Here's…I'm pretty sure it's chapter eight. It's been a moon since last time, so Icepaw's been in ThunderClan for about a moon and a half, I think. I just reread Into the Wild (no idea why, I was very bored) and it says that apprentices only train for about three moons before they become warriors, so she's halfway through her training.

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"That's it, Icepaw! Well done!" yowled Stonepelt. He bounded forward and licked Icepaw swiftly between the ears before turning to Brightpool, who was sitting at the edge of the training hollow, a sour expression on her face. "That's how it's done, eh Brightpool?" mewed the gray tabby proudly, his tail waving.

Tansypaw, spitting sand, crawled to her mentor's side, casting a glare over her shoulder at Icepaw. The white apprentice had just mastered her most recent battle technique, and used it successfully on Brightpool's apprentice.

"Yes, well, good job, Icepaw," Brightpool mewed grudgingly. Tansypaw gaped at her mentor, horrified.

"Thanks Brightpool. It's all Stonepelt though – he's a great mentor." She grinned at her mentor, emerald eyes shining with victory. Stonepelt winked slyly at her, his whisker quivering with silent laughter.

"I'm sure," retorted Brightpool acidly. Though she'd been kind enough to Icepaw when the she-cat had first joined ThunderClan, as Icepaw progressed rapidly through her training, the warrior had grown colder and colder towards her. Icepaw assumed it was because she was now nearly equal with Tansypaw in everything but experience, despite the fact that the brown-furred she-cat was a few moons older than her. Brightpool was generally an even-tempered cat, but she hated to be bested at anything.

"I've never seen an apprentice get the hang of that so quickly," Stonepelt remarked as they turned away from Tansypaw and her mentor. He shook his head slowly. "It's phenomenal. I'm lucky to have you as my first apprentice, but I'm afraid I'll expect far too much of whatever unlucky kit trains under me next." Icepaw's answering smile exposed a row of sharp white fangs.

"Are you tired? It's only sunhigh," Stonepelt questioned as they reached the lip of the hollow. Icepaw could hear Brightpool muttering to Tansypaw as they went through the motions of the move again.

"Not very," she replied casually, flexing her paws experimentally. She was exceedingly proud of how much she'd changed since she lived in the Twoleg nest – her muscles were toned and rippled beneath her glossy pelt when she ran, she could identify every individual scent in the air, and she could dispatch a sparrow with a flick of her crescent-curved claw. The power that thrummed through her entire body was exhilarating, and she took every chance she could to use it.

"Good. We can hunt for the Clan before nightfall." Stonepelt gave his pelt a vigorous shake before setting off into the undergrowth. The pair made their way towards the RiverClan border, where the creek was reduced to a trickle of water by the heat of approaching greenleaf.

Stonepelt snapped up a mouse that was scuffling by a shrub on the way, and buried at the base of a skinny birch sapling. Icepaw chased a squirrel, but it barely escaped her claws at the last minute.

When they reached the creek, Stonepelt ordered Icepaw to search for prey among the rocks at the ridge of the dry bed. Obediently, she set off into the nooks and crannies between the stones. Mud squelched underfoot as she darted among the boulders, scenting for water voles.

A sudden hiss made her jump and whirl. Stonepelt was squeezing in between two he stones behind her, his tail lashing.

"A RiverClan patrol!" he meowed by way of explanation. Than he disappeared, leaping on to the top of the boulder. He twitched his tail, indicating that Icepaw stay where she was. Her heart beating rapidly, the white she-cat found a gap between two stones and peered out at the opposite bank of the stream. A group of three cats was racing their way, their tails streaming out behind them. The cat in the lead was a slender dark brown tom, and behind him were a small silver she-cat and a long-legged black tom.

"Stonepelt!" growled the brown cat as his patrol came to a stop at the stream's edge. "What are you doing, skulking around here on your own?" His mew was suspicious, making Icepaw suddenly remember that Stonepelt's mysterious friend had been a RiverClan she-cat. She'd been so caught up in her training that she'd almost completely forgotten about her mentor's convoluted history.

"I'm not alone, Murkypool," Stonepelt replied calmly. His tail twitched, beckoning Icepaw out of her hiding place. Warily, the she-cat scrambled out of her hiding place to stand beside her mentor atop the boulder.

"Get a grip, Icepaw, I can smell your fear-scent," Stonepelt murmured under his breath. Embarrassed, Icepaw took a slow, deep breath to calm her thundering heart. These were the first cats she'd seen of another Clan.

"Who's this? Your new mate?" Murkypool meowed, sneering. Icepaw felt her pelt grow hot beneath her blindingly white fur. The silver she-cat at Murkypool's side visibly cringed, and Icepaw was instantly rabidly curious – was this Silversomething, the infamous RiverClan queen?

"This is Icepaw, my apprentice," Stonepelt spat. His tail twitched as Murkypool's eyes narrowed.

"So Cinderstar didn't even punish you for breaking the warrior code…I always knew ThunderClan cats were soft. Padding around in that lush forest of yours makes you all fat and weak," the tom snorted.

"Keep your opinions to yourself, Murkypool. We have no quarrel with RiverClan," Stonepelt meowed. Icepaw could tell that he was trying hard to keep his voice even. As she watched the tabby's face, his blue eyes flickered to the silver she-cat. Instead of love, or at least sorrow, as Icepaw would have guessed, she saw what seemed to be a spark of anger in the depths of the tom's gaze, but it was gone before she could be sure.

"I certainly hope not. Well, I suppose as long as you keep to your side of the border and you never speak to Silvertail" - the she-cat flinched – "again, we have no quarrel with you either," Murkypool mewed. "Good day, Stonepelt. Icepaw." He nodded curtly to them before whisking away, the other two cats at his heels.

"I'm glad he didn't cross the border," mewed Stonepelt as soon as the RiverClan patrol was gone. He seemed visibly more relaxed as they padded away from the riverbank to collect their prey. "I'm not in the mood for a fight today, especially not with Murkypool."

"Is he a good warrior?" Icepaw questioned conversationally, but inside she was burning with curiosity about Silvertail.

"Not at all. He just fights dirty," replied the tom with a snort of disapproval. He unearthed his squirrel and picked up the prey between his jaws.

As they walked silently through the sunlit forest, a warm breeze ruffling Icepaw's fur, she debated whether or not to bring up Silvertail with Stonepelt. She would feel better if she knew more from his point of view about the events of the past, instead of receiving the story secondhand from Robinpaw. Still, she didn't want to ruin the close friendship that she had developed with the tabby tom. As they came within sight of the ravine, Icepaw made up her mind.

"Stonepelt," she meowed, pausing at the crest of the hill. "I wanted to ask you something."

The tabby stopped a few paces ahead and dropped his freshkill. "Sure," he mewed, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Silvertail – is she the she-cat that everyone talks about?" Icepaw mewed. Her voice was timid, hesitant. For a moment she wished she could eat the words back up as Stonepelt's gaze registered shock and anger. He'd hate her forever, just like Murkypool. But then suddenly his expression softened, and he inclined his head as he opened his mouth to reply.

"Yes." He gave a short chuckle, and then continued, "The whole affair is rather ridiculous, in hindsight. Silvertail – well, Silverpaw, then – and I met first at a Gathering when I was just an apprentice. We started talking and found that we had a lot in common. I thought she was the most beautiful she-cat in all the Clans, silly young tom that I was, and she was just an innocent young fool.

"When Cherrystar took me hostage, the old bat, Silvertail was the one who sat with me and explained everything while I was penned up in a den. We became good friends, and after I was released we continued to meet each other. Then Cinderstar found out and that was the end of it. I've barely said a word to her since. I can't even recall what I saw in her back then – it was a long time ago. Now she's just another cat from another Clan. Besides…" he paused, and a strange look that Icepaw didn't recognize came into his eyes. He gazed down at her, his tail twitching very slowly back and forth. "There are cats more beautiful than her."

A chill crept down Icepaw's spine as Stonepelt's eyes bored into hers, and she quickly looked away. "So why does everyone hate you so much for it?" she mewed, flustered. She padded quickly past him and lead the way to the bottom of the ravine.

"Oh, most of them have forgiven me," the tabby replied casually, seeming to have recovered from the strange moment. "It's just the few old sticklers, like Mossfur, Murkypool and some others who are determined to prove that I'm some sort of double agent between RiverClan and ThunderClan." He shrugged and leaped from one flat stone to another, his ears flicking as a fly tried to land above his eye.

"So not every cat in ThunderClan holds a grudge against you, like Robinpaw says?" Icepaw verified, relieved.

Stonepelt barked a laugh. "Of course not. I think half of them don't even remember. It wasn't as big a deal as she makes it out to be. I'm sure Cinderstar knew I was sneaking out even before he told me off. I don't think he cared much – he knew me too well to suspect of me spying for the enemy."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Stonepelt mewed.

"Why does Cinderstar know you so well?" Icepaw asked. They'd reached the opposite side of the ravine by now, and the two cats stopped outside the bramble wall that enclosed the ThunderClan camp.

Before Stonepelt could reply, a rustle made Icepaw whirl to face the tunnel, her eyes widening with surprise. A huge dark brown tabby tom emerged – Tanglethorn, the deputy. Icepaw didn't know him very well, but from everything Robinpaw told her, Tanglethorn was as kind as a warrior of StarClan and as brave as a lion.

"Don't you know?" mewed the tom, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He padded to Stonepelt's side and flicked the tom's ear with his bushy tail. "Cinderstar is Stonepelt's father!"

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This chapter also isn't really over, I just split it into two to draw it out a little longer. This was mostly a character development chappie, but more action happens soon, don't worry. Actually, not too much happens until Icepaw is a warrior, which is kinda soon, so it's all good.

-ASTER