Chapter 8

The Trap

Bramblepaw stared at the blood-stained leaves, eyes wide with shock.

"ShadowClan? But…how?" he muttered.

There was only one way to find out for sure. Bramblepaw gathered himself and raced through the trees, avoiding the clumps of bracken. He soon arrived at the musty-smelling Thunderpath. Bramblepaw quickly looked back and forth down the path, then pelted across.

Bramblepaw could smell ShadowClan almost as soon as he set paw on the other side of the Thunderpath. He kept his eyes and nose open for any ShadowClan patrols that might be heading his way. He quickly slipped through the trees and soon he found himself standing in front of the camp entrance.

Bramblepaw hadn't thought about how he would find out if Squirrelkit was there or not. He decided to creep around the outside of the camp and see if he could peer through the branches and into Blackstar's den. He was almost halfway across when he heard a rustle in the bracken behind him. Bramblepaw whipped around to see a ShadowClan apprentice.

"Tawnypaw!" Bramblepaw meowed.

Tawnypaw was his sister, but she joined ShadowClan after Tigerstar, their evil father, became leader. She had said that she felt everyone didn't like her because her father was evil. Now Tigerstar was dead, but Tawnypaw had stayed in ShadowClan.

"Bramblepaw?" Tawnypaw meowed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I was just…" Bramblepaw stumbled over his words.

"Bramblepaw, you need to leave," meowed Tawnypaw urgently. "Please. I don't want them to kill you."

"But – Tawnypaw, listen," Bramblepaw started, "I need to know, is Squirrelkit here? Did ShadowClan take her?"

Tawnypaw looked her brother in the eye. "Why would ShadowClan do that? They have been guilty of other things in the past…but that was the past, Bramblepaw. Now leave, for your own safety."

Bramblepaw nodded, sad. The only other choice was that Squirrelkit was dead.

He walked through the marshy ground, and when he was about to reach the Thunderpath, he heard Tawnypaw meowing, "Bramblepaw, wait!"

Bramblepaw turned around to face his sister. "What is it?" he meowed.

"Bramblepaw, ShadowClan does have Squirrelkit," Tawnypaw panted, "But…but it was because we found her passed out and didn't know she wasn't part of our Clan. Russetfur...she said Firestar and Graystripe can come and get her tomorrow."

"Just Graystripe and Firestar?" meowed Bramblepaw.

"Yes, make sure just they come," Tawnypaw mewed, nodding.

"Okay, thanks!" Bramblepaw said, hurrying across the Thunderpath.

Tawnypaw's POV

Tawnypaw hurried back to camp. Russetfur stopped her at the entrance.

"Did you tell him that only Graystripe and Firestar can come?" she meowed.

"Yes, Russetfur."

"Good."

Russetfur led Tawnypaw back into camp, and Russetfur went into Blackstar's den. Tawnypaw hung around to listen.

"Tawnypaw told the apprentice that only Firestar and Graystripe were to come tomorrow." She heard Russetfur meowing.

"She has earned her loyalty to our Clan," meowed Blackstar, pleased. "Her warrior ceremony will be soon."

"Yes." agreed Russetfur.

"So the trap is in place," meowed Blackstar, "And tomorrow we will kill Firestar and Graystripe. With no leader or deputy, ThunderClan will be powerless! Then ShadowClan will take over!"

"Yes, and ShadowClan will be the most powerful Clan in the forest!" Russetfur added.

The two cats chuckled, and Tawnypaw gasped.

Dun, dun, dun! What will happen next? Will ShadowClan rule the forest? Or will a miracle save ThunderClan? -Liontide