Warriors AU: The Darkest Hour

Chapter 16

Creeping close to the ground, the three cats reached the stream where rotting fresh-kill lay strewn along the bank. In the midst of his cold fury, Sandstar spared a moment to be angry at the waste of prey in such a hard season.

"Look at that!" he hissed.

"But we could roll in it," Patchpaw suggested. "It'll disguise our scent."

Sandstar gave her a brief nod, approval calming his anger. Patchpaw was thinking like a warrior. Sandstar crouched down and pressed his fur into the decaying carcass of a rabbit. Silverstream and Patchpaw followed. The silver tabby warrior's eyes were like chips of blue flint.

When all three cats were thoroughly covered with the scent of crow-food, Sandstar headed into the reeds where he had seen Jaggedtooth disappear with the two apprentices. There was a narrow path along the frozen mud, as if cats regularly came and went that way. All Sandstar's sense were alert.

As they headed away from the river toward the farmland on the other side of Riverclan territory, the reeds thinned out and the ground rose. When Sandstar and his friends came to the edge of the cover, they saw a grassy slope in front of them with an occasional clump of gorse and hawthorn. About halfway up a dark hole yawned in the hillside. Jaggedtooth was crouched outside it.

"There are pawprints leading into that hole," Sandstar murmured.

Silverstream lifted his muzzle to taste the air and let out a faint sound of disgust. "Sick cats," he meowed quietly. "You're right, Sandstar; this is the place." He bared his teeth. "Jaggedtooth is mine."

"No." Sandstar's tail whipped out, signaling his friend to stay where he was. "We can't afford a fight. The noise would bring every cat in the territory. We have to get rid of her another way."

"I can do that." Patchpaw's paws anxiously kneaded the ground, but her expression was determined. "She'll recognize you two, but she doesn't know me."

Sandstar hesitated, then nodded. "How will you do it?"

"I've got a plan." Patchpaw's eyes shone with anticipation, and Sandstar realized that the loner was almost relishing the danger, as if she had missed having a chance to use her warrior skills. "Don't worry; it'll be fine," the black and white cat assured him.

Straightening up, she strolled out of the reeds and up the slope, her head and tail high. Jaggedtooth got up and paced forward to meet her, the tabby fur on her neck bristling.

Sandstar gathered himself, ready to spring if the Shadowclan warrior attacked. But though Jaggedtooth looked aggressive, she did nothing more than give Patchpaw a suspicious sniff.

"I don't know you," she growled. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Think you know all the Riverclan cats, do you?" Patchpaw inquired coolly. "I've got a message from Goldenstar."

Jaggedtooth grunted and her whiskers twitched as she sniffed Patchpaw again. "Great Starclan, you stink!"

"You don't smell so pleasant yourself," Patchpaw retorted. "Do you want this message or don't you?"

Sandstar and Silverstream exchanged a glance as Jaggedtooth hesitated. Sandstar felt his heart thud painfully against his ribs.

"Go on, then," the Shadowclan warrior meowed at last.

"Goldenstar wants you to go to him at once," mewed Patchpaw. "He sent me to take your place guarding the prisoners."

"What?" Jaggedtooth lashed her tail in disbelief. "Only Shadowclan guards the prisoners. You Riverclan cats are all too soft. Why did Goldenstar send you and not one of our own Clan?"