the winning choice was 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢: patrol near the border. waterclan knows where their border lays, fishbrains. perhaps he will come across a waterclan patrol — he's never seen waterclan cats yet.

❝ let's do a border patrol, tallskunk, ❞ stonechatpaw purred with a toothy grin, ❝ please, ❞ he added. he watched as tallskunk nodded his head, confirming the young tom's decision. stonechatpaw trailed after the larger warrior and out of camp.

the two tom—cats trailed across the glistening river. stonechatpaw padded quietly beside tallskunk, who stalked beside the winding waterway.

tallskunk kept a steady pace as he walked ahead of his apprentice, his elongated legs moving as fluidly as the water beside them as he trotted on by. his tail flicked lazily behind him, and his eyes darted sharply as they padded along the border. stonechatpaw did his best to keep up, his paws moving over the uneven terrain, his ears swiveling to catch every sound around them.

a flock of birds erupted from a small bush nearby, and their wings beat wildly as they soared upwards into the sky. stonechatpaw jumped back instinctively. the tom skidded a little, his fur bristling as he glanced up at the birds disappearing into the clouded canvas of blue above

tallskunk let out a low chuckle. ❝ easy there, ❞ he then purred, ❝ i don't think those pigeons are that much of a threat to us, ❞

stonechatpaw felt his ears burn with embarrassment and he shook his head hazily. ❝ i—i knew they were birds, i was testing your reflexes, ❞ he muttered with a weak smile playing on his muzzle.

tallskunk gave him a good—natured nudge with his shoulder, before continuing on.

stonechatpaw inhaled deeply, taking in the scents that whirled around him — the familiar tang of nettleclan's territory, the damp scent of the river, and the occasional whiff of prey that lingered on the breeze. but as he drew in another short breath, something strange hit his nose. it wasn't the scent of prey, nor was it the familiar musk of his own clan.

it was sharp, and foreign, and he couldn't place a paw on what it was.

stonechatpaw stopped in his tracks, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air again. his heart gave an uneasy thud in his chest. ❝ do you smell that? ❞ he ask quietly, his voice swallowed by the anxiety that welled in him.

tallskunk, who had taken a few more steps ahead of him, froze. his face wrinkled as he sniffed the air too, his eyes narrowing as the same scent hit him. it was unmistakable now. the scent of waterclan, strong and fresh — too fresh to have been left across the river.

❝ those darn fish—heads... they've crossed the border, again, ❞ tallskunk growled lowly. his tail lashed behind him, the easygoing demeanor he'd had just moments ago simmering away with each jerk.

stonechatpaw's fur stood on end as he glanced around, scanning the grass and embankment for any sign of movement. the scent was strong, and it was clear that whoever had trespassed wasn't far from where they were now.

tallskunk padded forward, his body tense, his nose low to the ground as he followed the scent trail. ❝ stick by me, ❞ he ordered, ❝ we don't know how many there are, so we need to be cautious, ❞

stonechatpaw nodded, his heart still hammering as he fell into step beside his mentor and they moved slowly.

the scent seemed to grow stronger as they continued on, and stonechatpaw felt his muscles tense in. his mentor's eyes were narrowed, his body low and ready to spring into action if needed. stonechatpaw mirrored him, crouching low and trying to steady his breathing. this was his first real border issue — his first chance to prove himself in a serious situation.

tallskunk came to a sudden stop. he raised his head, and his eyes locked onto something ahead. ❝ they're still here... ❞ the tom—cat grunted, staring towards a fresh paw—print in the muddy river embankment.

movement shifted up ahead.

two shapes — one larger than the other — toed across the grass. tallskunk's claws flexed with rage. the two waterclan felines hadn't even bothered to mask their presence as they padded onto nettleclan's territory. a full—grown warrior and an apprentice, both tom's by their scent.

tallskunk straightened up rapidly, his shoulder taut with tension.

stonechatpaw's pelt thrilled as tallskunk bounded over towards the trespassing cats, his voice raging. ❝ stop! you're on nettleclan territory! ❞

the waterclan warrior, a sleek grey—blue tom, glanced back and showed no interest in tallskunk. a younger tom, his apprentice, followed behind, tail swaying as if they had no care in the world. tallskunk growled under his breath, his frustration rising. he had no patience for any feline who could ignore borders.

❝ i said stop, ❞ tallskunk's growl cut through the quiet of the air. but still, the waterclan cats continued on.

stonechatpaw watched from a few tail—lengths back.  the scent of WaterClan grew stronger as the breeze carried it toward him, sour and fishy. fear prickled at the edges of Stonechatpaw's thoughts, though he tried to push it down. his ears flicked nervously as he caught sight of the waterclan cats getting closer. the thought of a battle — one they might not win — made his paws tingle with panic.

tallskunk's hind legs kicked off the ground, sending him flying ahead of the trespassers. he landed in front of them, blocking their path with a determined stance. his eyes were fierce, tail lashing as he stood firm.

❝ you're not stepping a paw any further, ❞ hissed the bi—coloured warrior. ❝ explain yourselves, now ❞

this time, the waterclan warrior halted, eyes narrowing as he met tallskunk's. he said nothing at first, but his body language oozed with confidence, as if the border they'd crossed meant little to him. the dark furred apprentice who followed him skidded to a stop beside the waterclan warrior, and he glanced at his mentor, clearly waiting for some kind of signal.

stonechatpaw's claws flexed nervously into the dirt. he watched the interaction closely, his body tense. his eyes caught glimpse of tallskunk's pelt as it bristled along his spine, and stonechatpaw could feel the anger radiating from his mentor.

at last, the waterclan warrior spoke, his tone cool and dismissive. ❝ we are passing through, nothing more. a border means nothing when there's more pressing matters at paw, ❞

❝ more pressing matters? ❞ tallskunk growled, ❝ no clan has the right to cross another's border without permission. especially not without an explanation, ❞

the waterclan tom's expression remained calm. ❝ i do not owe you an explanation. we're not here to fight, we are only— ❞

❝ you're trespassing, ❞ tallskunk interrupted and he lowly snarled. ❝ i don't care what you're doing. if you set a paw on nettleclan territory again, there will be consequences, ❞ he added, his tail jerking to the right as he spewed his threat. ❝ leave, now, ❞

stonechatpaw's ears twitched as he watched the small tom—cat turn towards him, his nose wriggling as he sniffed the air. stonechatpaw froze, his fur prickling uneasily under the other apprentice's gaze. the tom's coloured eyes locked onto him, and a sneer curled at the corners of his mouth.

❝ i smell summin, ❞ the apprentice said loudly. his tone was playful in the cruelest way. ❝ is that... fear i smell? ❞

stonechatpaw's breath hitched in his throat. his paws felt rooted to the ground, his fur standing on end. he could feel the heat of embarrassment rise to his ears. he tried to control his scent, to push down the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm him, but it was too late.

❝ look at him, ❞ the black tom snickered, ❝ hah! he's shaking! what's the matter, nettleclan? afraid of a little border scuffle? ❞

stonechatpaw's wanted to respond, to snap back with some clever retort, but his mouth was dry, and the words wouldn't come. his claws dug deep into the earth, a mixture of shame and frustration bubbling up inside him.

tallskunk growled lowly, catching the exchange. his gaze softened for a moment as he saw the uncertainty in his own apprentice's eyes, but it hardened as he turned back to the waterclan cats. ❝ keep him in check, or i'll teach him some respect myself, ❞

stonechatpaw watched as the opposing apprentice dropped lowly, deliberately walking slowly towards the tom. stonechatpaw's pelt bristled as he watched as the slimmer feline stalked closer.

he wanted to run. but he couldn't move. he was frozen, rooted firmly in place as the tom—cat stepped closer.

tallskunk didn't miss the movement. he breezed past the warrior and positioned himself between his own apprentice and the waterclan apprentice. he towered over stonechatpaw and a fierce growl rumbled in his chest.

❝ back off, ❞ hissed tallskunk, sharply adjusting his stare at the black tom who dared to step too close.

the slim apprentice halted, his eyes narrowing but he made no further move. his mocking smirk was gone now, replaced by a sneer as he looked up at tallskunk.

stonechatpaw trembled behind his mentor, his limbs locked with fear as he crouched low, pressing himself into the earth as if trying to disappear. he felt the burn of shame heating his pelt. he couldn't even face an enemy apprentice without cowering. the fear—scent hung heavy around him, and he cursed himself for being so weak.

tallskunk's tail lashed furiously as he turned his head back to stonechatpaw. ❝ run back to camp, now, ❞ he barked.

stonechatpaw blinked, startled by the intensity in his mentor's voice. ❝ but— ❞ he stammered.

❝ no buts, ❞ tallskunk grunted, his tail flicking with irritation. ❝ go. tell whisperstar, or your father, ❞

stonechatpaw swallowed hard, glancing nervously at the waterclan apprentice who was still watching him with narrowed eyes. his mentor's voice echoed in his ears — run, go back to camp — but his paws felt too heavy, weighed down by fear, and doubt.

the waterclan apprentice took another step forward. he sneered, ❝ afraid to fight your own battles? ❞. the tom heaved in and expelled a laugh. ❝ hiding behind your mentor won't save you, ❞

stonechatpaw's fur bristled, but before the words could cut any deeper, tallskunk let out a deep growl. the black apprentice's smug look faltered for a slight moment, but he quickly masked it with a cold glare.

❝ leave him alone, or you'll regret it, ❞ tallskunk snarled. his claws flexed into the earth, ready for a fight, his body coiled. ❝ stonechatpaw, go. now, ❞

𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘸 𝘥𝘰:

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗘 ... do as he's told, and run back to camp. tallskunk might need help.

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢 ... stand his ground and stay with tallskunk. he should show this fish—breath that he is going to be a strong warrior.

━━ 𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘 ... throw a remark at the tom—cat, call him a name in return for all he's said so far.