It'd been almost a moon since they all got their names. Now the Clan was progressing well.

Starstar crouched, scenting the air. She picked up Storm's scent. He'd passed through there earlier. But no prey-scent.

Growling, she moved towards the river. Leaf-fall was upon them. Green-leaf had been short this year. Prey was already starting to vanish.

There! A large black-bird was preening itself. She started to quickly and silently creep up on the unsuspecting bird.

There was a shrill scream, and Kitepaw fell on the bird. Even though he'd killed it, he started to maul it. "Kitepaw!" she cried sharply.

He looked up guiltily.

"Who taught you to maul prey like that? Even though we hunt it, you must show respect for the life that was given for us to live!" she snarled, her fur bristling.

"Starstar, he's still young. Don't yell at him so." Velvetfoot had emerged from the bracken.

She rounded on him. "You're no better! Do you think I missed you tearing that rabbit to pieces yesterday? Silverpelt taught us better than that!"

Both crouched submissively before her.

"Both of you, collect any fresh-kill you caught and take it back to the camp! You two aren't going out to hunt for half a moon! Not if this is how you behave!" she spat.

"Starstar, we're all still kits..." Velvetfoot murmured.

"Then should I demote you back to an apprentice? At least until you learn how to behave like a warrior? We are almost seven moons now, Velvetfoot! Now go, both of you!"

She glared after their retreating tails as they went to pick up all their catches. "I'm going to have a word with Silverpelt!" she yowled after her brother. His tail hung, if at all possible, lower.

"Starstar?"

She spun around angrily.

Hollyberry flinched. "Look, sorry..." she mewed, backing off.

"No, I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly. "Velvetfoot is just acting like a dog again! I mean, thank StarClan, he mauls his prey and teaches Kitepaw to do the same! He's... Gah!" she ranted.

"I know. I was coming to tell you that Rosepaw has done very well in her training. I've been watching her with Faithheart. I think she's ready for her assessment."

"Good! That's something to take my mind off of that dog and his apprentice!" she purred. "I'll go speak to Chain now!"

"Uh... That's the thing... Chain is with Cometstripe... He wound up eating something bad in his fresh-kill... We think it may have been crowfood."

"Oh, bless StarClan!"

She bounded back to camp and skidded into Cometstripe's den. Chain lay moaning in one of the nests, pawing at his stomach. Rosepaw sat nervously next to him, giving his head occasional licks. "Cometstripe?" she mewed nervously, looking at her brother.

"He's eaten some crow-food. We don't know how, just that he did. I think I can make him better, if I can get the toxins from the stuff out of his system." the medicine cat mewed around a bundle of leaves. "Here, Chain... Eat these. They'll make you throw up, but that's what we want."

Chain looked at the leaves skeptically. "Personally... I don't think... I could eat anything right... Ugh... Right now..." he said painfully.

Rosepaw took one of the leaves in her mouth and chewed in to a fine pulp. "Here... Try it now." she said, spitting it out before him.

Chain tentatively licked up the pulped leaf. He'd barely swallowed it when he vomited.

"Good. That's what we want." Cometstripe nodded approvingly.

"Well, now I need to speak with Chain. Alone, please." Starstar spoke up.

Everyone went their own way. But Rosepaw stayed.

"Rosepaw, go take care of the elders for a little or something." Chain ordered weakly. Rosepaw mumbled her disapproval, but obeyed. "Yeah?"

"It's time she's assessed."

Chain's eyes narrowed.

"When you're better, that is! That's all!"

"No... I'm from BloodClan, remember? How do you assess your apprentice?" he mewed sheepishly.

"Oh... Well, generally it's on hunting. You send your apprentice to hunt in certain territory, and follow them so they don't know you're there. Then you tell me how they did and I decide whether or not to make them a warrior. Or, you could do fighting skills. Send her out and then go in a little later. She has to stalk you and find you, then sneak up on you so you don't know she's there." she rambled.

"Whoa, slow down! I understand now, you don't need to give me every little detail!" he purred, a hint of a laugh lacing his words. "I agree, she's ready for that."

"Okay... Well, I need to go talk to Silverpelt now, so... I'll just give you some peace..." Without further ado, Starstar turned and ran to the elders' den.

"Hello, Starstar." Jasmine-claw mewed from where she was grooming Blazekit. Silverpelt looked up from grooming Lilackit.

"Silverpelt, Velvetfoot is mauling prey and teaching Kitepaw to do the same." she said in a tattle-tale tone, instantly regretting it.

Silverpelt's eyes narrowed. She stood up, her body trembling. "Okay... Thank you for telling me, darling. I'll go have a word with him." The mew was fragile and weak. Halfway out of the den, Silverpelt collapsed.

"Silverpelt!" she cried.

"I... I'm okay... I'm just getting a little older than most ever live to be..." her mother said reassuringly.

Jasmine-claw got up and came over. "I'll go with you. You're going to need a shoulder to lean on." she purred.

Starstar watched nervously as the two made their way to the warriors' den. Anxious, she went and sat just outside of the camp.

"Hey."

She turned around. Phoenixflame sat there, his tail wrapped neatly over his paws. "You look stressed."

"I am. Velvetfoot is mauling prey and teaching Kitepaw to do the same, Chain is ill, and Silverpelt is... is..."

An anguished howl rang out in the camp. They looked at each other, then bounded back into it.

Silverpelt lay unnervingly still in the middle of the camp. Hollyberry was nosing her anxiously. All of the other cats stood in a ring around them. Starstar felt her breath catch. Hollyberry looked up and they locked gazes. Then Hollyberry's head and tail drooped, and she looked defeated.

Starstar lifted her head and howled in anguish.