Morning had sprung. Dovewing woke up sleepily, and looked around. Wait! She thought. There's no one left in here!

She looked around an realized that she was late! She quickly ran out to hear Thornclaw say angrily, "We smelled Shadowclan scent at our border mixed with Thunderclan scent! They must have tried to mask their scent with ours!"

Bramblestar, who was listening, tilted his head. "Have they been spying on us? Plotting an attack by scouting the area?" Then he sighed. "We cannot jump to conclusions. Perhaps it was a mistake."

Toadstep, who was in the patrol, shook his head in disbelief. "Ever since Rowanstar was promoted to leader, he has been on the edge. Plus, Shadowclan is a bit... shadow-y."

Bramblestar flicked his tail angrily. "My sister is in that clan! I respect their need for power, but we can't judge them that quickly! Go order a patrol to investigate now!"

Toadstep fidgeted, frightened for the leader's defense for his sister. "Yes, I will try," he said nervously and scampered away.

Dovewing could not believe that they had found out. She was in a silent state of panic, walking hurriedly from Bramblestar. "Hey!" Toadstep told her. "You're late! Come on to the patrol with me, Lionblaze, Cinderheart, and Bumblestripe!"

Dovewing nodded. Again, paired up with Bumblestripe. She felt her stomach flutter. Lionblaze padded from behind here, with Cinderheart on his tail, literally.

"Get your jaws off my tail!" He snapped. Cinderheart clenched her jaws harder. "It's your fault you left me!" She screamed. "You betrayed me!"

Lionblaze shook his head in grief. "I would never leave you!" He sobbed. Then, there was an awkward moment of silence.

"Hey you two, break it up!" Toadstep said firmly. Cinderheart and Lionblaze stared at each other, then burst out laughing. "What do you think we should call that?" Lionblaze asked her. "Drama?"

She shook her head good naturally. "How about....Beef jerky?"

"Yes that's it! Beef jerky!"

Bumblestripe looked at them with a confused face. "Well, that was interesting..."

Dovewing laughed. Bumblestripe grinned, but looked away painfully. "Hey guys focus," Toadstep said. "Let's go check out the border again, and look for evidence."

Lionblaze nodded, still red faced from laughing. As they neared towards the border, Cinderheart lifted her tail as a warning, "Wait!" She hissed. Just then, a Shadowclan patrol padded from the trees. "What are you doing?" Said a brown tom with a long scar behind his back.

"Ratscar," Toadstep said. "We aren't crossing the border yet."

Ratscar hissed. "Huh, yeah right. Crowfrost, watch them."

Crowfrost nodded and stood squarely in front of them.

"Hey we're just here to investigate!" Lionblaze growled. "Someone disguised themselves in Thunderclan scent, and tried to waltz themselves in Thunderclan territory!"

"We know nothing of this!" Ratscar spat. "Right Tigerheart?"

Tigerheart hesitated, then looked at Dovewing. She cut him off with a dead stare. Don't look at me mousebrain! Say yes!

"Y-yeah!" He said swishing his tail.

Cinderheart rolled her eyes. "Then what is this?!" She said snatching a thorn with brown fur on it. "I just saw this while you guys were yapping."

Ratscar's eyes widened. He drew back, eyes burning. "So what? Brown fur?

Tigerheart looked at it nervously. "Here let me smell it," he said stepping close to sniff it. Dovewing gasped. He was covering his old scent with a new one!

"It doesn't smell like anything," he shrugged. Bumblestripe unsheathed his claws. "What are you talking about?" He roared. He snatched the piece of fur and shoved it in Tigerheart's face. "It looks like your fur!"

Crowfrost pushed his way ahead and shoved Bumblestripe down with a blow of his claw. Bumblestripe winced and fell. Fresh blood poured from his shoulder. "Hey!" Dovewing cried. "Don't hurt him!"

She rushed to his side and licked his wound. Tigerheart raised a brow.

Ratscar gave Crowfrost a stern look. "I never said attack him!" He scolded. "Shadowclan isn't blind though!"

Toadstep took a step forward. "Well, it seems like they are! Well, some of them," he skeptically looked at the other Shadowclan cats. Tigerheart gave a look at Dovewing like, let's not meet anymore. She nodded and carefully helped Bumblestripe stand up and walk back.

"Whatever," Ratscar snarled. "But this means WAR!"

They left with their fur bristling with defiance.