It was almost another moon later when there was trouble once more. Froststar had just had all the warriors establish new borders, scent marking the place. It seemed to Nightpaw that would be their new home. She could only wonder to herself how that would work, living so close to Twolegs and living in constant fear of their presence. However, Froststar was leader, and she was learning that no one dared to defy him. She certainly wasn't going to.

However, their scents were being covered up. Every time a border patrol went out, they always had to cover them again because there were new scents on them. Kittypet and rogue scents. Nightpaw was left even more confused. How could kittypets have territory here? And rogues were just basically loners who hated the Clans, right?

She didn't allow herself to get distracted from her training. She was almost three moons in, and she wanted to be even better, so that, when she was finally made a warrior, she would be the best apprentice to come out of training. She would help keep her Clan great. She was determined that would be so.

"Nightpaw, come here." Froststar said. Nightpaw turned, padding up to him.

"Yes, Froststar?"

"We are heading over to the northern border, where most of the scents are being covered up. I want to take you with us. I want to see how well your battle training is coming along." He said. Nightpaw nodded.

"Of course, Froststar. I would be honored to help defend the Clan." She said. Froststar nodded.

"Good." He said, rising to his paws. Tallsong and Squirrelstorm were aleady waiting at the entrance. Nightpaw dashed over to them.

"Are you ready for the fight?" Nightpaw asked Squirrelstorm.

"Of course." He said coolly. "Are you? You are just an apprentice." He noted.

"Of course!" She scoffed. "I've been training hard to learn battle moves."

"Froststar, are you sure Nightpaw should come?" Tallsong fretted. "What if something were to happen to her?"

"I promise you, Tallsong, nothing will happen to Nightpaw other than usual battle things. She will be fine." Froststar said, looking annoyed with the young mother. Tallsong shook her head, and demanded she walk with Nightpaw. Nightpaw didn't mind staying with her mother. She secretly missed talking with her mother, and wished she had gotten more time to talk with her.

They headed up to the northern border, the border that was also closest to camp. There were no signs of kittypets and rogues. Froststar turned to the others.

"We will wait for them. We must teach them a lesson." He said. The other two cats and Nightpaw nodded solemnly. She didn't particularly like waiting, but then again, who did? She sat down, keeping her eyes fixed on the other side of the border.

Eventually, a large calico she-cat padded into view, along with her were a brown tom, a white tom, a gray she-cat and an orange she-cat. Some were rogues, some were kittypets. Now they were working together? Nightpaw couldn't believe it.

Nightpaw rose to her paws when Froststar did, and Squirrelstorm and Tallsong followed suit.

"Kittypets! Rogues!" Froststar addressed them, doing his best not to bristle. Nightpaw peered at them. They looked frightening. Did they really have to fight them?

"Stupid Clan cat." The calico she-cat greeted, looking at them. "We know why you're here, and we're here to tell you no. We won't stop covering your scent markers. This is our territory, not yours. Find a new turf, or better yet, become some crow-food!" She spat.

Froststar flicked his tail and Tallsong, Squirrelstorm, and himself leapt up and at the cats. Nightpaw leapt at them as well, colliding with the white tom. He had awful breath that made Nightpaw want to gag as he bared his teeth at her, leaping onto her. She rolled, kicking him off of her and sending him into a wall. He climbed to his feet and ran back to her, clawing at her face. She turned her face quickly so he wouldn't get her eyes, and she felt her cheek sting. Blood dripped from the wound. She yowled and leapt onto him, biting down onto his shoulder. Blood filled her mouth, and the tom screeched in pain. He clawed at her, and she felt his claws tear open more of her pelt. She winced and bit down harder, feeling her fangs lightly graze bone. He tore himself away from her and ran into Froststar on his way to retreating.

The next cat to engage battle with her was the orange she-cat. She was larger than the tom she had just battled, and just as nasty. Nightpaw soon found herself pinned to the ground by the she-cat, the orange cat raising her paws to slash Nightpaw's face. Nightpaw battered her stomach with unsheathed back claws as hard and as quickly as she could. The she-cat screamed and leapt off of her. Nightpaw rolled onto her paws and was batted to the side by the she-cat. Nightpaw tumbled and rolled, but she managed to hop to her feet again.

"Aw, are you scared, Clan cat? Why don't you run to your mother's belly?" The she-cat jumped onto her. Nightpaw's legs buckled under the weight of the she-cat and she collapsed. The she-cat pinned down Nightpaw by the shoulders and dug her claws into Nightpaw's hindquarters. Nightpaw couldn't move. Terror filled her as she felt the she-cat preparing for a killing bite.

"Nightpaw!" Nightpaw heard her mother's yell and the weight was lifted from her. Nightpaw watched as Tallsong fought with the she-cat ferociously, however, she was once again pinned like Nightpaw. There was a swift bite to Tallsong's neck, and blood poured from the wound.

"Mom!" Nightpaw screamed, struck to the same spot by fear and sheer terror as she watched her mother's life force pour out of her. The orange she-cat licked her lips before going to attack Froststar, who was already struggling with the brown tom. Nightpaw ran over, nudging her mother. Tallsong's eyes were already starting to grow duller.

"Mom, mom!" Nightpaw whimpered, looking down at her mother.

"N-Nightpaw…." Her mother croaked, blood bubbling out of her mouth. She sighed, her head falling into the pool of blood below her, and then she was still. Nightpaw screamed.

"No!" She threw herself onto her mother, crying.

"Nightpaw, help me!" Squirrelstorm's voice broke through her mourning. Nightpaw turned, seeing him struggle with the calico she-cat. Nightpaw sniffled. She had to be strong. For Tallsong's sake. For Squirrelstorm's sake. For her Clan's sake. She ran over and helped fight the last of the cats off.

When all was said and done, the three cats stood on the blood-soaked alleyway, looking at one another. Nightpaw was bleeding heavily from her haunches and from her face. Squirrelstorm had a horrible gouge wound on his shoulder, and his forehead was bloody. Froststar's pelt was stained so red Nightpaw wasn't sure what his wounds were.

"Where's Tallsong?" Squirrelstorm asked. Nightpaw looked over at her mother, sniffling. Squirrelstorm looked where Nightpaw was and he grew quiet instantly. Froststar walked over to Tallsong's body, lifting her head to look at the wound. He turned, his face solemn.

"Tallsong will be missed. She was a great warrior." He said.

"And a wonderful mother." Nightpaw added, padding over, although her stomach was sick being near so much of her mother's blood. She sniffled and pushed her nose in her mother's fur.

"Squirrelstorm, help me carry her back to camp." Froststar mewed. Squirrelstorm nodded, and with the guidance of Froststar, they carried Tallsong's body back to camp.

Nightpaw padded into camp before Froststar and Squirrelstorm did.

"Nightpaw's back!" Spiderpaw called, padding out to greet her. "Where's everyone else?"

"Spiderpaw, I…" Nightpaw got choked up and couldn't tell him.

"What is it?" Spiderpaw asked. Nightpaw shook her head, unable to tell her brother the truth of what happened. Froststar and Squirrelstorm emerged into the camp.

"Where's Tallsong?" Spiderpaw asked, although his answer lay on Froststar and Squirrelstorm's backs. He let out a cry and ran over. Froststar didn't drop her until she was in the middle of camp, her fur stained red and her body now cold.

"Tallsong has died defending the Clan." Froststar said solemnly. He called all the cats out into the center of camp, although most had already come out to notice. Blackstrike was out on hunting patrol with Redheart, and Nightpaw hoped he would get back soon.

Ravenpaw emerged from her den with Goldensong, and at the sight of her mother she ran over, horrified.

"Mom!" She cried, nosing her pelt. She turned into Spiderpaw for comfort after a few moments. Her brother wrapped a paw around her and pulled her close. Nightpaw sat next to them, looking down at her mother, wanting to cry but unable to do so.

When the cats were gathered, Froststar looked down at them.

"Cats of CliffClan, today we lost one of our greatest warriors and queens. Tallsong was an excellent fighter and a wonderful mother. She will be missed. There will be a vigil for her until sunrise, where Gullpelt and Goldensong will go and bury her." He said. The whole Clan was silent as they looked at Tallsong's body. When the meeting was over, Nightpaw padded over to touch her nose into Tallsong's stomach, sighing and laying next to her. It would be a long night, and her mother would be missed.

When Blackstrike came into the camp, Froststar quietly explained to him what happened. Blackstrike yowled and cried and mourned but came over to lay with his children and his fallen mate, crying deeply into the night.