I've been doing LOADS of writing today so I have like 4 chapters to upload. Hope you enjoy!

"Catmint," cried Silkpaw.

"Where?" yowled Shadepaw, her green eyes searching the undergrowth.

"Over there," said the medicine cat apprentice. "By the Thunderpath."

Shadepaw followed her littermate to the edge of the Thunderpath. It was a sticky black path that twolegs drove their monsters about on. The monsters never left the path but they still scared most cats, including Shadepaw and Silkpaw. The good thing about the Thunderpath was that it kept the clan cats cut off from the twoleg territory and from their weird stone nests.

The two apprentices crept forward to the clumps of catmint, which resided on the edge of the path. As they bit off several stalks of the sweet-smelling green plant, Shadepaw felt the sharp tang of the Thunderpath settle in her nose. "I can never get over how horrid the Noiseway smells," she murmured to Silkpaw through the catmint.

Silkpaw nodded, before adding their catmint to the bundle of leaves and berries that they had already collected. "Right," she mewed. "We're almost done. We should get back before the clan wakes up. We just need a couple of poppy plants and that'll take no time at all." She picked the bundle up in her mouth.

As they trekked through the forest to where Silkpaw said there were poppy plants, Shadepaw scented the air, alert for the scent of rouges. If they had killed Whitepelt, they could easily pick off one inexperienced and one medicine cat apprentice. But instead of the foreign scent of rogues, a different scent flowed into her nostrils. It was CaveClan and WoodClan scent mixed together. Shadepaw felt a sickening jolt run through her as she realized that it must be Fembrook and Blackwing, meeting before other cats would wake.

Shadepaw was about to tell Silkpaw to go on without her, but as she turned she saw with horror that the white she-cat was sniffing the air as well. Her neck fur began to bristle and she growled, "That's CaveClan scent Shadepaw. It's coming from over there!" Dropping her bundle of herbs, Silkpaw shot off into the undergrowth, following the scent.

"No," yowled Shadepaw. "Come back!" She raced after her littermate, heart pounding. There was no way that she could keep the truth about the silver warrior from the medicine cat apprentice, but Blackwing might be hostile towards her or even hurt the white cat. The black and white apprentice reached the white one and tackled her to the ground.

Silkpaw looked as if she was going to yowl in protest but Shadepaw slapped her paw over her mouth silencing the white she-cat. "We'll creep up slowly and observe who they are and what they are doing first," Shadepaw hissed. Before removing her paw from her littermate's mouth, she added, "Keep quiet and stay still once we get there." She let the other apprentice go.

Shadepaw crouched down and crept forward as if stalking her prey. Silkpaw copied her and although her crouch wasn't nearly as good as Shadepaw's, it was quiet and effective. The two cats stalked over to some bushes and looked through. Although Shadepaw knew what she was going to see, it still came as a shock when she saw Blackwing with Fembrook. She braced herself, ready for Silkpaw's yowl of horror that would reveal them, but the medicine cat apprentice kept silent and still, her eyes wide with shock.

Fembrook laced herself around Blackwing, while he nosed her belly mewing, "Are you sure you're okay, you expecting kits and all?"

The silver warrior gave her mate a piercing stare. "I'm fine Blackwing, honest. I won't kit for another moon; stop worrying."

Blackwing laid his head on top of hers. "I'm sorry Fembrook. I can't help worrying; I love you."

Fembrook licked Blackwing's chest fur. "I love you too but it's getting harder for me to get out of the nursery because Minkclaw always has her eye on me."

The CaveClan warrior's eyes darkened with concern. "You don't want to stop seeing me do you?"

"Of course not. I couldn't bear not seeing you." Fembrook blinked fondly at him. "Anyway," she went on. "I might not be the only one sneaking out of camp in future."

"Why?" Blackwing's eyes widened. "What's happened?"

"Well there's this cat, Finchpaw, who just joined the clan. She had another cat with her, one from another clan."

"Which clan?" asked Blackwing.

"Sorry Blackwing, I can't tell you." There was regret in Fembrook's eyes. "You'll probably find out sooner or later. Anyway, it's obvious that Finchpaw has feelings for this other cat, so when he goes back to his clan, she'll probably have to keep on seeing him."

A yowl split the air, "How dare you," but it was not Shadepaw who had let it escape her jaws, however much she had wanted it to. It was Silkpaw. The white she-cat strolled out into the clearing, her fur bristling in anger. "How can you accuse Finchpaw of disloyalty," she hissed at Fembrook. "When you're prancing around him? He's a CaveClan cat, Fembrook, or are your ears not screwed on properly. Did your mentor never tell you that forbidden love was not allowed?"

Fembrook's eyes were wide with horror. "S-Silkpaw, why are you here?" she gasped.

Silkpaw snarled at the silver warrior. "How can you be so disloyal?"

Anger flashed through Fembrook's eyes. "I'm a warrior and I can do what I want. I have to see Blackwing!"

The medicine cat apprentice struggled to keep her voice down. "I wondered who your mate was, but I never thought it would be a CaveClan cat. I thought it was Sootwhisker or something."

Shadepaw watched in horror, and then streaked across the clearing to Blackwing, who was looking distraught. She touched the tom on his shoulder and whispered, "I think you should go now."

Blackwing just nodded without really looking at her, and pelted off towards the gorge.

Shadepaw heard a screech and turned to see that Silkpaw had launched herself at Fembrook and they were fighting with tooth and claw.

"Stop it," screamed Shadepaw. She flung herself between the two fighting cats. ""Have you both lost your minds?"

They stared at each other, fiercely and Shadepaw thought she heard Fembrook mumble, "No."

Shadepaw glared at them. "Silkpaw, you will not tell a single soul about this and Fembrook you should stop seeing Blackwing."

"I can't," whispered Fembrook. "I love him."

Shadepaw felt her lip rise in the beginning of a snarl but she pushed it away. "I can't be bothered arguing with you Fembrook. We have to get back to camp before any cat notices that we're gone."
Immediately, Fembrook whipped around and stalked in the direction of the camp, leaving Shadepaw and Silkpaw in the hollow. Silkpaw looked helplessly at Shadepaw. "I won't tell any cat about them but this has to stop."

Shadepaw sighed. "I've already tried to get through to her but I just can't."

"You already knew and you didn't tell me." Silkpaw looked horrified.

"I'm sorry Silkpaw. I didn't want to risk Fembrook getting exposed. Me and Sparklepaw caught her at it at the last gathering."

"It's okay Shadepaw. I suppose we'd better get back to camp too."

As Shadepaw followed Silkpaw out of the hollow, she felt doubts about Finchpaw unwillingly creep up. Would the silver and black tabby be able to let Creekpaw go?