Cricketpaw emerged from the ThunderClan camp, several days had passed since she had accidentally ran into Flamepaw and she decided that she would see if the tom was really watching the borders of just watching her.
Her belly low to the ground she crept across the soft wood land floor, the earth beneath her paws, the dead leaves from leaf-fall were no gone, hidden from leaf-bares snow.
Once she was far enough away from the camp she started pelting for the border, her muscles rippling under her sleek short gray fur. Cricketpaw opened her mouth to drink in the scent of ThunderClan, but all she could smell was the rank scent of ShadowClan. Surprise flooded over her, she hadn't realized she had been so close to the border!
"Hah, you are trespassing!" Fear bashed over her as she whipped around to see Flamepaw's pleased face. "What, no! I swear, I didn't mean to run across the border, you have to believe me Flamepaw? Please?" She begged, shivering at the thought of her fathers face if he found out she had been with Flamepaw for the second time in the same moon.
"Why should I trust you, you're Cricketpaw, the spoiled apprentice whose father is Clan leader!" The tom scoffed. "I'm not spoiled, I'm more unlucky then you, at least your father isn't over protective and sends his deputy to be your guard!" Cricketpaw hissed, scrambling back to the other side of the border where ThunderClan's scent was stronger.
"Fine, I want rat you out this time, but if it happens again…"
"It won't I swear!' Cricketpaw blurted, interrupting the flame colored tom. "All I'm saying is you better not get to friendly with ShadowClan territory, we have a reputation for killing trespassers and I wouldn't want to let my warrior ancestors down now would I?" Flamepaw smirked. "Of… course not." Cricketpaw meowed confused. "See you at the next gathering?"
"Of course you'll be there, all you have to do is ask Rippedstar." Flamepaw scoffed, his muscles rippling. "He doesn't treat me any different then he does other cats in ThunderClan." Cricketpaw retorted, biting back an insult.
Once Cricketpaw had decided that Flamepaw was telling the truth, Russetpaw must have scent him to watch the borders other wise how he have been there twice when she was. Either that or he had been banished from the Clan and escorted to the edge of the territory.
She shook the thought from her mind as she padded over to the fresh-kill pile, picking a rabbit from the pile and carrying over to where the apprentices ate.
The Clan was rather silent except for the quiet chattering and meowing of the ThunderClan cats as they shared tongues. The moonlight was cascading through the entrance to the camp, dappling her pelt as it shone through the twisted brambles that screened the camp entrance from rain, snow and hail.
Rabbitfur was sharing tongues with her mate Graythroat near the nursery while their kits, Sagekit, Lizardkit, Rapidkit and Tigerkit wrestled around them. Lizardkit was batting at Tigerkit's ears as he had her pinned down, while Rapidkit and Sagekit were both tugging on their parents' ears for them to play too.
Snowbird was sharing tongues with her mate; Foxbelly on top of a sandy colored boulder likes the ones near the Stone clearing where they practiced fighting. The two were basking in the sun while their son; Weaselpaw was play fighting with Hailpaw near the queens' den.
Cricketpaw searched for Tanglepaw's familiar dappled pelt in the clearing, but the tom was gone, she couldn't even detect his scent in the camp.
Swiping her tongue over her muzzle after she had finished eating her rabbit she decided to find Tanglepaw.
After searching the whole camp and asking almost every ThunderClan cat if they had seen him she decided to follow his scent trail. She caught his scent near the escape route, clawing her way up the brambles she emerged into the forest.
His scent was hard to find, it was as if he wanted her to follow him. It was leading toward WindClan, but as she got closer she noticed he started to go toward the lake. Bounding down the twisting path toward the sand, she picked up his scent again within the two fox-lengths that you had to stay in or else a patrol was fully aloud to attack you for being on their territory.
As she tracked him more, she found herself two fox-lengths away from RiverClan, where his trail winded toward their territory.
Cricketpaw decided to follow his trail in RiverClan territory, although everything in his mind was screaming at her to flea as she slunk through the twisting brambles and tree roots. Opening her mouth to drink in his scent, she found him in a small clearing.
Curiosity clawing at her made her move onward, peering out from between to bracken bushes she watched what the tom was doing. He looked as though he was waiting for someone, his ears were pricked and his body was not all that stiff.
Several heartbeats later a she-cat entered the clearing, her silver fur with darker splotches stood out in the moonlight as she entwined her tail with Tanglepaw's. "I'm so glad you came." She whispered in his ear, Cricketpaw watched through narrowed eyes as she rubbed her cheek against his. "I'm glad you came too, Dapplepaw!"
Cricketpaw's muscles tensed, her fur started to stand on end as she watched from behind the brambles the two cats share tongues.
"I'll meet you again at the next gathering!" Tanglepaw purred after the two cats had shared tongues for what seemed like a moon. "Bye!" Dapplepaw purred, nuzzling Tanglepaw's flank before the two separated.
Cricketpaw's heart slunk, Tanglepaw was the last cat she would ever of thought would break the warrior code.
Cricketpaw lied down in nest, wrapping his tail up around to her nose. All she could think about was how Tanglepaw had been with Dapplepaw; the two seemed so relaxed together so she guessed it wasn't their first meeting. What she couldn't understand is how he had gotten so mad when she had been with Flamepaw, when he's meeting a cat from another Clan.
Sleep slowly drifted toward her and she fell into a light sleep, the cool wind ruffled her fur as dozed off. But it started getting colder and colder until it finally woke her up, but she opened her eyes she wasn't in the apprentices' den instead she was at the Moonpool with three other cats she didn't recognize.
Suddenly a dark shape loomed over top of them, but soon it's face came into sight and the cats noticed it was a dark tabby tom. "Greetings, young ones!"
"I am Shadewatcher, a former SkyClan warrior."
The cats stay silent, frozen in awe as they gazed at the unfamiliar tom. "I am here to tell you all something that will bring peace to your Clans."
"The Clans are peaceful, and there is no SkyClan!" A black she-cat that smelled of RiverClan rasped. "SkyClan was banished from the forest long before any of your times, but we still walk in StarClan's skies." Shadewatcher retorted. "But that's another story, for now I have something more important to tell you,"
"We're listening." A ShadowClan tom meowed. "Four cats will visit your forest, they will smooth the Clans ruffled fur and weld together what has been forgotten." Shadewatcher meowed.
"What does that mean? Are four cats going to intrude on our Clans and just think they can become warriors until moving on to the Clan" A WindClan she-cat asked.
"I don't know, but when the time is right I'll tell you more."
The four cats nodded before Shadewatcher disappeared into a cloud of dust.
Cricketpaw blinked open her eyes restlessly the next morning, warm shafts of sunlight cascaded into her den, warming her pelt.
She looked around the den; Tanglepaw was still sleeping his belly exposed and his paws sticking up while his tail was stretching out onto her nest. On her other side Weaselpaw was curled up in a tight ball of ginger fur. While Hailpaw was just waking up from where she lie on Weaselpaw's other side. Spiderpaw was already awake and gone to the medicine cats' den for the day. Wildpaw was already up and gone, her scent was stale so she had been gone for a while now!
Cricketpaw padded into the camp clearing where Rippedstar lie on top of a flat rock with her mother, Dustpool. The two were sharing tongues while close by Snowbird was sharing a piece of fresh-kill with Foxbelly. Wildpaw had Snowkit dangling from her mouth while she took the kit into the nursery. Cricketpaw could hear the kits squeaks of anger, "I don't want to go back to sleep!" Snowkit wailed.
Suddenly Cricketpaw flinched as the bold shape of Tanglepaw emerged from the apprentices' den behind her. His pelt looked freshly groomed as he brushed past her toward the fresh-kill pile. Cricketpaw could feel anger flaring up inside her as she watched him through narrowed eyes carelessly pick up a shrew and pad over to Wildpaw.
"Hungry?" She pricked her ears to hear him ask the silver tabby as she walked out of the nursery with Snowkit dangling from the end of her long tail. "I'm not going back in there!" The white kit hissed, climbing up Wildpaw's tail until it sat slumped on her sisters' back. "I already ate, but thanks anyway." Wildpaw purred affectionately.
Tanglepaw nodded and padded towards her, the shrew still in his mouth. "Want some shrew?" He offered, setting down the prey in front of her paws. "I wonder if RiverClan likes shrew?" Cricketpaw rasped. The dappled toms eyes widened but he sat down confidently. "Why do you ask, RiverClan I'm sure like fish."
"You'd know." Cricketpaw retorted, stalking past him. "Wait, what are you talking about?" Tanglepaw meowed, bounding to her side. "Nothing, just talking that's all!" She replied, unsheathing her claws. "Oh, well I'll see you later then." Tanglepaw murmured picking up the shrew and padding over to where the apprentices ate.
Lots of clues in this one, so many you can probably figure out what the story is going to be like. So I might throw some curve balls just so it's not so obvious! Anyways R&R please!
