Mountain was laying down on his belly. Swift was licking his wounds. Needle was sleeping. Pine was carrying herbs to the group. Swift lifted his head.
"When did you become a medicine cat?" Swift growled. Thunder turned and narrowed his eyes at Pine. Pine sighed.
"I blackmailed a medicine cat to tell me all the herbs and what they cure." Pine struggled. Needle woke up.
"I heard everything and that's cool." Needle yawned. Thunder smirked.
"Finally you did something useful." He snapped.
"Now go cure your groupmates." Thunder ordered. Pine nodded and leaped next to Mountain. She put cobwebs on his bleeding wounds.
"Ouch! Not there!" Mountain yelled as he slapped her paw off his painful wound. Pine was surprised.
"It will heal it." Pine snapped. Mountain glared at her but then allowed her. Pine put the cobweb on his painful wound as he bite his lips. Thunder patted towards them. His eyes with fury.
"I thought I killed that pesky Darkkit! No, no, she still ALIVE!" Thunder growled. Pine turned to looked at Thunder and faced his gaze.
"They had that medicine cat apprentice when they left. I think she healed her wound." Pine said as she patted towards Swift. Swift looked up at her.
"I just got a scratch on my paw from that elder when she tried to protect herself." Swift said. Pine nodded as she crouched and spit goldenrod on the scratch. Swift bit his lips together of the bitter juice which soaked inside the scratch. Pine looked at Needle and patted towards her. Claw and Shell came towards them with prey between there jaws. Thunder glared at them.
"Why weren't you guys fighting?" Thunder snapped. Claw stared at his father.
"We weren't there..." He lied. Shell dropped her prey.
"We were spying on FireClan and how Fuzzy is doing. He will be out of the camp in any minute." Shell said. Needle looked at her apprentice.
"How long has he been a prisoner in FireClan? Days, weeks, moons?" Needle yawned.
"For moons." Mountain growled.
"Is he a mouse dung? Is it that hard to hide from does fox dung clans?" Thunder mumbled as he glared at Shell. Shell glared at him.
"He isn't a mouse dung! He was just to distracted by the rabbit on there territory that he didn't hear the cats footsteps!" Shell hissed. Mountain laughed.
"So your saying that Fuzzy can't hear!? What a fox dung!" Mountain laughed. Thunder laughed as he gave a sharp glare at Shell.
"So your saying you went to spy on him when he got caught moons ago? Why didn't you go and help your precious kittypet then?" He laughed. Shell showed her fangs. Thunder slammed his paw on her back. Shell fell on the ground.
"Don't show your tiny fangs to me, Shell!" Thunder growled. Claw looked at Mountain. Mountain stood up.
"Claw. Let's go hunting on BirchClan territory. We need food." He commanded Claw. Claw nodded and looked at Shell. Shell stayed on the ground, giving an angry look at his father. Claw leaped on a rock and followed Mountain.

Icestar was resting on his nest inside the leaders den. A knock was heard at the entrance on the leaders den.
"Come in." Icestar said. A she-cat came in with worry in her eyes. Icestar looked up and saw Nightwing who sat down in front of him. He smiled as he slowly sat down.
"You want to tell me something?" Icestar asked. Nightwing nodded.
"I don't think our kits are ready to become apprentices in a half moon. There gonna be only 5 moons old! The warrior code says that kits can only become apprentices when they are 6 moons old!" Nightwing hesitated. Icestar sighed.
"But it's an emergency. What could go wrong? The others are fine" Icestar mewed. Nightwings eyes filled with anger.
"Everything would go wrong! And there not our kits! Darkkit and Otterkit are! Darkkit is still healing from her wound and Otterkit is scared of the forest! After Waterpaw, Rabbitpaw and Mousefoot died she has stayed only near me! She is scared that you might loose another life! What if Thunder kills them like he had killed you two times!" Nightwing yelled. Icestar stared at her.
"I have to do it! For the sake of the forest! For the sake of the Clan! For the sake of us! What else can I do? Stand still and do nothing? Let him and his friends kill everyone? I NEED to do something and this is the only way!" Icestar said. Nightwing slashed her tail angrily on the ground.
"You only care to become the best leader not the best FATHER! You haven't taken care of our kits! You only care about the CLAN!" She snapped. Icestars eyes widened.
"Your such a fox heart! I wish you weren't my MATE!" Nightwing cried as she yelled at Icestar. Icestars heart broke as he watched her run out of the den. Everyone was staring at her in shock. Darkkit and Otterkit were running towards her into the nursery.
Icestar felt pain stab his heart.
"I am a fox heart aren't I..."

Wolfpaw leaped on a sparrow as she bit it with her sharp teeth. Blackshade was watching her carefully from the side. Wolfpaw stood up as she patted towards him. She dropped her catch in front of him with pride gleeming in her eyes. Blackshade snorted as he glared at her.
"You hunt like a kittypet! You need more training than a mouse-brained apprentice!" He snapped as he pushed the sparrow to the side.
"Take it to camp and come straight back here if your not scared." He growled as he walked into the woods and disappeared. Wolfpaw glared where he disappeared. She hissed and slammed her paw to the soft snow.
"Well at least I caught the prey than any other mouse-brained kittypet!" She growled as she snatched the sparrow and stomped off towards the camp.

Shadowpaw and Dapplepaw were pinning each other down at the training grounds. Baypelt watch them when Greytail gave them orders and showed them how to pin each other down.
"Remember, if someone leaps on your back, use your strength and roll to your back as your belly is facing the sky. It will squeeze the attacker and then you may leap out." Greytail said as he looked at the two apprentices. Shadowpaw nodded as Dapplepaw have a flick of his tail. Greytail looked at Shadowpaw.
"You will first try to roll on your back when Dapplepaw jumps on you. Be quick, because your attacker can dodge that." He warned as he nodded to Dapplepaw to get ready. Dapplepaw crouched as he locked Shadowpaw with his eyes. Then he flung to the air and landed on Shadowpaws back. Shadowpaw struggled to flip over. He finally flip to his back, but Dapplepaw dodged it and la dead on the ground, safely. Greytail sighed as he walked up to Shadowpaw who sat up and looked down to his paws.
"You did well today, but next time be quick." Greytail snapped. Shadowpaw nodded slowly. Dapplepaw came to sat next to him. Baypelt came towards them.
"Don't be harsh to Shadowpaw. He tried his best." Baypelt mewed softly. Greytail stared at Baypelt.
"Well his best wasn't good enough!" He growled as he turned around and walked away.

Icestar walked up to Thornbush who was sharing tongues with Dewfish. He turned to look at his leader. Icestar stared at them with sadness flowing through his eyes.
"I....I need to talk to you...." He whispered as a tang of pain was heard in his voice.

Two days later....

Nightwing was watching her kits play with Dewfish's kits, Snowkit and Stonekit. She heard pawsteps coming towards her. She turned around and was looking at Dewfish who was smiling.
"Your in a good mood today Dewfish." Nightwing purred. Dewfish nodded.
"There is someone who wants to see you at the rockline." Dewfish whispered as she smiled. Nightwing stared at her confused.
"Why me? Why can't Thornbush or..... Icestar.... Go there?" She asked. Dewfish shook her head.
"It's someone important." She mewed. Nightwing sighed as she stood up.
"I'll watch the kits don't worry." Dewfish purred as she sat down. Nightwing nodded as she waöked towards the tunnel, with let out of the camp.

Nightwing was squeezing though gaps and bushes. Finally she made it to the rockline. She saw a muscular white and black Tom with blue eyes. It was Icestar. She curled her lips as she turned around to wall away.
"Wait! Nightwing! Don't go! Let me explain." Icestar begged with sorrow and sadness flowing through his eyes. Nightwing turned and sighed as she sat down. Icestar smiled as he pulled out a rose and placed it in front of her.
"Listen very carefully Nightwing. Think about the words I will say." Icestar said. Nightwing stayed silent.
"Look, I didn't want myself that Darkkit and Otterkit will become apprentices so soon. I do care about my family, but I also care about my clan. Please forgive me Nightwing please forgive me!" Icestar begged as he placed his paw on the rose. Nightwing stared at him. Icestar looked at the ground as a paw was placed on his paw. He looked up and saw Nightwing smiling at him.
"I do forgive you." Nightwing purred.

The next day Nightwing was grooming Darkkit and Otterkit.
"Mom! Why do you need to groom us?" Darkkit whined. Nightwing smiled as she licked her ear.
"Today you two will become apprentices!" Nightwing purred as she smiled. Otterkit looked at her with excitement.
"When I become an apprentice I will train very well that they might make me a warrior very fast." Otterkit squeaked. Darkkit stared at them with excitement too.
"I will be the best apprentice ever!" Darkkit said as she hopped around them.
"All cats old enough to catch there own prey! Come beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!" Icestar yowled from the highrock. Darkkit and Otterkit scrambled towards it as the other cats started gathering around it. Shadow and Sunpaw where sitting together as Dapplepaw and Wolfpaw where sitting together. Blackshade sat next to Greytail a d asked questions. Cloudfur and Baypelt rushed towards the highrock. Otterkit nervously sat in front of the highrock. She gazed at the huge rock with surprise and excitement. Darkkit sat next to her and nugged her.
"It's alright." She said. Otterkit smiled as she turned to look at the highrock.
Icestar waited for the chatting of cats to to be silent. He turned to look at Otterkit.
"Otterkit step forward." Icestar said. Otterkit nervously stepped forward.
"Otterkit, You have reached the age of five moons, and it it's time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be know as Otterpaw. Your mentor will be Flameheart. I hope Flameheart will pass down all he knows on to you." Icestar said as he leaped down from the highrock and put his muzzle on her head. Otterpaw gave a respectful lick on the leaders shoulder. Icestar turned to look at Flameheart whose eyes where gleeming with pride.
"Flameheart, your ready to take an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Timberfur. And you have shown yourself to be loyal and brave. You will be the mentor of Otterpaw, and I expect you to pass all you know to Otterpaw." Icestar said. Flameheart dipped his head respectfully as he walked and touched noses with Otterpaw. Otterpaw and Flameheart walked side by side to the edge of the highrock as Icestar flick his tail for Darkkit to step forward.
"Darkkit, You have reached the age of five moons, and it it's time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be know as Darkpaw. Your mentor will be Whitefur. I hope Whitefur will pass down all she knows on to you." Icestar said as he stepped forward to touch his muzzle on her head. Darkpaw respectfully licked his shoulder as Otterpaw did. Icestar turned to look at the white she-cat who was standing in the middle of the crowd.
"Whitefur, your ready to take an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Thornbush. And you have shown yourself to be Kind and loyal. You will be the mentor of Darkpaw, and I expect you to pass all you know to Darkpaw." Icestar said. Whitefur happily patted towards Darkpaw and touched her muzzle with hers.
"Otterpaw! Darkpaw! Otterpaw! Darkpaw!" Everyone cheered and yowled the new apprentices names.
Otterpaw looked around the clearing and smiled at everyone. We finally became apprentices!

To be continued in the next book!