Warrior Cats Fanfiction: The Six Trials Series (Book 1): Black Clouds

Chapter 3 - Clover Leaf

It was dawn. The dawn patrol and the first hunting party was back. The second hunting party was just leaving as Clover Leaf poked her head out of the warriors den. The clearing was busy with the hustle and bustle of Clan life.

Clover Leaf was wide awake. She wished she had been chosen for one of the hunting parties. Then she could have gotten some of her energy out.

Flame Feather was organizing the mid-morning border patrol. "Rowan Berry, take Squirrel Fur, Tiger Lily, Apple Paw and Clover Leaf. Oh, and Rose Thorn, too."

Clover Leaf felt a burst of energy. Finally something exciting! This was even better than a hunting patrol.

Then Flame Feather said something that excited her more. "I'll announce who's going to the Gathering tonight, as soon as some cats get out of their dens." He glared pointedly at Glimmer Wing and Owl Paw as they emerged sleepily into the clearing. "Holly Flower, Nectar Breeze, Night Whisker, Slant Eye, Amber Leaf . . ." 

The list went on and on, through all the warriors that were going until he got to the young warriors. "Glimmer Wing, Sun Berry, Cinnamon Pelt, Honey Leaf, Clover Leaf, Fern Tail . . ." Clover Leaf stopped listening after she heard her name. Yes! She thought. The list of young warriors wasn't quite as long as the warriors. 

Then came the apprentices. "Aspen Paw, Apple Paw, Petal Paw, Birch Paw, and Mole Paw." Flame Feather took a deep breath. "Wow, that's a lot. Well, we do have more cats than the other Clans."

For some reason, GoldClan had taken in more cats than the other Clans. Maybe it was just a more likeable Clan.

Flame Feather assigned the rest of the patrols, then dismissed them. Rowan Berry beckoned to the members of her patrol, and set off through the stone tunnel. The other cats padded after her.

Clover Leaf caught up to Rose Thorn as they passed the edge of the marsh. "Do you know which border we're going to check?" she asked her friend.

"No idea," Rose Thorn replied. Then she tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. "No, actually, I think I heard Tiger Lily telling Apple Paw that we were going to be going along a Clan border. Hmm, still leaves two borders."

Squirrel Fur heard her and dropped back to walk alongside the two she-cats. "We're going to check the MoonClan border," he told them. "You know they caused the most trouble on the Long Journey."

"Did they?" Clover Leaf asked, intrigued. She hadn't paid much attention to the other Clans then.

"Yes. SunClan hasn't been much trouble at all since we, well, got lost together, But that can change quite easily, you know."

Clover Leaf didn't really know, but she kept her jaws shut anyway. She wasn't terribly interested in border disputes unless she was involved in one.

By that time, they had taken a sharp tight turn onto a different trail, and were heading east. They were also nearing the MoonClan border.

Suddenly a cat burst out from the trees to the right, followed by another. In front of the cats ran a rabbit. A third cat hared out into the open in a slightly different direction, and ran slap bang into Rowan Berry, knocking her head over tail. As the senior warrior let out a yowl, Clover Leaf caught a glimpse of an orange pelt. Fallen Leaf!

He was gentle, and always trying to help, but he was pretty clumsy. For example, he'd be trying to pull up some of the ever growing brambles around the stone camp, but some cat would end up in the medicine den with a thorn in its nose. Clover Leaf guessed it was because he used to be a kittypet. He hadn't quite settled into Clan life yet.

Rowan Berry was struggling to get up. "Can't you watch where you're putting your paws?" she hissed angrily."

A yellow she-cat suddenly appeared. "Fallen Leaf! Are you hurt? What happened?" Then she saw the rest of the patrol. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know there was going to be a patrol after mid-morning."

Rowan Berry was about to make a heated reply, when her brother, Squirrel Fur, interjected. "We are the mid-morning patrol, Sun Berry. We just didn't leave camp until then."

"We ought to get going," Tiger Lily meowed. "Fallen Leaf, you and Sun Berry come with us until the rest of the hunting party finds you. You too, Owl Paw. I'd work on my stalking, if I were you," Tiger Lily mewed over her shoulder.

A grey-and-brown striped head appeared from under the bracken. Owl Paw sheepishly emerged and followed a short distance behind the other cats.

Clover Leaf was about to give Owl Paw a few tips, when she suddenly caught a strong whiff of MoonClan scent. Owl Paw lifted his head, and Clover Leaf saw his eyes flash. He had apparently smelled the same scent.

Owl Paw broke into a run, and disappeared over a rise.

"Hey, where do you think you're– " Rowan Berry started when enraged yowls sounded from up ahead. The two senior warriors exchanged an alarmed glance and ran after Owl Paw.

When the patrol reached the border, he was nose-to-nose across it with a skinny MoonClan apprentice. They were yowling at each other ferociously. Owl Paw's mentor, Hawk Feather, was trying to pull his apprentice away.

"We did not cross that border!" Owl Paw spat.

"Then why is there GoldClan scent on this side of it?" the MoonClan apprentice snarled in reply. Clover Leaf recognized Hare Paw; she had met his sister Dapple Paw on the Long Journey.

"Hey, wait a minute," Ebony Claw interjected. She was standing on Owl Paw's left side with the rabbit at her paws. "We are on a border. GoldClan's scent could have easily drifted over there. You know it's been windy, lately."

The other members of Hare Paw's patrol had said nothing so far. Then a silver she-cat spoke up.

"You haven't been here since yesterday at dusk. This scent is fresh. We'll have to tell Spotted Star about this." The she-cat turned away.

"Silver Feather, I just ran by here a few moments back chasing a rabbit," Hawk Feather told the she-cat. "I did not cross the border, but scent can carry."

"I'm still going to tell Spotted Star," Silver Feather sniffed.

A black she-cat beckoned to the patrol, and started to pad back into the undergrowth. Clover Leaf heard the she-cat whisper something to a grey tom as they walked away, but she wasn't close enough to hear it.

"Honestly, why can't MoonClan cats tell the truth?" Hawk Feather wondered. "I was at least two fox-tails from the border!"

"Maybe it was an honest mistake," Rose Thorn suggested.

"Honest? MoonClan? Ha! They did it deliberately." Tiger Lily started to head in the direction of camp. "We've done all we can do here. Fallen Leaf, Sun Berry and Owl Paw, you can go with the hunting patrol."

"See you back at camp!" Sun Berry mewed as her patrol bounded away. Clover Leaf waved her tail and followed her patrol back to camp.

Why in the stars had MoonClan accused the hunting party of trespassing? Clover Leaf asked herself. Then she nodded grimly. It was because they were liars and troublemakers.