"Lightblaze! Stop being so lazy! You're on sunhigh patrol, remember..!" Waterwind shouted in the den.

The cream-colored tom groaned and groggily lifted his head. He had spent the night unable to sleep; the stress of what to come with Whisperstone as deputy had weighed on him throughout the night.

He stumbled out of his nest and shook himself when he got into the mildly cold late morning. Lightblaze looked around; he was the last one in the warriors den still sleeping.

Lightblaze trotted to the cats in the clearing that he assumed were waiting for him to go on the patrol. Rockrunner, Waterwind, and Morninglily were looking at him with a distrustful gaze. The cream tom hung his head low and followed the patrol out of camp.

They looped around the border with ShineClan, regularly renewing the scent marks. On the way back, Lightblaze caught a whiff of Whisperstone's scent. He instinctively stopped and looked around, ears swiveling and mouth partly opened for any more trace of the deputy.

Another breeze gave another clue where Whisperstone was at. What if Whisperstone is meeting with Quailstar again? Lightblaze fearfully thought. Or worse- killing Pebblestar!

"Lightblaze!" Morninglily snapped. "Keep up with the patrol!" The she-cat narrowed her eyes at the tom.

"I smelled Whisperstone!" He gasped, "He could be-"

"I don't care about any of your kit stories! Come back to camp before you humiliate yourself again!"

By this time, Rockrunner and Waterwind stopped to see the confrontation. Rockrunner gave him sad sympathy, while Waterwind held her head up. "Are you going to accuse him again?" She taunted.

"It's true!" He yelled back, and hung his head in defeat. "Why doesn't anyone believe me?"

He trailed along for the remainder of the distance to camp. The other cats on patrol dispersed, while Lightblaze hesitated at the entrance. I have to figure out what's happening!

He took off, back into the envelope of trees, following the faint scent of Whisperstone. I will catch you, Whisperstone, even if no one believes me. 

By Wave