Chapt 40

Jayfeather paced again. The hunting patrol hadn't come back yet. It was almost passed moonhigh, and they still hadn't come back. It seemed like days had passed since they had left.
"Jayfeather, they're back. But they haven't brought any thing back." Willowshine interupted his thoughts.
"No prey! What are we going to do now?" He hissed. He followed the she-cat back to the tunnel entrance, he noted that the cats in the medicine den smelled sour with sickness. He remimded himself to check them for whitecough.
"Jayfeather, come on," Willowshine urged. Jayfeather padded onward and soon he was in front of the patrol that had left.
"Why have you come so late?" Jayfeather mewed.
"Come, there is much news to share," The leader of the patrol, Brook, meowed. Jayfeather and Willowshine nodded, following the she-cat. They sat in a circle around her.
"What happened?" Jayfeather noted that Onestar was with them.
"We have met with Gingerstep. She has said that the patrol has returned with Skyclan, and they are in Shadowclan territory," Brook mewed quietly.
"Why hasn't she come back with you?" Willowshine pressed.
"I was getting to that," Brook mewed dryly,"They have come up with a plan. She is going to burst into the clan, claiming that everyone has died. When the time is right, she will send out a sign, and Lionblaze and Skyclan will come to attack." A loud yowl in the clearing silenced the cats in the medicine den. Jayfeather pushed passed the cats, to the front. He whispered to the closest cat.
"What's happening?"
"Gingerstep is out there, she's covered in mud and thorns." The voice was Mountainpaw's,"Where is the rest of the patrol? Where is Skyclan? Where is Lionblaze?" Jayfeather knew Mountainpaw must be extremely worried for his father.
"What are you doing here?" Hollyleaf's voice raged through the camp.
"What happened to the camp?" Gingerstep's voice shook, Jayfeather knew she was just acting this out.
Hollyleaf ignored Gingerstep's question,"Tigerstar, escort her back to the others," The whole clearing was eerily silent, none of the clan cats knew that Gingerstep's terrified questions were all an act, and he hoped that Brook and the others in the patrol had enough sense to keep their mouths shut. The more scared the cats acted, the more likely they could keep Lionblaze and Skyclan a secret.
"Get in there," Tigerstar's growl interupted Jayfeather's thoughts. Suddenly a force pushed him back, he realized that Gingerstep must have been pushed back to the cats waiting in the medicine den. Everyone was still very quiet. anxious to hear about Gingerstep's journey. Tigerstar's paw steps receded, and the cats started talking in hushsed voices.
"Where is Skyclan?" A cat whimpered.
"Where is Lionblaze?" Cinderheart's voice shook with grief, and she pushed passed Jayfeather.
"Come with me," Jayfeather mewed quietly, ushering Mountainpaw, Cinderheart, and Gingerstep away. Gingerstep was shaking, her fur was coated with mud and she was probably freezing in the cold.
"What happened to Lionblaze?" Cinderheart whispered to Gingerstep.
"I'm so sorry," She murmured. Cinderheart gasped, and began to quietly whimper.
"No, no, no!" Mountainpaw yelled," They can't do this! I'll rip the fur off the fox heart that did this!" Jayfeather could tell that Mountainpaw was as scared as his mother, his fear scent was strong.
"Gingerstep, come with me," Oakfur pushed passed the group,"You have to report everything to the leaders," Jayfeather moved back to the she-cat could get passed and turned to Cinderheart.
"Where is Leopardkit?" He mewed quietly.
"Leafpool is watching her and Lakekit," She whispered.
"Go to her, she'll need her mother," He soothed.
"Be strong my son," Cinderheart mewed quietly to Mountainpaw, running her tongue over her son's head. She walked away, leaving the pair alone.
"Why did this happen? Didn't Starclan show you this?" Mountainpaw whirled around to Jayfeather, knew anger boiling over.
"Why did they send them to get Skyclan when they knew they would all die? Why did they kill him, he was the strongest of us all!" The large tom hissed.
"Settle down Mountainpaw, it'll all be made clear after this war." Jayfeather spat. Mountainpaw's nose came to his.
"How do you know? How do you know that Starclan isn't lying to us, maybe they want us all to die!" Mountainpaw whisked himself around, hitting Jayfeather with his tail. Jayfeather sighed, he knew he couldn't tell anyone about Skyclan or Lionblaze's patrol. Maybe not even Dovepelt, it would be safer to keep this all a secret.
Jayfeather turned to the noise of dreadful yowls. Another higher pitched caterwaul made Jayfeather's fur stand on end. He pushed his way through the crowd of terrified cats.
"What happened?" Jayfeather mewed to the cat in front of him, Hail, a Tribe elder.
"Stonekit, h-he ran out into the clearing!" Another voice interupted Hail's explanation. It was Dovepelt.
"Has anyone seen him?" Jayfeather mewed.
"No, not yet," Dovepelt was eerily calm. Jayfeather knew there was nothing anyone could do without risking their life.
"Stonekit, come back here right now!" Bramblestar hissed. Jayfeather didn't even know the leaders had appeared next to him. The kit either didn't hear, or didn't care, because Jayfeather could hear him scampering through the camp.
"Why was he awake? It's the middle of the night!" Jayfeather whispered to Dovepelt.
"I thought they were all asleep, so I went to sleep to. When I woke up, Stonekit was gone!" Dovepelt mewed, her voice filled with grief.
"Someone needs to go out there," A voice whispered.
"I'll do it," Cherrytail's scent wafted over Jayfeather as she pushed her way up front. "I used to creep out of camp as a kit, I know all the places to hide." She added sheepishly,"Please, I can do it, I promise."
"I don't know Cherrytail. Your a valuable warrior..." Onestar mewed.
"But Stonekit is only a kit! If he gets caught he'll be killed for sure. The warrior code says to protect all kits. I'm going."