FLAREPAW

Flarepaw could tell there were several cats in the patrol, traveling fast. She couldn't recognize the individual scents of the cats through the earthly big odors, but she knew it was IceClan.

  "Let me do the talking," Flarepaw mewed to Alderpaw and Shinepaw.
Shinepaw nodded.

The apprentices sprinted after the patrol, around brambles, past gorse, and through nettles.
The trail was easy to follow. The angry IceClan cats weren't trying to disguise their presence in SmokeClan's territory.

Overhead, the thick layer of cloud had finally rolled away. Beyond the treetops, Silverpelt glittered across the night sky.
The moon was just rising, but its cold light couldn't pierce the mist that clung to the shadowy undergrowth.

It consisted of Featherfall in the lead, Lakeshine, Darkclaw, Cinderfall, Crowfur, and Robinheart.
"Apprentices!" Featherfall growled, and the patrol halted. "What are you three doing here?"
Flarepaw looked at the senior warrior. "Poolstar sent us!"
Alderpaw butted in. "She wanted me to find Leafeye before—"
Featherfall interrupted him. "Ah!" she meowed. "Poolstar told me I might find friends out here. Now I understand what she meant."

Flarepaw nodded. "Featherfall, we need your help. We can lead you to the kits. We plan to rescue them tonight. Will you come?"
"Of course we'll come!" The warriors flicked their tails with excitement.
"It will mean raiding Claw's group," Flarepaw explained.

"We're willing to do anything if it means getting the kits back. Hurting a few rouges won't hurt either," Lakeshine said. "I can't fight, but I'll count on the warriors to hurt them for me."
Did anybody ask you? Flarepaw thought with anger.

"Can you lead us there?" mewed Crowfur eagerly.
"No, but Leafeye can. And she was promised to bring help from Claw's group."
Cinderfall glared at her and thrashed his tail angrily. "You have found Leafeye?" he hissed.
"I don't understand," meowed Featherfall, puzzled. "The traitor is going to help kits she stole?"

"She isn't a traitor!" Shinepaw and Alderpaw mewed at the same time.
Shinepaw continued, "She left to go find the kits, and she knows who took them."
"And she wants to help rescue the kits," Alderpaw mewed firmly.

"Now, are we gonna rescue the kits or not?" Flarepaw snapped.
Featherfall stared back at her, then blinked slowly. "Lead the way, Flarepaw," she ordered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They waited at the meeting spot.
"Any sign of Leafeye?" Flarepaw mewed.
"Not yet," Alderpaw shook his head.

Featherfall watched. "Alderpaw?" she prompted.
"She will come back," Alderpaw promised. "We don't know how far where the rouges' camp is."

"And she said she was getting someone," Shinepaw suggested. "So they might be discussing some stuff."
"Exactly," murmured Alderpaw. "She will come back."

"Well said, young Alderpaw." Leafeye stalked out from behind the ash tree and sat down. "You're not the only one who can sneak up on someone," she mewed at Alderpaw. "Remember the day we met? You were looking in the wrong direction that time too."
Flarepaw purred with amusement as she saw Shinepaw sigh clearly of relief.

"Oh, Leafeye," a new voice spoke as they padded beside Leafeye. "I will never understand you and your antics."
It was a light brown furred she-cat with yellow eyes who had a plumy tail and a scar on her left cheek.

Featherfall stepped forward. "So, I've been told you're our little rouges spy. What is your name?"
"And how do you know so much about Claw?" Darkclaw snapped.

The she-cat ducked her head away from the Clan cats' gazes, a guilty expression in her eyes.
Leafeye nudged her. "Don't worry, they won't harm you—" she cast a threatening glare at the Clan cats then looked comfortingly at her. "I promise."

The she-cat took a deep breath and looked at the Clan cats' gaze steadily. "My name is Mouse," she mewed, "I am Claw's second-in-command."

Hisses of suspicion rose the cats.
"Why would you ever follow a cat like Claw?"
"How can we trust you?"

Mouse flinched, turning her head away, looking at the starlit sky. "I was in love with Claw, I'll admit, when he first came to Twolegplace. He looked like he was in a recent battle when I first met him, and I was kind to him, my sympathy grew to feelings. But, I saw the cat he truly was when he murdered cats during our raid in EchoClan. I was foolish."
Flarepaw felt sympathy towards Mouse. From the tone of her voice, it sounds like she still loves Claw, and still sees the good in him.

Lakeshine stepped forward. "Do you know why he had a cat kill Owlpool? Our medicine cat? Or take kits?"
Flarepaw used all her strength to not snarl at her. Lakeshine, do you know when to SHUT up? She thought angrily. Can't you see she's clearly still processing the cat she loves wants to hurt cats, you insensitive, annoying, stupid cat?

Mouse looked back at the Clan cats, and took a deep breath and trembled a bit as she spoke. "Claw lied. To all of the Clans. We don't have hungry kits. Or any kits at all. He makes sure no cat is mates with one another. Splash is just a blind authority-follower, if you ask me. So, I guess if he killed your medicine cat, he would get extra credit from Claw."
This must be so hard for her to talk about, Flarepaw thought sympathetically.

"How did you manage to survive as a spy for Claw for so long?" Crowfur asked curiously.
Mouse's ears went back. "I didn't try to. Or else I'd end up like Mole or Sky."
Leafeye's eyes widened in horror. "Mole and Sky are dead?"
Mouse nodded grimly. "When Claw found out what we told you, they confessed up, but they deliberately didn't mention that I told you stuff too. Claw killed them soon after.. They sacrificed their lives to save mine. I owe it to them.."
Poor Mouse, Flarepaw thought. She isn't some evil, ruthless rouge, she's just a cat in a bad position trying to survive.

Mouse looked at the Clan cats. "Claw has this big plan. He believes kits are the most precious thing to a cat, and they'll do anything to get them back. That's why he's stealing the kits, cause that'll draw all the Clans toward him. And when they're all in the same place..." She raised her claw and swiped the dirt, leaving claw marks.
"He only has IceClan and SmokeClan kits so far," Mouse informed.

"Has he hurt them or done anything to them?" Lakeshine asked.
Mouse shook her head. "No, I can read Claw very well. I don't think he's intending too. He's most likely using them as hostages."

Lakeshine nodded. "We need to know his weaknesses, though, so we can either hurt him or get him to stand down."
Mouse flinched.
Flarepaw let out a quiet hiss at Lakeshine oblivion to Mouse's discomfort. What right does Lakeshine have to speak? This is warriors' business. If a battle happens, she'll just be a burden.

Suddenly, an idea popped in Flarepaw. "Leafeye, you said you knew where Claw's place was, right? Mouse, what if you brought Leafeye to pretend you captured her, and when Claw's distracted, we can sneak in and take the kits? That way, neither cat would get hurt."

Shinepaw's face lit up. "That's a good idea! Would it work?" Shinepaw turned to Mouse.
Mouse smiled, the discomfort evaporating quickly. "It could! But if this fails, be ready for battle."