Bluepaw walked next to Stormpaw as they made their way back to WaveClan's camp. Following behind the gathering patrol. Many of the warriors seemed on edge after the exchange with the WolfClan patrol. Waiting for Stormpaw to head across the slippery rocks of the waterfall, before she carefully made her way behind him.

Entering the camp, she looked around, watching most of the warriors head into their den to fall asleep.

"Are you hungry? Did you want to share a trout or something before we head to our nests?" Stormpaw asked, glancing at her.

Bluepaw considered the idea for a moment before slowly shaking her head "thanks for the offer, but I was planning on bringing something to Birchpaw. See how he is feeling."

Stormpaw looked rather disappointed but slowly nodded his head "well, if anything is going to make him feel better, it will be sharing some prey with you."

Bluepaw smiled softly. "I hope so." She meowed before heading off to grab some prey from the pile. Selecting a perch, Birchpaw's favourite, before heading off towards the medicine cat den.

Her gaze turned to the nest Birchpaw was currently occupying. Padding over to him, she smiled warmly when he raised his head.

"Hey, how was the gathering?" Birchpaw asked with a smile of greeting.

"It was really cool," Bluepaw meowed crossing over to his side, she sat down beside him. Placed the fish down where he would easily be able to reach it. "Although, I still don't get it. How can we hate each other so much every other night of the year, but then we can laugh and joke around with each other at the full moon."

Birchpaw glanced at her with a small shrug taking a bite of the perch "I think it is a nice change of pace."

Bluepaw considered what he was saying, nodding, "yeah, it is. Do you remember that WolfClan apprentice I was battling at the stones a couple of moons ago?"

Birchpaw glanced at her, nodding "was he there?"

"Yeah," Bluepaw meowed, "WolfClan is pretty obnoxious now that they won the battle. He was talking his mouth off, and I swear to StarClan if Stormpaw hadn't broken us up I think I would have scratched up his chest…."

Birchpaw shook his head slowly "you need to stop being so mischievous."

Bluepaw laughed softly with a small shrug "maybe."

Birchpaw smiled softly finishing his half of the fish before nudging the rest towards her. "You're fur still has some moss in it from training." He meowed beginning to room her fur clean.

Bluepaw purred softly as she began to eat the rest of the fish "thanks." She meowed after swallowing her first couple of bites. "How are your injuries feeling?"

Birchpaw shrugged as he diligently groomed her fur "they don't hurt much at the moment. Have you heard what Silverstar has decided to do for Stormpaw's punishment?"

Bluepaw shook her head with a small shrug "no I didn't ask."

Birchpaw nodded slowly "I'm sure if Coldwing gets his way it won't be much more than a slap on the paw. Coldwing probably thinks that is how apprentices should train."

Bluepaw took a final bite of the fish "I doubt that." She meowed with a shake of her head. "Coldwing can't be that bad. Stormpaw speaks very highly of him."

"Yeah, because Stormpaw agrees with him," Birchpaw meowed with a small grimace. "Stormpaw better be careful if he follows any closer behind his mentor…"

Bluepaw shook her head in disagreement "isn't that normal, though? Don't we pick up a lot from our mentors?" She meowed.

"I guess, but I would have never begged for Coldwing to be my mentor in the first place. That cat is as gray morally as you can get without being a Dark Forest follower."

Bluepaw considered what Birchpaw was saying, shrugging "I don't know, I guess if he was on the other side in a battle, I wouldn't want that. But he is a good cat to have, didn't you watch him in that battle over the stones. And you have to admire the warrior he is training Stormpaw to be. You can see the other apprentices are already intimidated by him, even though a lot of them were older."

"And that is a good thing? Wasn't it you that wanted peace between the Clans? You can't get that when cats like Stormpaw and Coldwing act like bullies towards the other Clan cats."

Bluepaw looked at him "but we are never going to be completely peaceful between the Clans. It is nice to dream of, but it will never happen. I just think our battles shouldn't be taken so far. WolfClan can make their point without causing the death of our warriors."

"You have been spending too much time with Stormpaw," Birchpaw muttered with a hint of bitterness.

Bluepaw frowned "what is that supposed to mean?"

"The Clan has enough cats that believe aren't willing to believe or fight for peace between the Clans. We need more cats that dreamed as you do or did as a kit. Wasn't it you that dreamed of all of us becoming one big united Clan? No more death, no more territory skirmishes."

Bluepaw looked down at her paws "maybe at some point I grew up."

Birchpaw looked at her as he finished flattening her fur down. Now, the blue-gray fur that covered her flank was much shinier and flat. "Well, that is a shame."

Bluepaw looked at him with a small frown getting to her paws. "I'm going to get to bed." She muttered as she headed out of the den and towards her nest.

It wasn't like anything she did could stop the Clans from trying to tear each other apart. It was difficult enough for them to uphold the truce that stood at each gathering. Of course, she dreamed of no battles as a kit. She had lost her father when she was young because of one.

But she also realized that even if the Clans united and the battles over territory stopped. Warriors would still die young. Sickness, foxes, badgers, and rogues all would still plague their territory.

Laying down in her nest, she curled up with her nose tucked under her tail. Birchpaw had always shared her hope for no battles and less death over territory. But Stormpaw did not. Not even in the slightest. He believed that dying for your Clan was an indescribable honour for any warrior. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps Stormpaw had a point.

Bluepaw woke blinking sleep from her eyes as she raised her head from her mossy nest. Gazing around with a puzzled frown. She tilted her head as she took in the stary grass and trees that surrounded her.

"Where am I?"

No cat answered her question, as she got to her paws and began to head off in a random direction. Tasting the air as she made her way through the darkening forest. It reminded her of the walk she often took towards the stones. The forest always got thick and dark as you neared WolfClan territory.

The stars in the trees and grass began to fade, and she began to hear growls and hisses, along with the sound of a flowing river.

"Hello?" she called out as she continued to make her way through the forest. Tasting the air, she caught the stench of WolfClan, mixing with scent from her own Clan and blood.

Her fur bristled, and the strong scent made her head spin as she continued through the territory. She hissed as she came upon the battling patrols. Taking a moment to get the lay of the battle, she then sprinted forward, springing towards the first WolfClan warrior. Landing on the grass, she found she had not moved any closer to the battle.

She frowned in confusion, looking over at the battling cats.

"Coldwing, head back to camp and get some reinforcements," one of the white-furred, older-looking warriors ordered a much younger-looking warrior. Coldwing looked as though he couldn't have been a warrior for more than three moons.

"Why do I always have to get them?" Coldwing hissed in irritation, "that is an apprentices job."

"Do you see an apprentice?" asked a large light gray-furred warriors as he managed to jump free from the WolfClan cat.

Bluepaw's eyes widened and she watched nearly paralyzed as she recognized the warrior. More by scent than the color of his fur. That was her father.

Coldwing still did not look like he was willing to head off away from the battle.

"Coldwing go now!" Bluepaw's father ordered.

Coldwing glanced at him with a soft growl "who died and made you deputy?" he asked before disobeying the order and dove back into the battle.

"Mousebrain," Bluepaw heard her father mutter under his breath. He didn't look as confident now but plunged back into the battle.

Bluepaw could see he was already injured; blood was pooling from a tear in his ear.

"Dad?" Bluepaw meowed, taking a step forward, but she still didn't move. Unable to, it seemed.

Bluepaw watched in horror as the battle began to fall apart on the WaveClan part. The patrol must have been a small border patrol, which had been surprised by the WolfClan battle patrol.

Bluepaw watched her father pounce on a large black-furred WolfClan warrior's back, slashing his claws down his back and bringing him to the ground. Felt pride swell in her chest. Her father turned his gaze up, noticing that a WolfClan warrior had got the better paw and had pinned Coldwing down.

Bluepaw watched as her father quickly made his way over to aid the young warrior. Then at the same time, as things began to go wrong, Bluepaw realized what she was watching. Coldwing made a careless move leaving Bluepaw's father exposed so that he could get the upper paw on the warrior. But just as he was ready to bring the WolfClan warrior down, another WolfClan cat jumped between them, tackling Coldwing to the ground. Leaving the opening for the first WolfClan warrior to get the upper paw on Bluepaw's father. The WolfClan tom slashed his claws along his flank, leaving a large wound. Bluepaw's father let out a blood-curdling yowl of pain as he fell to the side. The WolfClan warrior sent his claws along his underbelly and then brought his claws along the side of his neck.

As the image began to fade, Bluepaw called out to her father, trying to get to her father and help him with all her might. "No! Dad!"

Bluepaw squirmed in her nest "no! No! Dad! No! Help him!" she cried as she was nudged awake and pulled from sleep.

"Bluepaw?" Stormpaw meowed softly. He was crouched beside her, his tail touching her shoulder.

Bluepaw whimpered softly, shaking from fear as she turned away from Stormpaw, burying her face in her paws.

"Bluepaw? What happened? Is everything alright?" he asked. He seemed to be trying to keep his tone soothing as he moved closer to her, pressing his side to her. Brushing his tail over her back. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Bluepaw hesitated; she did, but not to him. She didn't want to listen to Stormpaw defend his mentor, and she didn't want to talk to Birchpaw either. He wouldn't be surprised. She could already hear him "well, I can't say I am surprised."

Bluepaw sniffled, breathing shakily.

"Bluepaw?"

She turned her gaze up to Emberpaw, another she-apprentice. She looked worried and sympathetic on her face "did you want to take a walk?"

Bluepaw slowly nodded "y-yeah, t-thank you." She murmured.

"Are you sure?" Stormpaw asked, glancing at her. "I can come with you two."

Bluepaw shook her head, shrugging off Stormpaw's tail and getting to her paws "no, you stay here, Stormpaw." She meowed.

Emberpaw glanced at Stormpaw, then at Bluepaw "we will go to the river near the camp and do some fishing. Get your mind off everything."

Bluepaw nodded "alright."

Sorry for the long-awaited update. But I kind of had a long year of writer's block/procrastination/zero inspiration. I hope to finish this story over the summer, but we shall see.

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