(Hazelpaw's POV)

It was Hazelpaw who heard the skirmish first. Cherrypaw and her were supposed to be in camp, preparing for their warrior assessments, which was happening tonight, however, they needed to use the dirt-place. Actually, Cherrypaw needed to use the dirt-place and dragged Hazelpaw along with her. Shrieks and yowls could be heard echoing from BreezeClan's camp and Hazelpaw, who was always curious, wished to investigate.

"Please, Cherrypaw? If we go I'll give you two honeycombs...wait, I'll give you three," Hazelpaw pleaded, a desperate tone hinted in her voice.

Sure enough, she heard the faint rumbling sound coming from Cherrypaw's stomach and with that, knew she had convinced her, for Cherrypaw had never been the sharpest claw on a cat.

Cherrypaw trailed after Hazelpaw as they stood close to the edge of BreezeClan's border, the slight wind buffeting their fur. However, nothing much could be seen apart from a couple of shadowy silhouettes surrounding the dip of BreezeClan's camp.

"Come on, Cherrypaw. We need to get closer," Hazelpaw flicked her tail and motioned for Cherrypaw to follow.

Without complaint, her sister obliged and they now stood on the very edge of BreezeClan's border. Upon taking her next breath, Hazelpaw let out a strangled sound, somewhere between a gasp and a choke and instinctively took a step back from the border. She could see faint silhouettes standing in a circle around BreezeClan's camp.

Cherrypaw, Cherrypaw, Hazelpaw trembled as she looked at the cats again. Start heading back to camp, I'll follow you. Those cats weren't from any other clan. The stale smell of dead and rotting corpses that wafted over the border was a clear indicator to her that they were from the Skulls of Death. She'd seen a couple of cats from the Skulls before, coming to the Gathering as a representative of Skull. However, she had never taken a glimpse of the leader, the cat who orchestrated all of this, Skull himself. The most she had seen was of Death, Skull's second as well as his right-hand lackey. However, she knew, like everyone else, about his ability. His power to not only raise cats from the dead, but also able to control them and for them to do his bidding.

Huh? What? Hazelpaw meowed, confused as always when some new event unexpectedly sprang up. Aren't we going to see the battle? What's happening? Do I still get my three honeycombs though?

Hazelpaw sighed at her dim-witted sister as she responded, You'll receive all three of your honeycombs. Besides, it's probably time that we should be heading back, after all, our warrior assessments are taking place soon.

Without another word shared between the sisters, they swiftly scurried back to OakClan's camp. Just as they set foot into OakClan's camp, Swanstar ran towards them as well, licking their fur as though they were still six-moon old kittens getting ready for their apprentice ceremony.

"Where were you two? The ceremony is about to begin and I got so worried when I couldn't find you," Swanstar meowed, concern lacing her voice.

"We're fine," Hazelpaw replied for both of them as she stepped backwards, away from Swanstar, an instinctive action that she could not control, but then thought that Swanstar would perceive her as weak and took another, discreet step towards the High-rock, thus, making it look as though she was eager to complete her assessments. "We just needed to use the dirt-place."

Swanstar nodded as she took her place and announced, "I'm pleased to announce that both Hazelpaw and Cherrypaw are ready for their assessments. Hazelpaw will fight first and her partner will be Aspenfire. Cherrypaw will fight last and her partner will be Aliumpetal."

Hazelpaw let out a heavy breath of relief, one she didn't realise she held until then. Relief for Cherrypaw, that was. If she had gotten Aspenfire instead, Cherrypaw would've started flirting unabashedly with him in front of the whole clan, even if he was doing his best to initiate a battle.

Hazelpaw dared herself to look at Cherrypaw's expression from the side of her eye, and without a doubt, saw her twin sister pouting with great sadness, as though Swanstar had announced she would never be able to have Aspenfire as a mate. She turned away from her sister's disappointed gaze and made her way to the arena, along with the rest of her clan.

Hazelpaw's parents both leapt on a branch overhanging the arena, sitting next to each other with a barely visible stiffness in their postures, as though they were forced to do this after countless moons of tradition, rather than due to their love and devotion for each other.

Swanstar looked at Hazelpaw from her perch with a certain harshness and the pale orange she-cat flinched involuntarily. Sometimes Hazelpaw wondered if Swanstar's kindness was merely an act for her to fall into her schemes and she never truly loved her.

"Hazelpaw," Swanstar meowed, voice indifferent as the Queen gazed down at her clan. "Your battle shall commence now. Aspenfire, please step inside the arena."

The tom stepped forward stiffly, not daring to make eye contact with Hazelpaw as he shuffled slightly, trying to puff himself up. Hazelpaw wondered if it was because he wasn't used to all this attention, wondered if this was because it was his first battle as a partner of an heir.

She didn't have more time to wonder anymore though, as Aspenfire shot forward with astonishing speed and Hazelpaw scrambled over her own paws as she tried to escape, only ending up flat on her face and the warrior pinned her down, albeit softer than what she would've expected.

"Get up," the tom hissed in her ear. "Make it look like you're trying to fight, or else your mother won't end this assessment and I'm sure neither of us want to be here longer than necessary."

Hazelpaw grunted and heaved herself up, almost crushing herself in the process under Aspenfire's weight and began sprinting away from him, dealing a light blow to his face. Although they never acknowledged it, the two of them seemed to have a slight interest in each other, one that wasn't of friendship, nor one of romance...one that couldn't be explained.

The second Hazelpaw's paw landed on Aspenfire's face, the pair seemed to strike up a rhythm in their fighting, elegant and beautiful, it almost seemed as though they were dancing to the company of each other. The rest of Hazelpaw's world fell away and the only thing she could concentrate on was Aspenfire.

"Halt!" Swanstar yowled from her perch, snapping Hazelpaw from her daze. "Hazelpaw, you have successfully completed your battle. Please step aside and will Aliumpetal and Cherrypaw make their way to the arena now."

Hazelpaw looked into Aspenfire's amber eyes again before turning away and leaving the arena. She heard Aliumpetal sigh in her ancient manner as the senior warrior always did whenever she was paired with an apprentice. She was getting rather old after all, and it'd only be a moon or two before she decided to retire and move into the elders' den.

Sis? Hello? Cherrypaw meowed into her mind and Hazelpaw ignored her. Where are you? SISTER?! I NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE!

Hazelpaw did her best to block out the noise of Cherrypaw's anxious chattering. This was her own battle to fight and Hazelpaw shouldn't interefere.