Flashback
Gemlight felt her kits wake up, it was only several sunrises till their apprenticeship would start, and they acted very much ready.
It never seemed that she could keep up with their antics lately, always trying to get out of campandfighting for her attention. Which was a hopeless effort, since an overwhelming sadness took over her each waking day since Bramblestar left her.
She wished she could love Stormcloud the same way, she really did. But it seemed that she either tried too hard or not enough. Stormcloud paid no mind to it, as he was too busy being attentive to her kits.
She eyed couples that seemed to bethriving, and she-cats that were single and longing for a mate in the Clan.
Squirrelflight seemed constant on the patrols, and any free time she had it was trying to impress Bramblestar.
Gemlight was tied down to the Nursery moons ago, Stormcloud was yet again insistent on her spending time with her kits.
"Spiderleg?"
Gemlight recognized Spiderleg's new mate Amberdrop walk up to him with bright eyes.
"Hello, Amber." Spiderleg purred as they walked toward the exit of camp. "What is it?"
"It's wonderful news!" Amberdrop purred, keeping her voice down.
"Well, tell me love." Spiderleg persisted.
Amberdrop looked at Gemlight and whispered in Spiderleg's ear.
"Really?" Spiderleg gasped, his tail waving. "I must tell the Clan!"
"If you really want to." Amberdrop meowed. "When Daisy was looking plump with kits, you looked extremely humiliated."
"That's because it was Daisy." Spiderleg muttered. "You were a wonderful apprentice. And I bet you'll be a great mother."
Gemlight was surprised as she realized Spiderleg was going to father a litter he actually wanted. Cats began to look towards the barely whispering couple.
"Bumblestripe, look." Rosepetal purred. "The Clan may be having more kits!"
"Bramblestar, I would like to announce something." Spiderleg purred.
Bramblestar snapped out of looking off into space and looked straight up at the black tom.
"Very well, go ahead." Bramblestar replied with a respectful nod.
Spiderleg moved to the center of camp where the eager Clan cats turned to look at him.
"My mate of five wonderful moons, Amberdrop, is expecting my kits." Spiderleg announced with a puff of his chest.
"WHAT?" Daisy snarled, not even trying to hide her digust. "What's better about her than me?!"
The excitement of the other cats was cut of and some of them glared at Daisy.
"Daisy, this is great news." Bramblestar growled. "Please go back to the Nursery."
"With Amberdrop?" Spiderleg gasped.
"It's okay." Amberdrop reassured him. "I'm tough enough to deal with an old emotional she-cat."
"Spoiled she-brat." Daisy snarled. "Expect 9 moons of me. And don't expect me to watch your kits."
Daisy trotted and tripped on the dirt before she got up quickly and back into the Nursery.
"Congratulations, Amberdrop." Brackenfur purred, with Bramblestar and the medicine cats nodding.
"I'll lead a patrol." Spiderleg purred with a puff of his chest. He licked his mate's cheek before taking off eagerly with his patrol.
Present
Blizzardpaw was enjoying apprenticeship for the past half-moon and loved training with the other apprentices. It seemed life couldn't get any better or more peaceful.
She saw her sister Goldenpaw heading for battle training, which she completely dominated over all the other apprentices. It was almost scary.
Seemed she was waiting to show her potential since she was born!
Twigpaw was doing what was required of him, and nothing more. As soon as Brackenfur would give him the "OK", he'd take off into the apprentice's den and curl up by himself.
Blizzardpaw wanted to check on him this time, her worrying getting the best of her.
"Twigpaw." Blizzardpaw called into the apprentice's den after the apprentices went to the fresh-kill pile for that day.
She held a sparrow in her jaws and looked into the apprentice's den and almost thought he wasn't there. A pair of amber eyes flashed in the darkness.
"What is it?" Twigpaw asked.
"You forgot to get your fresh-kill today." Blizzardpaw meowed. "So I brought you a piece."
"Nah, not hungry." Twigpaw muttered.
"You must hear how Milkpool caught it though!" Blizzardpaw purred, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm surprised she used to be a kittypet! She climbed that tree as fast as she could and caught the little guy in mid-flight!"
"This Clan doesn't need kittypets." Twigpaw snarled.
"What's wrong Twigpaw." Blizzardpaw sighed. "Why have you been so bitter ever since we became apprentices? If anything, it's an exciting time!"
"How has our Mom acknowledged it?" Twigpaw hissed.
"Stormcloud has always asked us-"
"I said our Mom." Twigpaw interrupted her. "She has hardly talked to us about our apprenticeship. Only when she's with Stormcloud."
Blizzardpaw looked away awkwardly before laying the piece of fresh-kill in front of her brother.
"I rely on the encouragement of my friends and our Dad." Blizzardpaw explained. "Try getting along with other cats in the Clan, it'll help."
Blizzardpaw walked away before her brother could answer, she could only help so much.
The next sunrise, Blizzardpaw walked into the Nursery and saw all the queens and kits.
"Hello, would you like me to clean out your bedding?" She meowed.
"Your Gemlight's kit, I don't trust you with that." Daisy snarled.
"Thank you Blizzardpaw." Amberdrop purred. "You should bring your sister to help you with that."
Blizzardpaw nodded and turned away to see Goldenpaw and Beetlepaw fighting with their mentors watching, both bored.
Blizzardpaw dared not interrupt yet, as her sister was in her element. But watching would be intriguing.
Goldenpaw snarled and rolled over when Beetlepaw leaped and both mentors flinched when she clamped her jaws down on Beetlepaw's tail. A screech followed from the black tom.
"Okay, no teeth." Whitewing yawned.
"You're no fun." Goldenpaw growled while staring down Beetlepaw.
Blizzardpaw blinked in surprise as Goldenpaw ignored her mentor and grabbed Beetlepaw's scruff into her mouth. Beetlepaw tried to get out desperately but Goldenpaw was quick on her paws, pulling Beetlepaw across the training area and letting him go.
He toppled over and glared at Goldenpaw.
"You're getting beat by a she-cat that's been training for only half a moon." Berrynose muttered to his apprentice. "You need more practice."
"It's not me! She's crazy!" Beetlepaw stammered. "She's fighting like she's actually in battle!"
"And that's not how you are supposed to be fighting?" Berrynose asked, raising his glare at him.
"Whatever! Whatever..." Beetlepaw growled.
Blizzardpaw was so impressed that she almost forgot what she came out there for.
"Goldenpaw!" Blizzardpaw called out to her sister. "We need to change the bedding in the Nursery."
"Do I have to?" Goldenpaw yawned as Beetlepaw limped away.
"Yes, I'm sure you have lots of energy anyway." Whitewing growled.
Goldenpaw looked at her mentor with bitter hatred and walked to her sister.
"Alright then." Goldenpaw muttered. "Let's go."
The two she-cats carried on near the ShadowClan border, Blizzardpaw was stripping moss off a tree when she looked at Goldenpaw and froze.
"Goldenpaw! Stop that!" Blizzardpaw scolded her sister, who was near the ShadowClan border.
"What?" Goldenpaw meowed in mock surprise.
"Stop picking for a fight near the border!" Blizzardpaw growled, finally getting the moss. "It's too early for this."
"Did you see that?" Goldenpaw gasped.
"No more tricks, Goldenpaw!" Blizzardpaw snapped.
"I'm serious!" Goldenpaw protested. "Look!"
Blizzardpaw looked and almost squeaked when she saw a scruffy dark orange and black paw pulling a dead mouse behind a tree.
"Stop!" Blizzardpaw hissed, she ran to the tree and skidded to a halt.
Goldenpaw joined her side, and the two sisters were facing a mangled tortie she-cat with mostly black fur.
The she-cat growled and flashed a claw out. Goldenpaw took this as a challenge and leaped.
"No!" Blizzardpaw gasped. "You'll have no chance!"
And she appeared to be right, as the ragged rogue grabbed Goldenpaw's scruff and flung her across the field.
"Thought you could beat me like you did that tom?" The rogue croaked, exposing her yellow teeth.
"She saw us!" Blizzardpaw gasped. "She saw us at camp!"
The rogue bared her teeth and leaped at Goldenpaw again.
Blizzardpaw ran off to get help, she leaped into camp and stopped in front of Brackenfur.
"Brackenfur! There's a rogue attacking Goldenpaw!" Blizzardpaw panted.
Brackenfur's eyes widened and he gathered many cats.
Goldenpaw panted heavily as she rolled away from the fierce rogue
She was about to strike again when Brackenfur and five other warriors surrounded the rogue.
"I'll be taking this." Brackenfur growled, picking up the dead mouse.
"No! I need that!" The rogue cried.
"C'mon Brackenfur, she looks like she's starving." Rosepetal meowed.
"No mercy for thieves." Berrynose snarled. "We should give her a few scratches before she goes on her way."
"No, I'll leave." The rogue wheezed. "They were right about how malicious you Clan cats are."
Before anyone could respond, she turned tail and took off.
"Well, that settled nicely." Brackenfur purred.
The cats gave purrs of triumph, leaving Blizzardpaw sitting there, wondering if the rogue was right.
