Chapter 15

The ShadowClan cats chose to take a different route back to their camp, so the two groups parted way. Crazyheart led her cats back to stone hollow without any major occurrences, but it was still late at night when they arrived at their home.

Even though it was nearly moonhigh, Flamestar was still waiting for them by the thorn tunnel. "Well? How bad are RiverClan's conditions?"

Crazyheart grimaced. "Bad. If ShadowClan hadn't given them land, their territory would be only slightly larger than the training hollow. Redfeather told me they felt sorry for RiverClan."

"ShadowClan? Redfeather?" Flamestar's eyes widened. "How did Redfeather tell you? You mean at the Gathering yesterday? Why didn't you tell me this last night?"

Crazyheart shook her head. "No, I mean we kinda sorta bumped into a ShadowClan border patrol and Oakstar sent Redfeather and Rainpaw to help RiverClan too. I asked Redfeather about why the border was so close and he told me that ShadowClan gave RiverClan some land to help them out."

Flamestar nodded. "Oakstar is the closest thing to a decent cat that has ever been born in ShadowClan. Well, I just wanted to hear how things were in RiverClan; I admit I'm a bit worried about them. Go get some rest, Crazyheart."

Crazyheart padded into the warriors den and drifted into a dreamless sleep. The next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes the next morning to sun filtering into the warriors den. She groaned and rose to her paws.

After organizing patrols, the deputy poked her nose in the apprentices den. Whitepaw was the only one in there, per usual, as the other apprentices had already woken up because were eager to train and learn something from their mentors that would help them to be a better warrior. But Crazyheart's apprentice could care less about battle skills or hunting techniques. Instead, she wanted to pout over not being a medicine cat apprentice.

Crazyheart sighed inwardly, knowing her apprentice would be uncooperative. "Whitepaw! Get up! It's time to train!"

She was shocked when her apprentice immediately sprang to her paws, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Are we going to see RiverClan again?"

"What? No!" Crazyheart was confused. "Why would you want to go visit RiverClan again? Yesterday, all you did was complain about it!"

Whitepaw looked at Crazyheart as if it should be obvious. "Tigerstep doesn't have an apprentice."

Crazyheart rolled her eyes in disgust. "We're going to the training hollow, and even though I know you're a hopeless cause I'm still going to try to teach you how to sidestep."

Whitepaw dragged her paws the whole way there, but Crazyheart tried to ignore her ceaseless grumbling. Whitepaw isn't here, Whitepaw isn't here, Whitepaw isn't here, Whitepaw isn't...OH MY STARCLAN WILL SHE EVER SHUT UP?!

They finally arrived and Crazyheart told Whitepaw to stay where she was standing. "Now I'm going to charge at you and I want you to slide off to one side at the last moment, okay?"

Whitepaw actually obeyed for once, but she made a point of looking bored. "Well, hurry up and get this over with."

Crazyheart gritted her teeth. "Remember, step off to the side at the last moment so your enemy doesn't..."

Whitepaw yawned loudly. "I've been here so long I think I'm an elder now."

Seething with fury, Crazyheart sprinted towards Whitepaw, taking long strides and lowering her head. The apprentice just sat down and began calmly licking a forepaw. The ThunderClan deputy barreled into the white-furred she-cat, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Crazyheart unsheathed her claws and swiped them across Whitepaw's side. "This is for being a disrespectful, worthless apprentice."

Crazyheart raked her claws down her cheek. "This is for never listening and always complaining and..."

Whitepaw scrambled to her paws and took a few steps back. "Good riddance! I'm never coming back!"

"Please don't!" Crazyheart snarled.

Whitepaw dashed off and the undergrowth swallowed her up. I wonder how to explain this to her mother...my sister.

Roseleaf and Breezewhisker were eating outside near the elders den, sharing a thrush. They spend way too much time together.

Roseleaf noticed Crazyheart's entry and looked up. "Hey, Crazyheart. Where's Whitepaw?"

Crazyheart shifted on her paws, looking at the ground. "Well, she kind of just ran off because she told me she was sick of being a warrior and..."

"What?" Breezewhisker and Roseleaf screeched in unison.

Crazyheart sighed. "Perhaps it's best for everyone that she left. After all, you and I both know she would never be happy here, seeing as she can't find one positive thing in the whole Clan."

"Besides, we don't need a worthless mouth to feed. Good riddance, I say." Blazeheart, blunt as always, had drifted over after hearing the conversation.

Breezewhisker glared at Blazeheart while Roseleaf just seemed to be in shock.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Breezewhisker and Roseleaf were pretty much ignoring Blazeheart, but they didn't have much to say to Crazyheart either. It is probably a good thing that's she's gone. I don't know why they're upset.

Crazyheart had a weird dream that night, and she wondered what it meant.

Lionpelt was standing beside Pebblestar, looking worried. "Pebblestar, we should leave, quickly! They'll slaughter us in a heartbeat!"

Pebblestar glanced at him. "I will fight to my last breath. We will NEVER retreat. RiverClan, attack!"

A voice whispered, Fern will face three. Two can save the third, but the third will leave. Fern will cause four to become three.

She woke with a jolt. Is Fern Fernstar or would that be too obvious?

A/N: What do YOU think the prophecy means? Please tell me in the comments! :) Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!