Hehehe, did you like my cliffhanger? Well, without further delay, let Chapter 3 begin!

Chapter 3

Medicine cat apprentice!

The words buzzed in Rosefur's mind. One of the most important roles in the clans, being taken by her brother's son!

Applepaw followed his father into the warrior's den. He looked at the ground shyly and pawed at the dirt. "W-Well? What do you think?"

Bumblepelt rose from his meal. "I think it is absolutely wonderful that you are ready to take on such responsibility." His tone was matter-of-factly.

Applepaw looked at him with worried amber eyes. "That's just it! Am I ready for such a big responsibility?" His gaze dropped to the ground again.

Toadear licked his son's ears lovingly. "I could tell the minute you were born that you could take on anyone, or anything if you needed to." His voice was quavering, as if he could barely contain his pride.

Applepaw looked up at his father, his eyes shining with amazement and worry. "You really mean it?"

Rosefur purred. "Of course he means it, furball! Or should I say, medicine cat apprentice!"

Applepaw closed his eyes, his body vibrating with a confident purr. "Thanks, you guys! I'll go and tell Jayfeather now!" Without another word, he snapped his eyes open and raced out of the warrior's den.

Toadear turned to Rosefur and Bumblepelt. "I should go with him."

Bumblepelt nodded. "We all should. He needs our support."

"He'll need much support," Rosefur added. "If he's going to be Jayfeather's apprentice. He can be quite the grumpy furball."

Toadear was scraping the ground impatiently. "Well then, lets go!" He darted out of the warriors' den.

Bumblepelt and Rosefur exchanged an amused glance and padded to the medicine cat den.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Great StarClan! If I would have known I would have the entire warrior's den in here, I would have moved to the nursery!"

Bumblepelt flicked his tail. "Come now, Jayfeather. We're only here to support Applepaw." He paused to lick his paw. "He's a nervous wreck!"

Rosefur poked Bumblepelt with her paw. "I would be too, if I were to be apprenticed to the grumpiest cat in all of ThunderClan!" She joked.

"No," Toadear added playfully. "In the whole forest!"

"That's enough!" Jayfeather growled, though his unseeing eyes had a hint of amusement in them. "All of you, out, out, out! I can't get out of the den to tell Hollystar with all you fat furballs blocking the entrance!"

As the three cats filed out of the den, Rosefur saw Jayfeather and Applepaw emerging from the medicine cat den. She watched them until they disappeared into the leader's den.

Curiosity filled all of Rosefur's senses. "I'm going to go listen." She mewed to the two tomcats sitting beside her. Without waiting for an answer, she padded to the Highledge.

She pressed her ear to the side of the Highledge, careful to go to the unseen side of the Highledge so no other cat would catch her.

"…To take on this responsibility?" She heard her leader's dignified mew first.

"Absolutely." Applepaw's shy mew was heard next. "I…I have thought long and hard about this, and I think I'm ready."

Rosefur imagined Hollystar nodding. "Very well. You are now officially Jayfeather's new apprentice. Jayfeather, try to go easy on Applepaw, okay?" Rosefur heard amusement in her leader's mew.

"I'll try my best." Jayfeather grumbled good-heartedly. "I'll put him in his place if he behaves like a daft furball, though."

Hollystar snorted, amused. " I trust that you will. One more thing, though, Applepaw." She heard Hollystar shifting in her nest, trying to get more comfortable. "Did you know I used to be the medicine cat's apprentice once?"

She heard Applepaw gasp. "Really?"

"Really," Hollystar went on. "I thought it would be great to be respected the way medicine cats are respected." She sighed. "Sadly, though, I wasn't born for a head of herbs."

Hollystar's voice perked up a bit. "But, then again, if I were still a medicine cat today, grumpy old Jayfeather would be leader! You wouldn't want that, now would you?"

"Hey!" Jayfeather pretended to spit crossly.

Applepaw purred, amused by her leader's story. "Are you kidding? He'd grump us all out of the forest!"

Jayfeather growled, cuffing Applepaw's ear. "One more word like that and I'll have you eat every single scrap of nettle in my den!"

Applepaw squealed fearfully. "Sorry!"

Jayfeather snorted. "I can imagine." She imagined him dipping his head to Hollystar. "Thank you."

Rosefur heard pawsteps sounding out of the leader's den. "Come on," She heard Jayfeather talking to Applepaw. "I'll teach you how to really use yarrow."

Rosefur turned around to leave. But, before she could take a pawstep, she heard Hollystar growl, loud enough for Rosefur to hear, "Rosefur, get in here now, you eavesdropping furball!"

Rosefur's stomach dropped. She heard me listening! She padded into her leader's den, tail dragging on the ground, ears burning with shame. When she met her leader's green gaze, narrowed sternly, Rosefur hung her head. "Sorry, Hollystar."

Hollystar blinked. "Don't look like that, Rosefur, I won't eat you." There was no amusement in her voice. "But you ought to be ashamed. A leader has her own den for a reason!" She growled. "I'm very disappointed in you, Rosefur."

The burning in her ears grew, and her heart ached with shame. Rosefur whimpered dejectedly. "I only wanted to hear how it went. But I shouldn't have gone about it in this way."

Hollystar sighed. "Don't worry, you aren't being punished." She flicked her tail. "But, if you eavesdrop like that again, you will be."

Rosefur nodded, glad that her leader wasn't as angry as she thought she would be.

Hollystar also nodded. "Very well. You may leave." She flicked her tail toward the entrance.

Rosefur dipped her head, and then walked hastily out of the leader's den. Outside, Toadear and Bumblepelt were waiting. Toadear and Bumblepelt had their eyes narrowed, as if they were amused. Rosefur noticed another emotion in Bumblepelt's eyes, strong but yet so hidden that Rosefur couldn't tell what it was.

Toadear's amused mew interrupted her thoughts. "Got caught snooping, eh?"

Bumblepelt swatted a paw at Rosefur's ear. "I'm surprised she didn't have your tail!"

Rosefur ducked away from Bumblepelt. "Don't remind me." Suddenly, Rosefur got an idea. Not only would it please her leader, but, to Rosefur's own surprise, it would comfort her, too. "Toadear, Bumblepelt, how about a hunting patrol together?"

Toadear shook his head. "I have to go on a border patrol soon. You and Bumblepelt can go, though, just the two of you.'

Just the two of you…Rosefur excitement heightened. She turned to the black-striped, gray warrior. "Bumblepelt?"

Bumblepelt nodded. "Fine with me." Rosefur was surprised to see the same excitement Rosefur had felt reflected in Bumblepelt's eyes.

"Okay. Let's go." Rosefur and Bumblepelt headed towards the thorn tunnel. She looked back at Toadear, who was watching them go. Was that amusement in his eyes? She turned away, shrugging it off.

As they walked off into the forest, Bumblepelt was eager to start conversation. 'What do you think of the whole situation?" he asked. "You know, with Applepaw?"

As Rosefur turned to look at Bumblepelt, she found herself staring him straight in the eyes. His eyes are so…so... Rosefur could barely stop her tail from shooting straight up in delight.

"I think he should follow whatever path he feels like he belongs to." Rosefur replied finally.

Bumblepelt diverted his gaze directly to Rosefur's eyes. She was startled by the intensity in them. It seemed as if the bright yellow in them was glowing like a firefly. "Do you feel like you are following the path you belong to?" He asked critically.

Rosefur tipped her head to one side in confusion. "Of course. Being a warrior means everything to me."

Bumblepelt sighed and shook his head faintly. "That came out wrong." He took a deep breath. "What I meant to say was—"

He froze in midsentence as they heard a blood-curdling screech coming from the deeper parts of territory. The two cats exchanged a fearful look, wondering what was happening inside their borders. Another screech hit Rosefur's ears, along with a snarl, and then another yowl.

Not wasting a second, Rosefur and Bumblepelt tore off in the direction of the noise. Rosefur was running so fast she felt as if she had wings, and Bumblepelt matched her pace. Suddenly a scent hit Rosefur's nose, followed by a flurry of white fur. Rosefur recognized Lillypaw, one of Icestorm's kits.

"Ambush! Ambush!" She cried, her voice high-pitched with fear. Rosefur's pelt seared with a mixture of astonishment and fear as she realized that Lillypaw was heading towards the camp.

Fear sent a jolt of speed to her paws, and Bumblepelt was no slower. Finally, the two cats skidded to a horrified halt. Rosefur's heart stopped. Bumblepelt gave an alarmed hiss.

Shortpaw, Toadear, Briarclaw, Patchpaw, and Lillypaw's sister, Butterflypaw, were all fighting off WindClan warriors.

Fury came over Rosefur. We didn't do anything to provoke this! With a fearsome caterwaul, Rosefur jumped on a Sunclaw, a golden-brown WindClan warrior. The tom hissed ferociously and slammed a bulky paw on the side for Rosefur's head. For a moment, she saw stars. Then she regained her senses, and bit the base of Sunclaw's tail, sending him screeching away.

Rosefur, now in the middle of a writhing mass of fighting cats, automatically looked for Bumblepelt. He was wrestling with a large, brown tom, who looked like he was exhausted. He doesn't need any help. Rosefur figured.

But, just as she was about to turn away, she saw Breezetail pounce on Bumblepelt from behind. Anger surging her paws forward, Rosefur leaped on Breezetail, clawing bits of black fur into the air.

"Call yourself a warrior?" Rosefur spat savagely at Breezetail. He let out an angry hiss and bit Rosefur's ear with all his might. She yowled in agony and swiped a claw at Breezetail's eye. Spitting, Breezetail ran out of sight from Rosefur, probably over the WindClan border. She caught a glimpse of the large, brown tom fleeing as well.

Bumblepelt looked at Rosefur, his eyes thick with gratitude. "Thank you, I—"

A yowl ripped through the sounds of battle. It sounded mournful and furious in the same tone, making her stomach drop in fear. Have one of our warriors been killed?

She pushed past her brother, who was staring in disbelief, to find out what happened. Rosefur saw a cream-colored body, smelling of WindClan in the center of the gathering cats. Her blood went turned to ice when she saw the blood covering the small cat's pelt. It was obviously an apprentice. Rosefur couldn't see it breathing either.

The small cat was dead.