Treacherous Skies

Chapter 12

Hailstorm sat beside Raypaw, sharing a sparrow with him. It was early morning, and the sunlight was just poking through the trees, making the green leaves glow. The thunderstorm that had broken out yesterday when Goldheart had told the Clan about Echoheart and Whispersong's departure had blown itself away, the gray clouds now drifting away on the horizon. Puddles scattered the ground, and Aspenleaf's kits played in them, splashing and pushing each other around into them.

"Hailstorm, Raypaw," meowed an approaching voice behind them. Hailstorm turned his gaze away from the kits and saw Twigfoot and Eveningstar walking up to them.

"The four of us are going out on the dawn patrol," Eveningstar meowed. "I'd like to check out the DayClan border," he growled.

"Why? What's wrong?" asked Raypaw worriedly.

"Rainstar agreed to not hunt in NightClan territory too easily at the last Gathering for us not to be suspicious," Eveningstar meowed, twitching his tail impatiently. "Who knows what she's is planning? And now with NightClan weakened, she might see that as an opportunity; an opportunity of what, I'm not sure, but we could check the borders to at least know what DayClan has been doing. Hailstorm, you're a great tracker; I'd like you to come with us to see if you can smell any DayClan scents that shouldn't be there. Raypaw, other cats are needed elsewhere right now, so you can come too."

Hailstorm and Raypaw nodded.

Twigfoot spoke. "Then, after that, Raypaw, you and I will do some battle training."

"Okay," Raypaw dipped his head, excitement glistening in his orange eyes.

Hailstorm got to his paws and followed Eveningstar and Twigfoot across the clearing. They passed through the bramble barrier and continued straight, toward the DayClan border.

Raypaw walked proudly beside the deputy and the Clan leader, and Hailstorm couldn't believe how much he'd grown from the bouncy, hyper cat he was only a moon ago.

When they reached the river, they found, oddly, that the border was quiet and scentless, besides the usual scent markers.

"Let's check the NightClan border," Eveningstar murmured. "Like last time, they could be using the Thunderpath to cross back into NightClan territory, since it would mask their scents."

The patrol turned left then, heading toward the NightClan border. The forest sung with birds, fluttering from tree to tree, and the breeze whispered above their heads, the leaves rustling peacefully. Hailstorm couldn't believe that there was a danger coming, as Goldheart had said a few days ago. The forest seemed so quiet and contented.

Soon Hailstorm heard the roaring of the Thunderpath ahead, even though he couldn't see it through the thick trees.

Eveningstar lead the way through tall grass and bushes and sniffed the edge of the Thunderpath, recoiling and squeezing his eyes shut.

Twigfoot was smelling the air around him. "This border's quiet," he observed.

"Hopefully DayClan had some sense to leave NightClan alone," Raypaw muttered.

"DayClan doesn't have sense," Hailstorm pointed out bitterly. "They-" A loud squeak of surprise made Hailstorm stop. He turned his head. It had come from the other side of the Thunderpath, on NightClan's territory.

Eveningstar twitched his ears. "Was that a kit?"

"I don't know, but it sure sounded like one," Twigfoot murmured. "NightClan should keep better track of their cats, especially with DayClan threatening them."

Hailstorm watched as two small red ears popped up out of the grass, followed by a pair of orange-brown ears and then a small white face. The three kits sprung from the grasses: red, then orange, then white. And then a fourth kit, white with black patches, emerged from the grass, looking hauntingly familiar.