Swirlstar woke up, she had barely got any sleep with the worry of the foxes attacking anytime. I will take a patrol to check the dens she thought to her self, maybe me and Stonepool we can go and see if the foxes are still staying there.

She got up from her nest stretching and padded into the centre of the camp heading for the warriors den. She poked her head inside the warriors den and meowed "Stonepool, we need to go check the fox dens"

A sudden movement came from further along in the den, a light grey shape stood up and padded over, yawning. "Let's go" he meowed. Swirlstar saw that he didn't get much sleep to. The only thing that let her sleep last night was the thought of the tom was his misty amber eyes and voice.

"Are you alright?" Stonepool asked her as she stood looking out into emptiness. She quickly shook her head and replied "Yes, yes fine just lost in thought I guess." Stonepool nodded and they headed for the entrance to the camp.

When they go to the forest Stonepool lifted his nose the fresh scent of fox was overwhelming. "They passed by here last night" he meowed "just before sun rise"

Swirlstar looked into his amber gaze with worry and drew her eye sight back quickly. "Um…um…" she stuttered "They might be around here them" she meowed after taking quick breaths.

Stonepool nodded and padded trough the undergrowth following the scents of the forest. They came to the edge of the border where the small lake was. They crouched in the trees shivering as they watched four massive foxes laying in suns rays beside the lake.

"Four of them!" she whispered with horror, if they ever attacked the camp they would not win and would be forced out of there home. "We have to get rid of them somehow"

Stonepool rested his tail on her back to reassure her "They are stupid creatures" he replied "if a cat knew what to do they could have a chance at winning a fight against them, however big they are"

Swirlheart didn't feel reassured by his words but by the touch of his tail and his voice. She nodded and got to her paws "We have to distract them some how" she meowed quietly "Then get them off the territory somehow"

"All we can do is wait and hope they leave" Stonepool replied getting to his paws and turning back towards the forest. "Lets go and hunt and we will come back to see what has happened"

Swirlheart nodded and followed him out into the forest. "So…. what was it like being a loner when you and your brother were kits." Stonepool looked at her mystery shinning deeply in his eyes. "Terrible, we were starving, only Brambletail had learnt how to hunt but he had not fully finished his training. No cat would help us and since then we knew not to trust any cat. We came with you as we knew if no cat didn't help us soon we would starve to death."

Swirlstar dipped her head. "I am so sorry, that is so sad, I ran away from my old clan, they never accepted me, I couldn't live a life where I knew I would never fit in"

He nodded understanding as he had felt the same way back with his kin. "Well at least you are wanted now" he meowed. Swirlstar kept looking down "Sometimes I feel like I am not, that I am just a bossy leader that everyone has to put up with."

"No you are not!" he yowled "you are the best leader a clan could ever hope for and any tom out there who ends up being your mate will be the luckiest tom ever!" he quietly trailed off at the end. "I…I…I.. have to go" he meowed running back to camp leaving Swirlstar alone.

"And any she cat that gets you will be the luckiest she cat in the world" she quietly said after he had left. As she padded home her mind was filled with Stonepool, his amber eyes, light grey pelt and his voice.

She quickly shook her head. I cant be falling in love at a time like this! She padded back scenting the air every two steps making sure the foxes were not following her to camp. As she got closer to camp screeches and yowls of a fight came from the hollow.

She rushed up to the camp entrance to gaze down to see her deputy laying unconscious against a stone. The two warriors and apprentice were stuck in a fight with four foxes while tiger kit sat in the nursery hidden deep inside.