Ashpaw padded silently through the trees. He had seen Cloverfoot, the young RiverClan medicine cat, sneaking out of the camp earlier; this was rather suspicious, seeing as she had not been sent to gather herbs. Ashpaw had no intention of letting the tortoiseshell she-cat have any secret funny-business. He dropped into a low crouch when he heard the tell tale splash of a cat diving into the river, then he heard them. As he neared the end of the beech copse and was able to stick his head out, he spotted two cats on the opposite bank. Ashpaw crept closer until he could see their pelts clearly: one of them was the tortoiseshell of Cloverfoot, the other was the distinctive black-and-white tabby of a tom that Ashpaw had seen at Gatherings but didn't recognize. Just looking at the tom's muscular hind legs, Ashpaw was certain that the tom was from SkyClan. Growing angry, Ashpaw pricked his gray ears and settled down to listen. Cloverfoot was the first to speak as she pulled herself from the river, "Tigersky! You came!" she purred as she pressed against him, "I wasn't sure if you would be able to sneak away now that you're deputy..." The tom, Tigersky, gave a reassuring purr that rumbled in his throat, "Of course I came Cloverfoot! Deputy or not, I will always find time to see you." Cloverfoot seemed satisfied with his answer and pressed closer still as he wrapped his tail around her and led the young she-cat away. Ashpaw hesitated, then turned and raced back to camp.
Cloverfoot sat quietly as she sorted the herbs. The scent of plants always soothed her, though they weren't working now as she tried to slow the churning turmoil of her thoughts. How could that prying little sneak have found out about us? She thought as she tucked half of each pile into a neat leaf wrap, ready to take to Tigersky. She had long been working as a spy for her SkyClan mate, passing herbs and information during the precious moments that they spent together. Though she knew that she had sworn loyalty to RiverClan, loyalty to Tigersky seemed to mean much more to her now. They had just told Shiningstar, the SkyClan leader, about Cloverfoot's role as a spy for SkyClan, and needless to say, while disapproving that her deputy had taken a medicine cat outside of his Clan for a mate, she was quite pleased to have such crucial information given without need for... persuasion...
Ashpaw silently fumed in the apprentice den. He had told his mentor what he had seen immediately once he got back, but, as usual, he had been dismissed. His mentor, Rippleflash, had told him that he might want to listen while they studied the warrior code and then he might notice that lying was strictly against their laws. Ashpaw had only just managed to stop himself from clawing the stern look from Rippleflash's face, and he was sure that his mentor knew it. It was no wonder to Ashpaw why he had ended up being confined to camp and put on full elder duties for the next moon. Rippleflash had explained to him that being around his Clanmates all the time would help him to feel more loyalty to them, while the elders would be able to guide him better in his studies of the warrior code. Ashpaw didn't buy it. He alone knew that everyone was trying to lecture him so miserable he couldn't think of doing something bad again, while listening to the elders yakking on and on about Clan loyalty would make him so bored that he would do anything to never have to listen again. He decided that he would have to find some way, any way, to stop himself from listening so that he could uncover the truth about Cloverfoot's treachery.
Cloverfoot slipped out of camp, deliberately brushing against the undergrowth in order to leave a scent trail. a quiet sniffing noise told the young tortoiseshell that her quarry had taken the bait. She had met with Tigersky last night- well, she dreamed of Tigersky last night, and she fnally had come up with an idea of how to shut the prying little sneak up. She had planned this moment very carefully: she was going to leave camp and head along the path that she had used the night that Ashpaw had discovered her relationship with Tigersky. Cloverfoot knew that the gray furred apprentice wouldn't be able to resist a chance to spy on her, so what better way to catch him? The tortoiseshell she-cat had dug a pit on the path and covered it with a thin layer of dirt and leaves. the plan was that Cloverfoot would lead the unsuspecting Ashpaw to walk right on top of the hole, where he would fall and break his neck, while Cloverfoot herself would simply leap over it. So far, the plan was going perfectly, and they were almost into the little clear patch where the hole was dug when Ashpaw caught up.
Ashpaw pulled himself through the undergrowth, his nose twitching as he followed the scent trail. he had seen Cloverfoot leave the camp just moments ago, and he had immediately leapt up to follow her. So far, her trail was easy to follow, seeing as her scent seemed to coat every leaf, twig, and fern in her path. It wasn't long before Ashpaw was able to catch up to the young medicine cat while she stopped suddenly to fall into a neat crouch, nose turned upward and twitching as if she scented prey amongst the branches. Suddenly, she leaped upward, her claws stretching up into the leaves. She landed gracefully on the soft earth about a fox-length away from where Ashpaw sat, letting out a frustrated hiss before standing and beginning to stroll onward again. Ashpaw stalked forward in pursuit, he only got a few pawsteps before he noticed how the ground had lurched beneath his paws. Suddenly the earth fell away completely, and the young gray tom found himself falling through the empty air. he heard a sickening crack, and let out an agonized wail as one of his legs snapped. He turned desperate eyes upward, hoping to see a warrior to take him to StarClan, and let out a gasp of surprise as he saw the narrowed eyes of Cloverfoot, who leapt down to land lightly beside him, her pretty eyes glittering with malice. "Well, well, well, look what we have here?" she sneered, unsheathing hooked claws, "Didn't I tell you to stay out of my business?" Ashpaw looked up at the tortoiseshell she-cat fearfully, and me mewed shakily, "I saw you with the SkyClan deputy! You were betraying us! You're a medicine cat that should care for RiverClan! The treachery of a Clanmate is the business of any cat!" With that, his courage failed and he lapsed into silence. Cloverfoot didn't bother to reply in words, instead she raised one paw and unsheathed her claws, StarClan forgive me! She thought, and looked away as she brought her forepaw slashing down to land on the back of the tom's gray neck. A sickening snap told her that the deed was done. From that moment on, Cloverfoot knew that her secret had died with Ashpaw. She would do anything to keep it safe. Whatever happens, there's no going back now. I've killed a Clanmate for us Tigersky! I must make sure that he didn't die for nothing.