A/U: This chapter is a bit short compared to my others. I managed to squeeze in an extra line from Copperpaw. I hope you enjoyed it, and please, please review!

Chapter 9

Copperpaw's whiskers drooped as rain pelted through the leaves of trees. She hated the rain. It always made her fur feel heavier than usual. On top of the heavy fur, it made prey hide in their dens. All in all, there was nothing good about rain. Well, maybe except for the fact that it helped make plants grow.

Her lips curled as droplets fell from a leaf above her muzzle. Cinderheart had sent her out on a one cat hunting patrol. Apparently the fresh-kill pile had been deprived of prey since the day before. Now it was up to Copperpaw to stock it up again.

All around her the sounds of prey scuffled about. She could hear the chattering of a squirrel as it waited out the storm. A wren was flapping its wings near two boulders that jutted out from the ground. Her mouth watered at the thought of eating juicy prey. Yet Copperpaw felt her stomach churn in disgust at the thought of killing it. She knew that she could change into animals, which was why she felt this way.

Suddenly her nose wrinkled in disgust. The rank stench of crowfood and something indescribable reached her scent glands. Copperpaw knew that stench anywhere. It belonged to ShadowClan, the Clan that hid in the shadows of their territory. Cinderheart had taught her that ShadowClan cats couldn't be trusted. Most of the warriors in ShadowClan would try to take advantage of a young apprentice. Especially one such as herself.

The dark ginger apprentice dropped to a crouch. She pinpointed the scent. It was drifting from a small patch of grass that ran through ThunderClan territory. The cat hadn't moved yet. If she kept her senses calm and collected, the cat would never detect her approach. Each pawstep was placed carefully on the thick undergrowth. Soon she could make out the pelt of the cat that had wandered into her territory. It was mottled with mixtures of brown, black, and white.

A tortoiseshell, Copperpaw thought with a flick of her ears. She'll look like my color when I'm finished with her, she thought dangerously.

As Copperpaw lifted her head and prepared to spring forward, she quickly realized that this cat was in fact an apprentice. It still had the same kit-soft fur as her. Yet the cat looked desperate as she scanned the territory. A pair of bright amber eyes soon reached Copperpaw's green eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked fearfully.

Copperpaw lifted her head and glared at the intruder. This cat was nothing but a minnow compared to some ShadowClan cats. Maybe she'd crossed into their territory by accident. That would explain why their stench was so strong on her.

"My name is Copperpaw," she growled in reply. "Why are you on ThunderClan territory?" She stepped forward and pushed her muzzle into the other cat's muzzle.

Instead of the fear that had clouded her trespasser's gaze, a look of intrigue and curiosity gleamed within it. "You are...Marked," she gasped. "Than I've found the right cat." A sigh of relief escaped from her jaws.

Copperpaw's fur bristled at the mention of Marked. She felt her fur grow hot in embarrassment when she realized that this cat also had a strange mark on her forehead. It was in the shape of a leaf. It appeared to have the same empathy as Copperpaw's own mark on her tailbone. She turned her head slightly to look at the paw print.

"Do you have powers too?" Copperpaw asked after relaxing a little. She was still suspicious about the cat's scent, but her initial threat had faded.

When the tortoiseshell nodded, Copperpaw couldn't help but gasp in surprise. "I have the power to heal," she explained. "I seem to heal any wound, no matter how deep."

"Wow! That sounds pretty cool," Copperpaw breathed. "I...I can change into different animals," she added.

It felt strange to be telling a different cat about her power. But she trusted this cat, despite what Clan she was from. Something deep within the pit of her stomach told her that this meeting was meant to be. That this was more than about forming a friendship.

"What's your name?" the ShadowClan apprentice asked.

"My name is Copperpaw," she replied. "And yours?"

"In my Clan I am called Flowerpaw," the apprentice murmured. "But I can't live to my namesake. Not yet anyways."

"Why not?" Copperpaw tilted to her head in confusion. What did Flowerpaw mean by not living up to her namesake?

"Littlecloud is still Hawkflash's mentor," Flowerpaw quickly explained. "I guess he's waiting until the right time to retire." She shrugged and looked away.

Copperpaw leaned forward until she nearly pushed Flowerpaw to the ground. "Or maybe he's waiting for a sign!" she meowed. When Flowerpaw's ears pricked forward, Copperpaw explained. "A medicine cat would retire if he or she had a sign, right?"

Flowerpaw's eyes widened in surprise when she realized what Copperpaw was explaining. Suddenly it all made sense. She knew that Littlecloud was old enough to be in the elders' den. His muzzle had grayed with age, and patches of his fur was missing already.

"So what do you have in mind for a retirement?" Flowerpaw asked after Copperpaw mulled over the possibilities.

The two apprentices continued discussing possible signs that would force Littlecloud into retirement. Though the idea sounded wrong, it wasn't new. Copperpaw knew that their plan would work. She felt as though Flowerpaw had to be a medicine cat apprentice. Not just because of the powers she had. But because she shared the attitude of a medicine cat.

There you have it! It took me three days to write this out, which is unusual for updating standards. But I finally managed to finish writing this out. Anyways, thanks ilfbehwh for reviewing! You've earned a Squirrelflight plushie!