"Come on, Sandpaw!" Stonepaw taunted. "I bet I can climb higher than you!"

"In your dreams, flea-brain!" Sandpaw replied. She scrambled up the tree, trying to beat her brother to the top.

"Be careful!" Foxriver, Sandpaw's mentor, called up from below the two apprentices. She decided to come with them outside of the camp while Echosong, Stonepaw's mentor, was helping Snowbird gather herbs for leaf-bare.

"Don't go too high!" The black she-cat called again.

"We won't!" Sandpaw yowled, launching herself onto the next branch.

"Don't worry; Sandpaw will give up once she sees that she doesn't stand a chance at beating me!" Stonepaw said.

Sandpaw snorted. "Yeah, I'll give up. And hedgehogs can fly!" She flung herself higher, her claws scrabbling at the bark. "Oh, no!" She wailed. "Stonepaw, help me!"

The ginger she-cat slipped, almost landing on her brother, who leapt forward and sank his teeth into the scruff on her neck. Her weight threw him off balance, but he managed to bury his claws into the bark deep enough to keep them both from plunging down, back to the forest, and maybe even their deaths. Stonepaw hauled his sister back up to safety.

"Thanks," She breathed.

"No problem," He replied.

"Oh, StarClan, are you alright?" Foxriver asked.

"W-we're fine," Sandpaw answered.

"Come down now!"

"Alright," Stonepaw was trying to hide his fear.

That was close, He thought.

Yeah, Sandpaw thought back. Too close.

Ever since they were kits, Sandpaw and Stonepaw could always communicate with their eyes.

You want to go first? Stonepaw asked with his eyes.

Sure, Sandpaw replied, carefully climbing down the tree. Stonepaw followed, making sure to test his grip before shifting his weight. Sandpaw was close enough to the ground to jump, her brother close behind.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Foxriver leapt forward to make sure they didn't have any injuries.

"Positive," Stonepaw meowed.

"Let's go back to camp," The black she-cat suggested.

"No!" Stonepaw protested. "Let's-let's patrol the FlameClan border!"

"Um-Stonepaw, are you sure?" Sandpaw asked quietly.

"Of course! Why, you're not scared, are you?"

"No way!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Are you positive?"

"Yes!"

"Are you sure you're positive?"

"Stonepaw!"

"Alright then, let's go!"

He turned and ran off in the direction of the FlameClan border, leaving Sandpaw and Foxriver no choice but to follow him.

Stonepaw tasted the air. Sandpaw and Foxriver had just caught up to him, and he flicked his tail in annoyance.

"Fresh scent!" He hissed. "They've been stealing our prey!"

Sandpaw stood next to him, also gulping down the scents around them.

"No, genius," She said. "They just set new markers and the wind blew the fresh scent across the border."

"Oh," Stonepaw said. "Yeah, of course. I knew that. I just-er-wanted to test you. That's all."

The bushes rustled in the rival Clan's territory. "Did you hear that?" Sandpaw squeaked. Stonepaw opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as four FlameClan cats stepped out of the brush to face them; Wolfheart and her apprentice, Adderpaw, Ashstripe, and Lightningtail.

"Come to steal our prey, huh?" Wolfheart's fur was fluffed up, making her look twice her size. She bared her yellow teeth, sinking her claws into the ground.

"What? No, we were just patrolling the border," Foxriver was desperately trying to keep her voice level.

What do we do if they attack? Sandpaw thought. Me and Stonepaw are only apprentices, and Foxriver wouldn't be able to handle two huge warriors, would she?

Adderpaw was staring at her. Sandpaw tried to glare at him, but his amber eyes seemed to stare right through her. She looked away. Ashstripe and Lightningtail had also unsheathed their claws. Obviously, they didn't believe Foxriver. They were going to have to fight. Stonepaw was bristling beside her, a growl rising from his throat. Wolfheart leapt. She tackled Foxriver, Ashstripe right beside her, while Lightningtail knocked Stonepaw off his paws. Sandpaw was about to help him, but Adderpaw stepped in her way.

"Hello, love," He purred.

Sandpaw's tail twitched crossly. "D-don't call me th-that," She hissed through clenched teeth.

"Why not?" Adderpaw took two paw steps forward. Sandpaw tried to step back, but bumped into a tree. She swallowed. Stealing a sideways glance into the trees to her left, she decided to try and run for it. Adderpaw chased after her, leapt, and landed on her shoulders, pinning her to the ground.

He doesn't even have his claws unsheathed! Sandpaw thought. Does he think this is a game? She could hear a purr rumbling in his throat now. "I'm not going to hurt you," He mewed. "Now if you were you're brother, you wouldn't have made it this far."

Sandpaw heard a screech of pain coming from Stonepaw. "No!" She cried. "Stonepaw! Foxriver! Please, no! Adderpaw-"

"I'm afraid I can't help you," He said quickly. "If my father ever found out…"

Adderpaw shuddered. Sandpaw struggled uselessly to get up to help her brother and mentor, but Adderpaw had a strong grip, even with his claws sheathed. The harder she struggled, the worse it felt. Adderpaw placed a paw on the back of her neck, so if she tried to break free too hard, she would suffocate. Sandpaw kept thrashing, gasping for breath, until everything went black. The last thing she heard was Stonepaw's earsplitting shriek.