Chapter 2
Hailpaw struggled to follow as Sunstripe, Grasswhisker and Dogpaw trotted through the trees; their legs were longer than his. Noticing that her apprentice was far behind, he saw Sunstripe motion the others to stop while he caught up.
"Come on Hailpaw! You need to walk faster!" Dogpaw mewed, her voice impatient.
"It's not Hailpaw's fault we're all bigger than he is. But I suspect he'll be much bigger when he becomes a warrior." Sunstripe defended him, sending a reassuring glance to Hailpaw.
"Now that we're all here," Grasswhisker said, looking around at his three companions, "we should go around the territory today; first we should make our way to the small thunderpath!" He announced. Sunstripe nodded her golden head and started walking off.
"Everyone follow me then!" She purred her green eyes excited. The four cats padded silently through the pines, Grasswhisker pausing to point out a few landmarks. As the rotten smell of monster got closer, a smell of cat became apparent too.
"That's odd. I think I can smell Eaglewing…" Sunstripe meowed, puzzled.
"We'll follow his scent trail, it's weird, and I've not seen Eaglewing at all this morning." He mumbled thoughtfully. The four cats veered off the trail to the thunderpath, and followed Eagelwing's scent instead. Sunstripe was racing ahead, Hailpaw could hardly see her apart from her golden tail sweeping out from under a bush, and then she was gone.
A loud yowl came from behind the bush; Grasswhisker snapped his head up and ran to where it was coming from. Hailpaw and Dogpaw were following him. They were amazed at what they saw.
Sunstripe was standing over the body of a brown tom, he had a white chest and cold yellow eyes, and he had a large neck wound, that seemed to have filled the surrounding area with now dried up blood.
"Eaglewing." Grasswhisker murmured, his eyes narrowed, Hailpaw looked to see Dogpaw in shock, her expression was horrified, and Sunstripe was shaking as she stood next to the body. The strange thing was, Hailpaw felt nothing.
As soon as he had recovered from the shock, Grasswhisker straightened up. "Right, Hailpaw go back to camp and tell them what we've found." He mewed assertively. Sunstripe interrupted him with a shaky voice,
"Grasswhisker, Hailpaw can't speak. I doubt he could tell the Clan…"
"Oh, yes of course! Dogpaw, you go." Grasswhisker corrected himself. Dogpaw nodded and turned to make her way back to camp, Hailpaw followed but Sunstripe stopped him.
"No Hailpaw. Stay here and guard the body." She mewed. Hailpaw nodded and sat down.
The three cats sat in an awful silence. None of them knowing exactly the right words to say, until Sunstripe broke the silence,
"I wonder who could've done such a terrible thing." She whispered, her voice rasping.
"It could have been a badger, or a fox." Grasswhisker assured her.
"It would stink of them though, wouldn't it? But I can't smell either scent. All I can smell is blood." She muttered. Hailpaw didn't know what to do. He didn't feel shocked, or sad, or scared. But he was intrigued by what had happened.
There was a crash and everyone looked up. Dogpaw had returned with Lakefur, Nightpelt and Jaypaw.
"Eaglewing!" Yowled Lakefur, his green eyes glinting. He skidded to a halt next to the dead warrior's body as the other's caught up.
"Do you know what happened to him?" Nightpelt asked her tone business like as usual.
"No. Sunstripe found him like this. No scent of foxes or badgers, just blood." Grasswhisker mewed. Nightpelt nodded and motioned to Sunstripe and Jaypaw.
"You two, pick him up. We'll take him back to camp." She said. Grasswhisker glared at her; probably realising she was taking charge, while he was deputy.
"I'll carry him." Grasswhisker mewed. Nightpelt nodded and stalked into the forest. Lakefur was still crouched over Eagelwing's body, as he picked himself off the floor, he kept his head low.
Hailpaw wondered why they were so affected by the death. It was one cat in hundreds. As the cats walked back to camp, he examined the floor, and he swore he could see red foot prints.