"Thistle! Come here!" Birch hissed into Thistle's den. Not a lot was said between the normally quarreling cats in the past moon. With an inaudible sigh, Thistle stoped playing with Sunfish and slumped out of the den. Thistle swallowed his fear and kept his fur flat.
"Yes, Birch?" Birch flicked her tail, singling him to come into her den. Thistle wrapped his tabby striped tail around his grey paws. The tan, battle scarred she-cat had sat down in the corner of the stone den.
"You'll leave today. Take Fox with you." Birch's voice was stern. Thistle knew exactly what she meant. He was going to BirchClan.
"Any particular way that you want me to take down BirchClan?"
"Murder their most powerful cats. I'll give you half a moon to gain their trust. If you fail to start by then, I'll kill any cat that you've grown close to, including Nutmeg and Sunfish." Birch threatened. Although she was threatening him, it was oddly calm between them. For once, they weren't arguing or fighting.
"Understood. I'll leave at sunhigh. Can you tell Fox for me?" Thistle asked. For once, Birch gave a nod. "Thank you." Thistle dismissed himself and sadly walked himself to his den. This could be the last time he saw Nutmeg, or Sunfish.

"Hey Nutmeg." Thistle called to the calico cat.
"Yeah?" Sunfish padded out of the den, nearly tripping Thistle.
"I need to tell both of you something, let's go on a short walk." Thistle asked. With a concerned look, she nodded and headed out of the den. Thistle lead the way, unknowingly leading Nutmeg and Sunfish near the BirchClan boarder.
"What is it?" Nutmeg asked.
"I'm leaving at sunhigh." Thistle regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. Nutmeg had looked at him with sorrow and concern.
"Your actually doing this?" Grief started to choke her.
"I can't stand these fights anymore." Thistle complained after a quick nod.
"But you'd leave me and Sunfish?" Nutmeg harshly questioned him.
"I'm protecting you!" Thistle protested. Nutmeg gave another glance at Thistle before darting to the camp again. "Nutmeg wait!" Thistle grabbed Sunfish, who gave a wail in protest, before darting after her.

"Stay here, please." Thistle had asked Sunfish to stay at the den. I need to find Nutmeg. He needed to explain, or at least make her understand. Thistle opened his mouth, trying to find which way she went.
"He's leaving." Thistle pointed his ears to Birch's den.
"Are you sure?" Birch's tone was stern as always, but Nutmeg's wasn't full of grief as it had been a few moments ago, but as if she had completed a mission.
"He thinks that I actually cared that he was leaving." Thistle was heartbroken at her response. He wanted to hear more, but he just couldn't. He rushed over to Fox's den, which wasn't with his parents anymore.

"Fox, let's go." Thistle demanded. Birch must have told the red tom what was happening because he just nodded and followed Thistle. He wanted to get away from all of the memories that wasn't true. Nutmeg didn't care for him, so why should he? It was all part of Birch's plan to make Thistle's life horrible, just because of something that never happened!
"Is everything okay Thistle?" Thistle was broke from his thoughts.
"Yeah, just sad to leave." Thistle lied. He'd better get used to it, he'd have to lie to his clan mates after every murder.
"I am to." The silence was only broken by their thundering paws and the chip of a bird.

Thistle was there, at the twoleg bridge. He was doing this; going away from all of the torcher of Birch, but leaving everything that he knew. But Nutmeg was nothing but a bunch of lies. I didn't say goodbye to Sunfish. The thought hung in his throat hard. Although he felt nothing for Nutmeg anymore, Sunfish was his only pride and joy. I have to move on though, if this is to stop. Once and for all.
"Should we hunt?" Fox broke into his thoughts again, he has just realized that he hadn't eaten all day.
"I think that's a good idea." Thistle lead the way across the bridge. A strong, oaky type smell hit Thistle's tongue. He opened his mouth a bit more, trying to find any pieces prey. After he got used to the strong scent he could smell mouse a bit further ahead. Fox had wondered off a bit, following another scent trail. Thistle stalked up to the mouse, trying his best not to trip over the oddly dense undergrowth. He found the mouse and ended up catching it just as Fox returned.
"Didn't find anything?" He shook his head.
"I got our way into BirchClan though, but we should get off of the territory before another cat finds us." Fox lead the way, still heading away from his den.
"When will we be able to get into their camp?" Thistle whispered.
"A few days from now. We'll meet this cat at sundown."

Silence drifted cross the two cats, both looking around at the new forest that would be their new home for who knows how long. Thistle still had his mouse, which he decided to eat later. The forest thinned out, the undergrowth was nearly gone, and Thistle could hear a waterfall up ahead. The ravine goes this far? Thistle though it would stop shortly after the twoleg bridge, but he could still see it go off into the trees, past a small creek. Thistle looked over at Fox, he looked like he knew where he was going.
"Have you been here before?" Thistle asked.
"I explored around here a few sunrises ago."
"That would explain where you went." Thistle was curious on where the red tom had went.
"I think there is a place up ahead that we can camp for these few days." Thistle gave a nod as they crossed the the creek, the forest quickly thinned out into a meadow. Looking away from the ravine, Thistle could barely make out a lake downstream.

"Over this way," Fox directed. He headed to the lake, where the undergrowth became thicker. Fox lead Thistle to an honey suckle bush. "Just a bit of weaving and it would be good." With a nod, Thistle began to hollowing out the swarm of vines. Small Dots of light flickered in meadow behind him. The sunset had brought out the fireflies from there resting place.

~~~

Thistle sniffed the air, looking for any piece of prey. He was up by the ravine, which was the first time he'd been there since three sunrises ago, when he first crossed into BirchClan territory. The woods around Thistle where in an odd mix of trees like maple and oak, then a few pine and cedar trees where thrown in there. The scent of squirrel lead the light grey tom near the creek. Thistle lead the squirrel to a tall, thin tree. A sigh spread from his mouth as he worked out how to get up the smooth bark. After a moment, he heaved himself up the tree. With another grunt, he pulled himself onto a branch, the branch that the squirrel was on. With the tree being far from the next closest one, the only way out was to fall to the ground, or find a way to another branch. He tested each of his steps before taking them, each on leading him closer to the grayish brown squirrel. Thistle grabbed it's throat as it had it's back to Thistle, killing it quickly. The sun was close to setting. Now how do I get down? Thistle was used to climbing down trees, he wasn't used to scaling down trees with no low branches on it. He held the squirrel in his mouth, then gripped his hind claws into the bark, followed by his front ones. After a moment of slowly making his way down the tree, he figured out he could scale down it faster. Thistle felt his claws lose grip. Frantic with panic, he flailed his paws back to the bark. To his surprise, both of his front paws stuck nearly at the same time. With his heart still racing, he lowered himself slowly to the ground.

Once at Thistle's and Fox's makeshift camp, Fox met him there shortly after.
"We'll need to eat this quickly, we need to meet that one cat here soon." Fox told him, laying down in front of Thistle to get his share. The sun had set, the sky wasn't black yet, but some of the stars had came out. After Thistle got his share of the squirrel, he gave himself a quick grooming. After Fox got done, he lead the way out of the den site and down to the lake, which was bigger than he though it was. As they approached the creek, the fresh scent of maple, oak and cat filled Thistle's nose. From between the bushes he saw a large fallen sycamore tree. Fox had greeted some cat before Thistle had made is way out of thick bunch of bushes. He heard she-cat's reply. Just as he saw her. She was the prettiest thing he'd ever saw.