Troutpaw dragged his sister through the fray, fending off brief attacks from the very few unoccupied RiverClan warriors. RiverClan was losing. With one final heave, he managed to reach Jackalwhisper's den. The  brown tom peered out, concerned, and hurriedly came to help pull the wounded apprentice into the den. 

The black tom lashed his tail nervously as he stood guard. Jackalwhisper smeared poultices onto Westernpaw's wounds. Blood poured from Troutpaw's chest and flank, but Westernpaw was in more danger. A young, pale brown tom with a white face paused as he darted past and swiped a Troutpaw. With a gasp, he recognized Sequoiapaw from the night before. The RiverClan apprentice snarled.

"What, did you think we were still friends in the heat of battle? I saw you kill Dartwave! We're at war." Troutpaw narrowed his eyes at the seemingly carefree apprentice. Then he reared up and threw down all of his weight on Sequoiapaw's back. The brown tom yowled with pain and rolled over, but Troutpaw sprung upwards and landed back on the belly of his opponent. This situation was so familiar... But this ti.e, he would finish it.

Sequoiapaw looked up at him with wide eyes. "Please... Please, no..."

"What was that you said? We're at war." Troutpaw raised a paw... And stepped off the other apprentice. He dipped his head. "But that's no excuse for us to be barbarians." He flicked his tail at the entrance. Sequoiapaw took a shuddering breath and was gone, sprinting out as fast as a rabbit.

Quakingchest, from across the clearing, raised his head. His sightless gaze found the black apprentice and nodded. How he knew, Troutpaw would never figure out.

A sudden shout went up from Jaggedsnow, the RiverClan deputy. "RiverClan, retreat!" He yowled. "Figstar is dead!" Troutpaw taped at the brown and yellow tom. Surely not... But Billowstar was standing over Figstar's body, his chest heaving, his maw dipping with blood. But Figstar has nine lives! She'll come back! After a few moments he recognized a hard truth.

Not if she was on her last one.

"Retreat!" Jaggedsnow yowled again, breaking through the shocked silence. He turned tail and sprinted for RiverClan territory, followed by RiverClan and leaving three bodies behind. Dartwave, Figstar, and, Troutpaw realized with another jolt, Warblingpaw. Hollypounce, bleeding heavily from where Billowstar's claws had dug into her back, paused and nudged him. To Troutpaw's relief, the black-and-white tom stumbled to his feet, leaning against his mentor for support as they limped out of camp.

 He turned and padded slowly into the medicine den, where Westernpaw had been patched up but was breathing roughly, unconscious. Jackalwhisper looked up.

"What's happening? Is it over? Are we safe?" Troutpaw shook his head slowly, and repeated once again what Sequoiapaw had told him.

"We're at war."