A rustle in the thorn barrier that protected the entrance to the camp signaled Berrypaw’s return. Daisy’s third kit charged over to the fresh-kill pile and threw down his catch—a plump wood pigeon.
“Where’s Brambleclaw?” Berrypaw called out to the kits.
Brambleclaw was Berrypaw’s mentor, and Jaykit could not help but feel a small pang of jealousy that Berrypaw spent so much time training with Brambleclaw when his own paws ached to hunt in the forest with his father.
“He’s with Squirrelflight,” Jaykit replied. “They’re checking for loose stones.” He pricked his ears, listening for the sound of his mother’s and father’s voices. He could not hear them, but the breeze blowing down from the cliff behind the medicine den carried their scent.
“Up there,” he told Berrypaw, lifting his nose toward them.
“You’re sharp today, Jaykit!” Berrypaw meowed. “I wanted to show him my pigeon and ask him if we were doing battle training after sunhigh.”
Jealousy gnawed harder in Jaykit’s belly. Why can’t I be an apprentice now?
“You must be really good at hunting.” Lionkit sighed, clearly thinking the same thing.
“It’s just practice,” Berrypaw told them. “Look.” He crouched down. “This is how you begin.”
Lionkit’s belly swished against the ground as he tried to copy Berrypaw.
“Get your tail down!” Berrypaw ordered. “It’s sticking up like a bluebell!”
Lionkit’s tail slapped against the frozen earth.
“Now pull yourself forward, smooth as a snake,” Berrypaw commanded.
“You look like you’ve got wind!” Hollykit crowed.
Lionkit gave a playful hiss and leaped at her, rolling her onto the ground. She fought back, purring with amusement while Lionkit pummeled her belly with his hind paws.
They were so busy in their play fight that they did not notice the sudden noise outside the camp.
But Jaykit did.
Cats’ paws were pounding toward the camp entrance.
Jaykit recognized the scents of Spiderleg and Thornclaw. The patrol was returning. But something was wrong. The warriors’ paws drummed the forest floor in a panicked rush, their scents bitter with fear.
Jaykit’s fur stood on end as Spiderleg and Thornclaw burst through the entrance.
Firestar and Sandstorm were on their paws in an instant.
“What is it?” Firestar meowed.
Spiderleg drew in a deep breath, then announced, “There’s a dead fox on our territory!”
Chapter 2
“Where?” Firestar’s meow was tense.
“By the Sky Oak,” Thornclaw mewed, panting. “It was killed by a trap.”
Jaykit heard loose pebbles clattering down the wall of the hollow. Brambleclaw was scrambling down into the camp, followed by Squirrelflight.
“What’s happening?” he called.
“Thornclaw and Spiderleg have found a dead fox,” Firestar explained. “Killed by a trap.”
“Male or female?”
“Female,” Spiderleg told her.
“Then there may be cubs,” Brambleclaw growled.
Jaykit was puzzled. “What harm can a couple of fox cubs do?” he whispered to Hollykit.
“Cubs grow up into foxes, mouse-brain!” she hissed back.
“An adult fox can kill a cat.”
“The fox had the scent of milk on her,” Thornclaw reported.
“So there are definitely cubs,” Firestar concluded.
The warriors’ den rattled as Ashfur scrambled out.
“Where was this trap?” Brambleclaw asked. Was that anxiety Jaykit heard in his voice? Surely his father knew enough about the Twolegs’ traps not to be scared by them? No, Jaykit decided, it wasn’t anxiety, but something else, some darker emotion Jaykit did not recognize.
Thornclaw’s answer broke into his thoughts. “The trap is lakeside of the camp, not far from the Sky Oak.”
“The cubs must be near,” Brambleclaw guessed. “Their mother will not have wandered far from them.”
“What should we do?” Ferncloud had emerged from the nursery. “We can’t let the forest be overrun by foxes! What about my kits?”
“We must find the den,” Brambleclaw replied without hesitation.
“If the cubs are very young, they’ll starve without their mother,” Firestar meowed. “It would be best to kill them quickly.”
There was nothing malicious in the ThunderClan leader’s voice; Firestar had to do what was best for the Clan.
“What if they’re old enough to survive alone?” Hollykit asked curiously.
“Then they must be driven out,” Firestar told her. “They can’t be allowed to settle in our territory.”
“The cubs will be hungry by now,” Ashfur pointed out.
“What if they’ve ventured out of their den already?”
“They might find the camp!” Ferncloud gasped.
“The camp will remain well guarded,” Firestar promised.
“I’ll take Sandstorm and check the old Thunderpath up to the empty Twoleg nest. Brambleclaw, you sort out the other patrols.” The ThunderClan leader and his mate raced away through the prickly thorn barrier that shielded the camp from the forest.
“Stormfur, Brook!” Brambleclaw called. “Patrol outside the hollow! Ashfur, guard the entrance.”
Brightheart and Cloudtail paced in front of him. “What do you want us to do?”
“Head toward the ShadowClan border,” Brambleclaw told them. “The earth is sandy there, ideal for a den. Squirrelflight will lead you. Do whatever she tells you. There may be more traps, and Squirrelflight is the best at springing them. Take Cinderpaw, but keep her close to you.”
Cloudtail called his apprentice’s name, but the young gray tabby was already charging across the clearing.
Squirrelflight headed toward the entrance. Jaykit felt her warm pelt brush past him.
Brambleclaw called to Thornclaw and Spiderleg, “Go back to where you found the fox. See if you can trace its scent back to her den.”
Sorreltail’s kit Poppypaw and Mousepaw were waiting expectantly, hardly able to stand still.
“Can we go with them?” Poppypaw called.
“Yes, but do everything your mentors tell you,” Brambleclaw warned.
Jaykit felt their excitement crackle in the air like lightning as they headed out of the camp after Spiderleg and Thornclaw. His paws itched with frustration. Nearly all the apprentices were out hunting down the fox cubs. It wasn’t fair! He might be small, but he could still fight a cub.
“We’re not going to be left behind!” Lionkit announced, echoing Jaykit’s thoughts. “Brambleclaw!”
“What?” Brambleclaw’s voice was impatient.
“Can’t we do something to help?” Lionkit begged. “We’re nearly apprentices.”
“Nearly isn’t good enough,” Brambleclaw replied. He must have seen a look of disappointment on Lionkit’s face, because his voice softened as he added, “You, Hollykit, and Jaykit can help guard the camp. I’m taking Dustpelt and Hazelpaw to search the lakeshore. We need brave cats to make sure those fox cubs don’t come into the hollow. If you scent or see anything strange, send Leafpool to fetch me at once.”
“Okay,” Lionkit mewed eagerly.
He hurried back to his brother and sister. “We’ve got to guard the camp,” he told them. “In case the fox cubs try to get in.”
“You don’t think the fox cubs would really get this far, do you?” Jaykit mewed grumpily. “There must be a ThunderClan apprentice behind every tree out there. Brambleclaw’s just trying to keep us busy.”