Chapter 13

Murmurs rippled through the camp, and Maplepaw and Silkpaw exchanged a glance of worry.

Maplepaw heard her name called then. It was Stormstar. She raced into the clearing and stared at him, waiting eagerly for what he was about to say.

"Take Silkpaw and search for Moonfur. Hurry!" Stormstar hissed in her ear, too quiet for any cat to hear.

Maplepaw nodded obediently and bounded to Silkpaw. "C'mon, let's look for Moonfur." Silkpaw had a look of uncertainty. "It's Stormstar's orders."

She nodded and they trotted through the gorse tunnel. It took only a few heartbeats before Maplepaw caught Moonfur's scent.

"This way!" she hissed, following Moonfur's scent trail. They went after it until they came to the edge of the Thunderpath, where they lost it over the bitter reek.

"Look!" Silkpaw exclaimed, staring at an area filled with mud. "Pawprints!"

They led the two apprentices to the Thunderpath. Silkpaw shot her friend a sneaky glance.

"Stormstar said to look for Moonfur," she mewed reasonably. "So I guess we should."

"But that's ShadowClan territory!" Maplepaw protested. "It's against the warrior code!"

"Yes, but the warrior code says the word of the Clan leader is the warrior code," Silkpaw mewed. Without letting Maplepaw say another word, she crossed the Thunderpath into ShadowClan territory.

"Come on, Maplepaw!" she yowled from the other side. Maplepaw was torn. What should she do?

Letting out a loud sigh, she went across the Thunderpath towards the triumphant Silkpaw.

"Now, let's hurry up before a cat catches us," Maplepaw meowed.

They followed her scent until they came deep into ShadowClan territory. It reminded Maplepaw of her dream with Redfur, and for a heartbeat she thought the prophecy had to do with something about ShadowClan.

A new scent came over Maplepaw. "ShadowClan patrol!" she hissed to Silkpaw. They crouched to the soft earth and hid behind a bush.

"Maplepaw?" a familiar voice whispered. "I know you're there. I can scent you!"

Maplepaw raised her head embarrassedly. Silkpaw did the same. The black apprentice stifled a mrrow of amusement.

"What are you doing here?" Shadepaw asked.

"Moonfur is gone!" Silkpaw explained.

"Yeah! She went this way!" Maplepaw mewed.

Shadepaw froze. "You don't think it was . . . Darkfur?"

"Keep an eye on him. If you can, try to find Moonfur," Maplepaw meowed to him.

"Come on! You don't really believe –"

"I saw it with my own two eyes," Shadepaw hissed.

"Alright, alright!" Silkpaw mewed, backing off.

"We need to go. I'll meet you by the Thunderpath in three sunrises," Maplepaw promised. They said their good-byes and headed to camp.

It took a while before they were back at camp, reporting everything but crossing into ShadowClan territory.

"I'm sorry, Stormstar," Maplepaw mewed apologetically. He sighed.

"She would have made a fine leader. I assume she was killed by the badger."

Stormstar led them out, and he bounded up to the Highrock.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he yowled, not bothering to wait for everyone to gather. "Moonfur is dead. We think she was killed by the badger." He bowed his head as many gasps and cries rose from the cats. "I have made by decision – Sunpelt will be the new deputy."