AN: Sorry for the delay in updates! I've been busy lately and... yeah. Not really much else to say other than that. But it's the weekend now, and I'll have time! Thanks everyone for your reviews, and please tell me what you thought of this chapter ;)

Chapter 6

Denying StarClan's existence was like turning your back on the Clan. Icepaw knew that it was wrong, but she couldn't help but believe it was true. Why would StarClan be so heartless? Why would they let innocent kits die for something so pointless?

Icepaw tried to shake off the uncomfortable feelings. She knew there was no point in thinking of them, not when they caused so much pain.

"Our final assessments are tomorrow!" Icepaw sat near the apprentice's den. Lightpaw was speaking in an excited voice as she faced her two brothers. Owlpaw and Pinepaw were born into LeafClan unlike the kits that were Chosen.

"I can't believe we'll be warriors soon," Owlpaw murmured. He was quieter than Lightpaw, but he demanded more respect as well. Icepaw knew to avoid him when he was in a bad mood, and that was almost all of the time.

"Won't be long 'till we're warriors too!" Bramblepaw exclaimed.

Icepaw rolled her eyes at his over enthusiasm. He had a way of annoying her almost every day. But he was trying to make things better, and she could tell that he really did care. Part of her wish she could just let go of the past and start a new life here like everyone else did.

"Seawhisker, why don't you take Icepaw out patrolling the border?" Icepaw heard Flarepelt speak up. The dark ginger she-cat was trying to keep everyone busy since Tanglefur's death. "I want to make sure those rogues haven't returned," the deputy added.

Icepaw held back a sigh of relief when Seawhisker nodded in agreement. Leaving the camp was the best way to get away from everything. Seawhisker understood her fear of water. She even understood how much she hated StarClan. It was nice to have kin in the Clan.

The speckled silver tabby padded over to her apprentice after Flarepelt was finished giving orders. She looked more exhausted than usual, and Icepaw suddenly understood why. Seawhisker was working with the older warriors to keep the borders protected. Every morning they were working on the camp's wall of bramble and gorse to ensure that no stranger could get through.

Silence followed as Seawhisker led the way out of camp. Icepaw tried to concentrate on her surroundings. Birds were singing to one another, and she had no doubt there would soon be hatchlings. Young rabbits were just emerging from their burrows, making it very tempting to hunt.

"We can hunt once we're finished patrolling the border," Seawhisker meowed when she noticed the look of longing in Icepaw's eyes.

Icepaw simply nodded in response and continued following her mentor. She thought it was strange that Flarepelt. had only asked for the two of them to go. None of it made any sense with the rogues in the area.

Seawhisker's jaw opened to taste the air once they reached the bog. Icepaw's shoulders stiffened with unease when she saw the water laying around. She made a note to avoid this area at night, or during the day. Actually any part of the day avoiding it would make her happy.

"The scent is tale," Seawhisker announced after a few heartbeats had passed. "Let's hope the rogues don't think about making a return. They don't know who they're dealing with."

Her eyes gleamed with determination as she glared at the Twoleg nests that loomed ahead. Icepaw's fur bristled slightly when she heard a dog barking in the distance. She had never really seen any Twolegs in her life. But from what she had heard of in elder's tales, they were scary looking creatures.

She was relieved when Seawhisker led the way out of the bog. Icepaw felt uneasy any time she was near water. It didn't help when she knew that they could be ambushed at any moment by the rogues. Thankfully Seawhisker was right - the scent they left was stale.

"So now what?" Icepaw asked as she trotted alongside her mentor.

"Now we can go hunting," Seawhisker replied.

Icepaw's eyes glowed at the thought of actually doing something useful. Patrolling the borders was fun and all, but not when there were only two cats on the patrol. She knew the odds were against them if they ran across anything that could harm them.

She opened her jaw to taste the air and picked up the scent of a rabbit. Rabbits were rare in this part of the forest - there wasn't much undergrowth for them to hide in. And they were difficult to hunt when she finally did find one. They were fast enough to outpace a skilled hunter.

But Icepaw was determined to come back with something. She dropped to a crouch and listened until she pinpointed the rabbit's location. It was hiding under what little undergrowth there was. A small shrub that barely had any leaves on it. Icepaw's whiskers twitched with anxiety as she kept low to the ground. Rabbits had exceptional hearing, and any wrong move could alert it to her presence. She kept one eye on the rabbit and another on the ground beneath her paws.

The ground itself was muddy and unkempt. Not an ideal place for rabbits at all. Icepaw took another step forward and stopped when the rabbit's ear twitched back. She tried to press her belly against the ground, aware that she could easily be made out if the rabbit turned around. But to her surprise it kept on nibbling at the grass under the bush. Icepaw smirked when she lunged forward with her claws outstretched. The rabbit had little time to react as her claws made an impact. It stumbled to the ground and struggled to break free from her grip, but Icepaw simply gave it's neck a killing bite.

Pride swelled within Icepaw's chest when she finally stood up. The rabbit dangled limply in her jaws as she managed to carry it to where Seawhisker was waiting. Her mentor's eyes widened when she caught sight of the large rabbit.

"Well done!" Seawhisker purred.

"I wanna give this to the elders," Icepaw announced after dropping it.

"That's a great idea, I'm sure that they would appreciate it," Seawhisker meowed in agreement.

Icepaw couldn't help but duck her head in embarrassment. She hadn't even seen the elders yet. She was so busy learning the territory and the ways of LeafClan that she had forgotten. But now that she had time she was more than determined to understand every cat in the Clan. Seawhisker had said that it would be good to know her Clanmates, even if they weren't cats she didn't like. And as much as Icepaw hated to admit it, that meant spending time with Bramblepaw as well.

She bounded after her mentor as Seawhisker led the way towards camp. The rabbit made it difficult to run, but Icepaw managed to keep up by holding it high. It didn't take them long to reach the clearing, and by the time they arrived Icepaw noticed that cats were gathered around the center of the clearing. Fallenstar was sitting on the log he held meetings on. Flarepelt sat beside him, eyes narrowed as she watched the gathered Clan.

"Tonight there will be a Gathering," the LeafClan leader began. "We will mourn over the loss of one of our elders, Thornpelt, and more recently, Tanglefur. Both were brave warriors who should have lived longer than they did. They hunt with StarClan now, and watch over us as we protect the territory they helped defend." Icepaw looked down at the ground as she thought of Tanglefur's death. By now most cats had gotten over it, but Fallenstar seemed to take it more seriously than others. "And we celebrate the arrival of the newest Chosen! They have learned quickly and are progressing well through their training."

More embarrassment crawled through Icepaw when cats murmured in agreement. She didn't know whether she was doing a good job in keeping up. But hearing Fallenstar say those words made her heart nearly skip a beat. It meant that it wouldn't be long before she became a warrior.

"And finally, there are warrior ceremonies to be held for Owlpaw and Lightpaw!" Icepaw's eyes widened when Fallenstar continued. Owlpaw and Lightpaw were sitting together, eyes glowing with excitement as they watched their leader. "Shadefrost, Ashcloud, do you believe that your apprentices are ready to become warriors?"

"I do," Shadefrost, a black and silver she-cat, replied. Her dark blue eyes gleamed with happiness as she watched Fallenstar.

"I do," Ashcloud replied firmly.

"Then I, Fallenstar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors so that they may look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Owlpaw, Lightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Icepaw's ears pricked forward as she watched Lightpaw's reaction. The young she-cat had not been the same since the battle against the rogues, but now she looked more determined than ever as she met Fallenstar's eyes.

"I do," she replied.

"I do," Owlpaw replied in a softer voice.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Owlpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Owlflight. StarClan honors you for your wisdom and enthusiasm, and we welcome you as a full member of LeafClan." Owlflight's eyes glowed with excitement as Fallenstar pressed his muzzle against the new warrior's forehead. Out of respect he licked the leader's shoulder until Fallenstar stepped back to address his sister.

"Lightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Lightpool. StarClan honors you for your courage and ability to speak up for yourself, and we welcome you as a full member of LeafClan." Lightpool seemed less enthusiastic compared to her brother as she did the same thing.

"Owlflight! Lightpool!" The Clan cheered their names, and Icepaw felt a surge of excitement course through her.

It won't be long until we're warriors, she thought as she glanced at Brightpaw and the other Chosen from this season. Pinepaw, Fawnpaw and Windpaw were the Chosen from last season. They had become apprentices soon after Owlflight and Lightpool were made apprentices. It wouldn't be long before their warrior ceremonies were held.

Once the ceremony was finished Fallenstar joined his Clan so they could sit vigil during the Gathering. To honor the newly named warriors, and the cats that had died recently. Icepaw sat between Brightpaw and Bramblepaw, trying to ignore the conversations Bramblepaw kept coming up with. She thought of what it would have been like in the old Clans. This would have been her first Gathering if she wasn't Chosen. It would have been intimidating seeing so many cats in one place.

Icepaw breathed in a sigh when she realized where her thoughts were headed. She couldn't keep thinking of the old Clans. Brightpaw was right - it wasn't healthy. She needed to focus on her training and become a warrior as soon as possible. And that meant turning her back on the past she was so terrified of.