Holy heck! This is amazing! I've never gotten this far into a book because I've always deleted them all because of writer's block! Thank you all so much!

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Nightpaw awoke in his nest. It was still dark. Nightpaw tried to fall back asleep, but found he couldn't. The black tom shifted in his nest, earning a kick in the stomach from Hollypaw. Nightpaw clenched his stomach and held his breath in pain. He never knew Hollypaw could kick so hard in her sleep!

Finally, Nightpaw got up and shook his fur out. He peeked out the entrance to the den. He scanned the camp, noticing the camp guards, Lightningclaw and Plumface, the two apprentices, and finally the apprentices' mentors. He pricked his ears, wanting to listening in. He knew it was probably private business, but he needed something to do!

"Now, it will be a dangerous journey, as not even I know the territory. So keep watchful." Sparrowsight stared sternly at the apprentices.

Adderpaw and Softpaw both gave quick nods, and the two were quickly nudged out of camp. After a very long moment, their mentors followed suit. Nightpaw hid himself in the darkness of the shadows as he watched Witheredstar emerge from his den. But it was too late, he realized. Witheredstar was already looking straight at him.

"Can't sleep?" Witheredstar asked in a low tone of voice. He waved his tail and motioned Nightpaw over to the Highrock. Nightpaw scrambled up the rock and sat beside his leader.

"Yeah..." Nightpaw nodded slowly. He knew Witheredstar meant to ask him more. And, he was right.

"You shouldn't let your siblings get on your nerves," Witheredstar mewed. "That's not like you."

"I know... It's just... I wish they would stop teasing me. I mean... I'm not weak! I just don't..." Nightpaw searched for words, but found none.

Witheredstar simply nodded. "I know how you feel. I was never as strong as Sageheart, my sibling..."

"Your sister is Sageheart? But you seem so... Distant." Nightpaw blinked, surprised.

"We are. And it's not much different than your relationship with Robinpaw and Rubblepaw," Witheredstar sighed. "Even our parents, Lightfoot and Hailpuddle drifted away."

"Oh," Nightpaw didn't have anything to say.

"So what does that mean you have to do?" Witheredstar looked at him expectantly.

"Spend more time with them..?" Nightpaw guessed.

"Prove you are stronger. Don't be weak, and even though you hurt your brother, don't back down. Fight with your mental strength rather than your physical, and that will make you a great warrior in the future." Witheredstar finished, his eyes blazing.

Nightpaw felt a new strength surge through him. He hadn't expected Witheredstar to tell him to keep fighting. "But what about my warrior training? I can't fight! I'm horrible at it."

"Shhh, lower your voice, Nightpaw." Witheredstar looked around. "I can have Graytalon give you more one on one training at night. You'll be a formidable opponent. I've seen how you can calculate things. You just have to keep your head out of the clouds. Don't get me wrong, your observant nature must not go away, for that is a great quality for any warrior. And keep hunting. We need prey, as Leaf-bare is here." With that, Witheredstar vanished into his den.

Nightpaw sat atop The Highrock for a moment longer before jumping down. Maybe I could just train by myself? Nightpaw pondered on the idea. The outside world sometimes scared him, especially after the fox attack, but if this was what it would take to become a better warrior, he was willing to do it. Witheredstar's words had sparked some courage in the young black and gray tom. He looked up at the stars, hoping StarClan would keep him safe throughout the night.

Nightpaw looked around. He had to find away out of camp. Recounting his kithood memories, he recalled how Robinpaw had snuck out of camp through the dirtplace tunnel. Perhaps it would work for him, too? He decided quickly and immediately pushed himself to the rock walls of camp. He blended in with the darkness as he snuck around each den, eventually making it to the dirtplace entrance.

He sniffed, the rotten stentch entering his nostrils. He slipped through, trying not to rustle the thick shrubbery around him. Finally, he crept out, and into ThunderClan territory. He breathed in the sweet scents of the forest, relishing it's taste. Snow drifted around him, and he began to shiver. He hadn't planned for it to be too cold.

Stealthily as he could, he crept through the forest. He wanted to make it to the training grounds. There, he would train until he felt his limbs would drop off. Nightpaw decided to take the trees. Nobody would expect him up there, and there were no leaves on the branches to alert anything.

As he jumped through the trees, and owl called from nearby and he froze in place. His golden eyes flicked around. He spotted the owl peering at him through a hole in one of the oaks. He pressed himself against the trunk, staring into the owl's wide, frightening yellow orbs.

Nightpaw continued along the trees, keeping close watch on the owl that seemed to watch his every moment. He was also aware of a hawk flying somewhere nearby. He grew more scared as he went, but knew if he kept cover, he might be safe.

The trees at last thinned out, and Nightpaw was forced to travel the rest of the way on land. He found it felt much safer, though, and he hoped the gazes of the hawk and owl had shifted to some other prey. Nightpaw sniffed, and halted when he caught Graytalon's scent. He peered through the bushes, spotting Graytalon's tabby pelt in the training ground. He was sitting. He was distant, staring at the sky.

"Graytalon..?" He asked hesitantly.

His mentor turned calmly. "Yes?"

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same of you," said the gray tabby, getting up. "I came here because I wanted to some piece and quiet, which I'm clearly not getting. And you shouldn't be out of camp, especially at dark."

Nightpaw shuffled his paws. Graytalon did not remove his gaze. "I came here to practice. I'm tired of being weak!"

A spark of surprise lit in his mentor's amber stare. "Really? I expected something completely different." Graytalon admitted.

"Yes, really. I know it sounds strange---"

"No, not at all. I'm glad you finally want to work to your full potential." Graytalon's gaze was surprisingly warm, and Nightpaw felt a little uncomfortable. "We can start with something a little harder than what we've been doing. How would you use the trees to your advantage?"

Nightpaw looked around. "Um, for jumping down on your opponent..?"

"What else?"

Nightpaw blinked. "I- I don't know."

"For leaping off the sides," Graytalon positioned himself behind a tree. "Come try to corner me."

Nightpaw obeyed. For a moment, Nightpaw was victorious until Graytalon climbed quickly up the sides and then pushed off, landing squarely behind Nightpaw. "That is how you use a tree."

Nightpaw grinned. "Let me try," Nightpaw positioned himself just in front of the tree as Graytalon cornered him. The black and gray tom began to climb. Then, he jumped, only to be gripped from behind and pulled to the ground. Immediately, he was pinned.

"Ow!" He landed with a thump.

"Pain is a part of a warrior's life. You must learn to push through it, or you will be looked down on as a weakling. You don't want that, do you?" Graytalon questioned.

Nightpaw shook his head violently, recalling Witheredstar's words.

"Good," Graytalon stepped off. "You must be quicker and climb higher. Your jump was too low and too predictable. Try again."

Nightpaw got up and positioned himself in front of the tree again. When cornered, he scrambled higher up the tree and jumped off quickly. His landing was unstable, though, and he felt face into the earth. He lifted himself up, trying to ignore the pain in his muzzle.

"Needs a lot of work, but I believe it will come eventually," Graytalon commented.

And so, as the night went on, Graytalon and Nightpaw continued training until they both grew more tired than they had ever been. The two laid down next to each other, breathing heavily from a long night of training. Suddenly, the sound of a hawk called nearby.

Before Nightpaw knew what was happening, he turned to see glinting silver claws flashing toward him. Graytalon immediately covered Nightpaw, but was grabbed instead by the hawk's vicious talons. With a screech, Graytalon scratched and clawed at the hawk, but was too weak for the hawk to let go.

"Help!" Graytalon yowled, piercing the night air. Nightpaw scrambled up a tree and leaped for his mentor, catching the hawk by it's wing. Terror running through every vain in his body, he tried his best to beat the hawk back to land, but failed. He slipped off with a screech, and tumbled through the branches as the hawk carried his mentor off.

"Graytalon!" The last thing Nightpaw saw was the horrified, stricken face of Graytalon, who was carried off into the night. Ever to be seen again. And then, the world went black.

A/N:
Hope this wasn't too cliché or predictable!