Thank you for the previous reviews about the chapter. I had NO idea that Briarpaw was a she-cat. I thought it she was a he _

And I had no idea I had double posted in the previous chapter. It turned out that extra double in chapter 2 was supposed to have been the third chapter in this story, which I had accidentally deleted. But thanks to the reviews I was able to actually pay attention to the second chapter to realize and correct my mistakes.

So, after a bit of fruseration and swearing I remade this chapter, and I have to say I think I like this remake better than the original. Enjoy! ^^

"Great Starclan their scent reeks!" Sorreltail mewed, wrinkling her nose.

Brackenfur murmured something inaudible as Thornclaw and Briarpaw re-scented Thunderclan's border. It was dawn, and the patrol had left camp early to re-scent the borders between Thunderclan and Windclan. Thornclaw had decided at the last second to pull Briarpaw from the apprentices den as practice for the young apprentice to be prepared to awake and be prepared early when least expected; so far she merely yawned wildly and almost lost the patrol with her uneasy steps. Thornclaw had forgotten to grab himself something to eat before leaving, so his mood was not the most happy of times at the moment. And with Sorreltail talking on and on Thornclaw just wanted his life to end right then and now.

"We should get some hunting done after this," Sorreltail mewed thoughtfully as they padded beside the border. "I could go for a nice fresh mouse."

"Will you please shut up about the mouse," Thornclaw murmured.

Sorreltail ignored him. "A nice juicy fresh piece of mouse that would melt in my mouth and have tremendous flavors would do the trick," she added. "Of such succulence that it would turn full stomachs to those of hunger just by the smell of it."

"Sorreltail!" Thornclaw snapped. " For Starclan's sake just please SHUT UP. No one wants to hear you complaining about not having food at this time!"

Sorreltail stared at him with wide eyes. She angrily opened her mouth to say something. A loud growl broke the silence. Every cat stared at Thornclaw, who in turn avoided everyone's gaze as his stomach growled again. Sorreltail closed her mouth. "Sorry," she murmured.

Thornclaw nodded curtly and they continued on. He thought he heard Brackenfur gently scolded Sorreltail about not messing with a hungry cat, but he was barely listening. His mind was slowly drifting off into the stars as it sometimes did whenever he was hungry or plainly relaxed despite being near Windclan's border. Just endless, star-filled nothingness...

A loud yowl broke his thoughts. Thornclaw looked up and saw two Windclan cats on their territory. They jumped over the little stream that separated Thunderclan and Windclan's border and ran through the moors, a piece of prey in one of their jaws.

Anger filled Thornclaw at the sight of stolen prey. He ran forward and leaped over the stream between the borders as well, pelting after the thieves while ignoring Brackenfur's and Sorreltail's yowls for him to come back.

Those thieving Foxdung's stole Thunderclan prey! He thought wildly. This is not time for the respect of borders! I'll claw their ears off for stealing Thunderclan prey!

Thornclaw ran wildly through the moor, chasing after the two cats. He eventually caught up with one of them and leaped upon one with white fur. They tumbled head over tail on the ground for a few fox lengths. But they never parted.

Hissing and yowling, Thornclaw and the white pelted cat scratched, clawed and bit each other without mercy. At one point Thornclaw was able to bite hard on the shoulder of the cat, who yowled in fury and in turn began using its hind legs to scrape Thornclaw's side. The weight he placed on the cat quickly lifted as he felt a force push him back and away from the Windclan cat.

Thornclaw was on his paws in an instant and angrily faced the cat that pushed him away. There stood Owlwhisker in his brown tabby pelt. He had pushed Thornclaw away from Whitetail, who was also standing and bleeding on one shoulder.

Thornclaw hissed angrily.

"What are you doing?" Whitetail hissed, her meow directed to her clan mate. Owlwhisker looked confused, but before he could say anything, Whitetail interrupted. "Go and get help!"

"Against him?" Owlwhisker mewed, pointing his tail at Thornclaw, who hissed again. "We don't need help to take care of one Thunderclan cat!"

"No, but we'll need help for the others that are coming," Whitetail retorted, pointing her tail at three figures that just ran past the hill Thornclaw had passed pursuing the Windclan cats.

Owlwhisker hesitated, clearly uncomfortable about the number of cats coming and leaving Whitetail alone.

"Go!" she mewed impatiently. "I won't be able to run faster than you with this shoulder wound!"

Owlwhisker glanced Thornclaw's way, nodded and streaked off as fast as he could, the stolen prey forgotten.

Whitetail and Thornclaw faced each other silently.

"Why did you steal Thunderclan prey?" Thornclaw snarled, padding closer

"Why are you in Windclan territory?" Whitetail responded.

Thornclaw snorted. He couldn't believe she'd talk to him about borders after what they did! The filthy hypocrite.

"That was Thunderclan prey you stole," Thornclaw growled, padding closer. Whitetail stiffened, but did nothing. "I should claw off your ears for that!"

Whitetail blinked. She looked distracted and confused. The white-she cat shook her head. "Take it," she murmured.

Thornclaw snorted. "I'm not an idiot! You'll attack me the minute my back's turned—even a kit would know it's a trap!"

"Fine!" Whitetail snapped. She limped towards the prey and grabbed it in her jaws. Thornclaw tensed, ready to give chase again. But he received a surprise when she limped back to him and dropped the prey by his paws. He looked down at the lifeless mouse stupidly, unsure of how to approach this.

It all seemed too easy.

He looked back up at Whitetail. She looked as if she were struggling with something he couldn't see, and began to wonder if he had done more damage to her shoulder than she was letting on.

"Whitetail!" Brackenfur gasped when he, Sorreltail and Briarpaw finally arrived and stood between Thornclaw and Whitetail. Thornclaw already had the prey in his jaws and a considerable distance from Whitetail He only listened with half an ear as Brackenfur and Sorreltail scolded Whitetail about borders and the problems that results from breaking those rules while he and Briarpaw stood as sentries lest a Windclan cat or patrol spotted them.

But Starclan seemed to be on their side as Brackenfur and Sorreltail finished speaking with Whitetail and gathered the rest of the cats to leave Windclan's territory. Thornclaw only let his hackles drop the minute they were encompassed in Thunderclan's brambles and bushes.

"Do you think Whitetail will tell Onestar the truth about what just happened?" Briarpaw asked curiously as Thunderclan came into view. It seemed the little run through Windclan's territory had awakened Briarpaw, Thornclaw saw. Her eyes were wide and her steps more purposeful.

"I doubt it," Thornclaw murmured around the prey in his jaws. "She and Owlwhisker would probably make up some mousedung lie about US trying to take THEIR prey."

"And staying in Windclan territory to tell the leader that we spotted Windclan cats stealing Thunderclan prey would not have been the smartest move," Sorreltail murmured as they padded through the entrance to camp.

"We can only tell Firestar about what happened and ensure extra patrols are put into place," Brackenfur mewed. With a wave of his tail in farewell to Thornclaw and Briarpaw, he and Sorreltail bounded to the High Ledge to report to their leader about the news.

Thornclaw made his way to the fresh-kill pile and dropped his mouse on the pile, then picked a blackbird for himself. Briarpaw came a second later and chose a mouse for herself. She was about to take a bite when Thornclaw asked "Did you make sure the Elders were fed first?"

Without a word Briarpaw dropped her mouse, dug in the pile again, took out a squirrel and disappeared in the Elders Den.

Thornclaw shook his head and munched hungrily into his meal. He was lost in thought as he ate. His thoughts were occurred about theories for what Firestar would do about Windclan. Probably nothing, like always. Just a small warning he'd give to the Windclan leader, who'd swear Windclan cats were not stealing prey. Then we'd sit back and wait it out until Windclan does something else more drastic before we actually get any fighting done about it.

"Mind if I join?" came a quiet mew, breaking through Thornclaw's thoughts. He looked up to find Cinderheart staring at him with a piece of prey in her jaws.

He flicked his tail to his side. "Go ahead."

Cinderheart sat beside him and began eating her mouse ravenously. Thornclaw began washing his paws. He thought about inviting Mousewhisker and his apprentice Bumblepaw out for some training practice. It'd help to see how skillful the apprentices were fighting each other instead of the same mentors over and over again.

"So, how was the patrol?" Cinderheart mewed, interrupting Thornclaw's thoughts yet again. "Everything go smooth?"

Thornclaw shrugged. "We had a problem with a couple of Windclan cats after we spotted them in our territory, stealing our prey."

Cinderheart hissed. "Why were they doing that? Leaf-fall is not THAT bad that they'd be desperate enough to steal our prey!"

"Well, they did and I had to chase them all the way to their territory. But nothing happened," Thornclaw added hastily when Cinderheart looked alarmed. "I was able to grab the prey back after a bit of a scuffle, and we left before a patrol spotted us." He flicked his ears to the High Ledge. "Brackenfur and Sorreltail are reporting to Firestar about the matter right now."

Cinderheart's face fell to relief. She placed her tail on Thornclaw's shoulder. "That was quite brave of you. A bit dim to go running into another clan's territory, but for what it represented I'm proud of you." She purred quietly/

Thornclaw looked down at the tail resting on his shoulder, then up to stare into Cinderheart's eyes. They were shining like Moonstones.

Thornclaw looked away uncomfortably. He took to staring at the Warriors den, watching Lionblaze and Dovepaw talk with Hazeltail and Blossompaw. He couldn't hear what they were saying from this distance, except it probably had to do with training as Lionblaze was raising his paws and cuffing the air while pointing at the apprentices with his tail. Hazeltail nodded and answered something back.

As if she could feel Thornclaw's eyes on her, the gray and white she-cat looked around to the fresh-kill pile. Her eyes lit upon seeing Thornclaw. But when her eyes shifted to Cinderheart her face fell to a look of complete contempt. She unsheathed her claws and dug them into the ground before her, much to the surprise of Lionblaze and the apprentices for her abrupt change of behavior. It looked as if Hazeltail was imagining the ground as prey she was tearing up. Or something a bit larger, Thornclaw thought uncomfortably.

He stood. "I have to go," he mewed bluntly.

"Where?" Cinderheart asked, also standing.

"Um, somewhere I need to check out on my own," the golden tom thought wildly. "I won't be long—listen, can you tell Briarpaw that I'll be back in a bit? She's in the Elder's den and I don't have time to tell her myself!"

Cinderheart blinked. "Okay, but--"

"Thanks!" Thornclaw called, already bounding to the exit away from Thunderclan. When he was sure he covered a good distance between himself and Thunderclan, Thornclaw slowed his run to a quiet walk, unconsciously allowing his legs to take him anywhere while he thought. Right now his mind was to other problems.

Somehow, Hazeltail and Cinderheart both like him as more than just another Thunderclan cat. They seem to want to be mates with him! How could this have happened without his knowing!

Thornclaw frowned

Wait, that can't be right..... Now that he thought about it, there were signs that told him something was going on.

Thornclaw would notice Hazeltail stare at him every now and then while in camp. When he'd look her way she'd immediately looked somewhere else. And there were other times in which he knew she was staring at him without looking her way.

And Cinderheart had asked him to help her train Ivypaw more frequently with and without Thornclaw's apprentice. He had noticed Cinderheart stare at him in between breaks and at the corner of her eyes when she would walking beside him to and from the training grounds. He had noticed then, but pushed the thought away as being nothing.

It was only when Ivypaw had asked him if he and Cinderheart liked each other that Thornclaw quit helping them on the spot, much to the surprise of the young apprentice.

Many clues had told him exactly what was happening, but he was too clueless to have realized it! Thornclaw didn't even want a mate! He was perfectly happy being a single tom. Alone, growing to be an elder alone, surrounded by happy young and senior couples while he stood out alone...

This is crazy! I don't need a mate to be happy! I was perfectly fine on my own!

But that was then, what about now?

What about it?

Maybe you do need a mate....

Thornclaw snorted at his own thoughts. Look at Mousefur and Longtail for Starclan's sake! They grew to be elders, well Longtail did a bit sooner, and look at them! They're perfectly happy as single elders! He didn't even bother to include Purdy. From the stories that fat cat told, he couldn't be sure of anything that came out of his mouth lest the proof was right in front of the golden tom's eyes.

But how can you be sure Mousefur and Longtail are truly mate-less?

What do you mean?

What if they are mates together, but as elders?

Now look who's talking foxdung! Thornclaw shot back

Look at Graystripe and Millie, or Stormfur and Brook. Being alone together could have made Mousefur and Longtail more happy as mates while they're elders than they would have as Warriors.

Thornclaw had no way to counter that argument. It was true that Longtail and Mousefur didn't look as lonely together as other Elders may have looked. But what did that have to do with him? He probably would not have minded a mate. But not the two that currently seem to be eying him every time his back's turned!

Hazeltail's part Kittypet! He can't be mates with a she-cat who has a mother for a Kittypet. It just felt off with him.

But Firestar and Cloudtail—

"Enough!" Thornclaw mewed forcefully.

And Cinderheart....

Whenever Thornclaw saw her from a distance, she looked so much like his sister Cinderpelt half the time Thornclaw wondered if his sister had somehow secretly given birth to this she-cat and gave her to Sorreltail and Brackenfur for safe keeping.

Just the thought of how similar Cinderheart looked to Thornclaw's sister made him more unwillingly than before to want to be mates with her.

I'll just have to find a way to break it to them, he figured. But first he would have to find out if they truly do want him as their mate. Then all he'd have to do is tell them no.

Simple... right...

Thornclaw sighed. Somehow it didn't sound as simple as he wanted it to.

Thornclaw didn't stay single all this time just because he couldn't find a she-cat to be with. He loves the position of a single tom. But his inner subconscious begs to differ it seems. X3

Enjoy, review, and please point out any other mistakes I might have missed. Thank you.