Chapter 13

           Whitepaw was really starting to annoy Crazyheart.

           “Whitepaw, we’re leaving the ShadowClan camp now.”

           “I don’t care!”

           “Hey, Oakstar doesn’t want us to stay here forever. We’re on a mission to bring fresh-kill to RiverClan, Whitepaw.”

           “I don’t care!”

            “Whitepaw, your mother died.”

            “I DON’T CARE!”

           Crazyheart rolled her eyes. “Fine, just please stay here and rot in the mud. Starve to death, see if I give a mouse-tail.”

           “I DON’T CARE!”

           Oakstar had chosen Redfeather and his apprentice, Rainpaw, to come with the ThunderClan cats. The dark brown tabby warned Crazyheart that things were tense between RiverClan and WindClan. He told her that if they wanted to keep Fernstar and her Clan as their allies, then they probably should avoid being spotted by a WindClan patrol. The ShadowClan leader claimed that Fernstar was hoping RiverClan would starve to death so that WindClan could have more territory; if she saw her allies helping them, things wouldn’t be pleasant.

           Redfeather led the way out of camp, his glossy reddish-brown fur ruffled slightly by the soft breeze. His apprentice followed at his side, like a silvery shadow. Crazyheart padded after him and Blazeheart quickened her pace to catch up to the ThunderClan deputy. Sorrelfur and Moonstripe were close behind, chatting to each other.

           “I wonder why ShadowClan is actually being helpful for a change,” Moonstripe hissed.

           Sorrelfur sighed. “Oakstar isn’t as fox-hearted as the rest of his Clan. Don’t judge a cat by his Clan.”

           “Or her Clan.” Moonstripe’s voice was teasing.

           Crazyheart looked over her shoulder to see Sorrelfur give Moonstripe a playful shove. “You’re impossible. We’re leaving you behind here to eat frogs with ShadowClan!”

           Whitepaw trailed way behind the others, dragging her paws and sulking the whole time. Crazyheart kept looking over her shoulder to make sure the white-furred apprentice was still there. If she strained her ears, she could hear the apprentice grumbling about how boring the mission was and how RiverClan were unimportant if they couldn’t even feed themselves. I don’t know why I even check to see if she’s still behind us though. It would be better for every cat if she just disappeared and was never seen again.

           Crazyheart looked at her sister. “I have the worst apprentice ever.”

           The pale ginger she-cat rolled her eyes. “You complain about her almost as much as she complains about warrior duties!”

           “I do not!” Crazyheart protested. “I just state the facts!"

           Blazeheart chuckled. “If you say so.”

           Crazyheart looked at the ground. “I do say so!”

           Redfeather and Rainpaw were much quieter than the ThunderClan cats. In fact, neither cat even said a word. I wonder why ShadowClan are so…unwilling to talk to the other Clans. It makes them seem so arrogant. Well, I guess we’re not talking to them either, but at least we’re talking to each other and we like each other. Whitepaw was not included in that last statement. Anyhow, maybe I should try to talk to them.

           Crazyheart ran to catch up with the ShadowClan cats. “Hey.”

           “Hey,” Redfeather grumbled.

           “I don’t remember the border being this close,” Crazyheart commented as the pungent odor of RiverClan filled her nostrils.

           Redfeather didn’t look up. “We gave them this land to help them out a bit. The territory they had left couldn’t have supported a mouse, let alone a Clan of cats.”

           Crazyheart was surprised. “Why would you do that?”

           Redfeather stopped walking to look at the gray-furred she-cat. “ShadowClan isn’t as heartless as the other Clans say we are. And don’t think we don’t know what you all whisper about us behind our backs. You do realize, I hope, that we have ears as well as claws and we know how to use both of them.”

           The ShadowClan cats kept walking and crossed over the border into the pines on the other side. They didn’t even look back to see if the ThunderClan cats followed them or not.

           “Hey, wait!” Moonstripe yowled. “Maybe we should wait here for a border patrol to come?”

           Redfeather padded onwards. “They don’t patrol their borders very often anymore, at least not the ShadowClan border. I know they have to check the WindClan border; Fernstar would take all their land in a heartbeat if they didn’t. Besides, I don’t think Pebblestar will mind if ShadowClan pays him a visit. I doubt even the arrogant Pebblestar would have the audacity to act hostile towards us after we just helped his Clan. Now, we’ve wasted enough time chatting. Are you coming or not?”

           Crazyheart was uneasy about trespassing on another Clan’s territory without permission, but she didn’t want to seem cowardly in front of the ShadowClan cats so she stepped across the scent line. “C’mon, Moonstripe, Sorrelfur, let’s just go. Redfeather’s right anyways. We’re going to help them so it’s more than okay for us not to feel like waiting for a nonexistent border patrol.”

           “So we’re just going to stroll right into the middle of their camp and say, ‘Hi everyone! How are you doing? We just decided to come into the heart of your territory without your permission!’” Moonstripe meowed sarcastically. “‘Please don’t be angry, we only kind of violated the warrior code! But that’s okay, StarClan told our medicine cat that ThunderClan is exempt from following it ‘cause we’re so special!’”

           Crazyheart feigned innocence. “I’m sorry, was that sarcasm, Moon—”

           “Stroll into the middle of their camp,” Redfeather muttered. “That would imply that they have one.”

           Every cat, Whitepaw included, was silent after that remark. The ThunderClan cats wordlessly crossed the border and followed the ShadowClan cats.

           A skinny golden-brown tom blocked their path. Crazyheart was well aware of his ribs, easily visible through the matted, unkempt fur that covered them. Lionpelt’s eyes were dull from hunger, and he seemed painfully thin. His legs shook as he didn’t have the strength to stand. This once proud, well-fed tom had withered to this corpse of a cat, a half-dead skeleton. Crazyheart felt guilty that she wasn’t suffering too, that she could eat all the fresh-kill that she needed or wanted.

           “R-redfeather, why…why are you here?” Lionpelt’s voice had grown weaker overnight, and his voice shook with every word. “H-have you br-brought this…feast…to t-taunt us?”

           Crazyheart stepped forward. “No. Take us to speak with Pebblestar and you can have all of it.”

           A cough racked his body. “A-all of…of it? C-come then. W-we are…d-desperate…”

           The thing that worried Crazyheart the most is that Lionpelt hadn’t even hesitated a single heartbeat before allowing enemy warriors from two Clans into his camp. All we even had to do was offer them food…

A/N: I'm so sorry I'm a terrible person I haven't updated for a whole month! It's completely inexcuseable but I'm going to make it up to you guys by posting Chapter 14 tomorrow! :) Thanks for reading, please share your thoughts with me in the comments! Hope you enjoyed!