Another chapter and a very merry christmas to you all! Please, feel free to tell me all what you got for Christmas! I'll tell you what my "big" present was! A...*drumroll*...laptop! YAY! This should make updating a whole lot easier, faster, and funner! All right, REVIEW ANSWERS!

Ashheart15: I do find that breaks are often instrumental in the finding of one's inspiration! You'll find it, don't you worry :) Merry Christmas deary

Silvertail of ShoreClan: yes, I know it was rather short, and I apologize. I was a tad bit stuck, and then I thought you guys might like a little lookie into StarClan. I also wanted to bring Lionclaw back for a bit, I just miss him so much :( so, it's not Christmas morn, but it is Christmas night! I hope that's okay? xD

Galefire: phew, thank you so much for the name sweetie pie! You have no idea how helpful that is! Anywhoo, to your review :)WindClan it is and WindClan it shall be! And you like Snowpaw too? I just love how cheerful and energetic she iss :) I also think I'm going to love Darkpaw...and I already love Dapplepaw, so ya' know xD And I sense a Thornpaw lovaaa! *hands Thornpaw plushie* rock on chica/o!

Awesomeman56: well, I respect your opinion sir (your name says man, so if your a girl, I apologize xD)

LarkspiritofForestClan: Merry Christmas! I have over twenty cousins, and I love them all, just as much as I love messin' with them :D And I can see where some people might get confused, but if they bothered to read your review carefully and more than once (as I clearly did), they would be able to spell your name no problemo!

Juniperleaf of BlazeClan: niceee, that is, as my friend says, skillage xD

Falcon: Merry Christmas! And it was, ya' know, a lucky guess :)

Moonshine16: your wish shall be granted, though probably not in the near future xD We shall seee!

The Bearer of Secrets: always a pleasure to read your reviews :) I hope you had a most fantabulous christmas deary!

XxBlazestormXx: protectors of the disabled! ROCK ON! *cue fist pump* allright, now that's over. xD

Sun on the Horizon Sun: aww, thanks :D reviews like yours make me smile lots and lots!

Silversong of the Moon: and I cannot wait for you to find out!

Spottedflame: okay, good, cause I don't want to offend you :) always remember this, no matter how cheesy and weird it is...my own personal mantra...YOU. CAN. DO. IT!

Runningmist: you know, I wanted iTunes too, but I got so many great gifts, it doesn't matter to me that I didn't get it :) I mean, I got a nice laptop and a gorgeous, and I mean italian leather bound gorgeous journal! ahhh, it was a goodd Christmas! How about you?

TearStainedAngel: now, deary, why are you angry? Talk to monkey ;) And when the world is wearin' you down, just remember this quote that's been stuck in my head for a while by Ernest Himingway: "The world breaks everyone. Sometimes, people are strong at the broken places."

Tangleflame: and I'm so happy you reviewed! you are just far too kind my dear :) Merry Christmas!

kingszey: isn't he? *sigh* I love and miss him oh so much :) *hands Lionclaw plushie* he's adorable!

spottedfire98: Hope you get better! Being sick most truly sucks, especially during the holidays! Hang in there :)

And noww, finally, ON WITH THE STORYY! (PS, this is the edited version. While I was writing chappie 11, I came up with this even more agonizing cliffie! I feel evil today xD)

Chapter 10

Featherpaw

Featherpaw sat beside the Thunderpath, staring at nothing as monsters roared past, bringing with them their foul stench. Featherpaw paid no heed to it though, as she struggled with her inner demons.

At her feet lay pieces of a freshly killed mouse. Sighing, she looked across the gray path again, into the depths of ShadowClan's territory.

When Nightstar had mentioned the prey, had threatened war, she'd almost fainted. As much as she hated to admit it, she was beginning to develop grudging affections for ThunderClan. Either way, she didn't want cats hurt, killed even, because she had to do Shadowfur's dirty work. Yet, she had no choice. Especially if she wanted her mother to live. Sighing again, she darted across the path and dropped the prey, making sure the scent of ThunderClan lingered. Checking furtively to make sure no cat was watching, she darted back to her side, biting back a screech of frustration.

Once on ThunderClan's side, she tried to keep her legs from giving way.

As the days began to pass, Featherpaw had come to the realization that killing Ravenwing's family and Leafstar was more than she could handle alone. No matter the consequences, she knew this was what she would have to tell Spot, come the half-moon. It was better than failing and costing her mother's life.

She had also started to admit to herself that she'd developed more of a friendship with Rosepaw and Thonrpaw than she should have. Rosepaw was so intelligent and fierce, it was hard not to admire her. And Thornpaw was so easy-going and fun, it was hard not to like him.

Even so, she was dreading her meeting with Spot, terrified of Shadowfur's reaction. She would bet a moon's worth of prey that he was just going to adjust the plan a bit, probably send in some more cats. Featherpaw shuddered at the thought. Her father was ruthless when determined to get a job done. And this was the most determined Featherpaw had ever seen him. She didn't know what satisfaction he got from this job, other than revenge.

Sitting down, Featherpaw gave herself a quick wash, cleaning the stench of the Thunderpath from her tortoiseshell fur. When she was certain no trace of foulness remained, she went to dig up the rest of her prey and return to camp.

Ravenwing met her in the ravine, eyes widening with approval as she caught sight of Featherpaw's catch.

"Good. Drop that off and see to Barktail. Rosepaw already took care of the elders for you," her mentor mewed, turning and heading back into camp. Curious, Featherpaw trotted in, saving a squirrel and a vole for Barktail and Poppypaw.

When she had dropped the prey off, she made her way towards the stump. There, Rosepaw sat, obviously fuming about something.

Uh-oh, Featherpaw though, unconsciously slowing.

Rosepaw whipped her head towards Featherpaw, hearing her approach, eyes ablaze with a fury.

"Don't just stand staring like an idiot, come here or go away," Rosepaw spit out, shoulders hunched and fur bristling slightly.

To any other cat, this would have been enough to turn tail and flee. But Featherpaw had lived with cats like Rosepaw her entire life, so she wasn't easy to scare away.

"What happened?" Featherpaw asked, coming to sit in front of Rosepaw. Rosepaw snarled under her breath what sounded like an insult. Featherpaw decided it best not to ask.

"Leafstar refuses to train me today, tomorrow, and the next day. Says she has important duties or something. But you know what? She hasn't come out of her den all day. I'm done with her. If I don't get out soon, I just might explode," Rosepaw snarled furiously.

Featherpaw was surprised. From what she had seen of Leafstar, she was a very conscientious, demanding mentor, who took her duties seriously. And this was very sudden.

"It probably has to do with the war with ShadowClan or something," Featherpaw replied, feeling the usual twinge of guilt whenever the war was mentioned. Sometimes, she really hated her father. And herself.

"Yeah, well she could at least assign another mentor to me. It would probably even be good experience," Rosepaw muttered mutinously, eyes still blazing. Featherpaw purred.

"Just ask someone yourself," she answered, standing. Rosepaw nodded, pricking her ears.

"Where you going?" the white she-cat asked, standing also. Featherpaw glanced at her, faintly surprised.

"To eat. You want to come?" Featherpaw asked, half-expecting the independent apprentice to refuse. She surprised her by agreeing, padding by her side as they trotted to the prey-pile, chatting.

As they sat there eating, talking about nothing and everything, Featherpaw felt a sense of contentment she had never felt before. It filled her with a warmth she had never known, not in all her years. For once, she could really relax and just forget about everything, losing herself in Rosepaw's warm voice and the soothing feeling of security. That is, until Rosepaw's head shot up, eyes wide with anger and a hint of fear.

"Featherpaw, do you smell that?" she murmured, rising slowly. Featherpaw shook her head, opening her mouth and drawing a deep breath of the cold leaf-bare air. Rosepaw began to growl.

"Get Leafstar. I scent ShadowClan," she snarled ominously, dashing off to the warrior's den. Featherpaw shot off to Leafstar's den, guilt and fear filling her. This is all my fault.

Rosepaw

"ShadowClan!" Rosepaw yowled into the den, where she could scent Blackfur, Whitefoot and her mother.

"Are you sure?" her mother asked instantly. Rosepaw could hear her getting to her paws, falling into calm mode as easily as falling water.

Rosepaw nodded her head desperately, scrambling to back out of the den. Across the clearing, she could scent Featherpaw and Leafstar approaching, worry and-strangely-guilt radiating off Featherpaw in waves.

"Featherpaw, wake Thornpaw. Grayclaw has a patrol somewhere along Sunningrocks, Icefur is along by Snakerocks. Jaypelt is solo hunting, so if you run into her, make sure you send her back to camp. "Quickly!" Ravenwing ordered, striding to Leafstar, who remained as impassive as ever.

"Rosepaw!" she called. Rosepaw hurried after her, listening as Featherpaw ran off to the den to get her brother.

While she was both afraid and angry, she couldn't keep back the wave of excitement at her first battle. Her first chance to truly prove herself worthy. And to rake her claws down that piece of fox-dung Bramblefur's face. Ah, daydreams.

"Rosepaw, are you certain?" her mentor questioned. Rosepaw shot her a pointed glare, still not entirely okay with the fact she hadn't taken her training.

"As certain as I've ever been," Rosepaw replied coolly, tossing her head. Opening her mouth, she caught the scent again, even clearer this time. They were coming, and fast. She just hoped Thornpaw didn't run into them.

Just as this though crossed her mind, and before either she-cats beside her could say anything else, she heard a fierce battle cry erupt from the entrance, as well as a fresh wave of ShadowClan stench.

"ThunderClan, to me!" Leafstar caterwauled before leaping towards the invading cats. Rosepaw heard Blackfur and Whitefoot plunging into battle as well.

From the scents and sounds, Rosepaw guessed that there were at least six cats in the battle party. Too many for them to handle by themselves, at least until Featherpaw and Thornpaw returned. And Rosepaw was determined to give them as much time as possible.

Giving a fierce cry, she ran side-by-side with her mother into battle.

Leaping onto a tom, she could sense he was young, maybe a little older than her. Raking her claws down his sides, she sensed him tense as he prepared to roll over. When he did roll, Rosepaw leaped and landed neatly, facing off with the tom boldly. Remember Leafstar's lessons, she kept her eyes where his most likely were, unblinking and emotionless.

"If it isn't the pretend warrior, a blind kit playing at being a legend," the tom sneered. Rosepaw could sense his jeering gaze on her, trying to break her. Refusing to break her shield, she kept her mask up, though inside she vowed to tear him to shreds.

Suddenly, she heard his paws leave the ground. She shot forward and spun on her forepaws, catching his face with her hind claws. When she landed, facing him again, she flicked her forepaw out, raking him down the face again. Yowling, he backed off and ran. Rosepaw could just see him, bleeding from the wounds she'd inflicted.

A huge weight suddenly slammed into her, throwing her through the air. Grunting, she hit the hard earth, scrambling to her paws as quickly as possible. She caught a familiar scent and realized it was Bramblefur she now faced. Perfect.

Throwing aside her mask, she hissed in his face, lashing out her claws. She felt the air as he ducked and she immediately dashed forward, paws stretched in front of her. Catching his head between her front claws, she felt a twinge of grim satisfaction. Elation and adrenaline ran through her as she flipped the warrior and clawed his stomach while he yowled and screeched, squirming. Refusing to let him escape, she bent her head and bit his neck hard, making sure she didn't cut the life vein.

Around her, she could hear the howls and spits of her clan mates as they struggled to fend the angry cats off. Biting back a sigh, she gave Bramblefur one last scratch on his cheek before releasing him. He immediately ran off, wailing. Spinning, she opened her mouth slightly, looking for her next opponent.

Nearby, she heard Blackfur spitting at what sounded like two ShadowClan warriors. Rosepaw took a second to collect herself before she ran between the two warriors, causing them to fall off balance. She immediately turned and nipped him on the shoulder before spinning and dashing to nip him on the hind leg. The other cat was being kept occupied by Blackfur, who by the sound of it was easily beating her.

Rosepaw jerked back to her warrior, who was trying to gather himself. Before he could, Rosepaw shot forward and latched onto his neck, shoving him back, back. Tearing free, the warrior also fled, silently to his credit.

By this time, few warriors remained. A though struck Rosepaw. Where in StarClan are Featherpaw and Thornpaw?

Then, she caught a whiff of Nightstar. With the battle energy flowing through her veins, she lunged toward him before she realized that Leafstar already had him occupied.

Rosepaw listened as Leafstar slammed the heavy tom to the ground and proceeded to claw him from the sound of it. Truly, no cat matched her mentor in battle.

Rosepaw listened as the defeated leader scrambled to his paws and tore himself away from Leafstar's claws, yowling to his warriors to retreat.

In a few seconds, the clearing had been emptied. Rosepaw sat down, exhaustion hitting her, causing her limbs to ache and her few scratches to begin to sting.

"Rosepaw!" her mother howled desperately, fear in her voice as she searched for her daughter. Rosepaw suddenly remembered they had received fresh snow the other night, so she was probably hidden by the snow.

"Here, mother. Don't worry, I'm okay," Rosepaw called, standing wearily and trotting towards her mother, who rushed forward and began to lick her fiercely, relief pouring from her.

At the entrance, Rosepaw heard the pattering of paws and caught Featherpaw's scent. She felt worry beginning to gnaw at her, as well as her mother. Where was Thornpaw? Her feeling of unease grew when the Snakerocks patrol returned a few moments later, without Thornpaw. Oh StarClan, where is he?

Featherpaw made her way towards Rosepaw, who was concentrating all her senses towards the forest, searching for her brother.

"Where is he?" Rosepaw muttered, starting too really panic. An indescribable feeling of terror began to grip her heart and freeze her legs, and Featherpaw seemed to sense this as she remained quiet, merely sitting to wait beside Rosepaw.

Rosepaw gaped her jaws in a soundless scream as a spike of pain plunged through her head. Suddenly, her vision flashed white and she caught sight of her brother cowering beneath…what? Frustrated, Rosepaw strained her eyes even harder, trying to see what her brother was hiding from. Then, she got a glimpse of black and white fur, and horror froze her heart as her vision faded back to black.

Her brother was being attacked by a badger, all alone in the forest with no one to protect him.

Without a second thought or doubt, Rosepaw shot out of the clearing, running harder and faster then she ever had in her life, ignoring her mother's calls and Featherpaw's confused meows.

Thornpaw, I'm coming. Just hold on, I'm coming!

Thornpaw

Thornpaw stared at the huge, lumbering animal in front of him, trying to keep his teeth from clacking together. The badger's small, beady eyes seemed to glare at him as it moved forward, growling. Thornpaw hissed bravely even though inside he quaked with terror.

He'd been on his way to Snakerocks when the stench of badgers had wafted over him. Moments after the scent hit him, the badger had burst from the undergrowth, giving Thornpaw no time to dash away. All too soon, he was pinned against a tree, looking desperately for an escape.

Realizing how dire his situation was, his chances of surviving were quickly plummeting. As the badger neared, snarling, Thornpaw shut his eyes and prayed that somehow, he would survive this. Suddenly, the badger gave a vicious snarl, just as a bone-chilling caterwaul echoed from the undergrowth. Thornpaw's eyes flew open. He knew that cry.

Rosepaw flew from the bushes, eyes wide and claws out, snarling more viciously than the badger itself. Thornpaw had never been more shocked and grateful in his life. He immediately leaped to his sister's side, growling at the badger that seemed to be thinking twice about taking them both on.

"What are you doing here?" Thornpaw hissed under his breath. Rosepaw's ear twitched as she let out another yowl.

"Saving your tail," she snapped back before lunging forward. Thornpaw watched, awestruck, as his sister clawed the badger's muzzle, drawing blood. His blind, small sister was actually taking on a badger, practically by herself.

Thornpaw leaped forward, scoring his claws down the badger's flank. The huge animal growled, whipping its head side to side, sending Rosepaw flying through the air. Thornpaw jumped onto its back, hanging on for dear life as he bit down on the badger's fuzzy ear, hard. The animal threw him from its back almost easily. Thornpaw landed on his back, hard. As he lay there, gasping for breath, he watched as the lumbering animal approached his sister, who remained on the ground unmoving.

Thornpaw tried to move, blink, breath, anything. His body seemed to be fighting him as he watched, horror struck, as the animal raised a huge paw above Rosepaw.

All he managed was a weak, "No".

His sister's eyes flew open a split second before the badger's paw came down on her.