CHAPTER SEVEN

The full moon shone brightly above his head, making it easily to follow Sparrowpelt up the path to the Skyrock where he watched Leafstar use her strong back legs to jump across from the cliff to the Skyrock and Sharpclaw followed her.

The full moon lit their path but Yellowpaw was still nervous. Acornpaw and Flamepaw were behind him with their mentors, Ebonyclaw and Tinycloud behind them. Darkpaw was right after Sharpclaw and he barely made it.

Then the medicine cats and finally the warriors started to go one by one.

"Rely on your back legs, Yellowpaw," Sparrowpelt mewed from in front of him and it was quickly his mentor's turn. He raced forward and at the last second Sparrowpelt jumped off of the cliff and soared through the air, making it across by a lot and landing beside where Darkpaw was waiting for them.

His stomach churned as he took off running like Sparrowpelt and used his back paws to jumped through the air, seeing the Skyrock approaching fast he could hear the river below him and then he felt the ground beneath his paws and he stumbled forward, seeing he had landed just before Sparrowpelt. Then he backed up and turned around to wait for his siblings, his heart till pounding.

Finally, everyone had made it over with the exception of Tangle and Barkfur who were too old to make the jump.

"Greeting, SkyClan!" Leafstar began automatically. "As you know we gather under the full moon to share news and honor StarClan. This moon we've gained four apprentices and we have a new queen!" There were murmurs of surprise. "Plumwillow is moving to the nursery expecting Sandynose's kits!" There were cheers of excitement and Plumwillow and Sandynose, who were standing beside each other, were purring loudly. "Now, anything else any would like to add in?"

From the cliff on the other side Tangle called out, "The nests in the elder's den haven't been changed in a while and also with leaf-bare approaching Barkfur and I would like feathers in our nests as well."

Tinycloud mewed happily, "Flamepaw needs to do her cleaning duties anyways so we'll start on it tomorrow, Tangle." Flamepaw nodded beside her in agreement, as if she had a choice.

"Leafstar, I have something to say," Creekfeather mewed, glancing at everyone. Leafstar nodded encouragingly at him. "Before the meeting I didn't have a chance to tell you but Sharpclaw assigned me to lead a border patrol with Rockshade and Cherrytail along the StrikeClan border and we smelled StrikeClan well over the border on our side."

Everyone fell quiet and Rockshade added in a firm, confident voice, "I made sure we doused the border so they'd get the point that we know."

Leafstar looked furious. "I'm glad you brought this to my attention, Creekfeather. StrikeClan has become somewhat of a problem. They think we're trying to push them out of their new found home but we're just trying to survive." The SkyClan leader looked around and Yellowpaw could see how angry everyone looked, besides his brother Acornpaw who looked sympathetic. Songpaw really did convince him StrikeClan wasn't all bad. "We have to make sure they know we're serious about keeping our territory and keeping Darkpaw. Sharpclaw will be putting extra patrols on that border."

Acornpaw was gazing at the ground but Yellowpaw couldn't stop looking at him. He had a small smile on his face. No one else seemed to noticed and Leafstar began talking again but Yellowpaw tuned her out. What was that smile for Acornpaw?

His eyes drooped and his paws dragged as he padded after Sparrowpelt, Nettlesplash, and Mintfur. Nettlesplash and Mintfur were whispering behind them but he didn't have the energy to strain to listen. He was exhausted.

Flamepaw and Darkpaw had stayed up all night whispering rather loudly and Yellowpaw couldn't sleep at all. He barely got a wink of sleep and then he had to be on the dawn patrol with Sparrowpelt.

"Mintfur, stop whispering and come mark the border. Now," Sparrowpelt ordered in a stern voice and instantly the gray tabby she-cat darted forward and began to mark the border. Her ears were flat on her head like she was scared of Sparrowpelt. He did sound angry this morning.

"Are you okay, Sparrowpelt?" Yellowpaw whispered while Nettlesplash and Mintfur marked the border.

His mentor's eyes flashed in irritation. "I'm fine, Yellowpaw! Maybe you should worry about yourself." Sparrowpelt turned away from Yellowpaw with fury and then glared at Mintfur. "Stop looking at Nettlesplash and pay attention to where you're marking!" he snapped as she sprayed a little over the bored.

Yellowpaw couldn't help but flinch at Sparrowpelt's anger and he ducked his head. It was weird to see Sparrowpelt like this, he'd never seen him like this ever. What was wrong with him? What happened that was making him act this way?

"Sorry, Sparrowpelt," Mintfur muttered but she continued to look over at Nettlesplash with a small smile. She was obviously mooning over Nettlesplash.

His eyes flickered back over to Sparrowpelt. His mentor didn't have a mate. Is Sparrowpelt mooning over someone? he thought but couldn't think of anyone that Sparrowpelt had been talking to. Maybe that's why he was upset, because he didn't have a mate.

There were many choices: Ebonyclaw, Tinycloud, Birdwing, and Honeyleaf. Maybe Yellowpaw would help nudge one of them in the right direction…

The first she-cat Yellowpaw spotted was the small white she-cat he knew was Tinycloud. She was his first choice anyways. Ebonyclaw had an apprentice to focus on and Honeyleaf and Birdwing were a little young.

"Tinycloud!" Yellowpaw yowled and padded over to her. She was by herself by the Rockpile eating a songthrush. "How are you?" he asked nonchalantly, knowing he'd never really spoken to Tinycloud before.

She blinked at him in surprise. "Well hi, Yellowpaw! I'm okay. How are you?" Tinycloud seemed confused at Yellowpaw's random conversation with him.

Yellowpaw had no idea how to convince Tinycloud that Sparrowpelt was mooning over her, even when he wasn't. "Oh I'm exhausted." He really was. "Sparrowpelt is a very strong, confident mentor. He knows that my training is coming along well so far."

Tinycloud smiled a little. "Oh, well I'm sure he knows what he's doing. I've never had an apprentice, I'm hoping to get one of the queen's kits in the next seven to eight moons."

By that time Yellowpaw and his siblings would be warriors. "Oh I'm sure you will! But Sparrowpelt is also a strong, confident, smart warrior as well. I'm surprised he doesn't, you know, have a mate…" he slid that in the conversation casually.

Tinycloud's blue eyes flickered slightly in surprise. "Well some cats don't take mates," she mumbled and glanced around, as if looking for Sparrowpelt. "Where is Sparrowpelt? Sharpclaw wanted me to make a hunting patrol anyways…"

He chuckled quietly. "I think he's over by the warrior's den," Yellowpaw suggested and watched her instantly take off trying to find him. Yellowpaw quickly ate the rest of her songthrush and then turned around, facing the Clan with pride. They had a lot of kits on the way now.

"Yellowpaw!" Acornpaw called, padding over to him with wide eyes. "We have a problem…"

He tilted his head. "What? What's wrong?" He couldn't think of anything that could be wrong right now. They were very close to have three cats in the nursery and prey was running.

"It's Echosong… One of the StrikeClan cats attacked her and she's not doing so good. Ebonyclaw was with Echosong and she told me that there was a little gray she-cat on the patrol…" His eyes flashed in sadness.

Yellowpaw was confused for a heartbeat but then he understood. Songpaw!?