Chapter 3: Investigation

Author's Notes: Looking back, I know I took a long time to update compared to my previous uploads, but seriously, no one bothered to review for chapter two? Tsk, tsk, tsk, I'm disappointed. I know there were like 40 views for the day that I uploaded it! Does it take that long to press a button and right a word or sentence? *takes deep breath* Okay, now I got that out of my system, please read and review!

PS: sorry for the long update time and short chapter, I got lazy :P

PSS: also, still looking for beta to help me edit and nag at me to write something... :)

Lightningpaw blanched. "What!? Are you serious!? How!?" This went ignored as his mentor quickly butted in. "We got to take this information to Lionstar. Tigerpaw, you should come back to camp with us. Softfur must be worried sick about you." With the new information swirling in circles around in the cats' heads, the three raced off through the once seemingly safe forest back towards the safety of Thunderclan camp.

At Thunderclan Camp...

" Lionstar! Lionstar!" shouted an out of breath Silverstrike as he rushed into the tunnel that led into Thunderclan camp. A few moments behind him were an even more out of breath Tigerpaw and Lightningpaw. Looking down from his perch on the rock wall, the said golden leader softly but surely padded down the incline to meet his fellow warrior. "Report." stated the tabby leader in a calm, deep voice. "We ran as fast as we can," huffed the commanded silver tom, eyes still wide with adrenaline pumping through his veins, "Tigerpaw here was hunting with his hunting patrol when he caught the scent of crowfood. Following the scent, he stumbled upon the carcass of a mangled cat, who, according to Tigerpaw, was torn apart and partially eaten." Silence covered the camp. "Who would do that sort of thing!" shouted Cloudfur with anger in her voice. Though none of the cats in the camp personally knew any other cat who wasn't a clan cat (that is, besides the loners and kittypets who lived at the horseplace), the very idea of being torn apart to death or having their bodies torn to such a degree was appalling and intimidating. "Poppywhisker, come with me. I need you to examine what was the cause of this intruder. Tigerpaw, lead us to where you found the body." meowed the well muscled tabby towards the two cats and breaking the cold silence. As Poppywhisker and Lionstar was about to exit the tunnel, a small, trembling voice spoke up behind them. The voice belonged to little Tigerpaw. "Umm, excuse me Lionstar... um... um..." Tigerpaw fidgeted a bit. "Is it okay if Lightningpaw comes too? It would be nice to have a friend with me for the time being..." he trailed off, looking a bit sheepish and a whole lot more frightened. "That depends on Lightningpaw himself." meowed the Lionstar in response and turned his head to look at the other male apprentice. Lightningpaw nodded his head in return. "Okay, now that everything's settled, Tigerpaw, lead us to where you found the body." "Yes sir!" meowed Tigerpaw with the dignity of a soldier.

On the way to investigate the mystery of the torn apart cat...

Lionstar took a deep breath of air and sighed as he left the hidden tunnel. The three cats behind him stopped and gave him a questioning look. "Hey! I just wanted a good breath of FRESH air before I have to deal with the smell of crowfood!" meowed the tabby leader in defence. As an afterthought, he muttered, "I'm also getting too old for this stuff..." as he stalked out of the tunnel while gesturing with his tail for Tigerpaw to take the lead.

As the four cats padded with the stealth that all felines possess through the thickets, Lionstar couldn't help but reflect on how he peaceful music of the songbirds singing (good; prey is running nicely) combined with the refreshing night breeze did not suit the scenario that he, as leader, had to deal with at the moment. He sighed, and then realized that he has been doing that a lot lately. With all of the trying to prepare for the forewarned end of the clans around the lake and now this, the stress was too much to bear on a few select cats' shoulders, he thought. With this discouraging thought in mind, he found that he had almost bumped into Tigerpaw who had abruptly stopped before a patch of honeysuckle bushes. "T-the body's i-i-in there." stuttered the scared apprentice with a shaky nod towards the honeysuckle. "Okay, let's go." meowed the Lionstar. "I recommend you cats take a deep breath and try to brace yourselves for the sights that you might see in a moment. Trust me, to see another cat, even though he was a foe, in the condition that Tigerpaw here described to us is no easy feat. Also, Tigerpaw, Lightningpaw, if you wish, you may stay on this side of the honeysuckle bush. Seeing a carcass like that once in a cat's lifetime is already once to many especially at such a young age. As for you, Poppywhisker, I believe that there is no way for you to back out of this. I apologize for that beforehand." meowed the strongly built tabby. "I'll go," interrupted the shy apprentice as Lionstar was about to cross through the bush. " Okay. Come everyone, come with me then."

The victim was deemed a starved black cat with a glance. As they stepped closer however, they were greeted by a giant swarm of flies scattering into their faces and revealing traces brown fur barely attached to the stained, mangled, skeleton. With the mob insects circling above waiting to continue their meal of rotten flesh, the trio of still living cats were greeted with a carcass completely riddled with brutal, slashing claw marks, and giant gaping holes where mammoth teeth had suck into the poor creature. The cats limbs were also rabidly sawed off with the care of homicidal and carelessly thrown to the side, completely stripped of flesh and cracked open to reveal remnants of marrow.

"Oh my..." whispered Poppywhisker while the two apprentices rapidly turned around and retched into a group of bushes.

"Poppywhisker, I know this is going to be rather gruesome, but I need you to give me a diagnosis of what happened. "

"Yes my leader."

Poppywhisker padded over to the corpse and inspected it with a critical eye of a well trained medicine cat. After a moment, she looked up and said four words.

"It was a dog."