A half-moon passed since the battle with ShadowClan, and Corey was finally allowed to eat when the apprentices ate. A quarter-moon ago, Stormcloud convinced Bramblestar to lift Carrie out of her punishment early.

"I don't get why you care about her so much!" Bramblestar sighed. "Do you...like her?"

"No!" Stormcloud was flustered. "It's just-"

"Don't say anymore, you don't have to tell me." Bramblestar muttered.

Carrie wiggled excited in her burrow outside of camp till she heard Tigerstar whisper to her.

"Remember, these are the cats that scolded you for fighting for your Clan!"

"Oh, right..."

"Skypaw!" Bramblestar called. "You can come back to camp now!"

Carrie came out and bared her teeth.

"What? Cause you need me?!" Carrie showed an exaggerated amount of hostility.

"We don't." Bramblestar growled. "It's your choice, if you want to leave the Clan. If you do, any patrol has a right to kill you."

"Fine, I'm coming back!" Carrie wasn't coming back for the sake of her Clan. No, she remembered her friends were back there and missing her.

"I'm back!" Carrie growled. Warriors looked startled and whispered to each other. She heard comments how they were surprised that her fur didn't cling to her bones as she had to hunt on her own.

"Because I'm not entirely useless!" Carrie snapped. "Beetlepaw!"

Larry ran to Carrie's side and touched his nose to her's. "Yes?"

"Where's Mothpaw and Acornpaw?" Carrie asked.

"One's on hunting, one's on border patrol." Larry explained. Carrie bared her fangs.

"THEY DON'T MISS ME!" Carrie cried.

"No, they're just on patrol! They don't know you're back!" Larry whimpered.

"I stand alone." Carrie whispered through gritted teeth. Stormcloud went to her and attempted to twine tails with her. Carrie slapped his away.

"AWAY, FLEABAG!" Carrie hissed. Carrie's mentor ran to her.

"That's not how you treat a fellow warrior!" Millie growled. "Apologize!"

"Sorry." Carrie's eyes narrowed at Stormcloud's smug look.

"Of course you'll say sorry to the father of your future kits." Stormcloud purred. Carrie's eyes turned to balls of fire.

"YOU KITTYPET SCUM!" Carrie leaped at Stormcloud and clawed at his ribs. Her back legs kicked his belly and he wailed in pain. Millie pulled Carrie off of him while Birchfall and Lionblaze held Stormcloud back.

"I'm going to sleep." Carrie growled. She entered the apprentice's den. Her body felt like stone, and she fell exhausted. Larry came to cuddle with her, and instead of chasing him away, she let him stay.

"Hey, Soulpaw!"

Sorrelpaw came and nuzzled Corey. He jumped away from her with a startled look in his eyes.

"You're not Adderpaw!" Corey growled.

"No, but I'm much better..." Sorrelpaw purred seductively. She tried to come closer but Corey hissed.

"Stay away from me!" Corey hissed. "ADDERPAW!"

Corey stormed out to search for Laney. When Sorrelpaw was alone in the apprentice's den, her claws unsheathed.

"Soulpaw will be my mate!" Sorrelpaw snarled to herself.

"Strike! Jump! Twist!"

"I'm supposed to be hunting, Tigerstar." Carrie growled as she performed the moves. "And what if an enemy Clan attacks again?"

"This is training for when that happens!" Tigerstar explained. "Unsheathe your claws!"

"Laney? Adderpaw?"

Corey stumbled into the area where Tigerstar was training Carrie.

"Can he see you?" Carrie asked Tigerstar.

"Now he can." Tigerstar stared into Corey's startled gaze.

"SHADOWCLA-"

"Shut up!" Carrie ran lightning-fast and slapped a paw over Corey's mouth. Corey growled and bit her paw.

"OW!" Carrie hissed and slapped Corey's face. Corey leaped.

He landed on Carrie's back, Carrie snarled and rolled over. Corey squealed as Carrie sat on him.

"Soulpaw, this is Tigerstar. He's training me. That's why I know a lot about fighting."

"And you knew how to fight well in your past life." Tigerstar added.

"Tigerstar? Fighting? Past life?!" Corey panicked.

"He can teach you!" Carrie pressed herself against Corey. "Just don't tell the others!"

"You...can teach me?" Corey stared in shock at the dark brown tom.

"I know way more than you do." Tigerstar growled. "Try to fight me."

Corey charged head-on, but Tigerstar was quicker. He stood on his hind legs and slammed his paws down on Corey's shoulders. Tigerstar grabbed Corey's scruff while he was frozen in shock and tossed him into a tree.

Corey moaned in pain.

Carrie flinched. Suddenly she felt a dark sense of dread for who this Tigerstar was.

"You...evil?" Carrie whispered.

"Only to the weak." Tigerstar snarled. "To the weak of heart. My family was weak, Skypaw. I could bent my mother's will and my father couldn't even stay for my apprentice ceremony. He was a coward."

Corey got up and fell back down. Carrie felt a pang in her heart and she ran to help Corey up.

"I taught many, but only few have actually followed my pawsteps. Almost no one can stand the rough training that leads to victory and power!" Tigerstar growled. "Skypaw? Will you be loyal to me?"

"I will!" Carrie felt a sudden surge of excitement.

"You clearly aren't fit for power." Tigerstar turned to Corey. "Stay out of her training or I'll harm your mate!"

"Mate? What mate?" Corey chuckled nervously.

"Don't play stupid, you know who I am referring to!" Tigerstar vanished.

"You can go back, I'm hunting!" And with that, Carrie ran off.

Corey felt the hairs on his back stand. Both from the cold night and the fearful scene he had witnessed.

Corey walked back into the camp and Laney ran to his side.

"Me and Fernpaw were playing with Squirrelflight's kits! They're cute, but Fernpaw had to leave. Would you like to see them with me?"

"Of course." Corey felt fear. Would that tom really harm Laney?

Not that we are mates! But I guess he thought that!

Corey twined his tail with Laney as they headed towards the Nursery. Rosepetal and Lilyheart purred as the kits jumped over them. But when Firekit jumped on Ivypool's ears, she shook her off.

"Are you OK, Ivypool?" Laney asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just really tired!" Ivypool gave a weak smile.

Corey felt the hot temperature in the Nursery and sneezed. Dustkit and Badgerkit ran over to him.

"Are you an appprentice?" Badgerkit squeaked.

"Yes I am." Corey purred and touched his nose to the two kits. He saw Bramblestar's body dash across the clearing.

"All ThunderClan cats!" Bramblestar called. "The Gathering is tonight!"