Disclaimer: I don't own the Warriors. Erin Hunter does.
A/N: Thank you for the awesome review. ^^ They make my day. :D
Chapter 2: The Carrionplace
"I guess so, Nettlestar, but the biggest question is who is sick enough to enter that place alone," Redfur said as Nettlestar, Swiftfeather, and Darkstreak came to join him, Sootcloud, and Brightnose.
"You are assuming that whoever did this was alone when that cat entered the Carrionplace," Nettlestar said. "But as I followed the trail, I scented every piece of crow-food and couldn't identify the perpetrator. It could be a wild animal for all we know. But that's highly unlikely, since it's just too coincidental."
"Yes, it has to be someone who knows our territory well," Swiftfeather agreed. "Since our camp is well hidden." Silence met Swiftfeather's words as the six cats contemplated what this meant for the Clan.
"Do you believe that there's a traitor among us, Swiftfeather?" Darkstreak questioned the medicine cat quietly, voicing everyone's concern.
"That wasn't what I was thinking. It could be rogues or loners or even other Clans. Some of them has been to ShadowClan territory before," Swiftfeather answered. "But as for your question, I rather believe that ShadowClan would help each other out and not set traps and wait for others to fall in." Darkstreak nodded in response.
"We should not tarry any longer. We don't want to put ourselves in danger while chatting here," Nettlestar suggested. "Redfur, split your patrol in two and have the other two clean up the crow-food. I'll inform the Clan once you guys get back to camp."
"Not to mention the smell here is quite unpleasant, but sounds like a plan, Nettlestar," Redfur replied to the command. "Sootcloud and Brightnose, why don't you finish the patrol, while me and Darkstreak clean up this mess." Sootcloud and Brightnose nodded their heads in unison and headed off towards the WindClan border. Nettlestar and Swiftfeather headed back towards camp, as Redfur and Darkstreak start to move toward the closest crow-food in the damp clearing.
"Where should we put these crow-food, Redfur?" Darkstreak asked as he picked up the first piece.
"Since we're close to the Carrionplace, we can put them near the fence over there," Redfur indicated the fence that surrounded the Carrionplace. "And once we get too far to keep running back here, we can just bury them." The two worked in silence as they collected pieces of crow-food with their mouth and dropping them near the Carrionplace.
"Do you think there's a traitor within the Clan or just a rogue's sick way of having fun?" Redfur asked Darkstreak after a while. They were more than halfway done and were digging holes in the dirt to bury the crow-food.
"I don't know what to think, Redfur," Darkstreak replied, pausing in his work. "Though I agree with Swiftfeather's reasoning." Redfur nodded.
"I thought so. I would hate to think that there's a traitor within our Clan as well, but I guess time will tell," Redfur said as he went back to work.
"What do you think about the crow-food and Swiftfeather's comment?" Brightnose asked Sootcloud as the two trudged along the WindClan border, spraying their scents at regular intervals to refresh their border markings.
"I think we all agree that we wouldn't like to see a traitor among ourselves," Sootcloud answered. "Though how the perpetrator hid his scent so well still baffles me."
"And you're supposed to have the best nose in the Clan," Brightnose teased. "We must really be getting old." Sootcloud purred at Brightnose's attempt to brighten things up.
"What about you?" Sootcloud asked. "What do you think?"
"We definitely have a traitor in ShadowClan," Brightnose answered and strode away. Sootcloud, surprised by Brightnose's confidence, was rooted to the ground as he watched her disappear. Doubt flickered in his mind. It can't be Brightnose, can it? But he shook that thought away. No, I won't doubt my sister, not at a time like this.
Nettlestar, who was waiting for Redfur and Darkstreak's return, paced back and forth in front of the Clanrock. A couple of his warriors had come up to him and asked him what's wrong, but he told them to wait as he was going to call a Clan meeting soon. Nettlestar then proceeded to continue his pacing. What's taking them so long? Brightnose and Sootcloud had returned from their patrol a while ago.
But as he thought this, he heard the light padding of pawsteps and the wind carried their scent, announcing Redfur's and Darkstreak's return. Nettlestar jumped onto the Clanrock and yowled the usual summoning. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"
It didn't take long for his Clan to gather around the Clanrock. Most of them were already in the clearing, watching Nettlestar as he paced back and forth. Now, it was time for their curiosity to be satisfied. They all looked expectantly at Nettlestar and some shot glances at Redfur and Darkstreak.
"Cats of ShadowClan, the time for peace is coming to an end." Nettlestar began. The cats gathered around looked at each other with wide eyes and started murmur amongst themselves.
"What do you mean, Nettlestar?" Ashlight, a light gray she-cat, shouted.
"How do you know?" Russetfoot, a russet tom, grumbled.
Nettlestar gave a yowl and waited until the Clan stopped shouting. "Our dawn patrol found a trail of crow-food leading from our camp to the Carrionplace -"
"Who did it?" Cinderblaze interrupted and flicked his torn ear in anticipation. "We'll take him on!" Several of the cats sitting nearby let out a nervous mew and rolled their eyes. Cinderblaze was in his impulsive state again.
"What's their motive?" Featherclaw, a white she-cat, characterized by her unusually long claws, asked.
Nettlestar narrowed his eyes, but answered the question. "We don't know. There were no other scent than the smell of crow-food. As for the motive, we have deduced that it will harm the Clan in some way. So for the time being, until this mystery is resolved, we will be increasing border patrols," he announced. The Clan erupted in more shouts and discussions among themselves. Nettlestar could feel the tension in the Clan rising.
"How can there be no scent?" Russetfoot growled to anyone sitting around him. He was known for his moody manner and the ability to hold grudges, so most warriors tend to keep their distance from him. But for those that overheard his comment, they nodded their head in agreement.
"There must be some clue as to who did it, even if the scent is masked," Foxstripe, an inquisitive dark ginger elder sitting at the edge of the group, said. "But as for the motive, it could be that whoever did it is trying to help us in some way, though I think that is highly unlikely." Nettlestar seemed to be the only one who heard him, since he had a record of giving out good insights.
"Whoever did it must know our territory well!" Cinderblaze shouted. It had the effect of quieting the Clan. Satisfied that he got everyone's attention, he continued. "We have a traitor in our midst." Several warriors let out a hiss as they considered the possibility that someone in the Clan would do it. Willowtail, the only queen in the Clan and Nettlestar's mate, wrapped her tail around her three kits.
"Quiet!" Nettlestar shouted as he shot a glare at Cinderblaze. "We have no evidence of that, so we will not be pinning the blame anyone at a time like this. We need to be able to think clearly and work together." Nettlestar stared into the eyes of every single cat in his clan as he tried to drive in this message into their brains. "This meeting is over. Redfur, Swiftfeather, and the senior warriors, come to my den. We have things to discuss." And with that, Nettlestar jumped down from the Clanrock and disappeared into his den. The rest of the Clan broke up into little groups and continued to chat about the mysterious trail.
As Redfur passed by Cinderblaze and his group of listeners, he paused to listen. After all, it seems Cinderblaze is anxious to figure out who it is. But what he heard sent his mind reeling and anxiety quickened his heartbeat. It's not possible. It couldn't be one of the warriors on the dawn patrol. I trust Brightnose, Sootcloud, and Darkstreak with my life.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you think. ^^