(Book 1) Warriors: Separations - Six Stars

Chapter 20

She snuck back to the apprentice's den and went inside again. Carefully weaving past her denmates, she arrived at the hole that she could exit through. It was somewhat hard to reach, but Starlingpaw was pretty good at jumping from all the bird catching she had done with Checkered'fire. Bunching up her hind legs, she crouched down, then leaped up to the hole she grabbed onto it, her two front paws grabbing onto the ground outside the hole. The rest of her body was still hanging from the top of the apprentices' den. Using all of her strength, she pulled herself up and out of the apprentice's den. Her hind legs scrabbled to grab onto the ground, and she almost fell back in, but she managed to completely get herself onto the ground.

Relief spread through Starlingpaw as she completely hauled herself out of the camp. Maybe I could go explore the territory, or go night hunting or something. She thought about what she could do now that she had successfully snuck out of camp without being noticed. I've already seen all of Shadowclan territory anyways, that's boring... She thought.

Then, a suggestion came to her mind. "Maybe I could go to Thunderclan territory!" She squeaked quietly to herself. Getting up, she looked around to find the Thunderpath that separated Thunderclan and Shadowclan.

Spotting it, she sprinted quietly through Shadowclan territory, concealing herself with the use of shadows in case a patrol was nearby.

She arrived at the Thunderpath, though doubt gnawed at her stomach. It isn't too late to turn back... if any of the other apprentices question me, I can just tell them I went out of camp for a little bit and ask them to keep it a secret. She thought. No! This is like a one time thing! I don't even know how I managed to get out of the apprentices den without being noticed, there's no way I could do it again.

Determination lifting her spirits, she checked to make sure no monsters were crossing the Thunderpath, and darted across. The cold, hard pavement made her paws ache for a second, especially since it was leaf-fall.

Once she thought she was close enough, Starlingpaw leaped off the Thunderpath and tumbled into Thunderclan territory, relieved to be off of that uncomfortable, gritty road.

After recovering from her hard fall, she looked at the forest in front of her. It was so lush, and green. However Starlingpaw noted that many of the leaves were beginning to turn orange and red with the coming of leaf-fall. The Thunderclan forest looks much prettier up close. Starlingpaw remarked.

She gingerly began walking forward, making sure each paw step was soundless as a mouse walking through the forest. She stuck close to the shadows, trying to conceal herself as she had done in her own territory. It was much easier to hide behind trees and bushes in Thunderclan territory than Shadowclan territory, so Starlingpaw didn't think she'd have much of a problem sneaking around Thunderclan. Walking around, she noticed multiple mice and voles, and even a few birds here and there. She wanted to hunt them, but she shook the thought out of her head. I know I'm trespassing in another clan's territory, but I'm not going to deprive them of even a single piece of prey. I'm not that bad. Starlingpaw told herself.

Without warning, Starlingpaw felt a heavy weight on her back, and claws in her shoulders.

I've been caught! She thought, horrified.

The attacker had her pinned down, and she couldn't turn her face to see who it was. The cat didn't seem very big or muscular from how heavy they were, so Starlingpaw thought that she could easily throw them off. Bunching up her muscles, she stood up and thrust her upper body back to fling the Thunderclan cat off.

Flipping around to face the cat that had attacked her, she realized that they were no more than an apprentice. They looked to be around the same age as Starlingpaw, and she could tell that it was a tom. He had a dirty orange pelt and chestnut stripes, and his eyes were blue as a river. He's the cat from my dream! Starlingpaw recalled, bewildered.