Nettlepaw took the rear position of the patrol. He was glad to have been chosen for the border patrol to check on AutumnClan's activity, but also nervous. He was the youngest apprentice there.

Applebreeze led it, with her sister Mapleblaze at her side and Dovewillow shortly behind them. Amberpaw trailed at her mentor's side. Nettlepaw didn't know her too well but he had seen her with her siblings and she was a great fighter. He had noticed that her pelt had grown sleeker, her muscles more noticeable underneath, and she looked more like a grown cat. Her siblings looked that way too, and as the oldest apprentices Nettlepaw could only assume they'd be warriors soon.

Nettlepaw had to fluff out his pelt to the leaf-fall wind. Even though in the hills the sun still shone on every cat's back, the trees in this part of their territory made it shaded and cold.

Suddenly the apprentice's ears perked. Nettlepaw watched with interest as Amberpaw crouched down, then broke into a run. She tore after a russet-colored squirrel that had been digging through the undergrowth. I suppose I could've been scenting for prey as well, Nettlepaw thought guiltily, only now noticing the squirrel's scent. We can still hunt on border patrols.

Amberpaw dashed out of sight, and the patrol followed her, finding it slightly difficult to navigate the forest without tripping over roots. How is she doing this? AutumnClan's border was near, which meant everything grew thicker and closer together. It was a headache.

Nettlepaw suddenly heard a commotion ahead. Hissing and sounds of cats approaching alerted them, and he was surprised at what he saw when Amberpaw came in sight.

Four AutumnClan warriors stood at the border. From the scent, Nettlepaw could tell they had crossed it. One of them had her paw on the very squirrel Amberpaw had been chasing, and the apprentice let out an indignant wail. "That was my squirrel!"

The she-cat who had caught the prey yowled in laughter. "It was yours, but it's ours now!" She jeered. "It crossed the border, puny apprentice! Didn't you notice? Or are all SummerClan warriors unable to scent it?" The cats behind her chorused in laughter.

Amberpaw hissed and began to lunge at the warrior, but Dovewillow stepped behind her and grabbed her by the scruff. "What is going on here?" She mewed sternly, casting a hostile glance at the young warriors while her apprentice half sulked, half glared at her side.

A tom next to the she-cat sent a returning glare her way. "Don't even start complaining about crossing the border! We could say the same about SummerClan!"

Nettlepaw yowled in rage. "What do you mean! We've clearly scented AutumnClan on our side of the border!"

The she-cat whipped around to face him, while Applebreeze rested her tail on his shoulder as a warning to be quiet. "What are you talking about, apprentice? This is the first patrol we've sent on your land!" She sneered. "We figured we'd return the favor." The AutumnClan she-cat snapped.

A snarl was heard behind Nettlepaw. "Liars!" Amberpaw growled, launching herself over the border and at the she-cat. Dovewillow hissed in frustration and tried again to restrain her apprentice but the ginger she-cat had already landed on the she-cat and clawed at her pelt.

A moment later, the whole patrol was across the border and began to fight. AutumnClan had a few less cats than SummerClan did on theirs, but they fought with the strength of many more.

Nettlepaw found himself fighting a large gray tom. He struggled, having not had any battle training yet.

"Rat-pelt!" The warrior spat. "Your warriors have no right trespassing on our land and blaming us!"

Nettlepaw took a hard blow to the side and fell over. "We never did such a thing!"

The gray tom sneered. "You're a lying fleabag, just like all the rest of your Clan!"

Nettlepaw was filled with unexpected fury. He launched himself upward and latched his jaws on the tom's shoulder. Yowling in pain, he writhed, shaking off Nettlepaw who fell heavily to the ground.

He was rescued by Applebreeze who bowled into the tom, giving him a few scratches to remember her by before driving him off with a nip in the hind leg.

"You okay?" She asked, panting for breath. Nettlepaw nodded, standing on shaky paws.

The small battle had cleared up, and most of AutumnClan had fled. The she-cat who had caught the squirrel, which was now laying tattered on the ground, was the only one remaining. She snarled, but quickly realized she was hopelessly outnumbered.

"You may have won, but AutumnClan will never give in!" She yowled before turning tail and fleeing into her territory.

* * *

Nettlepaw padded into camp after his patrol. He felt lucky, he only had a small scrape across his side from landing so heavily, and a few bruises, but Applebreeze was worse than him, having a torn claw and a scratch on her nose and shoulder. Dovewillow and Mapleblaze were beaten up as well. Strangely, Amberpaw who had been fighting the longest out of them was left virtually scotch-free.

The SummerClan cats immediately noticed something was off when they entered camp. It was well past sunhigh by then and most cats were back to camp.

"Dovewillow?" Featherstar, who was sharing prey with her littermates Stonesong and Birchclaw inquired. "Did something happened with AutumnClan?"

Mapleblaze answered for her. "Yes, something happened! While we were at the border they attacked us!"

While the Clan's eyes widened, Dovewillow corrected her Clanmates. "No, Amberpaw here," she cast a look at her apprentice, "attacked them. But the thing was, they had sent a patrol past our border and caught the prey she was chasing. They claimed they had never crossed our border, and we were the only ones that had."

"And then Amberpaw attacked them." Applebreeze finished. "And battle broke out. We had the numbers and drove them away, but I'm afraid they're planning something bigger."

Nettlepaw nodded. "Yeah, the she-cat said something strange when she left- 'you may have won, but AutumnClan will never give in' I think."

Featherstar was unsettled. "Then we must make a move. I was afraid it would get to this point, but it seems I have no choice. They must be stopped. In two sunrises, we will attack."

The Clan let out battle-cry yowls. Nettlepaw felt himself joining in, almost subconsciously. AutumnClan must be stopped!

"And I want Amberpaw, Redpaw, and Emberpaw to be there with us-as warriors!"

The three apprentices padded forward, eyes glinting with disbelief. Featherstar nodded, eyes warm.

"I, Featherstar, leader of SummerClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."

She continued. "Amberpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Her paws were trembling, but the ginger she-cat didn't have an ounce of doubt in her mew as she spoke. "I do."

Featherstar purred softly. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Amberpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Amberheart. StarClan honors your bravery and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SummerClan."

She repeated the ceremony for Emberpaw and Redpaw, naming them Emberblaze and Redstripe. The Clan chanted the new warriors' names gleefully.

One day that will be me up there.

Nettlepaw caught Liontooth's eye. The pale warrior was stone-faced, neither disappointed or yowling with relief. Strange, Nettlepaw thought. He was pushing so hard for us to attack last time they crossed the border!

Suddenly the tom turned tail and left camp. Nettlepaw almost followed him out, but his mentor stopped him.

"Nettlepaw, you should get that scrape checked out," she said, worry in her mew. Nettlepaw realized it was starting to bleed, but still nothing serious. "Only if you come with me," he replied, noticing her own injuries.

"Fine." Her eyes glinted with appreciation.

As Sagefeather and Mudpaw treated their wounds, Nettlepaw had time to think to himself.

What is Liontooth planning? I wish I'd been able to find out.

Is he unhappy about attacking for a reason? Does he have kin in AutumnClan or something?

Nettlepaw stifled a gasp. Is he going to warn them?

But he had no choice but to stay where he was while his medicine cat tended to his wounds, the threat of the oncoming battle looming over his head.