"Up!" A rough voice growled. Nightpaw rolled out of his nest and looked up at his mentor, Creamtail.
"Up!" The tom repeated. Nightpaw groaned and got slowly to his paws. He hated dawn patrols.
"Hurry!" Creamtail hissed. Nightpaw blinked blearily and tripped over his brother, Pinepaw.
"Nightpaw," Pinepaw complained. "Just because you have to get up early doesn't mean I have to."
"Be quiet Pinepaw." Wrenpaw mumbled. "Go back to sleep."
Pinepaw grumbled to himself and fell back asleep. Nightpaw stumbled after his mentor and met Froghop, Cherrystep, and Owlflight.
"Let's go!" Cherrystep mewed excitedly. Nightpaw shook his head in disbelief. How could she be so perky so early? She pranced ahead of the patrol until Froghop growled for her to stay with the group and to act like a warrior. They had just gotten to the Thunderpath at the Thunderclan border when Owlflight swiveled his ears around. "Thunderclan patrol." He whispered. Nightpaw was definitely impressed with Owlflight's hearing skills, and now they could show Thunderclan who was boss. At the last gathering they had refused to admit that they had stolen prey. Personally, Nightpaw didn't think that they had stolen any prey, but he never gave up the opportunity for a fight, and now was his chance. The Shadowclan patrol crouched silently, waiting until they could cross the Thunderpath safely, and when they could, the five cats sprinted across. When they were across, the Thunderclan cats came into view. There was five of them, a dark gray she-cat, a ginger she-cat, a brown tabby tom, a black tom, and a smaller light gray and white she-cat. The smaller cat looked really familiar to Nightpaw, but he couldn't place his paw on how he knew her. She squinted her eyes at him, thinking the same thing.
"Shadowclan attack!" Froghop yowled angrily, leaping at the ginger she-cat.
"Thunderclan attack!" The dark gray she-cat yowled in reply. The smaller she-cat jumped forward towards Nightpaw and pinned him down. "Don't fight." She whispered. "I don't want to fight you. I'm going to claw you and you throw me off and follow me into the forest." She raked her claws down Nightpaw's ear and he held back the urge to claw her back, but he threw her off like he was supposed to. She started to run into the forest when the ginger she-cat yowled hoarsely. "Thunderclan retreat."
The cat blinked apologetically at Nightpaw and raced after her clanmates. Nightpaw growled inwardly, he really wanted to know who she was.
"Let's go." Cherrystep mewed to Nightpaw, blood seeping out of a wound on her cheek. "Wow, you hardly got hurt!" She gazed proudly at him and for the first time, Nightpaw noticed how pretty Cherrystep was.
"Thanks." He muttered shyly. "You fought really well."
Cherrystep dipped her head in thanks and they padded back to camp. When they made it back, Wrenpaw bounded up to Nightpaw. "I heard how well you fought!" She gushed. "You threw that Thunderclan cat at least four foxtails!"
Nightpaw licked his fur in embarrassment. Why were these she-cats so nice and attractive?
"Would you like to share a toad with me?" Wrenpaw meowed. Cherrystep shook her head in amusement and padded away, leaving Nightpaw and Wrenpaw alone.