Dawning Snow: Book 1 by _Cloversplash_

Chapter 10

I entered the camp, pleased, my tail kinked over my back and whisker splayed. Creekfall and Streampaw were at my side. I thought that I would have hated being cheered for as a medicine cat apprentice, but I actually liked it!

Suddenly I scented the air. It smelled strange. And familiar. This was the same scent that was in our camp the night Clawbelly was killed. Fear-scent mingled with the other scent. I exchanged a confused and worried look with Creekfall.

"What's going on?" I asked. Creekfall shrugged.

"Something's wrong."

Eclipsestar and Mapletail pushed passed us as Rosemarylight raced up, her face stricken with fear.

"Eclipsestar!" she panted, ears flat. "Leafwhisker is dead!"

I tilted my head for a moment, puzzled, before her words sunk in. "Leafwhisker!" I wailed. My mother and I may not have been close, but I didn't want her dead!

Flowerheart let out a yowl of grief.

Eclipsestar's fur rose along his spine and he snarled, "If WindClan think they can attack us while we're at a Gathering-"

Rosemarylight shook her head. "There was no WindClan scent anywhere! No predator scent either. No foxes, badgers, or dogs did it. The only scents here are the scents of RiverClan."

Thoughts whirled in my head. WindClan? Dogs, badgers? Foxes? No. No, no, no. None of those.

Eclipsestar's tail fluffed up in confusion and anger. "How did he die?"

"There are long scratches down his belly. The size of a cat's claws," Rosemarylight responded, tail flicking to and fro in fear. "Prim and I found him outside of the warriors' den when we woke up!"

The leader's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And you say the only scent found is RiverClan?" he asked.

Rosemarylight's eyes widened as she realized what he was implying. "But surely no RiverClan cat would-"

It was too late. Behind me, the cats who had gone to the Gathering were already calling out in protest.

"We would never hurt Leafwhisker!" Hawkpaw exclaimed indignantly, a snarl edging his voice.

"Not our own Clanmate!" his sister Leopardpaw agreed.

Eclipsestar silenced them with a lash of his tail. "Not one of you," he snapped. "You were all at the gathering." A hushed silence fell over us.

Then the Clan erupted into yowls of horror and disgust. The cats who had not been to the gathering melted out of their dens, looking upset.

Rosemarylight and Primrosepetal's father, Mahoganyshade, looked particularly mournful. He was a good friend to my father, and then to Leafwhisker when he died. I remembered with yet another pang of grief.

"Who did this?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound too vengeful as I spoke to Creekfall. He shook his head.

"I don't know, but we need to find out. This was so sudden-you didn't even get to say good-bye to her!" Creekfall hissed. I was surprised to hear him so angry. Creekfall rarely ever got as mad as he was at that moment. "Come on!" he added, nodding towards the warriors' den. "We need to find out who did it! And that means going to the scene of the crime!"

Surprised and confused, I hesitantly bounded after him.

It can't have been anyone in RiverClan- we're all loyal! But if it wasn't one of us, who was it? And why would they want to kill Leafwhisker?