<Don't know what to say here, sooo enjoy!>

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Whispered Scarpaw, his pale green eyes looking all around camp anxiously. "What if we get caught?"

"We won't." Insisted Sunpaw quitely. "Everyone's asleep, plus Bristleblaze has been teaching me to sneak even better than before."

Icepaw huffed at that. "So just under disaster then?"

"Hey!" Cried the golden tabby indignantly. "I'm not that bad."

Scarpaw stepped between the two before they could continue to argue. "Shus! You'll wake everyone up!"

The two grew silent at that, though they still shot each other looks over the Scarpaw's head. After a few more moments of sneaking they arrived at their destination. Aka on the mountain over camp.

"Why are we here again?" Asked Scarpaw, nervously looking down at the camp.

Icepaw rolled his eyes at the scarred tom. "To get flowers of course! We all saw how the new kits liked the flower Adderleaf gave them, so I thought why not give them more?"

"That's nice and all, but why do we need to go here of all places?" Scarpaw motioned to the mountain, or more specifically down to where camp was. "It's dangerous up here!"

Sunpaw sighed. "If you don't like it up here then why did you come with us?"

"Because you didn't tell me where we were going!" Hissed the brown tom, tail swishing anxiously.

"That's true." Admitted Sunpaw basfully, ear flicking lightly. "But too late to turn back now! So pick a flower, quick! I want to get back to camp before the dawn patrol leaves."  The tabby then picked up a pale blue and white flower (a mountain columbine).

Scarpaw let out one last sigh before picking up a dark purple flower ( cornflower), ears down a bit. He clearly wasn't enjoying this, but he still seemed to along with it.

Icepaw then found a patch of gold flowers a bit away and went and grabbed one of them (it was a marsh marigold). He then bounded back to the other two apprentices. "I have a flower, and I can see that both of you do too. So let's get back now!"

The three apprentices quickly made their way down the mountain, thankfully having enough common sense to avoid walking near the edge. They soon arrived at the camp entrance, and being careful to stay quite made their way in.

"I think we did it!" Whispered Sunpaw excitedly, unusual blue eyes shining.

"Think you did what?" Asked and amused voice from their left.

All three apprentices either squeaked or jumped, or both, and whipped around to come face to face with Birdwing. The frizzy tom was casually lounging on a flat rock that had been dragged in from the forest.

"Uh, hi Birdwing!" Squeaked Scarpaw nervusly. "What are you doing here?"

The other two looked at him with deadpan expression, because really? "What are you doing here?" Why is that the first thing you ask when caught sneaking around? 

Birdwing purred in amusement at the apprentices question. "I'm waiting for Whitehawk and Patchpetal, you know, for the dawn patrol?"

"Yes, of course!" Said Icepaw, butting in before Scrapaw could dig them an even deeper hole. "We'll get out of your fur then, so don't mind us!"

Icepaw started to walk away but the white warrior put a paw down and stopped him. "Normally I would, me and Sparrowflight snuck out a lot ourselves, but at the moment I want to know exactly why you went out."

"Flowers!" Explained Sunpaw, thrusting his muzzle forward to show off the one he was holding. "We saw Adderleaf give the kits one, so we wanted to do the same!"

"Oh? You want to get them to like you so soon?" Laughed Birdwing. "There are other ways you know. Ways that don't risk you dying." He was looking at them with slight disapproval.

"You saw us, didn't you?" Asked Scarpaw, ears low.

"Yes." Answered the frizzy tom. "And had I been one of your mentors I'd send you all to clean the elders den for a moon." He laughed at their horrified reactions. "But I'm not one of your mentors, now am I? So you get off this time, but I'm telling your mentors next time."

"Thank you!" Called Sunpaw, leaping away to the apprentices den.

"Yeah, thanks." Added Icepaw, before he and Scarpaw also headed to their den.

Birdwing watched them go with a quiet chuckle. He remembers being just as energetic when he was younger, not that he still wasn't energetic.

He watched as the three apprentices nestled themselves back in their nests he let himself relax on his stone. And after waiting a bit longer both Whitehawk and Patchpelt exit the warriors den, the ladder quickly bounding up to him.

"Ah! You're already awake, perfect." Smiled the calico she-cat. "We don't need to waste any time waiting."

"Then perhaps we should go?" Asked Whitehawk snidely, tail witching with annoyance.

Patchpelt either didn't hear his snide tone, or chose to ignore it, as she happily answered him. "Right! Come Birdwing, I'm sure you want to get done as fast as you can."

And so the three headed out into the dense spruce forest, heading towards their border with Birchclan. On the way Patchpelt talked with Birdwing, but Whitehawk kept quiet and didn't even look at them.

It didn't take long for the three to get to the border, and Birdwing nearly fell face first into rocks and water. Thankfully Whitehawk grabbed him by his scruff and pulled him away.

You see, the border between Birchclan and Spruceclan was a shallow stream that led from a mountain from beyond the territories to a pond near the edge of where the sycamore was. And Birdwing hadn't known this, which meant he continued to walk and then slip on some wet rocks.

"A little out of your depth, ey Birdwing?" Called a deep mocking voice from the other side of the stream, a few giggles followed the remark.

The three Spruceclan warriors looked up to see a black tom flanked by a tabby tom and a speckled she-cat.

"A little nosy, ey Lakerock?" Hissed Patchpelt, prepared to defend her new clan mate.

"Relax, Patchpelt." Said Birdwing, moving past her and up closer to the stream bank. "Me and this brute go way back."

"Brute?" Asked Lakerock with a snort. "I don't see you for over two moons and that's all you can come up with?"

"Sorry, I've been a bit preoccupied."

"With what?" Asked the speckled she-cat, Brambledsky, curiously.

"Got exiled." Hissed Birdwing, claws unsheathing and digging into the ground. "Sparrowflight and the kits too."

The she-cats eyes grew stoney as she huffed indignantly. "Bluecreek always did say that Oakclan couldn't get a good leader, guess she was right."

"Yeah." Breathed Birdwing, completely agreeing with the pale yellow she-cat. "But I'm in Spruceclan now, and things have been good so far. Though it has only been two sunrises."

Lakerock nodded his approval. "Good. Turtlestar's a good leader, nearly as good as our own."

Birdwing snorted at that. "Sure, I'll agree when you give me proof of that!"

For the first time since leaving camp Whitehawk spoke up. "I guess you'll have to get your proof at the gathering then, it is soon after all."

"The gathering?" Asked Birdwing, tilting his frizzy head to the side. "Are you implying that I'll be going to it?"

The red and white tom gave a sharp nod, not really focused on the other's face. "Yes."

"And how would you know that?"

Whitehawk gave a suffering sigh. "Uh, brother of the leader here! Why wouldn't I know?"

Patchpelt snorted and playfully patted her paw against the other. "Because Turtlestart tends to be a very private cat, so it's hard to know what he's planning."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed."

The tabby tom that was with Lakerock, Tigernight, cleared his throat loudly. "I'm sorry to stop the small talk, but we really need to patrol the rest of the border."

"Right." Agreed Lakerock before turning back to Birdwing. "I'll see you at the gathering then, yeah?"

Birdwing nodded at him. "You will."

"Good."

And with that the two patrols parted ways, the Birchclan warriors heading away from the great sycamore whilst Spruceclan headed up towards it. It didn't take long to patrol the border with Willowclan, as it was shorter and didn't have as hard-on-the-paws terrain as the one with Birchclan.

They arrived just on time to see the first few cats waking up, Icepaw was excitedly talking to Redpaw about something as the black-and-white tom tried his best to stay awake. There were small movements in the nursery, probably Sparrowflight trying to shield the kits better from the cold. It had finally started snowing, it wasn't a lot, but there was snow.

As Birdwing walked to the warriors den for a quick nap he couldn't help but feel warm inside. After having been exiled he had thought that this was the end, that the kits would die and he and Sparrowflight would have to leave the forests for good. But now, they'd been given a second chance. A second chance that came with more than a new start, it came with cats who actually cared. And he will forever be grateful for that. So he'll serve this clan better than he ever did Oakclan, to the end of his times. And he'd do it knowing he'll serve along cats who accepted him as one of them. And he'll do it with pride.

<This became so much longer then I first expected! It was supposed to end after the apprentices got back, but then I continued and didn't stop. So I hope you all enjoyed this! Also, art time!

And that was Adderleaf and Turtlestar, I might make more art for next chapter, but no promises.>