A New Beginning

Chapter 19

Breezestar pricked his ears. He could hear a rabbit nearby. Mud, now Mudtail, narrowed his eyes against the wind.

"You can get it. I got the last one," Breezestar instructed. Mudtail nodded and crept forward. A moment later a brown pelt hopped out of a rabbit hole.

Mudtail kept his tail low and made a wide circle around the rabbit. He made sure to block the burrow entrance and to stay down wind. Suddenly Mudtail shot forward in a burst if speed.

The rabbit squealed and raced away. But Mudtail was faster. The tom leaped and landed squarely on top of the rabbit and killed it with a bite to its neck.

The dark brown tom trotted back to Breezestar with the rabbit in his jaws. "Nice catch!" Breezestar meowed. Mudtail purred behind his rabbit.

"Before we go back to camp lets go check the Shadeclan border. I don't think any cat has checked it yet," Breezestar instructed. Mudtail quickly buried his rabbit and they trotted to the Shadeclan border.

The low moor was different than the high moor. Being beside Shadeclan brought the scent of pine over the border. Breezestar scrunched up his nose as he neared the border. Shadeclan's scent was strong here. It made him want to gag.

Without hesitation Breezestar marked one side of the border while Mudtail marked the other. As they met in in the middle a bush rustled on Shadeclan's territory.

Breezestar's fur prickled along his spine as Thorntail, Leafblossom, and Fishstream padded out into the open. Thorntail's eyes narrowed when he saw Breezestar.

"What are doing here?" Thorntail growled. "Marking the border. What are you doing here?" Breezestar asked calmly. Thorntail let out a low growl, "That's none of your business, Breezeflight. Or is it still Breezepaw."

Breezeflight looked at the tom coldly, "Actually its Breezestar now. I received my nine lives last night."

Fishstream pricked his ears with surprise. Leafblossom dipped her head to him, "Congratulations." Thorntial whiped around to face her, "Shut up! We do not congratulate liars."

Breezestar's fur bristled even more. Mudtail let out a low growl. Thorntail laughed, "I see your new clan is made out of rogues. Actually I wouldn't even consider your clan, a clan. Every cat only sees it as a band of rogues."

"Breezeclan is a true clan. It is no different compared to Shadeclan. Unless you count the ignorant fox-hearts like yourself, Thorntail," Breezestar hissed. Thorntail lashed his tail and snarled.

Suddenly the tom darted over the border. He slammed into Breezestar and knocked him into the ground. Breezestar grunted as Thorntail pinned him down.

Breezestar used all of his strength and threw Thorntail off of him. The Shadeclan tom went flying backwards. With a thud Thorntail hit the ground. Mudtail was already on top of Thorntail.

Fishstream and Leafblossom stayed on Shadeclan's side, staring at Thorntail in shock. Thorntail thrashed underneath Mudtail.

Breezestar joined Mudtail quickly. "Let him go. I'll make sure to inform Squirrelstar about her rabbit-brained clanmate," Breezestar whispered to Mudtail. The dark brown tom nodded and stepped off of Thorntail. Thorntail jumped to his paws and got into a fighting position. Breezestar braced himself for another attack.

"Thorntail! Get your tail over here. Squirrelstar don't be happy to here you already starting a fight with our new neighbors," Fishstream hissed. Thorntail glared at Breezestar before joining his clanmates.

Thorntail looked Breezestar in the eye, "Squirrelstar doesn't like this anyway. A battle is sure to come." With that Thorntail led the patrol deeper into the forest.

Mudtail turned to Breezestar, "What did he mean by 'a battle is sure to come?'" Breezestar looked at his paws, "It means Squirrelstar already hates us. She already wants war."