A Dangerous Path/Chapter 8

==Chapter description==
:The sun rises over the trees as Fireheart and his patrol approach Snakerocks. Thornpaw dashes towards the rocks, but the ThunderClan deputy stops him, reminding the apprentice that there are adders around. The young tom's mentor, Mousefur, asks him to tell her what he can smell. Thornpaw responds that he smells mouse. She reminds him that they are not hunting, so the golden-brown tom responds that he senses the Thunderpath and a dog. Fireheart states that this is odd, and suggests to have a good look around. He sends the other cats into the trees while he creeps closer to the rocks, but before he reaches them, Mousefur calls to him. 
:Skirting into a bramble thicket, Fireheart joins the she-cat and looks down into a small, steep-sided clearing, where a stagnant pool of greenish water is at the bottom. Pigeon feathers are scattered all around, as well as scraps of fur that might have been squirrel or rabbit. A little way down the slope, Thornpaw sniffs a pile of dog dung, and recoils with a snort of disgust. Seeing this, the deputy realizes something is definitely wrong. Mousefur asks him what he thinks, but he doesn't know what to say. Fireheart believes that there might be a dog loose in the forest, free from Twolegs. He notes that there's definitely a dog taking prey that ThunderClan can't spare, and doesn't want to think about what would happen if a warrior came face-to-face with it. 
:Fireheart turns away from the clearing and leads the way back to the camp. Whitestorm, Cloudpaw, and Brightpaw approach him, all with fresh-kill in their jaws. In the clearing, they eat their share of prey as Whitestorm explains that his patrol discovered rabbit fur and dog scent near Fourtrees. Whitestorm suggests getting rid of the dog, and Fireheart decides to tell Bluestar.
:Before Fireheart can get to Bluestar's den, he is stopped by Brackenfur. The warrior worries about Snowkit, and explains that Speckletail is trying to mentor him, thinking that Bluestar will make him a warrior if he can learn. Fireheart glances at the mother and her kit, and he notices that Speckletail is teaching Snowkit the hunter's crouch. However, Snowkit isn't complying, and only vaguely copies his mother's movements. Fireheart knows that the kit will never truly become a warrior due to his deafness.
:Fireheart makes his way into Bluestar's den. She is huddled in the corner, having already eaten, and he has a positive outlook on her behavior. He explains the situation with the dogs to her, and she snaps at him, exclaiming that WindClan is responsible. Fireheart counters her argument by restating that there was dog scent at every location, but Bluestar assures that dogs don't behave that way. She continues on by saying that WindClan had chased prey onto RiverClan territory and onto ThunderClan's. Fireheart mulls that the last thing ThunderClan needs is a war against WindClan. He attempts to prompt that RiverClan could have been responsible, but Bluestar remembers that they had helped ThunderClan during the fire. She begins to accuse WindClan again before falling into a coughing fit. Fireheart claims that he is going to fetch Cinderpelt.
:Before he can leave, there is a yowl in the camp, and the deputy races out in the open. The elders and kits are quickly herded into their dens. Fireheart spots a hawk in the sky, and stares as it comes closer. Snowkit, unable to hear the screeching of the hawk, continues to play in the clearing. The large bird dives onto Snowkit the same instant Speckletail leaps onto the hawk. Fireheart cannot help since they are so high in the air. The queen is slashed across the face by its talons, and she falls back onto the ground as Snowkit is carried away. Brackenfur runs into the forest, and Fireheart sends Swiftpaw after him. The Clan attempts to console Speckletail. Sandstorm tells her to follow her back to the den, but the mother blames herself for what happened. Bluestar states that this was a sign from StarClan and that ThunderClan is at war with their ancestors.
==Characters==
===Major===
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Important events==
===Deaths===
*Snowkit is killed by a hawk.
==Notes and references==
de:Gefährliche Spuren/Kapitel 8es:‎Huellas peligrosas/Capítulo 8fr:Sur le sentier de la guerre/Chapitre 8
Category:A Dangerous Path
Category:Chapter subpages
Category:The Prophecies Begin arc