Twigpaw padded halfway back to camp before she decided to go investigate along the ShadowClan border and see if that mysterious cat was there again.

"I'm going to go hunt in the pines," she mewed to the rest of the patrol.

"All right, but be careful not to cross the border." Sorreltail flicked her tail and dismissed her.

"See you back at camp, Twigpaw," her brother called as she raced toward the ShadowClan border. She couldn't wait to shred the cat who was stalking her Clanmates.

As she came upon the ShadowClan border, she halted and hid in a bush when she heard rustling in the pine needles across the border. She watched, eyes wide open, as a pair of bright green eyes glowed in a bush just on the ShadowClan side of the border.

"Who are you?" Twigpaw was careful not to show herself, though the cat looked straight at her. She got no response except for a blink. "Well? Who are you and why do you watch my Clanmates on patrols?"

Still no response. Just as she prepared herself to ask again, the eyes looked to their right and then blinked closed as a brown tabby appeared and sniffed the border.

Tigerheart?

He waited there for a long time before he pricked his ears and looked across the border.

Oh no! Has he smelled me?

"Dovewing!" The brown tom whispered the name across the border. "Is that you?" She was about to say "no" when another cat answered from behind her.

"Yes." The grey-furred she-cat stepped out of the undergrowth.

Great StarClan! Is every cat in the Clans here?

"I'm so happy to see you," Tigerheart's mew came out as a purr and Twigpaw could feel the affection in the air.

"Me too. I can't believe our Clanmates haven't found out yet. This might actually work." Twigpaw could feel the hope rising in Dovewing's chest.

"It will." Tigerheart pressed his muzzle to his mate's cheek and purred. "I love you."

"I love you too."

What! How could Dovewing betray her Clan like this?

"You're sure none of your Clanmates know about this?" Twigpaw could hear the nervousness in the ShadowClan warrior's mew.

"Absolutely. Not even my sister," Dovewing stiffened as the last sentence escaped her throat. It was obvious to Twigpaw that it was a blatant lie.

"Come on. I had something special planned tonight." He led the grey she-cat away and Twigpaw breathed a sigh of relief. What in the name of StarClan was Dovewing thinking? She was the best hunter in all the Clans and she was throwing it away by secretly meeting Tigerheart!

"Mouse-brain," Twigpaw muttered. She shuffled backwards out of the bush and was about to head to camp when she thought about how many cats would wonder where she'd been.

I'll hunt and then tell them I couldn't sleep.

She opened her mouth and tasted all the scents, but it was mostly the approaching frost that clogged her nose and bathed her tongue. She breathed in deeply and caught a whiff of prey-scent. Her paws carried her toward the smell and she paused when a large creature came into view.

Pheasant!

She almost yowled for joy at the sight. That bird could feed the whole Clan! It was huge!

Twigpaw slowly dropped into a crouch, careful not to lose her balance. She bunched her muscles and cautiously drew herself forward. The pheasant's head shot up and the small apprentice stiffened, holding her breath. Soon it lost interest in whatever it heard and went back to nibbling on a small nut.

She leaped onto the bird and drew her back legs forward, trapping the bird between her front and hind legs as she delivered the killing bite. The bird went limp in her grasp, and she stood up to admire her catch.

The Clan will be so proud of me! She knew that this catch might be what kept her Clan from starving. Almost every leafbare, one cat would be severely sickened or die from hunger in her Clan. With any luck, this pheasant would prevent that this time.

She sank her teeth into the skin on the bird's neck and drug it back to camp, hoping that she didn't scare all the prey away with the noise she was making. Huffing, she dropped the pheasant onto the fresh-kill pile with a thud.

Immediately, heads poked out from dens and surprised yowls started to erupt from around the clearing as the cats hurried to see her catch.

"Did you catch this?" Twigpaw nodded happily.

"That's amazing!"

"Great catch!"

"This'll feed the whole Clan!" Twigpaw looked at her paws, embarrassed by all the compliments.

"It's really nothing."

"Yes it is! It's amazing! I haven't had pheasant in seasons!" Mousefur had joined the commotion, too.

Twigpaw didn't see Sootpaw anywhere. She looked over at the apprentice den to see if he was there, and he was. He looked downcast, sad, and upset. Twigpaw saw him throw her a hateful glare and stalk back into the den.

What was up with him? He seemed so angry and mean lately. Why couldn't he just be happy for her?