(Thank you everyone for your reviews here is the next chapter.)

Chapter 10

Scourgeclaw stared at Mossflower in surprise before covering it with indifference.

"They're not even my kits, why do you want me to stay for them?" Mossflower looked into his eyes as she spoke.

"That may be true, but you have so much knowledge and skill that you can teach them and who can help me protect them from Tigerclaw? If everything you say and think about him is true then I'll need your help with them." Scourgeclaw snorted

"Isn't that Runningwind's job? After all they are his kits." Mossflower shook her head slowly.

"Who would believe me that there is something wrong with Tigerclaw? Remember I'm just as much an outsider as you are, regardless of whether I was born here or not." she meowed softly. Scourgeclaw said nothing. "What about Firepaw?" Scourgeclaw looked away from her. He knew deep down that he couldn't force Firepaw to leave with him. He sighed before turning to face Mossflower.

"I won't force him to do something he doesn't wish to do." he meowed at last 'If I can help it' he added mentally to himself. Mossflower merely nodded slowly before picking her kill and heading back to the camp.

The trip back to camp was silent. As the two placed their catch into the fresh-kill pile, Bluestar called a meeting. Mossflower padded over to sit beside Runningwind. Scourgeclaw sat at the very back of the gathering cats. He saw Firepaw emerge from the apprentice den and move to sit between Ravenpaw and Graypaw. He inwardly sighed as he watched his younger brother with his friends.

"May I sit with you?" Scourgeclaw turned to see Mousefur standing beside him. Scourgeclaw gave her a silent nod. He half expected Mousefur to say something spiteful to him, but the small dusky brown she-cat didn't say a word. He was confused as to why Mousefur would be so civil with him now. 'It might be because of Lionheart's death and the fact that ShadowClan could attack us again at anytime.' he thought briefly.

Once all the cats had gathered beneath the High rock , the meeting began. Surprisingly it was Tigerclaw who spoke first.

"Cats of ThunderClan Bluestar has lost a life, and she should be protected now. I will have two cats be her personal guards." Tigerclaw meowed. Scourgeclaw rolled his eyes as he watched the dark tabby warrior. ' Three guesses who they will be' he thought sarcastically as he glanced at Darkstripe and Longtail. "I will appoint Longtail and Darkstripe as Bluestar's personal guards." The two cats in question had looks of shock and pride on their faces as the took the places on either side of Bluestar. Now Bluestar decide to speak up.

"This isn't really necessary Tigerclaw, though I am grateful for your concern. Just because I have these guards no one should worry about approaching me." she meowed softly. " Now there are more things to discuss. First our Clan will have more kits soon, as Mossflower is with kits and will be moving into the nursery shortly." Scourgeclaw could see Runningwind puffing up his chest in pride at having his kits be announced. He saw Firepaw with a look of shock and happiness in his eyes. Scourgeclaw noticed that most of the Clan was happy to hear that the camp would be growing. He finally allowed his eyes to settle on Tigerclaw. He saw a dark look flash over Tigerclaw's eyes as he stared at Mossflower but he didn't say a word. ' Mossflower's right everyone thinks so highly of Tigerclaw they wouldn't think he would be capable of harming a kit.' he thought bitterly and with a bit slight sadness. He always felt close to Mossflower, but he thought that it was merely because she was a strong and capable warrior, someone worth his respect, but now he couldn't help but feel more for her.

After the cats had settled and had finished congratulating Mossflower, Bluestar continued with her announcements.

"And now I would like to formally invite Yellowfang to join ThunderClan, she has proved her loyalty by protecting our kits from her former Clan."

Many cats nodded and murmured agreements. Scourgeclaw saw that Firepaw was proud that Yellowfang was being asked to join ThunderClan. Yellowfang stepped forward and looked up at the ThunderClan leader.

"I accept Bluestar, and I thank you for all you have done for me." she meowed Bluestar gave a nod in her direction before continuing on.

" We were able to defend ourselves from the ShadowClan attack but, there is still the chance that they will attack again we must be ready for it. I want the repairs that we started this morning to continue and we will be patrolling constantly."

"They also attacked when we were gone from camp. That was very convenient timing. How did they know that the camp was so poorly defended? " Tigerclaw growled as he directed his eyes on Ravenpaw. Scourgeclaw watched in shock as the cats start to turn and look at Ravenpaw and stared confusedly at the black apprentice. " If you suspect anything or anyone let me know, otherwise continue with the repairs and patrols." With that said cats started to disperse and murmur to each other. 'What was that about?' he thought as he glanced at Ravenpaw. Scourgeclaw shook his head of the strange thoughts before giving himself a stretch. He decided to head back out for another hunt. He was heading for the tunnel when he felt a pelt brush up against his right flank. He turned in surprise to see Mousefur standing beside him.

"Hey Scourgeclaw, would you like to hunt with me?" she said calmly. Scourgeclaw blinked his shock away and gave a curt nod. The two padded into the forest together.

"Where should we hunt?" meowed Mousefur. Scourgeclaw stopped and thought for a moment. ' Is she seriously asking my opinion or is she just waiting for me to say something so she can criticize it?' he thought with a bit of annoyance.

"Let's try near the Great Sycamore tree." he answered finally. Mousefur nodded and the two started toward the Great Sycamore. ' She didn't say a word. That's odd' Scourgeclaw thought briefly. As the padded along the scent of a mouse caught Scourgeclaw's nose and he stopped to pin point where the scent had come from. Then he could see a mouse scurrying around the roots of a nearby oak tree. He lowered himself closer to the ground getting into the hunter's crouch. He slowly crept forward making sure to not crunch the fallen leaves under his paws. He blinked slowly and a heartbeat later had the plump mouse under his paws. He delivered a swift bite to his catch before burying it into the ground.

"Well done," meowed Mousefur. Scourgeclaw blinked slowly at her surprised. He couldn't believe that Mousefur was being pleasant to him. He gave her a curt nod before continuing with the hunt. Mousefur spotted a squirrel and took off after it. He watched her chase it down and pin it beneath her paws. She picked it up carrying it over to where Scourgeclaw was waiting. Scourgeclaw couldn't help but admit he was impressed.

"Nice catch" he meowed evenly. He thought that he may have seen Mousefur puff her chest out a little as she carried her squirrel over to him.

They continued to hunt around the Great Sycamore catching three more mice, a vole, a sparrow and a robin. The three carried their catch back to the camp. Once they had entered the camp, they placed their catches in the fresh-kill pile. Scourgeclaw looked around and saw that everyone was hard at work repairing the camp. He saw that Firepaw, Graypaw and Ravenpaw were working on a big patch in the wall. He noticed that Firepaw looked a bit shaken. Scourgeclaw padded up to stand beside him.

"What's wrong with you?" he meowed calmly. Firepaw flinched before realizing that it was Scourgeclaw right next to him.

"Oh Scourgeclaw, you startled me. I'm fine." Scourgeclaw felt a little concern and a disappointment that Firepaw was hiding something from him, but he didn't feel like prying him out of him.

"Are you sure?" he asked . Firepaw gave him a brisk nod.

"Yeah I went to find some wild garlic for our rat bites and I didn't have much luck. I'm just going to get some poppy seeds from Spottedleaf." he meowed before racing off to the medicine cat's den. Scourgeclaw shook his head a little, before heading back to the fresh-kill pile and pulling out a plump vole. He padded toward the warriors den to find a place to eat his fresh-kill. He found a nice spot close to the den and started to eat the vole.

"Do you mind if I eat with you?" Scourgeclaw looked up to see that Mousefur had come to stand beside him with a mouse. He merely nodded his head and she lied down beside him and began to eat her prey. Scourgeclaw looked around and spotted Goldenclaw, Willowpelt and Runningwind returning from their patrol. He saw that Frostfur and Goldenflower were helping Mossflower move into the nursery. He was surprised by how calm he was. He never felt this comfortable in camp before. He couldn't place why he felt so relaxed when he had felt on edge for the last few moons. After he finished his fresh-kill he and Mousefur began to help with the repairs in the camp.

Scourgeclaw stretched out of his nest and looked into the empty nest that lay beside him. Mossflower had moved into the nursery just last night, and Scourgeclaw refused to believe that he missed the gray and white she-cat. He gave himself a stretch and padded out of the warrior's den. Goldenclaw was just finishing off a piece of fresh-kill as he emerged.

"Hey, Scourgeclaw want to go on a patrol?" The golden warrior asked as he licked the last traces of mouse off his whiskers. Scourgeclaw blinked slowly watching the golden warrior before silently nodding. Goldenclaw eyes brightened.

"Good, I'll find someone to come with us." he meowed before heading into the warrior's den. Scourgeclaw watched him a moment before turning to look around the camp.

He glanced across the clearing and spotted Tigerclaw standing outside of the apprentice den. He felt his fur stand on end as he watched the dark tabby warrior stick his head into the den. Moments later Ravenpaw and Firepaw emerged from the den speaking briefly with the new deputy. Firepaw spotted him and bounded over.

"Hey, Scourgeclaw, Bluestar and I are going to train together." Firepaw meowed excitedly. Scourgeclaw could see that while Firepaw was excited he also seemed nervous and anxious he was going to ask his brother what was bothering him but was cut off.

"Good morning Scourgeclaw" meowed the regal voice of Bluestar. Scourgeclaw turned to face her looking deep into her deep blue eyes. He blinked slowly before dipping his head in greeting. Bluestar watched him a few minutes more before turning to face Firepaw.

"Are you ready Firepaw?" asked Bluestar. Firepaw gave her a nod and started toward the tunnel, but he turned back to touch noses with Scourgeclaw before running back to the entrance. Bluestar turned her attention back to Scourgeclaw.

"I know that you don't like Tigerclaw, and I understand the reason behind it, but can I trust you to still show loyalty to him?" she asked watching Scourgeclaw closely. Scourgeclaw blinked before answering her.

"I will make an effort to accept Tigerclaw but I won't promise you anything." meowed he meowed. Bluestar watched him a moment more before giving him a curt nod and walking to the entrance. 'Tigerclaw will never have my loyalty, if she thinks I'll just obey Tigerclaw because he's the deputy then she is mouse-brained.' he snarled in his head. Suddenly he felt fur brush against his flank. He turned to see Mousefur standing beside him.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly. Scourgeclaw looked at her with confusion.

"Ready?" he asked. Mousefur rolled her eyes and nudged him.

"To on patrol with Goldenclaw?" she asked. Scourgeclaw gave her a nod. "Good he just wanted to stop by the nursery first." she meowed. Just as she had finished speaking Goldenclaw came padding up to the two of them with Willowpelt right behide him. Scourgeclaw and Mousefur each meowed a greeting to Willowpelt which was returned. Goldenclaw started forward toward the tunnel.

"Come lets go check the ShadowClan border." he meowed walking pass them to the camp entrance. Tigerclaw was lead Ravenpaw and Graypaw out of the camp. Scourgeclaw noticed that Ravenpaw looked very nervous and he wondered what Tigerclaw had said to the black apprentice to make him so nervous. He shook his thoughts away as he padded through the entrance to camp.

The patrol continued along the side of the Thunderpath keeping a look out for any ShadowClan cats. Goldenclaw lead the patrol with Mousefur and Scourgeclaw padding alongside each other and Willowpelt bring up the rear. Scourgeclaw noticed that Mousefur was walking pretty close to him. He also noticed that when he walked a little faster , she speed up to match his stride. Scourgeclaw was confused by this action, but felt surprisingly comfortable with it. They continued on passing Fourtrees and down toward Sunningrocks.

Goldenclaw slowed the patrol down near the Owl Tree.

"Let's hunt for bit." he meowed before moving to check a nearby bush for prey. Mousefur raced off into the trees to look. Scourgeclaw decided to look around in another patch of bushes close by. He sniffed around but had no luck. Goldenclaw came back with a vole clamped in his jaws, Willowpelt had found a small sparrow and Mousefur had a squirrel. She looked up from her kill when Scourgeclaw came back.

"Find any prey?" she asked. Scourgeclaw resisted the urge to snap at her, since she had been so civil with him lately.

"No, I didn't have much luck." Mousefur pushed the squirrel forward a bit in his direction.

"Would you like to share mine?" she asked softly. Scourgeclaw was tempted to say tell her that she could keep her prey, but his stomach made a slight growling noise since he hadn't eaten since yesterday. He decide to suck up his pride and share with Mousefur. He leaned down and began to eat the squirrel across from Mousefur. They ate peacefully in silence. As Scourgeclaw was swallowing his last piece of prey he felt Mousefur brush her muzzle against his. He sat there blinking in shock. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that Goldenclaw was watching him with a look of amusement on his face. Willowpelt watched him with a bit of curiosity. The golden warrior stood and stretched before heading off toward Sunningrocks. Willowpelt padded along side him with Mousefur and Scourgeclaw were close behind them. As they padded alongside their border with RiverClan, they caught the fresh scent of ShadowClan nearby.

"ShadowClan." hissed Mousefur. As the fur on her neck began to rise. Goldenclaw sniffed the air.

"The wind is blowing their scent toward us so the won't scent us." he meowed evenly. "lets find where their scent is coming from."

They headed in the direction of the scent and spotted two ShadowClan warriors and an apprentice gathering prey they had caught. Goldenclaw turned to Mousefur.

"Run back to camp and tell them that ShadowClan are hunting in Sunningrocks." Mousefur stared at him for a moment before taking off toward camp.

"Should we confront them now or wait until back up comes?" Willowpelt asked. Goldenclaw though for a moment before answering.

"We'll wait until back up comes but if they start to leave then we'll confront them." he replied.

"Then we better get ready to confront them because they are picking up their prey now." hissed Scourgeclaw as he glared at the ShadowClan cats who had started to pick up their pieces of prey. Just as they were about to leave. Goldenclaw leaped out from behind a bush startling the three cats.

"Stop, what do you think your doing hunting in our territory?" he hissed threatening. Scourgeclaw noticed that one of the warriors was the tom that he had let get away in the fight with ShadowClan at the camp. The other one was a female ginger she-cat, and the apprentice was a small gray and she-cat. The ginger she-cat placed her prey down before answering Goldenclaw.

"Your territory? The last I heard Sunningrocks belong to RiverClan." she meowed back mockingly.

"Then you've been miss informed." he growled giving her a piercing stare. "and ThunderClan won't tolerate ShadowClan hunting in our territory." The gray tom with a black tail placed his prey down before snarling back a reply to Goldenclaw.

"Oh yeah and whose going to stop us…you?" he hissed back mockingly. Currently Willowpelt and Scourgeclaw had been hidden in the bushes and had just decided to come out from the bushes after the tom had finished speaking.

"I think the three of us are more than enough to deal with you." Goldenclaw meowed coolly. The gray tom turn to face Scourgeclaw.

"Huh, yeah right we can take the three of you." he sniffed. The ginger she-cat turned to look at her clanmate.

"Stonetail, we aren't here for a fight." she hissed under her breath. Stonetail whipped his head around to glare at her, but the ginger she-cat ignored him. "We have not come here to fight" she repeated. "Only to hunt in the territory that was promised to us by RiverClan." she meowed stiffly.

"Then RiverClan has deceived you, this is ThunderClan territory and you are trespassing. So I suggest you drop the prey you stole and leave our territory." Scourgeclaw hissed. "Before we take it from you and send you back to your Clan in shreds." Stonetail glared fiercely at Scourgeclaw hissing at him.

"I like to see you try." he snarled back. Scourgeclaw sat down and looked at his claws.

"I've already given you that scar on your flank" he meowed glancing at the three long scars on the tom's flank "if you'd like I could give you a matching mark on the other side." he meowed icily. Stonetail looked ready to spring at Scourgeclaw, but was prevented from doing so when his clanmate got in between him and the black warrior.

"This is not the time to be starting a fight." meowed the ginger she-cat as she

stared at Stonetail. She turned to face the ThunderClan warriors. "We will leave the territory with the prey we were promised." she meowed curtly. Goldenclaw shook his head.

"I think not Amberpelt." he meowed. Willowpelt hissed.

"You attack our camp, then you have the audacity to steal our prey and say that it belongs to you? If you think your leaving with that prey then your gravely mistaken." she growled. Amberpelt flatted her ears to her skull glaring icily at Willowpelt. Stonetail took a step forward.

"If you want this prey you'll have to pry it from our lifeless claws." he growled.

"That can be arranged." hissed a icy voice from behind the ThunderClan warriors. Scourgeclaw looked behind him and wanted to growl. Tigerclaw, Darkstripe and Longtail had arrived along with Mousefur, who came to stand beside Scourgeclaw. ThunderClan's newest deputy padded forward moving pass Goldenclaw. "Would you like for us to take up that offer?" Stonetail hesitated as he took in the reinforcements. Amberpelt realized in despair that they were trapped and wouldn't make it out alive if they fought. The apprentice who had been quietly watching everything dropped the prey she had been holding and sprang to her mentor's side looking fearful.

'Fine we will leave your territory and give you the prey, just allow us safe passage." she meowed stiffly. Stonetail's tail twitched in agitation and the apprentice glanced looked at her briefly before turning back to face the other ThunderClan warriors. Tigerclaw stared at her for a moment before answering.

"Fine, Darkstripe, Goldenclaw, Willowpelt, Longtail and I will escort you to the ShadowClan border." he growled sharply before turning and facing the other ThunderClan warriors "Mousefur you and Scourgeclaw take the prey back to camp." Scourgeclaw rolled his eyes as he walked pass Tigerclaw and the ShadowClan warriors and began to gather their prey. Stonetail growled at him as the black warrior walked passed him. The ShadowClan warriors warily stalked forward and the ThunderClan warriors surround them from every side with Tigerclaw in the lead.

Mousefur started picking up prey and heading toward the camp with Scourgeclaw padding alongside her. Just as they reached the camp Bluestar and Firepaw were returning from their training session. Bluestar waved her tail in greeting.

"I thought you were on a border patrol and where are Goldenclaw and Willowpelt?" she asked. Scourgeclaw placed his prey on the ground before answering her.

" We found some ShadowClan warriors hunting at Sunningrocks, they claim that RiverClan gave them permission to hunt there, so they said that the prey was theirs." Scourgeclaw meowed

"Yes and Goldenclaw sent me to get reinforcements and I found Tigerclaw, Longtail and Darkstripe. Tigerclaw took them, Goldenclaw and Willowpelt, to escort the ShadowClan cats back to their border." Mousefur finished. Bluestar blinked slowly. Firepaw blinked in shock.

"How did they get that far into our territory without anyone seeing anything?" she meowed sternly?

"To be fair Bluestar, we are still repairing the camp and we still have to keep the fresh-kill pile full." meowed Scourgeclaw "It would be difficult to keep up with all of these patrols." Bluestar looked at Scourgeclaw for a moment before nodding.

"I suppose your right Scourgeclaw. We are still repair the camp and we won't be able to keep up with those patrols properly until the came is back in order." she meowed "For now we will continue on as we have been." Bluestar picked up some prey heading into the tunnel. Firepaw picked up some prey as well and followed his mentor into the camp. Scourgeclaw and Mousefur picked the prey that was left and placed it into the fresh-kill pile. Scourgeclaw then headed for the warrior's den to get a nice long rest.

(I was going to continue further with this but I felt that this was far enough.

This was more of a filler chapter. I hope to get the next one up soon.

Let me know what you think.)