It had been two moons.

Two moons had passed since Maplekit passed.

Passed. Breezepaw scoffed to herself as she moved the mouse back and forth between her paws. That's what every cat had said. Passed. Maplekit had died. That's what had happened. She hadn't gone peacefully to StarClan. She had suffered sickness for over a moon. She had suffered alone.

Breezepaw flattened her ears at that last thought and forced her eyes from wandering to the medicine den, from Blackpaw who padded out looking like relief had been finally granted to her as the last sick warrior, Lightningheart (her mother's brother, she learned when Gingerleaf had slept outside the medicine den for two days) had left the medicine den.

Two moons. Without her sister.

Gorsepaw entered her field of vision and sat on the edges of it, at her side, but quiet.

"I'm surprised you're awake," she said with a tilt of her head. "Icetalon has been pushing you hard during those night patrols and night training." Gorsepaw scoffed. He rubbed a paw over his face and yawned.

"We got back before moon high last night," Gorsepaw explained. "So, we're going on the patrol around sun high." He leaned against her as he closed his eyes. "I'm so tired."

"Believe me, I understand," she grumbled. And she did. Wolfleap, two days after they had buried Maplekit under the tree near the BayClan border (the one with the towering branches that reached up to StarClan. The Tree of Passings, the Clan had called it, it was as if StarClan reached down to bring the cats who passed up to them safely) had immediately started training her one on one. Battle training sessions became harder. She hardly had paused for a breath when he would immediately launch an attack at her again. Her mind had not focused on her deceased sister once. She was too busy training to even think once about how painful it was. Wolfleap had not let her.

After battle training, it was time for her midday meal, which she got to eat now, since the gathering happened a day after Maplekit's death, and then after that, she would hunt and hunt. She would stalk things all across the territory without making the kill because Wolfleap wanted to test her skills, she if she could successfully stalk without making herself known.

She was exhausted. She had followed a bird across ForestClan territory for almost an entire day. Eventually, it had crossed into FirClan territory, and she couldn't follow it.

Wolfleap had not let her stop moving until her paws hit the entrance of camp and only then was she allowed to rest.

"Wolfleap want let me think when I'm outside of camp. I might be even better than Dewpaw and Emberpaw now," Breezepaw sighed as she watched the two older apprentices walked back through the entrance after their night patrol.

"You think they will be warriors soon?" Gorsepaw asked. The two older apprentices, basically grown cats, sat next to their mentors. She flattened her ears as she watched Stonefoot and Hailfang nod to each of them.

"I think so," she responded and laid her head against his, "all they need is a battle that we win, and they should be warriors that night." They sat in silence, brother and sister, both exhausted by their training and the heaviness in their hearts.

"I wish that we had a battle we could be a part of," Gorsepaw whispered, as if ashamed, "Maplekit was so quick on her feet. I'm sure she would've made a great warrior." Breezepaw closed her eyes as a fresh wave of grief hit her.

"She would've made a great everything," Breezepaw returned just as quietly. Every day she felt a hollowness when she laid in her nest. There was someone missing. The world was emptier. Her sister was gone.

They did not speak. They supported each other by their presence alone. She missed her sister fiercely. She missed her mother, who did not spend a single second in camp if she could help it. Flamestorm spent all of her time away from her remaining kits and her mate.

She had heard her mother accuse her father of ignoring Maplekit, the hissed words, "she died thinking her father hated her, you fox-heart." It happened after the burial when Stonefoot had tried to speak to her outside the entrance when everyone had gone back in. The two warriors had not spoken since and Stonefoot hadn't spoken to her or her brothers.

Speaking of Yellowpaw, she rarely saw her pale orange brother. Silverfur did not keep him on a rigorous schedule like Wolfleap and Icetalon had done for them. Instead, she went on a rotation of training Hawkpaw and Yellowpaw both.

"Breezepaw!" Her eyes fluttered open, and she focused on her mentor. And the handsome black and white tom at his side. And Hawkpaw. Her eyes narrowed. Gorsepaw moved away from her as she got to her paws. A whispered 'good luck' under his breath as he slipped past her, grabbing her mouse.

"Yes, Wolfleap," she called obediently as she padded over. She scanned Hawkpaw once, giving him a look of disdain. "What is Hawkpaw doing here?" She watched as Hawkpaw bit back a retort. He had ignored her more, treated her better. Because her sister died.

"We are going to test your skills against his, to see if the last two moons of intensive training actually did anything for you," he returned just as coolly. She wanted to spit at him. His unkindness. His harshness. His brutality. He was not kind to her. He treated her like she could move and move and move. She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to Hawkpaw's. A challenge.

"Whatever you say," she nodded.

They arrived at the training hollow and immediately, Hawkpaw was on her. She stumbled into the sand and landed on her side. He swiped at her a few times before leaping off and bounding a few strides away. She snarled in fury as she scrambled to her paws, lashing her tail in fury.

"That's not fair—"

"Will enemy warriors ever just let you know they are coming?" Wolfleap snapped as he stalked towards her. Badgerblaze was no help as he moved to the rim of the hollow to sit and watch in silence, quietly amused. She glared at him over Wolfleap's shoulder. "Eyes here, not on the handsome warrior, Breezepaw!" Wolfleap retorted. She heated as she looked back at him.

"They won't do that—"

"No," he agreed, "they won't. So pay attention," he gestured with his head in Hawkpaw's direction, "and put his face in the dirt." This last part was whispered under his breath as he padded past her to join Badgerblaze. She turned eyes on Hawkpaw.

"That was a dirty trick," she retorted at him. He barked out a laugh as she paced in front of her.

"I was taught to fight dirty. FirClan certainly won't play fair." He taunted. She wanted to shut him up. So, she did.

She launched herself across the small space to him in a single bound, taking him by surprise as she bowled him over and sent them sprawling in the sand. He bit back a yelp. She slashed her paws twice down his shoulders, right down across the spot where the shoulder met the back of his neck. A spot underneath the scruff that was just sensitive enough that if claws hit it, it would make them think twice. She then spun and used his side as a spring board to launch herself away from him. He was now the one to scramble to his paws. She spun nimbly on her paws to turn and launch herself back at him before he could regain his focus. She rose on her back paws and pawed at his face. A furious flurry of invisible claws and anger. Hawkpaw let out an irritated yowl and rose up on his back paws and pushed her backwards. She yelped as her body hit the sand and rolled as his back paws landed in the sand where she had been laying.

She needed to regain her focus. She bounded a few leaps away and turned to face her opponent. Hawkpaw was panting with fury.

"What?" She taunted and raised her head. "Can't stand that a little apprentice like me can fight back? You aren't StarClan's gift to CloudClan, Hawkpaw," she snarled.

"I do not think that—" She yowled as she charged forward, and days and days of anger and pain and grief roared inside her. She put every ounce of practice into her moves. She faked swiping high and got his muzzle when he ducked low. She faked going left and got his legs as he went right. Over and over and over, she swiped at him. She panted and yowled and she couldn't breathe.

She couldn't breathe. StarClan, Maplekit was gone. She was gone.

Then suddenly, pain ripped across her face, and she cried out in alarm, her vision returning. Hawkpaw retreated a few steps, blinking repeatedly.

"Hawkpaw!" Badgerblaze yelled, his deep voice booming across the hollow. "Watch your claws!"

"I… I didn't mean to—she just… she wouldn't stop! She just kept coming at me—" Hawkpaw stuttered glancing between her and his mentor. She snarled at him and then launched herself at him. He tumbled to the sand, and she pushed his muzzle into the dirt as she stood over him, hackles raised.

"I… I am better," she panted softly. "Please… imagine if it had been Blackpaw," she whispered to her, "imagine if she had been away from you for a moon. Imagine if she had died, I'm…" she moved away from him and turned her back as she walked over to Wolfleap. Both warriors were staring at them.

"Can I please just sleep, Wolfleap…" she sighed. She looked for sympathy in her mentor's amber eyes. She searched. Her mentor was unforgiving, cold, pushed her to be better, work well under pressure and thrive under stress. This tom wanted her to be the best. But all she wanted was to sleep. The blood from her wound on her muzzle dripped onto the sand. It would scar. Her first.

"Breezepaw—"

"Badgerblaze, Wolfleap!" Yellowpaw's frightened cry. They all spun around as her brother burst through the bushes. Blood coated his pelt, scratches. He looked much like Antclaw had in her vision. She blinked a few times to see if it would go away.

It didn't. This was real.

"FirClan is attacking our border!"