Chapter 2

Tinyclaw sniffed the air warily, smelling Twolegs. In the distance shimmered the lights of a Twoleg nest that rested at the edge of Clan territories. His ear twitched as he heard a dog bark – but he recalled that Barley had said the Twolegs let them loose at night. He hoped that they had forgotten – they needed to cross the field and get to Ravenpaw before they were caught by the dogs.

"Anything?" Graystripe wondered, padding up to his side.

"Twoleg and dog, mostly," Tinyclaw replied. He lifted his muzzle again, sorting through the scents. Twoleg and dog were prevalent, but underneath… yes, it was there – just barely, but it was there. Ravenpaw! "Come on."

He led the way, following the stale scent through the slush. His paws were numb by the time they reached the barn on the other side of the field. A light seeped through a crack in the door, one big enough for a cat to squeeze through. Tinyclaw and Graystripe both wiggled their way inside.

They were immediately confronted by a wall of warmth, the likes of which neither had felt in moons. It shocked the cold out of their system, and Tinyclaw sniffled as his nose began to run a little. The smell of hay and cats and mice filled their warm air, and Tinyclaw called, "Ravenpaw? Ravenpaw, are you there?"

At the furthest corner, a bale of hay shifted. A sleek black face poked out of the bale. "Tinyclaw?" called the cat.

Tinyclaw purred, and Graystripe meowed, "Not just him!"

The black cat let out a trill of joy and leaped out of the hay. As he approached, Tinyclaw noted just how sleek Ravenpaw looked. The black tom was certainly doing well for himself out here, with Barley. With a pang, Tinyclaw realized that he and Graystripe must look like a mess of bones and fur to him.

Ravenpaw was purring loud as he brushed his muzzles against both Tinyclaw and Graystripe. Tinyclaw's fur warmed as Ravenpaw had to stoop a little to brush muzzles with him – Ravenpaw had gotten so tall! Tinyclaw felt like an apprentice in comparison.

"Welcome," Ravenpaw mewed to them. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you," Graystripe stressed, smirking. "You look well!"

"The mice run well in the barn," Ravenpaw admitted. His eyes darted over the two warriors. "Far better than in the forest, I think." Tinyclaw shifted on his paws awkwardly. Ravenpaw flicked an ear and went on, "Well? Did WindClan make it back to their camp all right?"

"It's kind of a long story," Tinyclaw meowed, "but yes; they're all right. That's not why we're here though -"

"What's this, now?"

Tinyclaw's fur ruffled and Graystripe stiffened as another hay bale twitched. A stocky black-and-white tom, well-muscled and well-fed, strode out. Tinyclaw's fur flattened when he recognized Barley, the cat who had been kind enough to share his home with a terrified Ravenpaw.

"Barley," Graystripe sighed. His body relaxed. "Good to see you. How are you?"

"Good," Barley replied curtly. His eyes flickered between the warriors and Ravenpaw. "Looks like you've got visitors?"

Ravenpaw nodded.

"I'll leave you to that, then," Barley decided. The black cat stretched. "I'm sure there's a rat or two out there for me to catch. Have fun, Ravenpaw."

"You too," Ravenpaw replied. "Watch out for the dogs!"

Barley waved his tail. He passed through Tinyclaw and Graystripe and out into the night, leaving the three cats alone in the warmth of the barn. Tinyclaw watched Barley disappear in the cold before turning back to Ravenpaw.

"We've got a lot to talk about," Tinyclaw offered. "It's really important; there isn't any time to waste."

Ravenpaw flicked an ear. "How about you both eat first?" he offered. "There are plenty of mice, and Barley won't mind."

Tinyclaw glanced at Graystripe. The gray tom answered for them both, meowing, "Bring 'em on! We're starving."

Ravenpaw flicked his tail at the lofty barn around him. "Go right ahead," he meowed. "My barn is your barn… and that includes the mice!"

"I know Bluefur killed Redtail," Ravenpaw insisted, his eyes serious. "I saw her do it with my own two eyes. I was there."

Tinyclaw shifted his position. The hay was warm, but rather prickly. The three cats were lounging in the hay bales, warm and full-fed. The warmth and the food would have been enough to send both warriors into a long sleep, but they were here on business. The drowsiness would have to wait.

"Tell us everything you remember," Tinyclaw urged. He gave Ravenpaw an encouraging nod.

Ravenpaw still looked rather uncomfortable with the subject. The battle at Sunningrocks had always been sensitive for him. But he flicked his tail and meowed, "I had been wounded in the shoulder and Redtail told me to hide in one of the crevices until it was safe for me to get away. I was about to make a run for it when Redtail got attacked by a big RiverClan cat just outside of my hiding spot. I think… yes, it was the brown tabby warrior Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw was big, but Redtail managed to knock him off of his paws and was ready to sink his teeth in for some serious injury…"

Tinyclaw grimaced. He'd faced Brambleclaw himself in battle multiple times – the warrior was no one to sneeze at. Big, bulky, and strong as a badger.

"Well, did he?" Graystripe wondered. His eyes were sparkling at the story despite the seriousness. Ravenpaw always knew how to spin a good story.

Ravenpaw shook his head. "Redtail never got the chance. Swiftclaw appeared and pushed Redtail off of Brambleclaw. Brambleclaw fled, I think, but now Redtail and Swiftclaw were fighting… and Redtail wasn't happy about Swiftclaw's interference.

"He spat at Swiftclaw, wondering if RiverClan warriors couldn't fight their own battles – it was a very brave thing to do," Ravenpaw mewed, "Swiftclaw was twice his size. Swiftclaw said something strange, though. Something really strange."

"What'd he say?" Tinyclaw wondered. He didn't know much of anything about Swiftclaw – what kind of cat he was, or even what he'd looked like. He had died before Tinyclaw came to the forest, in that battle, and Tinyclaw was intrigued by him and the part he played in all this.

"He said that… no ThunderClan cat would harm Brambleclaw," Ravenpaw replied. He narrowed his eyes, as if the statement were just as confusing as it sounded.

"What?" Graystripe hissed. "That makes no sense!"

"I was right there," Ravenpaw meowed, "and I heard it clear as a bird's call. It still doesn't make any sense to me."

"Clans fight all the time," Tinyclaw pointed out. "Of course Swiftclaw would have wanted to protect his warriors, but there's no need for such favoritism. What's so special about Brambleclaw?"

Ravenpaw shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "But that's what happened."

Tinyclaw frowned. That bothered him, but it was not part of the main issue, he sensed. He flicked his tail at Ravenpaw and meowed, "Go on."

Ravenpaw nodded and sighed. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Redtail and Swiftclaw got into after that. What a fight! They rolled all over Sunningrocks… but I lost sight of them eventually. They passed behind one of the big rocks and I couldn't see them anymore. I heard a rumble… something like a rock collapsing. Then…" he trembled, "what a screech!"

"A screech?" Graystripe wondered. Tinyclaw narrowed his eyes, trying to follow the battle in his head.

"I… I had to come out and see," Ravenpaw went on. He was trembling a little. "I heard the rocks fall, and I wanted to know if Redtail had made it out… When I saw the rocks, Redtail was fine, but Swiftclaw… I saw his tail sticking out from under a pile of stones. He… He'd been crushed!"

Crushed? Tinyclaw thought. Just like that? Was it possible? All the rocks at Sunningrocks seemed so sturdy. Could they really have fallen just like that?

Ravenpaw went on, trembling more and more as he spoke: "Bluefur was behind me. She… she told me to head back to camp. T-That the battle was over. So I-I did. I started back, but…"

"But…?" Graystripe wondered.

Ravenpaw's eyes darted to and fro. "I was so worried. The other ThunderClan warriors had left, but I didn't know if all the RiverClan cats had left. If Bluefur and Redtail got caught unaware… I-I turned back… t-the rocks were quiet and there was still dust settling from the rockfall…

"Bluefur… I saw her go up to Redtail. S-She… I think she asked if he was all right. I didn't hear them. They sat in silence, until all the RiverClan warriors were gone. They just… sat there, looking at Swiftclaw under those rocks. And then…"

"Bluefur killed him," Tinyclaw guessed.

Ravenpaw nodded. "Just like that," he squeaked. "She… she said something to him, and Redtail said something back. And then she just… knocked his paws out from under him and… and… and she… she sank her teeth into his throat like he was… like he was prey."

Tinyclaw felt a shiver run down his spine. His ears throbbed and rang at Ravenpaw's words, and his claws flexed as if he had been part of that battle himself.

"So Redtail didn't kill Swiftclaw," Graystripe meowed. "It was the rocks. An accident. No cat killed him! Tinyclaw, isn't this the sort of thing you were looking for?"

Tinyclaw blinked. "Yes," he meowed. He remembered the doubt in Tigerstar's eyes when Tinyclaw had tried to warn him before, moons ago. He hadn't believed Ravenpaw's words then, and somehow Tinyclaw doubted that he would believe Ravenpaw's words now. "It doesn't outright prove that Bluefur killed Redtail, though."

Graystripe flicked an ear. "I suppose that's true."

"I saw it, Tinyclaw," Ravenpaw hissed, lashing his tail. "With my own eyes!"

"Yes, but we need more than that," Tinyclaw sighed. He flexed his claws into the hay. "Tigerstar won't just believe one cat with something like this."

"So what will you do?" Graystripe wondered.

Tinyclaw frowned in thought. He might not be able to use Ravenpaw's statement to prove everything about that night, but there was one thing that could cast at least a shadow of doubt onto Bluefur. "The rockfall."

"Hm?" grunted Graystripe.

"If I can prove that the rocks killed Swiftclaw, not an enemy warrior, then it will prove that Bluefur lied when she said that she killed Swiftclaw in revenge for killing Redtail," Tinyclaw explained. "I just have to prove the rockfall!"

Graystripe frowned, and then glanced at Ravenpaw. "Ravenpaw," he meowed, "at the Gathering you said that Swiftclaw died in battle, not because of rocks. You made it sound like Redtail had killed Swiftclaw."

Ravenpaw flicked his tail. "I… I know," he mumbled. "But… do you blame me for fudging it a little? I didn't know who was listening… who was on Bluefur's side," he meowed.

Tinyclaw flicked his tail. "That's why Tigerstar didn't listen," he meowed, feeling a little bit of excitement leaping in his chest. "She couldn't believe that Redtail would kill another deputy like that – but he didn't. If we can prove the rockfall story, then Tigerstar will have to take this seriously!

"Is there anything more?" Tinyclaw urged, looking excitedly at Ravenpaw. "Anything at all?"

Ravenpaw flinched at him, his eyes wide and hunted. Tinyclaw swallowed, realizing that he could smell his friend's fear-scent. Tinyclaw relaxed himself and murmured, "Sorry."

"It's… It's all right, Tinyclaw," Ravenpaw murmured. "I appreciate this."

"It means so much to me," Tinyclaw assured him, "and to the Clan. We need to stop Bluefur before she does something to put us all in great danger."

"It's too bad, though, that you told Tigerstar Ravenpaw's first story," Graystripe pointed out. "Now he might not believe you now that you've changed everything."

"But nothing's changed!" Tinyclaw insisted. "We just misunderstood Ravenpaw's first story. He was scared and on the run when he told us that story. He was bound to forget or misplace something! I'll find some way to prove the rockfall story, and I'll use that to convince Tigerstar."

Graystripe sighed, but he said nothing.

Tinyclaw turned to Ravenpaw and touched his nose to his friend's shoulder. "We know the truth now," he meowed. "Thank you."

Ravenpaw sighed shakily. "Anything for you two," he meowed resolutely.

The three cats shared tongues, sharing news and gossip, for some time. Soon enough, though, Tinyclaw and Graystripe had to part ways. The shine in Ravenpaw's eyes was hard to ignore – he had finally gotten something powerful and painful off of his chest, and he would be all the stronger for it.

"Take care," Ravenpaw urged as the two warriors headed for the barn entrance. "Watch out for Bluefur – she may be a mother, but that doesn't change the fact that she's dangerous."

"Don't worry," Tinyclaw assured him. He thought of the battle in WindClan's camp, of Darkstripe watching as Leopardfur sliced him to ribbons. Bluefur had asked for him to die in that battle, but Tinyclaw had managed to live. And live he would. "You've given us all we need to deal with her."

Ravenpaw meowed one final good-bye. Tinyclaw and Graystripe slipped out of the barn and out into the frozen world, shivering as the air hit them like a blow.

Graystripe's teeth chattered, "It's freezing!"

Tinyclaw nodded in agreement. "We should still look for prey to take back to the Clan," he insisted.

Graystripe chattered back, "We should have taken some mice from the barn…"

"Oh?" Tinyclaw chuckled, "And what would you tell Oakheart and Whitestorm about where we got such fat mice? What would we tell a WindClan patrol if they caught us with prey on their territory? No… it's too much hassle. Let's just find something in the forest. There has to be prey somewhere."

Graystripe grunted skeptically, but he followed Tinyclaw's lead as they made their way across the fields, up the hill and onto the moorland. The moon was setting, the sky paling for dawn as they picked their way across the moorland.

Tinyclaw's legs were aching, but his mind was spinning with all the new information. He tried to focus, but he couldn't help but keep thinking about what Ravenpaw had told them. Graystripe was right – it was too bad that Tinyclaw had told Tigerstar the first story. Now how would he believe this one, and what's more, how would Tinyclaw prove the rockfall?

Suddenly, it hit him. Tinyclaw stopped walking and meowed, "RiverClan!"

Graystripe was a pace ahead when he stopped. "What?" he asked, turning his head against the wind.

"RiverClan would know!" Tinyclaw insisted. "About the rockfall – whether it really happened or not!"

"You're right," Graystripe meowed, his eyes flashing. "They would have been able to examine Swiftclaw's body. They would know how he really died!"

"We just need to speak to Brambleclaw, or some other warrior who was in the battle!" Tinyclaw went on, his heart beating in his ears. "Maybe we can figure out why Swiftclaw didn't want any ThunderClan warrior harming Brambleclaw?"

Graystripe flattened his ears suddenly. "You can't just walk up to the RiverClan camp and ask stuff like that, though!" he meowed. "It was so tense at the Gathering, and RiverClan hasn't liked us for a long time!"

Tinyclaw narrowed his eyes knowingly. "I know one RiverClan warrior who would welcome you."

"M-Me?" Graystripe sputtered. "S-Silverstream?!"

Tinyclaw nodded. He pleaded, "Graystripe, you're the only cat in ThunderClan with any sort of ties to RiverClan. I need your help for this!"

Graystripe sighed, looking away. He shivered. "Yes," he murmured, "I suppose I owe you that much." Louder, he promised, "I'll talk to Silverstream for you. See what happens. Now, can we please get out of here? I'm freezing my paws off!"

Tinyclaw nodded and purred, brushing up against Graystripe in thanks. He knew just how dangerous this sort of thing was – but they needed the truth. He was glad Graystripe understood that.

The two kept close as they crossed WindClan territory. Dawn was well on the way. Their pace was quick – but not quick enough. Fourtrees was in sight, but so was something else – a WindClan patrol. Three cats, and all three changed direction to meet them.

Tinyclaw glanced nervously at Graystripe. Would they be upset? Of course they would be upset. Both warriors flexed their claws in anxiety. He recognized the uneven gait of Deadfoot as the WindClan deputy approached – Tornear and his apprentice, Runningpaw, was just behind.

Hurry, hurry, Tinyclaw thought frantically. Come up with something, anything… we can't get caught here!

"Hullo, Tinyclaw," Deadfoot grunted, stopping before them. "Graystripe. You're both a long way from home."

Tinyclaw glanced at Graystripe nervously. The gray warrior had nothing. Tinyclaw turned back to Deadfoot and blurted, "We picked up ShadowClan scent on your territory! We just… we wanted to see if everything was all right!"

"ShadowClan?" Deadfoot growled, his fur bristling. Tornear and Runningpaw looked none too happy about it, either.

Graystripe was quick to say, "We reckon it was an old scent! Nothing to worry about now. We're sorry to have crossed the border."

"It's all right," Tornear offered, his fur flattening. "You're welcome here – you two especially. The other Clans would have destroyed us if not for you and ThunderClan. Thanks to you, we have some peace."

Tinyclaw's ears burned at the praise. He and Graystripe had helped WindClan greatly in the past, but the admiration from the older warriors seemed… misplaced and inappropriate. Not only that, but Tinyclaw felt rather uncomfortable knowing that any cat had seen them tonight.

"We'd best be getting back," Tinyclaw mumbled. "I'm sure you can handle anything that comes up."

"May StarClan light your path," Deadfoot offered.

"Yours, too," Graystripe replied.

The two warriors stepped aside to let Deadfoot's patrol back into their territory. Then, quiet, they rushed back into their own territory.

"That was bad luck," Graystripe grunted once they were back underneath their own trees. ThunderClan scent markers were just behind their paws.

"Rotten luck," Tinyclaw agreed.

"I hope they don't say anything about us," Graystripe sighed. "We don't need that kind of trouble."

Tinyclaw nodded in agreement. "Hopefully all this can be resolved before anything like that happens," he meowed. "Come on; we ought to try catching something before we head back."

Nothing.

"Nothing!" hissed Graystripe in frustration.

"I know," Tinyclaw hissed back. "Quiet, though! We don't want to wake the whole camp!"

The two were just passing through the thorn tunnel – but Tinyclaw couldn't help but be frustrated. Nothing! They had combed the forest as best as they could within the time that they had, but not a single mouse or bird had crossed their path. How were they going to explain this?

They padded into the clearing. It didn't seem like anyone was awake yet – and Tinyclaw took a deep breath of relief.

This was premature.

The nursery brambles rustled, and Oakheart padded out. Tinyclaw and Graystripe froze as the bracken-colored warrior scanned the clearing… and his eyes landed on them.

"You," he grumbled, obviously tired.

Oh, StarClan, Tinyclaw thought, as Oakheart approached. Help us.

"Sandstorm tells me that you two went hunting," Oakheart grunted. His eyes flicked back and forth, to both Graystripe and Tinyclaw. "And yet… you carry nothing. Somehow, you smell of mouse."

Tinyclaw felt a chill flood his body.

Oakheart narrowed his eyes. "We have new kits to feed. So; do you mind explaining this one?"