After Nightfall

 Collab by Mistleheart and Willowstep.

Blurb
''RiverClan has kept its peace for countless moons. But now, that peace is shattered. Warriors are being killed off in their own territory, one by one, like prey to be caught. The Clan is terrified, and the mystery is left to four apprentices to solve. But who is the hidden assassin? Will the apprentices seek out the murderer in time? Or will RiverClan dwindle to dust to be forgotten?''

Allegiances
RIVERCLAN

Leader

CLOVERSTAR - brown tabby she-cat; green eyes

Deputy

FINCHWING - ginger tom with white paws

Medicine Cats

IVYSTRIKE - silver tabby she-cat with white splotches

APPRENTICE, RAINPAW (sleek, pale gray tom)

Warriors :

ASHCLOUD - sleek gray tom with dark blue eyes

CYPRESSPELT - splotchy brown-and-white tabby she-cat

APPRENTICE, SHADEPAW (dark gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes)

DEWFALL - fluffy gray-and-white tom

RAVENSONG - sleek black she-cat with green eyes

APPRENTICE, REEDPAW (lithe brown tabby tom with lighter stripes and pale green eyes)

EMBERFIRE - dark gray tom with amber eyes

APPRENTICE, SLEETPAW (snowy-white she-cat with a silver tail and dark blue eyes)

LEAFBRIAR - brown-and-black tom with leaf-green eyes

DAWNSTORM - cream-furred she-cat

APPRENTICE, LIGHTNINGPAW (spiky-furred black tom with amber eyes)

ROBINSONG - brown tabby tom with a white chest and paws

FERNFLIGHT - small brown tabby she-cat

BLIZZARDWIND - light-furred, mottled gray tom

NEEDLEPELT - spiky-furred, dark brown tom; green eyes

SNOWFALL - pure white tom with amber eyes

Queens:

SPLASHWING - pale silver tabby she-cat with bright blue eyes (mother to Robinsong's kits: Mistkit, a silver tabby she-kit with amber eyes, and Chestnutkit, a brown tabby tom-kit; fostering Rustle, a small ginger-and-white tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes)

BRIGHTCLOUD - white she-cat with gray tabby splotches, expecting Emberfire's kits

DRIPFLIGHT - dappled blue-gray she-cat with white paws and dark amber eyes, expecting Snowfall's kits

Elders:

HAWKSHADE - black-and-white tom with ice-blue eyes

POPPYWHISKER - dappled tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

TAWNYFEATHER - light brown tabby tom with a lighter chest and tail-tip

SOOTSTORM - jet-black tom with a white chest, pale ear-tips, and dark green eyes

THUNDERCLAN

Leader

ASPENSTAR - silver tom, streaked with black

Deputy

CHERRYWHISKER - dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cats

FOXFLIGHT - reddish-brown tabby tom

APPRENTICE, BIRDPAW (mottled brown she-cat with a white chest and paws)

Warriors:

CLOUDBIRD - dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes

ROSEFROST - pale brown-and-white she-cat

FLAMEBREEZE - ginger she-cat with a paler chest, underbelly, and paws

APPRENTICE, ELKPAW (lithe golden-brown tom with blue eyes)

JAYHEART - gray tabby tom with dark blue eyes

WILLOWFROST - pale gray tabby she-cat

STORMFEATHER - sleek, dark gray tom; amber eyes

AMBERSTRIKE - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat; amber eyes

Queens:

MOSSCLOUD - pale gray-and-white she-cat with green eyes (mother to Jayheart's kits: Owlkit, Redkit, and Lakekit)

DUSKPELT - light brown tabby she-cat; paler chest-fur

Elders:

POOLSHADE - silver tabby tom with ivy-green eyes

LARKBREEZE - smoky black she-cat

WINDCLAN

Leader

BRANCHSTAR - pale brown tabby tom with green eyes

Deputy

MISTRUNNER - lithe gray tabby she-cat with white splotches

Medicine Cats

JUNIPERFALL - white she-cat with dark blue eyes

APPRENTICE, SUNPAW (thick-furred golden tabby tom)

Warriors:

HARESKIP - long-legged light brown tabby tom with white markings

DAWNWHISPER - pale ginger tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

THRUSHFLAME - mottled russet tom with black paws

SORRELBLAZE - dark ginger-and-cream she-cat with green eyes

APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW (dark gray tabby tom)

WILLOWSHADE - black-and-gray she-cat with a white chest and amber eyes

BEETLEFLIGHT - dark brown tabby tom with bright yellow eyes

Queens:

MINTFLOWER - sleek white she-cat with dark, mint-green eyes (mother to Thrushflame's kits: Quickkit, Frostkit, Applekit, and Eaglekit)

Elders:

FLINTSTORM - tall gray tom with orange eyes

SOFTCLOUD - fluffy silver tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

SHADOWCLAN

Leader

BLOSSOMSTAR - splotchy brown, orange, and white she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy

SPARROWCLOUD - lithe brown tabby tom

Medicine Cats

HEATHERFOOT - cream-furred she-cat; green eyes

Warriors:

THISTLEBERRY - gray-and-white tabby tom with blue eyes

APPRENTICE, GORSEPAW (speckled gray tom)

LITTLEFEATHER - sleek, light brown tabby she-cat with white splotches

APPRENTICE. STORMPAW (dark gray tom)

EAGLEFLIGHT - mottled brown she-cat with a white chest, paw, and tail-tip

SHARDPELT - spiky-furred, dark gray tabby tom

DANDELIONLEAF - speckled brown she-cat with amber eyes

GRAYSTORM - very pale gray tabby tom

Queens:

MOUSELEAP - pale gray she-cat with a white chest and paws (mother to Shardpelt's kits: Songkit and Birchkit)

SAGEFLOWER - white she-cat with gray flecks, expecting Thistleberry's kits

Elders:

VOLETAIL - dark brown tabby tom

CHERRYDUST - dark ginger tabby she-cat

Prologue
Shrieks of defiance and fury echoed through the night, shattering the quietness. The absence of moonlight signaled StarClan was displeased. Yet the battling cats below the clouded sky, in a forest-surrounded clearing, didn't back away.

In the middle of the turmoil stood a cat by their brother, huddled together for comfort. The cat lashed out at any enemy that approached. The brother did the same, a low snarl in his throat.

This was the first battle in moons, and it was ThunderClan's blame. They've been trespassing on our territory for too long, the cat thought. It's time to teach these fox-hearts a lesson!

Enveloped in their thoughts, the cat didn't notice the two battlescarred she-cats stalking towards it from either side. Pain abruptly flashed through their shoulder and they lurched back with a yelp, only to be thrust away by another ThunderClan enemy with a sharp kick to the stomach. The two warriors surrounded the cat, biting and scratching with claws unsheathed. The cat yowled in pain as they sensed blood streaming into its wide eyes.

Suddenly, the she-cats' weight disappeared. The cat stumbled to their paws, blinking blood out of their eyes, and glanced at where their ambushers had gone. To the cat's sheer surprise, their brother was battling the she-cats, a growl escaping his mouth. How can he manage both she-cats at once?

The gray tabby dodged a slash and ducked under another swipe to deliver a ferocious blow of his own. One of the she-cats screeched in blind rage and pain. The other hissed and retaliated only slightly before lunging at the pale gray tabby tom once more, eyes burning with hatred and sharp white teeth bared.

He must be even better at fighting than the cat had thought! Pride warmed their pelt.

"Thanks, Swiftpaw!" the cat gratefully called to him.

Swiftpaw glanced back, his pale gray tabby pelt hidden by the shadows. "It's no big - " he started, but the cat heard him cry out in pain. ''What happened? StarClan, please let him be fine!''

A sudden thump made the cat's fur spike in fear as they raced towards its brother.

Swiftpaw was stretched on the ground, clouded eyes wide in shock. There was a scarlet gash on his throat still pulsing blood. "No!" the cat wailed. "How could this happen, StarClan?" The cat buried their nose in their brother's thick, striped fur.

The battle continued to rage on around the cat and the lifeless body of their littermate, but the roars and howls were muted to the cat's ears. ''Why? ''they thought in distress. This wasn't Swiftpaw's fault. It was the fault of the cat's alone. ''Why did I call out to him? Why did I distract him? I killed my brother!''

- - -

Where am I?

It was the first thought that occurred to the cat as they stood up to find them alone in a dark, pitch-black forest. The ground was slimy and unpleasant under its paws. The air reeked of a stinky, metallic scent. Twisting tree roots threatened to trip the cat at every step.

This wasn't where the cat had finally descended into sleep, devastated. Rain had been pounding on the clearing. And while the cat didn't want to wake up cold and drenched, this forest was much worse. They felt as if they were being watched.

Why am I here?

Then the cat remembered: the battle. And the casualty leading to RiverClan's retreat.

Swiftpaw was dead. The realization settled in. The cat would never glimpse their brother again, or feel his warm fur pressed against the cat's own pelt.

''It's all my fault. Everything is my fault alone.''

"It's not your fault, little one."

The cat stiffened, neck fur bristling in fear as they glanced wildly around, trying to distinguish the source of the mew.

A ghostly tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with a scarred, nearly transparent pelt and glinting amber eyes like poisoned honey stepped into the dim light. "You must know that you aren't to blame for Swiftpaw's death.."

The cat leapt back, hissing. "Who are you? How do you know my brother's name?" they demanded suspiciously, then snapped their jaws shut, realizing what they had just given away to this stranger, who might be a ThunderClan spy, or perhaps a rogue or loner...

The strange tortoiseshell purred, an odd, rasping noise. Tail flicking, she circled the frightened cat as if it hadn't noticed the fear.

"I am Mapleshade, warrior of the Dark Forest."

The cat's fur prickled nervously. ''Why does her name seem familiar? Was she a hero? Or was she sent to this dark, stinky forest for her crimes?''

"Why are you here?" the cat demanded, unsatisfied with the simple reply.

"To convince you Swiftpaw's death wasn't your fault," Mapleshade responded quietly, pausing to rake her sharp, hooked claws across the bark of the nearest tree. "It wasn't your fault at all. None of it was, whether you say so or not."

"But it was!" Despair threatened to shatter the cat's remaining spirit. Their voice lowered to a growl. "I was the one who distracted him. That's how he was killed by those ThunderClan fox-hearts!" The cat spat the final words out as if they tasted of rotten mouse, arching its back.

Mapleshade's amber eyes gleamed. "No." She took a pace forwards. The cat withdrawed, nearly choking on the sour stench of her warm breath as it landed on their pricked ears. "It was RiverClan's fault for leading you and your brother into battle."

"No, it was my fault. I had to be saved! I was so mousebrained, not to see those ThunderClan she-cats creeping up on me..." The cat faltered.

"Despising yourself won't earn you revenge," Mapleshade retorted sharply, her fluffy tail twitching impatiently. "I came here to help you. Accept it."

The cat was silent. "It was ThunderClan's blame - they were the cats who crossed the boundaries," they conceded with a tone of finality. "Cloverstar had to do something. Are you suggesting she should've just sat back and allowed those mousehearts to venture into our territory whenever the please?"

Mapleshade thrust her muzzle in the cat's face, a dark scowl penetrating her once-hopeful expression. "RiverClan didn't have to attack in the first place! Remember, they're the reason your brother is dead. Are you thinking of forgiving your bat-blind Clanmates after tonight?"

The cat swallowed.

"No," they whispered, extremely slowly, but with grim defeat. "Of course not."

Mapleshade purred, her golden eyes burning with a fierce, poisonous fire. "I knew I could depend on you, little one."

The cat stepped back. ''Why am I doing this? I'm betraying my Clan by conspiring with Mapleshade! What will my friends and family think of me? I'm a traitor! ''But the treacheeous words that slipped through their mouth, rather than the countless worries racing through their mind, happened to sound much darker and more ominous than the cat had once been...before Swiftpaw's death. "Tell me what to do," they requested.

Mapleshade's eyes widened, glinting with clear triumph and delight. "You're worthy of being a Dark Forest warrior after all," she sneered, then hesitated as if unwilling to speak the next words. "All right, little one. You only must promise me you will obey me at every turn before I give you your mission. You will never betray me."

Uncertainty flickered on the cat's face. Finally, they nodded reluctantly.

"I won't let you down, I promise."

Chapter One
''"Great catch!" Dawnstorm purred, resting her tail-tip on ''Lightningpaw's shoulder. He smiled gratefully at his cream-furred mentor.

Dawnstorm padded over to his catch, a plump thrush, inspecting it. "You could've waited longer before pouncing, but nice job! I think Splashwing would appreciate that piece of prey."

"Well, I'm such a amazing hunter because you're a fantastic mentor," Lightningpaw joked teasingly. "Right?"

The warrior grinned at the apprentice and said, "We should go try for another bird, all right? That's the area you need some improvement in."

"Sure," Lightningpaw replied. He clamped the thrush in his jaws and carried it over to the roots of an oak tree. There, he nestled his prey into the tangle of roots. Lightningpaw shuffled some twigs on the small heap and stepped away.

"Let's go." Dawnstorm nodded and with a great leap, she bounded off into the maze of trees, immediately out of sight.

''Swerve left, leap, duck under that branch, go faster, go faster, Lightningpaw! ''When Lightningpaw caught up to her, he was nearly breathless.

"That was a-" Lightningpaw began.

Suddenly, Dawnstorm flicked her tail, signaling him to be quiet. He crouched down, his underbelly lightly touching the damp ferns. Then his eyes caught sight of what Dawnstorm was focusing on: a young starling pecking at a small seed in its talons, separated from the rest of the flock. His mentor's sharp green eyes seemed to say, Go get it.

Lightningpaw nodded excitedly and started stalking the unaware prey. Await your fate! He thought smugly. He slowly inched behind a small ash tree a few tail-lengths away. Lightningpaw wanted perfect timing. He started counting.

One...two...three...four...FI- 

Without any warning, a loud and imposing ''SNAP! ''sounded like an alarm, scattering the birds. The starling had left the seed, half-eaten. Not like that'll feed the Clan, Lightningpaw thought angrily.

"Who did that?" He yowled, his claws sinking into the soft dirt. "Come out, whoever you are!"

The nearest bush rustled, and a leaf-and-twig-covered brown tabby emerged from it, shaking out his pelt rigorously.

"REEDPAW!" He hissed. Why did he have to ruin this?

"What-what did I do?" Reedpaw yelped, his confused green eyes avoiding his scorching gaze.

"You-" He started.

"Stop this! Lightningpaw, you're acting like a mousebrained kit!" Dawnstorm ordered with a stern look at the black apprentice.

"Alright," He muttered, feeling slightly guilty. He stalked over to Reedpaw. "What were you doing here?"

"Ravensong gave me the day off, so I went to Ivystrike and Rainpaw. They apparently needed a few herbs, so I volunteered to find some berries for them," Reedpaw explained. He hesitated, then added, "Would you like to come?"

Lightningpaw stared at Reedpaw's empty jaws. "Considering it looks like you haven't gotten anything yet, I'll help you. If it's okay with you, Dawnstorm."

"You're all good for today." Dawnstorm said. "I'll go pick up that thrush for you, okay?" Reedpaw was already vigorously nodding before Lightningpaw could move a single muscle.

"Then it's agreed. We'll meet at camp," The cream warrior called over her shoulder as she vanished into the undergrowth.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Without a single warning, Reedpaw zipped away, sniffing every bush and leaf.

"Wait," Lightningpaw called. "What are we looking for?"

Reedpaw stopped. "We're supposed to find some catmint. Any ideas where those grow?"

Lightningpaw shook his head. "Nope. But they should have a really strong scent. Let's start!" He held his head high and tilted his nose in all directions before padding around the territory. He repeated this for what seemed like moons until...

"I smell it!" He exclaimed. Lightningpaw rushed over to a clump of ferns and gently parted the ferns with his paws, revealing an abundance of catmint.

"That's great! Ivystrike and Rainpaw will love this!" Reedpaw said enthusiastically. He bounced over to Lightningpaw and peered at the clump. "We should probably leave a few stems so it can grow more."

"Okay," Lightningpaw agreed, carefully pulling out the stalks of catmint they needed. By the time he finished, his jaws were full of the delicious herb. He was tempted to chew it, but he knew they desperately needed the precious juice of the catmint for saving lives.

"We should head back to camp now," Reedpaw meowed, glancing at the setting sun. "It's getting late." Lightningpaw nodded and started leading the way back to the camp.

As they headed out under the sky, their surroundings gradually changed. The pale pink, silver, and gold clouds shimmered on the river, reflecting the sunset perfectly. A flock of herons flew above, the shadows chasing the birds as they soared in the sky full of dancing flames. The cattails moved gracefully with the breeze that ruffled their fur, their motions in perfect unison. Lightningpaw sighed contentedly as he took in the beauty of RiverClan territory.

There's no other place I would rather be.

- - -

When they entered the camp, Lightningpaw rushed into the medicine den, quickly setting down the catmint. Ivystrike noticed his presence and flicked her tail in greeting.

"Looks like you found the catmint," the half-blind she-cat remarked, continuing to sort her herbs. The elderly medicine cat's gaze was trained on the pile of seeds, roots, berries, and mosses.

"Yes, we did," Lightningpaw replied. "I should get going. I'm really hungry!" Without waiting for an answer, he sprinted out into the fading sunlight.

"Come join us!" A familiar voice greeted. Lightningpaw whirled around to find the medicine cat apprentice holding out a plump carp, Reedpaw beside him.

"Sure," He said, and followed Rainpaw and Reedpaw to their favorite place: a corner of the camp tucked away in the midst of a few willows. Lightningpaw padded through the long, sweeping branches into a tiny clearing hidden enough that no one could see them, but they could see the camp.

Sleetpaw was already there, taking bites of a young perch. Her dark blue eyes spotted them coming and she stood up, smoothing out her snowy-white fur.

As the three apprentices settled down, Sleetpaw pushed the perch towards Lightningpaw. "Do you want to share?" she offered, a hopeful light in her blue eyes.

"Okay!" he answered without a thought. He sliced the fish in half; one part for him and Sleetpaw. Lightningpaw took a bite of the perch, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh. "This is great," he mumbled through a mouthful of fish. Sleetpaw nodded in agreement as they finished up their meal.

Suddenly, Rainpaw's ears pricked up, alert. "Is that Shadepaw I see over there?" Lightningpaw padded to the overlook of the camp entrance and there was Shadepaw, breathless and running into camp.

"Looks like she's heading here," Reedpaw said, just right before Shadepaw burst into their hideout.

Lightningpaw frowned at Shadepaw's expression, a cross between worry and uncertainty.

"Has anything happened?" Shadepaw meowed breathlessly, skidding to a halt beside Sleetpaw. "I detected a strange scent far outside of camp - fox, I think, although I can't be sure." She glanced around nervously.

Sleetpaw shook her head. "Why would you say that? There hasn't been a fox in our territory for moons. Also, you also look like you had to run around the lake five times today."

"I only went hunting. I'm fine," Shadepaw hiccuped.

Suddenly everything fell silent. Lightningpaw glanced around. "What happened?" he asked Sleetpaw, slightly confused.

Sleetpaw didn't respond. Her blue eyes widened and her gaze was fixed on a point behind Lightningpaw's shoulder.

"What happened?" Lightningpaw repeated, stronger this time. The white apprentice pointed with her tail behind him at the same point again. Lightningpaw turned to look. And he wished he didn't.

Because he saw a limp bundle of gray-and-white fur in Ravensong's jaws.

Chapter Two
Sleetpaw stared in horror and shock as she watched Reedpaw and Lightningpaw gasp, darting over to the body held by Ravensong. Dewfall's horrified gaze was glazed over, his pelt cold and streaked with blood, several tufts of fur missing. Ravensong shook her head miserably, releasing the tom's limp form. "He was found outside a fox's den," she explained gravely. "There was nothing I could do for him."

Sleetpaw narrowed her dark blue eyes as the black warrior. Sounds suspicious, she mused, glancing at her friends.

Lightningpaw's fur was rumpled, eyes gleaming with terror, while Reedpaw was glancing around wildly as if expecting a fox to burst into the camp and attack. Shadepaw had stepped back, shaking her head. "No," she stammered. "This - how could this have happened? I only went away for a hunt."

Sleetpaw stepped forwards and pushed her nose into Dewfall's fur. He did indeed reek of fox. So was Ravensong telling the truth?

"What happened?"

The apprentice turned her head, spotting Cloverstar approaching with wide green eyes, Finchwing a tail-length behind. The RiverClan leader's bright green stare flashed with fear as she saw Dewfall's blood-streaked body. "How is he dead?" the brown tabby demanded with a hiss, facing Ravensong.

The sleek black she-cat lifted her chin. "I found him by a fox's den, dead," she announced.

Finchwing twitched his tail-tip, staring at the warrior. "We haven't scented a fox in our territory for moons," he mewed with a frown.

Sleetpaw pricked her ears, waiting for more.

Ravensong shrugged, but her gaze was bright with anxiety as she glanced at Dewfall. "I could show you the fox's den," she offered defiantly. "It still stinks of fox-scent." Her nose wrinkled, her tail whisking rhythmically across the moist earth.

Lightningpaw's tail-tip brushed across Sleetpaw's hunched shoulders. "Come on," the spiky-furred black tom murmured, gesturing to Reedpaw and Shadepaw.

The four apprentices trudged towards the apprentice's den; Rainpaw remained with the leader, deputy, and Ravensong. "How could this happen?" Shadepaw repeated as she ducked through the entrance. "I smelled no fox while hunting." She was still breathless, expression uneasy and worried.

"You were hunting?" Reedpaw meowed. "Is that why you're so exhausted?"

Shadepaw nodded, sniffing. "I missed a bird and fell out of the tree." She winced as she settled into her nest, dark blue eyes round. Sleetpaw noticed her fur was plastered with mud from the fall.

The silver-and-white apprentice herself was numb with horror, unable to speak for several moments. That mange-ridden fox killed Dewfall while he was alone, she realized. ''Is that creature prepared to pick us off, one by one, until none of us are alive? ''She glanced around, seeing her fear reflected in her denmates' eyes.

Finally, Lightningpaw spoke, and his voice was taut with anger. "Cloverstar must send a patrol out to drive the fox out of our territory!"

Shadepaw's blue eyes filled with terror, though it looked slightly forced. "It wasn't a cursed fox that murdered Dewfall, mouse-brains!" she yowled.

Sleetpaw whipped around, gaping incredulously at the older apprentice. "You know what killed him? It wasn't a fox after all?"

"No, of course I don't know," Shadepaw hissed impatiently. "Ravensong must have killed Dewfall. After all, why was she alone when she discovered his dead body? There must have been plenty of time for her to ambush Dewfall, then wash the blood off her claws in the river."

There was a moment of tense silence. Given her friends' expressions, Sleetpaw guessed they hadn't thought of this possibility at all, unlike her.

"You were alone as well," Sleetpaw pointed out.

Shadepaw's midnight-blue eyes burned. "Are you suggesting that I murdered Dewfall?"

"No!" Guilt and shame pricked through Sleetpaw's pelt. She hadn't been suggesting that Shadepaw was the killer at all, but the dark gray she-cat was one of the more sensitive apprentices.

Reedpaw shook his head. "Ravensong wouldn't kill a cat," he mewed, breaking the silence. "Are there any reasons for her to?"

Shadepaw rounded on him, eyes blazing with sudden fury. "She sent you away so you wouldn't witness what she was doing. You're lucky that you had the sense not to follow her. She would have gladly killed her own apprentice, along with a fellow warrior!"

Reedpaw looked frightened and backed away, but Lightningpaw straightened, glaring at Shadepaw. "You're jumping into conclusions too quickly! I know you're upset, but this is - "

The dark gray she-cat interrupted the light brown tabby. "And you're failing to see the obvious. You're too loyal to your mentor to even pause and properly think about the situation."

The apprentices' den fell was momentarily hushed. Lightningpaw opened his jaws for what probably would have been a nasty or sarcastic retort, but Sleetpaw intervened before he and Shadepaw could begin arguing any further.

"Let's not point claws at anything or anyone in particular, for now," she meowed, dark blue eyes flashing. "But we have to find out what did this to Dewfall."

Shadepaw dug her hooked claws into the soft earth, eyes glittering. "Or who did it, and why."

Sleetpaw gave the dark gray she-cat a nod. As she studied the expressions of the other apprentices, she realized one thing was true.

Shadepaw, Lightningpaw, Reedpaw, and Sleetpaw would not stop at any obstacle ready to part them from their mission. They'd continue uncovering the clues pointed towards the murderer, tirelessly and relentlessly. The Clan might help the four apprentices; yet if they were too frightened by Dewfall's mysterious death, they wouldn't. It would be up to Sleetpaw and her friends to discover what had killed Dewfall.

Chapter Three
"Let the Clan join beneath the great willow!"

Reedpaw's ears perked up as he heard his leader's call echo throughout camp. He shook out his pelt and stood up, stretching with the other apprentices. It had not been long ago when he, Lightningpaw, Shadepaw, and Sleetpaw had a talk. About Dewfall's mysterious death, he thought to himself as he padded out of the apprentice's den.

The last rays of sunlight poured down on the camp, turning everything under it red and golden. Reedpaw shivered. It looked like the camp was covered with blood. ''Dewfall's blood. Calm down. Don't be a whimpering kit.''

 He took a deep breath and sat down in the midst of RiverClan warriors, curling his striped tail over his paws. A few moments later, a cat plopped down beside him.

"Hi," Shadepaw greeted him. Her eyes were bright, but her tone betrayed her curiosity. "Cloverstar's probably going to say about..." She trailed off, a distant look in her blue gaze.

"Dewfall's death," Reedpaw finished for her. He averted his eyes from Shadepaw's anxious expression and focused on the great willow where Cloverstar was climbing up to the branch, nimbly leaping from pawholds to branches.

When she finally reached her branch, the whole of RiverClan was assembled in the clearing. Cloverstar started.

"You may have already heard or seen about what has happened today," Cloverstar mewed. Her eyes hardened, but her voice was trembling. "Dewfall is dead. He was found by Ravensong in a fox den, leading to the theory that he was killed by a fox."

A splotched brown-and-white tabby she-cat stood up, fur bristling. "What are we waiting for? The wretched fox that killed my brother is out there! How can you just let it roam free, killing our warriors as it pleases?"

"Cypresspelt." The leader said softly. "Fighting doesn't solve everything." Reedpaw thought he imagined a flash of regret and pain in her green eyes. Cypresspelt nodded grudgingly and sat down again.

"We do not know how he was killed yet. But Finchwing will manage investigation and search patrols." Cloverstar glanced around. "Does anyone have questions or information?" The warriors shook their heads.

"Then I declare this meeting is over. Senior warriors, please come to my den. We need to discuss this." With that, the RiverClan leader turned tail and padded into her den.

The Clan scattered like a colony of ants, spilling across the camp. A heartbeat later. Sleetpaw emerged, followed by Lightningpaw.

A grim look was plastered on Sleetpaw's face. "We have to find out what did this!" The white apprentice burst out, lashing her tail. "You're not going to sit back and watch, right? Because the next cat dead could be any of us." Her gaze was mysteriously fixed on Reedpaw, and he looked down at his paws.

"Okay...?" Reedpaw mumbled. "Um, then what's the plan?"

"We investigate, mousebrain." Sleetpaw said impatiently. "Is your head stuffed with feathers or something?"

"No," he said quickly, shuffling his paws sheepishly.

Shadepaw cleared her throat. "I don't want to stand here and listen to you two bicker all day like a pair of elders. Can we just get on with it?"

"Yeah," Lightningpaw agreed, digging his claws into the soft moss.

Reedpaw perked up. "We can ask Cloverstar and Finchwing if we-"

Before he finished his sentence, he found a thick gray tail slapped around his jaws, muffling his words.

"Are you serious?" Shadepaw interrupted. "They would never let us do ANYTHING because apparently we're a bunch of 'helpless kits' in their eyes. So I say we sneak off, and try to leak out some information from our Clanmates."

"Then we're not their Clanmates anymore," Reedpaw interjected. "We shouldn't lie to them about what we're doing."

"Listen," Sleetpaw hissed into his ear. "We're trying to save the Clan, not destroy it. Remember? This is all for their good. Including your mentor."

'Alright," he said reluctantly, stepping away.

"We can start by crossing off all of us," Lightningpaw meowed. "And I don't think any of the elders and queens would do that."

"The kits definitely can't do anything," Reedpaw offered, secretly hoping that someone would actually agree with him.

"Yes," Sleetpaw replied. "And Cloverstar and Finchwing."

"This will take forever," Lightningpaw said, whisking his tail back and forth. "Can we just go investigate the fox den?"

"We don't know where it is, minnow-brain." Shadepaw growled.

"Let's ask Ravensong," Reedpaw said enthusiastically. He bounded off in the direction of the warriors den, leaving his friends in a cloud of dust. What surprised him was when he reached the warriors den, Lightningpaw was already there.

"How- wait, how did you get here so quickly?" Reedpaw yelped, falling backwards.

Lightningpaw grinned at him. "Because I'm a fast runner!"

Reedpaw smiled at his friend and pushed his way under the cascading curtain of moss to a area sheltered by tall ferns.

Ravensong was inside, talking to Leafbriar. His mentor turned to him, flicking her ear in greeting. "How are you doing?" She asked. "I hope you're not too shaken up by the news, if that's what you're seeing me for."

"I'm okay," Reedpaw answered. "I just wanted to ask about the whole story."

"Why?" Leafbriar said sharply, hackles rising.

"We're just curious," Lightningpaw replied.

"Fine." Leafbriar stalked out of the den, leaving Ravensong and the four apprentices inside.

"What do you really want?" Ravensong mewed at last. Reedpaw, Shadepaw, Lightningpaw, and Sleetpaw shared a glance. Should we tell her? Reedpaw thought, uncertain.

Sleetpaw's expression said, For the sake of RiverClan, just do it.

"We want to know where the fox den is so we can take a look," Reedpaw confessed. He swept a pile of leaves together with his tail, waiting for Ravensong to say ''"I need to report this." ''But she didn't.

"It's on the edge of the stream heading out of Clan territory," the black she-cat explained. "Do you know where that is?" Shadepaw nodded.

"Thank you," Lightningpaw said to Ravensong. "We'll be going, then."

Ravensong watched them as they ducked under the hanging moss and out into the sunlight. Reedpaw thought he heard her say, "May StarClan light your path."

As they padded deeper into their territory, the apprentices kept their ears pricked and their eyes open for any signs of danger. When they reached their destination, Reedpaw sat down, panting. "That was a long trip."

"Well, look at how far we've gone," Sleetpaw meowed. "We're nearly out of RiverClan territory."

"Can we hurry up a little? It's already late sunhigh," Shadepaw asked in an annoyed tone.

"Yes, we can, Shadepaw. Don't be a grumpy badger," Lightningpaw teased lightly. He started circling the fox den, sniffing it and occasionally peering in.

"There's nothing there besides that horrible reek of the fox," he reported.

"Let's all look," Reedpaw said. They split, and scattered around the area, searching for clues without a single bit of success.

"I couldn't find anything," Shadepaw concluded when they were all too tired to go on. "Nothing. No hints, no scents, no anything. Perhaps this is the wrong den."

"I don't think so," Sleetpaw growled. "This has to be the right place."

"We should all head back. It's already dusk," Lightningpaw sighed. "The Clan will worry about us."

"Lightningpaw's right." Reedpaw supplied. "We should get some prey and sleep. Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow." The other three apprentices nodded, and set back to camp.

But that night, no one slept soundly, for they feared their own camp and Clanmates.

Chapter Four
Shadepaw was startled awake before dawn by Lightningpaw's restless shifting. The camp seemed quiet at first; then, when she pricked her ears, she noticed murmuring voices from the clearing. The dark gray she-cat glanced ar her denmates, wondering if she should wake them up, before shaking her head. She gingerly stood up and stretched, dark blue eyes gazing curiously out the entrance. Shadepaw froze as she recognized a brown tabby, a ginger tom, and silver-and-white she-cat. ''Cloverstar, Finchwing, and Ivystrike. I wonder what they're doing. ''

Shadepaw twitched her tail