Nightpaw walked next to Snakepaw. They were on an important patrol. Half the moon has now passed since he and his foster siblings became apprentices.
"Hey look! Dead rabbit!" Snakepaw squealed like a kitten. Nightpaw rolled his eyes.
"Twistedpaw let's go check this rabbit." The red she-cat apprentice snorted derisively. Nightpaw followed her, but when he heard the call of Darkclaw, he stopped.
"Leave it to experienced warriors." Brindlesnout answered putting the mouse on the ground. Snakepaw was not scared by her mentor's tone.
"It's just a dead rabbit." Snakepaw purred, shrugging.
"Maybe dead, but maybe infected or poisoned." Bouncebird muttered. Snakepaw growled under its breath. Brindlesnout went first. He was already followed by Darkclaw and Bouncebird. Nightpaw felt unnecessary on this patrol. Watching Darkclaw sniff the rabbit, its fur bristled.
"It smells like the scent of WindClan." Darkclaw reported looking at the warriors. Brindlesnout dug its claws into the ground.
"They're up to something again!"
Snakepaw sighed impatiently and stood up. Nightpaw was still sitting there watching what was happening. Snakepaw approached the three warriors and hissed patiently:
"Or maybe that rabbit was killed by a dog or .."
"Or it ended up with an illness." Darkclaw interrupted the apprentice. Snakepaw gave Darkclaw a disappointed look.
"Maybe that rabbit got all the way here." Muttered Nightpaw as he approached. Darkclaw nodded as if in agreement with Nightpaw.
"How was he supposed to get here via the Thunderpath? It is impossible!" Snakepaw growled. There was silence for a moment. Nightpaw sniffed the rabbit. He smelled terrible! It was definitely the Cats of the WindClan who had hunted this rabbit and left it behind. But why would they leave him? Did they notice the rabbit is poisoned? Suddenly, Nightpaw had an idea.
"Or maybe the WindClan cats caught that rabbit and then left it behind."
Snakepaw looked unconvinced. Nightpaw, however, looked at the three warriors.
"But why would they leave him here at the border?" Bouncebird asked uncertainly. Nightpaw straightened up.
"Because the rabbit was sick or poisoned, the WindClan cats wanted to leave him here so that we could poison him. This looks like a trap to me." Nightpaw meowed. Bouncebird was impressed. Brindlesnout and Darkclaw still had their petrified eyes. Snakepaw stared at Nightpaw with clenched teeth as if she were about to cut his throat. Until Nightpaw walked away from the student so that she would not lose her temper.
"Nightpaw's story may be true." Bouncebird agreed. Nightpaw felt so much better. He suddenly thought of Squeakysong, but then he forgot it quickly. Brindlesnout shrugged.
"Anything can be possible." Brindlesnout replied. Nightpaw saw a hint of irritation in Brindlesnout's voice. Snakepaw wagged its tail impatiently.
"Let's take this rabbit to the camp." Snakepaw muttered quickly. Brindlesnout watched the rabbit. The dead animal lay without any pool of blood. But Nightpaw saw tooth marks on the rabbit's throat.
"Look, there's a wound here." Bouncebird purred before Nightpaw could inform about it. Snakepaw snorted.
"It must have been blocked by those hares running around the moors." Snakepaw hissed. Nightpaw looked expectantly at his mentor.
"Are we taking this rabbit with us?" Nightpaw asked. Brindlesnout thought for a moment along with the Darkclaw and Bouncebird.
"Snakepaw, get Sagewing here." Brindlesnout said. Snakepaw was indignant.
