A Dangerous Path

Chapter 3

Skyfall opened her eyes and blinked in the uncomfortably bright sunlight. She still couldn't get used to the way the sun shone straight into the warriors' den now that the thick covering of leaves had gone. Yawning, she uncurled herself and shook the clinging scraps of moss from her coat.

Close beside her, Sandstorm was still asleep; Dustpelt and Darkstripe were curled up a little farther away. Skyfall padded out into the clearing. It was three days since the Gathering and the discovery of Tigerstar's new leadership, and there was still no sign of the attack Bluestar had feared. Skyfall remembered how disgusted Swiftpaw had been when he heard, but Bramblekit and Tawnykit were ecstatic to hear they were now the kits of a leader. ThunderClan had taken this time to rebuild the camp, and although there was still a long way to go, Skyfall was pleased every time she looked at the shady walls of fern beginning to grow back around the edge of the camp, and the bramble thicket firmly interlaced with twigs to shelter the nursing queens and their kits.

As Skyfall made her way toward the pile of fresh-kill, she saw the dawn patrol returning with Whitestorm in the lead. Skyfall paused and waited for the white warrior to join her.

"Any sign of ShadowClan?"

Whitestorm shook his head. "Nothing," he meowed. "Just the usual scent markings along their border. There was one thing, though. . ."

Skyfall's ears pricked. "What?"

"Not far from Snakerocks we found a whole stretch of undergrowth trampled down, and pigeon feathers scattered all over it."

"Pigeon feathers?" Skyfall echoed. "I haven't seen a pigeon for days. Is some other Clan hunting in our territory?"

"I don't think so. The whole place reeked of a dog." Whitestorm wrinkled his nose with distaste. "There was dog dirt there too."

Skyfall tipped her head to one side. "A dog? Do you think a Twoleg let it run through the forest?"

"I can't say for certain; the scent was too strong. I think you should tell the patrols to keep their eyes open just to be safe," he meowed.

"I hope it's gone." Skyfall sighed. "A loose dog is the last thing we need right now."

Whitestorm licked her forehead, then led the way to the pile of fresh-kill. Brightpaw, Whitestorm's apprentice, and Thunderpaw, who had made up the rest of the patrol, were already there.

"Look at this!" Thunderpaw growled as Skyfall came up. He turned a vole over with one paw. "There's hardly a decent mouthful on it!"

"Prey is scarce," Skyfall reminded him, noticing there were only a few pieces of fresh-kill on the pile. "Any creatures that survived the fire can't find much to eat."

"We need to hunt again," Thunderpaw meowed. He bit into the vole and swallowed. "I'll go as soon as I've finished this."

"You can come with me," mewed Skyfall, choosing a magpie for herself. "I'm going to lead out a patrol later on."

"No, I can't wait," Thunderpaw mumbled around another mouthful. "I'm so hungry I could eat you. Brightpaw, do you want to come with me?"

Brightpaw, who was neatly tucking into a mouse, glanced at her mentor for permission. When Whitestorm nodded she sprang up. "Ready when you are," she meowed.

"All right then," mewed Skyfall. She was slightly annoyed that Thunderpaw hadn't asked for his mentor's permission like Brightpaw, but the Clan did need fresh-kill, and both the apprentices were good hunters. "Don't go too far from camp," she warned.

"But all the best prey is farther away, where the fire didn't reach," Thunderpaw objected. "We'll be fine, Skyfall," he promised. "We'll hunt for the elders first."