HAMMERING against her chest, Sedgepaw could feel her heart about to burst in its rib cage. Her white paws kneaded into the cool sand. Her pulse coursed through her veins like the rushing stream beside her. Droplets of water splashed from the babbling brook to kiss her toes, prompting her claws to unsheathe. Before her stood a small, dusky black cat, and his tail was lashing aggressively. Sedgepaw could feel her spine stiffen at the sight of his burning orange eyes, which bore into her own golden ones menacingly. They were deadlocked between their flaming glares, and the impasse did not break until the screech of a distant kestrel inspired Sedgepaw's strike. The broad muscles in her shoulders tightened when the tomcat dove to her left, as if sensing her intention to land the first hit, and he faked her out with a swipe at her ear. He was fast, a dancing shadow armed with teeth and claws. Sedgepaw's ear was ringing, but she doubled back and curled her lip at him.

"Cheap shot," she hissed. Her back was to the river, she could hear it running behind her, trapping her.

The tomcat chuckled, his graying, scarred muzzle twisting into a mocking grin. "But you're so big and tough, you should be able to handle little ol' me," he taunted.

Sedgepaw glared and darted towards him with a frustrated yowl. She intended to pin him down and let her fangs do the talking. A bite to the throat would fix his sneer. Her paws hit sand instead of her target, for he vanished in a twist of black fur and a wake of disturbed dust. Her attacker twisted downward and snaked towards her underbelly, where his hind legs batted her tender stomach relentlessly. Sedgepaw gasped out startled breaths, her chest heaving in fear when she realized her mistake. Rolling away, she got back to her paws after putting distance between them again. Her brow furrowed, and she tensed in preparation to spring.

"Enough," he grumbled, getting to his paws. The tomcat gazed across the sandy shore with a stern frown on his broad face. "I can only handle so much disappointment in one session."

Sedgepaw ducked her head, sitting with defeat coloring her features. "I was closer this time, Batface," she argued grudgingly.

"Could have fooled me." He rasped his tongue methodically against his paw before rubbing it against his flat muzzle with a grunt. "You're still a thoughtless, impulsive opponent."

"Ouch," Sedgepaw grumbled, resting on her haunches with a roll of her eyes. "You really know how to flatter a she-cat, Batface."

Batface spat, stamping his paw onto the sand. "Enough with the sass… You will never become a warrior if you charge at your opponent like a startled boar." His gravelly voice was tinged with distaste.

Sedgepaw rolled onto her back and groaned. "I'm sorry, okay? But it's just so annoying! Whenever I come at you, you're gone. How can I get stronger if I can't even land a hit?"

Her mentor approached her, his shadow casting over her pouting face. "Strength is not what you're lacking, Sedgepaw," Batface assured her. "You can hit hard."

Sedgepaw's golden eyes screwed up to gaze at him hopefully. A smile slowly crept on her face. "Is that an actual compliment, Batface?"

He frowned and swatted her nose with an annoyed hiss, "It's too bad you're a mouse-brain that can't think on her toes."

Sedgepaw's eyes watered and she sneezed after receiving his scornful gesture. She sat up as he stalked passed her, heading towards the rows of skinny pine tree saplings that framed the riverbank on the crest of the slope. She flinched at his sharp glance, but when he turned tail she stuck her tongue out at him. Once he had disappeared beneath the low-hanging branches, she wallowed in self-disappointment.

"Wow, you really rubbed his fur the wrong way this time," Yewpaw observed.

Sedgepaw swung her head around to see her sister and her mentor, Palemist, standing side-by-side. With a grimace, she turned her head away and pretended they were not there to witness her pouting display. Palemist slipped by, walking on her dainty silver paws wordlessly; she melted into the shadows of the pine trees, and Sedgepaw could hear her soft murmurs of consolation for Batface. Sedgepaw took a swipe at the sand, imagining it to be her mentor's disapproving face.

Yewpaw's pink nose poked at Sedgepaw's shoulder. "Do you always give Batface such a hard time?"

"Ugh, not you too?" Sedgepaw snapped. "So what if I want to do things my way? My way's better! If he wasn't such a flaky fighter, tch, dancing around on his toes like a heron… I'd probably win."

Yewpaw laughed and shook her head. "Probably." She stared at Sedgepaw with concern glazing over her green eyes. Shrugging sheepishly, she continued, "But if you want to become a warrior with me and Mudpaw, you-you're going to have to start listening to him."

"Yeah, yeah," Sedgepaw grumbled. She knew Yewpaw was trying to encourage her, but she could only feel a twinge of gratefulness in her aggravated state of mind. Fixing her sister with a glare that slowly softened into a gaze of gratitude, she leaned against her with a huff. "We'll get there... together."

Yewpaw beamed and traced her tawny tail along Sedgepaw's back. "Always!"

"Hey, you two!" Batface's yowl echoed from the thick of the pine trees. "Hurry along, or I'll drag you both back to camp like naughty kits!"

Sedgepaw rolled her eyes, getting to her paws and dashing for the slope. The pine trees shed their needles onto the ravine, and they scattered to the sandy bank below as Sedgepaw and her sister scrambled up. The sinking sun burned amber, and its dimming glow soaked through the petite pine trunks to light the forest floor with golden stripes. Sedgepaw ran through the rows of shadows and light, which took turns dimming and flashing before her eyes as her paws carried her through the trees. She could feel Yewpaw at her heels. She laughed and unsheathed her claws, playfully digging up pine needles in her sprint, which rose up into Yewpaw's face, pricking her nose.

"Hey, watch it, you!" Yewpaw hissed, nipping at Sedgepaw's thick, dark brown tail.

Sedgepaw laughed louder, breaking through the dense pine forest and into a sea of bright green palmettos. Their fanned out palms whistled in the wind, and Sedgepaw could see the tails of their mentors standing tall among them. The floor of pine needles thinned to dust, and Sedgepaw jumped into the mass of palmettos with a crash. Yewpaw followed soon after, landing beside Sedgepaw with a soft pant. Then, a third crash sounded. Sedgepaw stiffened.

"What in the-" Sedgepaw's bewildered question was interrupted when a mass of mottled brown fur collided into her. With her breath knocked out of her, her golden eyes bulged as a heavy tomcat knocked her onto her back. His head blocked out the setting sun, which outlined his massive head and broad, tufted ears.

"Mudpaw!" Yewpaw hollered.

Sedgepaw hissed as her brother tried to pin her down. She could hear the deep rumble of laughter in his chest when she was seized by a sneezing fit, for their collision disturbed the dust enough to assault her nose. "Fresh-kill!" he yowled.

Sedgepaw glared up at him, not keen on the idea of being defeated twice in one day. Flexing the thick muscles in her hind legs, she pushed up against his chest, sending him bowling backwards into the palmetto fronds. "And so the hunter becomes the hunted," she hissed, diving after him with an excited laugh. Revenge was sweet.

"Oh, no!" Mudpaw squeaked. "The big, bad Sedgepaw's gonna get me!"

"Damn right I am!" Sedgepaw growled, her eyes noticing his white-tipped tail above the green palm fans. She sprang just beside it, knowing her pesky brother would be there. "Gotcha!" She hissed, feeling him squirm beneath her white paws.

"Hey, I give! I give!" he screeched frustratedly. Sedgepaw raised her chin haughtily, crushing him into the dust. "Gah! Dammit, Sedgepaw! I can't breathe!"

"Serves you right, you foxheart!" Sedgepaw taunted. Her feathery tail curling with amusement.

Yewpaw's voice of concern sounded from behind her. "Come on, Sedgepaw, I think he's learned his lesson." The fret in her voice was clear, and Sedgepaw knew she was antsy for their truce.

Sedgepaw backed off, giving a snicker. Mudpaw rose from the palmettos with a loud, exaggerated inhale, giving a few coughs before mock-fainting. Sedgepaw laughed again, but Yewpaw was unamused, glaring between her two siblings with the irritation of an exasperated mother.

"Oh, I am on my way to StarClan now!" Mudpaw wailed. "Big, fat Sedgepaw crushed me like an ant!"

Sedgepaw curled her lip at the remark and swatted down at him, making him squeak in surprise. "Shut your face, Mudpaw, or I'll really send you off to StarClan."

"You guys are so annoying," Yewpaw grumbled, stalking away from them with her tail dragging. "Can we hurry along, now? I'm hungry."

Sedgepaw followed after her sister, kicking dust on Mudpaw as she left. He gave a cough and trailed after them, but not without giving his sister's tail a swat. They continued to bump shoulders on the way back to camp. Yewpaw led the way with her ears twitching in annoyance. Sedgepaw brushed against her, offering her an apologetic smirk, and Yewpaw responded to it with a snort and a shake of her head. Feeling Yewpaw brush back up against her made Sedgepaw aware of her forgiveness. Meanwhile, Mudpaw was still keen on taunting his siblings, nipping at their tails in rotation.

Sedgepaw gazed up at the sky, watching it melt from a blood-orange hue to smoky blue. The strips of silver clouds became nearly transparent as the sun settled against the horizon, allowing the moon to materialize amongst the first few stars. Tranquility soothed Sedgepaw's young, vibrant heart, and she glanced between her two siblings with contentment on her face. They were apprentices for three moons now, and before long they would be warriors of MarshClan. Before long, they would not have the time to take leisurely strolls.

The ground beneath her paws dampened and the palmettos no longer grew from the earth. Instead, the ripe scent of bog hit her nose, and the city of maidencane and reeds developed, towering above the three apprentices. Any other cat would be intimidated by the tender, watery marsh between their toes and the sight of foliage creating a wall before them, but Sedgepaw and her siblings were unperturbed. This was home.

"Finally!" Yewpaw mewed. "We're back."

Instead of diving into the shady depths of the reeds, Yewpaw splattered into the boggy water. Her sister rolled in the mud, letting the murky brown gunk slick across her fur. Her pelt had layers of reddish-brown which paled into tawny at the ends of her body, but once she dove into the mud, she was just one layer of brown. As for Mudpaw, his mottled brown fur became a shade darker with his new pelt of mud. Droplets of it oozed from the tips of his ears, and he gave his body a shake, showering Sedgepaw in beads of rank-smelling sludge. Despite the odor, Sedgepaw flopped into the swamp with her siblings. The various blotches of brown on her pelt only darkened when she soaked herself. The mud helped to slick their fur, granting the apprentices to slip through the serrated stalks of sawgrass and cane without injury.

Sedgepaw went first. Her muddied paws carried her swiftly through the grasses, which hissed and hustled quietly against her, carrying the whispers of her Clanmates. Their familiar scent embraced her with warmth and beckoned her deeper, deeper into the darkness of the forest of reeds. Then, a light, a pale light penetrated through the swaying stalks, and Sedgepaw and her siblings entered a clearing. It was a grassy clearing that sat before a broad lake which captured every single star on its dark, watery surface. The moon bleached the clearing of its color, hiding behind a collection of cypress trees with curtains of tangled moss dangling from their droopy branches. The faces of numerous cats turned towards her, their eyes glowing in a fashion parallel to the alabaster sphere above.

"You're late," Fernstream's hushed voice greeted them.

Though Sedgepaw caught her mother's sweet, familiar scent before she appeared, her sudden materialization from her periphery had startled her. There was a glimmer of worry in her green eyes, and her visage was not smooth and welcoming. The tabby stripes that contoured her narrow face conveyed graveness. Sedgepaw felt her heart sink into her stomach.

"Late for what?" Mudpaw piped up, gleefully unaware of their mother's solemnity.

Yewpaw pressed against Sedgepaw, and she knew her sister felt the same amount of concern for their mother when she hesitated to respond to Mudpaw. "Fernstream?" Sedgepaw prompted anxiously.

Fernstream's green eyes flashed when she glanced down at her kits. Her long, feathery tail swept towards the clearing. MarshClan was gathering there. "There is a trial," she explained poignantly. "Whitestar summoned the Clan before the Fallen Cypress; it's starting now."

Sedgepaw exchanged glances with her siblings, they all had eyes as wide as the moon. This would be the first trial she witnessed, and instead of feeling excited, she felt… scared. Yewpaw and Mudpaw left her to trail after Fernstream as she led the way towards the Fallen Cypress. The swell of its gray roots were coated with spongy green moss, upchurned by the Great Storm moons ago. The length of the trunk was severed by lightning, leaving the lower half to withstand the test of time while its branches and leaves were no longer, having withered long ago. It now rested hollowed and lopsided, a far cry from the towering glory it used to be. Sedgepaw's leader, Whitestar, stood on the trunk.

Her severe, sharp voice rang out for the entire camp to here. "MarshClan, gather!" she commanded. Under the moonlight, her amber eyes burned like embers. "With urgency, I must address the latest crime brought to my attention."

There was an excited murmur that erupted among the cats. They exchanged whispers with bobbing heads and swaying tails, eager to share what they already knew of the trial with each other. Sedgepaw perked her ears to decipher what was being said, but it was nothing but a mess of slurs and garbled phrases to her. It seemed her heart was hammering again; this time, it rung loudly in her ears drowning out what was being said around her.

Whitestar's voice rung out in a fierce hiss, "Silence!" The muscles in her shoulders rippled when she stomped her paw onto the crest of the cypress. "The trial begins now. Bring the accused forward."

Sedgepaw reared back on her hind legs, wanting to see who was being brought before their leader. She caught a glimpse of a skinny brown tabby, he was being dragged by his hind legs, for Grayjaw had his claws lodged there. The big gray and white tomcat drug Vinestripe across the ground as if he was a limp piece of prey. The flash of terror in the accused's green eyes was apparent.

Vinestripe? Sedgepaw held her breath, seeing her Clanmate writhe and hiss in the grip of Grayjaw pathetically.

"Watch it, Sedgepaw," an aggravated voice snapped behind her. It was Zinniablossom. The cranky tortoiseshell screwed her eyes up to glare at the apprentice with annoyance. "Sit on your tail and show some respect."

Sedgepaw grumbled and landed on her forepaws. Again, she was blind to the ordeal, for the sea of pelts impeded her vision. Furrowing her brows, she pushed forward to the front, ignoring the hisses aimed at her bustling. By the time she reached the point where she could see, Vinestripe was sitting upright with his head bowed. His bloody haunches stuck out awkwardly to the side, and Sedgepaw could see the gleam of raw terror in his eyes. The moonlight bore onto his lone figure; the silhouettes of the cats gathered around him were nothing but rows of glowing, accusatory eyes. Something in Sedgepaw's chest twisted grossly, and she suddenly wished to be in the back of the Clan again, ignorant to the sight before her.

Whitestar piped up again, "Before us is Vinestripe, a warrior of MarshClan. Formerly honored for his obedience and utility to our Clan, that honor stands to be relinquished because of his actions." She bowed her head gravely. Sedgepaw could see thoughts running through her leader's eyes, and she did not speak for awhile. The only sound was the chorus of screaming frogs and the whistle of crickets. Then, she continued, "A warrior's duty is to their Clan."

Sedgepaw knew Whitestar was about to recite MarshClan's warrior code, and she tensed up at the thought of breaking it herself. Even in the shadows of the night, Sedgepaw could see Whitestar's beliefs burn as bright as the stars above. Each utterance was delivered with certainty by her leader. Sedgepaw could see Vinestripe tremble between each syllable and she felt herself do the same.

"A warrior must serve their Clan to the greatest of their ability. Every aspect of their life must hold the well-being of the Clan and its future dear. When a warrior goes astray, they are to face trial." Whitestar narrowed her eyes at Vinestripe. "Vinestripe," she called to him harshly, and he rose his head to her. "Do you know why you are on trial?"

The tomcat flinched, his eyes dancing around at his Clanmates nervously. He shook his head and spoke timorously, "I do not." Vinestripe cleared his throat and raised his chin again. "I-I serve in the best interest of my Clan. I always will."

There was a rush of murmurs that swept through the gathered cats. Some sounded hopeful, others were plagued with doubt. Sedgepaw was silent, staring at Vinestripe and his shivering frame intently. Vinestripe… You're lying. She could tell, for every word he spoke was uncertain and frightened. A truthful warrior spoke clearly and proudly.

Vinestripe was transparent to Whitestar. She frowned at him, her visage becoming severe. "You had your chance to speak the truth."

Vinestripe struggled to intervene before she continued. "But, Whitestar! You know I am loyal! I wouldn't do anything to-"

"Silence!" She snapped, her amber eyes burning down on him. "Vinestripe you are a liar and a disgrace to our Clan."

"No!"

Whitestar raised her tail for silence. Vinestripe obeyed. Not even the distant frogs or crickets sang their nighttime song anymore. Sedgepaw felt suffocated by the silence, and she could feel her fur begin to prickle. She had only heard tale of what was to come, but unlike her Clanmates, she did not bear an eager gleam in her golden eyes. Instead, she braced herself on Vinestripe's behalf.

"MarshClan does not tolerate dishonesty, Vinestripe. You are expected to take charge of your post while on guard and act as an extension of myself. And yet... You were seen swapping secrets with the Fallen."

Sedgepaw felt her throat tighten when Vinestripe wailed, "You have no proof of that!"

Whitestar shook her head, looking disappointed in his reaction. With a flick of her long tail, she summoned, "Witnesses, proceed. Let us unmask the squalor."