Hopepaw was awakened by her mentor, Rosebranch.

  "Dear Starclan, Hopepaw! Were you planning on sleeping all day?" She purred, a hint of laughter in her voice.

  Hopepaw sat up. All the other apprentices were gone.

"Wh..What? How long have I been sleeping?" She muttered, wanting to wash off in the pond, since she felt gross.

  "Well, its sunhigh. I was out on a patrol, thinking you would be ready to go hunting when I got back. But, I think you had other plans." She said, laughing.

  Hopepaw sighed as she pushed herself up. Everything ached from running all night.

  "Can i please wash off first? Maybe eat some breakfast?" She groaned. Rosebranch looked thoughtful.

  "Although i think its funny you slept this late, other cats wont. And they would be angry if you werent punished. So, tonight, instead of going to the pond with your 'paws, you'll be stuck here taking care of Halfclaw." She said, glancing over her shoulder in the clearing.

  "You didnt answer me!" Hopepaw snapped. Rosebranch looked taken aback.

  "Remind me later your not a morning cat." She purred with laughter.

  Hopepaw let out a small growl. Rosebranch laughed. "Yes, yes. You can eat first. And when we hunt, we'll go by the pond. But before you even leave this den, groom your fur! You look like a black and white hedgehog!" She said, laughing, before walking back out.

  Hopepaw huffed as she groomed her fur. Will the clan be mad at me for sleeping in? She wondered.

  She stood up and gave her fur a shake, then padded into the clearing. The sunlight blinded her eyes for a couple moments, but she blinked it away.

  Not many cats were in camp. Rosebranch was talking to her brother, Seedclaw, and Hopepaw's mother, Pumclaw, was nearby chatting with Frogbelly.

  Hopepaw padded to the fresh kill pile and grabbed a mouse, hoping no cats noticed her just waking up.

  She padded towards the edge of camp. Not many cats went there, but Hopepaw loved it. She would come here if she wanted to be alone.

  She ate the mouse slowly, relishing the tasty flesh. She swiped her tongue over her jaws when she was done, and pushed the remaining bones to the side. She did that often, so she could come back and sharpen her teeth.

  She sighed as stood up, her legs aching from running all night. She stretched slowly, bending her legs in all different ways.

  Finally, she padded towards Rosebranch, who was now sitting by the fresh kill pile, waiting for Hopepaw.

  "Im ready." Hopepaw mumbled. Rosebranch nodded and led the way towards the camp entrance.

  They padded through the pine forest, dodging sticks. When they finally reached the pond, Hopepaw stepped in, shaking as she felt herself come back alive.

  The water was cold, but it felt amazing. She jumped out and shook her fur, trying to dry it a bit.

  "Okay, time to hunt. We have to make sure to have enough prey for when the cold season comes." Rosebranch meowed, peering into the trees.

  "Where are we hunting at?" Hopepaw asked, tilting her head. Rosebranch shrugged and started walking.

  Hopepaw followed after, lost in her own world of play fighting and swimming.

  "Hopepaw?"

  Hopepaw snapped back to reality and looked around. They were near the Fountainclan border, where the two different types of trees were mixing with another.

  "Sorry." She mumbled, looking around for any signs of movement. She opened her mouth, tasting the faint scent of Fountainclan, and the sap from the pine trees.

  She closed her mouth and sniffed, looking around for movement again. Rosebranch watched her closely.

  She could scent a mouse nearby, so she opened her eyes and looked over to where the scent was coming from.

  She could see the small bush rustling and dropped into a hunters crouch slowly moving towards it.

  When Hopepaw was about a tail length away, the mouse started to take off.

  Hopepaw pushed herself up and ran after the mouse, desperate to make up for sleeping all day.

  Hopepaw finally caught up and quickly grabbed it by the back of its neck and bit down, leaving the mouse limp in her strong jaws.

  She dropped the mouse and looked up to talk to Rosebranch, but she was instead met by a Fountainclan border.

  "What are you doing on our territory?" The light blue gray she cat mowed calmly.

  Hopepaws eyes widened as she looked around and noticed her territory a few fox lengths behind her.

  She dipped her head. "I'm sorry.. if you'd like, you can have the mouse." Hopepaw whimpered, shoving the mouse over to them.

  The cream tabby she cat stepped forward, her golden gaze on Hopepaw. "Get off our territory!"

  Hopepaw shrunk back as Rosebranch stepped out, her creamy fur puffed out.

  "Palesky, leave her alone! She's just an apprentice!" Rosebranch snarled.

  Palesky took another threatening step forward, but the light blue she cat dragged her back.

  "Tideshimmer, she's on our territory!" Palesky yelped. Tideshimmer shook her head.

  "She literally just told us we could have the prey!" Tideshimmer protested.

  Rosebranch turned to Hopepaw with a questioning stare. "Hopepaw, you caught that prey! We dont need to be giving it to those mouse brains!"

  Hopepaw hung her head. "I... I just thought it would help, you know, not cause a fight..." She mowed quietly.

  A silvery colored tom stepped to the front of the patrol, keeping his gaze on her mentor.

  "Let the apprentice do what she wants." He meowed calmly.

  "I'm sorry, but were not Fountainclan. Apprentices are not in charge here." She snarled, stepping forward to meet the tom.

  Hopepaw spotted a large she cat in the back, with light brown fluffy fur. She looked like she was about to explode with anger.

  The she cat met Hopepaws gaze, and she could swear she seen a challenge there. Hopepaw dipped her head and stepped back, leaving the prey where it was.

  Rosebranch looked at Tideshimmer and snarled. "We're done here!"

  And with that, Rosebranch snatched the mouse and stalked back into Forestclan territory.

  The patrol stared at Hopepaw, waiting for her to do something.
 
  "I- I'm sorry!" She meowed, shaking as she ran after Rosebranch.

  Rosebranch didn't say anything as they stalked through the forest.

  Why do i feel guilty? It was my catch... but.. what if theyre going hungry?

  She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but she still felt the guilt in her stomach as she walked.

Its fine...  we'll be on good terms soon, I'm sure of it.

~~~~~~

bAfter a long day of hunting and caring for the elder, Hopepaw sat down in her nest and began to groom her dirty fur.

  Emberpaw and Wolfpaw were talking quietly in the back, and Lakepaw and Sootpaw were playing some sort of game.

  Woodpaw was sitting right next to Hopepaw, his brown fur blending with her black.

  "So... You wanted to give them the mouse?" He meowed for the hundredth time.

  "Yes, because it was their territory." Hopepaw responded as she licked her paws.

  Woodpaw nodded and layed down next to her. "You've got to be tired. Rosebranch worked you hard today."

  Hopepaw nodded as she plopped down with a satisfied purr.

  She was exhausted and knew she would fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

  Lakepaw and Sootpaw started giggle as Cherrypaw whispered something her their ears. The three apprentices suddenly looked at Woodpaw and Hopepaw.

  Hopepaws face flushed in embarrassment. The other apprentices thought that they liked eachother.

  Hopepaw denied it. She felt no feelings toward any cat, but Woodpaw was her best friend.

  She loved him, of course, but not as a mate. But she didn't know how Woodpaw felt.

  Hopepaw rolled her eyes and she snuggled up next to Woodpaw and soon drifted off to sleep.