Warriors: In The Cold of Night [1]

Chapter 3

The patrol stalked the undergrowth, searching for prey as they walked to their border along RiverClan's. The forest floor was cold and hard beneath Featherheart's paws. The cold air was very cold this morning. Featherheart shook her fur to loosen some of her stiff fur. The sky was gray and overcast, making the atmosphere dull and depressing.

Featherheart and the others trekked towards the RiverClan river. They reached the Sunningrocks a few Foxlengths later. Suddenly, Featherheart caught a scent coming from their territory that wasn't ThunderClan. Featherheart sniffed again and she realized that it was RiverClan.

It seemed like the rest of the patrol scented the RiverClan cats too because they all had looks of suspicion on their faces. Sharpleaf followed the RiverClan scent along their border while leaving scent markers along the way.

The ThunderClan patrol saw a RiverClan patrol hunting in their territory. There were three warriors in that patrol. There was a ginger and white tom, a gray and white she-cat, and a small dark brown apprentice. Featherheart couldn't see the apprentice's face to define their gender. The apprentice was chasing a squirrel. Featherheart could tell that the apprentice was newly made.

The slope that the two patrols were on sloped gently down to the river. The slope titled down so gently that it looked like it wasn't even a slope. 

The brown apprentice had scared the squirrel up the tree. The apprentice didn't catch the squirrel. The ginger tom licked the apprentice's ear to comfort them. Featherheart stalked closer to the patrol. The gray she-cat was looking around, as if she was looking to see if there was a patrol.

"I think we should leave ThunderClan territory now. We only came over here to catch that squirrel, but I think we should've just kept to our side of the river instead of stealing prey from another Clan." The gray she-cat meowed. The ginger tom nodded. "You heard her Thornpaw, we need to leave, this is against the Warrior Code." The ginger tom hissed softly. The apprentice paid no attention to the two warriors.

Featherheart saw the apprentice's face and realized that the apprentice was a she-cat. The apprentice looked as if she caught a scent. The apprentice dashed deeper into ThunderClan territory. The ginger tom raced after the disobedient apprentice and the gray she-cat followed.

Rosepelt dashed after the intruders. Sharpleaf and Copperburn followed. Featherheart followed the three cats.

When the ThunderClan patrol made it to the RiverClan patrol, the ginger tom was hissing at the dark brown apprentice known as Thornpaw. Featherheart dropped to a crouch and got closer to the invaders. Sharpleaf leaped up to the RiverClan cats. "What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" Sharpleaf yowled. The apprentice looked shocked and backed up behind the ginger tom.

"We were just getting Thornpaw and leaving." The ginger tom meowed in a shaky tone with his tail tucked between his legs. The tom knew he was face-to-face with the ThunderClan deputy. "Well you'd better be leaving before you have some claw marks to show that you were here." Sharpleaf hissed. The ginger tom backed up slowly.

Sharpleaf unsheathed his claws. Copperburn did too. Rosepelt sat watching from behind. The gray she-cat stepped in front of Sharpleaf, she locked her eyes with the angry, brown tom. "There's no need to fight. We were just going to leave your territory, so no need to attack us. We were just trying to get Thornpaw under control. I am deeply sorry for how Thornpaw acted." The gray she-cat mewed softly in a soothing voice.

"That still doesn't give you permission to be on our territory." Sharpleaf hissed. Sharpleaf looked as if he was about to pounce. The gray she-cat simply sat down. "We will make sure that Thornpaw learns the Warrior Code. She was just made an apprentice yesterday, so be patient." The gray she-cat meowed. "Also, all of that noise you're making will scare off all of the prey within a hundred fox-lengths." The she-cat joked. The gray she-cat's voice was soft and soothing, which calmed Sharpleaf and he didn't even notice it.

Sharpleaf sheathed his claws. "Well then, you must leave our territory, now." Sharpleaf meowed, but not in a threatening tone. The ginger tom sighed and nodded gratefully. The tom picked up the apprentice by the scruff and padded off towards RiverClan territory. "Well, time to head back to camp." Rosepelt meowed and padded deeper into ThunderClan territory. Copperburn followed her.

The gray she-cat stayed where she was with her eyes locked onto Sharpleaf's. "By the way, the name's Dovefur." The she-cat mewed. Featherheart stayed hidden. Dovefur rubbed her tail against Sharpleaf. "Why did you let us go so easily?" She mewed. Sharpleaf took a while to reply but he just said, "Because you seem nice; too nice to hurt." Sharpleaf meowed softly. Dovefur rubbed against Sharpleaf and meowed a goodbye. Sharpleaf sat there and stared at Dovefur as she padded off.

Featherheart narrowed her eyes and snuck away back to camp.