Dipperflight blinked, a sick feeling settling in his stomach. His eyes looked across the river before him, bubbling and laughing at his non-swimming self. Rocks jutted out, nearly forming a straight line, and he figured he could cross if jumped far enough but.... He stepped out onto the first stone, but the confidence that he had possessed for the run to the border had ebbed away. What if Fennelstorm follows me? What if fall into the river? What if a patrol picks me up? He looked over his shoulder, his muscles tense. Fennelstorm could be coming any second now. He's probably realized I'm not back yet and....

      Dipperflight's breathing quickened, and he recklessly bounded from stepping stone to stepping stone, fear moving him through the near-impossible jumps rather than the confidence he had once held moments earlier. I just have to cross RiverClan territory.. I think... I've never had to go to Mothermouth.

      Panic set in. He started racing though the foreign territory, the cold, heavily fishy scented wind hitting his striped pelt mercilessly. I can just cross over onto WindClan territory up where the borders meet. It'll be okay. I can make it out of the territories. Where will I even be going? To live with other loners? He blindly ran following he river's edge, his pelt prickling as water sloshed mouse-lengths away to his right side, lush grass on his right. The river kept going though, and going and going... there weren't any breaks, there weren't any other crossings....

       He skidded to a slower pace, though, as he noticed a twoleg path hiding. He looked back and forth. The path bridged over the water, and he cautiously edged forward toward it. The bridge was solid, like a tree fallen over a creek. He gingerly set a paw down on it's smooth surface before pulling his paw back. What if it breaks..? It won't break though, right? Twolegs are heavy, they wouldn't make their paths weak.... He set his paw down again, with a bit more of determination, but his face fell with horror as he heard a sound.

       "Hey! Hey you, ThunderClan! What are you doing?!" He looked over his shoulder, eyes huge as he saw a RiverClan patrol trotting toward him, made up of the two cats who had rescued Dandelionpaw, a flame red apprentice, and a golden and white tabby tom. Gotta go, gotta go! He started off quickly across the bridge, as his paws touched he other side he felt a cat jump onto him, knock on him to his paws. He blearily jumped to his paws, eyes wild as he looked at the orange apprentice. His eyes were shining with excitement, wild fur on end.

       "What do you think you're doing on RiverClan territory? And so far in?" The small, mostly black and white tom was the next of the patrol to arrive, his gold eyes bright and narrowed. "Nice job, Foxpaw, that was faster than usual!" He noted to the ginger tom. The small apprentice gave a nod, eyes still focused on the newcomer.

       "I-- you've got to let me go, I'm just passing through, I'm not here to steal any prey--!" Dipperflight' fur was on end as he cast a glance over the ThunderClan border.

"We can't let you do that." The golden and white tabby meowed as he finally caught up with the last cat of the patrol at his side.

       Dipperflight's eyes widened as he recognized the golden tabby. Rushfrost, RiverClan's deputy! I remember seeing him when I used to go to gatherings.... Rushfrost wasn't a very large tom, sporting a scar on his white foreleg.

      "No, please, just let me through!" Dipperflight begged, crouching low, eyes wide. Fennelstorm could be coming any second now, I need to go. Rushfrost glanced to the large brown tabby at his side before letting his gaze fall on the brown tabby, his green eyes soft.

       "We can't let you just run through our territory. Why don't you come back to camp with us. You can get something to eat, calm down, and we can work something out. Alright?" Dipperflight shook his head. Fennelstorm will still find me in RiverClan. He'll probably walk right into camp and he'll skin me right there-- "Hey, kid." Rushfrost snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at the deputy. "I don't know what the duck is going on with you," Foxpaw let out an inaudible gasp at the word that was typically used as a curse, "but I do know that our camp is very safe. You'll be safe. Whatever you're afraid of...," he waved his tail, looking over to the ThunderClan border, "it can't get you."

"Not on our watch!" The golden-eyed black warrior chipped in brightly, though a sense of intensity lingered in his voice. I... It could be good for my scent trail to get muddled...

He gave a firm nod.

"I can't stay long...," he mumbled, but the fiery red Foxpaw was bouncing on his white paws with excitement.

"wOW we're going to have a real ThunderClan warrior in our camp! Oh! Ravenpaw will be so jealous that I caught him--" he ducked his head sheepishly as Rushfrost shot him a sharp glare, and he muttered an apology.

"I'm Rushfrost, and this is Hazelstream," he motioned to the large, long bodied, pale brown tabby, who waved his tail, "this is Stormcall," the black tom with white bounced into the air with a wide smile and a hello, "and you've met Foxpaw...," the ginger apprentice gave a small nod, still aware of the deputy's authoritative presence.

"I'm Dipperflight..." he murmured, following the patrol as they started off, his amber eyes casting glances back to the ThunderClan border. So far he hadn't caught sight of the ginger tabby, but he knew far well that he could be there. Slinking in the shadows. Blending in the bracken. Watching. Following. Always there. Physically or just mentally. Always ordering, always scoffing, always stalking.

Dipperflight hastily followed the patrol, his pelt burning under the fear of unseen eyes.

//
AN

SORRY NOT SORRY

i photoshopped it myself. be proud of me.

Also now that's it's relevant, some (a lot) of the RiverClan characters are based off of characters from Haikyuu. I'm going through a phase don't judge me guys. In case you were wondering or like Haikyuu, Foxpaw is based off of Hinata, Stormcall is Nishinoya, Hazelstream is Asahi, and Sagecloud from earlier is based off Suga. The other characters in RiverClan are much, much, muuuuchhh looser based off of haikyuu people, it's mainly just these guys mentioned. If I forgot one I'll be sure to note it in the AN if they appear

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DWEEBS LOL ILY IM SO PROUD OF THIS UPDATE STREAK I'VE GOT GOING SORRY THAT I'M NEGLECTING DICTATOR THO