CHAPTER 2

Wolfpaw padded along beside Snowstorm breathing in the scents of the forest happily. When they reached the stream that marked the border with Rockclan, Whiteflame paused and asked Firepaw, "Can you scent that?"

"Doesn't smell like any smell I've smelt before… and it doesn't belong to our clan. Is it Rockclan?"

"Yes," Whiteflame replied, "this is the border between us and Rockclan. Never stray over the border unless you want to pick a fight or if you have a reason to."

Suddenly Wolfpaw scented the smell of other cats, with the scent of the markers on the border. A Rockclan patrol! She pricked her ears and stiffened as the cats came into sight.

Snowstorm murmured quietly into her ear, "That's, Mooncloud, Lilywhisker, Jetfire and his apprentice, Thornpaw."

As she looked over at the apprentice, Thornpaw, he narrowed his amber eyes and growled a little at her. His mentor, Jetfire, rested his tail gently on his apprentice's shoulder, calming him. The apprentice looked away angrily padded over beside his mentor.

Whiteflame spoke up interrupting the silence by saying, "Mooncloud, Jetfire, Lilywhisker and Thornpaw." He dipped his head with cold politeness. "We were just showing our apprentices their territory."

"Well then make sure they stick to that territory!" Mooncloud said angrily. Whiteflame shrugged and padded away beckoning his tail for the rest of them to follow.

"What got under their pelts?" Wolfpaw muttered to Firepaw, "That apprentice was glaring at me like he wanted to tear my ears off!"

Snowstorm seemed to overhear this and meowed to them both "We've lately had a little fight over borders with Rockclan."

"Oh…" Wolfpaw murmured along with Firepaw.

"Just remember, never start a fight if it's not necessary or if your clan leader doesn't allow it. We fight for reason. Not for ambition." Whiteflame said coming up beside Snowstorm.

"We'll be the best warriors ever! No cat would ever dare to try and fight us!" She growled pretending to swipe at an enemy warrior with her paw.

Whiteflame chuckled lightly and said "Come on, let's try to get to the Pondclan before sun-high. Wolfpaw looked up at the sky, to see the sun nearly at it highest point in the sky.

Snowstorm nudged her and meowed, "Didn't you hear me? I said we'd be practising hunting and stalking tomorrow!"

"Oh yay!" Wolfpaw said with a zip of excitement going through her. 'Finally! A way to help my clan!' She thought.

When they reached the Pondclan border, Wolfpaw smelt a fishy scent filling her nose. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That smells like rotting fish!" She exclaimed.

"Don't let Pondclan hear you saying that!" Snowstorm purred with amusement.

"Why do they smell like that?" Firepaw asked with his head tipped to one side.

"Well, instead of eating ground prey like, squirrels, mice, thrush, shrews and stuff like that, Pondclan eats fish." Whiteflame said.

"Wait, so they depend on only one type of prey?" Firepaw asked quizzically, "Wouldn't that be hard for them if there's a drought something happens to the water?"

"Yes, but Pondclan are also swimmers. They swim through water like it's as easy as eating a mouse!"

"Weird." Firepaw muttered under his breath. Silently, Wolfpaw agreed.

"Okay, it's about time we're heading back now." Snowstorm said looking up at the sun.

"Okay." Firepaw said reluctantly. Wolfpaw on the other hand, actually pretty excited. Their first night in the apprentices den!

They all padded back to camp with weary paws. When they reached camp Snowstorm said, "After you two have eaten you guys can go to sleep. Big day tomorrow!"

When she padded over to the fresh-kill pile and choose a plump squirrel from the pile, she found Poppypaw and Seedpaw sharing a thrush.

Wolfpaw bounded over to them said proudly, "Me and Firepaw explored the territory today!"

"Well, I hope you'll have a good time cleaning out elders bedding in future times." Seedpaw muttered darkly.

"Don't worry," Poppypaw murmured, "Blueheart had aching joints and was taking it out on Seedpaw."

Seedpaw swung her head over sharply and turned off in the direction of the apprentices den leaving the remains of the thrush behind.

"Oh well," Poppypaw said aloud and got up, "I might as well be going too, bye you two!" Poppypaw padded away in the direction of the apprentices den.

After she and Firepaw finished their prey in silence they both went over to the apprentices den. Wolfpaw took her place in her nest, next to Seedpaw who was already asleep.

Wolfpaw curled up into a ball with her tail tucked over her nose and thought, 'I'm finally in training to be a real Treeclan warrior!'