Chapter 4, bequeathing power.
Fireheart felt the cold rush of water along his back as he jumped into the river, a giveaway splash broadcasting his action to any living thing nearby, and it took all his will power not to jump back out. Rather, he ducked down close to the bottom, keeping his nose barely above the water. Longtail was sneaking around the snake rocks, and had almost found Fireheart getting a drink. Fireheart had jump into the shallow stream. It was the only thing Fireheart could do to hide. But, his scent was all over the rocks since he had been hunting them over for prey. He hadn't expected anyone to come here at all.
He had been trying to catch an adder just like Ravenpaw had to test his speed. He had stopped for a drink, and only then had he heard someone else. Fireheart thought he would follow Firehearts scent to the stream, but Longtail wasn't even trying to scent. Fireheart peeked out from his wet hiding place, and watched Longtail. What was he after? Fireheart decided to follow him.
Slowly, almost painstakingly, Fireheart creped up over the bank of the river, shivering with the breeze that decided to blow right then. Of all the times Fireheart decided to hide in a stream, it had to be the one time that no one was looking for him. He followed silently, not bothering to be downwind. The water should have doused his scent. He crept along the base of one of the rocks, keeping himself pressed against the rock side. Longtail had chosen to go over the rocks, and Fireheart didn't want to accidentally come face to face with him.
Fireheart spotted Longtail making his way over the rocks. He looked… confused. Fireheart was low among the rocks, and couldn't see what Longtail saw. Suddenly, Longtail crouched behind a rock, then carefully looked around them. Fireheart, prompted by his quick movement, ducked lower into his hiding spot. Longtail looked across the expanse of land towards a cave. Fireheart was too far away to make out anything, except for some movement in front of the cave. It was a darker colored cat, and it was carrying a rabbit in his mouth… maybe. Longtail was considering what he should do, so Fireheart knew it wasn't a Thunderclan cat. Were they stealing prey!? Fireheart prepared to confront the trespasser, then stopped. Longtail opened his mouth, a worried look on his face.
The cat laid the rabbit outside the caves, then quickly leaped on top of it. Fireheart figured that Longtail could take care of it, so he decided to leave. But, before he could turn back to the forest, he heard a loud bark, and Fireheart turned back to the cave. The rabbit was gone, and all Fireheart could hear was the excited barks of dogs, and non-cat words that chilled Fireheart to the bone "Pack Pack Kill Kill" It spoke to him… They were the words from Cinderpelt's dream! They seemed so long ago, that Fireheart had all but forgotten them…
The cat jumped down, and ran off towards Shadow clan. Fireheart let him go. He must have been sent by Tigerstar. He had to warn the clan about the dogs. Before he could do anything, something shot past him, missing Fireheart by a mere tail length. He looked back at it, and Longtail was racing back to camp. Fireheart had forgotten about him. He could warn the clan, and Fireheart didn't have to risk anything to warn them. He turned back to the expanse of rocks. There must be something that could be done. The dogs couldn't be taken on directly. Fireheart needed something that would be sure to drive them of for good. Or kill them…
Sandstorm crept along the open stretch of bleak land. Longtail had told her about the dogs living in the snake rocks. She had yelled at him about Tigerstar, accusing him of betrayal. After watching Sandstorms outburst, Cinderpelt had instantly cut Sandstorm to size.. Sandstorm had listened to Longtail's tale, and what he said frightened her. She knew Whitestorm had shown worry over the dogs, but she had been expecting a loose noise maker, not a group of massive murdering monsters. "Longtail, I'm sorry I didn't listen." she apologized. "Things have been rough for me, and I shouldn't have let them spill out on you." He accepted her apology with a bow of his head.
Sandstorm had chosen to take a patrol of Whitestorm, herself, and Longtail. to investigate. She didn't take any apprentices for fear of getting them involved. Swiftpaw and Brightpaw had gone off after the dogs, and had been torn to shreds. Brightpaw, or, as she was named, Lostface, had half of her face torn away, along with her ear. Swiftpaw had gotten off much worse, his whole body had been torn. Sandstorm was amazed he was alive. When they had found them, they had a layer of cob webs on them. It didn't matter how they got there, just as long as they survived.
Sandstorm and Whitestorm followed Longtail around the rocks. She had smelled rabbit on the trail, but now wasn't the time for hunting. She climbed atop a rock as Longtail motioned to it. He pointed at a cave, and Sandstorm strained her eyes to see into it. It was harder to see into someplace that was dark from a bright place because ones eyes wouldn't adjust. She flicked her tail, and the rest of the group broke up. The smell of dog was everywhere, and Sandstorm could see trampled under growth around the cave. It was relatively quiet. Sandstorm didn't dare to go investigate the cave. If the dogs were there now, she wouldn't want to alert them, or she and her patrol would be dead.
Sandstorm could still smell rabbit. It was strange, since rabbits usually knew better then to wander around snake rocks, if only because there was little cover or food. But a new scent overlaid it faintly. Sandstorm recognized it to be Shadowclan, and of a faintly familiar scent. A tiny memory of her apprenticeship wedged itself in the back of Sandstorms thoughts, though she couldn't remember much.
Whitestorm approached her with a rabbit in his mouth. Sandstorm was a gasp. "Whitestorm!" She scolded him," This is not the time to be hunting! We need to figure out these dogs, and how we're going to get rid of them!" Whitestorm dropped the rabbit. " I wasn't hunting. This was already dead, and it stinks of Shadowclan." Sandstorms ears instantly pricked. She wasn't wrong. But, with the treat of the dogs, she didn't know if she could handle an invasion of Shadowclan! "Why didn't they eat it?" Sandstorm wondered aloud. Sandstorm wondered if she could somehow set the dogs on Shadowclan as a warning. She threw the though away. The dogs were more terrible a punishment then a forest worth of thieves deserved. "I also noticed another scent on it, but I can't place my paw…"
"Sandstorm!" Longtail yelled. " I've found a rabbit, and it had Tigerstar's scent all over it!" Sandstorms mind was already racing. She was surprised that Longtail was quickest to recognize the smell, but it only made sense because he spent lots of time with Tigerstar before he left. What could Tigerstar benefit from catching rabbits, then leaving them out, untouched by hungry jaws. " Lets return to camp. collect any other rabbit with Tigerstar's scent that you can find." she commanded. "Sandstorm, isn't it a bit odd that the scent of rabbit followed us all the way from camp?" Whitestorm ventured. Longtail carried the prey over to Sandstorm "I noticed it too. You don't think Tigerstar… left a trail for the dogs to follow back to camp? Longtail had a look of horror on his face. "If Tigerstar knew of the dogs, and how big they are, then of course he would try to use them against us!" Whitestorm summed up.
Sandstorm went into a frenzy. "Then we have to get everyone out of camp!" she said with panic. "After seeing what they did to Swiftpaw and Lostface, there's no telling what they'd do to the rest of the clan!"
"We should leave the rabbits here." Longtail added. "They probably have been sitting out all night, making scent trail for them to follow. If we give them something to eat, then maybe it will slow them down or stop them completely."
Sandstorm nodded to Longtail, "We had better get going. Now!" She said, already starting to run. Sandstorm only could pray that she would know what to do…