Snow and Paws

I luckily had an dream free night and woke up fresh and bright ready to take on the other Clans.

"Let all cats gather under the High Rocks that can catch their own food!" Skystar called and we sat below her and Firepelt.

"It has come to my attention that we don't have as many warriors that we need and with only one more apprentice in training and the attack yesterday, I think it's time to have another apprentice.
Starkit, step forward please."

I stood forward, heart pounding. Luckily my fur had been cleaned before the meeting so I didn't have to worry about that as I stood before the Clan.

"Starkit, do you promise to learn and respect the Warrior code and Clan traditions?" Skystar asked me.

"I do." I nodded.

"Then your mentor will be Dapplefur. Dapplefur, you are a good hunter, I hope pass on that knowledge to Starpaw."

Every one cheered loudly shouting my name and mum and Firepaw were the first to congratulate me before I was left with Dapplefur.

"What are we going to do first?" I asked Dapplefur.

"See our territory boundaries." Dapplefur told me.

We padded over to Firepelt who was preparing to go on the sun high patrol with Whitefrost and Oneleg.

"Firepelt, can we join the sun high patrol with you?" Dapplefur asked.

Firepelt huffed slightly but nodded. "We'll have to go quickly for we don't have long till Shadowclan reach our border to our territory." He told Dapplefur.

Dapplefur nodded and the patrol began to leave.

Firepelt was first, then Whitefrost, me and Dapplefur then Oneleg to bring up the rear.

We trotted through the forest beneath the trees and I smiled as I sniffed the air taking in the trees' sweet scent.

Then there was a different scent, smelt kinda fishy and strong but there was also a familiar scent as well.

"We're nearing the Riverclan border" Dapplefur told me. "Keep your eyes open and alert us if you see or hear a Riverclan cat."

I nodded looking around.

"Don't look to obvious Starpaw" Firepelt snapped at me. "And don't cross onto the river!" Firepelt roughly pulled me away. "That's their border!"

"That's right Thunderclan, and don't you forgot that!" A voice snarled at us.

I looked to the other side of the river and there were three other cats and a smaller one facing us. The one in front, a gray cat was the one that spoke.

"Sorry Jaggedtooth, it's Starpaw's first outing and she isn't used to the boundaries." Dapplefur apologised calmly.

"Don't apologize to the wet pelts!" Firepelt hissed at Dapplefur.

The Riverclan cats snarled angrily.

"Think about that Firepelt! You don't want to make the wrong decision that'll end up a fight!" Jaggertooth warned.

"Like you'd have a chance to beat us anyway? Every cat knows Thunderclan will always beat Riverclan!" Whitefrost retorted.

"Come on, let's just go." Oneleg said to Firepelt pushing him into walking away.

"That's it Thunderclan, running away from a fight!" A white cat yowled triumphantly.

Firepelt stopped for a second but carried on walking away with his tail lashing from side to side.

"Starpaw, it would be wise to stick to my side for now." Dapplefur told me and I stood to the side till Dapplefur was next to me before walking again.

"Who were those Riverclan cats Dapplefur?" I asked.

"The gray cat, he's called Jaggertooth, he's an superb fighter, a paw like you would stand no chance against him.
The white cat that yowled at Firepelt is Longtail, he's more yowl than he is bite
The black one was Crowpelt, he's a great tracker I've heard from the gatherings.
Did you see the other cat that was hiding?" Dapplefur asked.

I frowned what other cat?

"I'm guessing you didn't." Dapplefur chuckled.

I looked at her apologetically.

"Don't worry, we can sort that out later. The cat's name I don't know, she must of just been made an apprentice like you." Dapplefur said.

I nodded. "Why would she be hiding? Could she be younger than six moons?"

"She was smaller than you but I think that's not the reason. Riverclan may me itching for a fight but they would never go against the Warrior Code." Dapplefur told me.

We walked up a hill and saw a huge clear meadow but a few tail lengths from the top was a border that smelt more flowery and sweet.

"This is the Windclan border, they tend to keep to themselves and don't normally make and skirmishes between territory here.
They're more of a, 'i'm gonna be quiet and let you tell me your secrets' than Riverclan that try and make you not think about what your saying. If you go to a gathering, try the Windclan technique out for yourself."

The patrol refreshed the fading scent boundry before heading East.

"Be careful now Starpaw, We're nearing the Shadowclan border." Dapplefur whispered to me.

I nodded and looked around. The forest seemed to of gone silent and the shadows from the trees didn't help the anticipation in this area.

My fur on my shoulders began to bristle up and I tried to shrug it off.

The Warriors marked the boundary there and was just coming back when I saw a black cat run behind a bush near the border.

"Look out!" I yelled at the patrol in warning. "There's a Shadowclan cat behind you!"

There was a yowl and as the patrol turned around the hidden Shadowclan cats ran at them.

"Starpaw! Go get help!" Dapplefur yelled at me as the black cat scraped my ear.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." I promised and ran away from the battle.

I didn't know how to get to the camp quickly so I retraced my steps past the Windclan border past their patrol that looked at me in confusion and past the Riverclan border that thankfully had no cats there back into the camp where I skidded to a halt as it began to snow for the first time in the leaf fall and with wide eyes shouted.

"We're being attacked at the Shadowclan border!!!!"

A/N - Cliffhanger!!!!!!!!!!!

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