Dark River

Lionpaw squeezed under the brambles. “Follow me.” He pushed his way through; it was easier now after all his visits, although one or two fresh branches had grown since he was last here, and he ducked as they snatched at his ears. Jaypaw stayed close behind him, his nose brushing Lionpaw’s tail.

“The entrance is here.” Lionpaw scrambled out of the bushes and guided Jaypaw to the hole in the side of the hill.

He stopped beside it and sniffed the familiar scent of musty air flowing from the tunnel.

Hollypaw scrabbled out of the brambles after them and stared doubtfully at the hole. Rain dripped from her fur and each ear was tipped with a quivering drop of water. “We go in here?”

Lionpaw nodded.

“What about the rain?” Jaypaw sounded wary.

“It won’t be raining inside the tunnel.” Lionpaw was puzzled; surely he’d be glad to get out of the downpour?

Jaypaw flattened his ears and sniffed at the entrance.

“Have you been here before in the rain?” he asked suspiciously.

“No.” Lionpaw was getting impatient now. There wasn’t time for this. “We must find the kits before the battle starts.”

He squeezed into the entrance and started to pad quickly along the familiar tunnel.

“Wait!” Hollypaw called from behind. “It’s too dark to see where I’m going.”

Lionpaw waited while Jaypaw and Hollypaw caught up with him. They were both moving cautiously, their paw steps pattering unevenly on the rocky floor. Surely Jaypaw should be able to travel through the tunnels more easily than the rest of them? He was used to darkness. “There’s a cave ahead,” Lionpaw reassured them. “There’s a gap in the roof so it’ll be lighter there.” He moved on, slower this time. He could hear Jaypaw sniffing the air, and Hollypaw’s fur brushing the walls.

“Do these tunnels really lead all the way to WindClan territory?” Hollypaw’s mew echoed eerily in the darkness. “Have you been that far?”

“No, only as far as the cave,” Lionpaw answered. Then he froze. He could smell familiar scents up ahead. WindClan! Had Heatherpaw already led a patrol into the tunnels?

Jaypaw’s breath stirred his ear fur. “You know there are WindClan cats ahead.”

“Yes,” Lionpaw sighed.

“Perhaps we should go back,” Hollypaw whispered. “We don’t want WindClan to realize we know about this place. It would ruin our advantage.”

“They probably know already.” Lionpaw’s heart felt as heavy as stone. Heatherpaw had betrayed their secret—he wouldn’t be surprised if she’d betrayed him as well. They hadn’t exactly been friendly the last time they met. He padded toward the dim light and stepped into the cave.

In the gloom, he could just make out Heatherpaw on the other side of the river.

Breezepaw was pacing the edge of the cave behind her, sniffing at each tunnel in turn. “I’ve lost their scent.”

“Lionpaw!” Heatherpaw sounded surprised.

Breezepaw spun, hissing, to face Lionpaw.

Heatherpaw’s gaze darted anxiously toward her Clanmate as she went on, “H-how did you know about this place?”

Lionpaw understood at once. She was pretending she had never met him here before. It was a sensible plan, but it felt wrong to act like strangers after they’d shared so much time here. “I found it a few days ago by accident,” he lied.

Hollypaw and Jaypaw were creeping out of the tunnel behind him. “I was chasing a rabbit and it led me down a hole and I ended up here.” He flashed a warning glance at Hollypaw.

Breezepaw’s pelt bristled. “These tunnels lead into ThunderClan territory as well?”

“I didn’t realize,” Heatherpaw mewed, wide-eyed. “I’ve only been as far as this cave before.”

“What are you three doing here?” Breezepaw demanded.

Hollypaw padded in front of Lionpaw, lifting her chin.

“When we heard that the kits were missing, Lionpaw guessed they might be here.”

“How did you know there was another entrance in WindClan territory?” Breezepaw flexed his claws.

“It was just a guess.” Lionpaw shrugged. “There are so many tunnels. They might lead to ShadowClan territory as far as I know.”

Breezepaw stared at him. The damp, stuffy air was thick with mistrust. “Is there any scent of the kits in your tunnel?”

“No,” Hollypaw replied, her voice taut.

“We followed their trail here, but it’s disappeared,” Heatherpaw explained.

Jaypaw had cautiously crept forward and was sniffing at the river. Its usually sleek surface was rippling as though blown by the wind, and dark water lapped over the edges, forming pools in the dimpled rock on either side. “Is the water always this high?” he asked.

“Only after it’s been raining,” Heatherpaw answered.

“Does it get higher?”

Heatherpaw tipped her head on one side, puzzled. “I don’t think so.”

Lionpaw felt hot with embarrassment. Why did Jaypaw keep fussing about the rain? He wanted to find the kits and get out of here.

Breezepaw paced around his Clanmate. “These intruders might as well go home,” he mewed. “We’re looking for the kits.

There’s no need for them to help.” He glared at Lionpaw.

“Why are you bothered about WindClan kits anyway?”