So Chapter 13, and also happy late Halloween and Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and so on! (and Happy Birthday to me!) XD I hope you enjoy this next chapter! Also this chapter is all Feather x Hawk! Spotted x Crow! Leaf x Thorn! And some drama! XD (also not sure it's true or not but I decided it's against the warrior code to hunt prey outside clan territory if not on a journey or to highstones!)

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"I don't like this linger about," Hawkfrost murmured quietly to Feathertail, the two Clan cats sitting down river of the waterfall, Feathertail was teaching him how to fish and they promised to bring plenty back for the others, they've already stayed a few days with the Tribe of Rushing Water. "Our Clan's are in danger and every second we waste here is another second to late."

Feathertail's shimmering blue eyes softened with understanding. She understood him, unlike her brother, Stormfur. "But Tawnypelt still needs time to heal, we need to look after ourselves first." The she-cat pointed out, and Hawkfrost understood that, but his mind kept replaying horrible visions of the destruction of ShadowClan and ThunderClan, and everyone he knew in them being chased away.

"That's not the only thing," Hawkfrost lowered his voice, his icy-blue eyes glancing at the cave-guard. The cave-guard was supposed to be protecting them from Eagles and other predators while they hunted. However he didn't feel very guarded, instead it felt more like he was being monitored; like some prisoner. "Do you think these Tribe cats are acting a little bit...strange?"

"What do you mean?" Feathertail asked, right before she lashed out at the water and a silvery fish flopped onto shore, where she easily killed it in one bite. Hawkfrost found that skill very admirable, and found Feathertail to be one of the greatest hunters that he's ever known.

"Like how their respecting Stormfur, even though he's a total stranger their treating him like he's...I don't know, a savior or something." Hawkfrost confided, he wasn't jealous of Stormfur but he was suspicious by all the attention the tom was receiving. It wasn't natural for these cats to treat stranger the way they were, and all these hushed conversations that went on behind their backs were unnerving.

"You've notice too?!" Feathertail meowed, blinking in astonishment. "I thought I was the only one that...I've noticed how Brooke trail's after him, and how everyone else looks at him. At first, I thought they were just being generous, though when it comes to Stormfur...it's different."

"I think we should leave as soon as possible." Hawkfrost responded, ducking his head and leaning close to Feathertail. "Even if Tawnypelt isn't fully healed, she'll have all of us to rely on."

"Your right…" Feathertail agreed, however the she-cat hesitated and as she looked ready to say something else she stopped and nervously turned her head away, looking conflicted.

"What is it?" Hawkfrost prompted, confused by her suddenly shy nature. Feathertail, up till now, had always been open with him and never hesitated to speak her mind.

Feathertail glanced at him unsurely, before turning to stare into the flowing river that was so clear that it showed their reflections. "What are we, Hawkfrost?"

"What do you mean?" Hawkfrost questioned, tilting his head in confusion as he openly stared at the beautiful soft-furred, silver tabby she-cat.

"What are we." Feathertail repeated, before turning to lock eyes with him. "Are we just friends or are we...more than friends?"

Hawkfrost's breath caught in this throat, and it took a long moment before he could draw-air once again. "We're whatever you want us to be, Feathertail." This was it, the moment that would change everything with them. If Feathertail-Hawkfrost didn't dare finish the thought, this was breaking the warrior code but hasn't he already broken it already by falling in love with Feathertail? Hawkfrost supposed he had always been in love with Feathertail, he just hadn't realized it till now.

Feathertail's sky-blue eyes seemed to glow for a moment, and didn't hesitate to shift closer so that she was pressed up against his side. Hawkfrost gave out a warm purr as he felt her plumy tail wrap around his bushy one. "I'd like us to be more than friends." Feathertail meowed, pressing her nose into his cheek.

"I'd like that too." Hawkfrost agreed, purring contently as he sat there for a while, pressed together with the most beautiful she-cat in all the Clans...in all the wide-world! However they soon had to break apart in order to bring their prey back to the Tribe, before they started to worry.

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"And then the little fur-ball actually stuck a thorn right in my ear!" Crowpaw grouched, shaking his head as Spottedfeather gave out a murmur of laughter. "Breezekit is a pawful...though I suppose he's been apprenticed by now. I wonder who his mentor is."

"I think you would have made a great mentor, Crowpaw." Spottedfeather remarked, honestly meaning it. "Your very good at motivating others."

"I wouldn't say that." Crowpaw denied, bristling with embarrassment but his blue eyes betrayed him; they glowed with satisfaction.

"It's true." Spottedfeather assured, probing him in the side with her much larger paw. "You've helped me a lot on this journey. And I'm sure that someday, when you do get an apprentice, they'll benefit from your teachings as well."

"They'll probably complain the whole time." Crowpaw countered, however he stretched out a foreleg to gently prob Spottedfeather back.

"Don't all apprentices?!" Spottedfeather retorted, sharing a moment of laughter with the WindClan apprentice.

"I cant wait till we get back to WindClan and tell Breezekit all about-" Crowpaw clamped his muzzle shut, his blue eyes seemingly dulling as he glanced away. The sudden action startled Spottedfeather and she was unsure as to why he was suddenly closed off.

"Crowpaw-"

"It's not fair." Crowpaw interrupted before Spottedfeather could ask him what the matter was. "Me in WindClan and you in ThunderClan. It's not fair."

"Huh?" Spottedfeather was momentarily lost in confusion, before her dark-amber eyes widened in realization. They were from two separate Clans, and once they returned home...all that they shared together on this journey...would come to an end.

"Once we're back in Clan territories, we can't...can't...Mouse-dung!" Crowpaw spat, turning to glare at the opposite wall as his tail lashed angrily. "We were doomed from the very start!"

"Perhaps not." Spottedfeather's remark caused Crowpaw's head to jerk sharly in her direction. His blue-eyes were wide in surprise and...hopeful. "I know a few ThunderClan cats that switched Clans before, and though I'll miss everyone," Spottedfeather shifted closer to the sleek-black tom, her broadhead coming down to nuzzle lovingly against the side of Crowpaw's. "I've come to realize my life wouldn't be complete without you in it."

Crowpaw was too stunned to react right away, but when he did he gave out such a loud yowl of pure joy that it practically drew everyone in the cave's attention to them. Though only Spottedfeather was embarrassed.

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"Are you okay, Leafpool?" Thornclaw concerned meow drew Leafpool's attention away from her half-eaten mouse, it was a scrawny one, however she just couldn't manage to eat the rest.

Leafpool blinked away the haziness that covered her amber eyes as she focused on Thornclaw. The golden-brown tabby tom was looking at her with a concern, she suddenly realized that he'd been calling her name for a while now.

"Huh? Oh, umm...I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Leafpool meowed, while forcing her pale brown tabby fur to lie flat as it tried to prickle up in embarrassment. She's been spacing out a lot lately.

"You've been acting strange lately." Thornclaw pointed out. "Is something the matter?"

"There's a lot of things the matter, Thornclaw." Leafpool sighed, glancing across the clearing at Ferncloud, who sat outside the nursery, mourning the death of yet another kit. This time it was Hollykit. "We're all slowly dying and I don't know how to stop it."

"I don't think any of us do." Thornclaw said softly, leaning down to touch Leafpool's ear in comfort. "Though we all have each other, and together, ThunderClan will survive."

"I suppose your rig-" A loud, outraged yowl sounded across the clearing, which interrupted Leafpool's reply and badly startled the pair of Clan cats. Both Thornclaw and Leafpool whipped their heads to stare across the clearing where Ferncloud stood hissing in front of a Brambleclaw.

"Where did you get that?!" Ferncloud demanded, and if the pale gray she-cat hadn't pointed furiously to the plump looking squirrel clamped in her brothers jaws, then it would have gone unnoticed by Leafpool and everyone else.

Instead of shying away from Ferncloud's anger, like her sister Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw stood up straight with his head held high. Though was that a flash of guilt Leafpool saw in his eyes? Ferncloud's angry demand drew more attention, and others began padding forward, voicing their own inquiries.

"Where you holding out on us, Brambleclaw?" Dustpelt demanded, coming to stand nose to nose with the large-tabby warrior, the senior warriors fur bristling in anger as Brambleclaw remained silent. Concerned, Leafpool stood up and began to approached the pair, coming to defend her brother if needed. However Cinderpelt beat her to him.

"That's enough, Dustpelt." the pregnant queen hissed, coming to defend her mate. "Brambleclaw wouldn't withhold prey from anyone."

"Then where did he get that squirrel then?" Dustpelt asked furiously, gesturing angrily towards the squirrel. Cinderpelt hesitated, the stormy-gray she-cat turned her head to look uncertainty at her mate.

"I got it from hunting in Twolegplace." Brambleclaw reluctantly replied as he made eye contact with Cinderpelt, whose eyes widened in surprise. Leafpool herself was taken back by Brambleclaw's admission, she'd have never thought her own brother would break the warrior code like that. "But we've only been hunting for prey!" Brambleclaw added quickly.

"We?!" Rainwhisker questioned, looking shocked like the rest of them. "Who else has been hunting in Twolegplace?!" It was right at that very moment when Brackenfur, carrying his own plump squirrel, came walking through the gorse-tunnel. The golden-brown tabby instantly froze in place as all eyes turned to him.

"You too, Brackenfur?!" Dustpelt exclaimed in shock. Causing more outraged murmures to explode from the assembled group of cats.

Leafpool could spot a shocked Sandstorm lingering at the nursery entrance with Stonekit, Redkit, and Flamekit chasing one another around her legs. She didn't know! Leafpool realized, turning around in time to see her mother push her way through the cried.

"What's going on?!" Firestar demanded, glancing around at everyone. "What's wrong?!"

"What's wrong is Brambleclaw and Brackenfur and who knows who else, are hunting in Twolegplace!" Dustpelt snarled, causing Firestar's green eyes to widen in surprise and turn to stare at her son in disbelief.

"Brambleclaw, is this accusation true?!" Firestar demanded and this was the first time, in a very long time Leafpool realized, that her mother truly sounded upset with Brambleclaw.

Leafpool watched in detachment as Brambleclaw nodded, looking disheartened by their mother's disapproval but he didn't seem to regret his actions.

"And you as well, Brackenfur?" Firestar meowed, turning on Thornclaw's brother, and her best friends mate.

"Yes, Firestar." Brackenfur meowed solemnly.

"They went against the warrior's code!" meowed out one of the elders. "They should be punished!" meows of agreement followed the statement.

"Why should they be punished?!" Sorreltail growled, coming to stand on Brambleclaw's other side in defense. "They were feeding the Clan! We're all starving! They had no choice!"

"Of course they had a choice!" Ferncloud growled back. "They've always had a choice and they chose to keep quiet and leave out the rest of us!"

"Neither my brother nor Brambleclaw would do such a thing!" Thornclaw called out in defense. "They bring back prey to feed the Clan just like the rest of us."

"I agree!" Leafpool added on, glancing at Thornclaw in admiration as he stood up for both his brother and Leafpool's own.

"Yet they let Ferncloud starve and allowed Hollykit to die!" Dustpelt retorted as he pressed up against his mate who whimpered at the mention of their dead daughter.

"Dustpelt that's enough." Firestar hissed, giving the warrior a warning look. "I know you speak from grief but blaming them for Hollykit's is unacceptable. Her death was a tragedy and can only be blamed on the Twolegs."

Dustpelt looked like he wanted to argue further but thankfully decided to keep quiet. Leafpool quickly held her breath as her mother turned back to face Brambleclaw and Brackenfur, and the grimace on Firestar's face wasn't a good sign.

"It is against the warrior code to hunt outside a territory if one is not on a journey or on their way to Highstones." Firestar said solemnly. "as punishment your both on apprentice duty until further notice."

"But that's not fair-" Sorreltail began to protest but was silenced as Brambleclaw laid his tail on her shoulder.

"We accept our punishment, Firestar." Brambleclaw meowed as Brackenfur echoed his statement. Firestar tensely nodded, before ordering everyone to go back to their duties.

"Things are really getting desperate." Thornclaw muttered, almost to himself as Leafpool once again glanced towards the nursery.

Sandstorm was no longer standing there. And neither was Cinderpelt standing at Brambleclaw's side.

O0o0o0o0o

Facts;

Crow x Spotted-confirmed (ship name...ironically It's Spottedfeather or Crowfeather but also it can be Spottedcrow!)

Feather x Hawk-confirmed (ship name...Hawkfeather or Featherhawk or Frostfeather or Hawktail!)

Leaf x Thorn- hinted! (ship name...Thornleaf, Leafthorn, Thornpool, Leafclaw!)

Which is your favorite ship name for each couple! Let me know in the review section!