Autumnstar huffed quietly at the news Jupitersmoke gave, looking away and flattening her ears. Why was it they had to deal with this trespasser? Blackstar flicked his tail at her, warning his mate to stay silent. He didn't need her grumbling.

"You are from LichenClan, correct?" Blackstar asked calmly. If he was at all upset, it was impossible to tell. "Glassstar is a noble wolf." He turned to face Autumnstar, who was still sitting outside the den with an unpleasant expression scrawled across her muzzle. It was now more obvious that Blackstar was upset, his gaze stern.

"I wish you would have sent Duskleap or Ravenwing to tell me about this instead of bringing her all the way into camp," He told her, somewhat crossly. "Now we have to wait for Glassstar's return since she's within bounds of our camp. How far was she from the border?"

"Not far." Duskleap jumped in. Autumnstar shot her a deadly look, her emerald eyes piercing her soul.

"You are not to interrupt your leader's voice, Duskleap." she growled lowly. The Beta female flicked her ear in annoyance but remained silent, casting her face away. Blackstar said nothing to her, but continued speaking to his mate.

"If she wasn't far from the border, why did you bring her here instead of waiting?" he questioned her. Autumnstar growled, visibly becoming more upset.

"She's from another clan, Blackstar." she said through her teeth, trying to keep her temper at bay. "I didn't want to leave her there and risk others coming into our territory for any reason. I'm not built to trust like you." She flicked her tail, staring at her mate intensely. "Now if you don't mind...I'd like to continue this conversation elsewhere." Blackstar stood silent for a moment, his brow furrowed, before nodding.

"Very well then." he said. He turned to Jupitersmoke. "You will remain here until Glassstar returns and recieves word that you're here. Rest up, heal up. I will send someone to check in on you tomorrow at sunrise." With a polite nod to Sage and Dusk, he dipped out of the den, his large body giving the small space its room back.

Duskleap watched as the alphas stalked away, their arguing voices growing distant. It was so strange to her that they were paired. They were such opposites in every way. Their firstborn seemed to be the perfect mix of them both. Lightpaw looked like his father and showed exceptional promise, but he was known to have a temper like his mother and wasn't the friendliest.

"I'm sure everything will be alright," Sageheart said to Jupitersmoke calmly. "You can sleep in here with me tonight. If you need anything at all please let me know. I'll be here to help."

"Thank you Blackstar." Jupitersmoke said, though she couldn't help but feel like this was the worst possible outcome. She didn't understand why they couldn't just take her back to her territory and let her go home on her own. No, that wasn't right. She did know why. Autumnstar's reasoning was because she didn't trust LichenClan to respect the boundaries now. Blackstar didn't want her aggravating her injuries further.

Sighing she looked over at Sageheart, giving her a shaky smile as she fought back tears of frustration. "Thank you." She whispered thickly, curling herself into a tight ball, her tail flicking over her muzzle. The sweet medicine wolf couldn't give her what she needed though. She couldn't give her the satisfaction of sleeping in the warriors den in her own camp. As Jupitersmoke tried to fall asleep she found herself wishing for her sisters clumsy paws battering at her back as she rolled in her sleep. For Duskstone's tail swatting at her ear everytime she came close to slipping into her dreams. The sound of Snowclaw snoring on the other side of the den.

She needed her pack. But Sageheart couldn't give her that. Slowly, and with much difficulty, Junipersmoke managed to finally slip into an uneasy doze. Her dreams plagued with strange smells and faces, black and white fur and the stench of badger on her pelt.

Cinderstep's POV

Cinderstep skidded to a halt at the entrance of the camp. She looked around wildly, her gaze moving from one den to another as she searched for Glassstar. Maskfur looked up from where he was sharing a meal with Redjaw and Snowclaw, alarm shining in his yellow eyes. "Cinderstep?" He asked, standing and racing towards her, the rest of the Clan emerging from their dens and moving into a halfformed circle around Cindersteps shaking form. "What happened where's Jupitersmoke?" The deputy asked, his voice laced with fright. Jupitersmoke had been his apprentice and one of his closest friends.

"W-we were at the boarder south of camp, following a trail. We ran into a badger and it chased us into enemy territory. She's hurt. I don't know how badly but she couldn't get up on her own and she told me to come get help. I g-got here as fast as I could!" The words came out in a tumbling mess as she fought for breath. Her gray coat darkened with sweat as her legs shook under her.

Maskfur swore under his breath before looking around. Duskleap, Snowclaw, Redjaw, Foxpaw and Whisperpaw. Come with us. We are going to need as much muscle as we can incase the badger comes back or we encounter any enemy wolves. The rest of you stay here. Dappleheart," He paused as the red coated medicine wolf stepped into view. "Make sure to have herbs ready for Jupitersmoke when we get back." He turned towards Cinderstep. "Can you lead the way?"

She nodded and spun on her back paws, racing back out of the camp, her Clanmates at her side as they followed her. It didn't take long to reach the border, the stench of badger still strong in the air. The sight of a wolf sitting next to the oak tree she had left her sister at had fear racing through her. They stopped at the boarder, unsure if they should cross.

Ravenwing's POV

Ravenwing sat under the large oak, his sharp gaze scanning the forest around him. The breeze ruffled through his fur, carrying the scent of badger into his nostrils. He was smart enough to know that the female they'd found had been telling the truth. He knew Autumnstar had known too, she was just being overly aggressive about the situation as she always seemed to do.

He knew he wasn't the only wolf who disliked her, but he would never dare speak it. The Delta was beginning to wonder if the clanmates would ever return, when he heard pawsteps rushing towards the border. He perked his ears and turned his face towards the border to see seven wolves from LichenClan coming his way. To his relief, they paused at the border.

He stood, stretching out his muscled body and shaking out his coat before walking towards them. He didn't want to present as a threat, but he didn't want them to see him as some loner either. Lifting a hind leg, he sprayed the oak tree and kicked dirt over it with his hind legs, scenting both the tree and the ground beneath him.

He approached the border, facing the wolves standing before him. "Hello," he greeted calmly, but keeping his hackles raised out of sheer nervousness. He hadn't expected so many to show up. "My name is Ravenwing, Delta of HollyClan. I was tasked to remain here until you all showed up." His gaze traversed over the group, inspecting them carefully. He wasn't sure if he could completely trust them, but he would not display aggression unless provoked.

"A young she-wolf stumbled into our territory not long ago, and was caught here by myself, our beta, and our lead female. She was injured, she told us by a badger." His eyes fell upon another she-wolf, one he assumed to be her sister. "She was sent with my leader and beta back to camp to recover and stay until Glassstar is able to come for a formal meeting between clans."

He couldn't help but keep casting glances over at the young she-wolf. She was pretty, and she looked to be his age.

Cinderstep watched as the black and white male moved towards them, his body language making it clear he was hesitant but also trying to pose no threat to the distressed Clan wolves. She listened to his explanation, her belly churning. Glasstar wasn't going to be back for at least four or five days, maybe longer if something kept him from leaving the hills when he wanted to.

Maskfur stepped forward, dipping his head towards Ravenwing. "I am Maskfur, deputy of LichenClan. I thank you for helping our Clanmate. It is true that she and Cinderstep here," he paused to nod towards the gray and brown female at his side, "were attacked by a badger at the border. As you can scent it, I doubt that there is any question about how truthful Jupitersmoke is being. I assure you that had they the choice, they wouldn't have crossed into your territory to begin with." Cinderstep nodded rappidly at this, her tail bristling slightly as she remembered the hot breath of the badger on her heels. "As for Glassstar, he is away at the hills and will not be back for some time. I beg that you ask your leaders to return our Clanmate to us as soon as she is capable of walking again."

Ravenwing hesitated. He wasn't a leader, so he wasn't quite sure what to do here. He couldn't make any highly important decisions, but he didn't want to leave the poor wolves without some sort of answer or solution. The large male shifted his gaze to Maskfur, the black and white male who'd spoken.

"I cannot promise you of Jupitersmoke's return," he said slowly, thinking. "That is not for me to decide. If you would like, I can bring my leaders to you, but I'm not sure if that is best at the moment." He remembered Autumnstar's reaction to catching Jupitersmoke, and he didn't doubt she was still fired up from the encounter. He had no idea how she would react upon seeing not one, but seven LichenClan members standing so near the borders.

"I will relay your words to Blackstar," he said. "I will tell him your plea, and ask if I can come back here to deliver his message to you. Tomorrow at sunrise, have someone meet me here." He cast another glance at Jupitersmoke's sister before shaking himself and beginning to turn away. "Thank you for your patience."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blackstar's POV

Blackstar awakened from his slumber, the cool morning breeze drifting into his den. Autumn lay still beside him, fast asleep. The morning sun had not yet risen, but he knew there would be light within the hour. Pushing himself to his paws, he emerged from the den, stepping out into camp. The prey pile was low, so he made a mental note to tell Oaksong later when he awoke for the day.

He made his way quietly to the warriors den, peering inside. His golden eyes scanned the area, spotting Duskleap curled up near the entrance. He awoke her quietly. "Would you please go check in on Jupitersmoke?" he asked. He spotted Ravenwing beginning to waken. Duskleap nodded and padded off towards the medicine den.

Ravenwing approached his leader. "Give my word to LichenClan," he said. "Tell them Jupitersmoke will be back in their care once her wounds are healed." Ravenwing nodded and trotted off, disappearing into the trees.

Duskleap's POV

Duskleap entered the medicine den, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. She could spot Sageheart curled up with her tail over her nose in the corner, and her gaze rested on Jupitersmoke.

"Hello Jupiter," she called lightly into the den, halfway coming in but not all the way. "How did you sleep? How are your wounds feeling?"

Ravenwing's POV

The large male took his time, trotting through the underbrush as the sun slowly began to peek over the trees. On his way he'd caught a rabbit and two squirrels, loosely burying them to grab on his way back.

It wasn't too long before he reached the large oak tree, settling down there to wait for whoever LichenClan sent his way.

Cinderstep POV

With the carcass of a deer fawn held in her mouth, Cinderstep trotted towards the southern border, the scent of HollyClan fresh in the air. Her tail wagged slightly as she let herself enjoy the warmth of the sun on her back. Maskfur had spoken with her and the senior warriors, as well as Badgerfang, the only elder in LichenClan on what they should do. Badgerfang was a retired deputy who had served next to Glassstar for many years before age caught up to him, so the Clan valued his advice and wisdom when they could get it.

"I doubt they are going to let her go until her wounds are healed." He had said, much to Cindersteps dismay. "I don't know much about the Clan as they arrived shortly after I retired, but from what I have heard of them, Blackstar is rather fair and will treat her well." He had suggested, that whatever the result of the meeting between Cinderstep and Ravenwing, they should bring something for them as a thank you.

When Cinderstep reached the border she saw the black and white male sitting next to the oak tree once more. She dropped the fawn at her feet and let out a sharp bark to catch his attention, her paws dancing eagerly against the ground.

Jupitersmokes POV

Jupiter woke sometime before the sun began to rise. The darkness of the den pressed around her as she tried to remember where she was. Once the disorientation passed she looked around, opening her eyes wide to the shadowed den. She could see Sageheart sleeping in the corner, and the entrance to the den let in a shaft of moonlight as it began to disappear beneath the treeline.

She sat there, watching as the sky began to lighten overhead, her belly rumbling hungrily as she shifted in her nest. Her shoulder ached horribly, and her joints were stiff from the long walk to the camp. Once the sun was fully in the sky she debated waking Sageheart to ask for something to help with the pain. A shadow fell across the entrance and she turned to see the same mottled brown female that had helped her walk the day before. "Um okay I guess. My shoulder and joints are really sore though."

Ravenwing's POV

Ravenwing felt the breeze shift, and not long after he caught the scent of LichenClan, and along with it the sweet smell of fresh kill. It wasn't long before a sharp bark caught his attention, and he looked over to see a wolf standing at the border. To his small delight, it was the young wolf from yesterday, Jupitersmoke's sister. He rose from his place, trotting over to her friendily.

His tail was softly wagging behind his hind legs, an indicator that he was happy to see her. "Hello!" He barked in a greeting, his paws treading lightly on the ground. He came to face her, slowing to a stop. "I see you come bearing gifts." He said, flashing her a teasing grin and a charming light glittering in his eyes. The soft chirps of birds echoed in the treetops, the small animals singing their morning songs to one another.

"Blackstar has given his verdict," He began straight away. "He says that for now it would be best if she stay in our camp until Glassstar returns and catches word of her whereabouts and until she's healed." It was almost as if he could sense the disappointment from the young she-wolf, and his heart softened for her.

"She's in good paws," he reassured softly, relaxing his muscles and tilting his head to reafirm the fact that he was sincere. "Sageheart is a wonderful medicine wolf with a caring soul. She'll tend to Jupitersmoke with the same loving care she tends her own pack with." He paused, understanding.

"May I ask your name?"

Duskleap's POV

The large female felt a pang of sympathy for Jupitersmoke. She couldn't imagine how she must be feeling. Stuck until further notice within another pack's camp with no familiar faces, and recovering from painful injuries.

"I'm sorry, I hope they heal soon." Duskleap could be described as rather blunt and awkward. Some whispered that she had no emotion, but that was far from the truth. The she-wolf had plenty of emotion, it was just that she never exactly knew how to express it in ways others understood to be normal. "I can wake Sage." Before Jupitersmoke could open her mouth to speak, the beta brushed past her and nudged the small medicine wolf awake.

Sageheart blinked her eyes open, looking up at the large mottled female. "Do you have any herbs for joint pain?" Sageheart stared for a second, as if confused, before catching on. She stretched and pushed herself to her paws.

"Yes I do." she answered. "Would you like some, Jupiter?" Duskleap noticed that herself and Sageheart had both called her name by shorthand, as if she was a close friend or pack member and not a stranger staying here for a few days. The small medicine wolf rifled through her herbs, before taking a small bundle of something in her mouth, and walking over to Jupitersmoke.

"Tumeric, ginger, and burdock." she said, placing them between the LichenClan member's paws. "Eat them. They'll have you feeling better in no time. Relieves the joint pain." Duskleap watched with wide eyes, fascinated. Part of her wished she could have been a medicine wolf. She was fascinated by herb handling and medicinal practice, how it worked.

"Would you like something from the prey pile to eat?" Duskleap asked her. "There's a few rabbits left."

Cinderstep POV

Cindersteps ears lowered as pain stabbed at her heart. She nodded her head slowly, though she couldn't completely agree that this situation was the best for her sister. She looked around the trees as she gathered her emotions once more under her control. Giving the male a small smile she nodded and nudged the fawn with her front paw. "Yeah, this is for you. Maskfur said I should bring your pack something everyday in an attempt to show you how grateful we are that you are taking care of our Clanmate." She felt her fur grow warm under his gaze and her tail brushed against the ground as she sat down. "My name is Cinderstep. Jupitersmoke is my sister."

Jupitersmoke's POV

Jupitersmoke opened her mouth to protest Duskleap waking Sageheart, but the female was already nudging the medicine wolf awake. She watched silently as Sageheart stood, gathering herbs and placing them in front of her. She sniffed at them warily. "Thanks." She whispered, glancing up at the two females.

"That would be great, thank you." Her stomach rumbled at the idea of a nice fat rabbit to eat. It had always been one of her favorite types of prey. The scent of herbs wafted up to her, quelling her hunger. This was her least favorite part of being injured. She hated eating herbs, though she knew they were important. Dipping her head she lapped the leaves into her mouth, eyes watering as she fought the urge to gag and spit them out. She chewed them and swallowed as quickly as she possibly could. Her tongue flicked out around her maw as she tried to wipe the rest of the taste free from her mouth. "Any chance I can a soaked moss?"

Ravenwing

The large male gave her a soft and sympathetic smile. "Don't worry," he said kindly. "She'll be better and back with you in no time." It wasn't exactly a surprise to him that she was her sister. The two wolves looked very similar, but he found himself more fond of Cinderstep's looks.

"Nice to formally meet you, Cinderstep." he said, lifting his head a little. "My name is Ravenwing. Delta of HollyClan." He looked at the offering of prey, and placed a paw on top of it, bringing it over to his side of the border. He hesitated, casting a glance around the empty forest. This early in the morning there would be no HollyClan patrols.

"Have you eaten yet this morning?" he asked, slightly hoping that maybe he could ask her to hunt with him. He wouldn't stray far from the border lines, and he wouldn't cross theirs. But he knew a place not far from here that was unmarked territory...no man's land. It was plentiful with prey, and wolves of all clans could hunt there peacefully.

"I would enjoy an early morning hunt, and it'd be refreshing to have someone come with." He offered kindly.

Duskleap

Duskleap winced as she watched Jupitersmoke lap up the herbs. She could practically taste the bitter sting just from watching. "I can fetch some for you." Sageheart said, referring to her request for soaked moss.

"I'll get you a rabbit." Duskleap said. She turned to leave, but paused at the entrance, looking back at Jupitersmoke. "Would you like to try and walk over to the prey pile? Work out your muscles a little? I can help support you. It's not very far, just a few paces." She grinned. "That way you can choose your own rabbit."

The soft sound of approaching pawsteps alerted her, and the large mottled female turned to see Autumnstar coming up behind her. The small red alpha had just woken up by the looks of it. Her muzzle had a grumpy expression scrawled across it, and Duskleap felt her happiness meter drop a little, not wanting to interact with the temperamental female.

"I want you and Oaksong on patrol later this morning," The small alpha told her. "Once Ravenwing is back from the border, head out." Duskleap nodded. That wasn't so bad. She didn't mind doing patrols, especially with Oaksong.

"Feeling any better?" Autumnstar asked Jupitersmoke, her tone slipping out rather harshly. Duskleap wasn't sure if she was genuinely curious or if she was just asking out of obligation. It was hard to tell with that one.

Cindersteps POV

Cinderstep's eyes widened at the males offer and she debated it for a a few heartbeats before shaking her head, confused by the reluctance with which she did it. "Sorry, but I have to report back to Maskfur and go on patrol." She said, her tone laced with bitter disappointment. She stood and stretched her back legs, the sun warming her gray and brown coat. "I'll be back tomorrow though, maybe we can go hunting then?"

Jupitersmokes POV

Swallowing the last of the herbs, Jupitersmoke watched as the medicine wolf disappeared into the back of her den to fetch the moss she had asked for. Looking down at her rumpled and dishevield fur she began trying to clean herself, listening to Duskleap as she spoke. She stopped with her attempts at grooming when her shoulder twitched and stretched painfully with the movements. "I'd like that, thank you."

She was just getting ready to start standing up when the breeze drifted into the den, carrying Autumnstar's scent with it. Groaning silently she settled herself back into the nest, her eyes turning to watch as the lead female walked in through the low hanging entrance. "Slightly better, thank you." She said in response to the females question, her words guarded and eyes wary as she dipped her head in thanks.