Criminal Claws [UnitedWarriors]

Day 6

That night, Viperpaw was lying just inside the apprentice den, staring outside at the camp clearing. There was no way she could sneak out now-- three guards were posted in camp, one under the Highrock, one just outside the warrior's den, and another at the camp entrance.

Where was Blackpaw? The agreement had been two days. He should be back by now.

Unless... Viperpaw felt chilled to her very bones. What if he actually had been killed? What if that blundering fool had run into the traitors, and, and...

Viperpaw shook her head. No. The plan had worked, as successfully as it could have. Graystar's announcement had made almost everyone react with grief or shock. If the traitors had killed Blackpaw, then surely some cats wouldn't have looked surprised.

Then again, Smokefern and Featherpath had looked like they'd known about it, but Viperpaw couldn't believe that they were suspicious.

Anyways. Viperpaw mentally scolded herself for thinking in circles. They'd seen expressions of surprise and confusion from multiple cats, especially Shademask and Crowtail, so that was who Viperpaw suspected now. Meaning the plan had worked successfully. Which also meant that Blackpaw should be back by now.

Viperpaw flicked her tail, her gaze still fixed on the camp entrance. She was so intent on watching for movement there that wasn't coming from Runningstream, who was on guard and sitting just out of sight, that she didn't notice Redpaw walking up behind her until his tail-tip touched her shoulder.

"Where's Blackpaw?" Viperpaw grumbled without looking up at her fellow apprentice.

"I'm worried about him too," Redpaw confessed, sitting down beside her. "Knowing Blackpaw... All sorts of things could have gone wrong."

Viperpaw scowled fiercely. "I'm not worried," she told Redpaw. "I don't care about Blackpaw. But it doesn't help us any if that flea-brain really did get killed."

Redpaw just snorted. "You don't fool anyone, you know," he muttered.

Their voices woke Tinypaw, who sat up with a huge yawn and blinked blearily over at the pair. "Are you talking about Blackpaw?" she murmured drowsily. "Don't worry about him. He probably just fell asleep in his hiding spot and forgot about coming back."

"Did he ever actually tell anyone where he was hiding?" Redpaw asked curiously.

Viperpaw and Tinypaw both shook their heads.

Redpaw stared at his paws for a few moments, then through the den's exit at the camp entrance. Finally he made a decision. "I'm going to look for him."

Tinypaw eyes went round. She was fully awake now. "No way. You can't go alone, it's dangerous. Besides," she continued, "you can't get out past the guard."

"Sure he can," Dewpaw mewed. Everyone looked down in surprise at the mackerel tabby she-cat, who was still curled up as though fast asleep, but with one yellow eye open.

"Really? How?" Viperpaw asked scathingly. She clearly didn't believe the other she-cat.

Dewpaw took her time standing up and stretching, infuriating everyone as they waited for her answer, and then she ambled over to the back wall of the den. She snagged some of the branches with her claws and lifted them, revealing an open gap in the wall that led directly to the forest outside camp.

Tinypaw was stunned. "How did you know about that?" she demanded, moving closer to investigate the clever little escape route.

"I made it," Dewpaw answered humbly. "After the first cats started dying, I thought it would be useful to have a way in and out of camp." She shrugged. "No one noticed a few missing branches."