Chapter 3

Ivypaw dropped her catch on the fresh-kill pile and padded up to join Lightningpaw in the clearing. The hunt had woken up Ivypaw after yet another sleepless night. After Snaketongue's death, Squirreltail, Russetfoot, and Larkwing had all died in their sleep over just the last quarter moon. Since his mentor died, Applepaw had to be given another mentor, Amberpetal. Ivypaw was always terrified she or someone she loved would die in their sleep and that some nights, Ivypaw just wouldn't sleep at all and just lay in her nest wide awake all night.

"Ivypaw!" Lightningpaw called.

Ivypaw padded up to Lightningpaw and the two sat down.

"I can tell something is worrying you," Lightningpaw meowed, "What's wrong?"

"It's….this string of deaths," Ivypaw admitted, "Five cats have died in just a quarter moon and we only know for sure how one of them died."

"Yeah," Lightningpaw replied, "I hope Eaglefeather finds out why cats are dying in their sleep."

"That's just the thing," Ivypaw meowed, "I think someone might be causing these deaths."

"But how?" Lightningpaw asked, "There were no physical marks on any of the cats' bodies."

"They could've been cleaned up," Ivypaw suggested, "To hide the identity of their killer."

"Maybe," Lightningpaw replied, "But who would do this?"

"Lightningpaw! Ivypaw!" Two voices called, interrupting the conversation.

Ivypaw and Lightningpaw turned around to see their mentors, Longstripe and Starlingfeather walking toward them excitedly.

"Yes?" Ivypaw asked.

"We just spoke with Eaglefeather," Starlingfeather began, "And we're expecting kits!"

"Wow!" Lightningpaw exclaimed, "Congratulations!"

"Yeah, congratulations!" Ivypaw added.

Longstripe smiled proudly, entwining his tail with Starlingfeather's.

"Starlingfeather will have to go to the nursery soon," Longstripe explained, "And when she does, Snowpelt will be your mentor Lightningpaw."

"Woah!" Lightningpaw exclaimed.

"The deputy is going to be your mentor?!" Ivypaw gasped.

"Yeah!" Lightningpaw exclaimed.

Ivypaw watched Lightningpaw jump up and down excitedly with an amused smile. Stralingfeather and Longstripe let out amused chuckles and padded toward the warriors' den. Once they were out of sight, Lightningpaw stopped bouncing and looked at Ivypaw seriously.

"So who do you think did it?" Lightningpaw whispered.

"Maybe a cat from one of the other clans?" Ivypaw suggested.

"Probably Shadowclan," Lightningpaw meowed.

"It could be any of the clans," Ivypaw meowed, "Aside from maybe Skyclan, since they don't share a border with us."

"It also could've been a rogue," Lightningpaw suggested.

"True," Ivypaw replied, "It could literally have been anyone!"

"We should check the territory for any signs of an invasion," Lightningpaw suggested.

Ivypaw nodded and the padded side by side toward the camp entrance. Suddenly, a russet-furred shape blocked their path. Ivypaw leaped back with a gasp.

"FOX!" She yowled.

Ivypaw and Lightningpaw lunged at the creature, claws unsheathed. Ivypaw sank her claws into the fox's back and held on tight. Lightningpaw stood in front of the fox, slashing their face with her claws. Ivypaw sank her teeth into the fox's scruff and buried her claws in their shoulders. The fox let out a high pitched whine, and violently shook the two cats away. Ivypaw landed on her paws and dug her claws deep into the dirt before slashing the fox's chest. Finally, the rest of the Windclan cats approached the fox with their claws unsheathed and eyes full of anger. Accepting defeat, the fox rushed out of camp. The cats began cheering as Ivypaw and Lightningpaw panted in exhaustion.

"Are you okay?" Ivypaw asked.

"Yeah, I just have a few scratches," Lightningpaw replied.

"Well done you two," a voice said.

The two apprentices looked up to see Amberstar. Ivypaw's eyes widened.

"You two can both come to the gathering tonight," Amberstar meowed.

Ivypaw and Lightningpaw's ears pricked and they gasped in excitement. They would be going to their first gathering! The two cats cheered with excitement. Ivypaw stopped after a while and smiled as she watched Lightningpaw jump around.

"I can't believe it! We'll get to meet the other clans!" Lightningpaw cheered.

"Which should be a perfect way to look for suspects," Ivypaw whispered.

Lightningpaw stopped and gained a serious look.

"Right!" Lightningpaw agreed.

Ivypaw nodded and grabbed a rabbit off the fresh-kill pile. She dropped it at Lightningpaw's feet and the two sat down to enjoy their meal. Ivypaw gazed around the clearing and saw Applepaw and Mistpaw emerging from the tunnels, carrying a rabbit. Dropping their catch on the pile, Applepaw grabbed a thrush for the both of them.

"Hey brother!" Ivypaw called out.

Applepaw rushed toward Ivypaw and dropped the thrush.

"Hey Ivypaw!" Applepaw meowed excitedly, "Haven't seen you in a while."

Mistpaw dashed after Applepaw and skidded to a halt beside him.

"Hey, who are they?" Mistpaw asked.

"Oh, I'm Ivypaw," Ivypaw answered, "His sister."

"And I'm her friend, Lightningpaw," Lightningpaw added after swallowing her bite of rabbit.

"Nice to meet you," Mistpaw murmured.

"They're friendly I promise," Applepaw chuckled.

Mistpaw giggled, her cheeks turning bright red, "Oh I'm sure," she replied.

"So, what did we miss while we were underground?" Applepaw asked.

"A fox attacked the camp," Ivypaw answered.

"Woah! Really?!" Applepaw gasped.

"Yeah," Lightningpaw replied, "You missed it. Me and Ivypaw fought it off!"

"Just the two of you?!" Mistpaw asked.

"Well, the clan did back us up," Ivypaw meowed modestly.

"But we did all the actual fighting!" Lightningpaw added.

Ivypaw looked away and took a bite of her meal.

"Well, good job," Applepaw meowed.

Mistpaw nodded in agreement and grabbed a bite from her and Applepaw's meal.

"Are you going to the gathering?" Lightningpaw asked.

"Not sure yet," Mistpaw answered.

"Well me and Ivypaw are," Lightningpaw meowed, "You can stay with us if you do come."

"That'd be great!" Applepaw meowed.

Ivypaw nodded in agreement, silently focusing on her meal. Suddenly, Amberstar leapt atop the Highrock and gazed down at her clanmates.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here for a clan meeting," Amberstar called out.

Ivypaw and the others stayed in place and continued to eat their meal as the other cats gathered around them.

"As you know," Amberstar began, "The gathering is tonight. I have chosen Snowpelt, Eaglefeather, Sunfur, Longstripe, Fuzzytail, Amberpetal, Ivypaw, Lightningpaw, Applepaw, and Mistpaw."

Mistpaw and Applepaw jerked up excitedly. They exchanged glances and jumped up and down happily. Ivypaw and Lightningpaw sat up and buried the remains of their prey. Amberstar dismissed the clan and flicked her tail, ordering the cats to follow her. Ivypaw shot a glance at Applepaw and Mistpaw, who were still bouncing excitedly.

"Come on you two," Ivypaw teased.

Applepaw rushed to Ivypaw's side.

"Aren't you excited?!" Applepaw asked.

"I am," Ivypaw replied, "But I got the news earlier."

And I just want to look for any possible clues, Ivypaw added in her head.

"Fair enough," Applepaw replied.

Lightningpaw and Mistpaw caught up to them and padded side by side out of camp.

"Ivypaw! Applepaw!" A voice called.

The two siblings stopped to see Silvermist, Harepelt, and Shrewpaw.

"Hey mom," Ivypaw sighed, "Hey dad."

"Have fun at the gathering you two!" Silvermist meowed.

"But not too much fun," Shrewpaw muttered bitterly.

"And stay out of trouble," Harepelt added, clearly not hearing his daughter. "Don't give away anything that could be used against us."

"Especially the tunnels!" Silvermist added, glaring at Applepaw.

"Of course," Applepaw replied.

Ivypaw and Applepaw nodded and bounded off toward the patrol. Mistpaw pressed against Lightningpaw.

"Hey Lightningpaw, wanna race to Fourtrees?" Mistpaw challenged.

"Nah," Lightningpaw teased, "I'd totally beat you, it's not even worth it."

"What?!" Mistpaw exclaimed, "Not in the dark you won't! We tunnelers are used to the dark. You would just trip over everything."

"Oh it is on!" Lightningpaw replied.

The two she-cats took off in a sprint, leaving Ivypaw alone with her brother. Ivypaw glanced at Applepaw.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask you…" Ivypaw began.

Applepaw turned to look at her.

"Yes?" He prompted softly.

"Do you enjoy being a tunneler?" Ivypaw asked. Her tone had a hint of loneliness.

Applepaw stared at her for a moment.

"Yes," he answered, "It's everything I've ever dreamed of, and more, because of Mistpaw."

Ivypaw faked a smile. At least Applepaw was obviously happy.

"Are you and Mistpaw...together?" Ivypaw asked.

"Not really, I mean…" Applepaw's dark ginger face suddenly turned bright red as he stuttered. "I do like her...she's really sweet...and I think she likes me too...but we're too young to be mates anyway…"

Ivypaw grinned and let out a chuckle.

"Well, I think you two make a cute couple," Ivypaw teased.

"Thanks," Applepaw replied, sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

As the Fourtrees came into view, Ivypaw noticed Lightningpaw and Mistpaw arguing over who won their race. Ivypaw and Applepaw raced toward them. The four apprentices followed their leader into the Fourtrees hollow. Ivypaw's eyes widened. The four great oaks towered over even the largest cats, making Ivypaw feel small and insignificant. Gazing into the clearing, Ivypaw felt overwhelmed by the amount of cats. It seemed as if every cat in the world was crowded into this one space. Ivypaw padded after Lightningpaw, trying to observe every cat in the clearing, which proved to be pretty much impossible. Suddenly, Ivypaw caught a brown shape out of the corner of her eye. She turned around to see a tall brown tabby tom with white ears. Ivypaw thought it was Eaglefather until she noticed the tom's green eyes and Shadowclan scent. He was almost like a copy of Eaglefeather.

"That cat looks a lot like Eaglefeather," Ivypaw meowed, pointing her tail at the cat.

Lightningpaw and Applepaw glanced at the tom and nodded in agreement before walking off in separate directions. Mistpaw stepped closer and squinted her eyes.

"That's Leafpelt," Mistpaw explained, "Eaglefeather and Sunfur's father."

Ivypaw's eyes widened with shock.

"Sunfur and Eaglefeather are half-clan?" Ivypaw asked.

Mistpaw nodded, "Their mother, Sandbreeze, was a Windclan warrior back when Whitestar was leader. She had a secret relationship with Leafpelt. When Whitestar found out, he banished her but allowed Sunfur and Eaglefeather to stay in the clan."

Ivypaw let out a gasp.

"What happened to Sandbreeze?" Ivypaw asked.

"No one really knows," Mistpaw replied.

Ivypaw couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Eaglefeather and Sunfur. It must've been painful to find out they were half-clan and lose their mother like that. Plus, Eaglefeather lost his mentor and was now having to deal with the stress of cats constantly dying in their sleep. Suddenly, Ivypaw felt a tap on her shoulder. She glanced behind her to see Lightningpaw.

"Have you found any suspects?" Lightningpaw asked.

"No, but this story could help us." Ivypaw explained everything Mistpaw told her about Eaglefeather and Sunfur's true heritage. She had a strong feeling it might help them with their case.

"That's interesting," Lightningpaw replied, "But what does it have to do with the deaths?"

"I'm not sure," Ivypaw admitted, "Just keep it in mind. Remember, it could be any cat which means any piece of information could be useful."

Lightningpaw nodded and gazed around the clearing. Ivypaw's eyes darted toward the entrance to the hollow, where the cats of Skyclan were now entering. The leader leaped up onto the rock with the rest of the leaders while the warriors entered the fray of cats down below.

"Let the gathering begin!" One of the leaders called out.

The oldest leader, Ravenstar of Thunderclan, stepped forward on the rock.

"All is well in Thunderclan," the old she-cat announced, "Newleaf has granted us nice weather and plentiful prey. We also have a new warrior, Toadleap."

"Toadleap! Toadleap!" Cats began cheering.

Ivypaw awkwardly joined in with the cheering until it died down. Afterwards, Ravenstar stepped back and allowed Drizzlestar, Riverclan's leader, to step forward.

"Rivercan has been well too," Drizzlestar announced, "The floods have finally died down and there are plenty of fish in the river."

Ivypaw blankly watched Drizzlestar step back so the Skyclan leader, Squirrelstar, could take their place. It really seemed like none of the leaders had anything interesting to say.

"Skyclan recently drove out a fox," Squirrelstar announced, "We think it might've gone to Windclan's territory."

"Yes," Amberstar spoke up, "We have recently driven out a fox as well. Thankfully, no one is dead."

Squirrelstar stepped backward and allowed Amberstar to step forward.

"Aside from that, Windclan has been doing good as well. We have four new apprentices, Lightningpaw, Shrewpaw, Applepaw, and Ivypaw."

"Lightningpaw! Shrewpaw! Applepaw! Ivypaw!" Cats cheered.

Ivypaw blushed and ducked into the crowd beside Lightningpaw, who rested her tail on Ivypaw's back. Once the cheering died down, Snakestar, Shadowclan's leader stepped up before Amberstar could back up.

"I bring news of trespassing," Snakestar began, his eyes narrowed. "A Shadowclan patrol has found rabbit bones on our side of the border with Windclan scent all over them!"

Gasps of outrage arose from the Windclan cats in the crowd.

"Are you accusing my clan of prey stealing?!" Amberstar demanded.

"Yes, I am," Snakestar replied calmly.

Ivypaw's jaw dropped. How dare he?!

"Windclan haven't set paw in your territory!" Snowpelt exclaimed.

"Then how do you explain the rabbit bones?" Snakestar demanded.

"A rogue with Windclan scent perhaps," Amberstar suggested, obviously trying to keep her cool, "If it were a warrior, they would've brought back the prey not left it to rot."

"It was a Windclan cat!" Snakestar hissed, "There was Windclan scent all over it! And are you suggesting that there are rogues in your territory!"

Ivypaw gritted her teeth and unsheathed her claws. Suddenly, the light from the full moon disappeared, and the cats were left in darkness. Ivypaw looked up to see a dark gray cloud where the full moon once was.

"We've broken the truce," Amberstar realized, "This gathering is over."

The five leaders leapt off the Highrock and went their separate directions. Ivypaw and Lightningpaw padded after their mentor.

"I can't believe Snakestar would accuse our clan of prey stealing!" Ivypaw hissed.

"He's probably just doing it to stir up trouble," Lightingpaw sighed.

"Wait…" Ivypaw's voice dropped to a whisper, "Do you think Shadowclan might be behind the deaths?"

"Maybe," Lightningpaw replied.

"I bet one of their warriors is sneaking into camp and killing every cat off slowly so they can attack and drive us out," Ivypaw whispered.

"That seems possible," Lightningpaw whispered, "But then why don't the bodies have scratches or bite marks on them?"

"They were cleaned up maybe?" Ivypaw suggested.

"Well if all this is true, what should we do?" Lightningpaw asked.

Ivypaw looked at the crowd of cats walking. All of them seemed tense and had their claws unsheathed.

"Shadowclan will most likely attack," Ivypaw meowed, "We'll have to fend them off when that happens. Then we should try to convince Amberstar to attack Shadowclan."

"Let's hope it works," Lightningpaw meowed.

Ivypaw nodded and continued after the patrol.