A/N: Come on, guys. Don't be neglecting this story just because it's a sequel...I need more reviews! Update after one review. Enjoy!!

"What can you smell, Cherrypaw?"

Cherrypaw lifted her head, Snowstorm's words awaking her from her brief daydream of snow. "What?"

Snowstorm rolled her eyes. "Cherrypaw, you have to pay attention. Now that leaf-bare has ended, we need as many hunters as we can get. Now, tell me. What can you smell?"

Cherrypaw lifted her nose and sniffed impatiently. "There's a lot of fish, and I can smell the sugar river…"

"Besides that, Cherrypaw!" Snowstorm hissed.

Cherrypaw lowered her head shamefully. It wasn't her fault that the sweet scent of the sugar river overwhelmed her. She could barely scent out any prey. Determined, she opened her jaw to taste the air once more. This time, a faint scent of squirrel and black bird caught her attention.

"That's squirrel," she mewed. "And I can also smell some black bird. And is that rabbit?"

Snowstorm laughed. "Good job," she purred. "How about I teach you how to catch a rabbit today?"

Cherrypaw nodded in excitement. The only thing she could catch so far was fish, and she was getting tired of it.

"All right," Snowstorm started. "But you'll have to pay attention. Now, can you tell me the difference between catching mice and rabbits?"

Cherrypaw pondered the question with difficulty. She still couldn't quite grasp the way to catch mice, but she knew well enough what to do. "Mice will feel your pawsteps before they ear you, in the ground, and rabbits will hear you before scenting you."

Snowstorm nodded. "Very good. Now, if rabbits can hear easily, what must you do to catch them?"

Cherrypaw knew this one. "Stay really quiet!"

Snowstorm chuckled. "Yes, you must do that. But that doesn't mean you can stay downwind and they won't smell you. Keep in mind that they have a great sense of smell, too."

As if on cue, Cherrypaw scented a rabbit scrabbling through the damp undergrowth, searching for food after the long leaf-bare. Snowstorm dropped into a crouch, staying upwind. She crept forward as silently as a rock before pouncing on the helpless creature, killing it with one swift blow.

"Now you try," Snowstorm instructed. "Go find a rabbit. If you return to me with it, maybe we can practice more mouse-hunting."

Cherrypaw bounded away without a word. She wanted to prove to Snowstorm just how well she could hunt.

Cherrypaw stopped running and crouched in the damp undergrowth patiently. She sniffed the air, catching a small whiff of squirrel and chaffinch. But there wasn't any rabbit-scent. Determined, Cherrypaw set off again, in search of the juiciest rabbit in the forest.

Running along the river, Cherrypaw suddenly caught the scent of a rabbit shuffling in the undergrowth. She stopped. There was another scent there as well. It smelled like a Clan cat, but she didn't know which Clan, and it definitely wasn't RainClan.

Cherrypaw ducked down in the damp undergrowth and crawled slowly forward. The smell got stronger, and she could finally make out the faint scent of EmberClan. And kittypet. It was EmberClan and kittypet combined.

Creeping forward the slightest bit more, the warrior came into view. It was and EmberClan cat! But he had a collar around his neck. Wow, Cherrypaw thought silently. Like he's not breaking the warrior code.

Suddenly, the warrior / kittypet caught Cherrypaw's scent. Instinctively, Cherrypaw pounced into visibility, cursing herself under her breath for her instincts in hunting.

"Who are you?" the warrior asked. He took a sniff. "Oh, am I in RainClan territory? I never actually got to smell RainClan's new scent."

Cherrypaw stared in wonder at the intruder. "More importantly," she mewed, "who are you?"

The warrior stifled a chuckle. "I'm Thistleclaw. Well, that was my warrior name. My Twolegs call me Carter."

Cherrypaw stiffened. "You traitor," she spat.

Thistleclaw / Carter took a step back. "Calm down!" he mewed. "Who ever said I wanted to be a kittypet? And please call me Thistleclaw, not Carter."

Cherrypaw relaxed, though she still felt unnerved near the former EmberClan warrior. "What do you want?"

Thistleclaw chuckled. "I want to get this collar off," he replied. "It's itching like brambles and gorse."

Cherrypaw nodded. "Well you're going to have to get it off in your own territory. This is RainClan's territory. Now leave."

Thistleclaw looked down. "My Clan won't accept me," he explained solemnly. "They think I accepted the life of a kittypet and broke the warrior code. But I would never do that! I'm a loyal warrior to EmberClan!"

Cherrypaw sat down and gave her paws a good lick. She pondered whether or not she should go out and get Snowstorm or chase the intruder away.

As if on cue, Snowstorm padded through a bush and approached Cherrypaw. "Well, well, well," she meowed. "Who do we have here?"

Thistleclaw looked up. "Snowstorm! How's Thunderheart doing? I've missed him…"

"Silence." Snowstorm padded over to Cherrypaw. "Why didn't you chase this trespasser away?"

Cherrypaw looked up at her mentor. "He said that his Clan didn't accept him," she told her. "EmberClan thinks that Thistleclaw accepted the life of a kittypet and they won't accept him!"

Snowstorm looked thoughtful. Finally, she looked up at Thistleclaw. "I'll take you back to RainClan's camp and speak with Stormstar or Sparrowstripe about you." She turned to Cherrypaw. "You, go and fetch that rabbit. I'll be waiting in the camp."

Without another word, Snowstorm took Thistleclaw back to the RainClan camp, leaving a confused Cherrypaw sitting in the wet dust. She brought a paw up to her muzzle for a short lick before eventually scenting a rabbit close by. Quickly, she pounced on the prey and killed it swiftly, bringing the fresh-kill back to the RainClan camp.

"He hasn't been accepted into his Clan?" Stormstar repeated Snowstorm's words in shock. "But that's not like Streamstar."

Snowstorm shook her head. "I don't know what he was thinking," she mewed. "But that's what Thistleclaw here says."

Cherrypaw dropped her rabbit off at the apprentices' den to show it to Snowstorm later. She bounded over to the Highrock where the group of cats was talking.

"Cherrypaw, go and feed the elders," Stormstar ordered. "You don't need to be listening."

Snowstorm shook her head again. "Cherrypaw's the one who found Thistleclaw. She deserves to hear."

Cherrypaw gave a disdainful sniff and sat down, making herself comfortable in the sandy earth.

"Very well," Stormstar meowed. Then he turned to Thistleclaw. "I'm sorry, Thistleclaw, but there's not much I can do. You can stay with us for the day and come to the Gathering tonight. There, I'll speak to Streamstar."

Thistleclaw nodded. "Thank you very much, Stormstar. EmberClan will honour your kindness."

As Stormstar padded away to speak to Sparrowstripe, Cherrypaw looked over at Thistleclaw. "You're going to be staying with RainClan?" she asked.

"Just until tonight," Snowstorm corrected. "If Stormstar speaks to Streamstar at the Gathering tonight, maybe he'll knock some sense into the old leader."

Thistleclaw purred in laughter. "Yes, he's been EmberClan's leader for some time now."

Snowstorm padded away toward the apprentices' den. Cherrypaw anxiously followed her, leaving Thistleclaw behind.

"You caught this rabbit?" Snowstorm asked.

"Yes, I did," Cherrypaw responded, lifting her chin in pride.

Snowstorm nodded. "Very good job, Cherrypaw," she meowed. "Go feed the elders. Tomorrow, we can practice more mouse-hunting."

Cherrypaw nodded and picked up the rabbit. She trotted over to the elders' den and poked her head inside, only to see Skyfeather and Goldenheart in there, talking.

"Hello, Goldenheart, Skyfeather," Cherrypaw mewed in greeting. She was excited to see Skyfeather. She'd always wanted to be just like Skyfeather when she grew up. She couldn't wait until she was a warrior sometimes, just to be with Skyfeather more.

"Hello, love," Goldenheart meowed.

"Hi, Cherrypaw," Skyfeather chirped. "Did Snowstorm send you to feed Goldenheart and Moonflower?"

Cherrypaw nodded and dropped the rabbit on the ground. "Where's Moonflower?"

"She went to go see Leafstripe," Goldenheart replied. "She was complaining about a bellyache."

"Should I go and get her some fresh-kill now or later?" Cherrypaw asked.

"She'll be back soon, but she hasn't been hungry lately," Goldenheart responded with a tinge of worry in her voice. "I'll just share my prey with her."

Cherrypaw nodded. "Thanks, Goldenheart."

"Skyfeather, love, why don't you go back to the nursery before Moonflower comes back?" Goldenheart suggested. "She'll have your ears before you can say fresh-kill if she sees you in here."

"Sure," Skyfeather replied. She stood up, faltering slightly at the weight of her swollen belly.

"Cherrypaw, help Skyfeather out," Goldenheart ordered.

Cherrypaw quickly rushed over to Skyfeather's side and gave her her shoulder for weight.

"Thank you, Cherrypaw," Skyfeather mewed as the two padded out of the elders' den. "You may go to your friends now."

"But I'm all alone, Skyfeather," Cherrypaw whined, finally realizing the truth. "Icepaw stays in the medicine cat's den with Leafstripe, and I'm all alone in the apprentices' den."

"Hmm," Skyfeather mumbled. "That's funny. I'm all alone in the nursery, too." Suddenly, her ears perked up. "I've got an idea. I absolutely have to stay in the nursery in case my kits come early, but you don't have to stay in the apprentices' den. You won't be breaking the warrior code if you leave."

Cherrypaw nodded, excitement filling her chest. She would get to stay with Skyfeather! "Let's ask Stormstar!"

Skyfeather nodded. She was about to sprint over to the leader's den when she remembered her belly and took a slower pace. Fortunately, Stormstar padded up to her before long.

Cherrypaw strained to hear, but couldn't. But when she saw Stormstar nod, she jumped up in the air in joy and trotted over to the nursery. She pawed some moss together to form a nest for herself right beside Skyfeather's. Now she didn't have to wait to become a warrior to stay with Skyfeather.

A/N: I know Cherrypaw's admiration for Skyfeather is a little strange, but I had to connect the two somehow. Skyfeather has to grow a liking to Cherrypaw in order for the story to work our fine. But thanks anywayz. One review gets an update!