Flowerpaw lifted her head, feeling incredibly down. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, sunlight shining across her face. Normally, she would've welcomed the bright, newleaf sunshine but she didn't want to step outside. Her leg still ached from injuring it two days ago and she was back in the medicine cat den with Feathernose and Honeywing. She dropped her head, resting it on her legs. Both medicine cats seemed to be out gathering herbs and she was incredibly grateful.

Since her accident, Flowerpaw had been incredibly sad and bitter about the whole situation. She had worked so hard to get the place she was at with her training, and now she would fall even more behind. I was so close to being a warrior too. Flowerpaw buried her nose in her paws, trying to hide from the world.

"Hey there," A voice spoke from the entrance of the medicine cat den, Flowerpaw's ears twitched. "You alright?" Flowerpaw lifted her head and saw Thornpaw standing there with concern in his eyes.

"I guess." She couldn't hide her despair, so why would she try? Flowerpaw looked away, resting her chin on her paws.

"I'm sorry that you got hurt again." She could hear him stepping further into the medicine cat den.

"I shouldn't have gotten hurt." She snorted. "I should've been paying attention to where I was going."

"It was an honest mistake, Flowerpaw." Thornpaw was trying incredibly hard to be reassuring. "It could've happened to any cat."

"But it didn't." Flowerpaw flicked her tail. "It happened to me." She sighed. "I just want to be alone, Thornpaw." She closed her eyes, wishing he would leave.

"Flowerpaw--"

"Thornpaw!" A sharp hiss came from outside the medicine cat den, pulling both Thornpaw's and Flowerpaw's attention out there. It was Falconclaw, looking incredibly annoyed with his apprentice. "We have better things to do than hang out in the medicine cat den."

"I was just checking on Flowerpaw." Thornpaw defending himself.

"That's not your job. You're not a medicine cat, you're a warrior. " Falconclaw's amber eyes cut into Flowerpaw, she tensed. "Flowerpaw got injured and now she has to rest in the medicine cat den, but you don't have to. You need to train if you want to be a semi-competent warrior."

Thornpaw winced slightly at Falconclaw's words, but turned away and followed his mentor without another word to Flowerpaw. Flowerpaw felt incredibly uncomfortable with what had just happened, she knew Falconclaw was a harsh mentor but now he just seemed rude. Why's he's always around anyway? Flowerpaw thought with contempt. She crossed her paws and looked at the ceiling of the medicine cat den.

Whenever I'm talking with Thornpaw he shows up looking all angry. She looked down. Does Falconclaw not like me? We're Clanmates, we should get along. Then Flowerpaw had a moment of realization. He doesn't like my mother. Flowerpaw flexed her claws. Dovewish is just as capable a warrior as he is, and I'm no kittypet. She lashed her tail. What a jerk. She looked out into camp, Falconclaw and Thornpaw were nowhere in sight. I really hope he doesn't convince Thornpaw that my sister and I are kittypets because of our mother.

Flowerpaw sat outside the medicine cat, resting her injured leg and eating a small piece of prey. Honeywing and Feathernose allowed her to sit outside and get some fresh air, she was already feeling antsy enough. She watched the camp, the sun was going down at the Clan was starting to settle down. Outside the nursery, Rustkit, Barkkit, Snakekit and Willowkit were playing under the watch of Tallfern and Rowanfall, though Marshpelt was nowhere in sight.

Flowerpaw, as well as a few other SunClan warriors, felt that Marshpelt hadn't quite gotten over the death of Rowanfall's two other kits, and that she still blamed herself. Flowerpaw hoped that Marshpelt would feel better about it soon, she was such a nice she-cat.

Flowerpaw heard the entrance to camp rustling and she turned her head to see Falconclaw returning to camp with Thornpaw at his side, the two had quite a bit of prey. They set it down on the pile and Falconclaw went towards the warrior's den, leaving Thornpaw away. He had a distant look in his amber eyes.

"Hey! Thornpaw!" Flowerpaw called to her friend. He looked up, twitching his ears in response. He looked around before padding over to her. "Sorry about before."

"It's okay." Thornpaw replied, something seemed off about it. He kept looking towards the warrior's den and looked very uneasy.

"Is everything alright?" Flowerpaw tilted her head. "You seem like you're on edge, did something happen?"

"Yeah," Thornpaw forced his gaze to focus on Flowerpaw. "Just...rough training."

Flowerpaw narrowed her eyes. "Is Falconclaw being a good mentor to you?" She questioned. Alarm flashed in Thornpaw's eyes and he took a step back, his ears flattening slightly.

"What do you mean? He's a great mentor, he trains me very well." Thornpaw's voice a very slight tremble to it.

"He might train good, but are you two close? A mentor isn't supposed to just teach an apprentice how to fight and hunt, they're supposed to be friendly and encouraging. Help them build confidence." Flowerpaw thought of Owlfoot, who had done just that for her." He's a great mentor.

"Y-yeah," Thornpaw took another step back. "He does all of that, he's a great mentor."

"Are you sure? Because he seems like he treats you like crowfood. He's rude and he's rude to me, I don't think he likes me very much because of my mother."

"Your mother?" Thornpaw blinked. "Well, he doesn't really like kittypets."

"She's not a kittypet." Flowerpaw raised her lip, getting slightly defensive. What had Falconclaw told him about Dovewish. "And neither am I."

"Well, yeah," Thornpaw looked back towards the warrior's den. "I know you're not a kittypet, you were born in SunClan."

"So does that mean just because my mother wasn't born in SunClan she's not a warrior?" Flowerpaw stood up, keeping weight off her injured leg, but getting in Thornpaw's face.

"Flowerpaw," He shuffled his paws awkwardly. "You have to understand, your mother may be a warrior now but she was a born a kittypet. Falconclaw told me, once a kittypet, always a kittypet."

"Falconclaw is a jerk!" Flowerpaw hissed, Thornpaw stumbled back in alarm. "And so are you for believing him! My mother is a better warrior than you'll ever be because she cares about the cats in her Clan. Unlike you!" Flowerpaw spun around, nearly stumbling because of her leg, but made it inside, leaving Thornpaw behind.

When she stepped inside, Feathernose and Honeywing were giving her a questioning gaze. "Is everything okay?" Honeywing asked quietly.

"Falconclaw is teaching Thornpaw that my mother isn't a real warrior because she was born a kittypet." Flowerpaw's ears flattened, she sat down in her nest.

"Flowerpaw," Feathernose stepped forward. "I remember when your mother joined the Clan. My mentor had recently passed, so I was a fairly new medicine cat." The silver tom sat down and looked Flowerpaw in the eyes. "The entire Clan was unsure of your mother when she was first was brought into the Clan by your father. However, despite all odds she proved herself to be a strong warrior. There were always cats who didn't quite believe that your mother would ever lose her kittypet lifestyle. Falconclaw was one of them and still is, unfortunately.

"Your mother adjusted so quickly to Clan life that part of me thinks that she never really had kittypet blood. She was a natural hunter and fighter, and so dedicated to learning how to be a warrior." His blue eyes softened. "Dovewish won the hearts of the entirety of SunClan and she never let cats like Falconclaw bring her down, she knew she was a warrior and that's what drove her forward." He looked down at Flowerpaw. "And you need to do the same thing. You know your mother is a warrior and you know that you are a warrior, it doesn't matter what Falconclaw or even Thornpaw thinks because you know the truth."

Flowerpaw blinked, feeling moved and inspired by Feathernose's story. He was right, Flowerpaw knew she was a warrior and Dovewish was an incredible warrior. She lifted her head. "Thank you, Feathernose. I'll remember that." Feathernose nodded, his eyes sparkling. Flowerpaw shifted her gaze to Honeywing who looked at her mentor with a fierce admiration in her eyes.

As Honeywing and Feathernose settled down in their nests, having quiet talks about their medicine cat duties, Flowerpaw laid down in her own nest. Her mind wandering to the stars. She wished she could've seen her mother as a fierce, young warrior. To see her grow, her confidence going from tame a kittypet to a warrior. I hope I can be half the warrior that my mother is.