"WHAT HAPPENED?!"

A very worried Willowwind was standing outside the entrance to the medicine cat's den, pacing back and forth nervously.

"We were attacked by a ShadeClan patrol. We sent Icepaw to get some help, but two ShadeClan cats attacked us. Well, one, technically. The other-" Hazelflight looked over toward Minnowpaw, who was sitting next to Icepaw inside the den. "Was a little kinder. She helped me carry Icepaw back to camp."

"Is he going to be ok?" Willowwind mewed.

Lionfang, seated next to Hazelflight, spoke up. "Blazepool says he'll be ok."

"That's good," Willowind said before turning back toward the center of the camp. The two new warrior watched as she bounded over to Snowstar's den and disappeared inside.

"What's up with Willowwind?" Hazelflight mewed as they turned and entered the medicine cat den.

"Didn't you hear?" A small voice piped up from the back of the den. Berry poked his head out of a tangle of roots and trotted over to the two she-cats. "I heard it from some elders, so don't get your hopes up."

"What is it?" Lionfang whispered.

"Apparently, Icepaw…" Berry sucked in a breath. "Is Willowwind and Snowstar's son!"

"What?!" Lionfang hissed. "That's a pile of mousedung."

"Icepaw does look a lot like Snowstar." Hazelflight pointed out.

"And you know the new kit, Flamekit, that just arrived in the nursery?" Berry said.

"How do you know all this stuff about our Clan?"

"Not important. Anyway, a lot of cats think that he might be Icepaw's little brother!" Berry squealed. "And, and-"

"Berry!" Blazepool emerged from the back of the den. "Are you telling these cats all those silly rumors you heard? I've told you a million times, they're. Just. Rumors!"

"But they might be true." Berry retorted. He sauntered up to Blazepool. "You never kno-ow…"

"Alright, alright." Blazepool hissed. "Either make yourself useful, or I'll kick you out of my den."

"Fine." Berry walked over to a clump of herbs and started to sort them, all the while wearing a smug smile on his face.

"Ugh. Don't listen to anything he says." Blazepool mewed. "He gets all his stories from the elders who come in here."

Lionfang nodded before speaking. "Is there anything we can do to help? I'm pretty sure we don't have to go on a patrol yet..."

Blazepool shook his head. "Not right now. Berry's been helping me." The tom cast a look at the small, orange and black rouge. "He's pretty good, I must admit."

"Maybe if Snowstar lets him stay," Hazelflight purred. "You can take him as an apprentice. You need one, anyway."

"What?!" Blazepool hissed. "I'm fine. I don't need some little brat running around after me, asking all sorts of questions."

"If that's how you feel, then you should never go into the nursery." Hazelflight sighed, shaking her head. "It's a shame, though. You would make a good mentor."

"You two should go." Blazepool mewed. "Icepaw needs time to recover. He was hurt pretty badly." With a courteous nod, Hazelflight and Lionfang trotted out of the den, and towards the center of the clan. Hazelflight couldn't stop thinking about Icepaw. It was her fault that he was attacked. She should have ran after him the instant Stormstripe and Minnowpaw disappeared on Icepaw's trail. Now, it could be moons before Icepaw made a full recovery.

If only she had followed them…

"Don't feel so bad about what happened to Icepaw." Lionfang cast a worried look at Hazelflight. "There's nothing you could have done."

"Yes, there was! I could have run after Stormstripe, or even run back to the Clan myself!" Hazelflight said sadly, looking down at her paws. "Who knows how long it will take Icepaw to get back into training. He'll be moons behind his friends."

"Oh my StarClan! You do this every time!" Lionfang sighed, shaking her fluffy head. "Get over yourself. There's nothing you could have done, and even if there was, you can't go back in time and change it. So give it up."

"Can I still feel a little guilty?"

"We all feel a little guilty, mouse-brain." Lionfang gave Hazelflight a sad smile. "Besides, if StarClan didn't want this to happen, it wouldn't have happened." Though she still felt a little guilty, Hazelflight nodded and forced a smile. Once they had reached the waterfall, the friends parted ways. Hazelflight was going to grab a snack from the fresh-kill pile, while Lionfang headed back to the medicine cat den to see if there was anything she could do to help Blazepool. Once she had grabbed her meal, Hazelflight sat on the rocky ground and started to much on the finch. She couldn't take her mind off Icepaw. The poor apprentice had only wanted to help…

"Hazelflight?" A voice said from behind the she-cat. Whisking her head around, Hazelflight came face-to-face with the deputy.

"Yes, Willowwind?"

"How's Icepaw doing?" Willowind asked, concern clouding her face. "I tried to go check on him, but Blazepool wouldn't let me see him."

"Well, from what I saw-" Hazelflight stopped suddenly. All she could think about now was the apprentices bloodied and bruised pelt, his limp form hanging-

Stop it.

Stop it right now.

"Hazelflight?" Willowind mewed softly. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Don't worry, Icepaw's doing fine. He'll be walking again in a few day's time." The spotted brown cat watched as Willowwind's face contorted into relief, then beck to a stern face.

"Thank you." Giving Hazelflight a quick nudge on the shoulder, the deputy disappeared into the moss-covered rocks. Finishing the last bites of her meal, Hazelflight wandered over to the center of camp. Finding a nice, soft, spot, Hazelflight spread out on the ground and began to groom herself. As she did so, her eyes swept over the camp. Kits played by the nursery, elders basked in the sun's warmth and swapped stories, and apprentices chased eachother around the pond's edge. It was perfect, and yet it wasn't. One of their own had almost died today, and it was partly Hazelflights fault.

My first few sun-highs as a warrior.

And I already messed up.

Oh StarClan, can this day get any worse?