Spiralpaw watched in horror as the she-cat who had tried to save him fell lifeless on her side. A yowl so monstrous it knocked Ratpaw over split the air. Spiralpaw bowed his head in grief. He didn't even know her name, but he knew she'd died to save him, and they still might not even get out of here. Ratpaw recovered himself and threw himself at Spiralpaw, most likely because he was smallest of the group, and raked mean claws down the young kits side.

In seconds the other four had used the moment to their advantage. Ratpaw soon lay on the ground, pinned by four pairs of tiny paws. The apprentice just laughed. "Going to kill me? You have the guts of a kit! You won't do it!" Ratpaw taunted them venomously. Secretpaw growled menacingly, and would have let go had Spiralpaw not reminded him that he was holding Ratpaw down.

In one swift movement, Spiralpaw swept a paw over Ratpaw's throat, and then reached down to bite it. Ratpaw's eyes went from amused to terrified as Spiralpaw bit down. He writhed beneath them, yowling his protest, but it was too late. His yowls turned to an awful gurgling as the life drained from him.

A choked cry from across the clearing roused the kits from their victory. Tearpath, Spiralpaw's mother, was being held back by the black tom. She was squirming, desperately trying to reach her son. Spiralpaw started to run forward, but was cut off as a ring of warriors surrounded him. He whimpered and pressed himself against Autumnpaw. His brother let a tiny mew of reassurance pass his lips, but it did nothing to ease his fear.

Mallowspot yelled to Tearpath, reassuring her, and as Tearpath was dragged away Longstar punished her greatly.

Spiralpaw was too numb to register any of it. He was still trapped to a life of tormenting and training. After a long while, Longstar sent them to the whole, threatening to take their tails if they didn't move immediately.

They raced across the clearing and into the now huge hole. It wasn't as crowded, but as Spiralpaw looked around, he developed a plan in his head.

He curled up next to Softpaw and Autumnpaw and fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

When he awoke Softpaw was grooming herself. She looked unhappy.

"What's wrong?" he asked innocently. Softpaw rubbed her muzzle against his comfortingly.

"We almost escaped!" she meowed miserably. He nodded agreement, but was struck once again by the thought they had nearly made it out.

"I've got a new plan," he explained. This seemed to rouse the others from their miserable sleep. They gathered around him and he explained. They nodded and smiled.

Look out Longstar, Spiralpaw thought, here we come.

Spiralpaw saw a rock across the clearing. He crept towards it, hoping Longstar couldn't see him this late at night. She was still furious about them killing Ratpaw. He flinched as his head throbbed from her hitting him during training. She was using her anger to fuel her attacks, and there were more injuries than usual.

Finally reaching the rock, he picked it up in his mouth and ran it back to his cave entrance. Secretpaw and Severedpaw were spitting water all around the entrance, then running back to the river to gather more, while Autumnpaw and Softpaw pressed more dirt around it. In the summer heat, the mud would harden quickly.

Spiralpaw returned with a rock and pressed it into the deeply into the mud before Severedpaw and Secretpaw finished spraying water on it. Softpaw tried to press dirt into the exact same spot Autumnpaw tried to and for a moment their eyes met.

Spiralpaw, jealous, stuffed himself between them and pretended to push the rock farther in.

When the opening was finally small enough, they crept in while it dried.

The next step was to expand the cave on the inside. First they make the cave wider, and then they would make a smaller room with a medicine supply in it. Secretpaw had befriended the medicine cat, Rosethistle, and was, to put it simply, in love with her apprentice, Shiningpaw. He had brought back a fresh pile of catmint, thyme, marigold, poppy seeds, and a small pile of juniper berries.

Secretpaw had carried them back in the middle of the night, his black pelt unseen, but his green eyes were blazing with happiness, as though he'd found treasure.

The kits worked day and night, while they weren't in training. Longstar had assigned them separate mentors, saying she was too busy to train such helpless kits. Mallowspot, now Softpaw's mentor (Spiralpaw envied her) had pointed out they wouldn't need training if Longstar hadn't made them apprentices.

She had gotten a beating for it.

But Mallowspot had kept her promise to Tearpath. She checked on the kits throughout the day, and when she could, she brought them a piece of fresh-kill.

Spiralpaw was beginning to notice that the kits and he, as well as Mallowspot, were the only cats in the entire Clan that had visible ribs. They were always ravenous, and Mallowspot's extra piece of fresh-kill, though it didn't go far between the five of them, was an act of utmost love. Spiralpaw and kits often insisted she kept her one small fish, for her ribs stuck far out, and her fur was matted and dull.

As he was pushing some of the dirt dug out of the walls to expand them towards the entrance, he heard a voice outside. Softpaw joined him as they watched helplessly from the den.

"You WILL do better next time! Longstar chose a good name for you! You're a complete failure! FAILUREPAW! FAILUREPAW!"

Spiralpaw peeked out and saw Secretpaw cowering back from his mentor, Voletail, with fear bursting in his eyes. Lying beside Secretpaw was a tiny, scrawny mouse that Spiralpaw thought must be his only kill.

Voletail brought down his heavy paw on Secretpaw's side. With a stunned look on his face, Secretpaw fell as a sickening crack echoed around the clearing.

Softpaw screamed and leaped out of the tiny hole, standing over her brother. Voletail laughed and swatted her aside as Spiralpaw joined the fight. He stood face to face with the large black cat. Secretpaw was barely breathing, and what air reached his lungs was shallow and quick.

Spiralpaw tried desperately to claw the older cat's nose, but failed terribly and was the third to be flung across the camp.

Furious, he turned back. Mallowspot shoved him behind her and shot at Voletail with a fury even stronger than when she looked at Longstar.

Voletail looked surprised as his own Clanmate joined the fight, screaming insults at him.

"YOU HARM INNOCENT KITS! YOU TRIED TO KILL TEARPATH! YOU LAUGHED AS YOUR MATE FELL AFTER KILLING PREYFUR! YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"

Spiralpaw had never seen his adopted mother like this, and it scared all the kits. Autumnpaw and Severedpaw had joined and were trying to help Mallowspot, but she continued to shove them away, trying to protect them. Snapping back to his senses, he yelled to Severedpaw, "Get Secretpaw! Get into the den, we'll be safe there!"

Severedpaw hesitated, but after a moment he agreed and, with Autumnpaw's help, dragged his friend to the safety of the cave. Though Secretpaw was out cold, Spiralpaw was sure he must have heard his mentor's last insult intended for him.

"Secretpaw? Your name is Failurepaw! It ALWAYS WILL BE!"

Spiralpaw, once sure that the weak Softpaw was safe inside, spun around and entered the cave with his friends. From there they watched the continuing battle. It was getting vicious.

Voletail had claw marks down his side, Mallowspot's ear was shredded, Voletail's tail was bent, Mallowspot began to limp on a front paw. It continued on and on.

The sun began to set, and still the battling pair continued to fight, spitting insults at the other.

At long last, Mallowspot surged forward with unbelievable strength for her scrawny body, and latched her jaws onto Voletail's throat. He clawed desperately at empty air, but the life was already draining from his eyes. Voletail let out a last insult, but it came out as a sickening gurgle. The kits let out a breath they hadn't known they were holding.

Mallowspot looked down on her kill, satisfied. Behind her a purr sounded.

Longstar was standing a few feet behind, watching the battle nonchalantly.

"I've been waiting for you to make a final mistake, Mallowspot. Too bad you won't be able to explain why you killed at the gathering," Longstar taunted. She threw herself and Mallowspot, and the young she-cat, still wiped out, was sliced open by a single claw. Blood and intestines spilled forward and Mallowspot's eyes rolled up and closed.

Softpaw screeched, Severedpaw snarled, Autumnpaw screamed to the heavens, but Spiralpaw stayed quiet in shock.

Longstar turned to the kits and ran full speed forward. "I'll break through to your stupid cave!" Longstar decided. They all braced themselves, turning away and squeezing their eyes shut as they waited for the explosion of dust and the pain.

Their plan would be ruined when Longstar saw the expansion.

They all waited until they heard it – THUD! OOF!

Turning back, Longstar was trying desperately to right herself. Her head was stuffed through the hole, but the rest of her body was stuck. For a moment they all stared in shock, but that didn't last long. In a couple seconds they were on the floor, laughing. The opposing choice was to scream and hide, but Longstar was so furious she probably didn't even see the expansion. They finally calmed down, and Autumnpaw crept quietly up to Longstar. She snarled and Autumnpaw squeaked, but courageously crept closer. He reached out his paw.

DOING! They all fell over, cracking up once again as Longstar's too long nose bounced up and down. She was yelling threats and claiming she would kill them, but they all knew it wouldn't happen anymore.

Their plan would work. All they needed was kit patrols and claws.