Chapter nine

Gingerpaw flicked Snowpaw with her tail.

"I see a rabbit."

A small brown hare sat near the WindClan border stream, nibbling at a long grass stalk.

"I'll chase it to you." Snowpaw offered.

"Okay." Gingerpaw glanced back at Ashfur and Lionblaze. They were supposed to be hunting too, but it looked as if they were taking a break to watch their apprentices.

"Focus, Gingerpaw, or you'll miss an easy catch." Snowpaw whispered teasingly.

Gingerpaw turned back to the rabbit, which was still eating the grass. Noticing a hole behind her, she stepped over to block it. It must be the rabbit's burrow.

Snowpaw dashed behind it. The rabbit stopped nibbling, glanced up, and ran toward the hole.

The rabbit stopped when it noticed Gingerpaw. It tried to turn away, but Gingerpaw leaped forward and landed on it squarely.

"Stealing our prey, huh?"

Gingerpaw whirled around. Breezepelt stood at the edge of the stream, his fur bristling. Five other cats stood behind him.

"No way. This is our prey. We found it over here." Snowpaw hissed.

"Then how come there's ThunderClan scent over here, mixed with rabbit?" Breezepelt challenged. "I'm so ashamed to have code-breaking half-siblings." he sneered.

"What's going on here?" Ashfur burst out beside Gingerpaw.

Lionblaze glared at Breezepelt. "There is no ThunderClan scent over there. You're makng that up."

"We saw them chase the rabbit," Ashfur added. "It was on our side of the stream."

"Why don't you come check out the scent then?" Dewspots suggested. "You, apprentice. Come on."

Gingerpaw gulped. Dewspots was staring straight at her. Paws trembling, she leaped across the stream.

"All I smell is rabbit."

A sharp pain flashed through her forehead like lightning. She stumbled backward, stunned.

Breezepelt growled. "Get off out territory!"

Gingerpaa felt stupid. She should have known. There had been no ThunderClan scent. Not until she went to check it out.

Gingerpaw reared up and bit her half-brother's paw. Hard. Breezepelt screeched. Gingerpaw let go.

"Stop!" Lionblaze leaped across the stream and knocked Breezepelt down. "No more of that! You have falsely accused us of crossing the border. Then you forced Gingerpaw to come and see for herself, then attacked because she was on your territory. But you told her to come into your territory!"

Lionblaze bit Breezepelt's ear before letting him go.

Gingerpaw rose to her paws as blood ran into her eyes. She blinked it away.

"Come on," Lionblaze guided her across the stream."Let's get you back." he glanced at the patrol. "We will report this! And I don't want to find out that you told Onestar a completely different story!"

Snowpaw picked up the rabbit.

Gingerpaw let Lionblaze guide her back to the camp. Her wound burned like fire.