Thanks for the review! I will work on that!

Attention! Honeystar and Bronzestar, leaders of Earthclan and Airclan, shall now be known as Duskstar (Multicolored leader of Earthclan) and Sparkstar (golden leader of Airclan)

Chapter 3

Joypaw was more aware of Moorheart watching her over the next few days. The young apprentice wasn't sure if she should be angered, hurt, or overjoyed that Moorheart was her mother and that she had found her at last.

She was now sure that all the Oceanclan cats knew about her parents and heritage. No one was unkind to her as they had been when Pepperstar was young. Joypaw was sure she had the kind leader to thank for that. She was especially glad that her 'Brother' Redpaw was fine with her half-clan heritage. Hoofpad, Redpaw, Pepperstar and Joypaw sometimes trained hunting together.

She heard paw steps pad softly towards her.

"Ready for training?" Pepperstar asked. Joypaw nodded and Pepperstar led her out of the camp.

The Training Pond amazed Joypaw every time she saw it. When she was a kit the elders had told her that it had not been used before Pepperstar became leader. It seemed so untouched and magical that Joypaw believed them.

"Why?" She asked her leader. "Why didn't we use it before?"

Pepperstar stared sadly at a mound of dirt near the pond. "See that?" She asked. "That's where Cloudfeather is buried. Blackheart killed her so I killed Blackheart. We didn't bury her at the usual place by my request. She loved this place. Blueheart and her met secretly here for many moons. Both clans thought it was part of the other clan's territory. Everyone left it alone so they were never caught. When I became an apprentice Cloudfeather showed this to me. It was her sanctuary. When I became leader, and I knew the truth of the pond, I made it a training ground for young cats."

Joypaw pondered this quietly. She had many questions but suddenly the large ginger leader pounced on her. " I hope you never get lost in thought in the thick of a battle!" She teased.

"Joypaw purred. She was lucky. Willowpaw's mentor, Spiderpelt was strict. Not mean, just strict. He wanted Willowpaw to be the best warriors he could be.

Joypaw flipped over onto her back and pushed her small paws upward. She managed to send her mentor flying through the air for a few feet. She struggled to her paws to find that she had sent her leader over the Oceanclan/Earthclan border. She started to go to her leaders side when she heard a threatening yowl.

"You were watching us!" Pepperstar mewed aggressively. A bush was blocking Joypaw's view of whom her leader was talking to. "You should respect other clans!" Joypaw shivered. She had never heard her leader so angry.

"Pepperstar! Stop!" Joypaw jumped as a grayish shape hurled out of an Earthclan bush.

"Duskstar! Why were you watching us?" Pepperstar sounded confused.

Joypaw ran over to Pepperstar's side. Grapepaw stood beside Duskstar, shifting his feet nervously and trembled with fear.

"I-I wanted to see the Training Pond." The blue gray tom stuttered.

"Pepperstar, don't get mad, he was just curious." Joypaw soothed.

"You're right." Pepperstar proceeded to talk to Duskstar and share news.

"Duskstar's my mentor!" Grapepaw announced proudly. "Your mentor must be Pepperstar."

Joypaw nodded.

"Would you like to stay and train with us?" Pepperstar asked her brother.

Duskstar hesitated. "Please Duskstar!" Grapepaw meowed hopefully.

"All right." Duskstar consented. "But we won't go farther than the Training Pond."

Joypaw and Grapepaw practiced their fighting moves together. Most of the time they both collapsed from exhaustion for a moment.

"You need to rebound quicker." Or "Never expose your belly unless necessary." The leaders coached from the sidelines.

The way the two apprentices fought Joypaw could imagine she was in a real clan battle.

By the end of the day the 2 apprentices had improved greatly. If the other made a careless attack they could push him or her away easily. Joypaw collapsed and stared up at the starry sky Silverpelt sparkled down upon her and Joypaw could imagine Cloudfeather's shining face among them. Proud of her daughter and her daughter's apprentice.

Joypaw didn't feel Grapepaw nudge her gently or hear Pepperstar's frantic yowl. She didn't even notice the stars disappear from the sky until black was all that was left.