Wolfsong's Loyalty



 Wolfsong’s loyalty.



 Prologue 



   A damp, foggy air swirled around the cats as they trudged through the forest in the pale, sickly light of the forest. The scent of death was all around them. Suddenly the trees parted to make an entrance to a clearing. In the centre of the clearing, there stood a large brown tabby tom, his gaze burning into the three cats. “Greetings, Mapleshade, Hawkfrost, Brokenstar,” mumbled the tabby. “We have gathered to decide on new recruits. It’s been a long time since any clan cats walked this forest.” A dark brown tabby stood up. “We should start training them as soon as possible, Tigerstar. We need these cats to have loyalty, a taste for blood, and a need for power, and maybe a natural-born leader,” he meowed. “There have been rumours of a kit with extraordinary powers in Thunderclan. Five moons old, strong, fast as a rabbit, high jumper, agile, and I’ve heard she wants to kill her pathetic leader, so she can make Thunderclan strong again. Despite being a she-cat, she’s exactly what we’re-OUCH! THAT HURT, MAPLESHADE,” he yowled as the tortoiseshell’s thorn-sharp claws raked his ears. Blood was now flowing onto the ground.





Without warning, Tigerstar leapt off of the rock and bounded down into the Thunderclan camp. He led them towards the nursery, where the scent of milk and kits clouded their noses. “This,” whispered Tigerstar, pointing to a long furred she-kit, “is Wolfkit.” The fluffy white kit, was clawing the moss in her sleep, squealing: “Die, Sweetstar, die! And take all of your mangy kittypet-loving clanmates with you! deserved to rule the clans, not some fleabrained excuses for cats!” Her teeth glinted in the moonlight, and she looked as if she was fighting badgers like the most experienced Dark Forest warrior. “She’s perfect! We’re going to train her as soon as possible! And it’s about time I had another apprentice,” hissed Mapleshade. The old she-cat was one of the oldest cats in the Dark Forest, and it had been years since she had trained an apprentice, her previous one being Crookedstar. “The other kits are pathetic,” she spat. “They all have loyalty to their own clans, and all they care about is the stupid warrior code. They don’t care about strength, they care about their flea-bitten clan. Elders are a waste of space and prey. That so-called leader, Sweetstar, couldn’t scare a leaf. This clan is pathetic, and there is only one cat who can make it strong again.” Mapleshade glanced at Wolfkit. “I’m training her. I need an apprentice, and I am going to help her become leader. She doesn’t need to make sacrifices. She would kill a cat, Starclan or living, without a problem.” Mapleshade touched Wolfkit with her nose. “She’s going to be the best leader the forests have ever seen,” she whispered. “Sleep well, Wolfstar.” Then she turned and followed Tigerstar out of the camp, and back into the Dark Forest.



 Chapter 1



“Wake up, Wolfkit! The other kits are already outside!” squealed Foxkit. Wolfkit woke to the squeals of kits play-fighting outside. Her nose caught the scent of prey, and sped out of the nursery, and straight into the golden-brown fur of her father, Braveheart, who had just returned from a hunting patrol. Several mice were dangling from his mouth by the tail, and Wolfkit leapt up and grabbed the mouse’s back with her claws, and clamped her jaws around its spine. She bounded off of the mouse as soon as it landed on the fresh-kill pile, and turned to see  the ginger pelt of her sister, Foxkit, and the smooth black pelt of Nightkit, another kit in the nursery, running towards her at an alarming rate. “Are you OK?” Foxkit panted. Nightkit helped her get up, and he started cleaning Wolfkit’s fur.

“Get off, Nightkit, you’re not my mother!” squealed Wolfkit. She rolled away from him, dived underneath his belly, and flung him off. Nightkit quickly regained his stance, and jumped on top of Wolfkit, and they rolled around, until Wolfkit had him pinned down. Suddenly Wolfkit noticed Sweetstar walking towards her, and bending down so that the clan leader was facing her.





<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Come on, Wolfkit, it’s time to go back to the nursery now,” she murmured. Wolfkit felt rage boil inside her. She hated the Thunderclan leader, with all of her sweetness and weakness. She hadn’t led a battle for seasons. Hesitating, Wolfkit let Nightkit escape, and stood to face Sweetstar in a battle position. Without thinking, Wolfkit dived to the side of Sweetstar, planted her paws underneath Sweetstar’s belly, and flung her so far that the Thunderclan leader sailed through the air, and landed with a thump against the stone walls of the camp, then on to the sandy ground below.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Woah!” gasped Nightkit. “That was awesome! I never knew you could fight like that! You must have a superpower or something!” Soon the whole clan was gathered around the three kits, and Wolfkit’s mother, Blossomheart, shouldered through the crowd and picked up Wolfkit and Foxkit to the nursery, followed by Nightkit. The nursery was full of queens and their kits. Their was Cherrysky, with Cloudkit and Ravenkit, Dawnflower, with Nightkit, Bramblekit, and Sunkit, and Whitestripe with Dragonkit. So the nursery was very crowded.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Did you see Wolfkit?” bursted Nightkit as soon as they were in the nursery. “She got mad at Sweetstar for no reason, so Wolfkit threw Sweetstar towards the walls of the camp, and now some cats think that she’s lost a life! I’ve never seen another kit fight like that! It was so awesome!” Nightkit flopped down onto his nest, and Dragonkit stood up.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Shut up, Nightkit,” snorted Dragonkit. “We all know you’re only saying that because you like Wolfkit.” There were a few giggles in the nursery, and Nightkit took a few steps back, his face red with embarrassment. Wolfkit bowled into Dragonkit, and swiped his muzzle. Dragonkit snarled as he tried to fight back, but Wolfkit was too fast for him.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Enough!” shrieked Blossomheart. “Wolfkit, I am sick of this fighting,” she spat. “You’re only a kit, but you fight like a warrior. If this happens again, I’m asking Sweetstar to make you a medicine cat apprentice!” Wolfkit thought of a life of a medicine cat. ''Creepy dreams, no fighting, no chance to be a leader, sorting herbs all day, no mate, no kits, no life. ''Her thoughts were disrupted by a squeal of “Hey, everybody! Lets go to the elder’s den! I hope Frostflower has a story for us! Foxkit raced off to the elder’s den, overtaken by Bramblekit and Sunkit. Well, at least Sweetstar isn’t dead, thought Wolfkit.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Chapter 2

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">The elder’s den was underneath a hazel bush, with walls reinforced with honeysuckle, giving the den a calm, sweet smell. Frostflower was in the middle of the den, and Skypaw was smearing mouse bile across Frostflower’s back. Frostflower had the ability to see in the past, so she could tell the kits a story about anything. Tigerstar, Bloodclan, Crookedstar, the Warrior Code, anything. “Oh hello, kits,” she rasped. “Come for another story then? Hmm, let me see… how about Mapleshade?” The kits nodded in excitement. “Well, here we go. At first, Mapleshade was a loyal Thunderclan warrior. She had a mate, kits, a good life, everything she wanted. Then… she found out that her mate, Appledusk, was seeing a Riverclan she-cat, and that the she-cat was carrying Appledusk’s kits. Appledusk joined Riverclan, leaving Mapleshade with her kits. In a fit of rage, Mapleshade drowned her kits, got exiled from Thunderclan, joined some rogues, and killed Appledusk, his mate, and some kits, queens, and elders in Riverclan. Then she ate death berries, and vowed to get revenge on Thunderclan. She did, many years later, in the Great Battle.” Wolfkit stood up. ''How could’ve Frostflower gotten this so wrong? ''

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“You’re wrong, Frostflower,” snarled Wolfkit. “Mapleshade didn’t kill her kits. She decided to take them to Riverclan, and the river took them out of their her grasp. That’s how they died. Mapleshade went against the warrior code to  follow her heart. She’s now in the Dark Forest, with lots of other cats, plotting to destroy the clans and to kill Thunderclan cats. In my opinion, she’s the bravest cat I’ve ever heard of.” All of the kits were now staring at Wolfkit.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Wolfkit, how do you know all this?” It was Foxkit, with her head at one side and a puzzled expression on her face. Wolfkit hesitated. “It was a dream,” she managed to splutter out. “I had it a few days ago. I dreamt I was in the Thunderclan nursery, and I was being called Maplekit, and I was seeing Mapleshade’s life happen before my eyes. I swear that’s what happened.” Frostflower looked at her with slitted eyes. Wolfkit was breathing heavily. “I saw Mapleshade’s kits die, I saw her leader exile her, I saw her eat deathberries, I even saw her arrive in the Dark Forest. I saw her kill Spottedleaf in the Great Battle. Mapleshade is amazing,” she panted. The other kits stared at her, their eyes wide in shock. Soon Happyheart, the Thunderclan deputy, walked into the den carrying some fresh-kill.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Hey kits! I thought you would be in here. Nice place, isn’t it? Anyway, you must be hungry, so I bought you something.” Happyheart laid the fresh-kill on the ground, and Wolfkit grabbed a mouse and hurried over to Foxkit. The meat felt warm and delicious in her mouth. “So, after your meal, do you want to do hunting training?” enquired Happyheart. She strolled out into the middle of the clearing, followed by the kits. “Right,” she meowed. “There are several feathers scattered around the camp. The aim is to hunt them properly, using the hunter’s crouch. She demonstrated the hunter’s crouch, and stalked the feather silently, and pounced, gripping the feather with her claws. “Right, now you have a go,” she meowed, and went to help in the medicine den. Wolfkit scampered towards a feather at the end of the camp. She crouched, and began to stalk the feather, unaware that Braveheart was watching her. She darted forward, grabbing the feather in her claws.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Happyheart padded over. “That was astonishing, Wolfkit! You hunt better than your father, and he’s the best hunter in the clan!” Nightkit walked over, a feather in his jaws.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Did Wolfkit hunt like a warrior?” he asked. Braveheart nodded. “That’s so awesome! You’re so amazing, Wolfkit!” Wolfkit heard a snicker coming from her sister. Nightkit took a deep breath and ignored Foxkit. “It would be so awesome if we trained together! We could go on patrols, we could help eachother hunt, we could fight in battles together, and it’s our apprentice ceremony tomorrow! I wonder who our mentors will be! Wouldn’t it be so cool if we had the same mentor?” Wolfkit nodded in agreement. Nightkit really likes me, she thought. ''And it would be good if we trained together. ''Suddenly Foxkit knocked Wolfkit over and dragged her by the tail to the nursery.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Wouldn’t it be cute if you and Nightkit had kits together?” she squealed. “You would make the cutest couple! Also, Nightkit really likes you!” Wolfkit stared at her sister, eyes wide. Foxkit rambled on. “You two seem perfect for eachother! Every other kit thinks so! I think the queens and elders do too. Maybe Starclan.” Foxkit gasped. “What if Starclan WANTED you to be together? That would be so cool!

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Wolfkit started to get a headache. “Calm down, Foxkit. Tell Nightkit I’m to young to be thinking about a mate now OK?” Foxkit looked as if she was going to vomit with laughter. Wolfkit cringed at the thought as Foxkit bounded over to Nightclaw, into the sunshine. For a second, Wolfkit saw a tortoiseshell cat in the camp, staring at her. Wolfkit blinked, and the strange cat was gone.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Chapter 3

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Wolfkit found herself in a forest which definitely wasn’t Thunderclan territory. The whole forest smelled of death, and no leaves clung to the spiky trees that surrounded the clearing. There wasn’t a single star in the sky, and the moon was nowhere to be found. Wolfkit realised where she was: the Dark Forest. Wolfkit’s paws were tingling in excitement. The Dark Forest! She had always wanted to go here! Several cats stepped out of the shadows, one of them was the cat she had seen earlier: Mapleshade. “Welcome to the Dark Forest,” announced a brown tabby tom. Wolfkit instantly recognised the cats around her. The one who had just spoken was Tigerstar, behind him was Hawkfrost, Tigerstar’s son, the cat next to him was brokenstar, and then there was Mapleshade, the old tortoiseshell she-cat. Tigerstar continued his speech. “We have summoned you, because we believe that you can make the clans strong again. Brokenstar, the cat who is next to me, has heard rumours that you have powers that can make you more skilful than many other cats. We are here to offer you training, but first you must answer these questions.” Tigerstar sat down.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Question one: What do you think about Thunderclan at the moment?”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Wolfkit hesitated. “Well, at the moment Thunderclan is weak. It’s full of mangy kittypets, and The elders are a waste of prey. The other kits don’t care. There hasn’t been battle for seasons, and Thunderclan deserves a new leader.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Tigerstar nodded. “Excellent. Question two: What do you think of Sweetstar?” Wolfkit started to feel uncomfortable. ''Sweetstar is my clan leader, but she’s terrible, and I’m free to speak my heart. ''Wolfkit narrowed her eyes. “Sweetstar? Don’t get me started. She’s as useless as a newborn kittypet! She believes in the pathetic warrior code, she respects elders, she never does any battle training. She’s a horrible leader. I would make a better leader, and I will make the clans strong again. That’s why I tried to kill Sweetstar. She didn’t lose a life though, which is stupid.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">The corners of Tigerstar’s mouth flickered, and his eyes brightened. “Question three: What do you think of the Dark Forest?” Wolfkit gasped in delight.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“The Dark Forest! It’s amazing! Its full of amazing cats who broke the useless warrior code to follow their hearts and do what’s right! And I’m so lucky to be offered to train here! I will be so loyal to the Dark Forest, I’ll even kill those weak Starclan cats to prove myself! I have a good taste for blood, and I’ll drink the blood of my enemies! My favourite Dark Forest cat is Mapleshade, she’s so amazing! She killed her mate and some other Riverclan cats to do whats right for her, and she killed Spottedleaf in the Great Battle. She was doing everyone a favour then! Is she going to be my mentor?” asked Wolfkit. Tigerstar turned to Brokenstar.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“You’re right, Brokenstar, she’s exactly what we’re looking for,” he murmured.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">He turned his head towards Wolfkit. “Very well, Wolfkit. We give you permission to train as a Dark Forest warrior. Mapleshade will be your mentor.” Wolfkit leapt up and ran towards Mapleshade.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“I’m so glad you’re my mentor,” meowed Wolfkit. “I’m going to be the strongest apprentice ever.” Mapleshade’s gaze burnt into Wolfkit.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“And I’m so glad that I have the chance to help you become leader,” she meowed back, a determined glint in her eyes. Mapleshade got up, and padded towards Tigerstar. “Have a nice apprentice ceremony, and don’t let the other kits boss you around!” she called.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Chapter 4

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Wolfkit woke up, joy fizzing inside her. Today was the day of her apprentice ceremony. Foxkit was being licked by Blossomheart, and as soon as she was done, Foxkit trotted out of the nursery, followed by the all of the other kits except Nightkit. Wolfkit leapt away from Blossomheart. “No! I want to look fierce for my apprentice ceremony! I don’t want to look like a kittypet!” But Blossomheart wouldn’t give up. She kept licking Wolfkit’s fur, even if Wolfkit tried to scratch Blossomheart. “Fine,” sighed Wolfkit after what seemed an hour of licking. “Can I go outside and play now?” Nightkit nuzzled her side, and licked Wolfkit’s ears.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“Come on, Wolfkit,” meowed Nightkit. “Lets go outside. I’ll race you!” Nightkit ran out of the nursery. As if by instinct, Wolfkit zoomed forward, overtaking Nightkit in under a second. Sweetstar was already on top of the Highledge, and the clan was gathered.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Sweetstar’s voice rang out across the clearing. “We are gathered here today to apprentice these young kits.” She glanced down at the kits. “They have now reached six moons of age, and I am honoured to make them apprentices.” Sweetstar beckoned Foxkit and Wolfkit with here tail. Foxkit, from this moment on you will be known as Foxpaw. Snowstone,” she looked at the large snowy-white she-cat. “You will be Foxpaw’s mentor.” Foxpaw touched noses with Snowstone. Wolfkit, from this moment on you will be known as Wolfpaw. Briarfire will be your mentor.” Wolfkit tried to stifle a purr of laughter. Briarfire! Such a stupid name! Even the ginger and brown she-cat was felling uncomfortable. Probably because of her silly name, Wolfpaw thought to herself. She reluctantly touched noses with Briarfire. “Now its time for Cloudkit and Ravenkit to become apprentices. But first, I would like to say something.” This sent ripples throughout the clan. “Cloudkit would like to become a medicine cat apprentice, so from now on he shall be known as Cloudpaw, and his mentor shall be Thunderclan’s outstanding medicine cat, Hollyberry.” Cloudpaw clumsily bounded to Hollyberry, who had a surprised look on her face. “Ravenkit,” continued Sweetstar, “will now be known as Ravenpaw. Eagleclaw will be your mentor.” Ravenpaw went to touch noses with Eagleclaw. The ceremony continued, Nightpaw had Braveheart as his mentor, Sunpaw had Rivershine, Bramblepaw had Smalltail, and Dragonpaw with Shadowrunner, and by the time it had finished, it was sunhigh.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Wolfkit and Briarfire decided to explore the territories, along with Foxpaw and Nightpaw. “Mind the brambles,” warned Briarfire. “Don’t be afraid to report anything you-BADGER!” she screamed. Snowstone and Briarfire ran to the camp to get help. Foxpaw dived under a bush, and Nightpaw tried to drag Wolfpaw towards the shadows, where Braveheart was standing. Wolfkit turned. “I’ll be fine. I know what I’m doing, just hide,” she urged. The badger snarled, its small beady eyes full of menace. It reared up on its hind legs, trying to intimidate the small apprentice standing on the ground. The badger swiped at her. Wolfpaw jumped up, and raked her claws across the badger’s eyes. It screamed in pain, and the noise could probably be heard in Riverclan. Braveheart stood behind her in awe. Wolfpaw continued to attack, her eyes glinting with the sense of battle. She dived, turned, and sliced the badger’s belly open. Blood and badger organs started to spill everywhere. Wolfkit couldn’t stop. She gouged out the badger’s eyes, and snapped off the lower jaw of the badger with an ear-splitting crack. She then kept slicing the badger with such force, after a few minutes, it was unrecognisable. The badger was dead.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">Braveheart stepped forward. “I’d better report this,” he muttered. “We have an apprentice who can kill badgers. And she’s my daughter.” He raced off to the camp. “Stay here while I fetch Sweetstar,” he called to the apprentices.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">The three apprentices huddled together underneath an oak tree. “That went well,” grumbled Foxpaw. We never got any training, and one of us almost got killed.” She shot a look at Wolfpaw. “But at least Wolfpaw didn’t die, and she protected the clan from a badger.” She glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds were beginning to gather above the forest. “We’d better get back to camp,” she murmured. Foxpaw led the way, leaving Wolfpaw and Nightpaw behind her.

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“You’re going to be a great warrior,” meowed Nightpaw. Wolfkit’s pelt bristled with ambition. “Do you want to go hunting?” asked Nightpaw. “There’s a lot of prey by the lake, and we could try and catch something.”

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;">“OK,” agreed Wolfpaw. Nightpaw walked towards the Shadowclan border, and disappeared out of sight. She imagined bringing ten fat rabbits back to the camp, and suddenly there was a rabbit, fat enough to feed five clan cats. she stalked the rabbit, then darted forward and sunk her teeth into the rabbit’s spine. Wolfstar was amazed at her catch. The rabbit didn’t even move!  As if she had summoned it, another rabbit appeared in front of her. She swiftly killed it, and buried it. ''Wow, Nightpaw was right. I really do have superpowers!''

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<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;text-align:center;font-size:24px;line-height:normal;font-family:Helvetica;"> Chapter 5