Redpaw blearily blinked open his eyes. He was is a den filled with herbs. Swiftbreeze and Spottedpaw were hovering over him. Featherwhisker was busy sorting herbs. "Featherwhisker! He's awake!"

Swiftbreeze glanced at him with worry and hope in her eyes. Spottedpaw's amber eyes were gleaming. "I knew you would get better!" Blearily he stretched out each leg and gingerly stood up. Adderfang rushed in. "Redpaw we were so worried about you," Swiftbreeze mewed at last. Her amber eyes shone though, and Redpaw knew she was more worried than she let on.

Featherwhisker ambled over to see him. "Give the apprentice some space." Meticulously Featherwhisker prodded his wounds and forced some thyme down his throat. Thrushpelt came to visit Redpaw, purring loudly. His purr sounded more like a rumbling growl, but Redpaw distinguished the two. "Thrushpelt," he croaked weakly at his mentor. Featherwhisker shooed all the visitors out.

"Featherwhisker, when will I be able to train again?"

"One more night," Featherwhisker said.

Redpaw drifted back into a dreamless sleep. When he woke up the sun was just peeking out at the dawn cloud scattered across the sky. Propping himself up on his paws, he stared in wonder at the beautiful sky. In the forest, he heard birds chirping and singing nonsensical things. Trying to be as quiet as he could, he stepped out to the dirtplace tunnel. A twig snapped under his paws, giving him away. Bluefur, who was on guard, whirled around. Redpaw ran this time as fast as he could, not bothering to be stealthy. He tumbled into the dirtplace tunnel. It stank. He heard a cat's light pawsteps behind him. Whippping around he saw wide blue eyes staring at him. It was Brindlepaw. She looked bashful.

"Brindlepaw?"

"Yes," she let out timidly.

"Why did you follow me?"

"I saw you leave the camp. I wondered where you were going," she mumbled. Redpaw began walking again to the forest. Brindlepaw wandered off to the apprentices' den. She's so annoying, how she follows me around all the time. The forest was eerily silent at night. No birds were chirping or the fresh scuttling sound of prey. Everything was sleeping. Redpaw trailed silently through the forest. A lone mouse scampered out of the red and gold leaves littering the forest floor. A quiet wind swept through the dry and brittle forest leaves, rattling the deadened leaves on the branches. Slowly he crept up to the unaware mouse, his tail erect and his haunches bunched. He prepared to leap. Bunching up his muscles, Redpaw sprang. Accidentally, he rustled the leaves, allowing the mouse to know he was there. By then, it was too late, though. Landing squarely on the mouse's neck Redpaw made a quick kill, nipping the mouse's neck. The smell of the prey was enticing. Redpaw was tempted to eat it.

No. That would be breaking the warrior code.