Lightpaw bounced excitedly.

"What are we doing now?" she mewed.

Splashflight gave a mrrow of amusement. "We're going to swim in the lake."

Lightpaw froze. "Swim?" she questioned.

Splashflight nodded. "That was my first reaction when I used to be an apprentice. You'll get used to it."

Lightpaw swallowed. "Okay."

Splashflight flicked her tail. "Come."

Lightpaw followed her mentor to the lake.

Splashflight plunged into the dark water. A few seconds later she rose up from the depths of the water, blinking. She cocked her head to one side.

"Why aren't you coming?"

Lightpaw felt as if the world was spinning around her.

"I-I can't. I feel as if I'm going to drown."

Splashflight scoffed. "Every apprentice feels that way. Even me. When I was an apprentice, I was so afraid that Firepool pushed me in. But of course, he didn't touch the water..."

Lightpaw wasn't listening anymore. The more she stared at the water the more terrified she felt. She wasn't ever pure RiverClan!

You're not supposed to be here.

The thought chilled her from ears to tail. What if she didn't belong in this Clan? What then? The world was spinning around her.

"Lightpaw?"

Splashflight's voice sounded very far away. Lightpaw's eyes were glued on the dark water that stood below her. She imagined her and her siblings as outcasts, heading away from the Clans, never to return.

"Lightpaw!"

Lightpaw felt a hard nudge on her shoulder. But it wasn't enough to keep the darkness away.

...

Lightpaw

I blinked open my eyes. I was greeted by the pergent smell of herbs, and I wrinkled my nose.

"She's awake!" I think that was Rushingwater, our only medicine cat.

I saw two familiar cats race in, one being my mentor, and the other one being... my foster mother, Willowfur.

Splashflight patted over to me.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded. I felt alright, both physically and mentally.

Willowfur licked my forehead. "I was so worried!"

I really liked Willowfur: she made me feel as if she was my real mother. She raised me and my siblings as if we were her own.

"Lightpaw?"

I looked at Splashflight. "What?"

She hesitated. "Well, a patrol smelled ShadowClan in our territory, and I was wondering if you would like to come with me, Shinewhisker, and Darkpaw to confront them at their camp."

I blinked. "Of course I'll come. I'm well enough."

Splashflight let out a long sigh. "Alright... I'll go get them then." She stretched and patted out of the den.

"Are you sure you want to go?" A concerned voice meowed.

I turned and met Willowfur's eyes. "I'm sure."

I rested a few more moments until Splashflight came in with Shinewhisker and Darkpaw.

"Lightpaw! I was so worried about you!" Darkpaw exclaimed. "I thought you weren't going to make it."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous."

Shinewhisker motioned for us to follow him out of the medicine den with a flick of his tail. I noticed Splashflight giving him some curious looks. Huh.

As I was walking out of camp, I felt eyes piercing me like claws. I looked around. But I didn't see anything. Must of been my imagination. My very, very, good imagination.