A/N: So, these chapters are shorter than what I normally do, but that's mostly because I was writing this in a notebook, making it seem like I wrote more than I actually did … but anyway, I hope you enjoy! And please review (you anonymous readers) because it really gives me motivation. Thanks =)

Disclaimer: Well, I don't own Warriors (only these characters) but you should all know that…

Chapter 1

A cool breeze ruffled on the leaves of the willow tree as the sun slowly began to rise. A small black she-cat with white paws was sleeping in a nest of moss and feathers, eyes closed peacefully. She was dreaming about a nice, juicy vole . . .

"Mintpaw!"

Mintpaw jumped up, immediately awake, and her whole body was tense. Her fur relaxed slowly, though, when she saw who had called her name.

"Oh, hi, Thornfang," she meowed quietly to the brown tabby tom, who was also IceClan's deputy. His sharp teeth flinted in the sunlight, and he was obviously upset about something. Mintpaw gulped, trying to stop shaking before he saw. There was just something about him that intimidated her.

"You're supposed to be on the dawn patrol now," he growled. "Foxclaw is waiting."

The young apprentice scurried out of the apprentice den, self-consciously licking a stray piece of fur on her chest. Ever since the Clan leader, Cloudstar, had taken her on as his own apprentice, she felt as if her whole Clan was always watching her, expecting her to be a skilled hunter, or swift fighter. She hoped they wouldn't be disappointed when they discovered she was just a normal, boring apprentice.

Her ears pricked at the sound of rushing water nearby. All around her, cats were sleeping or just waking up, feeling cool from the shady willow and Cyprus trees. IceClan was located on a tiny island, separated from the rest of the forest by a long stream of water. The river was full of fish, and IceClan were masters at catching them. At that point, Mintpaw actually passed a pile of fish and the occasional vole, making her way over to the camp entrance. Reeds surrounded their camp, so the only way in and out was a small pathway, with paw steps embedded in the soft earth.

"There you are," a disgruntled ginger tom said. He turned his head to lick some of his fur, where it hadn't been ripped out from battle. Beside him was a broad-shouldered brown tom, kneading the ground anxiously. Mintpaw purred when she saw him. That was Shortpaw, one of the other apprentices. He was named that because of his back leg, which was a little shorter than all the others. It never got him down, though; he was one of the happiest cats she had ever known.

"Sorry Foxclaw, Sleetpelt."

The ginger tom, Foxclaw, huffed but he didn't reply, while the last cat Sleetpelt nodded and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. He shook his gray-and-white pelt to get rid of loose hails before looking up and purring. A pretty silver tabby was walking over to the fresh-kill pile slowly, her belly so swollen it almost touched the ground. She picked a fish up before turning back around.

"Reedpool!" Sleetpelt exclaimed. The tabby spun around, dropping her fish immediately, and walked over to her mate. Mintpaw stared at her paws, not wanting to interfere with the young cats' love.

"Will we ever make it out of camp?" Foxclaw grumbled.

Eventually, Reedpool left to go back to the nursery, fish in mouth, so Sleetpelt was ready for the patrol. Muttering under his breath, Foxclaw finally led the patrol out of camp, with Sleetpelt right beside him. Mintpaw followed aw well, but she went slowly so Shortpaw could keep up. He would still be a great warrior, but he just couldn't go as fast as everyone else.

"Thanks for helping the crippled," he joked, with Mintpaw looking down shyly.

As they trekked through the shrubs, Mintpaw kept her ears pricked at all times. Sometimes there mice and voles, and they got to experience something other than fish.

Not that fish aren't delicious, she thought to herself, but it does get a bit . . . . dull.

Mintpaw and the others lifted their noses to find the scent, but there was nothing there. Then again . . . what if it was an enemy cat, who was hiding his scent? The black apprentice gulped, trembling slightly. She had only been an apprentice for a quarter moon or so, so she had never experienced battle.

"Wait a moment, Shortpaw, don't do anything—" but before Foxclaw could even finish his sentence, his apprentice had leaped into the bushes, claws extended. There was hissing and yowling, when finally came a shocked mew.

"What are you doing?!" The rest of the patrol ran to where Shortpaw had gone, only to stop short and groan. The brown apprentice was on the ground, whiskers twitching in embarrassment, and above him stood a dark tortoiseshell she-cat. Her head was tilted to the side in confusion, with a robin at her foot.

Foxclaw sighed, narrowing his eyes at his inexperienced apprentice. "What did I tell you, Shortpaw? You're never to leap without thinking first! Sorry, Fallenleaf, if you lost your prey."

But the tortoiseshell only shrugged. "I can catch another mouse. I already caught a bird." Giving the apprentice one last look, Fallenleaf picked up her prey and began to head back to their camp. Still looking at the ground, Shortpaw rolled off of his back and onto his paws. Mintpaw wanted to support her friend, but she was too afraid of confronting Foxclaw.

Once they made it to the river, which was right across from FireClan territory, the patrol reset their markers. They technically had the land right next to the river on the other side, but FireClan frequently invaded it.
I wish we could catch them on our territory, she thought. Robinstar won't admit that her cats come on our land.

"Well, let's get back," Sleetpelt said. "Cloudstar will want to know about the invasions." He said it as a sigh, because they went through this almost every day. They even attacked the FireClan camp once, but as soon as the enemy cats healed, they were back.

They have no shame, Mintpaw thought sadly.

"Come on, Mintpaw," Foxclaw called. Mintpaw, realizing that she was left behind, hurried to where the other cats were, anxious to tell Cloudstar, her mentor, the news.

Here we come, Cloudstar. Be ready for more drama.