Graystripe led Brackenpaw, Dustpelt and Thornpaw out of camp. The two toms had decided to train the brothers together while Mousefur and Mossflower took their apprentices out alone.

"So where will we be going first, Graystripe?" Brackenpaw asked politely.

Graystripe thought for a moment before saying, "the Sandy Hollow." And raced away. Brackenpaw and Thornpaw dashed after him eagerly, but Dustpelt trailed behind as if he had no energy.

"This is where most battle training sessions will be held," Graystripe explained quickly as they stood on the rim of the Sandy Hollow.

"We could also show you your hunting crouch here where there's more room and clear ground," Dustpelt added, talking for the first time.

"I'm gonna catch a robin for my first hunt!" Thornpaw declared.

"Only if they don't hear you talking a fox-length away." Brackenpaw poked his brother teasingly and the bigger tabby leapt onto him.

"Okay, let's move on," Graystripe ordered and the two apprentices broke apart obediently.

They arrived upon the Owl Tree.

"Does a real owl actually live up there?" Thornpaw asked. At his mentor's nod he said, "then why's it quiet?"

"Owls only hunt at night," Graystripe told him. "Now lets see Snakerocks, but you'd better keep back."

As they walked Thornpaw ran up to Graystripe's side. "Are there really snakes there?"

"Yes, just like Owl Tree it's in the name."

"My mom said her brother once caught an adder from there," Thornpaw mewed. Graystripe stiffened, but kept walking on.

"That's…true."

"Was he really a spy for ShadowClan?"

Before Graystripe could say anything, Dustpelt growled, "that's enough." And Thornpaw dropped back.

They took the rest of the tour in silence until they came upon Twolegplace. A pregnant tabby was walking along the fence.

"Kittypet! GET OUTTA HERE!" Thornpaw yowled, running towards her. She jerked around eyes wide in terror before she scrambled up a fence and disappeared into the safety of her garden.

"Dummy, you should've stalked her!" Brackenpaw meowed.

Graystripe was secretly relieved. He was tired of chasing down innocent kittypets. He didn't know why Thistlestar took pleasure in it. And Tigerclaw, too.

He shook his head of these traitorous thoughts and sighed. "C'mon." He headed back to camp.

The night Thunder and his sisters had been apprenticed a fire had started near the Windmill Twoleg Nest.

"How does a fire start so close to water and in leafbare?" Leaf panted as he ran alongside Gray Wing. Thunder scrambled after his mentor with Jackdaw's Cry, Rainswept Flower, Skystar, Tall Shadow, Cloud Spots, Dappled Pelt, Fire Heart, Falling Feather, Frost, Petal and a nervous Ravenpaw.

"Who knows," Gray Wing muttered.

They stopped when they found the twoleg nest on fire and spreading along the bank. "Will it cross into the forest?" Jackdaw's Cry asked worriedly, looking back at camp. His soon-to-be- apprentice kits had been left behind along with the rest of the clan.

"If it does, we need to evacuate either way," Skystar meowed grimly. "Cloud Spots get the clan out of camp." The black tom charged away back to camp.

Meanwhile, Gray Wing raced up and down in front of the wall of fire. "What if traps River Ripple?" He asked worriedly.

"Gray Wing, get back!" Rainswept Flower warned.

"You'll catch yourself on fire!" Jackdaw's Cry added.

He ignored them. Only Thunder stayed near him until Skystar shoved his son back with the others.

"Here's a clear path to River Ripple's nest!" Dappled Pelt called on the opposite side of the river. She was dangerously close to the fire now.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Frost asked. "Get back!"

"C'mon, don't be scaredy-mice!" The tortoiseshell taunted. Frost narrowed his eyes and launched himself into the water. He pulled himself out and chased after Dappled Pelt into the reeds.

Hissing in annoyance, Skystar followed which led to the rest of his cats following. Gray Wing brought up the rear behind Falling Feather, who swam easily as if she were a RiverClan cat.

"Remember we're on enemy territory," Tall Shadow warned.

"And remember I didn't ask," Jackdaw's Cry muttered. "They should all burn." He ignored Rainswept Flower's gasp and added, "what? They're arrogant! Imagine stopping us in this crisis."

"Either way, shut up," Skystar hissed as they crept through the reeds.

Suddenly, a flaming reed fell onto the back of Frost's hind leg. The white tom screeched. "Get in the water!" Fire Heart yowled and he and Jackdaw's Cry shoved him into the river.

"Are you okay?" Dappled Pelt called from up ahead as the white tom crawled out of the water.

"N-no, my leg!" He groaned, writhing in pain.

"Let me see if I can find some herbs." The tortoiseshell disappeared.

"On RiverClan territory?" Ravenpaw whispered, horrified.

"Well, they aren't here," Skystar meowed.

"Yeah, they have many bodies of water protecting them, after all," Falling Feather explained.

"So pretty much we're just here to make sure River Ripple is okay?" Jackdaw's Cry asked.

Skystar looked at him. "Yes?"

After a few tense moments of waiting, Dappled Pelt reappeared and started applying marigold and cobwebs to the wound after washing the blood off of the burn.

"You'll be okay," Dappled Pelt murmured. "I think you should get back to camp though.

"No," Frost grunted and struggled to his paws. "I'll stay. We need to stick together."

Skystar started nodding approvingly until he caught Dappled Pelt's glare and started shaking his head as if disapproving of the white warrior.

Gray Wing rolled his eyes.

"Um, guys?" Petal muttered, nervous. "We're trapped."

They all looked to see a circle of fire around them, trapping them on RiverClan's territory. Leaf muttered a curse that had Ravenpaw gasping and Dappled Pelt cuffing him.

River Ripple led Wind and Gorse towards the fire. He swore he had heard cats' voices in the middle of it! What if it was Skystar and his clanmates?

"If it's ThunderClan, can we leave them?" Gorse asked, panting as he raced to catch up to them.

"We'll see," River Ripple hummed in amusement though truthfully, no matter who it was, he would help.

Even if they didn't like him.

Thunder stared at his uncle in horror as the gray tom doubled over, wheezing. Desperately, he looked around trying to find a way out. But the flames had caught on the reeds surrounding them now and would reach them soon.

He looked around at his clanmates. Frost was on the ground, staring at his leg that had been burned, with worry. Ravenpaw trembled on the ground next to Fire Heart. Jackdaw's Cry looked worried for his family back in the forest. And his father was pacing around them as if he could shield them from the heat waves.

It's up to me, he thought seriously. Everyone else seemed lost or frozen in fear on what to do.

"This way!" A voice sounded and Thunder turned to it. He couldn't see beyond the smoke. "Jump the flames!"

"River Ripple!" Dapped Pelt exclaimed.

"I've got Wind and Gorse here with me too."

"Hello."

"Hey!"

"Okay, we've all said greetings now. C'mon!" Tall Shadow snapped.

Thunder charged forward.

"Thunder, no!" His clanmates yowled. Skystar started after him, but he was already jumping and sailed over the flames. He landed beside River Ripple, Gorse and Wind in the stream and clambered out quickly as it numbed his legs.

"There's a stream, but be careful it's freezing, c'mon!" He called to his clanmates.

Jackdaw's Cry appeared first followed by Leaf and Petal. Ravenpaw and Fire Heart came next and the ginger tom bumped noses with Wind and Gorse in greeting.

Rainswept Flower and Dappled Pelt went next and Skystar followed. It was just Gray Wing, Tall Shadow and Frost now.

"What's going on?" Thunder called.

"Frost can't jump with his wounded leg!" Gray Wing called back.

"Gray Wing, Tall Shadow, c'mon!" Fire Heart called. "We'll work out how to get Frost afterwards."

After a moment of hesitation, the two warriors jumped but a puff of smoke billowed up into Gray Wing's face. The sleek gray tom fell to the ground, coughing horribly.

"Gray Wing!" Thunder raced over with Fire Heart and the two of them patted him quickly to put out the sparks.

"Is he okay?" Tall Shadow stumbled over.

"I'm fine," Gray Wing growled. "We need to help Frost!"

"I've got an idea," Jackdaw's Cry suddenly mewed. "But I need help?"

"I'll do it," Thunder meowed.

"No!" Skystar and Leaf said at the same time.

"You've just been apprenticed," his mentor said.

"You'll get hurt!" Skystar added. Thunder rolled his eyes, but Jackdaw's Cry dragged him after him anyway.

"We'll jump in the river, soak ourselves and go through the flames without getting too burned up," the black tom explained.

"He's not–"

"Okay, onetwothree GO!" Jackdaw's Cry yowled and he and Thunder charged the river, avoiding Skystar and jumped in to soak themselves.

Afterwards the two toms raced for the fire making it through. Frost lay on the ground, nose streaming and letting out hisses of pain. His leg was red with blood that had soaked the herb pulp Dappled Pelt had put on it.

"C'mon, you," Jackdaw's Cry grunted as he and Thunder lifted him to his paws and together they hobbled through the flames again to safety.

Thunder flinched against the heat, but forced himself forward even as some flames singed his fur. At least it wasn't as bad since the water practically froze him.

They made it to the other side.

Frost collapsed and Dappled Pelt checked over him.

"Get in the water! Your fur is burning!" River Ripple exclaimed. Thunder and Jackdaw's Cry leaped into the stream again and the ginger tom sighed in relief at the coolness, not feeling the biting cold this time.

"We did it!" He exclaimed to the black tom.

"We're awesome!" Jackdaw's Cry agreed.

"You're in big trouble!" Skystar added, but they were all grinning in relief.

"Now how about I show you the way back to your territory before RiverClan catches you?" River Ripple said.

This was meant to be the fire scene where Moon Shadow got badly burned and died from later.