when he first arrived. Then, tired after the long trek, they pushed their way into their den. They settled down in their nests and quickly fell asleep


The next morning Firepaw and Graypaw arrived early at the sandy hollow. They had crept out before Sandpaw and Dustpaw woke. Firepaw had been eager to hear about the Gathering, but Graypaw had dragged her away. "You'll hear all about it later, if I know those two," he had mewed.

It promised to be another warm sunny day. And this time Ravenpaw came to join them, his black silhouette of an appearance stood arrived with them. Thanks to Spottedleaf, his wound was healing well.

Graypaw played around, scooping leaves into the air and leaping after them. Firepaw watched, her tail twitching with amusement. Ravenpaw sat quietly at one side of the hollow, looking tense and unhappy.

"Cheer up Ravenpaw," Graypaw mewed, "I know you don't like training, but you're normally not this miserable."

The scents of Lionheart and Tigerclaw warned the apprentices of their approach, and Ravenpaw mewed hastily, "I suppose I'm just worried about my shoulder getting hurt again."

At that moment, Tigerclaw burst through followed by Lionheart. "A warrior needs to learn to deal with the pain he is feeling in silence," he growled, "You need to learn to hold your tongue."

Ravenpaw flinched and dropped his eyes to the ground.

Firepaw wanted to step up to his defense, but she remained silent as she stared at the two.

"Tigerclaw's a little grumpy today." Murmured Graypaw in Firepaw's ear.

Lionheart glanced at his apprentice sternly and announced, "Today we are going to practice stalking. Now, there is a big difference between creeping up on a rabbit and creeping up on a mouse. Can any of you tell me why?"

Firepaw had no idea, and Ravenpaw seemed to have taken Tigerclaw's comment to heart and was holding his tongue.

"Come on," snorted Tigerclaw impatiently.

Graypaw heaved a deep breath. "Because a rabbit will hear you before it sees you, but a mouse will feel your pawsteps through the ground before it smells you."

"Exactly, Graypaw! So what must you bear in mind when hunting mice?"

"Step lightly?" Firepaw suggested.

Lionheart looked approvingly at him. "Quite right, Firepaw. You must take all your weight into your haunches, so that your paws make no impact on the forest floor. Let's try it!"

Firepaw watched as Graypaw and Ravenpaw immediately dropped into a stalking crouch.

"Nicely done, Graypaw!" meowed Lionheart as the two apprentices began to move forward stealthily.

"Keep your rear down, Ravenpaw, you look like a duck!" spat Tigerclaw. "Now you try it, Firepaw."

Firepaw crouched down and began to creep across the forest floor. She felt himself fall instinctively into the right position, and as she stepped forward, as silently and lightly as she could, she felt a glow of pride that her muscles responded so smoothly.

"Well, it's obvious you've known nothing but softness!" growled Tigerclaw. "You stalk like a lumbering kittypet! Do you think dinner is going to come and lie down in your food dish and wait to be eaten?"

Firepaw sat up quickly as Tigerclaw spoke, a little taken aback by his harsh words. She listened carefully to the warrior, determined to get everything right.

"Her pace and forward movement will come later, but her crouch is perfectly balanced," Lionheart pointed out mildly.

"Which is better than Ravenpaw, I suppose," complained Tigerclaw. He cast a scornful look at the black cat. "Even after two moons of training, you're still putting all your weight on your left side."

Ravenpaw looked even more dejected, and Firepaw couldn't stop herself from blurting out, "His injury is bothering him, that's all!"

Tigerclaw whipped his head around and glared at Firepaw. "Injuries are a fact of life. He should be able to adapt. Even you, Firepaw, have learned something this morning. If Ravenpaw picked up things as quickly as you, he'd be a credit to me instead of an embarrassment. Imagine being shown up by a kittypet!" he spat angrily at his apprentice.

Firepaw felt his fur prickle with discomfort. She couldn't meet Ravenpaw's eyes, so she looked down at her paws.

"Well, I'm more lopsided than a one-legged badger," mewed Graypaw, breaking off from his careful stalking to stagger comically across the clearing. "I think I'll have to settle for hunting stupid mice. They won't stand a chance. I shall just wander up to them and sit on them till they surrender."

"Concentrate, young Graypaw. This is no time for your jokes!" meowed Lionheart sternly. "Perhaps you might focus your mind better if you try out your stalking for real."

All three apprentices looked up brightly.

"I want each one of you to try catching real prey," meowed Lionheart. "Ravenpaw, you look beside the Owltree. Graypaw, there might be something in that big bramble patch over there. And you, Firepaw, follow the rabbit track over that rise; you'll find the dry bed of a winter stream. You may find something there."

The three apprentices bounded away, even Ravenpaw finding some extra energy for this challenge.

With the blood pounding in her ears, Firepaw crept slowly up over the rise. Sure enough, a streambed cut through the trees ahead of him. In leaf-fall, she guessed it would carry the rainwater away from the forest and into the great river that cut through RiverClan territory. Now it was dry.

Firepaw crept quietly down the bank and crouched on its sandy floor. Every sense felt on fire with tension. Silently she scanned the empty stream for signs of life. She watched for any tiny movement, his mouth open so he could pick up the smallest scent, his ears twisted forward.

Then she smelled mouse. She recognized the odor instantly, remembering her first taste the night before. Wild energy surged through him, but she remained motionless, trying desperately to pinpoint the prey.

She strained his ears forward until he picked up the rapid pulsing of a tiny mouse heart. Then a flash of brown caught her eye. The creature was scrambling through the long grass that draped the edges of the stream. Firepaw shifted closer, remembering to keep her weight on her haunches until she was within striking distance. Then she pushed back hard on her hindpaws and sprang, kicking up sand as she rose.

The mouse raced away. But Firepaw was quicker. She scooped it into the air with one paw, threw it onto the sandy streambed, and lunged on top of it. She killed it quickly with one sharp bite.

Firepaw carefully lifted the warm body between her teeth and returned with his tail held high to the hollow where Tigerclaw and Lionheart waited. She had made his first kill. She was a true ThunderClan apprentice now.