"S-sorry, I... I didn't know-" Firepaw stuttered, looking terrified at the angry patrol.

"Do Ice Clan cats have any respect for the warrior code?" Hissed the tom.

"That bird is ours!" Sneered another small tom.

Dawnsky quickly stepped to the edge of the border, beckoning for Firepaw to get back to their side, "She wasn't looking where she was going. She didn't mean to trespass!" Dawnsky defeneded the trembling apprentice.

"Let me handle this, Dawnsky." Rasped Whitestar's voice from behind them. She trudged over to the edge of the border, "What happened here?" She asked the Mountain Clan patrol.

Dawnsky stepped back, flinching. This was the second time this had happened to her, the first time was when she lost her sister. Both times the leader came to the rescue. Hopefully Whitestar will be able to work this out as well as Moonstar did.... she thought.

The largest tom spoke, "This little fox-hearted apprentice stole, or tried to steal, our prey." He accused with narrowed eyes.

Firepaw spat angrily, "It was in Ice Clan territory first!"

"Silence!" Whitestar hissed, giving a warning glance to Firepaw to keep quiet, "Firepaw didn't mean to take your prey. She won't do it again. Right Firepaw?"

Firepaw narrowed her eyes, "They have no right to say that it's their prey! It started out in Ice Clan first!"

Everyone seemed surprised by her rude reply. Even the Mountain Clan cats' eyes widened. "Clearly your apprentices don't know the warrior code; you obviously don't teach them correctly." The tom growled.

A white she cat spoke up, "Brackentail, maybe we should leave them-"

"Wait a second," Brackentail interrupted, "where's Moonstar? We haven't seen you in a while. Is something wrong in Ice Clan?" He pried.

Whitestar stepped back, looking uncomfortable, "Ice Clan's problems are none of your concern." She spoke stiffly.

"So Ice Clan does have problems? Is it affecting the apprentices learning of the warrior code?" He sneered.

"Brackentail!" Scolded the white she cat, "Stop bugging them and just let them be! What else do you want from them?"

"Be quiet, Dovesong!" He spat, "Don't defend those filthy prey stealers."

"You little piece of fox dung!" Firepaw yowled in rage, lunging on top of the large warrior.

"Firepaw, no!" Dawnsky cried, but she was cut off when a black tom jumped on her, his claws unsheathed.

Raggedpelt, Swiftwillow, and Stormfeather came rushing from their hunting spots, eyes widened in surprise at the sudden break out of battle. Dawnsky wrestled with the warrior, trying desperately to kick him off. The warrior kept his grip on her, and she pretended to go limp. The second he relaxed his grip, she kicked at his belly with all her might, making him fly off of her.

Dawnsky rushed to go look for the little apprentice. She was no match for Brackentail, and Dawnsky hoped that he wouldn't hurt Firepaw too badly. But Brackentail wasn't fighting with Firepaw anymore; he and Whitestar were in locked combat.

Dovesong and Dawnsky were the only cats that were not fighting. Dawnsky was staring in horror as Brackentail clawed ferociously at Whitestar. Dovesong padded next to Dawnsky, "We have to stop this!!!" She cried.

Dawnsky nodded, but her paws seemed glued to the ground. Whitestar was too weak to deal with any warrior, especially not one as strong as Brackentail. Dovesong glared at Dawnsky and impatiently turned away since she hadn't responded, "Everyone STOP!" She yowled as loud as she could.

Everyone seemed to freeze at the Mountain Clan she cat's words. She took a deep breath, "We don't need to fight over something as mouse-brained as this! They obviously didn't mean to steal our prey, and so we should just leave them be."

All of the cats looked around guiltily. They slowly backed off of each other and separated onto their own sides of the border. Stormfeather, looking ashamed, hastily groomed her ruffled pelt. Raggedpelt and Swiftwillow looked down at the ground. Whitestar struggled to pull herself up, so Dawnsky and Stormfeather rushed to her side, offering any support that she needed.

Whitestar moaned in pain from the effort; Dawnsky could see that her side was bleeding badly. She stood next to her, letting Whitestar lean on her shoulder. The warriors on the Mountain Clan border awkwardly picked up the dead bird that had started the fight and silently headed deeper into their territory.

"Come on, let's go!" Rasped Stormfeather, who was now leading the way.

She walked stiffly, but quickly up ahead, mumbling to herself as they moved onwards back to camp. Everything was quiet except for Whitestar's heavy panting as she struggled to breath. All of the cats shared the same concerned look on their faces for their weak leader.

There was a sudden loud rustle in the bushes, and all of the warriors whipped their heads around. Dawnsky could hear the sound of pawsteps, and the fur on her neck began to rise. If those MountainClan cats followed us....

"We know you're in there!" Growled Raggedpelt, "So why don't you come out and show your flea-bitten pelts?"

A small she cat appeared out of the bushes, and they all sighed in relief when they realized it was Willowfur. She had a questioning look on her face, "Flea-bitten pelts?" She asked in a hurt tone.

"Oh, sorry Willowfur. I didn't know it was you." Raggedpelt apologized.

She nodded, still looking a little hurt, "Wait, what happened? What's wrong with Whitestar?!"

Whitestar let out another low moan of pain. Swiftwillow spoke up, "We got in a small fight with a Mountain Clan patrol. Whitestar suffered the worst of the injuries."

"Oh, that's terrible!" She cried, not daring to look at Whitestar's ugly wounds, "what can I do to help?"

"Fetch Lakeheart." Stormfeather ordered, "I don't think she can go much further without help."

Willowfur nodded and quickly slipped away. Dawnsky caught a strange scent as she rushed past her; it was very faint, but she could tell that it was definitely from another cat. But it wasn't a clan cat. She shrugged, she must have picked it up while she was hunting.

It seemed like moons went by before Willowfur returned with Lakeheart, who was carrying a large bundle of herbs in her jaws. The new medicine cat quickly got to work and steadily applied the cobwebs and comfrey leaves to Whitestar's wounds. There was a determined look in her eyes, and Dawnsky immediately knew that Lakeheart was going to use all of her strength and knowledge to make sure that what happened to Featherpool didn't happen to Whitestar too.

Everyone stood there silently, watching Lakeheart at work. None of the warriors dared to speak up until she was done. Lakeheart looked up, seeming only the slightest bit worried, "Stormfeather, you and Swiftwillow help me take her to camp. Dawnsky and Willowfur, try to get her to stay awake. I don't want her to go unconscious, because I'm not sure if I can wake her up again." She took a deep breath, "It may be a while before we get to camp...."

***

Later that evening, Dawnsky sprawled out by the warrior's den, ready to take a nice, long nap. Whitestar was resting in Lakeheart's den, and they had managed to keep her awake for the long walk to camp.

Willowfur rushed by her again, and Dawnsky picked up the same stench of a strange cat from her pelt. Her neck fur bristled as she stood up, "Willowfur!" She hissed in a harsh whisper.

Willowfur's ears perked up, but she didn't turn around.

"Willowfur!" She hissed again, only louder.

She turned her head and flinched at Dawnsky's harsh tone, "Yes?" She asked shyly.

Dawnsky sighed and softened her voice, remembering who she was talking to, "Willowfur, where did you go when you left this morning?"

Willowfur shifted uncomfortably, "I... I was... hunting?"

Dawnsky closed her eyes, trying to make sure she didn't raise her voice, "You were? You didn't catch anything." She observed.

"Well, you know, it's been a pretty hard leaf bare...." her voice trailed off.

She clenched her jaw, "But it's almost new leaf."

"Oh... right.... well, it's none of your business anyways!" She hissed, getting defensive.

"But-"

"How come I have to tell you where I've been, but when you leave the territory for three whole moons I can't know where in Star Clan you were?!"

Dawnsky froze, "I'm sorry Willowfur, I didn't-"

Willowfur narrowed her eyes, "I have to go." She quickly turned around and headed for the tunnel that led out of camp.

"Willowfur, wait!" She mewed. When Willowfur paused, she spoke again, "You were with a rogue, weren't you?"

She could see her sister immediately tense up. Willowfur turned her head around and glared at Dawnsky with surprise and anger. She then flicked her tail and beckoned for Dawnsky to follow her out of camp so they could talk in private.

Once she was sure that no one was listening, Willowfur hissed, "How did you-"

"Believe me," Dawnsky interrupted, "I know what a rogue smells like."

"But I was sure to cover my scent..." Willowfur mumbled almost to herself.

"Willowfur, why were you with a rogue? Were they trespassing on our territory, or was it a planned meeting?" Dawnsky asked, her voice calm and steady.

Willowfur, on the other hand, looked as if she was about to fall apart, "Dawnsky, please!" She cried, "Please don't tell anyone.... I... I love him!"

Dawnsky's eyes widened, "You love him?! But Willowfur, when did you even meet this rogue?"

"When you were away, and Speckledpath was gone, and he was my only friend," she rambled, trying to come up with an excuse.

"I understand how you feel." Dawnsky mewed softly, "But you can't see him again. Believe me, you don't want to make that mistake..."

"You don't know how I feel!" She spat, her voice quivering in anger, "You don't know how it feels to be forbidden to see the one you love! How could you know how I feel, when you have never even felt love for anyone yourself?"

Her icy words cut into Dawnsky like thorn sharp claws sinking deep into her pelt. She stepped back, her eyes filled with hurt, "Never mind. You know what? Go ahead and do whatever you want with that stupid rogue. See if I care when you have to suffer the consequences!" She then turned and ran back to camp, not daring to look back.

((I am sooo sorry this took so long to write. I have been super busy with school and volleyball, but I finally got it done so yaaay!))