Foxpaw followed Emberbreeze as she stalked a thrush.

She whispered, "Foxpaw, stay here. I'll circle around and startle it. You leap forward and knock it out of the sky. Kill it."

The ginger apprentice nodded. "Okay," he meowed, a little too loudly.

The thrush let out an alarmed cry and started to rise.

Emberbreeze hissed. "Dang it!" She ran forward and leapt up high, barely managing to grab a wing.

The bird wriggled against the warrior's teeth, but it was too late. It's cry was cut off as Emberbreeze snapped its neck. She glared at her apprentice. "Next time be quieter."

Foxpaw nodded. "Good catch."

The mottled brown she-cat glanced back at her prey. "I got lucky."

Foxpaw pointed to the border they shared with RiverClan. "Can we hunt near there? Cinderpaw told me she smelled lots of mice there."

Emberbreeze nodded. "I'll hunt around here, and you go there." Foxpaw quietly padded to the stream they shared with RiverClan. He opened his mouth to try to taste any prey-scent.

After a while, the smell of a squirrel wafted over him. Looking around, he saw a fat one sitting near the base of a tree, nibbling on a seed. His stomach rumbled. Quietly getting into his crouch, the ginger tom stalked the squirrel.

When he was about a fox-length away, he pounced and just barely got his claws on the creature. With a bite to the neck, it was dead.

Foxpaw was about to turn and show his catch to Emberbreeze when a sudden disruption in the ferns signaled a RiverClan patrol.

In the lead was a ginger and white she-cat, who was glaring at Foxpaw.

"Did he steal that from our territory?" Foxpaw recognized Spotpaw's hiss, and saw her tortoiseshell and white pelt glowing in the setting sun.

The ShadowClan apprentice took a step back. "I caught it on our territory. It was right there." He pointed to the tree with his tail.

Another she-cat, a small cream apprentice, opened her mouth as if to taste the scents. "Our side of the territory doesn't stink of ShadowClan. I don't think he crossed."

The older warrior turned to face the apprentice. "That's for me to decide, Brightpaw."

She glared at Foxpaw until he started feeling slightly intimated.

"I promise I didn't steal from your territory."

Spotpaw spoke. "I don't smell ShadowClan in our territory either, Ivynose. This is a waste of time. We should go."

The ginger and white warrior, Ivynose, reluctantly nodded. "I guess."

With another glare at Foxpaw, she snarled, "Stay on your side of the border."

The small patrol left.

Feeling slightly shaken, Foxpaw padded back to Emberbreeze. His mentor was glaring at him. "Why did you get into trouble with RiverClan? It sounded like just a few younger apprentices. You should've clawed their ears off for suspecting you."

Foxpaw stared at his mentor. It was right for them to be suspicious. I couldn't have hurt them because of that… could I've?

Emberbreeze sighed. "Whatever. That squirrel will feed the elders well. Good job."

Without another word, the mottled brown she-cat turned and padded back to camp. Following her, Foxpaw was greeted with many gasps of astonishment as he went into camp.

Cinderpaw bounded up. "Did you catch that by yourself? It's huge!"

He nodded at the gray she-cat. "I got lucky."

She shrugged. "Still, great catch! Do you mind helping me drag the soiled bedding from the elders' den?"

Foxpaw sighed. "I guess." Together, the two apprentices padded to the small den, where Squirrelstep and Bristlefern were lying down.

"Hello Foxpaw, Cinderpaw. Are you here to listen to stories?"

Cinderpaw shook her head. "We're going to clean out your nest."

"Thank you," Squirrelstep purred.

Foxpaw hurried out to grab some fresh moss near the nursery, and came back in to see Cinderpaw dragging away the soiled nests.

Together, they worked in compatible silence.

When they finished, Cinderpaw went to the medicine cat's den to treat a small thorn she stepped on. Foxpaw grabbed a mouse and waited for her. After she came out, he lifted his tail.

"Wanna share?"

She purred and came over, limping ever so slightly. She curled up next to him and took a small bite. Then she frowned. Sniffing his pelt, her eyes narrowed. "Did you go on RiverClan territory?"

Foxpaw quickly shook his head. "I was just talking to a patrol."

Cinderpaw shrugged and turned away. "Please go clean yourself. I can't eat next to someone smelling like fish."

Slightly embarrassed, Foxpaw ate his portion quickly and darted to the other side of the clearing to lick himself clean. He sniffed his own pelt.

I don't smell like fish.

With a sigh, he finished up and padded back to his denmate, who purred, "Much better. I was going to ask Pinepelt if we can practice battle moves. Why don't you ask Emberbreeze if you can join us?"

Foxpaw nodded. "Good idea."

On the other side of camp, Emberbreeze was sharing tongues with her mate, Cedarstorm. She shook her head after Foxpaw ran Cinderpaw's idea by her.

"We just went hunting. You can go if you want, but I'm feeling a little tired."

Cedarstorm shot her an affectionate glance.

A little confused, Foxpaw went back to Cinderpaw.

"Emberbreeze doesn't want to go, but she said I can go by myself with you."

The gray apprentice purred. "Cool! Let's go get Pinepelt."

After fetching the ginger tom, all three of them disappeared into the slowly darkening forest.