StarClan isn't real..

Chapter 31

"Yellowpaw, can you join Ryepelt, Heronburr and Pikebreeze on border patrol?" Deadbee asked, his tail flicking as a leaf blew towards him. The gorse and heather was wilting away, and stray leaves blown all the way from the other Clans' territories littered the clearing. Ryepelt, Pikebreeze, and Heronburr waited by the heather tunnel.

"Hm? Yeah." Yellowpaw replied. Rising to her feet, she headed towards the heather tunnel. Her paws itched to be out in the moor, after days of building dens and weaving together nests that kept falling apart.

She followed the rest of the patrol out of the heather tunnel, instantly wishing she could've stayed back in camp. The wind sent chills through her fur; it hadn't fully grown in yet, and she was naturally a short-furred cat. Shivering, she followed the rest of the patrol towards the bridge, next to fourtrees. A gust of wind carried the scent of fish; a RiverClan patrol was nearby, most likely at the border.

Suddenly, Heronburr stiffened. The black she-cat's ears pricked. Pikebreeze tensed, and Ryepelt gave the air a sniff, bristling as well.

Puzzled, Yellowpaw tasted the air. Alarm pierced through her as she scented the strong smell of RiverClan, much closer than she had thought. Pikebreeze, a gray she-cat, crouched down and signaled with her tail for the rest of the patrol to follow her. As silent as a slinking beetle, Yellowpaw slipped through the grass, followed by Ryepelt and Heronburr.

As the cats edged closer, Yellowpaw could see the cats; a patrol of four, with a tortoiseshell she-cat named Honeythroat, an old white tom named Brokenpelt, a big black and gray she-cat called Berryberry, and Tallspirit.

Yellowpaw shuddered. She remembered how affectionate Finchpaw had been with Tallspirit at the gathering, and was glad she wasn't here. It'd be hard to attack your friend. Or... more than that... Yellowpaw shook the thought away and watched as a fifth cat, the new warrior Fallensprout.

"Nice catch, Berryberry," He growled sarcastically.

The she-cat lifted her chin angrily. "Not my fault you chose to hunt here! How do WindClan cats ever catch rabbits!"

"We shouldn't even be here," Honeythroat muttered.

Tallspirit purred and sniffed a clump of gorse. "Cheer up. It's not every day we get to explore WindClan territory," She lifted her head to taste the air, wrinkling her muzzle. "I can't tell if a patrol is nearby, though."

"Well, luckily you don't need to." Pikebreeze growled, slipping from the bushes. The rest of the patrol followed. Yellowpaw's claws slid out.

"Fox-dung," Tallspirit hissed.

Ryepelt lifted his chin. "What are you doing here?" He growled, his voice sounding menacing yet still squeaky.

Berryberry backed up. "Nothing!"

"Really?" Heronburr sniffed. "It looked like you were hunting."

Brokenpelt gritted his teeth and gave Fallensprout a nudge. "Should we go?" He snapped. Fallensprout thought for a moment, then shook his head. To Yellowpaw's surprise, he padded forward towards the WindClan cats. Preparing to strike, Yellowpaw lifted a forepaw, but Fallensprout stopped too far away for her to hit him.

"We've outnumbered you," The mottled tom purred. "So you can try to fight us, but it won't end good for you."

Pikebreeze glanced at Heronburr. "Should we?"

"I think we should," Heronburr replied. "With leaf-bare just around the corner, we can't have RiverClan scents stealing prey. But we do need backup..." She dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Ryepelt, go get another patrol. Be quick."

Ryepelt, hesitated, then nodded glumly. "I'll sneak away during the fight," He promised, his eyes giving no suspicion away.

Heronburr took a step forward, followed by Pikebreeze and Ryepelt. Yellowpaw tried to appear confident as she followed, but she was self-conscious of eyes on her face. Fallensprout wrinkled his nose, and Yellowpaw couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her.

"We'll fight," Pikebreeze snapped.

Brokenpelt hesitated, then nodded agreement. "A dispute over boundaries seems reasonable," He growled, half-sarcastically.

At a flick of the white tom's tail, both patrols launched into battle. Yellowpaw pounced on Berryberry, noticing Ryepelt slip away. Luckily, no RiverClan cat seemed to notice, and Yellowpaw was able to get a good bite on Berryberry's shoulder.

In response, the she-cat rolled over, crushing Yellowpaw beneath her. Gasping for breath, Yellowpaw wriggled free and staggered to her paws.

Claws hooked her in return, and she was dragged backwards, onto the ground. Looking up, she saw Fallensprout standing over her. He seemed to think that she was a stupid apprentice, but she knew that he was only a little older than her. Annoyed, Yellowpaw struck out with her forepaws, catching Fallensprout in a rather painful spot. He choked and was flung backwards, crashing into Berryberry.

With a grunt, Yellowpaw rose to her paws and looked around. Heronburr was fighting Berryberry now, while Pikebreeze matched Fallensprout and Brokenpelt blow for blow.

Suddenly, a black and white blur flashed in front of Yellowpaw's face, and Tallspirit launched herself at Yellowpaw's face. Agony flared in Yellowpaw's body as claws tore at her exposed flesh. Blood poured down her muzzle.

Pain made her more angry, and she somehow managed to shoot upward and knock Tallspirit to the ground. The warrior landed with a grunt, but before she could get up, Yellowpaw leapt on top of her, pinning her with one paw on her throat and another in her hind leg.

As she was about to give Tallspirit a bite she wouldn't forget, claws pushed her away, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Hissing, Yellowpaw raised her head, surprised to see Finchpaw standing over her. The she-cat looked scared and decisive, and Yellowpaw noticed Casperpaw, Talontail, Deadbee, and Patchstep spring into the fight. The RiverClan cats hissed and then fled, but Tallspirit remained behind, staring at Finchpaw.

"Are you okay?" Finchpaw asked, turning to Tallspirit.

Anger and horror turned Yellowpaw's ears cold. She backed away, watching as Finchpaw washed blood away from Tallspirit's wounds. "I need to get back," Tallspirit whispered, then rose to her paws and raced away.

Finchpaw stared after her longingly. Yellowpaw was relieved to see that her clanmates' were too busy purring and laughing to have noticed the interaction.

"Finchpaw?" Yellowpaw whispered.

But her adoptive sister was already heading away, her tail noticably twitching. Yellowpaw followed, and as her anger faded, she could feel terrible pain on her face. Wincing, Yellowpaw followed the patrol back to camp, wondering how she could celebrate the victory after witnessing such a tragic and gut-wrenching scene- Does Finchpaw have to question her own loyalty now?