I padded back to camp with a thrush. A dead thrush that I had found by the big oak tree. I was greeted with surprised looks, and those looks hurt me a lot. They all think that I cannot even find a thrush, they all despised me. I snorted, clenching the thrush even tighter in my jaws as I approached the medicine cat's den, leaving those astonished stares behind.

I loved Stonestream. She was the only one who believed that I could do it. She showered me with care and love, unlike others who didn't seem to care much about me. When she saw the thrush in my jaws, I could see that her eyes were filled with so much happiness that they seemed that they were going to burst. She got up immediately, and dragged her frail body, sniffing the thrush in delight. Littlefern went up to hold onto Stonestream, reminding her that she is far too weak to get up, but Stonestream chided her, telling her that it was my first prey, and she must get up to see it. She must. What she said touched me, I feel so important as I put the thrush onto the ground. Stonestream prodded the thrush, flipped it over and checking it, before looking up again, mewing words of compliments. "Great job! Frostheart had taught you well. Wait, maybe you are a natural talent in this," Stonestream beamed. "Come on, Snowpaw, follow me into Brightstar's den." I nodded my head, padding into the clearing with my mother by my side. She puffed out her chest, her eyes bright again. I have never seen her so energetic before. If a thrush can make her so happy, next sunrise I am going out again to find them. I will find more, so she will be more happy. Right?

"Snowpaw caught this thrush." Stonestream had been repeating this to every warrior that passed by. Some mewed their congrats, other just ignored her. Flamebreeze even said that the thrush I caught looks good, and it was one of the bigger thrushes in the forest he had ever seen. But Smokefoot did not seem to like his presence. Stonestream thanked Flamebreeze, and stalked away, leaving Flamebreeze standing there. I turned back, and Flamebreeze gave me an awkward smile b

efore he left, his tail dragging on the ground. I have always wondered what had happened between Flamebreeze and my mother. In the past Flamebreeze always went into the nursery to play with me and Willowpaw and Graypaw, but he always left when Stonestream came back from her evening walk.

"Brightstar? Look, this is what Snowpaw caught." Brightstar looked up, nodded his head and said nothing more. Stonestream did not seem please about his reaction, and she continued, "this thrush is one of the bigger thrushes I have ever seen." Is she copying what Flamebreeze had said? "The claw marks are at the right place, the thrush had been caught with great accuracy, Brightstar."

"I know, I know, just leave me alone, okay? I have been thinking about our relationship with the rogues, they have been looking for trouble ever since the last two moons. I have no time to care about that thrush..." Brightstar explained, his eyes narrowed.

"That thrush? What do you mean by that thrush? That thrush is what my daughter caught!" Stonestream growled, her neck fur bristling.

"Wow, that was the best thrush I have ever seen!" Brightstar mewed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He lashed his tail in annoyance, signaling Stonestream to leave the den. The gray she-cat stepped out reluctantly, her jaws still clenching the prey tightly. Slowly, she landed it on the ground, beginning her meal. I sat down, pressing my fur against my mother's.

"Listen, Snowpaw." Stonestream's voice was hoarse. "I cannot be there for you forever. You must learn how to stand up for yourself, and the best way is to prove to the others that you are not weak, you are as strong as any cat out there. I have got a feeling that I might be gone soon, dear." My neck fur bristled slightly as I rubbed my muzzle against my mother's. She will not be dead. She is strong. She will live forever.

Stonetsream purred, taking a bite of the thrush. I took a bite too, but the meat in my mouth tasted strange and hard. I looked at my mother, trying to stop her from eat such tough meat. "Ahh..." I wanted to say 'stop', but I could only make weird noises. Stonestream looked up, care in her eyes. She seemed to understand what I wanted to say, and she shook her head gently, taking another big bite of the thrush. I got up and took another mouse from the fresh-kill pile, pushing the plump presto Stonestream. Stonestream pushed it away. "I don't like to eat mouse. I love to eat thrush." Seeing the doubt on my face, she even added, "this is the nicest thrush I had ever tasted."

"Ah... Ah... Uh..." I mouthed out the words, trying to tell Stonestream that the meat was tough and stingy.

"This is really the best meal I have ever eaten, Snowpaw."

Her reply warmed my heart.

..

"No training for today, apprentices, it is raining heavily outside." Frostheart mewed, his heads popping into the apprentices' den. Immediately, he was greeted my multiple groans from the apprentices. "You will clean the elders' den for today." The groans were even louder. "Snowpaw, you will check Yarrowtail for ticks, Willowpaw check Brownfoot, Graypaw check Breezefur. After that you all will change their bedding and the rain will probably stop by then." Hearing no response, the warrior snorted and went in to push Willowpaw up. The apprentice slowly got up, unwillingness written on her face. "Hurry up!" Frostheart boomed, sending the apprentices fleeing into the elder's den.

Slowly, I pulled out the last tick in Yarrowtail, and the elder mewed her thanks. I dipped my head in respect. "We are done!" Willowpaw murmured, sitting down to clean her paws. "Do we just lick it off?" Graypaw giggled, pointing to the big puddle nearby. "You wash it off, silly!"

Is that what it feels like to talk normally? To joke and have fun with someone else?

"Now, let me tell you a story." Yarrowtail whispered, seeing me stoning there. I shook my head slowly, my eyes still fixed on Graypaw and Willowpaw. "A story about your parents." This caught my attention, and I spun around, my ears ready for some listening. My parents? Stonefoot and...who? Is it Flamebreeze? I have always thought the muscular tom was my father, but why did Stonestream hate him so much?

"There was once a cat who excelled in hunting and fighting. Everyone knew she would be the best warrior the clans had ever seen. One flaw in her personality, is that she is not humble at all. She is arrogant, stuck-up and despised the other apprentices, especially the weakest apprentices of them all. The weak apprentice trained hard every single day, hoping that he will catch the better apprentice's eye. However, the better apprentice's eye never once land on him. When they were all named warriors, the better apprentice taunted him, teased him and laughed at him, thinking that he is not capable of being a warrior. One day, when they two were on a hunting patrol, the better apprentice slipped and went tumbling down a steep slope. The weaker one caught her paw just in time, and tried very hard to pull her back up. They became good friends, and their relationship deepened when the tom asked to be her mate. However, there was this other tom who loved the better apprentice as well, and he could not think of any reason why the better apprentice had fell in love with the weaker one, but not him. So on a hunting patrol, the tom raped the better apprentice." Yarrowtail paused, closing her eyes. "I was there, having my evening walk, and happened to witness the whole terrible thing. The better apprentice was so...hurt. Physically and emotionally. Her hunting and fighting skills became even worse than an elder's, and she looked very frail and skinny. The worse thing is that she was with kits. Kits with unknown father. The better apprentice broke down, using tears to wash her face every single day, until the kits were born. I could have told the truth to the clan, but I didn't. Because the rapist is my son. My dear son who I did not bear to see being exiled."

Was there a reason why Yarrowtail told me this? Who is her son? And why didn't the characters have a name?

"My son is Flamebreeze, and the she-cat is your mother," Yarrowtail breathed out slowly. "I'm so sorry, Snowpaw. I'm so so sorry."

I stumbled backwards, not believing my ears. The questions in my head were solved one by one, once I linked all the clues up together. But why... Why did Flamebreeze do that to Stonestream? Isn't Flamebreeze nice and caring? And who is the weaker apprentice? Who is he? Who is my father?

"The weaker apprentice is Frostheart."

Frostheart.

Frostheart, my mentor. Frostheart, the cat that was not patient with me at all. Frostheart, the cat that often skipped my training sessions to chit-chat with the other warriors.

For the first time, I noticed how similar our pelts look. How our paws are so fat, and how our tails are so long.

Is Frostheart really my father?

Then why did he laugh at me with the others?

Does he not love me?

Am I abandoned?

Is all these true?

Is is that why I am different from the others, because I am not wanted at all. I am a punishment of Flamebreeze's mistake, I am there only to remind Stonestream of what Flamebreeze did to her, I am just a storage of unpleasant memories for Stonestream. Stonestream doesn't love me. She doesn't love me. She shouldn't love me at all.

..

R&R!

-Stuffed Watermelon