"No way. You're not doing that."
Moonpaw rolled his eyes. "It'll be fun!"
Crowpaw shook her head. "No way. I want to keep my fur attached to myself and I don't want Fernstar to line her nest with the pelts of the rest of you."
Moonpaw sighed and shook his head before looking at Goldenpaw, Nightpaw, Blackpaw and Bluepaw who were dabbing at the stream that bordered the territories between Windclan and Thunderclan with their pads and letting out excited squeals. Leopardpaw and Mossypaw had started a mock fight while Featherpaw looked curiously on.
"But why can't I do it? It's just a dare, no one will notice," Moonpaw tried to reason.
Crowpaw stiffened up with frustration and Moonpaw fought the urge to get his tail back to camp before the tough medicine cat apprentice's claws would rake through his skin. "My brothers are morons. They shouldn't have dared you to do that." Sighing, she shook her head and muttered, "You're just a new apprentice, what are they thinking?" She looked sharply up at him. "Do you know how many ticks they've picked out of our elders' fur?"
Moonpaw stood still for a moment before shaking his head. "No."
"Exactly!" Crowpaw growled and thrust her muzzle into his face. She stepped back and flicked her tail into Windclan territory. "What if Windclan sees you, huh? What are you going to do then?"
Moonpaw shrugged. "Run away."
"You're even stupider than I thought you were. Windclan are the fastest cats around," she hissed furiously. "Look, Moonpaw. This is not a good idea at all. If you cross into Windclan territory to get my herbs and you get caught, it could cause war between the clans."
Moonpaw snorted. What was she babbling about? "Yeah right," he muttered, although her words sent a shiver running down his spine. "Okay, I won't do it," he whispered while eyeing the brittle stems of feverfew just a few fox-lengths away on the other side of the border.
Crowpaw touched his shoulder with the tip of her tail and purred, "Good. I always knew you were more responsible than my bro-," but before she could finish, Moonpaw bolted away from her and took a flying leap over the stream. He landed with a thump, heart beating wildly inside his chest. "Moonpaw, get back here!" Crowpaw shrieked while Blackpaw, Bluepaw, Goldenpaw and Nightpaw cheered him on. Featherpaw, Leopardpaw and Mossypaw stared with horrified, wide eyes at him as he snatched the stems off.
His pads felt strange on the tough moorland grass and the wind felt rougher here than in Thunderclan territory. Then, the cheering suddenly stopped. Moonpaw whipped around, the feverfew stems falling out from his jaws and scattering all over.
"Dog!" he heard Featherpaw just barely breathe.
On the top of the rise stood a dog silhouetted against the blue sky. Slowly, it began emerging closer. But Moonpaw was stiff with fear. His paws felt rooted to the ground and his mind went blank.
Crowpaw leaped towards the border, "Run, Moonpaw!"
Then, the dog put on top speed and bolted down the moor towards the petrified, young apprentice. Drool sprayed from its slavering jaws. Clumsy, heavy paws pounded against the grass, vibrating the ground.
"Moonpaw, run!" Crowpaw shrieked.
Moonpaw got snapped back into reality when Nightpaw and the others hared back into Thunderclan territory. Only Crowpaw, Mossypaw, Nightpaw and Featherpaw remained.
Moonpaw scrabbled against the ground, scattering up tough grass in his wake as he bolted for the stream. He could hear the dog getting closer with excited barks. He flashed past Crowpaw and Nightpaw and bolted into the forest with the other four apprentices on his heels. "Scatter!" Mossypaw yowled before swerving aside and bundling Featherpaw into a maple. Nightpaw crashed into Crowpaw and sent her yowling down a steep slope.
