As soon as Blazepaw and Emberblaze made it back to camp, Emberblaze went straight to Tallstar to tell him about the discovery that they had made.
"This is unsettling," Tallstar said as Emberblaze finished speaking, "I've never imagined they would try this again after we warned them a couple of moons ago," Tallstar rasped and then turned to Deadfoot.
"Get a group of senior warriors and sweep the moor for Shadowclan cats, we can't let this behaviour continue".
Deadfoot nodded and walked towards the warrior's den. Tallstar then turned to Emberblaze again.
"I'll need you to guard the entrance to the camp. Get Mudclaw to help you with that. I can't allow any apprentice to leave the camp without supervision until I know we won't lead them into a hostile situation".
"Right away, Tallstar," Emberblaze repiled, dipping his head and left to find the grumpy warrior.
Before Tallstar could turn to enter his den, Blazepaw blocked his way and preventing Tallstar from entering is den
"What can I do?" Blazepaw asked.
Tallstar looked down at him and sighed. "Well..for now, stay in camp. I don't need any young cats going out on the moor if there are still Shadowclan cats on Windclan's territory".
"But what about my training with-".
"I SAID NO!" Tallstar hissed angrily. Making Blazepaw flinch back in fear. Realizing his mistake, Tallstar flattened his ears. "I'm...sorry, I've been quite stressful with everything going on. Just promise me...you won't leave camp".
Blazepaw slowly nodded his head in agreement and allowed Tallstar to pass into his den.
Not wanting to cause more trouble then he already had done. He decided it was best to head to the apprentice den until Emberblaze or Tallstar told him went he needed to do next.
"Hey! Blazepaw!" he heard the muffled cry of a younger cat. Rusty turned his head to see Morningpaw coming towards him with a vole in her jaws.
Her cream-coloured fur was lit in sun's light. He had to admit she was very beautiful.
When she finally reached him, she dropped it at his feet.
"I've been looking everywhere for you ever since I returned back to camp a half an hour ago. I caught this vole with Deadfoot since Tallstar was too busy to take me out," she said, "I wanted to share it with you".
"Thanks," Blazepaw said, taking a bite out of the vole. Surprisingly, it still tasted warm as he bit into it. He never had anything quite as good before.
"I was wondering, what do you know about ShadowClan?" he asked after swallowing his first bite.
"I haven't been to my first gathering yet, but I've heard they're quite shady. The other clans don't like them, but I know Windclan hates them the most. In recent moons they've been caught stealing prey on our territory".
Before Blazepaw could ask another question, both were shadowed by the large shape. They looked up to see Mudclaw.
Because of his dark brown colour, most saw him as an intimidating dark shadow when he blocked the path of sunlight. He glanced down at the vole that was almost finished eating and then looked at the two apprentices.
"Morningpaw, why are you eating prey with Blazepaw?"
"I just wanted to share prey with him," she replied, "The elders didn't want it and he hasn't eaten all day since he was with Emberblaze".
The senior warrior looked at both of them and growled. "Fine, but you better go help the elders with their ticks before I tell Tallstar you've been eating prey before any of the older warriors have eaten. You should know by now that apprentices eat last after the vulnerable have eaten first".
Without any hesitation, they both got up before Mudclaw could say anything and headed towards the medicine cat den.
"So that's why you're here," Barksong meowed as he attended to his herbs, listening to what Blazepaw and Morningpaw had told him.
"He's a big meanie if anything," Morningpaw added.
Barksong picked up another herb and moved it to another slab of rock. "Mudclaw is known to be fiercely loyal to the code, so I don't blame him. He seems so much like his father".
Barksong stopped organizing herbs and went to the back of his den and fetched some moss. When he returned, Blazepaw could already start smelling something quite foul. The scent of the smell emanated from the moss wanted to make Blazepaw gag in how bad it smelled.
"This should do the trick for getting the ticks off the elders, just be careful which side of the moss you pick up. It's not my fault if you end up tasting mouse bile".
Morningpaw dipped her head to Barksong. "Thanks, we'll make sure the job is done". She picked up the moss and lead the way to cross the clearing of the den towards the elder den.
The den was largely made of the same gorse that was used for the wall. Making it well protected if anyone tried to attack the camp.
"It's good to see you kits have come to help us with our flea problem," meowed a light brown she-cat.
Morningpaw let down the moss. "It's good to see you Mistmouse," she replied.
Blazepaw watched as Morningpaw gently rubbed her fur with the moss. He could see that flees were already jumping off her.
"Is it that time again?" a scruffy light brown tom meowed, yawning as he awoke.
The old tom blinked in surprise when he saw Blazepaw.
"Ah, you must be the young cat that Tallstar was talking about yesterday at the clan meeting, you hardly smell like a kittypet anymore".
"I'm Blazepaw, it's nice to meet you," he meowed.
The brown tom dipped his head. "Hareflight".
For the rest of the day, Blazepaw and Morningpaw worked together to rid the fleas from the two elders.
Talking to them and learning about their young lives when they used to be the bravest Windclan warriors.
By the time the sun had disappeared from the sky, the two of them were exhausted and had finally rid the elders of fleas.
Emberblaze looked into the den and noticed them. "Hey, I thought I drop by to let you know you two can go back to your den now. I overheard Mudclaw complaining about you and thought I might check it with you guys".
Morningpaw stretched her front legs and helped Blazepaw get to his paws.
"Thanks, Emberblaze," Morningpaw yawned. Blazepaw helped kept her steady as he flanked her side.
"You know, I'm sure you are going to get along with Emberblaze just fine," Morningpaw said with a yawn, "He's pretty loyal to my mother".
"Wait your Wernflight's daughter? I thought Onekit was her only kit!" Blazepaw said, surprised by this revaluation.
"I'm one of her older kits. Me and-".
"Morningpaw," a grey she-cat whispered angrily in front of the apprentice den, "Where have you been? I was worried that one of those Shadowclan cats got you".
"I'm fine, Ashpaw. I'm just tired because I dedicated my whole day helping the elders. Blazepaw helped me".
Ashpaw gave Blazepaw a skeptical look and finally sighed. "Alright, let's just to bed then".
Blazepaw finally settled down into his nest, but couldn't help watching the two sisters from a distance.
It made him wonder what it would be like to have a sibling by your side to share your secrets with.
Looking at Morningpaw made him realize that there was something special about her that he couldn't quite guess what it could be.
Would this warm feeling linger or eventually fade away? Blazepaw wasn't quite sure.
All he knew that maybe someday he would understand the feeling he had for her.
