"Ow," Autumnspot hissed. All of them stopped to see the spotted tom sniffing his left paw. "Everything alright Autumnspot?"

"I wish. My paw..." Gingerly he put it on the ground and tried to walk, only to immediately whimper and pick it back up. Mudfur trotted over to him and sniff it, raising flicking an ear and looking at Whitethunder.

"I can't treat it until in the morning when the sunlight shows. Do you think you can make it until then Autumnspot?" He nodded, giving his paw three brisk licks. "Ok then we have to find some place to make camp." With a nod the party set out to find a place to rest, Mudfur and Ravenpaw on either side of their spotted friend at a medium pace.

Longclaw went and scouted ahead on Whitethunder's orders, coming back only moments later to lead them to a cool spot by a fallen tree. The inside of the tree was hollowed out, split in half as though it had been struck by lightning. Barely and Whitethunder made sure to chase away any unwanted bugs and spiders, Longclaw put herself on hunting duty, dragging Ravenpaw along with her when she saw the small tom fidgeting in place. Mudfur was sent to look for suitable herbs to treat Autumnspot, the deputy staying behind to watch over his mate's brother. By the time the moon was high in the sky, the food was fetched and Mudfur had finished wrapping a long leaf around Autumnspot's paw, securing it with a yellow string.

"Where did you find that?"

"Oh, in a bird's nest. The flying critters make their nests with some of the weirdest things."

The group now sat in a small circle eating their prey to the loud chirps of the crickets nearby. "So," Ravenpaw started, sitting up and licking away the left over pieces of mouse on his lips. "You are clan cats?"

"Yes," Whitethunder mewed in a bored voice. When silence met him he looked up. The dark tom was shivering with wide unbelievable eyes, his tail lashing behind him in obvious excitement. What was so special about being a clan cat? 'Other than being the deputy, being a free and untamed cat and not eating human food,' Whitethunder thought with a chuckle.

"I use to be a clan cat too!" Well then, that certainly got his attention, along with his companions.

"What clan are you from? I've never seen you before." Longclaw mewed curiously, taking closer looks at him.

"I ran away," Ravenpaw answered sadly. "I was in danger, and my mentor was going to kill me, I was very sure he was."

Mudfur, Longclaw and Autumnspot tossed Whitethunder accusatory looks. "What?" He mewed in surprise. Wide eyes narrowed as he glared at them. "We do not kill our apprentices. Moonclan warriors are cruel but not that cruel." He carried on eating his squirrel, eyes flicking up at the black tom. "Besides he is not from our clan. He doesn't have killer instincts and I've never seen him before. Plus he is too scrawny."

Eyes turned back to Ravenpaw, who had his head tilted in a curious angle, a brief offended look passing over his face. "Moonclan? Who are they?"

"Moonclan warriors are brutes who kill for fun and torture for entertainment," Autumnspot spoke, turning to sniff at his paw and nudge it with his nose.

"That is not true!" Whitethunder jumped up and protested, only to sit down with a thoughtful look on his face. "Half of it anyway."

"So you guys aren't forest clan cats? You don't live by a lake?" Bewildered looks was his answer. Ravenpaw sighed. "Do you even know who Starclan is?"

"Starclan?" Mudfur whispered, looking down at her paws. "Starclan, Starclan..." Amused yellow eyes looked up at confused ones. "Nope! Never heard of them!" The Sandclan cat bursts into a fit of giggles, causing her travel mates to roll their eyes.

"Here she goes," Autumnspot grumbled.

Longclaw shook her head and gave Ravenpaw an apologetic look. "Don't mind her, she's crazy."

"No, crazy is a very old cat whose dumber than a grain of dirt. I am not crazy!"

"Yea, tell that to Rustlerīdā. I bet he sent you with us just to drive us crazy!"

A pause, a moment of silence, and then a burst of laughter.

"You know what, he probably did!"

"Somebody please kill me now," Whitethunder growled.

"I will!" Autumnspot said all too eagerly. Both males glared at each other, jumping in surprise when Ravenpaw gave an angry yowl.

"Will you just stop fooling around and listen?!" Mudfur stopped laughing and peered at him intensely, making him squirm uncomfortable. The she cat's eyes sparkled, and Ravenpaw was sure he saw stars in them. "Um, now, do you guys come from Thunderclan, Windclan, Riverclan or Shadowclan?"

"No," Whitethunder growled. "We come from Moonclan, Sandclan, Sunclan and Darkclan." He pointed his talked towards Longclaw. "She is a Darkclan warrior. He," he pointed his tail to Autumnspot, "is a Sunclan warrior. She is a Sandclan warrior and I am a Moonclan warrior, well deputy."

"Oh," Ravenpaw mewed dejectedly. Barley rested his rail lightly on his friends shoulder. "Well at least we know there are other clans out there huh?"

"Yes but not the clans I want! I haven't heard from Firestar in ages!"

"So, about these other clans," Autumnspot mewed seriously, green eyes sparkling. "Where are they?"

"Well, I can't tell you while its night time, but from what I saw before I was imprisoned there we are at least a quarter moons journey from there, maybe a day or two longer."

Whitethunder's heart raced. A quarter moon? They were that close to his mate! His skin danced eagerly under his fur, eyes shining with happiness. 'So close! And to think we were half a moon behind!' "Alright then, tell us about your clans."

"Why should I?" Ravenpaw narrowed his suspicious eyes. Whitethunder narrowed his back. "Because it is very important that I know. My mate's life depends on it."

Ravenpaw blinked and looked at Longclaw, then Mudfur. Mating with another clan member? 'So they're runaways,' he thought softly. "Well, the clan I come from is Thunderclan..."

~ooo~

The sun was high over the horizon. Birds sung to their neighbors in happy greetings while squirrels made their daily explorations in the woods in which they lived in. Autumnspot was limping to the camp with three moles hanging from his mouth by their tails, Mudfur closely behind him with a very large rabbit. "Nice catch!" Whitethunder praised, eyeing the prey in hunger. Longclaw was busy grooming her fur while Barley and Ravenpaw talked silently to each other.

"Thanks," the brown cat mewed after she dropped her prey. "He was hard to cat. I and Autumnspot had to trick him. It was him who caught and delivered the killing blow."

Autumnspot felt his pelt heat up. "At least I was able to. My paw hindered me, but I still got my speed. Mudfur was the one who startled him, and that's what brought his downfall."

"Excellent teamwork nonetheless."

Autumnspot couldn't help but puff out his chest in pride. He was still able to help even with an injury, and that was a good thing. "Don't swell up his head Whitethunder. Next thing you know he'll be jumping out of trees," Longclaw purred in amusement. The once proud tom was now glaring daggers at her, though they lessened at the amusement that was shown.

Ravenpaw came running over with shining eyes. "Whoa! That's big! How'd you catch that?!"

"These two over here," Whitethunder nodded to them, sitting down in front of the prey. "It's only fair that you two take the first bite." Mudfur purred in appreciation and did as was suggested, Autumnspot setting the moles by Longclaw and following suit, Whitethunder finally taking the last bit. All three cats settled down to eat.

"Hey, you are sharing that right?" Longclaw asked, taking a step towards the rabbit only to step back when Autumnspot sent her a look.

"No, those three are for you, Barely and Ravenpaw. I hope you guys don't mind," he finished with apologetic glances at the last two.

"Nah, we're good. Eating too much hinders the journey after all."

"You're coming with us?"

"Well of course! We got nowhere else to go, and I want to see my friend again."

"Well, if it's alright with Whitethunder..."

All eyes turned to the said tom, who stared at Autumnspot in surprise. Asking his permission for something? Why, he never thought he would see the day. "Of course, as long as they can keep up." The two went back to eating the rabbit with Mudfur, Whitethunder closing his eyes right after catching Longclaw giving them a death glare. When he opened his eyes again they met green ones, and both toms had the same idea in mind. Ever since Longclaw's outburst in the moving cage both of them have started to seriously watch her.

'She's a traitor,' said Autumnspot with just a flick of his ear.

Whitethunder replied with a flick of his own. 'We must watch her when we meet Cherryblossom.'

Claws dug into the ground and both toms shared another look, their pupils narrowed into slits. 'If she tries anything, I will kill her!' Was their reply to each other.

It warmed Whitethunder that Autumnspot understood the silent communication just like his sister had. It was why the two were so great in battle together. 'And the sooner I reach her the better.' "Stop glaring at each other. I swear you two are always at each other's necks!" Mudfur's scolding made both toms look away, though not before sharing amused glances. Another reason why silent communication was so much better, no one understood what was actually going on.

~ooo~

"He sprained his paw, nothing serious."

"Nothing serious?! That's going to hinder our travelling!" Whitethunder yowled angrily. The large white tom turned and paced around their camp while he fumed. Mudfur rolled her eyes and turned to Autumnspot to continue nursing him. "You have to stay off of it or you will make it worse OK?"

"Ok Mudfur. How so you know this stuff anyway?"

"Well when you are friends with medicine cats and are constantly around them, you pick up a few things."

The she cat turned and padded away, stopping beside Barley to wake the striped tom up. Longclaw and Ravenpaw returned with their afternoon prey, dropping then in a pile in the middle of the camp. Whitethunder walked over to the pile and picked up a juice squirrel, only to have Longclaw clamping down on its tail and growling warningly at him. "That is my prey," she mewed coldly.

Whitethunder's eyes glared like the sun as he glared back. "No, it is for Autumnspot. He is the injured cat on our team and they get treated to prey first if there are no queens and elders. Or did you forget about that Longclaw?"

The she cat narrowed her eyes, about to let go of the tail when Autumnspot limped over to them, picking up a mole. "Its OK Whitethunder, I'll just take this. She did hunt after all, so it is her prey. Hunters get treated first."

Narrowed green eyes met the brown cat's bright amber ones before the tom limped away. Whitethunder huffed and let go of the squirrel, picking up a dove and a thrush and padding over to Barley and Mudfur. "Hope you guys don't mind sharing. It's big enough for you."

"Thanks," Mudfur mewed appreciatively, sniffing at the bird. Barley, now awake, gave her a small nod. "She cats first."

"Oh, the ever gentle tom," she chuckled, going and taking a small bite of the dove. Then Barley took a bite, and both alternated eating. Ravenpaw hungrily tore into his own bird, purring happily at the taste. "Finally real food and not that dung those Twolegs gave us."

"Twolegs?" Whitethunder questioned.

"He means the humans," Mudfur murmured around her mouthful of food. Whitethunder made a small oh sound then continues to eat.

When they were done they traveled, going a pace slow to accommodate Autumnspot, who vehemently protested at that. Whitethunder stayed ahead of the patrol, Ravenpaw bringing up the rear. Mudfur didn't stay besideAutumnspot, though she stayed near him. Longclaw fumed along the way, glaring at Whitethunder's swishing tail. He had managed to make her feel like a kit back at the camp and be hostile towards her at the same time. 'That traitor, just like his mate. Had he stopped being so bossy and listen to a cat once in a while we wouldn't be in this situation!' She looked ahead at the other two clan cats, eyes clouded in pity and anger. 'He has even manages to drag two loyal clan cats into this mess, and now two rogues as well. We are clan cats! We don't take in rogues!' The rusty colored cat hissed, earning a backwards glare from the cat she was glaring at. 'When I see Cherryblossom I am taking her back to the clans. I will stay faithful in my clan and I will follow our code!'