Emberpaw, Larksong, and Pearlclaw turned around in alarm. "What the-" Larksong began, but was cut off by Pearlclaw's caterwauling and launching herself at the intruder. "Right, don't be distracted." He turned to the apprentices. "Remember that. Now, don't come in the battle. We don't want anyone else getting hurt." Larksong gave Emberpaw a meaningful look as he said this, and he knew he had meant his sister, Mistypaw. Larksong launched himself into the battle as Frostpaw ran to Emberpaw's side.

"What will happen?" she asked worriedly. "What if they get hurt?"

Suddenly two more attackers-Emberpaw recognized them as Ashnose and Icewing-burst into the den and joined into the battle. Seeing more attackers, the fox yowled and ran away. Redstar came in. "What is with these foxes these days?" he muttered. "Are you okay?"

Larksong and Pearlclaw nodded. Pearlclaw turned to Ashnose and Icewing. "Thanks," she mewed. Ashnose nodded shyly at her. Then the two padded out.

"We'll have to tighten our security," Redstar told us. "A cat on guard at day and another at night. I'll have some cat do that." He padded away.

"You okay?" Pearlclaw turned to Frostpaw, who was sitting by Emberpaw, petrified. Rain bound in.

"Hello!" he mewed brightly. He seemed to be fitting in perfectly. "I heard something over here. What happened?"

"A fox came in," Emberpaw explained.

"Tomorrow's your apprentice ceremony, too," Larksong told him.

Rain looked excited. "I know! I can't wait!"

Emberpaw was excited, too. We will make great friends! He thought.

The next morning Redstar yowled the usual summonings. The cats mingled together. "Today we will apprentice a kit of Trill," he announced. Trill nudged her son forward, and Rain walked over, quivering with excitement. "Rain, until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Rainpaw. Icewing, you have learned well. I trust you to pass those skills onto Rainpaw." Mentor and apprentice both stepped forward to touch noses.

"Rainpaw! Rainpaw! Rainpaw!" Emberpaw chanted loudest of all.

Mistypaw was sitting in the back, gazing adoringly at Rainpaw. Emberpaw made her way over. "Are you okay? I mean, your back scratches?" he asked.

Mistypaw walked away.

Emberpaw stared after her, then hung his head. "What's the matter?" some cat asked.

Emberpaw recognized the scent of Larksong. "Nothing," he replied, then padded after his mentor.

"We're going on border patrol today," he told him, changing the subject. Bramblepelt was leading the patrol, and Skyfur, Frostpaw, and Moonflower were waiting for them there.

They padded out of camp, Frostpaw and Emberpaw were struggling to keep up. "I can't wait until I'm a warrior!" Frostpaw panted.

"I can," Emberpaw replied sharply. Then he felt guilty. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just that I'm not that happy right now."

"Why?"

But before Emberpaw could answer, Moonflower mewed, "We're here!" They started to mark the borders.

"Sorreltail! Sorreltail! Wake up!"

The face of Stormfur came into view. "What?" Then she scented an unfamiliar smell. Intruders! She leapt to her paws. "Where?" Then she saw her. She was thin, thinner than the WindClan cats, and her pelt was as black as night.

But before they could attack, she meowed, "Wait! I come in peace. I would like to warn you, the dangers you will face, even StarClan cannot help you."

"Who are you?" Stormfur spat. "What do you want?"

She spoke calmly. "I am Pantherclaw. I was from ShadowClan, but...until they found out my secret..." she turned away. "But please, trust me."

"What secret?" Sorreltail asked.

"That I...killed the medicine cat."

"But...why?"

"She had an evil scheme," she explained. "Because she was a supporter of Tigerstar, she wanted to take over. But no cat knew that. They trusted her."

"So, you knew the evil scheme?" Stormfur queried. "How?"

"I was out hunting at night, and then I saw her. She was meeting up with Hawkfrost from RiverClan before he died. When Hawkfrost died, she was even more determined to take over. I was eavesdropping on her."

"What was her name?" Sorreltail asked.

"Nightfur," Pantherclaw answered. "But no more. You cannot rely on StarClan to help you finish this quest. I know you may want to, but you can't. They can't do anything."

Stormfur decided to trust her. It did seem logical, he thought. "Alright, thanks," he mewed. "Do you need anything?"

"I believe I could be a great help on your quest," she started nervously. "But you don't have to."

"Of course you can come with us!" Sorreltail exclaimed. "Right, Stormfur?"

Stormfur thought it was a good idea. "Sure," he told her. "We're going east."

She smiled at them. "Thanks."

Suddenly they spotted a thick, wide, river. It had no stepping stones or a tree-bridge like the one they had at home. There was no way across.

"What will we do?" Sorreltail asked in dismay.

"I can swim," Stormfur offered unhelpfully. "But you cats can't and I can't carry you across the river."

"We'll drown," Pantherclaw told them.

"Then what will we do?" Stormfur asked. No one answered for a long time.

"No one ever said the water was deep," Sorreltail suggested.

"But the current is too strong," Pantherclaw pointed out. "We can't just wade across."

Sorreltail grabbed a stick in her mouth and put it in the water to measure the depth. It hit the bottom instantly with a strange clinking sound.

"What was that?" Pantherclaw asked.

Stormfur put his paw underwater. Something smooth. "It feels..." he took his paw out. He sniffed it. "It's a Twoleg thing!" he exclaimed.