Spottedfern woke to bright sunlight streaming through the bramble walls of the warrior den and the mews of cats from outside. The moon had been dipping towards the distant horizon as she'd stumbled back to her nest, exhausted after a long night of conversing with the leader of the Clan. Duskpaw had been freed to go to sleep earlier than the rest of them in the meeting, and Spottedfern couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy for her niece. "Had a nice sleep?" Stonetooth, a Clan elder, asked from where he was sunning himself in the grass a fox-length away. "I was going to the dirtplace when you went back to the warriors den." He added. "I slept fine, thanks." Spottedfern said, still blinking her eyes open. Across the clearing, Palepaw and Mudpaw were hauling a bunch of bracken across the clearing to the nursery. Spottedfern half-expected Dapplesun to poke her head out of the entrance and beckon the apprentices inside, like she had when she was pregnant with Duskpaw and her dead sibling, Dawnkit. Spottedfern shook her head clear. She padded up to Darkfeather. "Can I help with anything?" She asked. Darkfeather, who looked as tired as Spottedfern felt, nodded. "Yes, could you lead a ShadowClan border patrol?" The deputy asked. "Take Pineleaf, Shimmerlake, and Willowpaw." Spottedfern nodded. She raced back to the warriors den, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting. She saw Shimmerlake and Pineleaf, who were mates, sharing tongues near the back. "Shimmerlake, Pineleaf! Darkfeather wants me to take you and Willowpaw on a ShadowClan border patrol." The pale gray tabby she-cat nodded. As she gracefully got to her paws, the similarity between her and Wavestar was impeccably obvious. Spottedfern was reminded once again that Shimmerlake was Wavestar's daughter. Pineleaf stood up as well and the three warriors exited the den together. "Ouch!" Pineleaf complained. A thorn was caught in his dark brown tabby pelt. Shimmerlake laughed. "Here, let me help." She purred, and pinched it between her front teeth. She yanked herself backwards and the thorn came neatly out of Pineleaf's pelt. The tom immediately started licking the spot where it had been caught. "Mouse-brain." Shimmerlake nudged him teasingly. Pineleaf huffed back at her, but there was a smile in his eyes. Spottedfern spied Willowpaw emerging from the apprentice's den. "Willowpaw!" She called quietly. The apprentice padded over. "Spottedfern's leading us on a ShadowClan border patrol." Pineleaf told Willowpaw, his apprentice. Willowpaw's ears pricked up. "Let's go." Spottedfern mewed to her companions. The four cats brushed through the camp entrance-Pineleaf careful not to touch any thorns or brambles-and the patrol turned their paws in the direction of the ShadowClan border. "Hey!" Willowpaw called out from behind them, when they were still far from the border. "I smell something weird." She lifted her head nervously. Spottedfern tasted the air curiously. As a faint but fresh scent washed over her scent glands, she stiffened. /ShadowClan scent!/
