Warriors: The Changed Clan #2: Danger Rising

Chapter Nine

Hawkfrost eyed a rabbit through a bush. It was distracted, looking about so that its back was turned on him, its ears perked up. It carried WindClan scent on it, but he no longer cared. He wasn't in a Clan; he could do anything he wanted.

It's not like WindClan are going to find out. His claws became unsheathed and he lowered himself to the hunter's crouch, his belly touching the grass as he let his tail curve around him. He was about to spring until a brown-and-cream cat leaped from a tree silently, killing it before the rabbit could run away.

Hawkfrost let out a low growl as he walked into the small clearing. He realised the cat who had caught his rabbit was Leafdapple, the SkyClan deputy. "That was mine!" he snarled. "Get your own rabbit."

Leafdapple's ears flicked as her gaze fixed onto him. "You don't own rabbits so it isn't yours. This is SkyClan's catch now," she replied. "But seeing as I'm not horrible and my Clan is your Clan's guests, you may share it with me."

Hawkfrost's gaze narrowed. "It's yours now. I don't want to eat a rabbit that has SkyClan paws on it." He then looked away. "There's plenty of rabbits in the forest. I can go catch one by myself."

Leafdapple blinked. "You really like to take things that only you did on your own, not what another cat has done, don't you?" she mewed. "Sometimes sharing won't kill you."

"It's your catch," he insisted. "Just take it and I'll leave you alone. I've got important things to be doing." Like what? Walking around the forest, catching prey and running into patrols? he added silently to himself. He half expected Leafdapple to question him.

"Okay then. If you want, you could stay in SkyClan," the deputy offered. "Sharpstar would be happy to have another member." Her voice turned into a teasing purr. "Maybe you'll be able to fly about from tree-to-tree like a bird."

"Join SkyClan? Sorry, but I'm always going to be a TigerClan cat, not a WindClan, SkyClan, or any other Clan cat." Except I'm exiled for attacking Tigerstar.

Leafdapple frowned for several heartbeats until her eyes brightened up. "Maybe we could hang around," she suggested. "And this time, don't try to not turn up."

"Uh, yeah, fine." Hawkfrost let out a sigh. He had no reason this time to avoid meeting her since he was no longer part of TigerClan. It's not like I'm betraying a Clan or anything, he told himself. I'm a loner now; there's no code to break. "Where about?"

Leafdapple was hesitant. "Those rocks. . . Sunningrocks."

"Sunningrocks?" Hawkfrost echoed. His voice then filled up with alarm. "No, you'll get yourself killed. Tigerstar and his warriors won't tolerate trespassers."

Leafdapple shrugged, not looking bothered. "I can easily hide," she told him. "In my Clan, we know how to climb trees and hunt from them. It's our Clan's special ability. I'll hide in a tree and hop down when I see you."

"If I don't get attacked," Hawkfrost muttered. "You better not-duck!" Leafdapple looked puzzled and Hawkfrost threw himself at her. The two cats rolled into a bush, Leafdapple hissing with alarm.

"What was that for?"

"Quiet!" Hawkfrost hissed.

"I can smell something!" Hawkfrost recognised Sootpaw's voice.

"So your nose suddenly stopped working over night?" Mousefur questioned the apprentice. "Of course you can smell something; we're in the forest! Where else do you think we are?"

"Typical Mousefur," Dustpelt sighed. Looking through a small gap in the bush, he noticed the dark tabby warrior was sniffing the air. Sootpaw was looking around; Mousefur was walking about the area.