Icepaw hated being stuck in the medicine cat den since her wounds had been infected, no doubt from the dirt they had buried her alive in. But as much as her injuries hurt, her pride hurt more.

The agony of Hawkpaw choosing Swanpaw over her and throwing her words back at her face. At the moment she started to hate Hawkpaw just as much as Swanpaw. The white-furred cat had been cruel, but she never hid her nastiness behind sweet words and empty promises. And now because of their prank, she had to spend half a moon around a paranoid medicine cat. So she was thankful that Sparrowpaw was the one to tend to her wounds.

Although Sparrowpaw had been the one to pull her out of the tunnel and nurse her wounds, she couldn't get herself to trust the medicine cat apprentice. She trusted no cat in WindClan. And once she was freed from the den, she'd teach herself how to hunt. She didn't want to ever rely on any of these snake-hearted warriors. She'd leave Clan life like she's planned, not sorry to any cat. Well, she'd be lying to herself if she thought that she didn't care for Grasskit and Weaselkit.

They were still too young to fully understand hate. For now, she had no problem with the young toms. But if she stayed in camp, would they eventually turn on her too? To just become another toy for Swanpaw to use.

"Do you want me to get you anything from the fresh-kill pile?" Sparrowpaw asked her. "I'll check on your wounds after you eat."

"No thanks," Icepaw growled. She didn't have much of an appetite since the attack and was eating less. None of the other cats cared that she her ribs had started to show. She was small and skinny, even more frail than when she became an apprentice half a moon ago. She wasn't going to be a warrior anyways. She was stuck in camp and Clawnose completely ignored her now. He didn't believe that she would recover and had not cared when she stayed alive. Would she just become an elder or starve to death?

"I'll get you a mouse," Sparrowpaw gave her a look of pity that annoyed her. If Sparrowpaw had been out searching for herbs that night, then why did it take her so long to find Icepaw? Wouldn't she have heard her screams? Unless the medicine cat apprentice was too afraid of Swanpaw.

She cast a glance at Marshleaf's empty nest. The black she-cat had been staying in Dovestar's den with the leader. As if sharing a den with Icepaw was going to curse her. She hated that word now. Curse. Why would StarClan curse her if she had a special destiny? Was it a test? Had Icepaw failed that test the moment she was born?

It wasn't her fault that Smoketail abandoned his Clanmates or that Silverfang had distanced herself from the Clan. The silver tabby was only ever seen with Cloudwing as the love-struck tom was stuck to her side like a thorn. She heard the other warriors gossip about the warriors as if they were actually interesting. He didn't visit her in the den since she was attacked.

Amberfur, Needledust, and Birdleap had only visited her once just to see if she was alright. While she was touched by their concern, she didn't feel attached to any of them. They were far older than her. Paleflower often brought her kits to keep her company. While she no longer had any opinions about the queen, Weaselkit and Grasskit were close to her.

She felt a bit embarrassed that her only friends were kits younger than her. The other apprentices spent all of their time together without her. Beetlepaw and Thistlepaw had even started spending time around Swanpaw, Poppypaw, and Hawkpaw more.

Which meant Beetlepaw and Thistlepaw had started being cruel to Icepaw and all of the apprentices started calling her 'Cursedpaw'. It had been annoying, but even more so when a couple of the warriors began to call her by that too.

Luckily Dovestar didn't seem to remember she existed, so she didn't have to worry about her named being officially named to Cursedpaw. She had it hard enough being Icepaw.

You aren't cursed to me.

Nightfeather's tone rang in her mind, but she didn't manifest. She often spent a lot of time talking to Icepaw in her head. Nightfeather had been one of the few things keeping Icepaw from losing it. Having a StarClan cat believing in her kept Icepaw going. She wouldn't be able to prove herself to her Clanmates, but she could prove herself to Nightfeather.

"If only you weren't dead, so that I could have you to protect me from my Clanmates."

I wish I wasn't dead too. But you don't need to worry. They won't be your Clanmates for much longer. Destiny will come for you soon.

"What does that mean?" Icepaw asked, both curious and worried.

"What does what mean?" Sparrowpaw asked around a mouse as she held it by the tail. Nightfeather's presence faded from Icepaw's mind leaving her alone with the medicine cat apprentice.

"Nothing," she huffed. "Um, thanks for the mouse."

"We're Clanmates," Sparrowpaw placed it at her paws. "Sticking up for each other is what we are supposed to do. Now eat the mouse. I'm not letting you starve to death."

"Why does it matter?" Icepaw looked away to avoid her blue eyes. "Every cat in WindClan hates me."

"Well I don't," Sparrowpaw said. "Not every cat is against you, Icepaw. Look at Weaselkit and Grasskit. They adore you."

"Until Swanpaw gets her claws in them," Icepaw ripped a piece of mouse and chewed slowly.

"Just give them a chance," Sparrowpaw replied. "Not every cat likes that annoying rabbit-brain."

Icepaw felt a little taken back. She had never seen a cat so open insult the loved apprentice besides Hawkpaw. But he had been faking it. She wanted to give the tabby she-cat a chance, but she didn't want to get too close to another WindClan apprentice.

"ThunderClan, attack!"

The strange yowl scared the both of them and they reeled to see what was going on outside of the den.

They were unfamiliar cats swarming the entire camp, locked in battle. Shapes blurred around her as screams filled the air. There were so many enemy warriors!