A young tom crouched, his bushy tail swishing side-to-side. The cat stalked forward, his golden-brown eyes fixed on a mouse a few tail-lengths away. His black and white tail lashed with anticipation. He took a few steps forward, but the mouse suddenly lifted its little brown head and stared at him with terror. It dropped the seed it was eating and bolted into a hole. The young tom snarled in frustration, knowing he forgot to still his tail. The noise made a large black bird fly into the sky, screeching an alarm call, and three large, angry toms stepped from the bushes.

"Sootpaw, you idiot!" The young tom shrank back into the snow.

"I- I.." He stuttered, ears flattened. The first tom growled, stepping closer.

"You can't hunt yourself, and now you're scaring our prey off too! You're a pathetic excuse of a son!" Sootpaw backed up even more, hurt gleaming in his eyes. The other two other toms exchanged a glance, and the one with thick brown fur stepped forward.

"Calm down, Falconbite. It was only an accident." Falconbite whipped around, hissing.

"That's exactly what you said last time, Moosefur! Your apprentice is useless when it comes to hunting, and he's no good at fighting either." The tom looked disgusted.

"He's 8 moons old and hasn't caught a single thing! It's time something is done." Moosefur looked like he was about to comment but Falconbite shouldered past him, padding through the snow towards camp. His tail swished back and forth. Sootpaw whimpered, hanging his head. Moosefur and the other tom padded towards him, and his mentor licked his nose.

"Come on, let's go back to camp." Moosefur and the tom beside him began to pad off in the direction Falconbite had. They trekked in silence until they arrived to a large cliff with a small, black hole at the base. The cats squeezed through and into a busy, warm camp. It was dark but Sootpaw's eyes were already well adjusted. He looked up to see his father leaping up some jutting ledges of the cave to the top, confronting a cat who was laying down in a nest on it. Sootpaw could hear bits of what they were saying.

"He's not suited to be a warrior apprentice." The words made Sootpaw's blood freeze. He knew what his father was thinking.

No, I can't. I won't. He backed up, fear welling up inside him. Moosefur wrapped his tail around him, pulling him forward.

"Go get some rest. I'll talk some sense into your father." Sootpaw obeyed and hurried off.

He forced his fur to lie flat. Moosefur will talk some sense into them. He has to. Sootpaw made himself believe it but in the pit of his belly he doubted it. Lying his head on his paws, he closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep, because he felt a sharp prod in his side. The young tom lifted his eyes, blinking them sleepily. Then he remembered what had happened and he jumped up to see the cat who had woken him. Moosefur. "Moosefur, what happened up there-"

He hadn't finished when the thick-furred cat silenced him with a flick of a tail. "Come." Sootpaw nodded, padding to the end of the ledge and leaping down one to another until he reached the bottom. He landed softly on the hard stone ground, feeling sick to his stomach. The clan had gathered beneath a rock jutting out of the wall, which upon it was a cat sitting calmly with his tail wrapped around his paws.

"Sootpaw, come forward." All the cats had turned to have their eyes fixed on him. Sootpaw stumbled forward blindly. He knew what was about to happen.

"Robinstar, please-" *Robinstar stood up.*

"Silence! You will not interrupt your ceremony." Sootpaw wished the ground would swallow him up.

This can't be real. It has to be a dream. Wake up. Wake up! The young tom willed himself silently but nothing happened. Robinstar continued.

"Sleetclan's Medicine Cat, Raccoonmask, has gone long without an apprentice." Sootpaw swayed on his paws. "You have proven to be unfit as a warrior, and I've decided to give you a new purpose." The leader flicked his tail and a cat with brownish-gray fur and black face stepped forward. He dipped his head towards Sootpaw and he absent-mindedly padded forward.

"Sootpaw, from this day forward until you receive your Medicine Cat name, you will train to come and learn the many herbs Racconmask has to show you. He will be sure to pass on his knowledge to you." Robinstar paused, a look of sympathy flashing briefly in his eyes. "Do no be discouraged, Sootpaw. You may be saving lives one day." The leader waited for Sootpaw to reply but he didn't seem to be listening. Raccoonmask stepped forward, bending his head to touch noses with the dappled tom. But Sootpaw flinched away, as if a trance had been broken.

"No. I can't! I don't want to be a Medicine Cat!" His eyes flashed wildly and he backed up, ears flattened.

The cat turned and ran, ran like he had never run before. He broke across the snow, through bushes and thorns. He didn't stop. His heart raced. I have to get away. Sootpaw thought, running harder. He continued to flee until he caught a whiff of the border markers. He slowed down, pausing at their edge. Something tugged in his chest, preventing him from going over. He reached out a paw, stepping over. Sootpaw hesitated some more. He took another step. Then he heard the sound of paw steps coming closer and whipped around to see his father.

"Where do you think you're going?" His father snarled, unsheathing his claws. "First you make me look weak, with such a lousy excuse for a son, and now you're betraying your clan?" Falconbite shook his head, disgust imprinted on his face. He walked towards his son, growling. "I told the others to head back, that I'd deal with you myself. And that's exactly what I'll do!" Terror seized Sootpaw and he stood there, shaking, paws rooted to the ground.

He didn't have time to act. It all happened in a blur. His father leaped forward, and pain blared in his left eye. He screeched, crumpling to the ground. Blood seeped from the wound on his eye and he opened it, but the blood had prevented him from seeing through it. He felt claws grip his neck and force him into the snow. "If you ever speak of this to any cat, I will tear out your other eye. Let this be a reminder to where your loyalties lie."