Not all cats follow the Code all of the time. For where there are young cats and a set of Laws to break, there is always mischief brewing. This story is between LeafClan and WaterfallClan.

Trespassers

"Ouch! You're stepping on my paw!" Flowertail yelped.

"Sorry! I thought it was a pebble," Cloverleaf said.

"Since when do pebbles have fur?" her sister asked. Flowertail shakes her paw and turns so that the starlight glows in her eyes.

Cloverleaf wriggles up beside Flowertail.

"Are we at the river?" the white she-cat asked. Flowertail shifts to make room under the ferns.

"Yes. Look!" Ahead of them, the ground is covered with small gray pebbles, sloping down to deep, dark, black water that flows swiftly by sparkling by the reflected starlight.

"It's somewhat scary at night." Cloverleaf shrinks back against Flowertail's strong shoulder. Flowertail gives her a nudge from behind.

"We'll be fine," Flowertail said. There's no way I'm going back to the camp now. This is the biggest adventure I'll ever have! In fact, it's probably the biggest adventure any LeafClan cat has ever had! We don't need to take WaterfallClan's prey – its summer and the trees are filled with juicy birds and mice – but I want to see what fish taste like, and why WaterfallClan is so arrogant about their prey being the best of all the Clans! Cloverleaf jumps onto the flat rock at the edge of the river and peers into the water.

"I don't see any fish. Do you think fish sleep like cats?" Cloverleaf asked. Flowertail becomes impatient as she squeezes onto the rock beside Cloverleaf.

"Fish don't sleep!"

"They must, otherwise they'll be very tired."

"Well, maybe we can wake some of them up." Flowertail shifts forward until her forepaws are hanging over the water.

"Is that how WaterfallClan cats catch fish? You look like you're going to fall in."

"Look!" Flowertail strains her neck out until her whiskers quiver with the effort. "There's something over there!" Flowertail tenses her hindlegs and before Cloverleaf can say anything, she leaps off the rock with her front paws outstretched and plummets into the water with a huge splash. Cloverleaf springs back blinking as drops of water fly into her eyes. She shakes her head and stares at the river.

The current is flowing as fast as ever, but now it is carrying Flowertail, gasping and scrabbling to keep her head above the surface. Flowertail thought. "Flowertail! Come back!"

"I'm…trying…" Flowertail said muffled. There is another splash and Flowertail's head bobs under a wave as the water sweeps her around a rock. Cloverleaf stands on the shore, her tail bristling with shock.

"HELP!" Cloverleaf shouted. Flowertail reappears farther downstream.

"Don't…tell…anyone…we're…here…Get…into…trouble…"

"BUT YOU'RE DROWNING! HELP!" Cloverleaf shrieked. Somewhere in the forest, an owl hoots, but there is no sound of cats coming to help. Cloverleaf looks at the swift black river, takes a deep breath, and runs into the waves. The water is so cold that she can't breathe. Waves swarm around her, cutting her off from both shores, and filling her ears with a deafening hiss. Swimming is just like running, but in water, right?

Cloverleaf untangles her legs and tries to move them as if she is walking on grass, but as soon as she has hauled herself upright in the water, she sinks and has to scramble back to the surface gasping for air. This is the worst idea that Flowertail has ever had! Cloverleaf thought.

"What in the name of HeavenClan is going on?" Brackenfur asked. Above Cloverleaf's head there is a gray and black tom standing on the WaterfallClan side of the river, his eyes as full as moons.

"HELP!" Cloverleaf yelped. The water fills Cloverleaf's mouth and makes her cough. Another cat appears beside the first one.

"Brackenfur, it's clearly not out for a nighttime swim. You had better go and fish it out before it drowns," Shadowstar said. Brackenfur slides into the water; his head begins bobbing steadily towards Cloverleaf. Cloverleaf keeps her mouth closed as she flails her paws, trying to stay in the same place. She winces as Brackenfur's teeth clamp tightly in the scruff of her neck and she feels herself being dragged through the water back to the shore. Her paws scrape against the rocks and she staggers out of the river, most of the river water streaming off her fur.

"My Clanmate! She's still in the river!"

"Idiots!" snarled the WaterfallClan Leader. Shadowstar braces his thick pelted black shoulders and heads for the river. "Brackenfur, you stay here and make sure this featherbrain doesn't try to follow me." Shadowstar breaks into a run and disappears into the river, his pace unfaltering even as he starts to swim.

"You're from LeafClan, aren't you?" Brackenfur asked in a disapproving voice.

"Y-yes," Cloverleaf said shivering.

"Let me guess. You were trying to steal our fish?" Cloverleaf's head and tail droop even lower.

"S-sorry…" Brackenfur hisses and then he raises his head.

"Look Shadowstar found your Clanmate!"

Shadowstar? Oh great. We've been rescued by the Leader of WaterfallClan. Cloverleaf thought.

"Cloverleaf! Look!" Flowertail said. The noisy splashing makes Cloverleaf turn around. Flowertail stumbles out of the water with Shadowstar shoving her from behind. Her fur is slicked against her sides, her ears look large against her wet head, but her eyes are bright as she drops a twitching silver and gray fish on the pebbles. "I caught a fish!" Shadowstar rolls his eyes.

"You squished it against a rock. And it was not yours to catch in the first place," Shadowstar hissed. His eyes narrow as he continues talking. "You're trespassing and stealing. What have you to say to that?"

"Hey! Are those our missing LeafClan Warriors?" asked Redstar. The shout came from across the river. On the far shore, Redstar and his Deputy, Sunflower, are standing at the edge of the water, their fur lit by the starlight.

"We caught some unusual prey tonight. Why not come across and see if it suits your taste better?" said Shadowstar. Redstar and Sunflower run along the bank and jump across the Stepping Stones. Cloverleaf glances at Flowertail as they wait for Redstar to arrive.

"I am never ever listening to you again!" Cloverleaf hisses at her sister. Shadowstar, Brackenfur, Redstar, and Sunflower stand in a line in front of Cloverleaf and Flowertail watching them.

"Just how many rules of the Messenger Code did you plan to break tonight? Trespassing, stealing prey, catching food for yourselves…" Redstar asked.

"I just wanted to see what fish tasted like," Flowertail said faintly. Redstar leans closer to Flowertail.

"We are LeafClan cats. We. Do. Not. Eat. Fish." Redstar hissed. Brackenfur steps forward.

"Wait, I have an idea. Since these featherbrains are so determined to be WaterfallClan cats why not let them eat their prey? After all Flowertail did catch it," said Brackenfur. There is a surprised look on Cloverleaf's face.

Are we even going to be punished? Cloverleaf thought. Redstar's eyes shine brightly.

"What a grand idea, Brackenfur. Flowertail, Cloverleaf, eat up. Don't waste a scrap or that will be disrespectful to your hosts." Flowertail does not wait to be asked again. She opens her mouth wide and sinks her teeth into the fish near the head. Feeling uncomfortable with Shadowstar, Redstar, Brackenfur, and Sunflower watching her, Cloverleaf crouches by the fishtail and takes a bite.

YUCK! Cloverleaf thought. Cloverleaf and Flowertail spring back their lips curling.

It's wet, cold, slimy, tasting of Stones, weeds, and mud. Flowertail thought. Shadowstar cocks his head to the left.

"What's wrong?" Shadowstar asked.

"IT'S GROSS!" Flowertail shouted. Sunflower looks shocked.

"You can't say that when WaterfallClan is so generously letting you eat your prey!" Sunflower said. Redstar looks at Cloverleaf and Flowertail.

"The Messenger Code exists for a reason: LeafClan cats don not eat fish, don't catch fish, don't swim, and don't have anything to do with the river at all. WaterfallClan cats don't eat squirrels, so they don't live in the forest. SkyClan cats don't eat rabbits so they don't live on the moor," Redstar said.

"I think nearly drowning is enough of a lesson for now. Go back to your Clan and leave the fish to us," said Shadowstar. Flowertail nods her head.

"No more fishing," said Flowertail.

"No more adventures ever," Cloverleaf said. LeafClan cats eat LeafClan prey; as far as I care, WaterfallClan cats can have all the fish in the world.