Spottedfire poked her head into the apprentices den, some of her fiery fur caught on the brambles. The den itself was made out of heather and brambles, tucked neatly away into the side of the mountain. "Swanpaw wake up!" She said spotting the white she-cat among the apprentices. Only Vinepaw and Sandpaw remained in the den.
          Swanpaw rose sleepily from her nest, looking at her mentor. ""Come on Swanpaw it's time for your tour of the territory." Spottedfire said before backing out of the den. Energy flowed through Swanpaw and she leapt up. Careful not to disturb her sister and Vinepaw she exited the den.
          Spottedfire gestured with her tail for her apprentice to follow once she emerged from the den. "Come on Swanpaw if we finish exploring early I'll teach you how to hunt!" The fiery warrior called before racing off.
           The white apprentices paws sprang into motion as she dashed after her mentor, leaping up to the upper part of camp. To Swanpaw's surprise she was catching up to Spottedfire. She hared across the clearing dodging cats and the fresh-kill pile and followed her mentor out of camp.
          Spottedfire had twisted once out of sight and hidden herself just outside the camp entrance. Swanpaw didn't really know about the slope leading down to the moor and would most likely tumble down and injure herself. So as Swanpaw rocketed out of camp she braced her paws and snagged her scruff. The white apprentice let out a surprised squeal, she ended up on her back, her momentum sending her paws flying out from under.
          Swanpaw looked up at her mentor's yellow orbs. "What was that for?" She wheezed, the breath having been knocked out of her.
          Spottedfire helped her winded apprentice to her paws before responding, "I forgot to mention that there's a slope, you would have gone tumbling down if you hadn't shifted most of your weight to your hindquarters." She admitted an embarrassed look on her face.
          "Oh well that would have been unpleasant." Swanpaw agreed her eyes scanning the slope in question.
     Her mentor purred in amusement before heading off again although at a noticeably a slower pace, "Well let's not waste any more time and continue." She called to her apprentice.
          "After a moment Swanpaw took off after Spottedfire catching up easily at her mentors slowed pace. They carefully ran down the slope side by side when Swanpaw brought up a question. "Who do we share borders with?" The curious she-cat asked.
  "Well there's the Feirceclan border, and the Creekclan border. Feirceclan has a strong belief that there should always be five clans in the forest and normally comes to any clans aid if asked. They hunt in the thick undergrowth of the forest. Creekclan cats swim and hunt fish. They enforce and protect their borders like there no tomorrow." Spottedfire answered.
           Swanpaw nodded filing that information away. Once they hit the flat open moor Spottedfire took of in a full out sprint which left Swanpaw to try and keep up. She found it easier to do than expected but she couldn't catch up and run beside her mentor. Soon she saw a thick forest and a strange scent. As they neared the trees the scent got stronger and more revolting. "What's that smell?" Swanpaw questioned.
          Spottedfire just laughed at Swanpaw's face. Her nose was scrunched in disgust and she looked as if she wanted to run as far away from it as she could. "This is the Feirceclan border and that's what Feirceclan cats smell like." The fiery warrior managed through her laughter. Her apprentice looked embarrassed and licked her chest fur a few times.
  "It's not that funny Spottedfire." Swanpaw said her gaze towards the ground.
          Her mentor calmed and flicked her tail, "Calm down Swanpaw every new apprentice had the same reaction to another clans scent. Losen up a bit you don't have to be so serious. Come on now otherwise I won't be able to teach you how to hunt." She said and raced off past her apprentice.
          The white she-cat sighed and shook her head before dashing after her mentor. Her tail streamed out behind her as her paws propelled her forward. The sun was almost at it's highest point in the sky now when she caught up to her mentor who stood patiently.
          "This is the Creekclan bor-" Spottedfire didn't get a chance to finish her statement.
          Three Creekclan cats came racing towards them, looking as if they wanted a fight. Spottedfire fluffed out her fur to make her look bigger, and Swanpaw copied her mentor. "Well what do we have here?" A silver furred she-cat asked, her voice honey-sweet, but anycat could tell that it was fake.
          "We don't want any trouble." Spottedfire said, her gaze narrowing and analyzing what she was up against.
          "Well maybe you should have thought of that before you crossed the border." A yellow furred tom snarled.
  "We haven't crossed the border!?" Spottedfire exclaimed her fiery leopard patterned tail lashing. An apprentice, by the looks of it, stepped forward.
  "Don't you heather-brained cats use your noses?" He snarled, his brown fur prickling angrily. Swanpaw felt anger growing and welling up inside her itching to get out. She felt a growl rising in her throat, but forced it down.
          Her mentor calmly answered the rude apprentice, "We can and we did! The border's right between us Berrypaw!"
          Berrypaw glanced at the yellow furred tom and asked, "So they don't know how inconvenient for them. Should we tell them Yewnose?"
          Yewnose flicked his tail his yellow pelt shining in the sun. "Well we took part of your land, and there's not really much you can do about it. I mean that kit beside you can't really do much." He sneered.
          Swanpaw was astonished. 'They can't do that!?' She screeched in her mind. She lashed her tail and bared her teeth. Spottedfire touched her tail to Swanpaw's flank, a warning to calm down and think. She shook her head and stayed were she was, but no way was she gonna let her hackles fall. "So you think that you can just waltz in and steal are land?" Swanpaw asked flatly, her eyes boiling with rage.
          Salomontwist smirked, "So you speak, I was starting to wonder if you were mute. You look fresh-out of the nursery kit." She taunted. Swanpaw's eyes burned with fury, not from Salomontwist's insult but rather from how they dared to claim some of their territory.
          Spottedfire could sense Swanpaw's fury as clear as day although she had a strange sense that her apprentice wouldn't act upon it. Berrypaw unsheathed her claws and shredded the grass underpaw. "So what are we gonna do Yewnose? Are we gonna take them captive? They've had a long time to get off our territory and it would be nice to have some bartering material!" She exclaimed.
A look of delight grew on Yewnose's face as he replied, "I've trained you well Berrypaw, wonderful idea! I'll have to tell Stormstar that your ready to become a warrior. Maybe I can even convince him to let you mentor one of Quailfeather's kits!"
          Berrypaw looked very please and happily exclaimed, "Oh thank you Yewnose! Just doing my duty to make Creekclan truly strong!"
          Dread grew in the pit of Swanpaw's stomach and she knew that this was a battle that they couldn't win. Spottedfire hissed, "What do you mean by Stormstar? What's happened to Streamstar!?"
          There was a hard glint in Salomontwist's eye as the vicious she-cat responded, "Well now why should we tell you trespassers? Let's get them!" She yowled and launched herself at Spottedfire with unsheathed claws.
          "Swanpaw run for help!" Spottedfire shriked and swiftly twisted out of the way. Her paws were stirred  into motion and the white apprentice wheeled around bolting towards camp.
          Blood roared in her ears and a terrifying chill went down her spine when she heard a caterwaul of pain. She was so scared, so terrified. She was so useless! "You won't get away!" Yewnose snarled from somewhere behind her. How was he so close! She couldn't rise turning and losing her footing, he'd surly catch her then. 'Faser, come on run FASTER!' She screamed. She widened her stride and lowered herself so that her belly brushed the grass. It was instinctual and she became a blur. Her breathing came in gasps as she tried to get enough air. She wasn't used to running so far, and she cursed herself mentally for not practicing running more. Somewhere deep inside her something awoke. Her terror and fear washed away, and was replaced by courage. Up ahead she spotted a Meadowclan hunting patrol yet somehow Yewnose had caught up to her. With a triumphant roar the tom leaped for Swanpaw.
          Swanpaw yowled to her clanmates in a desperate attempt for help."FALLENLEAF, WEASELCLAW, FOXGLOVE! HELP CR-" Red-hot pain exploded from her right shoulder and she screeched in pain, her legs buckling under the weight of a full-grown warrior. Yewnose freed his teeth from her shoulder and snarled, "Be quiet you insufferable piece of fox-ding!" He takes his claws down her left side before leaping back. Swanpaw felt the warm blood coat her fur, and she stumbled to her paws once the crushing weight was lifted. She could hardly see threw the haze of pain but tried anyway, sinking into a sloppy defensive crouch.
          "So you think that you can defeat me?" Yewnose scoffed. His yellow tail lashed, a vicious glint in his eyes. "Well no matter I'll just defeat you easily before your clanmates arrive." He snarled and launched himself at Swanpaw. She reared onto her hind legs, and almost lost her balance, before lashing out clumsily with unsheathed claws. She got lucky and raked her claws across Yewnose's muzzle. Sending tiny scarlet droplets flying. That didn't stop him at all and he the dug his teeth into her leg. Before she could even attempt to free herself he flung her sideway's towards Creekclan. This new wound starting bleeding as well and now there was only pain.
          'Breath, in and out , in and out.' She told herself. Yewnose roughly grabbed her scruff before taking off, by even bothering to insult her more. Swanpaw had no choice but to go along with what was happening. The moor soon turned into forest with a large river and riverbank.
          "Let the useless furball walk from here Yewnose, if she dies it won't matter anyway. We have this one." Salomontwist purred. Swanpaw whimpered when she hit the ground, feeling pebbles and stones underpaw.
          Berrypaw hissed in her ear, "Get up and move or well skin you!" Swanpaw pushed herself to her paws, they were trembling and felt like they would give out. A familiar scent filled her nose as she felt a soft pelt brush against hers.
          "Move!" Yewnose snarled harshly shoving Swanpaw forward. She stumbled and almost fell, but Spottedfire steadied her.
          Quietly Spottedfire ordered,"Lean against me Swanpaw. Well get through this, I'll make sure of it." Swanpaw leaned against her, letting her mentor take half of her burden. Her fur was matted with dried fur and she was exhausted. After a bit more walking they came across the camp.
          "In you go." Salomontwist said with her honeyed voice. They stumbled in, and seemed to have arrived in the middle of a clan meeting.
Storm'star' stood upon the Eroded Stone. His clanmates were gathered and a circle had been formed, trapping a tom who seemed to be about the age of an apprentice inside. "Who are these cats?" Stormstar questioned gazing down upon the group. Yewnose nodded to Berrypaw who stepped up boldly and answered, "These are two Meadowclan cats that crossed our new border. Their names are Spottedfire and Swanpaw, we took them as hostages!"
A wicked smile grew on Stormstar's face, "Excellent! Now let's allow them to have front row seats for this meeting shall we? Put this in the ring!" He ordered and his clanmates broke the circle, and Salomontwist, Yewnose, and Berrypaw herded them into the circle which then they closed. "We are gathered today to discuss Crowpaw, and now Swanpaw and Spottedfire. Oh such a pretty she-cat, I think I'll make you my mate Spottedfire. Somecat take her to my den." Stormstar decided. Spottedfire weakly fought as she was dragged to Stormstar's den.
          Swanpaw felt the gaze of a cat burning into her. She saw that it was Crowpaw, but when she met his gaze he quickly adverted his eyes. Her mind whirled, 'What's going to happen to us!' She asked herself. Stormstar continued, "Before Swanpaw's fate is decided we must discus Crowpaw. Before the Great Vision took place this young cat was about to be made a warrior. He has been confined with the weaklings for the past moon. We must decide if he is one of us, or one of them!" Stormstar announced. He fell silent while his clanmates conversed and when everycat was quiet again he continued. "So Zoombreeze, what is the finial decision?"
          Zoombreeze was Stormstar's new deputy, loyal through and through to Stormstar. "He's a traitor!" He shouted, and the cats joined the call. Swanpaw flattened herself to the ground, flattening her ears against her head. Crowpaw just sat their, still as a statue, staring up at Stormstar.
          Stormstar flicked his tail and called, "Silence!" His cats fell quiet ready to listen once again. "Then Crowpaw is a traitor! Take him away!" Stormstar ordered. The clearing grew dimmer suddenly, and his cats fur bristled sensing something. A faint tom with millions of stars in his fur appeared in the circle, a grave look upon his face.
          Somecat gasped in shock and stuttered, "A-Amberstar?"
          Stormstar grit his teeth, and lashed his tail. 'What does this old pile of bones want?!' He thought in annoyance. "Never clip the wings of the cat with the clans in their paws." Amberstar snarled before fading. The light returned and everycat seemed to be in shock.
The cats started whispering amongst themselves doubting what Stormstar had worked so hard to achieve. Thinking fast he spoke, "Shineclan has spoken! Crowpaw is one of us! Crowpaw from this point in you shall be known as Crowheart!"Stormstar announced.
          As expected the clan erupted in cheers calling "Crowheart! Crowheart!"
          "Put Swanpaw in with weaklings, Clan dismissed." Stormstar ordered.
Swanpaw felt as if her life was crumbling. Before she was forced towards some den she heard, 'Clipped wings grow back and caged birds set free.'

Her hope reignited