☆5 - Border problems.☆

Yawn. Stretch. Groom chest.

Corvidstorm padded out of his den at dawn. The sun was just peeking out between the pine trees, and soft rays were shining into the camp. Corvidstorm was one of the first to wake up.

Two sunrises had passed after the Great Gathering, and Corvidstorm was assigned the dawn border patrol at WindClan's border.

Lick lips. Take step.

He padded up to Goosestep. "G'morning." He dipped his head. "Good morning Corvidstorm. I'll send you out quickly, when Duckbelly and Ratstalk wake up."

Neither of them said anything, but they both knew Corvidstorm should leave the camp before Marigoldpelt woke up to avoid conflict.

Too late.

The black figure of Corvidstorm's mother padded out of the warrior den. She made eye contact with the two cats and sped up her walking.

Behind her, Ratstalk and Duckbelly were trotting out of the den as well, and while motioning for Corvidstorm to come with them with a tilt of their head, they bent their way to the camp entrance.

Corvidstorm started walking up to them, skipping past his baffled mother.

They ducked through the spiky bushes that made the entrance, and Corvidstorm inhaled the fresh air.

"WindClan borders, right?" He asked the two toms. "Yup." Duckbelly simply replied.

As they made their way to the border, Ratstalk in the front, Duckbelly started walking next to Corvidstorm.

"Hey." He meowed."Heya.""Look, I'm sorry I reacted so rude when you told me to visit Squirrelwhisker last time. I wasn't feeling tip-top." He sighed."No, I understand. I'm glad you apologized for it. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." Corvidstorm let out a careful purr to try and make sure the other tom felt his apology was accepted.

Duckbelly nodded. "Thanks," he looked forward. "We're nearing the border."

Corvidstorm nodded. "I'll refresh the scent marker here, and you can catch up with Ratstalk."

While Duckbelly started running to catch up with Ratstalk, Corvidstorm refreshed the scent marking. He turned around and started walking towards the WindClan border.

Hissing erupted from a spot Corvidstorm's eyes couldn't reach, and he made speed to figure out what was going on.

Bits of a quarrel could be heard as Corvidstorm was nearing the border.

"You know very well that this is ShadowClan prey!" Ratstalk was hissing at a thin figure Corvidstorm didn't recognize.A black tom was standing with a dead rabbit at their feet, and next to him was a small light brown she, and... Hollyflame?

"What's going on?" Corvidstorm stopped next to Duckbelly and Ratstalk.

"This WindClan cat chased a rabbit over our border and claims it's theirs!" Duckbelly spat. Corvidstorm frowned. "Once it trespasses the border, the rabbit is rightfully ours."

The black tom curled his lips in a growl. "Fine. Have the stupid rabbit! Come on Mintpaw, Hollyflame. Let's go." He flicked his tail and motioned for the other cats to follow him.

Corvidstorm turned to his clanmates. "Take the rabbit back to the camp and give it to Pebbleheart, OK? I'll stay here and refresh the marking. I'll be right there." Duckbelly picked up the rabbit, and Ratstalk nodded. They both turned around, and started chatting, moving their way through the pines like shadows.

Corvidstorm turned around only to see Hollyflame was still standing.

He flicked his ear nervously. "Shouldn't you be going back to your camp?"Hollyflame shook his head. "Nah. You're a pretty fun tom. Wanna have a chat?" He purred.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure. I uhm, should actually get going." Corvidstorm twitched his whiskers. Why would Hollyflame want to have a chat with me? "I don't really have anything to talk about anyway." He meowed.

"Do you think you would have something in... a sunrise or two?" Hollyflame chuckled.

Corvidstorm flinched. "You want to meet up with me?" He asked.

"Sure! How about this spot, at moonhigh in two sunrises. That sound OK?" He examined Corvidstorm's face.

"Don't tattle on me okay?" He chuckled a mrrow.

Corvidstorm nodded. I suppose. What's there to stop me? He thought.

The warrior code, perhaps? Another voice in his head told himself.

He twitched his whiskers, getting rid of the thought. "Sure. I'll meet you here in two sunrises."  He nodded his head to Hollyflame, and turned away.

Halfway on his way back to camp he realized he forgot to do the marking.

Ah, foxdung. What even am I going to say? I was gone for much longer than I was supposed to.

He entered camp and saw Pebbleheart nibbling on the rabbit, blind eyes looking at the nothingness in front of her.

Ratstalk was padding over to him.

"Where were you? We thought you maybe got hit by a monster!"

Corvidstorm stood still. "I was uh. I thought I smelled a fox on the territory so I had to check it out - but there was nothing there."

"Oooh, okay!" Ratstalk nodded. "Vigilante of you."

"Yeah. Safety first."

I can't wait to meet Hollyflame.