Chapter 2: Don't cross the borders

Hey guys, thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to review and hope you enjoy. Smileyface.

Starpaw sighed, looking out into ThunderClan territory. She frowned. Fish was still scarce, but Stonefur had finally taught Starpaw how to catch it. Although he was right when he said it would be easier if there was actually fish in the river, she didn't care. She was glad she was learning something.

"Starpaw!" Rosepaw called, bounding towards her sister. Starpaw glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

Starpaw shrugged, glancing back at the forest. She had a feeling something was beyond there… was it Rusty? Crookedstar did mention a flame-colored kittypet that joined ThunderClan… that's got to be Rusty!

Rosepaw sighed. "Are you still thinking about finding Rusty?"

Starpaw met her sister's gaze evenly. "That's what we originally came here for, isn't it?"

Rosepaw let out a hiss of annoyance. "Starpaw… I doubt that Rusty is anywhere near the Clans. And if he is, he definitely isn't in RiverClan!"

Rolling her eyes, Starpaw stood up. Her blue gaze remained fixated on the river. The only thing blocking her from ThunderClan territory.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of going to look for him?" she asked. Starpaw shook her head.

"I already know where he is."
Rosepaw's eyes widened as she bounded up to her sister. "Really?" she mewed. "How did you find out?"

"Remember how Crookedstar said when we first arrived we weren't the first kittypets wanting to join a Clan?" Rosepaw nodded. "Well… if he's flame-colored theres only one cat I know that looks like fire. And that is Rusty."

Rosepaw let out a sigh. "I don't know… Starpaw, shouldn't we try and find Whiteclaw and Stonefur? Maybe then we can train more and-"

Starpaw interrupted her sister by jumping into the water. Swimming to the Sunningrocks she heard her sister calling after her. Soon enough there was another splash as Rosepaw joined. Starpaw glanced over her shoulder, smirking. "You're joining?"

Rosepaw huffed as they made it to the other side. "Only because I'm making sure you won't get killed." They shook their pelts of the wet water. Starpaw glanced back at the forest. Her paws tingled. They were on ThunderClan territory.

This is a bad idea… but I need to see Rusty.

Before Starpaw or Rosepaw had a chance to move, a yowl broke their thoughts. Starpaw's eyes widened as she spotted forest cats racing towards them. A hefty dark brown tabby with long front claws was the first to confront them. His teeth bared as he faced the two apprentices. Starpaw backed away, her eyes wide. His claws… they're huge!

"What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" he snarled.

"I-I-I…" stammered Rosepaw. Starpaw glanced back at her sister. She was trembling again - this time Starpaw couldn't decipher whether it was because she was cold or the large tabby's presence made her nervous.

A sleek gray-and-black tabby tom stepped forward. He sniffed the two, his eyes narrowed. "RiverClan," he nearly spat. Starpaw felt her cackles raise at his tone. How dare he! As if he is any better!

"What, RiverClan doesn't have any warriors so they send apprentices to invade?" sneered a pale tabby tom, dark black stripes on his pelt. Starpaw narrowed her eyes.

"No," she meowed. "We were looking for something."
"Get off our territory, fish-breath," snarled the gray-and-black tabby. Starpaw was stunned. Fish-breath? Just because I'm in RiverClan?

She attempted to scan the rest of the patrol. Aside from the three toms who had spoken to her she didn't recognize anyone else. She felt her heart drop to her chest; where was Rusty?

"Don't make me use my claws on you, apprentice," the tabby hissed, gaining Starpaw's attention. "Get off ThunderClan territory."

Starpaw narrowed her eyes, meeting his gaze evenly. After staring at her for a while, his amber gaze softened and his sneer turned into a smirk. "You were looking for your friend, you said?"

Starpaw nodded.

He bared his teeth, his claws unsheathed. "Well Fireheart is already a trouble-maker as it is; and if you haven't overlooked the warrior code, I wouldn't try making friends in other Clans."

Starpaw was confused. Stonefur had told her that it was all right for her to make friends in other Clans as long as they weren't too close. What is wrong with this cat? she wondered.

"Starpaw," Rosepaw whispered. Starpaw glanced back at her sister, seeing that her dark blue eyes were wide with fear. "L-Let's go now…"

"I'd listen to your Clanmate," the dark brown tabby meowed. "She understands the true meaning of the code."

Starpaw's tail lashed as she turned to face the tom. "Maybe you should look over the warrior code for yourself," she snapped. "Then you'll actually gain some respect."

"Let's take her, Tigerclaw!" snarled the dark gray tabby. His claws flexed. The other cat beside him nodded.

Tigerclaw, the dark brown tabby, shook his head. "No…" he muttered. "She is a RiverClan cat after all." He nodded to the others. "Back to camp. We can report this to Crookedstar at the Gathering." His gaze swung back to Starpaw. "And I hope you don't run into me again, kittypet. You're going to wish you hadn't."

Starpaw was baffled. How could a cat act like this towards someone he hardly knew? She glowered as the patrol disappeared.

"Do you think anyone will notice we've been gone for long?" asked Starpaw. Rosepaw shook her head.

"We're just the kittypets who barely became apprentices," mewed Rosepaw. "I doubt they'll even notice us take some fresh-kill."
To their luck, the apprentices were right. As they walked into camp, the only cat who noticed them was Silverstream. She bounded towards them, asking them what had happened and why they were wet. Starpaw told her that they wanted to practice their swimming technique.

Silverstream's eyes were narrowed. "Really?"

Rosepaw nodded. "Um… yeah. I'm not the best," she added.

"Y-Yeah, I was helping her," mewed Starpaw, thankful for her sister's cooperation in the lie.

Silverstream didn't look as if she believed the two, although she didn't say anything as she led them to the fresh-kill pile. She let out a sigh. "I can't believe how much fish we have…" she murmured, poking at the small pile. Starpaw nodded, also looking at the pitiful pile. She felt bad for RiverClan but her mind kept wandering back to Rusty.

"Starpaw, are you alright?" Rosepaw asked. Starpaw glanced at her sister, nodding her head. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Rosepaw frowned but didn't push the matter further to Starpaw's relief. Silverstream looked at the two apprentices before shaking her head.

"The Gathering is going to be tomorrow," she meowed. "I'd be on your best behavior if you want to go."

Starpaw's ears perked. The Gathering! She then remembered bitterly how Tigerclaw had threatened to tell Crookedstar what had happened over the border. Rosepaw nudged her sister at the sight of Stonefur and Whiteclaw padding over towards them. Starpaw sat up straight at the sight of her mentors.

"Ready for some battle training?" Stonefur asked. Starpaw nodded as she, Whiteclaw and Rosepaw followed Stonefur farther down RiverClan territory.

Starpaw felt giddy with excitement; she couldn't wait to learn battle moves, but at the same time she worried that she wouldn't be able to succeed in the moves he would teach her. As they made it to a clearing, Whiteclaw was the first to demonstrate a move.

"It's called the Leap-and-Hold," he mewed. "I know it's a little advanced for beginning apprentices, but your sizes are practically a warriors'."

Rosepaw nodded. Starpaw on the other hand tried to bite back a yawn. I didn't sleep at all last night… Stay focused!

Before Starpaw had the chance to get into a battle crouch Leopardfur came into view followed by Shadepaw. She frowned when she spotted Whiteclaw and Stonefur beside their apprentices. Stonefur straightened up, nodding his head to the two Clanmates.

"Hello, Leopardfur."

She narrowed her eyes. "I thought I told you to be on the patrol." She swung her yellow gaze towards Whiteclaw.

Whiteclaw's blue eyes widened. "I forgot." He dipped his head to the deputy. "I'm sorry, Leopardfur."

The dappled she-cat's eyes remained narrowed, then spotted the two apprentices. Her gaze softened at the sight of seeing them training. She let out a sigh, her gaze relaxing as she straightened herself. "Your apprentices are free to join us," she meowed. "Get a better look at what it's like to be on a patrol."

Starpaw exchanged a look with Rosepaw. Although it wasn't what she had intended to spend the rest of her evening, she could tell Rosepaw didn't want her mentor to get into any trouble. Nodding their agreement to Whiteclaw, he led Stonefur and the two apprentices alongside Leopardfur and Shadepaw as they headed farther towards territory Starpaw didn't recognize.

The gorge was steep and narrow, Starpaw realized as she tried to match her footing compared to Leopardfur's. Her blue eyes darted towards her sister who was conversing with her mentor. Starpaw envied the easy way her sister could get along with anyone; the only other cat Starpaw could talk to easily was Rusty.

Starpaw could hear the river from where they were walking. Her ears twitched at the loud roaring of the waves crashing against the banks. She sighed, wishing Rosepaw was beside her to talk to. Instead she kept quiet, walking alongside Shadepaw. The apprentice was watching her.

"My name is Shadepaw," he meowed. Starpaw nodded to him.

"Hi…"

His yellow eyes flashed. "Your name is Starpaw, right?"

She nodded.

"Weren't you a kittypet before?"

Starpaw immediately felt her ears flatten to her head. She wished that everyone would stop mentioning her past life. She didn't like how they remembered how she was a housecat - she knew if they kept thinking that, she never would truly be a Clan cat.

Shadepaw turned away quickly. "S-Sorry… That's just what Leopardfur told me."

Starpaw shook her head, sighing. I'm going to have to get used to it. "It's fine. And yes, I was."

Shadepaw nodded, looking back at her. "That's actually really cool."

Starpaw's eyes widened. Cool? "How so?"

"Well… the only other kittypet that joined the Clans was the one from ThunderClan," Shadepaw mewed, watching his paws. "And I heard he breaks the code a lot. But so far you haven't done anything and it seems like you really respect everyone and everything. And you don't seem too soft for a kittypet," he added, his yellow eyes sparkling.

Starpaw nodded, feeling warm inside. Although she knew it wasn't much of a compliment, it was still a start. And she liked the feeling knowing that someone thought that she was interesting besides her sister and Rusty.

Leopardfur let out a warning screech. Immediately Starpaw snapped her head up, seeing a few cats walking ahead of them - on RiverClan territory! Blood rushed in her ears as the older warriors pushed aside of her - even Shadepaw pelted after them at the intruders. Leopardfur let out another battle cry before pouncing on a light brown tabby. Starpaw exchanged another glance with her sister before racing after them. When she had gotten to the midst of the skirmish everything was a blur. She hadn't really faced fighting and the only moves she knew were ones to protect herself.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Whiteclaw race towards a familiar ginger tom with blazing green eyes…

"Rusty!" gasped Starpaw before being rammed into by her mentor. She quickly steadied herself as Stonefur mewed a rushed apology as he ran back towards the cat who had flung him off. Starpaw shook her head, trying to pinpoint Rusty again. He was fighting off Whiteclaw, although the dark RiverClan warrior was stronger. She watched as he clawed and tore at her friend.

Before she knew it, Starpaw had ran at her fellow Clanmate, barreling him off of Rusty. Whiteclaw's eyes widened in confusion at the sight of the apprentice. She quickly got off her sister's mentor, her eyes wide. She didn't know why she did it. He's definitely going to tell Crookedstar! I'll be banned! Why did I do that?

Rusty's eyes widened at the sight of the cat who had saved him.

"St-Star?" he stammered, his eyes wide as he looked like he didn't believe what he was seeing. Starpaw turned to face her old friend.

"Rusty… hi." She mentally shunned herself. 'Rusty… hi'?! That's the best you can come up with?

Before Rusty had a chance to say something another battle cry sounded. Starpaw turned around to see Tigerclaw - she recognized the hefty ThunderClan tom as he raced down to the gorge followed by the familiar ginger apprentice and two other cats she didn't recognize. They immediately joined in the skirmish, touseling with the RiverClan cats. Starpaw looked around quickly for her sister, but couldn't spot her. Before she had a chance to say something to Rusty, a body rammed into her.

Her eyes widened in shock as she met the gaze of a tabby tom. His eyes narrowed as he swiftly got off her. His claws unsheathed he slashed across her face. Starpaw let out a yowl, falling backwards in shock. My nose! She could feel the blood welling across her muzzle.

"Runningwind, stop!" Rusty shouted, standing in front of Starpaw. Runningwind's eyes widened in confusion.

"Fireheart? What are you doing! She's a RiverClan cat!"

Fireheart? Taking a better look at her old friend, she realized his name lived up to what he was. His ginger coat seemed to blaze despite the hazy weather.

Thunder crackled as Starpaw glanced around nervously. She spotted her mentor Stonefur tussling with Tigerclaw. As he bit at his leg harshly, Stonefur yowled in pain as he scrambled away, disappearing among the bushes followed by Shadepaw and Leopardfur.

Panic arose in Starpaw. Where was Whiteclaw and Rosepaw? She looked around hurriedly, shoving past Rusty as she spotted Rosepaw fighting with the familiar sandy ginger she-cat. The she-cat's eyes blazed and Starpaw noticed they were nearing the cliff closer and closer. Her heart began pounding as she raced after the two she-cats. They're going to fall off the edge!

She felt a cat brush past her and watched as Rusty reached the two before her. He hauled Rosepaw off of the she-cat hardly and threw her off. Rosepaw let out a yelp as she rammed into the ground, wincing. Immediately Starpaw rushed to her sister. She knelt down beside her, sniffing her. She wasn't bleeding.

"Starpaw?" Rosepaw asked, dazed. She blinked a few times then looked at Rusty. "I-Is that…?"

Starpaw nodded. "It is." She felt happiness rush through her. She had found him.

"Wh-Where's Whiteclaw?" Rosepaw murmured, attempting to stand up. Starpaw helped her up as the two she-cats looked around. Where was Whiteclaw?

"I can win battles without your help!" she heard the she-cat snarl at Fireheart. Fireheart's green gaze widened and he opened his mouth to explain but a terrible yowl sounded, making all cats present turn their heads.

Starpaw's eyes widened in horror at what she saw. The gray tom she had noticed before was reaching over the ledge. What she saw dangling from it was Whiteclaw.

It all seemed to happen so slowly. She noticed the gray tom attempt to help haul her sister's mentor up, but Whiteclaw's paws flailed as he slipped off the edge, falling to the thundering waters below him.

With a crash, Starpaw and the others immediately rushed towards the ledge. Starpaw's eyes widened with terror as she saw Whiteclaw's head disappear against the rushing waves.

"Whiteclaw!" yowled Rosepaw, hanging off the edge. Stonefur was by her side, pulling her away.

"Whiteclaw, no!" Leopardfur yowled mournfully. She glanced over her shoulder. They had come back. She noticed her sister was shaking and Shadepaw's yellow eyes were wide with horror.

"I-I… I tried to help him…" the gray tom was mewing. She glanced towards him. He was shaking - either with cold or fear at what he had just witnessed, Starpaw couldn't tell. "I tried to grab him… He lost his footing. I didn't mean to…" His words tumbled out breathlessly and Starpaw noticed how his thick fur clung wetly to his frame. His eyes were wide as well.

Rusty immediately went towards him. "Graystripe…"

Starpaw was about to head towards them but was stopped by her mentor. His blue eyes narrowed as he gently pushed her away.

"This has gone beyond just a mere border fight," Leopardfur growled. "We shall return to our Clan. It has become a matter to settle at another time and in a different way." Swinging her gaze towards the rest of the RiverClan cats, she nodded her head back to their camp. Before walking off, she glanced towards Tigerclaw. He met her stare evenly.

After the two nodded to one another, Leopardfur glanced towards the RiverClan cats. With a flick of her tail Starpaw followed after her. Rosepaw was trudging limply behind Shadepaw, her tail dangling low. As Starpaw walked alongside Stonefur, she looked over her shoulder once more to see Rusty one more time.

His green eyes met hers.

Turning away, smiling to herself, she bounded after the patrol as they disappeared in the bushes, heading back to camp. Her smile quickly faded as she remembered what had just happened. Whiteclaw was dead. Whiteclaw was gone.

I can't believe it.

Starpaw had never witness a death before, so she didn't necessarily know how to react. Although she and Whiteclaw didn't talk much, he was respectable and kind when he spoke with Rosepaw, talking to her to help her understand. Feeling a pang in her heart, Starpaw knew she would miss the dark brown warrior.

Once they were back to camp, Leopardfur sullenly went to Crookedstar, telling him the news. Crookedstar's eyes widened in shock then dipped his head, mourning the passing.

Starpaw glanced towards her sister. She bounded towards her, nudging her. She was staring at her paws, trembling.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked.

Rosepaw looked up, her dark blue eyes dull. "I-I'm fine…"

Crookedstar stepped into the clearing. "Gather to hear my words," he meowed. As the cats slunk out of their dens, Silverstream made her way towards the two apprentices. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of Rosepaw.

"What's the matter? What happened?" she questioned. Starpaw opened her mouth to explain, but Crookedstar was quicker.

"I grieve to tell you all this," he started. "But Whiteclaw is dead."

Murmurs of shock arose throughout the Clan. Crookedstar waited for it to die down before continuing. "He was a noble, strong warrior and his death was unnecessary. However, he has left an apprentice in his death." His gaze swung towards Rosepaw. "Rosepaw, your mentor from now on shall be me."

Gasps arose throughout the Clan as Starpaw glanced at her sister. The Clan leader? Some murmurs of approval rang throughout as well.

"R-Really?" Rosepaw stammered. Crookedstar nodded. "There are no other warriors free to train you," he meowed. "I will carry out your training from now on."

Starpaw's eyes were wide. Wow, the Clan leader? She glanced at her sister. Congratulations, Rosepaw.

Although she did feel jealous her sister was being trained underneath Crookedstar, she couldn't help but remember the way Rusty's ginger pelt seemed to blaze like fire and how his green eyes seemed to shine.

Fireheart… The ThunderClan tom had called him Fireheart. As RiverClan gathered to mourn the death of Whiteclaw, Starpaw closed her eyes, the thoughts of Fireheart racing through her mind.