Chapter 15

Jaysong's gray eyes blinked open as the first rays of sunlight came streaming through the brambles of the warriors' den. Jaysong got to her paws and as she did, Brambleclaw opened one of his amber eyes and meowed, "Why are you getting up so early, Jaysong? You aren't due for the dawn patrol."

"I think I might go hunting," Jaysong lied, her thoughts already on Blackstar. It was two days after Blackstar had confessed his love for Jaysong and the golden brown warrior was anxious to see him again. Jaysong felt guilty about lying to her Clan deputy, but she knew that Brambleclaw would never understand her feelings for Blackstar.

"Would you mind taking Ashpaw out with you?" Sandstorm's mew sounded from the far side of the warriors' den. "I promised Firestar I would lead the sunhigh patrol and I don't have it in me to do that and train Ashpaw."

Foxdung, Jaysong thought angrily to herself, but she dipped her head to Sandstorm anyway. Jaysong knew that there was no way she could refuse Sandstorm's request without giving away her real motives. Next to Sandstorm, Graystripe got to his paws and Jaysong realized she had something in common with the gray warrior. They both fell in love with cats from other Clans.

Jaysong pushed her way out of the warriors' den and watched Firestar dip his head to the departing dawn patrol. Millie was leading the patrol followed by Berrynose, Rosestripe, and Lionblaze. Jaysong watched Millie leave, marveling that the kittypet was leading such an important Clan duty.

Firestar noticed Jaysong and meowed, "Jaysong, what are you doing up so early?" Firestar padded towards Jaysong, his dark ginger fur looking like a fire in the rising sun. The memories of the ShadowClan fire made Jaysong's neck hair stand on the end and she wanted- even more desperately- to go and talk with Blackstar again.

"I thought I would go hunting and Sandstorm suggested that I take Ashpaw with me," Jaysong mewed, looking anywhere, but Firestar's piercing green eyes. Jaysong thought that if she kept eye contact with the ThunderClan leader, her secrets would start spilling out.

"Good," Firestar praised, "Ashpaw has been sick with whitecough for quite sometime now. It would do her good to be out in the forest again." Firestar paused before adding, "Jaysong is there anything you aren't telling me? I know that sometimes there are secrets within the Clans, but I want you to know that you can trust me with anything."

"Thank you, Firestar, but I'm fine," Jaysong meowed before padding towards the apprentices' den. Sticking her head through the entrance, Jaysong spotted Ashpaw's white pelt, alone in the den. As of the moment Ashpaw was the only apprentice and Jaysong wondered how long it would be until another joined her. "Hey Ashpaw, wake up!"

Ashpaw scrambled to her paws and mewed, "Jaysong! What is it? Is the camp under attack?" Jaysong saw Ashpaw's long claws flex eagerly and realized with a jolt that the white apprentice hadn't fought in any real battles yet. Jaysong and Stripepool had fought ShadowClan warriors on the first day of their apprenticeship and Jaysong had also killed the dog that had terrorized ThunderClan.

"The camp is safe, Ashpaw," Jaysong reassured and watched with slight amusement when Ashpaw's face fell, "But we are going out hunting. Sandstorm offered to lead the sunhigh patrol and asked me to take you out so that you don't fall too behind in your training."

Ashpaw nodded and followed Jaysong out of the apprentices' den and into the forest that awaited them. Stopping once they were about a badger-length away from the camp, Jaysong turned to Ashpaw and suggested, "How about we split up? We will catch more prey that way."

Ashpaw nodded and the two cats split up. As the scent of squirrel engulfed her, Jaysong crouched and began stalking towards the small gray animal that was nibbling on a nut. Pausing for another second, Jaysong lunged at the squirrel and killed it with one swift bite to the next. Burying her catch, Jaysong tasted the air for more prey.

Soon a mouse and a rabbit joined the squirrel as Jaysong continued hunting. The scent of a bird- pigeon- flooded Jaysong's nostrils and the golden brown warrior instantly dropped into a crouch. Sliding forward, Jaysong was about to spring when a white blur shot at the bird.

"Well done, Ashpaw," Jaysong praised and Ashpaw dropped her prey, letting out a loud purr. "I caught a mouse and a rabbit back there. Take that and whatever else you caught back to camp and tell Sandstorm I let you off for the day. Also tell your mentor that I think your training is going along well. You are going to be a warrior very soon."

Ashpaw purred again and quickly raced off towards the direction of camp. Jaysong's ear flicked in amusement as she remembered her own days as an apprentice. Back then the warrior code meant everything to Jaysong, but never had she imagined she would be breaking it one day.

Jaysong ran towards the ShadowClan border and when their scents mingled with ThunderClan's, the golden brown warrior halted. Spotting a low branched tree, Jaysong climbed it and then rested, gray eyes peering downward in search of Blackstar's white pelt. Suddenly there was rustling ahead and Blackstar appeared, flanked by two smaller cats.

Blackstar paused at the foot of Jaysong's tree and then turned to the smaller cats, mewing, "Tigerpaw, Dawnpaw, your training is coming along quite well. Hunt on your way back to camp and tell Russetfur and Oakfur I'm proud of them."

Both cats nodded before taking off into the dark forest. Blackstar then padded to the border and his gold eyes searched the trees, called, "Jaysong, come out. We need to talk." Blackstar then sat down, wrapping his white tail around his giant black paws. Jaysong paused for another moment before sliding down the tree and landing infront of Blackstar.

Jaysong dipped her head in greeting and waited for Blackstar to start talking. After another moment's pause, Blackstar meowed, "I didn't think I was going to see you around here anymore. I thought you would want to avoid me. So why are you here?"

"Blackstar, we can't be together. I'm a warrior of ThunderClan and you're ShadowClan's leader. Being together would be breaking the warrior code." Jaysong mewed sadly, wondering if Blackstar could hear the sadness in her tone.

"Don't lie, Jaysong, at least not to me. I can see the truth in your eyes. I know you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you." Blackstar clawed at the ground furiously, his gold eyes narrowing into slits, "There must be a way we can be together." Jaysong padded over and gave Blackstar's ear a gentle lick, trying to sooth the ShadowClan leader.

"You caught me, Blackstar, I do love you." Jaysong met Blackstar's eyes and the two cats- one ThunderClan and the other ShadowClan- shared tongues for the first time.