Amberclaw recounted to Ravenflight and Dawnmist what they had heard Ruthless say.

"I believe they want revenge on the Tribe. It can't be a coincidence," Amberclaw mewed. "Anyway, they won't dare come back. I've fought Splash twice and I'm sure she knows her match when she sees them."

"And that match is you?" Dawnmist mewed dryly.

Dawnmist was recovering but they could be slowed down. She definitely wasn't going to be travelling for at least a moon.

"Everyone! Come over here!" Ravenflight suddenly called out.

Rustfern and Blackshine padded over from where they had been lying in the sun, recovering from the battles. Ebonywind looked up from her rabbit and headed over.

"I believe we should practice our skills. We weren't sharp enough and I don't like it. During the fight, we weren't working together, like Dawnmist said. Just with our Clanmate." Ravenflight explained.

"Yeah!" Blackshine exclaimed excitedly. "We should practice!"

Despite his numerous wounds, his spirit wouldn't be crushed.

"Alright," Ravenflight nodded. "Dawnmist and I will sit out. I want Ebonywind to work with Rustfern and Blackshine to work with Amberclaw."

Amberclaw dragged out a sigh. Why do I have to work with Blackshine? Can't I work with Rustfern?

"Can't I work with Amberclaw?" Ebonywind asked, rolling her eyes.

"Because I'd beat you in a second, obviously," Amberclaw boasted.

"Yeah? You wanna bet?" Ebonywind shot back.

"Sure!" Amberclaw growled.

"Enough!" Ravenflight glared at both of them. "Just go and practice!"

Amberclaw huffed before stalking away, Blackshine padding behind her.

"WindClan has a really really cool move!" Blackshine beamed. "It's a slash and duck, then we twist."

"We have that move too." Amberclaw growled flatly, sitting down.

"Oh," Blackshine mewed. "Okay! Cool! I didn't know that! You learn something new every day!"

"Yes, I've learnt that you are very annoying!" Amberclaw growled, her fur bristling.

One oath. Two trees. Three ThunderClan thieves. Four fish. Five foxes. Six salmon. Seven...what was it? Seven...aha! Seven salmon. Eight eagles. Nine needlefish. Ten tomcats.

Amberclaw turned away, striding back towards the camp. Ravenflight met her there, anger in her eyes. "Go practice!" she snarled.

Amberclaw took a step back, mentally running through all her exercises to keep calm. "Fine!"

Pacing back to Blackshine, the tom was still undeterred and happy to begin again. It was as if her insult hadn't even pierced his thick fur.

"Alright, we'll practice," Amberclaw growled. "But I'll win."

A blur of black fur leapt at Amberclaw and she dodged easily, pivoting in a quick circle, grabbing onto Blackshine's neck as he sped past. Unbalanced, Blackshine staggered to a halt, tripping over. Amberclaw flattened herself on the black tom and he gasped for air.

"I win," Amberclaw mewed flatly, stepping off and stalking back to camp.

"Finished training!" Blackshine called to Ravenflight, bounding behind her. "Amberclaw is such a good fighter!"

Amberclaw purred. "It's true," she mewed smugly.

Ravenflight glanced at her sharply before turning back to Blackshine. "Don't worry, you'll beat her someday. Maybe she'll fall over her stupid ego."

Growling, Amberclaw avoided Ravenflight's eyes. "I'm going to go hunt," she said to no one in particular.

"I'll come with you!" Blackshine offered.

"No-" Amberclaw protested but Ravenflight cut in.

"Sure, go with Amberclaw," the black she-cat mewed calmly.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Amberclaw ignored Blackshine, leaving the camp and heading towards a small pond. Surely there would be some fish.

"Hey! Can you show me how you catch a rabbit?" Blackshine mewed from behind her excitedly.

"RiverClan cats don't catch rabbits. We fish," Amberclaw snarled back.

Duh.

"C'mon, I'm sure you can try," Blackshine pleaded.

Amberclaw rolled her eyes, pretending he wasn't there. Instead, she stared into the pond. A silver shape darted through the water and quickly, Amberclaw's paw snatched it and killed it. Gulping it down, she waited for her next catch. Soon, two more fish joined her pile. She grabbed the fish and looked up into Blackshine's expecting gaze.

"Hunt a rabbit," He mewed firmly.

"Fine, if it makes you happy," Amberclaw growled. "I'll catch one easily."

"I'll take you up on that," Blackshine purred.

How hard can it be?

Amberclaw chased a rabbit down hills and up hills, panting with the effort. After her twelfth rabbit escaped her, she turned on Blackshine. "You knew about this!" she hissed, feeling a strong urge to wrap her jaws around his neck.

Blackshine just shrugged and pointed out another rabbit.

Amberclaw hissed her thanks and let out a yowl, charging after the rabbit. She was gaining on it! She pounded forwards, her paws bringing up leaves from the lush trees. Its nose twitched and suddenly, Amberclaw found herself heading towards the camp. She slowed her pace, her claws reaching out to snag the rabbit's fur.

So...close!

The rabbit leaped forward and escaped.

"You missed a piece of prey?" A voice mewed, laced with sarcasm.

Ebonywind, Ravenflight, Dawnmist and Rustfern stood in the camp. Rustfern had disappointment on his face, Ebonywind and Ravenflight had amusement and Dawnmist just yawned.

Amberclaw spun around and saw Blackshine's mischievous face. "You planned this!" she accused them.

"Loosen up," Ravenflight snorted. "It's not like you're StarClan's gift to this world."

Amberclaw turned around stiffly, anger flashing through her. How dare they mock me? How dare they do this to me?

"This isn't fair," she muttered to herself. "It's not fair at all."

I thought my littermates were good cats. I thought Blackshine was decent, for WindClan, at least. And I thought Rustfern actually thought of me as a friend.

"Traitors," she spat. "They're all traitors!"

With her anger driving her, she leapt into the river, plunging her head underneath. She snapped at the fish, foam floating to the surface. Before long, six dead fish lay on the bank. Satisfied, she quickly groomed her fur, making herself presentable. Then, she buried the fish in a hole.

Amberclaw raced towards the forests, desperate to catch at least one rabbit. She sniffed the air cautiously, hating the way that the earthy scent of trees trickled into her nostrils. A scent of rabbit floated over to her and she dashed over to it, seeing a brown pelt scuffing the ground.

Filled with anger and arrogance, Amberclaw crept up on the rabbit slowly. Once she was close enough, she leapt, her claws catching its pelt easily. Blackshine must have been scaring the rabbit away. The stupid fool.

She dropped the rabbit, its scent disgusting her. She pushed it slowly towards the river, where she picked up her fish. With the seven pieces of prey, she padded into the camp, her head high, relishing how Rustfern's look changed from disappointment to admiration.

"You...c-caught a rabbit," Ravenflight stuttered, at a loss of words.

"I don't believe it," Ebonywind accused. "We watched you earlier."

"Blackshine was scaring the rabbit!" Amberclaw snarled, dropping the prey and taking a step towards the tom.

"Is this true?" Rustfern demanded.

Lying on a nest, Dawnmist raised her head. "Stop squabbling like kits," she ordered. "There are more important things to do."

Ravenflight dipped her head but Amberclaw merely puffed out her chest. I will always be the best.