Chapter Three

Several sunrises had passed, and the frost had only progressively gotten worse. Leaf-bare was finally upon them, rearing it's ugly head over all of the clans. The rogue that was roaming around hadn't been scented again, and patrols were diverted back to focusing on finding prey. Rodents were out less, and birds didn't land as often. Cats were becoming more stressed with the lack of food and colder weather.

Ashpaw stumbled out of his nest into the chilly air of the camp. He had slept in, as he wasn't needed for dawn patrol. Oakpaw was, however, and that left Ashpaw to have the den to himself. It would still be several moons before Sunkit and Floatkit could be made apprentices, and Ashpaw liked having the den mostly to himself. He squinted his eyes against the harsh rays of the sun. The ground was covered in a very thin layer of frost, and he could see his breath.

He spotted Flowerheart sitting off to the left of the warriors den, sharing tongues with Rosepelt. Ashpaw headed off in her direction, eager to hear what the day's plans were going to be. As he was closing in on her though, Ratface called to him.

"Ashpaw! Over here!."

He swiveled his head around, and spotted his father standing next to the leader's den, with Moosestar and Stemtail standing close to him. Ashpaw turned and trotted over to them.

Ratface and Stemtail were obviously as cold as Ashpaw was, as they were shivering and ruffling their fur. Only Moosestar looked comfortable, his shaggy coat protecting his from the frigid air.

As Ashpaw approached, Ratface started speaking. "Ashpaw, you and I are going to accompany Stemtail to the stream near the forest. He needs to collect some borage to prepare for the bad weather. Not only does he need more mouths to carry the leaves back, but with that rogue roaming around, I don't want any cat going off alone, especially to that section of the territory." Ashpaw thought back to when he was on the Big Rock, when he could see the forest looming in the distance. It sent a chill down his spine.

"It's been a few sunrises since it was scented last. You think it's still around?" Ashpaw asked.

Ratface raised an eyebrow. "You think Stemtail should go alone then?"

"No no!" Ashpaw said defensively, trying to recover. "I understand everything you said. I was just asking, that's all."

Moosestar chuckled. "Can't get mad at him for a question, Ratface."

"I wasn't mad, I was just answering his question with another one, that's all."

Moosestar looked at Ashpaw. "There's a good chance it's gone now, but you can never be too sure. Plus, Stemtail tells me carrying herbs around is good for the neck muscles."

Stemtail surpressed a snort. "That's right. You'll have the strongest neck in the clan after we are done with our trip."

Ratface beckoned to Ashpaw with his tail. "Come on, let's grab something to eat before we go." He glanced back at Stemtail. "Come get us when you're ready."

They picked out a plump mouse to share, and chatted as they ate. Ratface studied the mouse with interest.

"It's odd to see prey this well fed right now. Hedgestripe made a good catch."

Ashpaw looked up at his father after he swallowed his bite. "I see the way Hedgestripe and Hardfoot look at you sometimes…"

Ratface looked back at him. "Yes, they don't try to hide it." He sighed. "They might never get over Moosestar's choice, but they will have to live with it. Both of them have their own problems though, as you know.' Hedgestripe was constantly worried about Dovecloud and his kits, and Hardfoot was dealing with the recent passing of his mother, Envynose. "In the end, we are all clanmates, and we have to work with each other no matter what." He rested his tail on Ashpaw's head. "Do not worry about it too much. Tell Oakpaw the same thing."

Once they finished eating, they sat and chatted for a little while longer, until they spotted Stemtail exiting his den and coming towards them. Ratface stood up.

"Looks like Stemtail's finally ready."

Ashpaw stood up next to Ratface, noticing for the first time how much taller his father was than him. Oakpaw was tall and muscular, like Ratface. Ashpaw was slightly smaller and more lithe, and he had hoped that eventually he would grow to match his brother in size.

Stemtail halted just in front of them. "The air is starting to lose its chill a little." He was right. Ashpaw felt the bitterness of the cold was slowly fading, replaced by the slight warmth of the emerging sun's rays.

"Whenever you're ready, lead the way." Ratface flicked his ear. Stemtail nodded, and turned to head out of the camp. Ashpaw fell in step behind Ratface as the small group left the camp single file, and started in the direction of the small stream that bordered the forest.

They traveled in silence for the first half of the journey there. Ashpaw took these moments to admire the territory of his clan. On either side of him stood tall stalks of grass, all different shades of green and yellow. He felt protected by them, shielded from any potential danger that may be looming beyond them. The sky was blue and cloudless, like a calm lake on a breeze-less summer evening.

Eventually, the grass parted away, funneling out in either direction. Directly in front of the group was the Big Rock, and the surrounding other boulders. Birds were resting atop the cluster of rocks, singing to each other in a language only known by them. Ashpaw spotted a lizard darting around the base of the rocks, looking for an easy snack.

Seeing the Big Rock brought back the memories of seeing the forest, dark and evil looking. Ashpaw shook off the negative feelings. His father was here, and he trusted that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to Ashpaw. Also, Stemtail didn't seem too worried. The group had stopped briefly to admire the structure in front of them. Both Stemtail and Ratface looked calm and relaxed, seemingly enjoying the journey. Ashpaw was too, aside from the odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Stemtail started moving again, so Ratface and Ashpaw fell in step behind him. They approached the Big Rock, and went around it. Off to their left, Ashpaw saw a big oak tree, bare of it's leaves. Trees look so much smaller during Leaf-bare, he thought to himself.

The open field ended, and they reentered another tall grass jungle. They followed a cat-made path leading straight ahead, void of any major turns or twists.

Ratface turned back to look at Ashpaw as they proceeded onward. "Doing okay back there?"

Ashpaw nodded. "So far, so good."

"Just stick close to me, and everything will be okay." Ratface replied. Ashpaw planned to do just that.

They traveled through the thick grass, and over time the cat trail became more narrow. Soon the stalks were grazing along Ashpaw's flank.

Then, just as it had before, the tall grass parted away from them, and for the first time up close, Ashpaw saw the forest up close for the first time. It brought on an immediate sense of dread and foreboding, which caused a shiver to run up Ashpaw's spine. The big, dark trees seemed to stretch up all the way to Starclan.

Stemtail's mew broke Ashpaw's trance of the forest. "There should be a few of the borage plants on our side of the stream, just ahead of us." Ashpaw looked down closer to the ground. The stream Stemtail was referring to was quite narrow, only a few tail-lengths across, and the water level was relatively low. A few small weeds were growing along it's bank, obscuring certain pieces of the water from the cat's view.

They approached the stream slowly and took in the sight. Ashpaw couldn't stop looking back towards the forest. It looked like such an evil place.

Ratface padded over next to him. "Remember, stay close to us and nothing will happen to you. Think of it like this, they are just trees. Trees can't harm you."

It's not the trees I'm worried about, it's what is living inside of them, Ashpaw thought to himself.

Stemtail was sniffing around a large clump of weeds, while Ratface and Ashpaw scanned the forest floor for any movement. After only a few moments, the medicine cat called them over.

"There's a pretty large borage plant in the center of this clump of weeds. It should only take me a second to get the leaves from it, then we can go."

Ashpaw tried to peek into the weeds to see what the borage plant looked like, but he couldn't see anything. "Why can't you just bring the whole plant? That would save time biting all of the leaves off."

Stemtail looked back at him. "That's a good suggestion, but it won't really save time. Trust me, I know from experience. The stem itself is pretty thick, and tough to chew through. Once you've finally gotten the plant ready for the trip back, it's heavier than you'd imagine."

Ratface made an amused face. "Reason number forty five why you never ask a medicine cat a question that might have a long answer."

Stemtail shrugged. "Gotta keep it thorough."

It didn't take long for Stemtail to have a healthy number of leaves stacked up in front of the other two cats.

Stemtail backed out of the hole he had created in the side of the weeds. He was dragging one last leaf out with him. After he dropped it onto the pile, he looked back up at Ashpaw. "One last thing. If I leave the plant here, it will grow new leaves for next year." Ashpaw nodded in reply. Ratface was right.

They each grabbed a bundle and started to head back towards camp. Ratface, however, stopped shortly after they turned around, and set his bundle gently on the ground. "Hold on a moment." He padded over to a section of the stream off towards the left of where the borage plant was.

Ashpaw and Stemtail both set their bundles down too and joined him. He was observing something on the ground next to the stream.

"This is where the rogue or rogues must've crossed. See the pawprints?" Ashpaw and Stemtail nodded. "I can't be certain on this, but I think I can scent a clan cat here too. Very faintly. Ashpaw, tell me what you think."

Ashpaw approached where Ratface was standing. He stuck his nose closer to the ground, wanting to scent anything possible. The paw prints were faint, but definitely there. An unknown smell hit his senses, which must have been the rogue. After a few more moments, his nose picked up another scent. Sure enough, it was Grassclan.

"I smell it too. One cat, almost certainly Grassclan."

Ratface nodded. Stemtail padded forward, looking at the tracks for himself. He looked over at Ratface. "Any reason why a Grassclan cat would be this close to the border, besides maybe tracking the rogue without telling another cat?"

Ratface made a funny face, thinking. "Not that I can really think of. We will have to report to Moosestar when we get back to camp." With that, all three cats grabbed their bundles of Borage leaves and headed back to camp, single file.

Later that day, Ashpaw was taking a mid-afternoon nap, enjoying the slight warmth in his nest. The frigid air hadn't improved, and the wind picked up, making it seem even colder out. A sudden increase in noise from outside stirred him from his sleep. It sounded like several cats were fighting, and Ashpaw got up to see what was going on.

He emerged from his den to see a cluster of cats in the middle of camp. He noticed Oakpaw standing at the edge of the crowd, and he dashed over to see what was happening. Before he got there, however, he could already see the cats involved in the commotion.

Ratface was standing on one side, Hardfoot was on the other, and Moosestar, Stemtail, and several other warriors were in between them. Each cat was speaking over the others, in complete pandemonium.

Ashpaw skidded to a halt next to Oakpaw and looked over at him. "What in Starclan is going on?!"

Oakpaw just shrugged as he turned his wide eyes on Ashpaw. He fur was standing on end, and he was digging his claws into the frosty dirt under him. "I have no idea! Ratface was asking around if any cat was up near the stream by the forest, and I think one of them said they saw Hardfoot going that direction a few sunrises ago." Ashpaw almost at once knew what the argument was over. Hardfoot must be upset someone caught on to him, and he was trying to defend himself as best as possible against the accusation.

Moosestar reared his thick head back, yowling "Quiet!" As the cats began to settle down, Moosestar swung his head back and forth. "What is the meaning of this?"

Hardfoot was the first to jump in with an explanation. "I was just minding my-."

Moosestar cut him off. "I wanna hear a report from my deputy first." He turned his head towards Ratface.

"We scented Grassclan up by the stream bordering the forest when we were getting Borage, along with rogue scent and several sets of paw prints. I was just asking around if anybody was up around that area for whatever reason, and Branchfoot told me he saw Hardfoot going in that direction a few sunrises ago." He paused to glare at Hardfoot, while Branchfoot stepped forward.

"It's true. I did see him going that way the other night."

Ratface continued. "Whenever I asked Hardfoot about it, he immediately got hostile with me, and that is where it started."

Moosestar turned back to Hardfoot. "Is this true?"

Hardfoot's eyes were nothing but tiny slits as he glared at Ratface. "Yeah. It's true. I don't like being accused of something that I didn't do."

"Where were you going that night, then?" Moosestar pressed.

Hardfoot glanced at the ground. "I was heading to the Big Rock, to enjoy some peace and quiet. That's all."

Moosestar narrowed his eyes, and Ratface curled his lip, but before either could speak, Hedgestripe stepped forward. "I believe Hardfoot. He told me earlier that day he was planning on going there to relax after training most of the day."

Moosestar turned to scan the cluster of cats huddled around the action. "Anyone else here to back that up?" Not another word was meowed. Looking back at Hardfoot, he mewed, "I will take your word on this for now, until we figure out what is going on here." Hardfoot dipped his head, turning around to retreat back to the warrior's den. Hedgestripe quickly followed him.

"Ratface, Branchfoot, and Ashpaw. Come to my den." Moosestar stalked off towards his den.

Oakpaw stood in front of Ashpaw. "Fill me in when you get back!"

"You know I will." Ashpaw flicked his tail against Oakpaw as he went around him and made his way towards Moosestar's den. Ratface and Branchfoot were padding in front of him, mewing to one another. Once they reached the den, Branchfoot entered while Ratface waited by the entrance, turning around to face Ashpaw.

"Just tell Moosestar what you remember and everything will go smooth. I'll do most of the talking." After speaking, Ratface turned and entered the leader's den. Ashpaw followed behind him.

The den was significantly warmer than being out in the open. Tall grass had been weaved into the walls to create a thick layer to protect against the outside elements. Ashpaw spotted Moosestar's nest in the back right corner, surrounded by a few small balls of semi-wet moss. Ashpaw padded next to Ratface and sat down next to him. Moosestar was in the middle of a conversation with Branchfoot.

"Did you see Hardfoot return?" Moosestar questioned, his tail slowly sweeping the ground behind him.

Branchfoot shook his broad head. "No. I was on watch pretty much all night. He must've slipped passed me if he returned during the night. I try to stay as alert as possible when I am on night watch."

Moosestar dipped his head at his clanmate. "I always appreciate you. You're a valued warrior of Grassclan. You can head back to your den now." Branchfoot dipped his head in return, and exited the leader's den, nodding to Ratface and Ashpaw on the way out.

Moosestar sighed. "We are going to have to keep an eye on Hardfoot for a little while. I hate not being able to trust a clanmate, but if it is going to be a danger to everyone, I must take precautionary steps." He looked at Ratface. "I need you to put together a small circle of cats, ones we can one hundred percent trust with keeping Hardfoot and possibly even Hedgestripe under control. Just until we can learn the truth about what happened."

Ratface cocked his head. "Any cats in mind?"

Mooestar stood up, and padded passed Ratface and Ashpaw to look outside of his den into the camp clearing. He appeared shortly after, glancing back at Ratface. "You and Branchfoot, Ashpaw and Oakpaw, and their mentors, Graytail and Flowerheart. That should be enough to take care of the job." Ashpaw could see the sense in that. Branchfoot was directly involved after seeing Hardfoot leave the camp, and if Ashpaw ans Oakpaw were going to be included, their mentors kind of had to be as well.

Ratface dipped his head. "I'll see to it right away. Ashpaw, you might as well go inform Oakpaw. Don't let prying ears hear you, though. I'll tell Branchfoot, Flowerheart, and Graytail."

Ashpaw went back to the apprentice's den to find Oakpaw, and on his way he felt the gaze of all his his clanmates. Skyleaf was sitting outside of the nursery with Sunkit and Floatkit, and Oldeye had come out of the elder's den to look around the camp. Hedgestripe and Hardfoot were outside of the warrior's den, glaring at Ratface and Ashpaw with distaste.

Oakpaw met Ashpaw halfway on his journey to the apprentice's den, and skidded to a halt in from of him. "Tell me how it went!"

Ashpaw lowered his voice. "I will, but you have to follow me out of camp first." He led Oakpaw out of the camp, spotting Ratface speaking to Branchfoot next to the entrance. Ashpaw nodded a greeting and continued out of camp.

They traveled only a short while on the main trail before Ashpaw led Oakpaw down a side trail, only about as wide as a cat was. He stopped somewhere a little ways away and turned back to his brother. Once he did, he described the what was said inside of the leader's den, and how Moosestar wanted a small group of cats to keep an eye on Hardfoot.

Oakpaw's gaze darkened once hearing this. "I would've done the same thing if I were the leader of the clan. I'm glad I am part of it."

Ashpaw sat down. "I am too. Although, I do hope we are wrong about Hardfoot. Part of me feels like he is being honest, because I don't want to believe any cat in Grassclan is disloyal."

Oakpaw snarled. "That cat is nothing but trouble. Any warrior who challenges the clan deputy is a peg under everyone else in my eyes."

Ashpaw was kind of shocked. He agreed with his brother, though. The word of the leader and deputy overrule everything else, as they are part of the warrior code. Oakpaw was always a little more hotheaded than Ashpaw, allowing his emotions to spring out more often.

"Alright, we should probably hunt while we are out here." Oakpaw nodded in agreement. The air was starting to chill off again, and Ashpaw remembered seeing the fresh-kill pile was smaller than usual. Leaf-bare typically didn't get bad for another moon or so, but the more fresh prey, the better.

They hunted briefly, each catching a small field mouse to bring back to the camp. Depositing their prey onto the pile, Ashpaw and Oakpaw retreated to the apprentice den for the rest of the day. They both new the next few days would be a bit more difficult, doing their duties as apprentices and also keeping an eye on Hardfoot and Hedgestripe.

Several days had passed, and the weather was getting progressively worse. Each sunrise brought a colder wind, and with that colder wind brought less prey and lower temperatures. The high grass that surrounded the camp would be frozen stiff for most of the day, like unbending pieces of hard wood.

So far, neither Hedgestripe nor Hardfoot noticed they were being watched yet. Moosestar thought it best to include Hedgestripe as well, due to his own suspicious activity. Ratface would always put them on patrol with other cats, usually including members of the small circle put together by Moosestar. They were both behaving as most warriors would, and Hardfoot seemed to let his usual arrogant attitude dissipate, which made him easier to get along with. During one patrol, made up of Flowerheart, Hardfoot, and Ashpaw, the trio of cats were hunting near the Big Rock. Ashpaw had scented a crow, and began stalking it. Once he spotted the bird, he noticed it was plump and well fed. He worked hard, and eventually snuck up close enough to go for the kill shot. Hardfoot was the first one to congratulate Ashpaw on his catch, sounding as genuine as any other clanmate did.

Oakpaw had commented on the fact, saying Hardfoot was just acting, trying to make up for being made a mouse-brain in front of the rest of the clan. Ashpaw had disagreed, and this caused the two brothers to feud, which was very untypical. Oakpaw and Ashpaw almost always got along well. Ashpaw just didn't like the fact that his brother sought out any and every reason to dislike Hardfoot.

Ashpaw emerged from the apprentice's den, arching his back in a long stretch. Stemtail padded through the center of the camp, waving his tail in greeting to him. He waved his back.

The dawn patrol was just returning to camp. Graytail was pacing back and forth by the entrance, while Oakpaw was staring around with anxious eyes. Ashpaw saw Branchfoot speaking with Moosestar and Ratface by the leader's den.

Ashpaw padded over to his brother, who was pacing nervously, small droplets of frozen water hanging with his whiskers. "What's going on?"

Oakpaw glanced over, still pacing back and forth. "You'll hear from Moosestar soon enough."

"Let all cats old enough to hunt gather here for a clan meeting!" Moosestar was on the boulder behind his den, his thick brown fur matted in snowflakes. It had recently started snowing, not much more then a slow, steady fall at first. Now, however, it was gradually picking up the pace on its descent down from the sky. Askpaw followed Oakpaw as they found a spot to sit. Hedgestripe and Hardfoot, Ashpaw noticed, sat together towards the side of the clearing.

Moosestar scanned his clan, looking at each cat individually before beginning. "The dawn patrol has scented another rogue, this time closer to the camp." Immediately the clan started murmuring among themselves.

"What about the kits?" Skyleaf cried from the back of the crowd.

Oldeye looked worried. "It's hard enough trying to feed the clan during Leaf-bare, let alone having a rogue as competition."

Graytail, who was sitting next to the elder, ran her tail across his flank. "One rogue won't cause us too many problems. If I see any rogues, I will claw their pelts right off!" Oldeye purred at her.

Moosestar rose his voice above the chatting of the cats below his, deep and bellowing. "Settle down, all of you." Once the clan quieted down, he continued. "One rogue will not be enough to threaten us. What I'm worried about is why it keeps returning." The clan looked around at each other, confused.

Rosepelt stood up. "You don't think it's here to hunt?"

Moosestar shook his head. "Personally, no. I'm afraid something more sinister is at play. That's why I'm going to take two cats with me to each of the other clans. I want to find out if they are having the same issue."

Hardfoot tilted his head. "You think one rogue can effect all the clans?" Hedgestripe looked over at him before nodding in agreement.

Moosestar stared at him for a few moments before replying. "No. There are endless amounts of land around us, in every direction. Who knows how many other groups of cats are out there? We have been able to keep the peace between the three clans for as long as I can remember. It cannot stay like that forever though. Eventually, another group of cats will try to make their move on our territories. That's just the way nature is. It's ever changing."

Ashpaw exchanged a glance with Oakpaw before looking back up at his leader. Moosestar continued, drowning out the small amount of noise that had arose from his clanmates below him. "I will take Ratface and Ashpaw with me, since they have had the most amount of involvement with this whole rogue situation." Ashpaw was surprised, and from the corner of his eye he could see Hardfoot scowling at his father, who sat the closest to the boulder.

"Wow, you're so lucky!" Oakpaw exclaimed, and Ashpaw noticed both happiness and longing in his eyes. Oakpaw was probably feeling left out.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything that happens when we return."

"We will leave immediately, so we can be back before sundown." Moosestar looked around the camp, and then zeroed his eyes on one of his warriors. "Branchfoot, you're a seasoned warrior. You will run the clan today while we are gone." His deep mew boomed throughout the camp clearing.

Branchfoot dipped his head. "I will do my best."

"That will be all." Moosestar jumped down from the boulder, landing with ease from many moons of practice. He padded towards his den, calling out while he did so. "Ratface, Branchfoot, and Ashpaw. Join me for a few moments.

"Good luck!" Oakpaw meowed to Ashpaw. "I'm going to see what Graytail has planned for me the rest of the day." He seemed much more calm now that the meeting had ended. His panicked eyes had returned to normal and his fur had flattened down.

Ashpaw made his way to the den, feeling the clan's gaze on him. Branchfoot and Ratface were already inside, as they were sitting closer the leader's den.

Ashpaw entered the den and dipped his head to Moosestar, finding a spot to sit and wait for what his leader had to say.

"Alright, I'm going to try to keep this short so we can get rolling," Moosestar started, and then sighed. "I really hope Hardfoot has nothing to do with this. He is a Grassclan warrior. I would hope he has more respect for the clan and warrior code then it seems right now. Branchfoot, keep a close eye on him. Hedgestripe too. If anything odd happens while we are gone, handle it the best you can and then report it to me as soon as we get back." Branchfoot dipped his head in agreement. "Ratface, Ashpaw, let's waste no more time." He stood up, twitching his left ear. "We will head to Waterclan first. Let's hope it stays friendly." Ashpaw prayed to Starclan it would.