Runningpaw and Cinderhope pushed their way through the fern tunnel, yelling thanks over their shoulder. Runningpaw was going particularly fast, as he wanted to catch up to the traitor that was taking their kits!

As Runningpaw's paws pounded against the earth, he saw a gray blur run past him. It was Skycloud, and he had caught sight of them.

The young warrior hopped his way up to Runningpaw, who had slowed down a tad. "Hey Runningpaw," Skycloud greeted brightly. "Where are you going?" He asked curiously.

Runningpaw whipped his head around to the warrior and scowled at him. "None of your business," He hissed to his friend. "Shouldn't you be on some kind of patrol or something?"

Skycloud shook his head. "No, I don't have to join the patrols until tomorrow. Then I'm an official warrior. But for now, I get a small break from everything. Isn't that cool?"

"This isn't a vacation or anything," Runningpaw growled. "We are looking for our kits!"

Skycloud gave him a disgusted look. "Well, I didn't know that you and Cinderhope had such feelings for each other… fine, I'll let you be!"

"No! That's not it!" Runningpaw tried not to yowl. "We are looking for some of ThunderClan's kits!"

Skycloud nodded in realization. "Ohhhh, I see. Did they wander out of camp or something?"

"Uh…yeah," Runningpaw growled. Why was Skycloud acting so much like Molly- so empty-headed? It must have been the euphoria of becoming a warrior.

"Cool! Can I come?" Asked Skycloud bashfully.

Runningpaw sighed. "No, Skycloud," He groaned. In his opinion, the gray tom was acting like an overgrown kit. So ridiculous.

"Well why not? I need to come too, if you're going to save ThunderClan's kits!" Skycloud protested.

Runningpaw narrowed his eyes at his friend. "So that's what it is to you? Just becoming a better warrior in Ashstar's eyes?" He hissed slowly.

Cinderhope butted in before the two could start a spar. "Listen, Skycloud, I'm sorry but you can't come. This is just between Runningpaw and me…a mission."

"Did Ashstar give it to you?" Skycloud asked dumbly.

"No, she didn't," Cinderhope admitted, "But I did. As a deputy I have the right to assign missions to others, am I right?" He growled to the young warrior.

Skycloud nodded. "Yeah, yeah I know. As a deputy can you let me come?" He asked.

Cinderhope rolled his eyes. "I guess so," He mumbled. "But don't cause any trouble, don't be noisy, use everything that your mentor taught you."

"My mentor was Newtfrost," Skycloud randomly remarked.

"Yes, we know," Runningpaw started. Cinderhope flapped his tail in Runningpaw's face to make him stop.

"Then come on, Skycloud. Follow me," Cinderhope mewed as he started out through the bushes.

Runningpaw slowly followed, unsure of what was going to happen now, but he trusted his deputy. He knew that Cinderhope knew what he was doing…maybe.

Suddenly, an all too familiar smell hit Runningpaw's nose. His lips curled as he recognized it instantly. "Cinderhope!" He hissed.

The deputy turned his head.

"Smell."

Cinderhope took a whiff of the fresh newleaf sunhigh air. He smiled as he scented fresh white lilies, but soon his smile faded into a frown. "ShadowClan," He growled.

Skycloud snorted. "I'm not surprised!" He scoffed. "ShadowClan have been itching to sink their claws into ThunderClan fur ever since that poor kit wandered into their territory." The light gray tom bowed his head and his white tail drooped.

Runningpaw remembered some time ago what had happened to a certain ThunderClan kit, Tapkit, had wandered out into the wilderness and deep into ShadowClan's territory. Unfortunately, that happened to be the time that a ShadowClan patrol was out, and they caught sight of the kit and took it down. The kit didn't stand a chance- it had died within five minutes.

Ever since that had happened, ShadowClan were trying to get revenge on ThunderClan for the kit innocently meandering into their territory and were constantly cooking up different schemes to get into trouble with their enemy Clan.

The apprentice shuddered as he was reminded of Cloverkit; always getting into trouble and wandering out of camp.

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, Runningpaw told himself to focus his attention on who or what had taken the kits and return them immediately.

Cinderhope grunted. "Well, if we're going to find that piece of fox-dung let's get on with it." He pushed himself forward through the bushes and undergrowth, shaking cobwebs off of himself roughly.

"But are we sure that it was ShadowClan?" Runningpaw heard himself say as he pushed after Cinderhope. "You never know if it was a cat from WindClan or something."

"WindClan were on our side at the last Gathering," Skycloud growled through the juniper. "Remember? Those were the cats that defended us against ShadowClan's outrage about our cats sneaking into their territory and mating with their she-cats." The warrior snorted. "I can't believe that ShadowClan is blaming so many pregnant she-cats on us."

"Well, we're their first target," Cinderhope mewed back. "That Clan always blames us for whatever goes wrong in their Clan."

Runningpaw shook his head, stumbling back into the outside world that wasn't always stuffing his mouth full of juniper bush. "But why? Why do they hate us other than Tapkit?" The apprentice felt himself shrink under the hard glares of two warriors.

"Why? Why?" Skycloud hissed. "You may as well be asking why she-cats have kits." He smiled. "I myself have been wondering that."

Cinderhope shoved Skycloud seriously. "Skycloud, seriously, this isn't something that we should be joking over. Runningpaw, are you sure that you want to know?" He asked, giving his own apprentice a worried look.

The light brown tom nodded eagerly. "Do squirrels live in trees?" He shrunk again under the stare that Cinderhope was giving him. "I-I mean, yes, Cinderhope."

The deputy straightened himself. "Well, ShadowClan are against ThunderClan because…" He shut his eyes tight. "Because Runningpaw, we sheltered-"

Suddenly, a loud rustling was heard, and all of the cats were disrupted. Cinderhope was interrupted by the shivering branches that surrounded them. "We're being watched…what was that?" Skycloud mewed unsteadily.

Cinderhope shook his head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it must be a ShadowClan cat. Smell that?" He asked the two.

Runningpaw and Skycloud opened their mouths to smell for the reek of ShadowClan. Runningpaw felt a growl crawl up his throat.

"That's ShadowClan, all right," Skycloud remarked disgustedly. "What else would smell like the marshland and all of those…" He wrinkled his white nose. "…frogs?"

Runningpaw let out a grunt of agreement. ShadowClan always smelled like that, always of mud and frogs. Lots and lots of mud, and lots and lots of frogs. It almost was disgusting. But hey, if that was what ShadowClan were used to, that was their home scent.

Cinderhope pressed himself to the ground and gestured to the other two young toms to follow. Runningpaw frowned. Was the deputy trying to make them bow down and show respect?

But the smell of ShadowClan was getting stronger and stronger, and that meant that an enemy warrior was getting closer. It was best to show some kind of submissiveness around them so that they weren't attacked.

Suddenly, a loud mew was heard. Runningpaw jumped. "This cat has the kits!" He hissed to Cinderhope. "We have to get them back!"

Cinderhope said nothing but was closely watching the undergrowth. Runningpaw, following his gaze, could see traces of a black pelt there. That was the same cat that had taken the kits! And it was for sure a ShadowClan cat this time!

Suddenly, a muffled "oof" was heard. Runningpaw and Cinderhope leaned their heads in curiously to the bushes but not too close. A cat could never be too cautious around ShadowClan cats.

Frightened, a tiny kit plopped out of the bushes. She was a beautiful kit…a white she-cat with silver spots, about five or five and a half moons old. She was shivering with fear, but wasn't going anywhere. This was weird…

Runningpaw stepped out to pick up the kit, but Cinderhope pulled him back with his tail. "Don't!" He hissed.

"Why?" Asked Runningpaw. This was confusing. Well it made sense: the tom was trying to lure some cat to get the kit and then he would lunge out at whoever dared to come up to him.

Runningpaw nodded slowly, showing that he understood, and stepped back. The poor kit had tears springing to its eyes, and they started to run down her face. Runningpaw felt guilty but told himself that he had to stay back from the ShadowClan warrior.

"Give us the kits!" Shouted a furious Cinderhope. "Come out of the bushes, you are surrounded by a ThunderClan patrol."

"Yeah right," came a deep, booming voice from the bushes. "I only see three of ya. Why would I want to come out anyway? ShadowClan now have three fresh new apprentices for ourselves, and it's all thanks to you guys for letting us have them.

"How do you know that we'll let you have the kits?" Asked Runningpaw threateningly.

The tom snickered. "Well, I have my ways," He laughed.

Runningpaw held his breath as the ShadowClan cat stepped out of the bushes. But he didn't gasp like the other when he saw the black, bulky tom standing before them.

It was Hurricanesong. And Runningpaw wasn't surprised.