Larkpaw gulped visibly, and Rainwhisker let out a mrrroww of laughter.
"Oh shut up, fur-ball!" snapped Squirrelpaw, but her eyes were laughing. Larkpaw wanted to disappear into the rough stone beneath her feet. She suddenly felt very alone on the mountaintop, surrounded by these strange cats that planned to drive her Clans away.
"Well…" murmured Firestar, "We should be getting back to the cave, Squirrelpaw, Rainwhisker. Let's go," The orange cat turned, then suddenly, he whirled about again to face Larkpaw.
"Are you coming?" he asked, his voice now slightly hostile and cold.
"I…um..." Larkpaw hesitated. She knew that she should return home to warn her Clan, and be with her friends and family, but she didn't want to appear weak to these cats. She didn't want to give them any ideas on how soft the Lake Clans might be…
"No. I'm going to stay her tonight. I'll hunt and maybe I'll come to the cave in the morning to speak with you," replied Larkpaw. She was satisfied with the response. It made her sound tough, but it also meant she wasn't giving in to them. Of course, she would be going home immediately, as soon as Firestar was gone.
"Alright. We'll see you tomorrow morning then," said Firestar, and padded away after Rainwhisker and Squirrelpaw. Larkpaw sat idly for a while, waiting until their shrill voices and the crunch of their paws on the gravel died away completely, then she leapt to her feet and dashed away, willing her paws not to stop. Larkpaw ran on and on, over the edge of the mountain and down.
"Goodbye, Larkpaw." The hiss came from a boulder to the left of where Larkpaw had been speaking with Firestar. It was Leopardstar. Blackclaw and Volepaw crouched next to her, their lips curled in a snarl.
"Do you think you can catch up to her, Blackclaw?" Leopardstar hissed, turning to the black warrior.
"Certainly," he replied with a snarl.
"Then go, and don't return unless to watch her go into her camp with your own eyes! I don't want her silly little Clans to know about us just yet…" growled Leopardstar menacingly.
Blackclaw raced away with silent paws dodging around the stones, following the scent trail of the FireClan apprentice.