BLACKPAW GRUNTED AND TURNED IN HER NEST. She could feel the warm body of Branchpaw pressed against her back. Purring, she ignored the shiver that ran through her body. She uncurled her body, removing her tail from her nose and sat up, letting out a huge yawn. 

Looking around, Blackpaw saw that both Lionpaw and Shadowpaw were already up. She shook her fur and stuck her nose outside. A cold breeze wished her good morning, and she bushed out her tail in reply. 

Stalking out, she began stretching her sore body. She felt as if she had run all around the forest. Her paws were even dirty with dried snow and dirt. 

"Hmm, weird.." Blackpaw muttered and licked her paws clean. She started grooming her pelt, wanting to look good on her first day as a ShadowClan apprentice. 

Oh great StarClan it feels good to say that! Blackpaw, the ShadowClan apprentice. All Clans beware, you're going to lose some fur!! She let out a quiet mrrow of amusement. 

"What are you purring at all by yourself?"

A voice behind her made her jump. Her claws slid out and she attacked. 

"Oompf!" 

Blackpaw's eyes widened in shock as she noticed who she had attacked. 

"Oh no, Ashbrook! I'm so sorry, but you scared me!" Blackpaw jumped off her mentors body and started nosing him, pleading him to get up. "Please forgive me, oh StarClan what have I done!" 

Ashbrook stood up, slightly winded but amused. He shook his fur, sending snow flying everywhere. "It's okay Blackpaw! It's good to know that my apprentice is always ready for battle." He purred and walked towards the fresh-kill pile with Blackpaw right behind him. 

"Shadowpaw and Doeclaw are right over there, eating some fresh-kill. I want you to join them and have a piece while I go talk with Applebreeze." He pointed his tail towards the clan deputy, who was telling the warriors about that day's plans. 

"Okay Ashbrook! And again, I'm so sorry.." She muttered the last part and hung her head. 

Ashbrook mrrowed and nudged her towards her littermate. His eyes shone, making her own fur tingle with happiness. 

Blackpaw padded towards Doeclaw and Shadowkit. Her belly growled with hunger, and her mouth watered at the sweet scent of blood. 

Picking a somewhat big mouse, she settled beside her brother, who was munching happily on a rat. 

"Hello Blackpaw. Sleep well?" Doeclaw asked, and blinked warmly at her. 

"Yeah, it was hard falling asleep. But when I did, I slept so good-"

Shadowpaw's meow interrupted her, before she could finish. 

"Yeah, you looked extra cosy, right beside Branchpaw." 

Blackpaw flattened her ears in embarrassment. 

"And who are you to talk? You practically slept all over Daisypaw!" 

Shadowpaw coughed. A piece of vole flew out of his mouth, landing right at Doeclaw's paws. She grunted in disgust, and flicked it away. Blackpaw watched as it sailed through the air, only to land on Specklepaw's nose. 

The medicine cat apprentice meowed in alarm, dropping a bundle of herbs, scattering them everywhere. 

At her panicked meow, Darkleap and Runningmist both ran towards her to help, only to slip on the ice and fall. They glided through half of the clearing, bumping into Specklepaw. She fell on top of them, burying Runningmist's muzzle in the snow. 

"OW! MY PAW!" Specklepaw's panicked meow rang clearly around in camp. 

Blackpaw couldn't stop herself from laughing at the sight, while Shadowpaw had frozen mid-chew and Doeclaw was standing up , her fur spiked in panic. 

"Oh no!" She muttered and ran towards them, gripping the ice with her claws."Specklepaw? Are you alright?" 

Specklepaw staggered away from the other two warriors, holding her left front paw up. "I think I've sprained my paw.." She meowed, pain shining in her eyes. 

 "Shadowpaw! You are so not leaving camp today! I want you in the medicine den all day, helping Fernpelt and Specklepaw with everything they ask you to do!" Doeclaw spat, as she helped Runningmist and Darkleap up to their paws. 

Blackpaw felt her eyes watering and her lungs screaming for air. She tried to clamp her jaws shut, not wanting to upset Shadowpaw by laughing at him, but the bubble of laughter seemed to grow bigger, until she laughed. 

Her meows echoed in camp, making all warriors join her. Shadowpaw, however, looked crestfallen and sad. 

"But Doeclaw-!"

"No, Shadowpaw! I won't hear it! Go to Fernpelt, now!" Doeclaw growled at him.

Shadowpaw lowered his gaze to the ground, and padded slowly towards the medicine den. Blackpaw watched him until the shadows swallowed him, and he was out of sight. 

As her laughter died away, she felt slightly guilty  for laughing her brother. She has always thought that they would explore the ShadowClan territory together. 

"Have you finished eating?" 

A warm huff of breath tickled her ears, sending pleasant shivers down her spine. Blackpaw nodded and got up. "Yes Ashbrook. I'm all done." She said as she buried the bones of her mouse. 

"Well then, let's go." 

"Are you sure Shadowpaw can't join us?" She looked at her mentor with pleading eyes. "I just really want my first time out as an apprentice be with him." 

"But you've already left camp once together." Ashbrook pointed out. 

"Yeah, I know. It just would have made everything better if he was there." Blackpaw turned her head towards the medicine den. 

Twinkling eyes blinked at her from the shadows. A glowing figure of a cat was hunching near the entrance, but not close enough for the sun to light the body up. 

As soon as the black she-cat blinked, the eyes disappeared. 

Did I just see a cat? Or was that my mind playing tricks on me? Blackpaw tilted her head in confusion, her mind spinning. 

"Well, I suppose I could go talk with Doeclaw. See what I can do." Ashbrook's meow dragged Blackpaw back to reality. She shook her head and gave a small excited jump, forgetting everything she had just seen. 

"Oh, please do Ashbrook!" She meowed. 

Ashbrook nodded and padded towards Doeclaw. He bent down to whisper in her ear. Blackpaw saw Doeclaw as she growled and shook her head, but after a moment of listening to Ashbrook, she rolled her eyes and nodded. 

Ashbrook looked back and beckoned Blackpaw to him with a twitch of his tail. 

" She just left to bring your brother." The tom meowed before his apprentice could ask him. 

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Blackpaw squealed in excitement. 

She heard the voice of her brother and looked back, waving her tail happily. 

"Let's go, then!" Doeclaw said, sounding much happier than she had before. 

✦✦✦

Shadowpaw and Blackpaw followed their mentors in the territory all day. They saw their borders with RiverClan and SkyClan, and learned all other important things that an apprentice should know about their territory and the rules. 

"Never cross the border!" 

"Watch out for foxes and badgers." 

"Don't forget to smell your surroundings every once in a while." 

Blackpaw's mind reeled with everything Ashbrook had told her while they were out.  They returned way past sunhigh feeling tired, cold and hungry. Now, she and Shadowpaw had been ordered to eat a little then and go clean the elders den. 

"Hey, Blackpaw. Would you like to share a rabbit? I caught it all by myself earlier." The familiar voice of Branchpaw reached Blackpaw, who was shuffling through the pile, unable to decide what to eat. 

"Sure, that would be great!" She meowed and followed Branchpaw, to the spot he had chosen. "But I won't eat much. I have to go clean the elders den." Blackpaw purred and settled beside him. They both started eating in silence, stealing glances at each other once in a while. 

When Blackpaw had eaten until her belly was satisfied, she started washing her paws and muzzle. She noticed Branchpaw watching her, but paid no mind to him. He looked as if he wanted to tell her something, always opening and closing his mouth. 

"Blackpaw I-" 

"Blackpaw? Are you done eating?" Ashbrook's voice interrupted Branchpaw. "The elders are waiting. Their nests aren't going to clean themselves." 

"Yes Ashbrook!" She jumped up from beside Branchpaw, and flicked her ears in farewell. "See you later, Branchpaw." 

Trotting happily towards the den, Blackpaw came face to face with Lionpaw. 

"Hey Blackpaw." The brown and black tabby greeted her with his tail up. "Wanna share a mouse?" 

"Oh, hi Lionpaw. Sorry, I just ate some rabbit with Branchpaw... Maybe another time?" 

Lionpaw's eyes seemed to darken as he looked past her shoulder and saw Branchpaw sitting next to a half eaten rabbit. Branchpaw noticed his look, and raised his tail in greeting. 

"Yeah, maybe." Lionpaw grunted and stalked away. 

Blackpaw felt guilt prickling inside of her, like small thorns. She watched Lionpaw as he walked straight past the fresh-kill pile and enter the apprentices den. 

Wasn't he going to eat? The young she-cat pushed her thoughts away. Focus Blackpaw! The elders are waiting.

She padded into the elders den and found Shadowpaw already there. 

"Hey Blackpaw. Can you please check the elders for ticks?" Shadowpaw meowed. "I just need to go get some fresh bedding. I'll be quick as a mouse." 

"Sure!" Blackpaw chirped, not bothered by the fact that she was checking the elders fur. 

"Great!" Shadowpaw purred and left the elders den. 

Blackpaw padded closer to Mossystreak, who was the closest to her. "Hey Mossystreak. I'm here to check you for ticks."

"Hello young one. Please do. I feel a huge one just at the bottom of my spine, but I can't seem to reach it." 

Blackpaw pawed her way through the elder she-cats fur, and found a big tick, just where she said it was. 

"Wow, this tick is huge!" The apprentice meowed. "You must be so uncomfortable. I'll go get some mouse-bile. Ashbrook said it's great for removing ticks." 

Mossystreak nodded and went back to chatting with Mouseshade. 

Exiting the elders den, Blackpaw made her way towards the medicine den. She saw Shadowpaw returning with a wad of moss in his jaws. 

A chilling sensation sent unpleasant shivers down Blackpaw's spine. She felt confused at the uncomfortable feeling. Why was she feeling this way? The closer she was to the den, the more uncomfortable she felt. 

When the apprentice finally entered the den, she was met with a silence, that was unusual. Blackpaw remembered all the times she had been in here. She would often find Specklepaw meowing with Fernpelt, asking about all sorts of things. 

"Hello? Specklepaw? Fernpelt?" Blackpaw sniffed the air. The two medicine cats scents were fresh, which meant they were somewhere.

"Anyone here?"

"Blackpaw?" 

A raspy voice startled Blackpaw from behind her. She whipped around, only to be met with a sickly looking Fernpelt. 

"Fernpelt?" She whispered uneasily. "I'm just here f-for mouse-bile."

"Blackpaw!" Fernpelt's voice grew a little louder. His eyes flashed with a twinkle, just like...

The cat from my dream... He looks just like the cat from my dream! Blackpaw backed away, fear spiking out her fur. 

"Until flower blooms, ShadowClan will fall into a darkness like no other!" Fernpelt rasped. The fur along his spine stood straight up, and his tail was bushed out to twice the size. 

"W-what..?" Blackpaw stammered, her ears flattening.  "What do you mean...?" 

Fernpelt's breathing grew heavy. His body seemed to tense, and just like that, he exhaled and blinked. 

When the medicine cat opened his eyes again, he looked normal and a little confused. 

"Blackpaw? When did you get in here? I didn't even hear you." He meowed, his voice normal. 

"I j-just came." Blackpaw muttered. She shook her fur and forced the fur on her shoulders to lay down. "I'm here for some mouse-bile."

"Ah, yes." Fernpelt meowed and ducked into his herb storage. A moment later, he returned with a stick in his mouth. At the end of the stick was some mouse-bile.

Blackpaw padded forwards and reached for the stick with her muzzle. As she bit into it, her eyes locked with Fernpelt's and a strange voice echoed in her head. 

Blackpaw...

The black apprentice gasped and grabbed the stick. Then, she ran as fast as she could. 

Her vision blurred as she emerged from the darkness of the den and into the sunny clearing. The snow dazzled her vision, and she shut her eyes, running blindly for a moment. 

She crashed into a firm body head first. Stumbling back, Blackpaw opened her eyes to see Shadowpaw, eyeing her worriedly. 

"Blackpaw? What happened? Are you alright?" He asked her. 

"Yeah. I'm fine." Blackpaw muttered, and made her way to the elders den. "Just fine."