Odd names are fine, if you're going for that sort of thing. Owlstrong just isn't a name I would use.

Chapter 17

Maplepaw woke with an ache in her shoulder. Berrynose's battle training had been intense – they had worked through several basic moves for some time, until the moon rose high in the sky. Rolls, claw rakes, leaping onto enemies… Berrynose had crammed it all into her brain, drilling her again and again until she got the moves perfect. Then, Berrynose had asked Maplepaw to spar with him – he had accidentally butted her in the shoulder a bit too hard.

The ache worked away as she pushed out of the apprentice's den. Sunlight streamed into her tired eyes, causing her to squint until she was used to the light a few moments later. Blinking, she set off towards the fresh-kill pile.

Maplepaw chose a squirrel and dragged it back to the eating place by its tail. Spottedpaw was sharing tongues with Amberpaw there, while a few tail-lengths away Dewpaw and Snowpaw were sparring with one another.

She ate in relative – and surprising – silence. No cat made mention of what had happened with Breezepelt to her, and it was as if it hadn't been that important of a happening. It was only when she was done eating did the subject of Breezepelt and ShadowClan come up.

"You think Breezepelt might have been working with ShadowClan?" Amberpaw wondered.

Spottedpaw flicked her tail. "That seems unlikely," she admitted. "Breezepelt didn't like any of the Clans… and no one knows if he was working with anyone to begin with."

"He must have been," Maplepaw offered, "otherwise how would he know that Bramblestar was at the Moonpool?"

"You think it might be someone in WindClan?" Amberpaw wondered, flicking a gray ear.

Maplepaw shrugged. "It couldn't be a ThunderClan cat," she said.

"Of course not!" bristled Dewpaw. He leaped onto Snowpaw, pinning him down with strong gray paws. "We're loyal to our cores!"

Snowpaw wriggled beneath his brother, and then used his powerful hind legs to kick the gray-and-white tom off of him. Snowpaw pushed himself up and then shook out his coat. "We won't know now," he mewed, "Breezepelt's dead, and dead cats don't reveal secrets."

Maplepaw shivered uncomfortably, and Spottedpaw threw Snowpaw a warning glance. Snowpaw flicked an ear and added, "Hey – I'm not calling Maplepaw a murderer. I'm just saying that he's dead – whatever alliances he had probably fell apart." Dewpaw scrambled to his paws and leaped onto Snowpaw again, and the two were once again in a gray- and white-furred tussle.

"There is a point there," Amberpaw admitted. "Breezepelt's allies would have been rogues or loners, most likely. Those types tend to disband when their leaders die or fail. Remember how BloodClan fled when Scourge died? Who knows what happened to them."

"So… what about ShadowClan?" Maplepaw offered. She wanted to get off of the subject of Breezepelt – as much as Mapleshine was pushing her into the spotlight, Maplepaw didn't want to be part of that sort of thing yet. Not to mention the strange feeling she recalled having when she saw his limp black body floating in the Moonpool… the thought made her shiver.

"If they want that territory they'll have to fight for it!" Dewpaw declared, pouncing once again onto Snowpaw.

"Ow!" Snowpaw complained. "Get off, you great lump – that hurt!"

"Sorry!" Dewpaw mewed, pushing himself off of his brother.

Snowpaw sat up and shook out his coat. Moss and debris were caught in it, and he flopped back down, panting. "You weigh a ton, you know that?" he complained.

Dewpaw twitched his whiskers. "And you have the temper of a badger!" he threw back.

Amberpaw rolled her eyes and began to groom out her brother's pelt. "I don't understand why Bramblestar just didn't remind ShadowClan that they have Leafpool thanks to us," she mewed between licks. "That would have shut them up."

"I don't think Bramblestar would hold that over their heads, though," Dewpaw mewed, settling down to lick his flank clean of dirt. "It's not like they have a medicine cat ready to take Littlecloud's place at the moment."

"Besides," Spottedpaw added, "Leafpool made that agreement with Littlecloud, not ShadowClan. ThunderClan didn't give her away like some piece of prey or territory; she went on her own. I don't think she'd come back if we forced her to like that."

"Medicine cats are weird," muttered Snowpaw.

"Speaking of, though," Amberpaw mewed, dropping her voice a little. "This morning, when I came in from the predawn patrol, I spotted Jayfeather running into the nursery."

Snowpaw's ears pricked, and he along with the others looked to the bramble thicket. Maplepaw's whiskers twitched. Cinderheart, Poppyfrost, and Ivypool were lying outside. Ivypool was basking in the newleaf sunshine while Cinderheart and Poppyfrost made a game with Cinderheart's kits using sticks and moss.

"Was it Poppyfrost?" Dewpaw wondered. The tortoiseshell queen looked fat and tired, and the sun wasn't even high over the treetops yet.

Amberpaw shook her head. "Poppyfrost isn't due for a half-moon… and Ivypool isn't due for a moon or so herself. I think some kits might be sick."

"I hope they're not Daisy's," Spottedpaw murmured. "They weren't born too long ago…"

"It's newleaf!" complained Dewpaw. "How are cats getting sick? I thought we left all of that behind!"

Amberpaw licked between her brother's ears. "I offered to help Jayfeather, but he didn't want anyone inside. He left to go get water from the lake before you all woke up," she mewed. "When he comes back I'm sure we'll find something out."

"Maybe they caught whatever Foxleap's got," suggested Snowpaw. "I hear his fur's been falling out – must have mange or something."

"So he hasn't gotten any better?" Spottedpaw asked.

"Not according to Dustpelt or Icecloud," Snowpaw replied. "He's been getting worse, apparently – retches all the time, and he can hardly eat or drink. Jayfeather won't let anyone go in to see him."

Maplepaw dug her claws into the ground. Foxleap had gotten worse? Last she knew he had just been coughing and wheezing. Now his fur was falling out? Maplepaw didn't know of any sickness that did that – not even greencough made a cat's fur fall out.

"He's been sick for a while," Amberpaw murmured. "I hope Jayfeather finds the cure soon."

"Would catmint work?" Maplepaw offered.

"I'm no medicine cat," Amberpaw said, shrugging. "I don't know – but I do know that the supply in the old Twoleg nest still hasn't fully grown back yet. Jayfeather used a lot of it in leaf-bare when Purdy and some warriors caught greencough. You were just a little kit then, Maplepaw – you wouldn't remember that."

"I think… I think I remember Squirrelflight having it?" Maplepaw recalled. She didn't know too much about way back then – she had still been little when the greencough outbreak hit. She did remember coughing and wheezing the nursery, though she couldn't recall who it had been.

Spottedpaw flicked an ear. "No, Maplepaw – that was you," she pointed out. "Squirrelflight and I had to sleep in the apprentice's den, remember? You had it pretty bad…"

Maplepaw tried thinking back, but most of the memories were blocked by a barrier of blackness. The furthest back she could recall was the moon before Spottedpaw became an apprentice – the two of them were playing in the snow, rolling in it and making snow-warriors with their bodies. It must have happened before Maplepaw opened her eyes.

She only shrugged and mewed, "Guess not."

"Well, it was a while ago," Spottedpaw reasoned.

"Maplepaw!"

Maplepaw's ears pricked. Berrynose was heading their way, and it seemed as if a patrol was gathering near the fresh-kill pile. Squirrelflight was at its head, her fluffy ginger tail raised. Cloudtail, Lionblaze, and Whitewing were gathered behind her.

"You're coming on patrol with me," Berrynose mewed, flicking his tail at Squirrelflight's patrol. "Hurry up – or are you too busy gossiping?"

"No – no, not at all!" Maplepaw sputtered. She pushed herself up and said a hasty good-bye to her denmates before heading off with Berrynose.

The patrol seemed impatient and more than ready to leave by the time Berrynose and Maplepaw joined them. Squirrelflight lifted her tail high and mewed, "OK – let's go."

Maplepaw glanced at Berrynose. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Remember the territory that ShadowClan wanted?" Berrynose mewed. Maplepaw nodded. "We're going to scout it out and see whether or not it's really worth fighting to keep."

"Isn't it?" Maplepaw wondered.

Berrynose shrugged. "Bramblestar just wants to make sure," he replied. The two headed off at a trot through the thorn tunnel. Out in the forest it was cool and shady, with a light breeze that cut through Maplepaw's leaf-bare thin pelt with a slight chill.

"We also want to make sure that ShadowClan doesn't go back on their word," added Whitewing. The white she-cat had obviously been listening in. "If they mark the border before us or before the Gathering, then there will definitely be some fighting."

"You think they would?" Maplepaw wondered. She leaped over a stick in her path, landing on the soft ground, grateful that her paws had healed. "Go back on their word, I mean."

"They're ShadowClan!" Cloudtail pointed out. "They've done it before, and they'll do it again."

"And if they have, we'll report to Bramblestar before we do anything," Squirrelfight mewed from the front of the patrol. Lionblaze was beside her, his huge golden body making Squirrelflight look like a, well, squirrel. "I don't want any rash actions, Cloudtail! That's not why I brought you along."

"I know, I know," complained Cloudtail. "There just hasn't been anything interesting happening lately. We don't know who Breezepelt was working with – if it was anyone – or what his plans really were. Now we've got ShadowClan breathing down our necks! It's about time something interesting happened – my claws were getting dull."

"With the Great Battle behind us I want nothing more than dull claws," Lionblaze rumbled. "This peace has been nice… and we shouldn't be looking for fights where there aren't any."

"We're just seeing if the territory is worth fighting for," Whitewing agreed coolly, glancing at her father. "Nothing more."

Cloudtail flicked his fluffy white tail. "I know," he sighed.

They traveled on in relative silence until they reached the stream that ShadowClan wanted as their new border. It was leaped with ease, even by Maplepaw's shorter legs, and they were within the territory that was under dispute.

Here the undergrowth was thinner as it transitioned into ShadowClan territory. Pine trees mingled with oak and ash and beech, stunted because of the latter trees' interference. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the leafy canopy above them, and Maplepaw saw the lake sparkling at the end of the stream. She could smell prey, though it was not in plenty – this place was more exposed than the rest of ThunderClan's territory, and there was a underlying odor that made Maplepaw's whiskers curl.

"What's that stink?" Cloudtail wondered.

"No idea," Lionblaze muttered. He flicked his tail. "Whitewing and I will check it out," he told Squirrelflight.

"Be careful," Squirrelflight mewed.

Lionblaze nodded and he and Whitewing detached themselves from the group. They padded towards the lake, and Squirrelflight left them behind as she continued the patrol towards the ShadowClan border.

They reached it within a few heartbeats. Berrynose pointed with his tail towards a thicket of brambles and ferns a few rabbit hops away from the border. He meowed, "There's ShadowClan's camp."

Maplepaw looked at the camp in astonishment. "It's so close to the border!" she exclaimed. She glanced at Berrynose. "Is that why they want it moved?"

"Possibly," Squirrelflight answered. She sighed, flicking her tail. "I didn't realize at first that their camp was so close. I guess Rowanstar's urgency yesterday makes more sense now."

Bushes rustled, heralding the arrival of Whitewing. Her white fur was fluffed, and she mewed urgently, "Squirrelflight – Come quickly. You should see this!"

They followed Whitewing through the undergrowth, towards the lake. Maplepaw could feel her heart beating in her ears as she fell slightly behind Berrynose thanks to her shorter legs. As they drew nearer to the lake, the smell that had been blowing faintly through the area was getting stronger, and Maplepaw could feel the hairs rising along her spine.

Lionblaze and, surprisingly, Jayfeather, were standing beside the gnarled roots of an old oak tree. The roots were curled and high in the air, ripped out as the tree had been lashed back and forth thanks to storms and the lake removing its supportive dirt. Beneath it was the source of the stench – a burrow that smelled as if someone had filled it with crow-food.

"A fox den?" exclaimed Squirrelfight, curling her nose. "What's this doing here? How have we missed this?"

"I don't know," Lionblaze huffed. "We haven't been patrolling the lake as much as we ought to, apparently."

"What is that StarClan-cursed stink?" Cloudtail complained.

"That's what we wanted to show you," Lionblaze offered.

He flicked his tail for the patrol to come closer and, though they didn't want to, they obeyed. They edged ever-nearer to the fox's den, and Maplepaw felt bile rising in her throat. The stench in the darkness was overpowering, and she swayed on her paws a little. The other warriors showed the same discomfort.

"Look at the back of the den," Whitewing mewed, gasping for breath. "What do you see?"

Maplepaw bent down and narrowed her eyes to look. It was hard to see in the gloom, but Maplepaw could see scraps of fur and what seemed like some animal's leg… Maplepaw had never seen a fox before, but there was no question that this fox was, well…

"It's dead," Jayfeather announced.

"It's dead alright," Squirrelflight agreed. "This stench is going to drive away all the prey in the area… we need this thing removed."

Jayfeather was rigid as Lionblaze and Cloudtail hunkered down in the den and began to push out the fox's corpse. "Don't touch it with your mouth!" Jayfeather ordered.

It took some doing, but the dirty, red-brown creature was pushed out by Cloudtail's and Lionblaze's paws. It flopped its paws into the lake with a sploosh and lay there limply, its eyes rolled back into its head and its tongue lolling out onto the dirt.

"What killed it?" Squirrelflight demanded. "It doesn't look as if anything attacked it."

"I don't know, but half its fur is in the den," Lionblaze commented.

Jayfeather rested his paw on the fox's exposed flank. He gently drew his paw backwards, and no cat could say that the medicine cat was using any kind of force – when his paw reached his side again, a ball of fox-fur lay there. Jayfeather's blind expression was nothing less than disturbed.

"Just like Foxleap…" he murmured.

"Berrynose, take Maplepaw, Whitewing, and Jayfeather back to camp," Squirrelflight ordered, the fur on her neck rising. "Make a report to Bramblestar. We'll bury this… thing."

Berrynose nodded, and he flicked Maplepaw's shoulder. "Come on," he ordered.

Maplepaw was, for a moment, fixated on the fox. The blank, dead expression, the cloying smell of death… the scraps of fur littering the ground, effortlessly pulled out. Something was not right about this.

What could do this? She wondered.

"Maplepaw!" Berrynose called. The young apprentice snapped out of her thoughts, seeing her mentor padding away from her. "Come on!"

"C-Coming!" Maplepaw insisted. She padded after her mentor, grateful to be away from the smell. But the feeling that this was nothing natural did not leave her, and she could not shake the thought that something awful was beginning.