Chapter 10

Featherpaw and Hazelpaw rushed into the elders den, dragging a clump of moss behind them. Sunlight had wanted her den cleaned out.

Hazelpaw set down the moss and said, "I'll go get some fresh-kill for her." Then she padded away.

"Um, Sunlight, we're here to clean out your den," Featherpaw mewed. I wonder if she's asleep, she thought when she got no reply. She poked her head in the den and saw Sunlight grooming herself. "Sunlight?"

"I heard you, I heard you!" the old she-cat said. She got up and hobbled out of the den, the sunlight making her golden fur glow.

Featherpaw shrugged. She must be in one of those grumpy moods. I don't blame her. Her son was on the verge of death a few dawns ago. She started to clear up the old bedding in the dark den, clumping it up with her claws. She raised her head when she heard Hazelpaw mew, "Sunlight, I got you some fresh-kill."
Sunlight snapped, "It's so skinny! Are you trying to starve me? It's new-leaf, you should at least get your elder something plump to eat!"

Featherpaw purred and peeked out of the den. At Sunlight's paws lay a fat rabbit, and Hazelpaw looking very offended and confused. "Come on, Hazelpaw, help me with the bedding," the silver she-cat called. Hazelpaw nodded and walked into the den, looking relieved.

When they had finished, Featherpaw told Sunlight, "We're finished. You can go back inside if you want."

Sunlight shrugged. "I think I'd like to stretch myself out a bit and let the sun warm my fur."

Hazelpaw nodded. "I have to meet Shadowclaw at the fresh-kill pile to go on a border patrol. I'll see you later."

Featherpaw nodded. "I'll just go and..." she trailed off. Without Smoketail to tell me what to do, I have nothing to do... She shook her thought away and bounded over to where Lionstar was organizing patrols. That was something the Clan deputy would do.

"...and Birdwing, you can join Leafdapple and Berrypaw on a border patrol. We need one more cat to go with you..."

"I will!" Featherpaw said.

Lionstar looked up. "All right. Go ahead. I want you to be careful at the ShadowClan border, though."

Leafdapple nodded. She signaled with her tail for the others to follow and led them out into the forest.

Berrypaw slowed down a little so he would be running side by side with Featherpaw. "Hi."

Featherpaw nodded. "Hello, Berrypaw. So, what did you do earlier today?"
Berrypaw shrugged. "Leafdapple and I went hunting. What about you?"

"I cleaned out the elders den, and that was about it."

They slowed to a stop at the RiverClan border. Leafdapple stepped to the edge of the stream cautiously. "Everything seems normal," she mewed. "Come on, to the WindClan border now."

When they got to the WindClan border, they met another patrol. They just nodded to Leafdapple and hurried away.

Birdwing narrowed her eyes. "I hate WindClan. They just have to run across their moors all day long!"

Featherpaw purred. "Well, I bet they hate ThunderClan for stalking in underbrush all the time, too."

Leafdapple hissed faintly. "Featherpaw, don't speak to a fellow warrior that way! You're still an apprentice, no matter how old you are."

"I'm sorry," Featherpaw said, lowering her head. I wish I could be a warrior already. But I'm going to wait until Smoketail gets better.

Her mother nodded approvingly. "Come on, let's go to the ShadowClan border."

Featherpaw lashed her tail. "If they've even set foot on out territory again..."

Leafdapple laid her tail on her daughter's shoulder sympathetically.

Birdwing nodded in agreement. "They think they can just take ThunderClan's territory and prey whenever they want! It's about time we showed them a lesson!"

Berrypaw growled in agreement.

Leafdapple sighed. "Yes, you're all right. Finally, we'd all feel safe."

Featherpaw mewed, "There's the border right now. They still haven't moved it back."

"Hide!" Birdwing whispered.

Featherpaw hid behind some brambles and watched. Soon, a ShadowClan patrol neared, led by a grey tom with cold, green eyes.

"That's Sharpclaw," Birdwing hissed to the other ThunderClan cats. "And the two others with him are Heathertail and Rustyheart."

Featherpaw guessed that the brown she-cat was Heathertail and the fiery ginger tom was Rustyheart.

"Should we attack?" Berrypaw asked.

"I'll give the signal," Leafdapple said. "Now hush, they're getting closer!"

Featherpaw turned her attention back to the ShadowClan cats. Sure enough, they were walking closer to the border. She heard Rustyheart hiss, "I smell ThunderClan!"

Sharpclaw scoffed. "Well, duh you do! ThunderClan territory is right in front of your nose!"

Heathertail rolled her eyes. "Come on, there's no one here, let's get out of here. I think WindClan might have trespassed." She started to pad away.

Featherpaw glanced at her mother, who had swept her tail. That's the signal! She thought.

The ThunderClan cats leaped out of cover, and Leafdapple hissed. "You ShadowClan cats think you can just trespass and take over ThunderClan territory? Well think again!"

They launched into battle. Featherpaw wrestled on the ground with Heathertail, rolling around until the brown she-cat finally pinned down the silver apprentice. Featherpaw squirmed, then she decided to play dead. She went limp and closed her eyes. As soon as her rival loosened her grip, she jumped up, knocking the older cat to the ground. She pinned her down and leaned down to bite the back of her neck. When Heathertail screeched with pain, she let go and watched the cat running back into ShadowClan territory.

Featherpaw heard a cry and looked around. Sharpclaw had pinned Leafdapple down and was biting into her throat. She ran over and knocked the tom off her mother.

"Thanks," Leafdapple whispered, gasping for breath.

The two cats looked around. Birdwing and Berrypaw were chasing Rustyheart off. The ginger tom yowled and raced away.

"We won!" Leafdapple said. "Let's move the border back to where it should be."

Featherpaw nodded.

oOoOoOo

"Are you sure you're alright?" Leafdapple mewed, worry thickening her voice.

Featherpaw licked her scratches and nodded. "I'm fine, don't worry. You have worse wounds that I do. You should see Mosspelt as soon as we get to camp, Leafdapple."

Birdwing nodded in agreement. "Featherpaw, you did great today. You really deserve to be a warrior now."

Featherpaw ducked her head, purring. The camp was ahead. "But I promised to wait until Smoketail is better."

As they padded through the tunnel, Berrypaw said, "Maybe that'll be today."

"What are you talking about?" Featherpaw mewed. "Mosspelt said it'd be nearly a moon."

"Look up," Birdwing purred.

Featherpaw whipped her head up and gasped. Standing in front of her was a smoky-grey tom, limping slightly, but otherwise healthy. "Smoketail! You're better now?"

Smoketail nodded, purring. "What took you four so long? It was just a border patrol, wasn't it?"

Leafdapple sighed. "We had a battle with ShadowClan. But we won, and we moved the borders back."

Smoketail studied the four cats. "Leafdapple, go get that wound checked by Mosspelt. Birdwing, I suggest you do the same. Berrypaw, those scratches look shallow, but when Mosspelt is done looking after Leafdapple and Birdwing, you should go as well. And Featherpaw, you too. You don't want to get those cuts infected."

The cats nodded respectfully at the deputy and padded away. Featherpaw went over to the fresh-kill pile and chose a vole, taking swift gulps. Wow. I didn't know that I was this hungry. I should finish eating quickly, then go see Mosspelt. She licked her lips and glanced hungrily at the fresh-kill pile. No, instead of stuffing my face, I should take some fresh-kill to the others, she thought. She picked up three mice and trotted off to Mosspelt's den.

Leafdapple was sitting inside, her wounds already bound with cobwebs. She was chewing up some herbs. Mosspelt was pressing cobwebs to Birdwing's wounds. The three she-cats looked up as Featherpaw approached. They glanced hungrily at the mice, then back to her.

"Oh, you brought fresh-kill," Mosspelt mewed. "Thank you, Featherpaw."

Featherpaw nodded and dropped the fresh-kill. Leafdapple took a mouse and started eating.

"How long do I need to have these cobwebs on?" Birdwing mewed anxiously.

Mosspelt shrugged. "That depends on how quick they heal." She set down some herbs. "Now eat these. Then you can have some fresh-kill."

Birdwing glanced at the mouse Leafdapple was devouring, as if she'd rather have that instead, but she chewed up the herbs obediently, and Mosspelt nodded approvingly. Then the brown medicine cat turned to Featherpaw and beckoned for her to come closer.

Featherpaw stepped forward and Mosspelt examined her wounds.

"You'll be just fine," Mosspelt assured. "There's just one deep wound that I'll want to put cobwebs on. Don't worry." She pressed cobwebs firmly to a deep wound on her shoulder. "You won't need much wounds. I wonder where Berrypaw is? Could you go find him for me?"

Featherpaw nodded. "Sure." She glanced back as she left the den to see the three she-cats gobbling up mouse. She purred, amused, then looked around. Smoketail and Lionstar were chatting by the Highrock, Silverstorm was sunbathing in front of the nursery, her belly already bulging. Shadowclaw, Hazelpaw, and Ashenfur, it seemed, were leaving on a hunting patrol. Whitepelt and Snowstorm were sharing tongues (I hope you all know what this means, sharing tongues is like chatting or gossiping or talking), and Forestlily had just emerged from the warriors den. She glanced around again and caught sight of Thorntail and Berrypaw talking to each other by the apprentices den. She bounded over to the two toms, purring.

"Hi, Featherpaw," Berrypaw mewed, purring.

Thorntail cast him a narrowed glance and stepped up to the silver she-cat. He nuzzled her playfully and purred.

Featherpaw licked his muzzle in response and purred, then pulled away quickly, realizing Berrypaw was right in front of them. Thorntail looked hurt, so she touched his shoulder with her tail comfortingly. As she addressed Berrypaw, she stared down at her paws. "Um, Berrypaw, Mosspelt wanted to see you in her den. She, uh, wants to, er, check your wounds and such. You better get going."

She looked up and met Berrypaw's green eyes, glistening with jealousy and disappointment. "Are you alright?" Why is he jealous of Thorntail?

"I'm fine," Berrypaw growled as he stalked away. Featherpaw flinched at his harsh, cold voice. Berrypaw was usually friendly and energetic, but now, he waked stiffly to the medicine cat's den, his tail dragging in the dirt.

"What's wrong with him?" Featherpaw hissed, her ears flattened against her head.

Featherpaw felt Thorntail's eyes burning into her own as he studied her carefully. Finally, he shrugged and said, "I don't know."

The apprentice flicked her ears.

"So, I heard you ran into a ShadowClan patrol," Thorntail said, his amber eyes full of concern.

Featherpaw nodded. "Yeah. But we won, and we got to move the border back to where it belongs."

Thonrtail licked her ear affectionately. "You're okay, right?"

Featherpaw purred. "Of course. Don't worry about me, Thorntail, I'm not a kit, you know."

"I know, I just...I just get worried," Thorntail said shyly, shuffling his paws.

Featherpaw purred. Just now, he reminded her of the shy, quiet Thornpaw he used to be. But warrior life had given him self-confidence. And she liked that about him. "Well, I should go now. I'm really tired."

"Okay, then," Thorntail said, stroking Featherpaw's flank with his long, golden tail. "I'll see you later."
Featherpaw nodded and yawned, then bounded into the apprentices den, where it was empty and quiet. She yawned again and curled up, closing her blue eyes. Soon, she drifted off into sleep.