°|° Woodland °|° ✓

| Chapter 3 |

(Cat above is Tawnystar)
Berrypaw lay outside her den with her nose on her paws. It had been almost a week since Leafsong's death. His body was kept in the apprentice den, on a special strip of moss. Berrypaw had moved her nest to be just beside Leafsong, and took care of the body like he was her kit.
Cherrypaw wandered over with Sootpelt. "Hey, sis." Cherrypaw murmured. "Don't worry about Leafsong. He's safer hunting with StarClan."
"I know." Berrypaw whispered, her eyes dull with grief. "He loved me, Cherrypaw."
"And I love you. We're sisters. Nothing, absolutely nothing can change that, do you understand?"
Berrypaw flicked an ear. "Yes."
Then Petalnose padded in. "Sootpelt, you're on the border patrol with Blackyowl and me. Cherrypaw, Berrypaw, Eelspark and Hazelwing are waiting at the sandy-pit for training. Adderclaw and Ambertail are coming too," she added, bounding out.
Sootpelt murmured in Cherrypaw's ear before trotting after her. "Come on." Berrypaw called to her sister, racing out. The cool breeze ruffled her fur as Cherrypaw dashed after her. Leaves brushed her ears. Her sister caught up, and Berrypaw slowed to talk.
"Why are you and Sootpelt so close?" Berrypaw demanded. "He almost broke the medicine cat code!"
Cherrypaw lashed her tail. "What's it to you?" she growled. "You're not my mentor!"
"I'm trying to protect you!" Berrypaw spat. "What if Sootpelt died? You'd want my support, wouldn't you? Well, now that Leafsong is dead, I haven't seen you comfort me once apart from those er.mpty words this morning!"
Cherrypaw's eyes were wide. Then her ears flattened and she snarled a reply. "Sootpelt isn't dead, mousebrain." she ran ahead, tail lashing.
Oh no. Berrypaw twitched her tail. I didn't mean to hurt her. Does Sootpelt mean that much to her? She shook her head, flicking her ears. No. He's just a friend. Right?
She padded on alone. Cherrypaw truly loves Sootpelt. But does he truly love her? A jolt rippled through her, and she replaced it with guilt. Why would Sootpelt be fake? If he didn't love Cherrypaw, he wouldn't have given up his role as a medicine cat!
She halted when the ground sloped steeply into a sandy pit. A thin, fallen tree bridged the hollow. Three cats bounded up the bridge to Berrypaw.
"Berrypaw!" Hazelwing growled. "You're late." Berrypaw dipped her head. Cherrypaw glared at the floor from where she stood beside Eelspark. I'm sorry! Berrypaw wanted to cry. I had no idea you loved Sootpelt that much, Cherrypaw. Look at me!
"Let's start. Eelspark and I are WindClan intruders." Hazelwing meowed. "Head down."
Berrypaw curled her claws into the bark as she headed down the slim tree. Hazelwing and Eelspark had disappeared. Fear flashed through Berrypaw as she leaped from the bridge. Where are they? She scanned the pit for her mentor's dark brown pelt, or Eelspark's pale tabby fur.
"Relax!" snapped Cherrypaw. "Unseathe your claws, mousebrain, and at least try to locate them."
Berrypaw tasted the air. The cold breeze carried the scent of mouse, and a clump of some herb nearby. She heard Cherrypaw mutter "Chanomile" and climb onto the tree-bridge to look out.
Hazelwing! A dark shape smashed into Berrypaw, knocking her off her paws. Cherrypaw gave a screech somewhere nearby.
"Ha! Mousebrained apprentice!" snarled Hazelwing, her black eyes ablaze with triumph. Berrypaw hissed and batted at her belly with her hind paws. Hazelwing's grip loosened in shock, and Berrypaw pushed her off with a grunt. For a heartbeat she looked around. Cherrypaw had wriggled from Eelspark's grasp and was bravely pinning him. Berrypaw turned her attention back to Hazelwing, who was growling. The she-cat lunged at Berrypaw, but she dodged, light on her paws. Berrypaw cuffed Hazelwing's ear with a hiss.
Hazelwing dropped into a crouch, curling around Berrypaw. She's doing that curl move she taught me in my first combat team training session!
Then her mentor struck. Instinctively, Berrypaw sprang back, but lost her balance and crashed onto her back, belly exposed. No!
Hazelwing padded forward, her eyes glimmering with hate. She's a great actor, Berrypaw thought, batting out with a seathed paw. Hazelwing flattened her ears, leaning back. Berrypaw quickly jumped to her paws and leaped, pinning Hazelwing with a well-aimed blow.
A cry made her ears flick. Eelspark was leaning over Cherrypaw, lifting a paw to place on her neck in a pretend kill. "Cherrypaw!" yowled Berrypaw, abandoning Hazelwing and bouncing over. She knocked Eelspark off so that he crashed into Hazelwing who had been approaching. Cherrypaw gave her sister a swift nod and leaped after Eelspark.
A while later, Hazelwing called, "OK!" and they fell still. Berrypaw bled slightly from a scratch on her ear, and Hazelwing's shoulder missed a clump of fur. Triumph surged through Berrypaw.
"Let's head back." Hazelwing led the way. Berrypaw felt a wave of exhaustion drown her as she padded into the apprentice den and collapsed in her nest, panting.
Oakpaw gazed at her ruffled fur for a moment, before crouching beside her and cleaning Berrypaw's pelt in soothing licks. What? Oakpaw?
Berrypaw sighed softly as sleep washed over her.

Hello!
I think it's time someone finally warmed up to Berrypaw. Oakpaw isn't that bad, right?
Enjoy the rest of the story!