At the top of the rise, Mintfur stopped. She stiffened and lifted her muzzle.
Violetshine could see her tasting the air. Alarm pricked beneath her pelt. “What is it?”
Mintfur’s eyes shone. “Can’t you smell it? Mouse!”
Sandynose had already dropped into a hunting crouch and was creeping toward a ditch that cut the forest floor like a claw mark.
Violetshine pricked her ears. She heard leaves rustle at the bottom of the ditch. The tangy scent of mouse touched her nose. She licked her lips. She hadn’t eaten yet, and even though she knew this catch would be taken back to camp for the fresh-kill pile, she was pleased to know that prey was returning after the leaf-bare chill. She hung back with Frecklewish and Fidgetflake, letting the others take the prey. Sandynose was already stalking along the top of the ditch. Mintfur had hopped over it lightly and was crouching farther along, her gaze fixed intently on the leaves at the bottom. As they rustled, Sandynose pounced. Landing in the ditch, he slapped his paws down. Mintfur dropped in front of him, blocking the mouse’s escape. But she needn’t have worried. Sandynose caught it cleanly and killed it with a quick bite.
“Thank you, StarClan, for this prey,” Frecklewish whispered beside Violetshine.
Sandynose hopped out of the ditch, the fat mouse dangling from his jaws.
Fidgetflake dropped the herb bundle he’d been holding between his teeth and sniffed the mouse. “That’s even bigger than the one that Macgyver brought back yesterday.”
Mintfur scrambled up beside Sandynose, purring. “It’s good to see the fresh-kill pile well-stocked again. There’s enough food for everyone.”
Sandynose dropped the mouse. “Even now that we’ve got an extra mouth to feed.” He swapped glances with Mintfur.
The gray she-cat rolled her eyes. “You mean Tree.”
“He was supposed to help out with patrols, but I notice that Leafstar never asks him to join and he never offers.” Sandynose looked indignant.
“He doesn’t mind sharing what’s on the fresh-kill pile, though,” Mintfur mewed meaningfully.
Violetshine bristled. “He can take what he wants from the fresh-kill pile. He’s part of the Clan now.”
“How can he be?” Mintfur asked. “He doesn’t even know the warrior code.”
“He didn’t join as a warrior,” Violetshine meowed defensively. “He joined as a mediator.”
“I’ve never seen him mediate,” Mintfur shot back.
“That’s because there’s been nothing to mediate yet.” Violetshine glared at her.
Frecklewish padded along the top of the ditch, looking thoughtful. “It is strange having a cat in the Clan who doesn’t act like a warrior. But his role is new and he’s still finding his paws. I think Leafstar was right to ask him to join us. Tree has a way with other cats that puts them at ease.”
“He’d put me at ease if he spent less time lying around camp and more time helping out,” Sandynose muttered. “If he doesn’t want to patrol, he could help repair the dens instead. There are still walls and roofs that need patching after the storm. And with so many apprentices, we could do with more space in the apprentices’ den.”
Anger flared through Violetshine. She lifted her chin. “If you’ve got a problem with Tree, why don’t you talk to him instead of complaining about him?”
“Don’t think I haven’t tried,” Sandynose answered. “But you know how he is. Always so easygoing and friendly. It’s hard to criticize him. He always has an answer. He says he ‘doesn’t want to get in the way,’ or he’s ‘learning by watching.’ And he seems so genuine, it’s hard to argue.”
Violetshine puffed out her chest. “He is genuine. He’s got a good heart, and just because he doesn’t act like a warrior doesn’t mean he isn’t important to the Clan. You wait and see. Frecklewish is right. He does have a way with other cats. Sometimes words are more powerful than claws, and they cause far less bloodshed.”
Mintfur’s whiskers twitched with amusement. “It sounds like you’re fond of him, Violetshine.”
Violetshine felt hot beneath her pelt. “So what if I am?” She and Tree had a special bond. She’d found him, and he was closer to her than he was to any other cat in SkyClan. Her paws prickled with happiness at the thought.
“Sandynose.” Fidgetflake’s anxious mew made the cats turn. The apprentice medicine cat had crossed the ditch and was sniffing the ground beyond. “Come and smell this.”
Sandynose leaped the ditch and sniffed the ground beside Fidgetflake.
“Do you smell ShadowClan?” Fidgetflake asked.
“Yes.” Sandynose’s fur lifted along his spine. He padded quickly forward and sniffed the ground again. He paced one way then the other, sniffing as he went. “ShadowClan cats have been here.”
As Mintfur hurried to join him, Violetshine followed, her belly tightening. ShadowClan scent hung in the air. “They’ve crossed the border into our territory,” she breathed.
Sandynose was already following the scent trail to the border. He stopped beside a bush and flattened his ears. “They crossed here.”
“Do you recognize the scents?” Mintfur asked.
He shook his head. “They don’t smell like any of the cats who stayed in our camp.”
Violetshine pushed back the fear that was pressing in her throat. “ShadowClan does have some cats who grew up outside the territories,” she murmured, remembering the gossip she’d heard about an adventure Tigerstar and Dovewing had once had, far away from the lake. “Those cats could have strayed over the scent line without realizing. They haven’t lived here that long, so maybe they don’t recognize the borders yet.”
Mintfur snorted. “Even those cats must know what a scent marker means.”
Sandynose’s pelt bristled. “Let’s head back to camp. Leafstar should hear about this.”
Sunshine filtered between the pine and alder branches crisscrossing above the SkyClan camp.
“You’re sure the scents were on our side of the border?” Leafstar’s amber eyes narrowed.
“I know where the border is even if ShadowClan doesn’t,” Sandynose snapped.
Leafstar shifted her hindquarters. The returning patrol had woken the SkyClan leader from a nap. Beside Sandynose, Violetshine felt her belly tighten. The warrior had worked himself into a rage on the journey back to camp, and Mintfur agreed with him that ShadowClan had crossed SkyClan’s border on purpose. Frecklewish and Fidgetflake had tried to reason with them. It might have been an accident. But Sandynose was convinced that a ShadowClan patrol had left its scent on SkyClan land deliberately.
Hawkwing, who was clearing weed from the small stream that cut through the camp, kept working but pricked his ears as Leafstar considered her response. Tree, lying stretched in a pool of sunlight, lifted his head sleepily and watched. Macgyver, Nettlesplash, and Bellaleaf left their work patching holes in the elders’ den and padded closer, while Blossomheart and Harrybrook looked up from the mouse they were sharing beside the fresh-kill pile. Pigeonpaw and Nectarpaw paused from practicing battle moves in the clearing to watch as well.
“I don’t think we should jump to any conclusions,” Leafstar said at last.
Plumwillow poked her head out of the warriors’ den. “Conclusions about what?”
Pigeonpaw blinked at her. “ShadowClan cats invading our territory.”
“They didn’t invade,” Nectarpaw mewed.
“Their scent is on our land,” Sandynose snapped.
Plumwillow slid from the den, her pelt bristling. “What are ShadowClan cats doing on our land?”
Leafstar stood up. “That’s what we’re trying to decide.”
“It can’t have been anything good,” Macgyver meowed. Nettlesplash and Bellaleaf muttered in agreement.