"So, tell me what happened!" Thistlepaw meowed. "You're so lucky. I wish I had been there to fight!"

The sisters were sitting by the entrance of the apprentices' den. Badgerpaw had a mouse in her jaws, and with Raventail's permission, as the elders had been well fed by the prey caught by Harepaw and Badgerpaw, Thistlepaw had picked up a vole for herself.

"Well, we got to the border and were patrolling like normal," Badgerpaw started. "The only sounds were crickets and the stream, so Featherleg and I thought we were all clear. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw green eyes staring at us from across the border."

"Flypaw?" Thistlepaw asked, her eyes widening with excitement.

Badgerpaw nodded. "Yeah. And I saw Bluepaw, too. So I stopped, and then Featherleg saw, so he stopped too."

"Who attacked first?"

Badgerpaw tilted her head. "They did, of course! If I had leapt first, Featherleg had fought me with them. He doesn't want me starting fights."

Thistlepaw nodded. "Okay. Then what?"

"Flypaw went for me, and Bluepaw went for Featherleg," Badgerpaw meowed. "I don't really know how to describe it. It was so long and so slow at the same time. And then, suddenly, Featherleg gave Bluepaw a nasty scratch or something, and he retreated. Flypaw ran off after his brother." Once she finished, sho took a bite from her meal.

"Great StarClan, I wish it had been me," Thistlepaw meowed. "I'd like to wipe the smug smirk off of Flypaw's face. Every time I see him it's like he thinks that everyone's below him."

"I wonder if it's because Ashstar's his mentor," Badgerpaw meowed, chewing. "Maybe he thinks that being the leader's apprentice makes you extra special or something."

Thistlepaw shook his head. "I have no idea. But I'd've liked to get my claws on some WindClanners. They're really getting on my nerves lately."

"You and everyone else," Berrypaw meowed, stepping out of the den. "I promise you, there's a fight coming. And they're gonna regret it."

"Hey, Berrypaw," Badgerpaw meowed. "How did you sleep?"

"I'd have slept better if someone could have finished their time for the patrol instead of making us work double shift," the tortoiseshell meowed in a teasing tone. "I haven't gotten a full night's sleep in moons."

"Maybe if you actually stayed in the den at night you would," Thistlepaw meowed. "You must get into your nest after the whole Clan has been asleep for ages."

"You don't sleep in your nest?" Badgerpaw asked. "Why not?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," her sister meowed. "You sleep as deep as the lake. You don't notice anything once you start snoring."

"I don't snore!" Badgerpaw meowed, feeling her fur puff up with indignance. "And that doesn't answer my question."

Berrypaw scuffed her paws across the dirt. "I just like being up at night," she meowed. "It's calmer than during the day, is all."

"Well if you can survive like that," Badgerpaw mewed, shrugging. "I don't know why you wouldn't want to get as much sleep as possible, considering we have to get up at dawn on most mornings."

"I agree," Thistlepaw meowed.

Berrypaw huffed. "Well, I can, so it doesn't matter. Anyway, Badgerpaw, how was the battle?"

"Exciting," Badgerpaw meowed. "I didn't exactly win. Flypaw only ran off because Featherleg had beat Bluepaw."

"A win's still a win," Berrypaw meowed. "Hopefully it doesn't end up like Raventail and Ashstar. Those two'll always be rivals."

"I don't care if Flypaw hates me," Badgerpaw meowed, flicking her tail. "He didn't like me in the first place, and he's an arrogant furball."

Berrypaw snorted. "Ain't that the truth."

"The other Clans are just no good," Thistlepaw meowed. "Especially WindClan."

"ShadowClan isn't that bad," Berrypaw meowed quickly, then looked a bit embarrassed. "I mean, well... I just mean that some of them are nice."

"What are you defending yourself for?" Badgerpaw meowed. "I agree. Nightspring and Breezetail were nice. I don't know Moleclaw, but he seemed fine."

"I just didn't want you to think that I liked any ShadowClan cats too much or something," Berrypaw mewed quickly, looking suddenly flustered.

"Of course not," Badgerpaw responded, feeling a pang of confusion. Why be so defensive?

"I guess those RiverClan apprentices that we met were okay," Thistlepaw mewed, looking thoughtful, and Badgerpaw noticed that Berrypaw seemed relieved to move on. "So it must just be WindClan."

Berrypaw laughed lightly. "Well, you know WindClan," she purred. "Stay on your own territory and they'll give you scratches like those." She pointed with her tail to the cuts Badgerpaw had received.

"Oh yeah," Badgerpaw meowed, looking down at her pelt. "Willownose will probably want me to go back and get some more herbs for these now."

"Yeah," Thistlepaw agreed. "And you know how mean she can get when you don't do what she's told."

"Mean?" Berrypaw asked. "What are you talking about? Willownose is really kind."

"What world are you living in?" Thistlepaw asked, looking shocked. "She's never been kind to me."

"Well she's the medicine cat," Berrynose responded. "She's supposed to be nice to everyone."

"While you two debate this, I'm going to face her," Badgerpaw sighed. "Wish me luck."

"Alright then," Thistlepaw meowed. "Good luck. Now, seriously, Berrypaw, you think that she's nice?"

Badgerpaw listened to her friends continuing to argue while she padded over to the medicine den. She ducked her head inside and looked around. Appleflight was sitting down, talking with the pair of medicine cats, discussing with them.

"You seem fine," Willownose was meowing. "Belly pains are normal when you are first expecting. The kits are fine, I promise you."

Appleflight dipped her head. "And should I be moving in to the nursery soon?"

Willownose looked at her apprentice, who furrowed her brow, thinking. "Not for a few more sunrises, unless you want to," Birdpaw meowed.

"Correct," Willownose purred, draping her tail over Birdpaw's shoulders. "You're fine, Appleflight, I promise."

The ginger she-cat dipped her head. "If you say so," she mewed, turning to go. "Oh, hello Badgerpaw, I'll get out of your way."

Badgerpaw dipped her head to the she-cat. "Um, hi," she meowed to the medicine cats when the warrior had left. "I was just coming to see if you wanted to put any more herbs on my scratches."

Willownose sniffed, her demeanor changing almost instantly when her focus was placed upon Badgerpaw. She felt herself shudder. Why does she have to hate me?

"Let me check," she meowed finally. She moved forward quickly, looking over her carefully. "There needs to be something for your foreleg. Birdpaw, get marigold and make a poultice," she ordered.

The brown tabby dipped her head and grabbed the plant, chewing it for a moment before spitting it onto an oak leaf and pushing it forward to her mentor.

"Good," the silver she-cat praised. She dabbed her paw on the stuff and smeared a bit on the bite mark on Badgerpaw's leg.

"Thank you," Badgerpaw meowed politely.

"Don't mention it," Willownose grunted. "Now run along. I need space in here to work."

"Sorry, ma'am," Badgerpaw squeaked, feeling meek and quickly backing out of the way. "Thanks again!" She turned tail and padded as quickly as she could out of the den.

StarClan, I'm grateful I'm not her apprentice, Badgerpaw thought. She shook out her pelt and padded back over to Thistlepaw and Berrypaw.