"Hey, Mistpaw…" Icepaw meowed; she looked up from washing.

"Yes?" Mistpaw questioned, not looking up from the frigid stream.

"Do you smell anything… peculiar?" Icepaw narrowed her eyes, she waded into the stream; her fur drenched in ice cold water, just the way she liked it.

"For MoonClan sake, Icepaw, you're just overreacting," Mistpaw muttered.

Icepaw flicked her ears and shook her pelt as soon as got to the sandy bank. Icepaw bristled her fur as the itchy sand touched her pads; she flicked some towards Mistpaw.

"ICEPAW! What did you that for?" Mistpaw screeched.

"Sorry, this… yellow dirt is super itchy," Icepaw commented.

Mistpaw snorted. Icepaw heard a rustling sound from the cattails and reeds just a few fox-lengths away.

"Some cat's here!" Icepaw whispered, creeping towards the bushes. The crunching of the sand gave her location away.

"LakeClan! There's an intruder!" A voice growled from behind the bushes.

"Uh oh…" Icepaw groaned,

"Seriously Icepaw, SERIOUSLY!?" Mistpaw shrieked with dismay.

"I'm sor-" Icepaw started, "OOF!"

A brown she-cat bowled Icepaw over. Icepaw squealed as she raked her pelt. Two other cats pounced out of the reeds and charged to Mistpaw. Mistpaw fled for the heathers. But Icepaw was trapped underneath a brown pelt.

"Great, thanks a lot, Mistpaw!" Icepaw yowled as Mistpaw's tail disappeared.

"What were you thinking, foolish kit?" the brown she-cat who pinned Icepaw to the ground hissed.

"I'm not a kit!" Icepaw protested.

"You sure acted like one!" the she-cat snarled, her fishy breath rolling towards Icepaw.

"Let's make her death slow and painful," a tom suggested, "To show how LakeClan cats don't show mercy!"

"Oh yes, I can see it now. Beautiful pools of filthy MeadowClan blood," the she-cat said. The she-cat grasped her teeth around Icepaw's throat. Icepaw wailed and the she-cat released her grip, blood dripping from her teeth.

"Please, let me go! I was just apprenticed…" Icepaw rasped, but the she-cat bit down on Icepaw's throat again.

"Shut your trap or we'll-" the she-cat started.

"Or you will what, Woodwillow? Just tell me what you think your patrol could to do my apprentice?" Breezefur's voice growled softly as she led a patrol of five to take back Icepaw; Mistpaw was in that patrol.

"Breezefur, old friend," Woodwillow hissed.

"Nice to see you too," Breezefur mewed cooly, "Now, would you please let go of Icepaw."

Woodwillow hesitated.

"Come now, you're vastly outnumbered," Grassheart mewed, brushing against her daughter's pelt.

"Fine, you can have your stupid apprentice back, but next time, we will kill." Woodwillow vowed.

The menacing she-cat let go of poor Icepaw, who scrambled back to her Clan territory. Woodwillow's patrol disappeared and Breezefur flicked her tail.

"What in the name of MoonClan were you thinking?!" Breezefur screamed.

Icepaw shrunk down into a tiny ball. "I was curious and accidently crossed the border because the marks were stale."

"That is a terrible excuse!" Grassheart stated, her eyes turning to slits.

"But it's true! The scent of LakeClan could barely be scented when we went to wash our paws!" Mistpaw protested in the defense of her best friend.

"I understand that, but you two have a great punishment coming ahead. We are already enemies with LakeClan. We don't want to cause trouble," Grassheart soothed.

"Because of yourself, Icepaw, you could've gotten killed!" Flamepaw sneered, Icepaw's whiskers drooped; why did her mentor have to bring her nemesis on the patrol?

"Breezefur, what are we going to do about injuries? We can't assign Icepaw a hard task until she is healed." Grassheart murmured.

Breezefur examined Icepaw's bite. "It's just a nick, but don't worry, her punishment won't be hard." Breezefur hissed.

"Alright, if you say so," Grassheart muttered.

Icepaw just shrunk into a tight ball and no one noticed. Flamepaw grinned an evil smile. That was when Flamepaw noticed that he didn't see her anywhere. Mistpaw knew that she had shrunk and knew that Icepaw was still with them, she just was in her ball form.

"Alright we will talk to Sassytail about your punishment… Wait where is Icepaw?!" Grassheart yelped.

Breezefur was just trying to stifle a mrww of laughter. Mistpaw wasn't the only cat who knew Icepaw inside and out.

"What is so funny?!" Flamepaw questioned.

"Mistpaw, do you care to explain?" Breezefur asked. Mistpaw looked down at the ball of fluff then to Breezefur and then back to her friend. Mistpaw sighed with annoyance.

"Whenever Icepaw is under too much stress, emotion, pressure, or tired, she will curl up into a tight ball to think. Now that she is in a ball you can't get rid of this form until she is done thinking. She will listen to your comments but you will never get a response until she comes out," Mistpaw explained. Breezefur nodded with approval. Grassheart just stared at the little ball of fluff.

Just before they left Icepaw finally got up and said that she was sorry. "I never meant to cause trouble. I guess I got to curious and that was what got me stuck with the she-cat trying to kill me," Icepaw confessed.

"Your apology is accepted but, you are going to have to explain this to your father when we get back to camp. MoonClan knows what he'll do to the both of us. And by the way, that ball of fluff tactic is not very helpful," Breezefur added.

"Yes, Breezefur," Icepaw dipped her head.

"What is their punishment?" Flamepaw asked gleefully on the way to the camp, "How about checking the elders for ticks! Or maybe confined to sleep in the nursery! Or how about… EXECUTION!"

Icepaw wanted to turn into her ball form again. Mistpaw cast a worried glance at Grassheart's thoughtful gaze.

"Interesting set of choices, Flamepaw, but I think Lionstar will choose what punishment Icepaw and Mistpaw will get." Grassheart replied, Flamepaw looked disappointed.

"B-but they crossed the border! Icepaw should've died anyway!" Flamepaw exclaimed.

"Flamepaw! That is a terrible thing to say! You are just like your arrogant sister! If you want a punishment too, I'll be glad to tell Lionstar myself!" Breezefur spat.

"Sorry," Flamepaw lowered his tail with a hint of annoyance.

As the patrol headed back to camp, an excited yowl came from the camp.

"The camp!" Grassheart gasped. "Let's go! They may under attack!"

The patrol rushed back to camp, only to find Lionstar and some other cats crammed in the nursery. Inventor cats and medicine cats were rushing back and forth. Mintpaw bounded up to her sister cheerfully,

"Heatherfur is having her kits! Lionstar is going to see his kits! They're the leader's kits!" Mintpaw squealed.

"Mintpaw! We need more borage leaves!" Mossflower called. Mintpaw dashed away.

Icepaw wriggled into the swarm of cats; she luckily got to the front. In the nursery, she saw three little scraps of fur huddled together. It was a cold leaf-fall afternoon and frigid air was sweeping in. Lionstar shouldered his way next to Icepaw.

"What should we name them?" Lionstar asked, sniffing the tortoiseshell she-cat.

"I want to name her Flowerkit," Heatherfur croaked. "Flowermist was my littermate. She died in the greencough outbreak last leafbare."

"Then I want this chestnut one to be Nutkit," Lionstar purred, nudging the kit towards her mother.

"I want the last one to be… Leafkit, for your mother, Lionstar," Heatherfur whispered, nudging the dark tabby.

Leafkit squeaked and opened his eyes. He stretched his green eyes wide and they stared right into Icepaw's. He purred and started crawling towards Icepaw.

"No little one, er… back to your mom!" Icepaw spoke feeling the pressure of the whole clan staring at her, nudging the kit towards the milk. To her relief, Leafkit squirmed back to his mother.

Breezefur entered the den,

"Lionstar, Sassytail and I need to talk with you." Breezefur mewed, glancing at Icepaw.

"Alright, I'm coming right out." Lionstar replied, he squeezed back out the nursery.

Icepaw's heart sank, she hoped Breezefur would go easy on her. But her friend had changed from a happy apprentice to a strict mentor. Icepaw snuck out the nursery and decided to eavesdrop on Breezefur and Lionstar. She crept towards the leader's den and slithered towards the back. Icepaw pressed her ear against the mossy walls.

"But Lionstar, they, like deserve a punishment. My like, stupid apprentice crossed like the border!" Sassytail snapped.

"I know, but they were just apprenticed! They couldn't know any better! Please Lionstar, let them go!" Breezefur pleaded.

Icepaw's eyes turned watery; her friend was defending her! Their friendship wasn't lost.

"Alright, I'll let them go for your sake Breezefur, but only this once!" Lionstar replied sharply.

"Thank you!" Breezefur exclaimed, she hurried out the den to find Icepaw next to it.

"Uh… hi Breezefur!" Icepaw greeted awkwardly.

"Were you eavesdropping?" Breezefur narrowed her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Icepaw shifted her paws, "You can punish me if you'd like. You didn't have to beg Lionstar to let me and Mistpaw go."

Breezefur broke into a purr,

"Of course I'd beg Lionstar! Haven't you forgotten, we're friends! I'd never betray my loyalty to you!" Breezefur rubbed against her best friend.

Icepaw teared up, she nuzzled Breezefur back,

"Also, Lionstar and I agreed you could come to the Gathering with Mistpaw and Duskpaw! Sassytail had a bit of a temper though." Breezefur added.

"Thank you!" Icepaw breathed. "You're the best mentor ever!"