"Come on, Cypressclaw," the little apprentice urged. "I can't wait to leave!"

Cypressclaw purred with amusement. Starlingpaw had had his apprentice ceremony a few sunrises ago. He was progressing fast in training, but he was still young and inexperienced. Not to mention unfamiliar with the layout of RiverClan's territory. Cypressclaw made it a point to have him a part of as many border patrols has possible.

Mentor and apprentice were waiting to be joined by Runningmoon, who was being checked over by the medicine cat. She had been sick with whitecough come leaf-fall, but had thankfully become better within days.

"Why is she taking so long?" Starlingpaw mewled. "It'll be sunhigh by the time Cloudwing lets her out."

As if on cue, Runningmoon padded out of the medicine den, her white pelt glowing in the sunlight of leaf-fall. She looked grim as she approached the two toms. "I'm worried for my brother," she mewed. "He seems to have had a relapse. Dovewhisker's death's hit him pretty hard."

Dovewhisker had been the medicine cat before Cloudwing; he had passed away due to an unknown illness when Cloudwing was still an apprentice. It was StarClan who had deemed the young tom a fully-realized medicine cat.

Cypressclaw shrugged. "He'll have to get over it sometime. It's his job to put the Clan first."

Runningmoon sighed. "Have some sympathy, Cypressclaw. Losing a loved one is like losing a paw."

"And he has three other paws left that are still well and healthy," the brown tom meowed grumpily. "Anyway, let's get this border patrol over with, before this kit starts to cry." He flicked his tail at Starlingpaw, who was glaring at the two warriors impatiently.

The apprentice scowled. "I wasn't—!"

Runningmoon laughed. "Let's go. My own apprentice is waiting for training as it is."

Starlingpaw took in stride everything he set eyes on. Every rock; every plant; every crevice. He'd never known RiverClan's territory could be so vast. He'd been on border patrols before, but the feeling of marvel at so much land never seemed to leave him. The chilly breeze of leaf-fall swept through the area, and Starlingpaw breathed in the fresh scent of prey that had scuttled by.

"And over here's the Thunderpath, one of RiverClan's borders," Cypressclaw pointed out, smiling proudly. He always pointed out pretty much everything. Starlingpaw exhaled, almost overwhelmed. His mentor leaned in and purred, "There's a specific prey nearby. Can you identify its scent?"

Starlingpaw sniffed and stuck his nose in the air, alert as a mouse. His body followed his nose as he padded forward. Cypressclaw and Runningmoon watched; the little cat was perfectly in sync with his instincts. "A mouse!" he finally declared. Cypressclaw suppressed a purr of delight. Starlingpaw continued to pad along curiously, but then let out a little squeak. "Cypressclaw!"

The two warriors traded a glance and ran to his side.

Laying on the ground was a black she-kitten around the apprentice's age. Her white-tipped tail curled around her paws tightly, eyes shut. Starlingpaw jutted her in the side; no motion. Her chest was heaving though, so she was alive.

"Starlingpaw." Runningmoon ran her tail over his back, nudging him to her side. "Keep back."

Cypressclaw stepped forward and leaned down, sniffing the stranger a few times. "She doesn't seem to be diseased," he remarked. "But what would a kitten be doing in our territory?"

"Let's take her back to the Clan. Ripplestar will surely know what to do." Runningmoon grabbed her by the scruff and began marching back to the camp, the other two tailing.

"You found her by the border? The one near the Thunderpath?" Ripplestar's tail twitched. Starlingpaw had never seen him so uneasy. He never saw much if his leader at all, actually.

Cypressclaw flicked his tail assertively. "We have, as I stated. What are we going to do with her?"

"Where did you leave her?" Ripplestar asked; Starlingpaw lowered his head to hide a scowl. Ripplestar had avoided Cypressclaw's question entirely. He wasn't planning on throwing the little she-cat out, was he? Sure, she wasn't a Clan cat, but she was still small, and maybe lost.

He resisted the urge to say as much. It's not your place to speak, Cypressclaw had told him earlier. You're young and smart and insightful, but you're only an apprentice. And don't forget that the word of the Clan leader is the warrior code. Starlingpaw never did understand that part of the code. He wondered if it was wrong of him to question it.

"...must take every precaution. Go fetch her now," Ripplestar meowed.

Starlingpaw snapped back into reality. He'd spaced out in the middle of an important meeting! What was he thinking?

Cypressclaw and Ripplestar seemed to both be very on edge, the latter almost angry. What could possible have been said while he'd been lost in thought?

"She's asleep in Cloudwing's den," Cypressclaw meowed emphatically. "Wouldn't it be wiser to wait until she is awake and has regained some strength?"

"Do not talk to me about wisdom!" Ripplestar snapped; Starlingpaw jumped back; Cypressclaw glared. "I have the wisdom of StarClan," the leader growled less forcefully. "You will not question me."

Starlingpaw's mentor sighed. "Starlingpaw, go fetch the kit."

The auburn apprentice looked at his mentor wide-eyed. He couldn't deny him though, not while Ripplestar was watching him like a hawk. He could tell Cypressclaw was reluctant to do this too.

Starlingpaw backed out of the leader's den, his head lowered. He scampered for the medicine den and stopped at the entrance, bracing himself to be overcome with the awfully zingy scent of herbs that he absolutely loathed. He had gotten an infection as a kit, and had to stay in the medicine den for a few days. All he could remember from then was his chest heaving from trying not to breathe in the stenches. He took a deep breath and walked right in.

Starlingpaw stiffened and wrinkled his nose, trying to focus. Cloudwing, the medicine cat, and Runningmoon were whispering to each other while crouching over the little sleeping she-cat, her mostly black pelt a stark contrast to their pure white bodies. He realized they had not noticed him and shuffled his feet.

Cloudwing looked up, his green eyes faded with stress. Why is it that the medicine cats were always stressed? It's not like they had to fight for their Clans or anything, so what did they even do all day? "Starlingpaw."

"...Ripplestar wants to see her." He flicked his tail uncertainly.

Runningmoon stood up. "Me?"

"Er, no...the other her."

Cloudwing immediately stood up. "Tell him no. She's in shock. I've only just coaxed her into a deeper sleep." Starlingpaw instantly noticed the medicine cat's hunched shoulders and lean figure. Leaf-fall was the beginning of prey disappearing for the other Clans; for RiverClan it meant the river would freeze over and there would be no fish. Leaf-fall was on the verge of ending; but there was still enough prey to keep the Clan strong, yet Cloudwing already looked like he was in starvation. The apprentice felt a twinge of worry.

Then he realized his request had just been denied. Cloudwing had refused Ripplestar's order. The medicine cat denied a direct command from the Clan leader.

Starlingpaw felt lost. "But...I—"

"Tell Ripplestar for Cloudwing," Runningmoon meowed. "He will understand, don't worry.

"Also can you fetch Thornpaw? It's been days since we've done some battle training."

"R-right," Starlingpaw shook his pelt. "I'll go do that." He turned tail and stalked out, completely confused. What would he tell Ripplestar? The Clan leader was clearly in an awful mood. "What can I say to him that won't get him angrier?" he thought aloud. "'Hey, Ripplestar, Cloudwing said no.' Like that's gonna do any good!" Would Ripplestar get enraged and take his anger out on Starlingpaw? Or Cypressclaw? What if he punished Starlingpaw by making him check Snakefang for ticks? That was the worst job ever! Even collecting moss was better than that. But, then again, Runningmoon also told him to go fetch Thornpaw for battle training. I'll just do that first. He didn't want to deal with Ripplestar. Who knew the Clan leader could be so scary?

Starlingpaw shook his head to clear it and made a beeline for the apprentices' den. Thornpaw was in his nest, pretty much asleep. The older apprentice was annoyingly lazy. How'd Runningmoon deal with him? "Thornpaw, Runningmoon wants you. She's in the medicine den."

The amber-eyed tom immediately jumped up. Had he just been pretending? He'd done that a few days ago to escape from Wrenstorm, the deputy, after he'd snuck fire-ants into her nest. He hadn't been able to avoid punishment in the end, though. Starlingpaw purred with amusement at the thought. "Mm," Thornpaw mumbled unenthusiastically. "Tell her I'll be right over."

Starlingpaw rolled his eyes, "I'm not a messenger," and stalked out of the den. His tail twitched teasingly as Thornpaw trudged after him. "Sorry you were lounging around while I was being useful going on patrols."

"You're only going on so many patrols 'cause you still have no idea how to get around on your own."

"Says the one who ran into a tree trying to run away from Wrenstorm."

"You're horrible." With a laugh, Thornpaw lashed his tail and slapped the smaller tom's ear.

"So are you," Starlingpaw twitched the ear Thornpaw had slapped. It hurt a little, but he wasn't going to let him know that. "She's waiting in the medicine den."

Thrownpaw just grunted and shook his black-and-white pelt.

Starlingpaw stopped in his tracks and sighed. I'll have to face Ripplestar now. He'll get mad that I took so long. But he turned and dragged his paws into the leader's den all the same. Ripplestar and Cypressclaw were still in there, having been joined by Wrenstorm, the deputy of RiverClan. It wasn't a happy atmosphere as Starlingpaw walked in. What could they possibly have been discussing?

"What took so long?" Ripplestar immediately snapped.

Starlingpaw flinched back. "I..."

"Stop it." Cypressclaw sidestepped the larger tom and turned to face him, blue eyes glinting.

Ripplestar looked infuriated. Given ideal circumstances, Starlingpaw was almost sure he would have attacked the warrior. The apprentice shuffled from behind his mentor, feeling smaller than ever in the face of the angry leader. "Clo-Cloudwing said she's not ready," he mewed.

Ripplestar shifted his gaze to him, rock-still. "...Very well," he meowed after several moments. "Leave."

Cypressclaw ran his tail along Starlingpaw's back, urging him out the entrance. The little tom dashed out, then turned around to face his mentor who was flanking him. "Cypressclaw—"

"It's the wrong time to ask questions now," he meowed sternly.

"But what were you—"

"Go to your den."

"But I—!"

"Go!" Cypressclaw lashed his tail.

Starlingpaw flinched. His mentor never yelled at him. He turned and did as he was told, but was burning with questions and curiosity.

And fear.