I do not own Warriors! Phew, I remembered the disclaimer this time.

To Reader ( ): It is quite all right. I hope this chapter meets your satisfaction. But homework, school, life, etc gets into the way sometimes, you see. As for Ashespaw… we will see how he turns out. However, I don't think he will become evil. He doesn't have the right stuff.

Let us not forget about our lovable (or not so lovable) grumpy fox back at camp, shall we?

Chapter 8:

He knew he was lazy and that he would get scolded later, but he did nothing anyway.

So now he was sunning himself on a rock in their forest, the light warming his pelt pleasantly. He sighed in bliss, closing his eyes and feeling tired (as if he did anything!) and sleepy. The young fox rolled over reluctantly to slide off of the boulder, padding back to camp, hoping nobody noticed his absence.

---

"Well done, Gingerpaw!" Salmonstar praised, and Pigeonflight smiled. Gingerpaw's green eyes gleamed with pride.

"That squirrel was so slow it could have been a snail!" Gingerpaw mewed proudly. Salmonstar frowned slightly at the young cat's immodesty. Gingerpaw was a brilliant fighter and excellent hunter, but his head was swelled to a certain degree.

Gingerpaw was scrapping at the dirt, digging a shallow hole for his prey. "Why can't Dappleleaf train me?"

Salmonstar sighed. "I suppose her wound from a battle moons ago is playing up again."

"I bet it was from the fox attack," Gingerpaw muttered.

Pigeonflight spoke after a few moments of awkward silence. "Why ask? You should know that, being her apprentice."
Gingerpaw didn't answer. Pigeonflight looked somewhat suspicious, and Salmonstar prayed she wouldn't press on.

"Salmonstar!" A newcomer cried, and the hunting patrol looked up, startled. "Salmonstar, a WindClan patrol attacked our patrol on the border!" Fawnpaw gasped, panting hard from running so fast. Salmonstar tensed and sprang up to his feet. "We have to help them!" he declared*, and sped to the border without a second thought. Gingerpaw scuffed some dirt on top of the dead squirrel hastily to follow after Pigeonflight, who was bounding after Salmonstar.

"Are you all right?" he asked soothingly. Fawnpaw glared at him.

"Fine," she spat, and he looked hurt. "I-I mean, I'm okay, but you better go help them!" She winced as Gingerpaw nudged her wound on the shoulder gently with his nose.

"You look tired," he murmured, "let me help you back to camp." Fawnpaw looked at him warily.

"I can go back and get myself treated, don't worry," she mewed curtly. But when he padded at her side on the way to camp, she did not complain.

---

Ashespaw was confused.

First, not one cat seemed to notice his absence, which in his opinion, was rather a very long time. But the rock was warm…

Second, a good portion of the Clan looked tired, and had bleeding scratches on their fur. Great StarClan, did he miss a battle?

Third… why, for the love of mousedung, was Fawnpaw leaning against Gingerpaw?

Nothing made sense… not that it did before, that is.

Trying not to be noticed, Ashespaw slunk to the fresh-kill pile, a vole limp in his jaws. He thanked his lucky stars that he had the sense to at least catch some prey.

Setting down the vole, he stretched and tried to look pitiful and solemn like everyone else. Despite of her wounds, Dappleleaf looked very pleased with herself as Brookstream dabbed herbs on her scratches.

"What's going on?" Tinypaw mewed in disbelief in Ashespaw's ear. Ashespaw turned to Tinypaw.

"Uh, ah battel?" he growled sarcastically.

"No, I mean, look!" Tinypaw flicked his tail at Fawnpaw, who at Gingerpaw's side. "What's up with that?"

"'Ow should Ah knuh?" Tinypaw shook his head.

"ThunderClan!" Salmonstar yowled from the Highrock. "A few moments ago, Squirreltail led WindClan to attack us on a border patrol." The gathered cats hissed, and many claws unsheathed.

Badgerstripe leaped up to his feet. "Can we just stand here and wait as WindClan spills ThunderClan blood?" he yowled angrily.

Salmonstar looked at his defiant warrior straight in the eye. "I will not allow bloodshed on Thun---"

"Blood has already been shed," Badgerstripe snarled, "while we are just sitting here. It is time to take action!"

Salmonstar bristled. "Thank you, Badgerstripe," he replied stiffly. "But I am quite aware that I am the Clan leader, not you." Dappleleaf smirked as Badgerstripe sat back down, still looking mutinous but abashed.

Quailfeather stepped up. "Long ago, the great Firestar planned a meeting with WindClan in order to avoid bloodshed. Perhaps we can do it again. Arrange a peaceful meeting with Silentstar, Salmonstar. It will do good to all of the Clans." There was a moment of silence before Salmonstar nodded. Badgerstripe and a few other cats were still looking rebellious, but they said nothing.

"Until then, let us have no quarrel with WindClan."

Ashespaw snorted. "Ah dubt WundClan wud ferget dat un of us killed der Clanmate." Tinypaw glanced at him.

"Shh! Are you loyal to ThunderClan or not?"

Ashespaw shrugged. "Ah lev 'ere, dun Ah?"

Ah ahm loyal. Ah ahm.

Just updated for the sake of updating... sorry if this is too short and plain.