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A/N - Um... last time I said that Rustleleaf was on Rabbitpelt's patrol, which you'll hear more about in this chapter, well... he wasn't suppose to be. Sorry! No one got the right cat for this chapter... It's Violetpaw!
Violetpaw pads into former Shadowclan territory. She's from Riverclan, but she already feels at home in Shadowclan, not that she likes the idea of two clans. Violetpaw claws her way up a thick pine tree. At least that's one good thing about having Tigerclan, she got to learn to climb. The bad thing is having so many cats, Violetpaw shudders. She looks out over the lake.
She can see a Tigerclan patrol arguing with a Lionclan patrol on the Shadowclan and Thunderclan border. Their voices drift over the tree tops to Violetpaw's perch on the tree top. She recognizes the voice of the leader of the Lionclan patrol, Rabbitpelt.
"What are you doing here?" Rabbitpelt demands.
"We're on our side of the border," Swiftbreeze, Violetpaw's mentor, snarls.
"You're about to cross over," Skypaw hisses.
"No," Nightpaw whines indignantly, "We weren't!"
"Weren't you chasing this mouse?" Hawkfeather asked slyly.
"Yes, but I would have stopped at the scent line!" Nightpaw argues.
"Come on," Scarshade, Nightpaw's mentor, commands, "They're just being annoying fur-balls."
"Yeah, come on, Nightpaw. I bet I can catch a vole before you!" Cinderpaw challenges.
"Can not!"
Violetpaw rolls her eyes and lets out a mew of laughter at her denmate's foolishness. Their playful yowls fade into the distance. "How do they expect to catch any voles making that racket?" she mutters to herself.
Violetpaw pads into Tigerclan camp later, with a mouse and a fish in her mouth. She drops her prey in the fresh-kill pile and takes a water vole. She wonders if this is the result of Nightpaw and Cinderpaw's contest. She wanders over to the shade of the fern that serves as the apprentice den. Tigerpaw rolls over next to her, but doesn't wake.
Just as Violetpaw is about to take a bite, a hunting patrol returns to camp that consists of Frozenspots, Shelltail, Nettlewhisker, and Owlpaw. They drop their prey, 3 fish, 2 voles, and 1 mouse. Owlpaw sees Violetpaw and makes his way over to her. Violetpaw laughs and when he reaches her, she asks, "Do you want to share my vole?"
Owlpaw smiles, "Yes! Were you on any patrols today?"
"Nope, but I went hunting earlier today. Cinderpaw and Nightpaw were having a contest to see who could catch a vole first. Do you know who won?" she inquires.
"Oh yeah. Cinderpaw told me about that. I think he likes her." Owlpaw replies.
Violetpaw nods and looks around the camp. Her eyes rest on Cinderpaw and Nightpaw who are play-fighting near a fallen tree. They look blissful, is that what it's like to fall in love? The rest of the clan is hard at work. She can hear Dapplesky yelling at Scarletpaw for bring her damp moss and see Larchsong chasing around Breezekit. Rainfeather is advising Silverpaw about herbs in front of the medicine cat den.
Violetpaw turns back around to the vole and sees that Owlpaw has scooted closer to her. What could that mean? He can't-no! He can't like me! She can feel her heartbeat quicken. Owlpaw rises and says, "Well, I guess I should go. Frozenspots said we'd do training."
"Yeah," Violetpaw replies, "I should go too." Did I say something wrong? Why does he suddenly want to leave?
"Violetpaw!" Swiftbreeze calls, "Can you check the elders for ticks?"
Violetpaw sighs, "Sure!"
She wanders over to the medicine cat den, where Brambletalon gives her some Mouse Bile on a clump of moss. Violetpaw pads over to the elders den and gets right to work on Scarheart.
"Do you want to hear a story?" he asks gruffly.
"Yes!" Violetpaw exclaims. Hearing stories is the only thing that makes checking the elders for ticks worthwhile!
Soulsky settles down and then starts the story, "Should I tell about my apprentice days?"
Violetpaw nods and finishes checking Scarheart before moving on to Rainstorm.
"Well, one time I got captured by Shadowclan..."
"WHAT?" Violetpaw exclaims, "How did that happen?"
"I was out practicing my night hunting, and didn't know where the border was... I accidently crossed it. Riverclan and Shadowclan were fighting during that time and they thought I was spying on them."
Rainstorm purrs, "I remember that! I was a young Shadowclan warrior and I was sure that at any moment, Riverclan would come and shred us"
Violetpaw starred in amusement at the elders, even if they were from different clans, they were sharing memories like littermates. Maybe having two clans was bringing cats closer together. Then Scarheart spoke, "I still prefer four clans, though. We've always had four clans and we always should have four!"
Dapplesky growls and her brother and hisses, "Starclan now wants us to have two clans! I think you should accept that and get over the whole four clans thing!"
Violetpaw jumps, just when they were getting along something had to happen to make them argue! THAT was why they should have four clans, cats felt so much safer around their own clanmates. She briefly dwells on the fact that Dapplesky and Scarheart are in the same clan, but it passes quickly. They're littermates, of course they disagree on something! Right?
