Fleetpaw flattened himself against the rock, his eyes squeezing shut, his claws scraping at the pebble-y ground.

C'mon... He begged silently, as he pushed against the rock. Hide me!

He knew he could do it.

He could hide like a MoonClan cat; he did it before!

But... Why not now?

With a growl of anger, his eyes flickered open and he slammed his side into the rock once more, only for his paws to slip on the loose ground.

He tumbles into the dirt, small rocks and gravel clinging to his pelt as he groans, glaring up at the rock that had cause it.

With a huff, he pulled himself off the ground, shaking his pelt free of the mess, before looking around the empty meadow.

It was halfway to moonhigh; perfect cover to hide him from anyone wanting to disrupt his practice, and with no one around, he could do it on his own.

He turned around to the rock, his pelt bristling.

"I don't get it!" He snaps, his eyes flinty with rage as he glared down the unresponsive wall before him. "You did it before! You hid me! What do I have to do?!"

His tail lashing, he pressed himself harshly against the stone once again.

But after a few moments, where nothing happened, Fleetpaw flopped to the ground, curling into a tight ball and shoving his paws over his muzzle.

"What am I doing wrong?" He asked, miserably. "What do I have to do to get you to hide me again? Don't you know how many cats are at risk if I don't get this...?"

His ears flatten against his head, and he closes his eyes.

"Who am I even talking to? Because if this big dumb rock was alive, it'd hide me when I asked it to..." He grumbled. "StarClan, what do I do...? How am I ever going to be able to hide properly if I can't get a dumb rock to help?!"

"Well you could start by getting up from the dirt." The voice that sounded in his ear made him jump in the air, his fur bristling as he whips around to the cat that had spoke.

Surprisingly, the cat before him was none other than Lighteye.

"L-Lighteye?!" He squeaks. "What are you doing out here?! You should be in camp!"

"And technically, so should you," Lighteye remarked. "You know that apprentices aren't allowed outside of the camp without permission from their mentors, after all."

Fleetpaw crouched down, his ears lowered.

She was right; he technically wasn't allowed out here. Even though she was a queen, she was perfectly fine to walk around the territory.

"I'm only teasing, my little mouse," Lighteye purrs, shifting over and rubbing him affectionately.

"I'm not your little mouse," he grumbles quietly, his ears twitching in embarrassment. "I'm almost a warrior."

"I know you are," Lighteye replies softly. "But you'll always be one of my kits..." Her eyes soften and she watches him carefully. "What's the matter, Fleetpaw? Is Vinedust pushing you too hard? I can have a talk with him if you'd like—"

"No!" Fleetpaw's plea cut Lighteye off, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh?" Lighteye's ears twitch, and she cocks her head at him, curiosity sparking her gaze. "What's this all about then, little one?" She asks.

Fleetpaw fell silent, and he looked at the rock.

Has Volenose said anything to her about this?

No, of course not, he scolds himself inwardly. Volenose wouldn't want her fretting over us.

He looks back to her, his tail flicking slightly.

What could he tell her?

He couldn't say the truth...

Or at least... Not all of it.

"I feel like I'm falling behind," he mumbles quietly, his gaze dropping down to his paws, his ears lowering. "Weedpaw's so good at sneaking already, and the one time I finally got myself hidden against the rock, he had to come and bail me..."

"So you decided you'd train out here until you're as good as him?" Lighteye mewed gently, her whiskers twitching in thought.

"I have to be as good as him!" Fleetpaw pointed out. "This isn't a choice, Lighteye! This is something I've got to do... There are cats at stake..." He bit his tongue.

Oh no, did I give too much away?!

"Oh, Fleetpaw..." Lighteye's gaze softened. "I know the war with MountainClan is scary. Trust me; I worry every day for you, your brother, and your father..." Her ears lower. "I've already lost enough, but it's something I deal with. Because that's what a warrior does."

"A warrior worries?" He asks softly, his eyes wide as he lifted his gaze to her again.

"A warrior worries," she said quietly, nodding. "A warrior can be scared, too." She sighs, moving over beside him and curling her tail around him. "But most importantly... A warrior is flawed."

"What do you mean?" He echoes.

"A warrior can't be expected to do everything, Fleetpaw," she mewed. "And neither can an apprentice. You're going to be scared; it's a fact of life. But that's why we have Clanmates. We have cats we can rely on; cats we care about." Her eyes glimmer as she lifts her gaze to the rock. "Eaglewhisker had trouble learning how to stealth, too. Oddbird would always tease her, I remember... But sometimes I'd sneak out and I'd see her training on her own, and Oddbird would be hiding too, watching her... He was always so impressed by her..." She sighs. "We relied on each other, more than we knew. Even after all the teasing Oddbird did, you should've seen them in the battles they fought. Once, when our camp was attacked by a pair of foxes, they brought one down together with the help of a warrior. No bickering, no quarrel... Just trust."

Fleetpaw's ears twitch.

"But... But what if one of them faltered?" He asked. "Wasn't that always a fear?"

"It wasn't," Lighteye mewed. "We've all grown up with the Clan around us, Fleetpaw. Each and every one of the cats, we know and love dearly. Their our kin, and no matter how much we might bicker or quarrel... We need to trust one another. That is the basis of the Clan, Fleetpaw. Trust."

Fleetpaw didn't reply, his ears twitching as he stared at his paws.

After a moment, Lighteye stood, shaking her pelt carefully.

"I think it's high time this queen go gets some rest," she says with a yawn, her tail twitching as she looks to Fleetpaw with a soft gaze. "You should as well, but... I trust whatever decision you make, Fleetpaw. You're almost a warrior; it's high time your mother stops telling you what to do," she winks before turning and padding off.

Fleetpaw watched her go, his ears flat against his head.

Lighteye...

His pelt shook as her words fluttered through his mind.

What you said... I'm sorry, but I can't... I can't just blindly trust that they'll be safe... Because then, what does that make of the cats that have died?

He turned back to the rock, his gaze solemn.

I have to keep training.

I can't let anyone get hurt.


Near sunrise, Fleetpaw flopped down in his nest, his muscles sore and exhaustion creeping along his spine.

His eyes begin to drift shut, but it isn't long before he feels paws prodding his side.

"Fleetpaw," Weedpaw's whisper was low and coarse, and Fleetpaw opens an eye, groggy, as he looks at his brother.

"What?" He grumbled.

"Vinedust came by last night while you were out, and I didn't get a chance to tell you, but we're on dawn patrol today."

Fleetpaw groaned, before shakily getting to his paws, forcing the sleep and exhaustion out of the way as he blinked sluggishly at Weedpaw.

"Fine," he muttered.

"What's up with you?" Weedpaw asked, his cheery gaze now curious as he cocks his head. "You seem grumpy today; more than usual."

"Nothing's up with me," Fleetpaw sniffed, shoving past Weedpaw. "I've just got an annoying furball waking me up at the crack of dawn to tell me I'm on patrol."

"Well it's not my fault you were out so long," Weedpaw interjected, his ears twitching. "And I'm not that annoying." He pauses. "Am I?"

Fleetpaw glanced at his brother as they moved out of the den, his ears lowering.

Weedpaw was right; it wasn't his fault.

"No, I'm just grumpy, like you said," he replied, his tail flicking. "Had a rough night, and I'm starving."

"Vinedust promised to take us out hunting after dawn patrol!" Weedpaw offered, his tail twitching with excitement. "Sweethawk, Jaypaw, and Kestrelpaw are all going on the first hunting patrol, so the elders and queens should be fed before we get back."

"What else did Vinedust say he wanted to do today?" Fleetpaw mumbled.

"Perhaps I can answer that," Vinedust's voice made Fleetpaw jump in surprise, and he slowed to a halt just before he rammed into the warrior's chest.

"Uh, V-Vinedust!" He squeaks, before clearing his throat.

"What's the matter, Fleetpaw?" The warrior asked, his voice edged with a certain tone that Fleetpaw couldn't make out. "You look exhausted."

The apprentice's ears twitched, and he swallowed, his fur bristling slightly.

Does he know? He hissed to himself. Does he know I've been out all night?

"Uh, rough night," he lies, clearing his throat nervously. Vinedust's eyes narrow, but he shrugs, instead straightening his back.

"Today's going to be a busy day," he says calmly. "We've got dawn patrol right now with Wetice and Fuzzymoon. After, we'll go immediately to hunting for the Clan to stock the prey, since Sweethawk's hunting patrol won't be able to stock it all on their own. After that, we've got battle training, defense training, stealth training, and ambush training. Afterwards, we'll stop for a brief break to eat, before we immediately return to stealth training." His eyes flicker to Fleetpaw. "Especially since one of you still needs a bit of work."

Fleetpaw went to speak, when Weedpaw cleared his throat.

"Uhm, Vinedust," he mewed. "Sounds like a lot? I know we're both apprentices, but this... Sounds like too much."

Vinedust's tail flicks.

"Eelstar has asked that we devote our time to training at all costs; we can't risk not having a single warrior unprepared for an attack from MountainClan. It may sound like a lot, but this training may save your lives."

He rose to his paws, turning towards the entrance, where Wetice and Fuzzymoon were waiting patiently, their voices low as they chatted to each other.

"Come along, apprentices," Vinedust mewed curtly. "We've got a lot to do today, and I suggest we hurry."

He padded off, Weedpaw following after him, while Fleetpaw watched them move forward.

His ears lower, as he began trudging towards them.

I'm so dead...