Moonrise

Chapter 15

A cold raindrop splashed onto Leafpaw's fur, and she shook it away irritably. Above her, a restless wind stirred the trees, sending brittle scarlet and gold leaves drifting into the clearing. Leaf- bare was barely a moon away, but it seemed like the least of the Clan's troubles.

"The rabbit smelled bad," Cinderpelt reported to Skystar. "Barkface said that cats who ate them died. I believe him. This rabbit we saw wasn't infected with any sort of sickness I've encountered. It must be something the Twolegs have done."

Crouched beside the fresh-kill pile in the ThunderClan camp, Leafpaw listened anxiously as her mentor told Skystar what they had discovered on their way to Highstones. Leafpaw's heart twisted with pity to see the shock and exhaustion in her mother's green gaze as she listened.

"This means we can't eat rabbits either," she meowed. "Great StarClan, what next? We'll all starve."

"No cat has died in our territory yet," Sandstorm pointed out from where she sat a tail-length away, her tail wrapped neatly around her paws. Longtail sat close to her, his ears pinned back as he listened to the news. "Maybe the trouble's just in WindClan."

"But rabbits run across the border all the time," replied Cinderpelt. "It might be safe to eat rabbits from the other end of our territory, near the Tree-cut place, but I don't think we should take the risk even there."

"You're right." Skystar heaved a heavy sigh. "I'll announce it to the rest of the Clan. No more rabbits."

"Well, we have to eat something." Sandstorm got briskly to her paws. "I'll get my hunting patrol together and see what we can find. Longtail, are you coming?" Leafpaw's father nodded and, after a gentle press of his muzzle against Skystar's, he followed Sandstorm into the warriors' den.

"Meanwhile," mewed Cinderpelt, "we'd better get rid of any rabbits in the fresh-kill pile."

Leafpaw studied the pathetically small pile of prey. There was only one rabbit; it looked plump and inviting, and her mouth watered at the sight of it. She hadn't had such a good meal for days. Then her belly cramped at the thought of what the Twolegs might have done to it. She thought she could catch a whiff of the harsh scent that had clung to the WindClan rabbit, but this rabbit's scent was so mixed up with that of the other prey in the pile that she could not be sure.

"Take it outside the camp and bury it," Skystar directed.

"Wait—don't pick it up in your mouth," Cinderpelt added. "Push it out with your paws, and then clean them with moss."

Leafpaw had just separated the rabbit from the pile when Dappletail, the oldest cat in the Clan, came past and gave the prey an appreciative look.

"I hope that's for the elders," she rasped. "My belly's flapping like a leaf in the wind."

"No." Cinderpelt explained what she and Leafpaw had seen in WindClan territory.

"What? I've never heard of such nonsense!" Dappletail snorted. "WindClan has a bit of trouble, so ThunderClan can't eat rabbits? Barkface might have been lying, just to weaken ThunderClan. They've always been a proud, deceitful Clan. Have you thought of that?"

Leafpaw exchanged a glance with her mentor. She could see there would be no point in trying to convince Dappletail. The old cat wanted the rabbit.

"The decision's been made." Skystar spoke with the authority of a Clan leader. "No more rabbits. Leafpaw will take that one out and bury it."

"She'll do no such thing!" Outraged, Dappletail darted for the rabbit and began tearing into it hungrily and gulping down huge mouthfuls.

"No!" Cinderpelt exclaimed. "Stop!"