Mousepelt could see the snow around the camp was beginning to melt and the singing of birds was in the air. New-leaf was getting closer. She purred as she saw Stripekit sneakily walked out the nursery. He rolled the left over snow and played with the new frozen ball. Ravenclaw, Beetlepaw, Frightwing, and Silverpaw walked in to camp with prey hanging from their jaws. Stripekit immediately pushed off and started pouncing at the fresh-kill.

"Go back to the nursery, Stripekit," Frightwing instructed his son through the rat in his mouth.

"But, it's boring!" Stripekit complained, "and Viperfang is mean, she keeps complaining that I make too much noise and that she wished she didn't have those kits!"

"That's because she's a cruel she-cat," Ravenclaw meowed, dropping a vole on the fresh-kill pile, "she doesn't deserve to have kits and I fear for their future." the black tom headed up to Mousepelt.

"You're lucky!" Stripekit turned on Silverpaw, who dropped her rat. "You left the nursery, just as she came!"

"Don't worry," Silverpaw assured, putting her tail on the tom's flank, "you'll be apprenticed soon and you won't have to spend time with her again!"

"I thought you had black fur!" Stripekit's eyes widened in awe as the sun shown through the trees and landing on Silverpaw's pelt, turning it to silver.

"Oh, when the sun shines down on my fur it turns silver," Silverpaw explained, "I think I might actually be dark silver."

"You look amazing!" Stripekit jumped. Vinepaw had just come out the apprentice's den and heard the kits complement.

"Silverpaw!" the black and grey tortoise shell called out, running to her sister's side. "Will you help me pick ticks off the elders?"

"Sure," Silverpaw looked to Vinepaw, "I'll see you later, Stripekit, you should go back to Goldenpelt."

"Okay!" Stripekit ran off to the nursery, but then turned, "will you play with me when you're done with apprentice duties?"

"Of course!" Silverpaw responded. Vinepaw snatched Silverpaw's scruff and dragged her to the medicine den.

"Mousepelt," The brown she-cat looked up to see Quakefoot, Morningflower, and Trampleheart at the ShadowClan entrance, "come with us on the hunting patrol!"

"Coming!" Mousepelt called back, licking Ravenclaw's cheek before bounding after the younger apprentices.

Mousepelt buried her catch near a tree after giving thanks to StarClan. She looked over at RiverClan territory. Wondering if Mudpelt was having trouble with his loyalty to his Clan. Silversol could be over there now for all Mousepelt knew. The Gathering was tomorrow night, if RiverClan showed up Mousepelt and Amberheart would have to come up with a way to speak to the muddy tortoise shell tom.

She then scented ThunderClan nearby. Mousepelt pelted toward the border and stopped behind a bush when she saw Badgergrowl pinning a mouse down. It squeaked effortlessly as Badgergrowl dug his claws deep in to it's brown pelt. Mousepelt began making her way out, her claws unsheathed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mousepelt hissed as a loud snap was heard and the mouse went limp. Badgergrowl looked up from his catch on ShadowClan territory to look at Mousepelt.

"Go away you stupid mouse!" The black tom hissed, picking his forbidden catch.

"You can't take that!" Mousepelt shot. "That's ShadowClan property!"

"It's mine now!" Badgergrowl snapped, spinning around to face Mousepelt.

"You can't do that!"

"I can and I will!" Badgergrowl flung his catch away and unsheathed his claws, baring his yellow teeth in a snarl. "I can even do this!" he pounced at Mousepelt, making them fall over, sending bites and scratches at each other.

Mousepelt raked her claws on Badgergrowl's sides, then kicked her hind legs at his belly. Jumping away, Badgergrowl began to bleed from his sides. Mousepelt spat on the ground closest to the ThunderClan warrior.

"Get out!" Mousepelt ordered.

"Not until I see you die!" Badgergrowl yowled, pouncing at Mousepelt again, but was stopped when Ravenclaw burst through the bracken and crashed in to him. Beetlepaw, Vinepaw, and Stoneheart right behind. Badgergrowl pushed Ravenclaw off and glared at the cats around him. With a huff, the black warrior bolted away to his territory. "Keep your filthy crow food!" his voice called out.

"Mousepelt, are you alright?" Ravenclaw turned to face the bleeding she-cat.

"I'm fine..." Mousepelt growled, digging her claws in to the dirt.

"What was he doing on our territory?" Stoneheart demanded.

"Stoneheart," Vinepaw came up with the dead mouse, "this has ThunderClan scent all over it and it was on our side of the border!"

"He killed it and was about to take it to his Clan!" Mousepelt hissed.

"What?" Stoneheart bristled. "We must bring this to Jumbledstar's attention!"

"The Gathering is tomorrow!" Vinepaw pointed out. "What will ThunderClan do if we accuse them of stealing?"

"The Gathering is a night of peace," Beetlepaw agreed, "they can't possibly pick a fight with us!"

"If we know Badgergrowl, it's that he doesn't always speak the truth!" Ravenclaw added.

"Jumbledstar still must hear about this!" Stoneheart shot, stamping his forepaw on the dead mouse.

"He what?" Jumbledstar snarled after hearing the news.

"And then he attacked Mousepelt." Ravenclaw finished, flicking his tail angrily.

"That fox-hearted pile of mouse dung!" The leader hissed pacing around the den.

"What should we do?" Mousepelt asked. She prayed the ruffled tom wouldn't announce a battle, her paws shook at the idea that she'd have to fight her friend.

"Nothing we can do now," Jumbledstar sat down with a growl, "I'll have to bring this to Whisperstar's attention at the Gathering tomorrow."

The warriors and apprentices nodded before turning and walking out the den. Laughter filled the air as Stripekit and Silverpaw playing outside the nursery. Mousepelt felt something prickle at her side. She looked down to see Vinepaw was tense, her claws digging in to the ground. What was so wrong with Stripekit playing with Silverpaw?

"Would you shut up!" Viperfang yowled, stepping out the nursery. "You're not a kit anymore, Silverpaw, so how about you go away and do something useful!" 

"You're mean!" Stripekit shot.

"And you're annoying!" Viperfang retorted.

"What's going on?" Frightwing bolted out the warrior's den with Goldenpelt.

"You're kit is disturbing my sleep!" Viperfang hissed.

"That's enough, Viperfang!" Mousepelt pounded over. "Stripekit was only having fun with Silverpaw!"

"She's not a kit!" Viperfang replied. "She should either be hunting or playing with the other apprentices, not this thing!"

"That thing is my son!" Goldenpelt snarled. "If we're going to share a den together, you'd better stop calling him that, his name is Stripekit!"

Viperfang flicked her tail and disappeared in to the nursery. Stripekit growled as he watched the queen go. Vinepaw came and instructed Silverpaw to come with her to get more bedding.

"But we were still playing!" Stripekit wailed.

"The elders need fresh mods to sleep!" Vinepaw explained. "She'll play with you when our apprentice duties are over!" with that Vinepaw stormed off with Silverpaw close behind.

"I'll be back soon, Stripekit!" Silverpaw called over her shoulder.

Mousepelt then jumped as a piece of melted snow plopped down on her flank. Stripekit, Goldenpelt, and Frightwing let out mrrows of laughter. "That wasn't funny!" the brown she-cat snapped, licking her cold spot viciously. "That was really cold!" but the beginnings of new-leaf shined from the sun, making Mousepelt warm again.