This Is Wrong But It Feels So Right (Stormwind)

Otterpaw made a surprised noise when he came across the remains of a rabbit.

Blackstar looked in the direction of the Lakeclan camp warily, wondering what Forestclan was doing sending their warriors into the territory of another clan.

Otterpaw started to wander off again, tail flicking as he investigated the surrounding undergrowth.

Blackstar looked across the nearby ground that he could see and into the branches of the nearby trees.

Frowning a little petulantly when he didn’t find anything, the dark brown tom looked around.

Blackstar tensed his muscles and leapt up into the tree, looking from his new vantage point to see if he could find clues as to the whereabouts of the intruders.

Otterpaw tilted his head to the side, searching the thick foliage.

Blackstar followed Otterpaw‘s gaze upwards, wondering what the apprentice was thinking.

Otterpaw looked up into the trees.

“They might have doubled back the same way they Came.” One of his warriors theorized, but Blackstar wasn’t sure. He looked around for any mud close by, or strong-scented herbs. They could have masked their scent with any of these, and snuck further into the territory.

Otterpaw looked up at his leader.

Blackstar passed up alongside Otterpaw, his face screwing up in confusion when the cats leaving that scent seemed to have just vanished. “What on earth...”

Otterpaw paused in confusion and sniffed the air when the scent abruptly vanished.

Blackstar switched to tracking the apprentice’s scent instead, figuring he might have found a lead that indicated the Forestclan cats went even deeper into Lakeclan territory.

The other cats looked around in confusion and shrugged, while Otterpaw was wandering farther away.

Blackstar glanced up from the scent he was following, looking around with concern for a moment. “What happened to Otterpaw?”

The sole apprentice on the patrol appeared to have wandered off, sniffing at the scents.

Blackstar narrowed his eyes as he and his warriors investigated the scent trails.  “These are definitely Forestclan cats.”  

“But why?  Miststar is usually respectful of the borders and the laws regarding them.”  One of his warriors mewed.  Blackstar was just as befuddled.

As the patrol neared the ForestClan border, it became apparent that at least two cats had recently crossed the border and caught a squirrel on their territory.

Blackstar looked down at his paws, finding his own excuse to leave for a while when one of his warriors offered for him to accompany them on a patrol. The Tom padded off, the Meadowclan section of the border clean and uneventful as always. Soon they arrived at the Forestclan border.

The dark gray she-cat hurried away from her mate as soon as she found an excuse, which was that Stonekit and Patchkit had started fighting again.

Blackstar felt a trill of guilt course through him as Swallowflight looked away so quickly. I hate that this hurts her so much... but I can’t help it! I’m so in love with her, and with Mallowstar!

Just with that Swallowflight knew what was bothering him and she looked away with a grimace.

Blackstar sighed, his gaze indicating that he couldn’t talk about it at the moment, with the cats of Lakeclan all around them.

“What’s got your fur in a knot?” Swallowflight asked her mate.