Chapter 1: A Border Patrol Gone Terribly Wrong

Three days have passed since the prophecy was given to Lightningstreak. It still hung in Ripplestream's mind, she just couldn't stop thinking about it. But that wasn't the only thing she was left to ponder about; the rain still hasn't even started showing signs of stopping yet. Soon, the camp will flood. It worried Ripplestream deeply.

"It's about time for the morning patrol, Ripplestream. Why don't you, Troutpelt, Swiftclaw, and Willowpaw go and check the ShadowClan borders?" Brightlake ordered. Ripplestream nodded and quickly gathered the cats to go on patrol with and headed out.

"Will ShadowClan attack us?" Willowpaw asked, being as annoying as ever. She had just became an apprentice and wanted to know everything.

"It's very possible, I'm afraid." Troutpelt sighed, "If it comes to that, please don't interfere, let Swiftclaw try to talk to them first since he's the oldest on the patrol. I don't want you to become crow food just yet."

"I see Troutpelt, I'll do as you say. But what if they attack me? What do I do?" Willowpaw asked, her solid grey-white fur was flattened by the rain.

"You try to get out of it right away and run to camp and report it to Brightlake or Eaglestar and they will talk to Nettlestar about it." Troutpelt mewed, looking Willowpaw straight in her sparkling light blue eyes.

"Okay, Troutpelt, I will. What if you need help?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter, don't risk your own life for mine. Just run as fast as you can back to camp." Troutpelt meowed.

Swiftclaw and Troutpelt started discussing something, but Ripplestream didn't bother to add to their conversation. Anxiety was gripping her and holding her back. She still couldn't get the prophecy out of her head.

They reached the borders and marked them. Willowpaw caught sight of a butterfly fluttering around her. She pounced at it and followed it around.

"What are you doing?" Troutpelt purred with amusement. Willowpaw just ignored her mentor and kept pouncing at it.

"They should have named her 'Pouncepaw!'" Swiftclaw purred. She started jumping closer and closer to the ShadowClan boundary.

"Get back here, mousebrain! You can't go there!" Troutpelt hissed walking towards her. But it was too late, Willowpaw had already crossed the boundary. She continued jumping a few tail lengths into ShadowClan territory before tripping.

Just as she tried getting up, something stepped on her tail and held her down, "Going somewhere hoppy?" A dark tabby tom hissed, his amber eyes glowing with anger.

"Fox dung!" Troutpelt hissed and looked back at his comrades. The dark tabby grabbed Willowpaw by the scruff and carried her to the border. He didn't let her cross yet though. Two more ShadowClan cats appeared behind him. One was a cream colored tom and the other was a lighter brown tabby she-cat.

"RiverClan can't even keep their own apprentices on their own territory now, can they?" The cream colored tom taunted. The light brown tabby she-cat cackled at the RiverClan cats.

"Keep your mouth shut, Adderpelt!" Swiftclaw hissed, "She's a new apprentice, don't hurt her." Adderpelt hissed at Swiftclaw. The black and white tom just stood there, no emotion in his face whatsoever.

"Who's the mentor of this one?" The dark tom asked.

"I am." Troutpelt stepped forward.

"How would you like it if we took hoppy here to Nettlestar and have her explain why she crossed our borders in front of our leader, and our deputy, and our whole clan?" He asked.

"Troutpelt, help me!" Willowpaw cried out squirming in the dark tom's grip.

"Darktail, we don't want to end this in violence, and I'm sure you don't either, but when you're trying to steal an apprentice right out from under our paw, it really is unacceptable!" Troutpelt hissed right in Darktail's face.

"I see you don't want to cooperate, Troutpelt, just as I would expect from a RiverClan cat. It's one of the main reasons why I hate RiverClan so much." Darktail hissed his tail lashing to and fro in anger.

"I think it's you who doesn't want to cooperate, give us Willowpaw now before we resort to violence!" Swiftclaw stepped next to Troutpelt.

I really don't want to do this, but it's the only way to save Willowpaw. Ripplestream ran up to Darktail, not caring about the borders and hissed, "You stupid pieces of fox dung!" She lashed out at Darktail.

"Ripplestream!" Swiftclaw gasped. He held his breath and waited for Darktail to retaliate, but he didn't.

"Yet another reason why I hate RiverClan so much, they get angered to easily." He meowed softly before silently turning around and motioning his clanmates to head back to ShadowClan camp.

"Troutpelt!" Willowpaw yowled. Ripplestream ran in front of Darktail and stopped him.

"Give us Willowpaw back!" She hissed, he just smirked and threw Willowpaw into the air.

"Heatherstripe, catch!" He yowled. Ripplestream and Troutpelt couldn't watch as Willowpaw flew through the air and landed in the light tabby she-cat's mouth. Heatherstripe took off running. Swiftclaw dashed after her as Troutpelt and Ripplestream fought Darktail and Adderpelt, but he couldn't catch up to her.

"This is what you get!" Swiftclaw yowled as he slashed Darktail on the cheek, "No one steals apprentices like that!" They continued fighting each other while Troutpelt joined in.

Ripplestream didn't go after Darktail, instead she leaped at Adderpelt. He slashed her across the chest, splattering blood on the pine needles. Ripplestream quickly retaliated and bit down on Adderpelt's head, causing the cream tom to yowl out very loudly. Ripplestream tried to get up, but she slipped on the mud from the downpour and fell again. Clots of mud covered her entire body. Adderpelt turned around and saw the she-cat struggling. He scratched her belly, coating his claws and her muddy fur in hot, red blood. Ripplestream thought for sure she was going to lose the fight, but Troutpelt jumped in front of Ripplestream to defend her.

Troutpelt's shoulders were coated in blood. It ran down his legs from the rain. He hissed at Adderpelt, "Why are you targeting a she-cat?"

"She attacked me first!" Adderpelt retorted, nipping at Troutpelt's ear, but he backed away in time.

"Why are you defending me, Troutpelt?" Ripplestream asked. Troutpelt just ignored her.

"I want to stop this nonsense. You shouldn't be stealing our apprentices!" Troutpelt hissed.

"You should keep your apprentice on your territory! We can do whatever we want with her once she crosses the border!" Adderpelt hissed.

"Adderpelt!" The cream colored tom was startled by the deep voice of Darktail. He turned his head to see Swiftclaw backing away as he watched Darktail stand up, "We are done here! There is no more need to fight. Let's go report this to Nettlestar." He limped towards the ShadowClan camp and motioned Adderpelt to follow.

"Yes Darktail." Adderpelt ran after the lame dark tabby tom.

Ripplestream stood up and looked at Troutpelt, Swiftclaw padded over to them, "Let's get off of this horrible land and report the news to Eaglestar." The two nodded and followed Swiftclaw off of ShadowClan territory.

"Why were you defending me? You never answered my question back in ShadowClan territory." Ripplestream walked beside Troutpelt, who was limping badly.

"I- I wanted to protect you." He stammered anxiously, stopping to lick some of the blood off of his fur.

"That still doesn't answer my question, why were you protecting me when you could've helped Swiftclaw instead?" Ripplestream retorted. She was getting frustrated with him.

"Because of- oh, you wouldn't understand." Troutpelt half sigh half winced as he started walking again.

"What wouldn't I understand?" Ripplestream hissed. Her blue eyes like ice as she stared at Troutpelt. I can't get a good answer from him can I? She didn't give him a chance to answer before she ran off to camp.

"Well, how did it go? You look hurt pretty badly! Where are Willowpaw and Troutpelt?" Brightlake asked frantically. Swiftclaw and Ripplestream were surrounded by worried cats.

"We were attacked by a ShadowClan patrol. Troutpelt is hurt on his shoulders, so I think he might want help getting back." Swiftclaw explained. Why didn't I help Troutpelt? I'm such a mouse brain! Ripplestream hissed at the ground. Two warriors ran out of the camp and followed the scent of blood.

"What about Willowpaw?" Brightlake's emerald green eyes shined with worry.

"Well, Willowpaw was stolen by Darktail, Adderpelt, and Heatherstripe and was taken to ShadowClan camp." Ripplestream wailed. Brightlake gasped loudly. Her blue-grey and white fur was pasted to her body from the downpour so Ripplestream could even see her breath grew fast and loud.

"What caused them to do this?" She asked.

"Willowpaw was chasing a butterfly across ShadowClan border and was caught by the patrol, which lead to some arguing, which, ultimately lead to fighting." Swiftclaw explained.

"I knew all the clans hate us now. It's something we can't really help until we know more about." Ripplestream sighed.

"You are right, Ripplestream. I will report this to Eaglestar immediately." Brightlake ran off into the Leader's Den.

Ripplestream stared at Swiftclaw, his amber eyes were filled with worry. They should be bringing Troutpelt back any second now. I should say sorry for not helping him. But how could he forgive a rotten she-cat like me? When he said that it was something I wouldn't be able to understand, could it be that… He loves me?