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| - I walked along the border, sniffing the air for any other trace of life other than my patrol. 'Ok,' I ordered the cats behind me. 'Let's split up now and mark the border either way. Don't want any rogues straying in.' Two out of three cats nodded. 'Come on,' Tornclaw beckoned me with his tail. 'We'll go this way. Airfeather can go with Maplespot.' Airfeather, the only cat who hadn't agreed with the plan, shook her head. 'We shouldn't split. We have no idea what is out there.' Her gaze met mine and one silent word passed between us. Echo. He had been gone for a sunrise, and no one had seen him return in the night. When he was in StormClan, he disguised himself as Ashpaw. The whole Clan never suspected he was evil. Some swore that they had heard him leave. The elders thought he had been kidnapped by some loners or rogues. We (Earthcloud, Airfeather, Waterpelt and I) thought he was up to something. Shadowpaw was gone as well, who we now knew was loyal to Echo, and believed that what he was doing was right. I could understand why Airfeather wass worried, so I mewed confidently, 'We'll be fine. We do this all the time, don't we?' Maplespot looked completely baffled, and had no idea why Airfeather was so worried. 'Yeah,' he agreed. 'Stop being a mouse heart.' So the groups of two went off in different directions Tornclaw and I headed towards twolegplace. I sprayed scent markers on every two trees, occasionaly stopping to scent the air. Once I thought I scented Shadowpaw and Echo on the breeze, but I told myself it was just a trick of the wind. And if they did go along this path, why twolegplace? There is nothing for them there, I thought. When we reached the edge of StormClan territory, I looked out over the crest of the small rise, feeling the wind ripple through the air like waves. I could see the tall buildings of twolegplace, the red walls blinking unnaturally in the sunlight. The monsters roared down small trails, puffing out clouds of poisonous air. The scent was so strong, it even managed to drift all the way up the slope. 'Urgh.' Maplespot wrinkled his muzzle in disgust. 'How could anyone live here?' I was about to open my jaws and agree, when I saw two small shapes climbing up the bank. Their pelts contrasted in colour: golden and black, light and dark. 'It's Ashpaw and Shadowpaw!' Maplespot yowled happily. Dread began to boil in my stomach. 'What were they doing in twolegplace?' But Maplespot was ignoring me, as he was howling the two cats' names so loudly I thought he would wake StarClan. 'Shadowpaw! Ashpaw!' Maplespot shouted. 'Up here!' The two 'apprentices' began to run up the rise towards us. I peered closely at them, I saw that cobwebs were clinging to their pelts like an extra layer of fur. When they reached us, I immediately asked, 'What happened? Why were you in twolegplace?' A look passed between Echo and Shadowpaw so quickly, Maplespot didn't notice. It was a look of, 'don't tell them what we did'. 'Why have you been gone for a sunrise?' I demanded. 'We got lost,' Shadowpaw explained. 'See, I don't quite know my way round the territory yet, so I led Ech-Ashpaw over here, thinking it was the way back to camp. It was dark and scary.' She shuddered. You're lying, I thought. The golden she-cat continued. 'Rogues kidnapped us.' Here Maplespot gasped. 'We escaped though, Shadowpaw added. 'And Ashpaw managed to find out way back at dawn. And here we are.' I wanted to scream, 'You're lying, lying! Tell me the truth!' But my friends and I were the only people who doubted Echo. I didn't want to draw attention to myself, so I said instead, 'Let's get you back to camp.' We trudged back the way we had came, my mind racing. What were Shadowpaw and Echo really doing in twolegplace? Why? What do they want there? We were close to the camp, I scented something on the breeze. I immediately stiffened. It was the smell of rogues. 'Keep quiet,' I hissed, once I explained to the others what I had smelt. 'They might be....hostile.' I couldn't help but recall the time other rogues-namely DarkClan-arrived in our terrritory. I thought our troubles were over. And here are some more strangers, Echo and Shadowpaw. Troubles are never over. We slunk through the foliage, feeling the dry leaves lick out pelt like cats' tongues. We stalked onwards, searching for dangerous shadows, remaining as stealthy as leopards. That was until I heard a low growl from Echo. 'What do you want here? Don't follow us.' Maplespot looked both terrified and confused. I turned and saw six faces silhouetted in sunlight, their eyes betraying nothing. 'Wait...'Maplespot said slowly. 'You know these cats, Ashpaw?' 'These are the ones that kidnapped us,' Shadowpaw snarled. 'Dark, Rat, Frost and Brick. Alley cats.' She spat out the last word like the cats were crowfood, but I saw no maliciousness in her gaze. 'Indeed,' Dark, a ginger tabby the size of a small lion, mewed.'I am Dark, leader of the Alley Cats.' He dipped his head in what could have been a friendly greeting. 'Lovely to meet you.' 'Why did you come back? We escaped, you know.' Echo scowled. 'Leave now. This is StormClan territory.' 'Really?' Dark sounded mildly impressed. 'Oh, I was simply passing through with my warriors.' He indicated the other cats, all half a tail length shorter than he. 'If we aren't welcome here, we shall leave.' 'Not before I teach you a lesson,' Echo howled, flinging himself at the Alley Cat leader. 'Great StarClan.' Maplespot's jaw was wide open. 'He's so brave...Sucidal but brave. That rogue is going to annihilate him.' I nodded silent agreement, too focused on how Dark and Echo were fighting. I noted how they were both fighting with claws sheathed, like they didn't want to hurt each other. How Dark just happened to be the one who had kidnapped the apprentices. Strange, I thought. Most twolegplace cats know this is StormClan territory, and avoid us. After several more moments of fighting, Rat, a shaggy cat with a large and grotesque scar that started at his eye and trailed all the way dow his back, pulled the two cats apart. 'Enough,' he panted. 'We just need to talk to you two.' He thrust his muzzle in the direction of Shadowpaw and Echo. 'About your escape.' Frost, a muscular white tabby with half his face ripped off, nodded. 'We just need to talk to you.' he repeated. Seeing my expression of disbelief, Frost added, 'We won't hurt him. Brick unsheathed his claws and plucked the first flower I had seen on the snow covered floor all day from its grassy home. His mew was smooth like honey. 'We are peaceable cats. Unlike those thugs, DarkClan. Glad they're gone, aren't we?' I jerked at the mention of the name. 'We'll hand him over,' I decided. Might be better if they kill Shadowpaw and Echo anyway. 'But you must promise not to hurt him.' 'Of course,' Dark agreed respectfully. He glanced at Rat, who reached up a claw almost delicately, and nicked the side of his shoulder. A spot of blood splattered onto the snow, a huge contrast to the white ground. Rat moved towards me, but I backed away. 'Doesn't hurt,' Dark assured me. 'It's an old tradition we have in the alleys. If we promise, it's made in blood.' I shut my eyes as the rogue's claw slid across my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw two dots of blood pooling together on the ice, one spot darker, one brighter. 'Now leave us in peace,' Frost mewed. * * * * Was I going to leave them be? Never. I prowled round the clearing, straining to hear their conversation. '...So you'll help us?' Echo was saying. 'Help us to defeat StormClan? I owe it to my master, and I know you are an old ally of his.' 'Of course,' Dark replied, the easy tone gone, replaced with savageness. 'Deathstar was my best friend. If it is his will to destroy this Clan, I shall do it willingly.' 'Excellent,' said Shadowpaw. I saw her raise her muzzle, and I instantly stopped breathing. 'A cat.' Her voice was filled with panic. 'Firewhisker. He's listening to what we said.' And that was the last thing I heard before I started to run.
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