Ashwinter quietly stalked through the undergrowth, making no sound. She focused intently on the unsuspecting shrew in front of her. She pounced and killed it quickly.
"Good catch, Ashwinter!" Dustrise called.
"Thanks." she replied.
It was nearly sunhigh--time for the hunting patrol to be getting back to camp. Ashwinter trotted through the ferns at Dustrise's side with her shrew. A strange scent suddenly tickled her nose--a cat's scent. Ashwinter didn't recognize it.
"Do you smell that?" she asked.
Dustrise tasted the air. "Barely," he replied, " but yes. I don't recognize it, though."
"Me, neither."
Away behind, Honeymallow and Burnpelt had stopped, too.
"ShadowClan." Honeymallow hissed through her thrush.
"I thought something reeked of carrion," Burnpelt muttered.
Tracking the scent, the patrol was surprised to find that it lead to camp.
"This could mean trouble. Try to keep calm," Dustrise murmured in Ashwinter's ear.
"I don't think that will be a problem." she whispered back.
"I just want you to keep your temper under control..." he explained quickly.
"When is it ever out of control?" she inquired.
"Shut up and come on," Burnpelt mewed.
The patrol entered camp. Almost immediately Ashwinter spotted him. And recognized him. Tigerstar. What was he doing in RiverClan?
Ashwinter and Dustrise froze together, as if it had been rehearsed. Tigerstar's amber gaze met Ashwinter's light blue. Ashwinter was surprised to find that she felt nothing...no fear, no hatred, nothing. Dustrise's fur stood on end with hostility. Tigerstar dipped his head to the patrol and exchanged a quiet word with Crookedstar. He trotted towards the camp exit. Ashwinter drew her tail down Dustrise's back as a warning. He let it lie flat at her touch. Tigerstar walked past them slowly, their eyes still locked together. Ashwinter turned her head as he turned his when he walked past. Still she felt calm. She wrenched her gaze from the ShadowClan leader and stared out into the camp. No cat spoke a word. Crookedstar stared intently after Tigerstar, as if daring him to come back. It was obvious her leader was angry about something. Crookedstar turned abruptly and headed for his den after hissing something to Leopardfur. The deputy nodded and flicked her tail, signaling Honeymallow and Blackfeather to follow her. The three bound out of camp and after Tigerstar.
"I wonder what all the fuss is about," Dustrise murmured.
"Whatever it is, Crookedstar isn't happy about it." she replied. The two padded in and deposited their fresh-kill. Dustrise trotted over to Winterfury.
"What did we miss?" he asked.
"Tigerstar waltzed into our camp like he owned the place and asked Crookedstar to join "TigerClan". Crookedstar refused, of course. That's when your patrol arrived." he replied with obvious hostility.
"I wonder what TigerClan is for." Equinoxrise added.
"I don't think it's a good thing, whatever it is." Ashwinter meowed.
Leopardfur, Honeymallow and Blackfeather crashed into camp.
"Tigerstar has left RiverClan territory." she announced.
"Good ridience."Winterfury mumbled.
Crookedstar emerged from his den and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. For the first time, Ashwinter noticed how old and frail her leader had been leader for a couple seasons now, and he was a senior warrior when he became leader.
"He looks so sick..." Winterfury commented.
Silently, Ashwinter agreed. Although she hated to think it, she wondered how much longer Crookedstar would live. He was on his last life, after all. He had been through so much already. Oakheart had died recently, and Leopardfur replaced him. Also Silverstream, his daughter, had had a ThunderClan warrior's kits, and she died while giving birth. Ashwinter couldn't imagine the pain he must have felt when his brother died and his daughter's betrayal shortly before she died. She watched the old cat slink away, tail dragging in the dust, into his den.