Mudpaw trudged alongside his patrol, which consisted of Burntsun, Pearlshine, Needlehawk, and Nightpaw. It had been a few days since Featherpaw had been gone. He missed his sister and wished he could train with her. His mentor had gone, and so he had a new temporary mentor, which was Burntsun.

Mudpaw pricked his ears as he heard rustling in the grass. Parting his jaws, he scented a mouse. Crouching, Mudpaw crept forward, then leaped on his prey. Mudpaw killed the mouse with a quick snap of its spine, then covered it with dirt. Mudpaw then turned, heading back to his patrol.

"Mudpaw, why are you hunting? This is a border patrol," Pearlshine hissed, lashing her tail. "You've been an apprentice for a few moons now, you should know that warriors don't catch prey on a border patrol," the white warrior spat.

Mudpaw narrowed his eyes. "Like a rogue like you would know," he grumbled, flattening his ears. Pearlshine and Burntsun were rogue kits when they had joined the Clan.

"Ok, that's enough," Needlehawk hissed, lashing her tail. "Would you two shut up and stop acting like kits? Especially you, Mudpaw, respect your warriors," she growled.

Mudpaw rolled his eyes, glancing at Nightpaw, his sister. She wasn't looking at him. She continued to walk alongside her mentor, Needlehawk.

Mudpaw glanced off to the side, hoping that he'd remember to dig up the mouse he'd caught. Rogue scent filled his nose, and Mudpaw began to bristle. He glanced at the rogue border. "Why do the Clans even let these rogues have a border?" He asked. "All the Clans together outnumber the rogues, so why don't we chase them off?"

"Because the Clans want action," Needlehawk huffed. "Now lets mark this border to show those flea-bags that we don't care about their borders," she snapped, her lip curling.

"Flea-bags? Aren't we just all flea-ridden at the end of the day?" A rough voice growled. 

Mudpaw turned, his fur standing up and his tail bushing. A white tom padded out of the bushes, his blue eyes dark with hostility. Black spots were sprinkled around his eyes, and he had a long, black fluffy tail. The undergrowth rustled beside the tom, and a large black tom padded out.

The black tom's icy blue gaze was locked onto Mudpaw and Nightpaw. He smiled slightly. "Mudpaw, Nightpaw, is it?" He dipped his head, whiskers twitching.

"W-who are you?" Mudpaw questioned. "How do you know me?"

"Filthy rogues, get off our territory!" Needlehawk snapped, her tail lashing.

The white tom narrowed his eyes, then flicked his tail. "Redwillow, Frostheart, and Roach, come out," he ordered.

"Darktail, get off our territory!" Burntsun growled, unsheathing his claws. 

Darktail narrowed his eyes. "I don't think I will," he meowed. "Crowfrost, tell them your offer," he growled.

Crowfrost dipped his head, then looked at Burntsun. "We will leave if you give us Mudpaw, Nightpaw, and Featherpaw," he insisted.

"Are you crazy? We aren't just handing them over! And besides, Featherpaw isn't here, she's far away, far away from the Clans," Pearlshine growled.

Darktail curled his lip. "Hand them over or else," he warned. "Crowfrost needs to speak to them," he explained.

"You won't get them without a fight!" Pearlshine hissed, her tail lashing. She then lunged at Darktail, claws extended.

Darktail huffed, a smirk on his face. He slashed out quickly with a paw, his claws striking Pearlshine's throat. The white she-cat gasped as blood spilled from the gash in her throat, and she staggered backwards.

Burntsun gasped, rushing towards his sister. "Pearlshine!" He yowled. "You monster! How could you?" He hissed to Darktail.

Mudpaw unsheathed his claws. He bristled as Pearlshine went still, blood staining her pretty white fur. He gasped as something pulled him from behind.

"Hey! Let him go!" Needlehawk hissed, her tail lashing. Nightpaw was then grabbed by Crowfrost. She wriggled in the tom's scruff, growling and lashing out.

"Hey, let them go!" Burntsun growled, lashing his tail.

Mudpaw gasped as he felt claws on his throat. The rogue holding him had out a paw to his throat, claws outstretched. Hey, that hurts!

"If you don't allow us to take them back to camp, then we will kill all of you," Darktail growled. "What do you say? You're outnumbered and can't fight us. It'd be smart to just let them go," he insisted.

Needlehawk huffed, unsheathing her claws. She backed against Burntsun, her eyes flashing with worry. "F-fine," she mumbled. "Take them, but don't hurt them! Expect to be ready for a battle though," she growled. The gray warrior then turned and ran, Burntsun at her heels.

"Now then," Darktail purred. He glanced at the rogue holding Mudpaw. "Roach, you can take your paw away from his throat now. We're heading back to camp," he growled.

Roach took his paw away from Mudpaw's throat, his eyes glistening.

"You weren't really going to kill the apprentices, were you?" Crowfrost growled, his tail lashing. He looked as though he was going to claw the rogue leader's face off.

"Of course not, it was just a bluff. But I was going to kill the other two warriors," Darktail hissed. He looked down at Pearlshine's bloody, stiff body. "Such a shame a pretty she-cat had to be killed," he sighed.

Mudpaw wanted to run away. He looked away from the dead cat, remembering that just a few minutes ago, he had been arguing with her. He wished that he could've changed the final conversation he'd had with her.

"Come on, let's go back to camp," Darktail grumbled, turning away. Mudpaw then noticed that the white she-cat beside him looked like an exact copy of Pearlshine. He noted that Pearlshine had been found as a kit, and left at the rogue's border. Could this she-cat be the mother of Pearlshine and Burntsun?