Riverpaw's words were caught in his throat, like a thorn trapped within some cats pad.

What could he possibly say to these cats? He didn't want to let the pretty she-cat down. She was his friend. At least for now. When he becomes a warrior he will confess how much he's mooned over her. He just hoped she felt the same way.

"I'm not sure if I can. That would be a betrayal to my clan." He blurted on instinct, immediately regretting the words pouring from his mouth.

His true feelings told him there must be some way to help both, but these rogues were making it hard to help since Iceclaw didn't want him hanging around them.

Yet, here I am, helping out a bunch of rogues and probably betraying my clan. He pondered stifling a deep sigh.

The rogues around him stiffened.

"Why not? Surely if we were in and out quickly it wouldn't hurt anyone. It's just a couple of fish." An orange-and-brown tom Zinnia has introduced to him as Kelp meowed, approaching with claws unsheathed.

Riverpaw gulped, backing up slightly.

Kelp chuckled, shoving him lightly with his shoulder. "Calm down, Paws of the River. I don't bite. Unless it's delicious." The tom meowed, waving his tail in the air.

He then lifted a paw and licked it, pressing it against his cheek; he rubbed his cheek with it, getting spit all over his face.

Riverpaw's tail went between his legs. "Right." He meowed.

His ears went down.

He really didn't like the way this cat acted sometimes.

"Like I said," Kelp continued. "It wouldn't hurt. What are you afraid of? Being kicked out? Hah! That's a good one! You're the one risking everything to come here. And just when I thought we were beginning to be friends too. What a shame. Looks like we will have to go to bed starving again. Who knows who's going to die next. And...it will all be your fault, you selfish apprentice. Do you hate us that much?" He growled, getting close enough to Riverpaw.

Riverpaw felt his hot breath on his whiskers and cheeks.

Riverpaw felt his heartbeat thump against his chest. It was so loud he was afraid Zinnia and the rest of the rogues could hear how terrified he was. For both their well being and his life.

It was just enough to convince him.

He heaved another sigh.

Zinnia approached, pity in her gaze.

She separated the two toms with her own body.

"Don't harass him, Kelp. He doesn't have to do anything if he doesn't want to." She meowed kindly, offering the young tom a friendly nod.

Riverpaw's heart leapt.

It was just enough to convince him even more than he was already convinced. Yes, I will help Zinnia. Maybe then I will be viewed as a hero, and then...I can show Iceclaw just how wrong she is about rogues. Not all rogues are evil!

Riverpaw nodded to himself. He would help them.

"No, no. Kelp is right. A few missing fish isn't a big deal. As long as not all of them are gone." Riverpaw agreed.

Kelp chuckled wrapping a paw around Riverpaw, drawing him close enough to make him gag at the tom's bad breath.

"That's a good Paw of the River. You do this and we will be set for winter—er Leafbare as your weird clans call it." Kelp meowed, backing up now that Riverpaw agreed to do it.

A soft purr rang from Gecko's throat. It was so unexpected Riverpaw felt kind of scared. Was she on weird herbs or something?

"Excellent," Gecko purred.

"I'm glad some cat in that stinky clan that seems to like water—which is disgraceful to cats everywhere— has any sense. Why fight over something when you can share? It's ridiculous!"

Riverpaw didn't get these rogues weird cat slang, but he agreed it was mouse-brained to fight outsiders over something that was easily shareable.

Gecko laid her tail on his shoulder. "One cat gets killed and they immediately are on our tails." She continued, staring into Riverpaw's eyes.

Does she think Pinestorm's death was an accident? Riverpaw wondered, staring at his paws, shuffling nervously.

"Well, all the clans don't welcome outsiders. They think they're all going to steal our territories." Riverpaw meowed out loud.

Mouse-dung! I don't think I was supposed to share that. He cursed in his head.

It was basically clan secrets he was accidentally sharing with these cats.

But they were nice. He supposed they wouldn't tell any other cat about what he's informing them of.

Then again I'm just an apprentice hanging with a bunch of rogues. He notes.

"Well," Zinnia began in a purr, approaching her mother and Riverpaw with her tail held high, and her head lifted in confidence. "Not all of us rogues are out for territory. There's more important things like kin and sticking with the friends who will help you. Now, Riverpaw, if I may ask, do you think we're out for your territory?"

Riverpaw shook his head. These cats seemed perfectly happy here. There were tons of mice and rats if they knew how to hunt it.

"No, but if you're not out for RiverClan's territory then why do you want to hunt in the river? Do you even know how to hunt in it?" He wonders.

Gecko chuckled. "Who says we don't know how to hunt in a river? We want to hunt in the river because all we have here is rats and mice. We want a different kind of prey to hunt." Gecko meowed.

She then continued as Riverpaw glances at her like she had two heads. What kinds of cats are not grateful for the prey they have and wish to have prey they don't need? It seemed mouse-brained to him. "Not that we're not grateful for the prey we do have. It's just...your territory has more than just fish. You get a variety. We don't."

She did have a point. He had birds, mice, and possibly rabbits that come from the moors. They didn't. They stuck to this Twolegplace like it was a piece of prey.

They weren't allowed to hunt on any territory. The clans made sure of it.

It was stuff like this that made the young tom question his new rogue friends. Though he wasn't sure if he could say they were all his friend. Some acted pretty hostile or were mean to him.

He assumed some were mean because they were jealous of him. The reasons he had no real clue.

Riverpaw nodded his head. "Come on then. I'll keep watch. I'll make sure my clan doesn't find you. If they do I'll take the punishment. I'm the one letting you on the territory." Riverpaw meowed.

He then began to pad out with the group of rogues. He couldn't count how many there were in this weird Twoleg Horseplace. He just assumed they functioned like a clan since Gecko acted as their leader and Kelp, Arctic, Whale, and Junco acted like the deputy. Well, sort of. They more likely fought over who would help Gecko with certain things like placing each cat to each...hay bale pile.

Pearl sighed. "I don't suppose you will listen to your friend when she said to stay away from them." He meowed, his scar rippling with discomfort when Kelp approached.

"Who is this stupid fool? We're not dangerous! If anything your so-called 'Clans,' are dangerous. They keep all the delicious fish, rabbits, and birds all to themselves and keep us confined in this dark hole. You—Pearl—of all cats should know how much these selfish cats have taken away from us!" Kelp snarled, his fangs gleaming yellow in the light given.

Pearl shied away.

"If you're smart, Riverpaw, you won't tell him who told you this." Pearl meowed smoothly.

If I was smart, I would ask you why you're following me, and how you got into clan territory. Riverpaw thought to himself, holding his tongue.

"I don't plan on it. You can leave now, if you want. This is official clan-to-rogue cat business, and you're neither. Aren't you a loner? Loners usually don't stick in one place for too long." Riverpaw mewed, pointing his tail to the exit, expecting Pearl or the group of rogues to leave.

Basically he invited the scarred tom to the exit, showing him he wasn't wanted there.

If the rogues leave to the river he would too.

He just felt tied to them.

Some happened to feel like the sister he wished his own would be.

"Yes I'm a loner, but I'm a concerned loner nonetheless. I'll be coming with you and this group of rogues. If I know them well, then this can't be good." Pearl meowed, his throat rumbling a bit.

Riverpaw's belly tightened with frustration.

I don't always need to have a grown cat with me! He thought, wanting to claw his frustrations away using the ground. I'm an apprentice! I need to stop being treated like a Kit.

—————

Author's Note: So guys. Thanks so much for 200 plus readers. Let's get this to three hundred soon, alright? I really want this to become a really cool and awesomely loved story, so I want to get to 300. I'll be updating this two more times at least—hopefully—during my vacation and I would just really want this to grow so much it makes me forget about how stressful life is and makes me realize my stories aren't trash. Though maybe they are, but I don't think the ideas I have are trash at least.

Anyways, I also have some covers for this story...I thought it was about time to change the cover since that might be the reason why people don't just click on the story and read it. I mean it's super interesting, but the plot hasn't gotten that far yet. I'm still producing the beginning of the plot.

Anyways if you could please help me decide as I cannot chose myself. Like I said I don't think my ideas are trash, and so...I could just really use some real help with the decision. If you don't help me it becomes even more stressful since I could use them all. It's hard for me to decide.

Why else would I make a story to help me decide which profile pictures would be the best for this profile and GreenBeanGrookey's?

XD.

Anyways...options. Also some might be blurry, so yeah.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

I might have to edit the cover too to make the cover fit onto wattpad a bit.

6)

I just love how I put my user on the snout. I thought it was cool.

7)

So those are the potential covers.

Anyways, let me know your thoughts. I won't know if you at least tolerated it if you don't let me know.

Comment, vote, support, follow, ect. Until the next chapter, thanks for reading.