Echostar bristled at Featherstar's stinging retort. "AutumnClan is not desperate." He hissed. "And we have not been taking your prey. Maybe your warriors have scented wrong."

Featherstar lashed her tail back and forth as Nettlepaw watched in awe. "Are you accusing SummerClan of lying?" The white leader only scowled in response. "We know what we scented."

Meadowstar stepped in between the arguing leaders. "Now, don't get your tails in a twist." She chastised. "Echostar, are you sure none of your warriors crossed the border? Possibly even on accident?"

Echostar snarled. "Of course not. We wouldn't steal prey."

"Try telling that to my cats who clearly scented your Clan doing just that." Featherstar snapped. "If AutumnClan does it again, SummerClan is prepared to retaliate." No other cat replied, but Echostar refused to stay silent. "I'm telling you, you won't have to worry about that." His face twisted into a look of defiance.

Featherstar's tail lashed back and forth. Meadowstar stepped between them, and they spoke in hushed voices for a few moments. No other cat could hear, though Nettlepaw strained his ears to try.

"AutumnClan will be leaving now." Echostar announced.

Featherstar leaped off the branch. "So will SummerClan. Know we are strong and prepared to defend our prey." She began to walk out of the clearing, leading her Clan to go with her.

Nettlepaw cast an apologetic glance at Blizzardpaw and Breezepaw, who had been listening with wide eyes to the leaders' fight. Nettlepaw mouthed a quick goodbye, then followed his Clan across the river and away from the Gathering island. Will we get into a war with AutumnClan? Nettlepaw wondered, glancing at Featherstar who was silently padding on, still looking angry.

Finchpaw padded over to Nettlepaw's side. "That was crazy." She mewed, eyes wide.

"Yeah." Nettlepaw mewed absentmindedly. "I wonder if AutumnClan really didn't hunt on our territory."

Finchpaw cast a surprised look at him. "Really? Of course they hunted on our territory! Multiple warriors scented AutumnClan."

Nettlepaw sighed. "I still don't know. There's something weird going on with this whole situation." Finchpaw was quiet, padding on in silence.

"I don't trust Echostar." She mewed at last. "He seemed a bit too defensive, almost as if he thought we were the ones crossing the border." Nettlepaw only nodded, but on the inside he really agreed with her. There's something up with him, and I think there's something up with this whole thing.

Liontooth, however, along with a few other senior warriors definitely thought otherwise. Nettlepaw and Finchpaw quickly crossed the log and walked on while Nettlepaw listened to their conversation.

"AutumnClan!" Liontooth spat out the name as if it tasted like crow-food. "The liars! How dare they steal prey, then act as if they never did anything wrong!" Nettlepaw thought the tom was being more arrogant than usual, but Finchpaw didn't seem to notice. He continued to listen intently.

Birchclaw nodded in agreement. "I smelled their scent with my own nose! Echostar doesn't know what he's saying, the mad fleabag!" Nettlepaw tried not to bristle. How dare they speak of a Clan leader like that?

Liontooth and a few others yowled in agreement, and the wild debate continued on the return journey. Finchpaw seemed quiet, having clearly heard her father's claims, and it was a while before she looked up at Nettlepaw, her wide yellow gaze unreadable.

"I'm sorry about him." She began softly. "He's a bit arrogant sometimes, but there are reasons to care about him."

"Don't apologize." Nettlepaw had always heard awful things about the deputy, coming from his mother who had always seemed to hold a grudge against him for some reason. But looking at Finchpaw now, it was easy to see how much she did care about her father. I guess any cat can be better around those they love.

Finchpaw blinked gratefully at him, then she resumed her talk about AutumnClan. "I know Liontooth may be wrong, but Echostar and his stuck-up clanmates need to be taught a lesson!" She declared. "They should know to stay off our territory!"

Nettlepaw didn't reply as the warriors climbed down the slope to their camp. Featherstar, still angry from the argument, stalked right to her den and no cat followed her. Finchpaw flicked Nettlepaw's shoulder with her tail and went to Thornpaw, who was showing off to the other apprentices. Nettlepaw was left not knowing where to go when an excited squeal caught his attention.

"Nettlepaw! Nettlepaw!" It was Hailkit, leading his brothers Cloudkit and Creekkit out of the nursery and barreling onto Nettlepaw. He pretended to be overpowered, and staggered on his paws. "Oh no!" He cried dramatically. "The fierce warriors are attacking me!" On the inside, he felt pleased. It's been a while since I was their size!

Creekkit placed a paw on his throat. "I've got you now!" He declared, but his brother Hailkit shoved him away first, and they tussled on the ground.

Nettlepaw had noticed the three's personalities developing, and noticed how Cloudkit was often quieter than the others. Creekkit and Hailkit were louder and play-fought more, but all three were energetic and as excited to become apprentices as any kit.

"How was the Gathering? Tell us!" Hailkit demanded gleefully. Creekkit agreed. "Yeah, Mistdapple wouldn't let us go!"

Nettlepaw lifted Creekkit and placed him on the ground gently. "It was fine." He said vaguely, not wanting to be the one to tell the kits about AutumnClan.

"What are the other Clans like?" Cloudkit inquired, blue eyes wide with curiosity.

"I met two SpringClan apprentices." Nettlepaw told them. "They were lighter-colored than us, and smelled of marshes and fish, but other than that they were just like us."

Creekkit let out a playful growl. "Hailkit's a stinky SpringClan warrior! Get him!" Cloudkit let out and excited squeal and joined in the fight. Hailkit growled fake menacingly and let his fur stand on end. "Oh yeah? Well I'm the biggest, meanest, stinkiest SpringClan warrior in the Clan!" The three kits began to tussle across the earth, kicking up dust.

"Are you three bothering Nettlepaw?" Mistdapple asked, poking her head out of the nursery to check on her kits.

Nettlepaw shook his head as the kits let out a chorus of 'no'. The queen sighed and picked up Creekkit by the scruff, gesturing for the other two to come with her. "Come on, time to go to bed. It's getting late."

The moon was indeed at its fullest, Nettlepaw saw as the kits reluctantly followed their mother into their nest. I'd better get to sleep too, or else I'll be too tired to train tomorrow!

He padded to the apprentice's den, laying down in his nest. Moments later, he fell asleep.

* * *

Tall and imposing trees towered above Nettlepaw's head. The earth was wet and unpleasant beneath his paws, and misty shadow hung over the marshland stretching endlessly around him.

Fear pulsed through his paws, and he took a hesitant step forward. "Who's there?" He asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice as he felt a prickle in his pelt as if a cat was watching him from afar.

"You may think you're safe now, but wait! The cats who you trust will betray you!" A screech sounded from an unseen place.

"Who are you? Where are you?" Nettlepaw yowled. "What do you want?"

The only response was an ear splitting bought of laughter. "You can pretend you weren't warned, but I'm telling you now! You can't escape your destiny!"

Nettlepaw frantically searched for the cat the calls were coming from, but all he could see was darkness and trees in every direction. "What destiny?" Nettlepaw asked.

"I know what you will do, Nettlepaw! You can't escape it!" The voice screeched, sending cold terror down Nettlepaw's spine.

What will I do? What does that cat want?

* * *

Nettlepaw woke up, the scent of the strange forest still lingering in his nose. Mud still clumped in the fur between his toes, and it wasn't the only thing that had stayed. The constant fear of the shadowy marsh still made his fur tingle with apprehension.