Chapter IV
Rosestar padded into camp, with her cats looking at her queerly. "Where did you go?" Reedfall rasped his ears over his mate's head frantically. "Us leaders spent the night sharing tongues with StarClan." Rosestar explained as she leaped onto the Burnt Log.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Burnt Log!" She cried out loud. Once all of the cats were assembled, she began speaking.
"As you all know, cats from at least three Clans have been killed. We have decided to send out one cat from each Clan to go find the killer and bring peace to all of us." Rosestar meowed briefly, looking over the cats' expressions. "We don't have to decide yet; we still have half a moon before we announce who's going at the Gathering." She added, seeing the cats' fearful expressions.
It was just then that Rosestar realized that some cats weren't there. In fact, one cat to be precise. "Wait." She called just as the cats were dismissing themselves, leaping down from the log. "Has anyone seen Leafpaw today?" Smokepaw and his two sisters frowned, looking at each other. "Didn't she go on the dawn patrol?" Breezepaw asked her sister. Mintkit looked surprised. "I thought she went on the morning patrol? I was on the dawn patrol and I didn't see her."
"Uh-oh." A collective gasp went between the young apprentices as they realized what could have happened. "Oh StarClan." Rosestar gulped. Then she recovered, commanding, "Leafstripe, Cloudfall, Fawnberry and Bumbleberry, go and search for Leafpaw near that end of the territory." She flicked her tail to the left. "Bramblepaw, Shadowpaw, Cinderpaw and Brindlepaw, go and search for her on the other side."
The cats quickly went off, Cinderpaw giving Smokepaw a helpless, sympathetic glance. The she-cat frowned as she tried to remember when she had seen Leafpaw last. Last night, was it?
Smokepaw had nothing else to do except retreat into the apprentices' den anxiously.
Gasps and whines were heard from outside Smokepaw's den. Fearing the worst, he ventured outside… to see his sister, mauled and bloody. "Leafpaw!" He ran over and shook the limp apprentice frantically. "Smokepaw, she's dead." Cinderpaw pried him off gently, her face ashen.
"We shall give her a proper burial." Goldenfern meowed, already with a pawful of crushed lavender to hide the scent of death. "Who did it?" Breezepaw growled, her claws unsheathed. Shadowpaw lowered his big black head. "We believe it was the one who killed those other cats from EmberClan, LakeClan and DuskClan." He mewed sorrowfully.
A wave of anger and despair swooped through Smokepaw. "Rosestar. I will find the killer, to avenge my sister's death."
"Bramblethorn! Brindlecloud! Shadowclaw! Cinderflight!" The Clan called out for the new warriors. Cinderflight felt extremely proud as she stood upon the Burnt Log, her green eyes blazing with joy. She was finally a warrior!
Brindlecloud hadn't fully recovered yet, but her leg was better and Goldenfern had deemed her good enough to become a warrior. "But no extreme fighting." She'd warned her, though. "Cinderflight." Smokepaw suddenly appeared behind her. "C-congratulations." He meowed, his voice shaking a little.
"I know you're upset about Leafpaw." Cinderflight comforted the young apprentice. "But there was nothing we could do."
"But there is." Smokepaw lifted his head. "There is something I and five other cats from the Clans can do."