“I found this dead rabbit near the tunnel that leads to WindClan territory,” Brokentail announced, his eyes flashing with anger. “It proves that WindClan warriors have been killing prey inside ShadowClan’s borders!”
Scorchwind stepped forward with Stumpytail and Cinderfur just behind him. “We patrolled that border earlier,” he meowed, “and we didn’t find any trace of WindClan scent.”
“The rabbit is still warm,” Brokentail pointed out. “They must have just caught it! We need to attack at once!”
“Wait a moment,” Raggedstar ordered. “We need to make sure the rabbit didn’t stagger over the border wounded before dying.”
Brokentail let out a hiss of annoyance and thrust the tattered body in front of his leader. “Look! There are bitemarks in it! This was clearly an invasion!” He paused briefly and added, “If you’re too scared to challenge those prey-stealers, I’ll lead the patrol myself!”
Some of the other warriors nodded agreement, as if they were willing to go with him. Yellowfang noticed that Stumpytail and Flintfang were among them.
“Hang on!” Raggedstar exclaimed as Brokentail turned as if he was about to head off. “Of course I am not afraid. But these things need planning. Brokentail, come with me and Cloudpelt.”
When the three cats had gone, Yellowfang padded over and gave the rabbit a thorough sniff. She picked up some WindClan scent on its fur, but the bitemarks had a stronger scent of Brokentail. Yellowfang felt her neck fur begin to rise.
Just then, Brokentail and Cloudpelt bustled out of the leader’s den and started calling to warriors to join them beside the thorn tunnel. Seizing her chance, Yellowfang took a deep breath and slipped underneath the oak roots to see Raggedstar.
“Are you sure that Brokentail is telling the truth?” she demanded boldly. “What if he caught the rabbit himself?”
Raggedstar bristled. “No son of mine would lie! How dare you question him?” He bared his teeth in a snarl. “Now get out of my way.”
Bruised by his fury, Yellowfang stepped aside, then followed him out of the den. She watched him race across the camp toward Brokentail, Cloudpelt, and the warriors they had gathered: Stumpytail, Flintfang, and Scorchwind. With a wave of his tail, Raggedstar hurtled through the tunnel with the patrol hard on his paws.
Runningnose padded over to her with dismay in his eyes. “Are we going to follow with herbs?”
Yellowfang shook her head. “This will just be a border skirmish. There won’t be any serious injuries.” But as she spoke her paws were itching to carry her after the patrol. The camp suddenly felt too small, as if the circle of brambles was closing in on her.
“I’m going to look for comfrey,” she told Runningnose, heading for the tunnel.
“But we have plenty!” he called after her, sounding bewildered.
Yellowfang ignored him. Once out of the camp she raced toward the Thunderpath. Everything was silent.
Panting, Yellowfang emerged from the trees close to the place where the tunnel led into WindClan territory. She couldn’t see Brokentail or his patrol, but her heart sank when she sniffed around the entrance to the tunnel and scented ShadowClan warriors heading through it. Yellowfang padded forward, her pelt brushing the tunnel walls. For a few paw steps, light from the opening lit her path, but soon that faded, leaving her in the dark. She jumped, her belly lurching, as a roar sounded from overhead, echoing around the tunnel until she thought her ears would burst.
Gradually the end of the tunnel appeared, a bright circle in the dimness. Yellowfang’s ears rang from the noise of monsters as she clambered out. Dreadful shrieks rose into the air from somewhere up ahead.
She broke into a run, scrambling up a short, steep slope covered with tough moorland grass, and clawed her way across a sandy overhang. Reaching the top, she looked down into a narrow valley with a stream running along the bottom. The ShadowClan patrol was grappling with WindClan cats. Yellowfang recognized Talltail and a small, russet-furred tom called Redclaw. The others were strangers to her.
