"The greatest threat seems to be from RiverClan and ShadowClan," Bluestar meowed from the top of the Highrock. "We must be prepared for the possibility that these two Clans have united against us."
Still tense from the Gathering, Ravenpaw missed a question from Yellowfang. Now Tigerclaw was mewing, his voice sending shivers down Ravenpaw's spine. "They didn't deny it."
Ravenpaw didn't have time to figure out who Tigerclaw was talking about before Bluestar spoke again. "Whatever the truth, we must be on full alert. From tonight, each patrol will have four cats, at least three of them warriors. The patrols will be more frequent, two each night, and one during the day, as well as the dawn and dusk patrols…" Ravenpaw shivered as she went on. He didn't hear most of what she said, only noting that she didn't mention Darkstripe. What if the 'rogues' ShadowClan claimed they had scented were Darkstripe? It was certainly possible, Ravenpaw thought. Darkstripe's ThunderClan scent had very likely left him at this point; without the constant proximity to Clanmates, he should smell like a Clanless rogue.
Yowls rose into the sky. Startled out of his musings, Ravenpaw nearly leaped into the air. "The first patrol will leave before dawn." Bluestar flicked her tail to dismiss the meeting, and jumped down from the Highrock. As the meeting broke up and cats huddled together in small groups, Tigerclaw loped up to Ravenpaw, his eyes narrowed.
"What do you think you're doing?" Tigerclaw lashed his tail. Ravenpaw jumped to his paws; he had sat down to give his flank a quick wash. "You've been in training for seasons now, and you're no closer to becoming a warrior than when you started. And you think you can rest the day away?" Tigerclaw snorted dismissively.
"No, Tigerclaw." Ravenpaw nearly bristled at the unfairness. It was still dark out for StarClan's sake!
"You will join Willowpelt, Runningwind, and myself on the dawn patrol," the dark tabby continued. "See that you're on time."
"Yes, Tigerclaw." Ravenpaw watched as his mentor stalked back to the warriors' den, pausing to share words with Whitestorm. Blood roared through his ears; Ravenpaw didn't understand why a pang of anger clutched his chest.
The patrol was mostly uneventful, aside from the jibes Tigerclaw directed Ravenpaw's way, and with other cats around, Tigerclaw's barbed tongue wasn't as bad as Ravenpaw had anticipated. They had covered most of the RiverClan border by now; Fourtrees was in sight. The clouds had cleared; weak sunlight dappled the Gathering clearing now.
Tigerclaw raised his muzzle, sniffing the air. "Ravenpaw," he growled. "What do you scent?"
Ravenpaw breathed in, very aware that he was being tested. Was Tigerclaw trying to make him look bad in front of the other warriors? As Tigerclaw, Willowpelt, and Runningwind stared, Ravenpaw exhaled and took another breath just to make sure he didn't miss anything. "A rabbit passed by here this morning. It's probably gone by now. Besides that, nothing out of the ordinary. No RiverClan scent beyond the border markers."
Tigerclaw scowled. Ravenpaw wondered if Tigerclaw was going to find something wrong with what he said before the dark tabby abruptly spun around. "Come." Relief washed through Ravenpaw's pelt. All that was left was to report their findings to the next patrol.
"At least RiverClan doesn't seem to be pushing their luck," Runningwind meowed as they began to make their way back.
"For now," Tigerclaw mewed darkly. Legs aching, Ravenpaw bounded after him, grateful that they were finally heading home. It was going to take time before his stamina was back to normal.
While Tigerclaw led them through the woods back to camp, Runningwind trotted along behind them, while Willowpelt had padded up to walk next to Ravenpaw. She hadn't spoken to him the whole time, since Tigerclaw had been so focused on securing the border, and Ravenpaw was surprised when she addressed him. "It's good that you feel well enough to patrol again," she meowed. "You must be close to earning your warrior name."
Ravenpaw flicked his ears. Surely Willowpelt was just saying that to be nice. "I suppose I'll have some catching up to do first."
Willowpelt shrugged. "You did have quite a few moons experience even before you caught greencough. I'm sure Bluestar will take that into account." She ducked under a low hanging branch; Ravenpaw followed.
He couldn't help but be cheered by the short conversation. It was clear that Willowpelt truly thought he was capable of being a warrior. Perhaps she wasn't the only one who thought that.
Still though, in spite of his sudden happiness, Ravenpaw couldn't stop a wave of foreboding from lingering in the back of his mind. He tried to convince himself that the Gathering had put him on edge, but there was something more to it. His fur prickled.
They bounded down the side of the ravine, Tigerclaw in the lead. Whitestorm, Mousefur, Dustpelt and Sandpaw were waiting at the bottom.
Whitestorm dipped his head. "Anything out of the ordinary?"
"The entire RiverClan border is clear," Tigerclaw reported. "Bluestar's patrol will check again this afternoon."
"Good. We'll take the ShadowClan border." Raising his tail and flicking it to one side, Whitestorm led Dustpelt, Mousefur, and Sandpaw up the slope.
Ravenpaw stared after them. It didn't make sense to him, but he couldn't shake the worried feeling.
"Have you gone deaf?" Tigerclaw's mew rang in his ears. Ravenpaw twisted his head around. Willowpelt and Runningwind had already went ahead. "Are you coming or not?"
"I'm coming." Before Tigerclaw could say anything else, Ravenpaw hurried through the gorse tunnel, glad to be rid of his mentor.
A light breeze chilled the camp as Ravenpaw padded over to the tree stump. The clearing was quiet. Willowpelt and Runningwind had retreated to the warriors' den, while Cinderpaw was resting with her head on her paws in the entrance of the medicine den, looking bored.
Ravenpaw sat down. His paws and legs throbbed from both the border patrol and the journey to the Gathering, and his belly was starting to rumble. He still hadn't eaten any fresh-kill today; with all the commotion about ShadowClan and RiverClan there wasn't enough time to spare for hunting. Closing his eyes, Ravenpaw decided to take a quick nap. By the time he woke up there would be enough warriors in camp to make a hunting patrol.
"Bluestar!" Ravenpaw jerked awake as a rattling sound echoed through the clearing. Whitestorm was standing in the center of the camp, while Dustpelt, Sandpaw, and Mousefur paced beside him, their tails twitching. On the ground in front of them were what looked to be rabbit bones.
Utterly confused, Ravenpaw leaped to his paws.
Halftail and Frostfur left their dens to see what was going on. Ravenpaw hesitantly joined them.
"Bluestar has already left on patrol." Tigerclaw approached the group, his paws making no noise as they touched the ground.
"Look at these," Whitestorm spat. Tigerclaw unsheathed his massive claws and dug them into the ground, his eyes filling with fury. Hackles rising, Ravenpaw padded up and breathed in.
The bones smelled of ShadowClan, and when Ravenpaw sniffed a second time he recognized another scent. The fur on his shoulders spiked in alarm. "Darkstripe caught this!" he mewed shrilly.
Whitestorm let out a low growl. "ShadowClan wants us to know they turned our warrior on us." Ravenpaw glanced at Tigerclaw. His eyes were narrowed and gleaming with fury.
Tigerclaw let out a yowl. "Runningwind, Mousefur, come here. Willowpelt will join us too!" he announced. "We'll find a ShadowClan patrol and leave them with some wounds that'll remind them to keep out of our territory in the future."
"And Darkstripe too!" Mousefur meowed.
Whitestorm gave a stiff nod.
"Can I come?" Sandpaw asked, stopping her pacing.
"Not this time," Whitestorm meowed.
Sandpaw's shoulders fell. "But what about Dustpelt? Can he go at least?" she meowed, her gaze meeting the brown tabby's. "He found the bones."
"Dustpelt will stay behind, to guard the camp," Tigerclaw growled, his dangerous gaze challenging Sandpaw to question him further, but she remained silent.
Whitestorm, Tigerclaw, Runningwind, Mousefur and Willowpelt charged out of the camp and vanished into the woods. Ravenpaw peered after them as the sound of their paw steps faded.
The only sound he could hear now was the icy wind that ruffled his pelt. Frostfur and Halftail padded forward to sniff the rabbit bones, while Smallear and Dappletail looked on curiously. Ravenpaw shivered; the camp was much too quiet. "Where is everyone?"
"Bluestar is with Graystripe, Longtail, and Swiftpaw," Frostfur meowed, not looking up from the bones.
Dustpelt caught Ravenpaw's eye. He must have realized the same thing that Ravenpaw had; he was the only warrior left in the camp.
Sandpaw prodded the bones with a forepaw, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
Dustpelt twitched his tail. "Darkstripe has joined ShadowClan. He must have; we scented him on other bones as well." Sandpaw mumbled her agreement, still looking sickened as she glared down at the rabbit bones.
Just then, Yellowfang padded out of her den. Raising her head, she breathed in the air and tensed. She headed over to the pile of bones. Her horrified gaze was fixed straight ahead as she bent her head to sniff them one by one. When she finally spoke, her voice was filled with fear. "Brokenstar," she rasped.
Ravenpaw's mouth fell open. Dustpelt was similarly silent, and after a moment he spoke. "But that means..." Dustpelt's eyes darkened. "ShadowClan didn't trespass at all. It was Brokenstar all along! And Darkstripe-" Dustpelt began to stride forward, his tail swishing through the air. He suddenly froze. "Yellowfang, Tigerclaw has already taken a battle patrol to ShadowClan territory."
Ears flat, Yellowfang's fur spiked up. "No! ShadowClan is not to blame for this! This is Brokenstar and his old warrior friends!" Lashing her tail, she began to pace. Ravenpaw had never seen her so agitated. "You must find Tigerclaw and stop him! He will be making a terrible mistake if he attacks ShadowClan!"
"I'm the only warrior left! I can't leave the camp," meowed Dustpelt, bristling. Ravenpaw vigorously nodded his agreement, though the cats didn't seem to notice his support. It would be a terrible mistake to leave the camp without any warriors; the very thought made Ravenpaw's fur rise. "This is probably his plan," Dustpelt continued. "He'll invade while I'm gone."
"Then I shall go," Yellowfang hissed.
"No! I'll go!" Sandpaw mewed.
Scuffing his paws against the ground, Ravenpaw felt his ears twist back, and realized that even though he didn't have his endurance back yet, he would be even less useful in battle. If he had to run through the forest to catch up to the patrol and risk intercepting Darkstripe then so be it. "I'll- I'll do it, Dustpelt. If there's no other cat, I can do it."
Surprisingly, Dustpelt shook his head. "No, Ravenpaw, you're still not fully recovered. You won't be fast enough. ThunderClan needs your skills here. ThunderClan needs all of you." He glanced around, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "There really are no other warriors here, are there..." He trailed off, deep in thought. "Ravenpaw, go get Brackenpaw."
Thanking StarClan that Dustpelt had thought of something, Ravenpaw bounded over to the apprentices' den and poked his head into the bramble walled entrance. "Brackenpaw, Dustpelt needs you for something."
The golden brown tabby apprentice leaped to his paws at the alarm in Ravenpaw's voice. He slipped out of the apprentices' den, glancing around in search of Dustpelt.
The brown warrior raised his head. "Brackenpaw, come here."
Brackenpaw trotted up to the group, Ravenpaw joining them a moment later. "Yes, Dustpelt?" meowed Brackenpaw.
"I have an important mission for you," Dustpelt began. "Tigerclaw has taken a raiding party to attack ShadowClan. You must find him and stop him. Tell them that it was Brokenstar's rogues hunting our territory, not ShadowClan!" Brackenpaw's eyes had widened. "Go as quickly as you can!"
"Yes, Dustpelt," the golden brown tabby tom meowed, racing away. Ravenpaw watched him go. Soon the sound of his heartbeat in his ears was louder than Brackenpaw's fading pawsteps.
Ravenpaw was finding it difficult not to panic. Any moment, Brokenstar's rogues could show up, and the ThunderClan camp was sorely unprepared to defend itself.
Dustpelt sprinted to the top of the Highrock, and after a set of swift bounds made it to the top. He didn't bother with the customary call. "Every cat come here now! The camp is in danger!"
"What's going on?" One-Eye hobbled out of the elders' den. "What do you think you're doing up there?"
"Young cats these days," Smallear grumbled.
"Brokenstar is back." Dustpelt ignored the elder's disgruntled muttering. "He is probably in ThunderClan territory right now. Every ThunderClan warrior aside from myself is out of the camp, so we must prepare ourselves. Kits and elders stay in the nursery. The rest of you-"
A yowl sounded from the camp entrance. Pelt bristling, Ravenpaw watched in horror as a sleek dark brown tabby with a broken tail loped out of the gorse tunnel. Ravenpaw crouched down, flattening his ears against the growls of his Clanmates. He didn't have to hear them to know this was Brokenstar. The disgraced ShadowClan leader slowly padded into the camp, a stream of mangy cats trailing behind him.
"So you're the only warrior left!" Brokenstar hissed, unsheathing his claws. "This will be easier than I thought!"
"See, I told you, Brokenstar." The familiar gray and black striped warrior was standing at Brokenstar's shoulder. Ravenpaw felt as though he'd been clawed in the gut.
"Darkstripe!" Dustpelt snarled, eyes showing no trace of the camaraderie he had once shared with his former mentor.
It was as though an invisible signal had been given- Sandpaw and Yellowfang raced to the front of the ThunderClan cats, and after a moment's hesitation Ravenpaw bounded after them, his eyes wide. The sound of pawsteps startled him; he turned to find that the queens had formed a defensive line behind them. Dappletail, Patchpelt, and the rest of the elders herded the kits to the nursery. Brindleface waited until they were safely inside, and then shifted the brambles so they blocked the entrance. She rushed back to join the rest of her Clan.
Ravenpaw felt fur brush against his side. Cinderpaw was hobbling up to join the battle!
"What are you doing?!" Ravenpaw mewed out of the corner of his mouth.
"Defending ThunderClan! What do you think I'm doing?!"
"You can't!" Ravenpaw hissed frantically.
"Yes, I can!" Cinderpaw insisted, making an effort to remain on her paws.
"No! You can't!"
"Can too!" Cinderpaw interrupted him before he could say anything else.
"It's too dangerous-"
"I have to fight-"
"Go back to Yellowfang's den!" Ravenpaw yowled in a whisper.
"Stop telling me what to do-"
"Get out of here, Cinderpaw!" Sandpaw snarled, interrupting their whispered argument. "These cats will kill you if you're limping about!"
Cinderpaw stumbled away, looking stricken, but Ravenpaw didn't have time to worry about it; at that moment Dustpelt bounded forward to face Brokenstar and Darkstripe. "Traitor!" He directed a hiss at his former mentor. "You rogues won't defeat us just because he helped you," he told Brokenstar.
The ShadowClan leader seemed unbothered by Dustpelt's taunt. "Your warrior has proven himself quite useful," Brokenstar sneered, while Darkstripe puffed out his chest. Ravenpaw's belly tightened. "He knows what a true leader is, unlike you cowardly squirrel chasers. I do think you're right about one thing," he growled, pausing to rasp his tongue over his forepaw and swipe it across a shredded ear. "I won't defeat you because I turned one of your warriors; I will defeat you because your Clan puts so little thought into its defenses that it becomes mine for the taking."
"We'll see about that!" Dustpelt raised his head and let out a battle cry. "ThunderClan, attack!"