The sharp smell of crisp leaf-fall filled the air. Red, yellow, and brown leaves crackled under the paws of the RiverClan patrol. Leopardfur, Whiteclaw and Stonefur padded by the border, shivering in the dawn air. The first frost had come last night, and prey was getting scarcer. Peace lay upon the forest, but for how long? WindClan was being more aggressive about their territory, and at the last Gathering, Tallstar had demanded the land across the gorge. The two Clans had glared at each other menacingly, but Crookedstar had refused. There had been some border skirmishes, but nothing major. "Keep your eyes open," Leopardfur called to the patrol. "Those WindClan mouse-hearts might pretend that they can fight, but RiverClan is strong." The sun was rising over the trees, melting the frost. A chill breeze blew off the moor, bringing WindClan scent with it. "Let's check the gorge," Stonefur suggested. "Good idea," the golden spotted she-cat replied, and they headed that way. As they reached the rushing waterfall, the RiverClan cats didn't need to scent to know that the lean WindClan had been there. There were a couple of warriors hunting, and one was eating a mouse. A gray tabby that Leopardfur recognized as Deadfoot stood and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a brown apprentice spoke up."Please don't hurt us, Leopardfur, we need prey." With a murderous look at the apprentice, Deadfoot beckoned with his tail for his cats to retreat. "Let us go in peace and we will not come back," Deadfoot spoke quietly. "Not a chance," Whiteclaw growled. "RiverClan, attack!" Leopardfur yowled as she leapt at Deadfoot. Screeches and grunts filled the clearing as Stonefur faced off with a tabby she-cat and Whiteclaw slashed the ears of the outspoken apprentice. Leopardfur felt pain like thorns rip through her pelt as Deadfoot clawed her belly. Leopardfur had underestimated the gray tom with a twisted paw, and she was paying dearly for her mistake. Leopardfur saw her vision going black, and she prayed to StarClan. Suddenly a yowl stopped the battle. "Fleetpaw is dead!" The tabby she-cat that Stonefur was swiping at let out a wail of grief. All around the clearing, cats stopped to look where the young mother stared. Cats of both Clans gathered at the edge of the gorge, hatred forgotten, to see what happened. Whiteclaw looked down, guilty as the cats saw Fleetpaw's broken body on the rocks far below. "All he wanted was peace," Deadfoot meowed with his eyes dark with grief. "We will not fight more today, in honor of Fleetpaw's noble life. There shall be peace between our Clans, for peace is the way of the warrior code." Leopardfur saw the oppurtunity, and extended a paw to Deadfoot. "Peace for Fleetpaw?" "Peace for Fleetpaw," Deadfoot agreed, and the the two patrols walked away.