Edited ✔️

I haven't updated in a while. Right now it's like 7:00 am. I actually got up early to do this :) please enjoy, and I will post another chapter very soon to make up for this big delay!

The sun was rising fast, and it was almost dawn when Icetail and his patrol got back to camp. Most cats were already starting to wake up. He looked around and spotted Sparrowheart sharing tongues with Brightstar right beside the leader's den. He padded up to them with Ashtail at his heels. Flameheart went straight for the medicine den.

"Hi Brightstar," he said with respect, dipping his head to both the leader and deputy.

Brightstar stopped sharing tongues with Sparrowheart. "Oh, hi Icetail. How was the patrol?"

"The patrol was okay," Ashtail interjected. "But something rather urgent happened."

"It wasn't that urgent!" called Rainwhisker, who was close by with Petalfur as she placed away the vole that she caught earlier.

Brightstar nodded. "Okay. Go on."

"We were having a normal night patrol—clearing out the brambles and sticks from the other night's storm, strengthening our borders—but then the earth crippled beneath Flameheart. Now there's a hole in the ground near MarshClan," Icetail informed.

"It looked more like a tunnel since it was so dark," Ashtail interrupted.

Sparrowheart looked up, interest flickering in his eyes. "Really?" he asked. "Well, that sounds dangerous. Another cat can fall in. Is Flameheart okay?"

"I'm fine!" called Flameheart from the medicine den.

Brightstar sighed. "I guess you should arrange a patrol to check out the inside," she told Sparrowheart.

"On it," Sparrowheart said. "Icetail, you go on it, okay? Since you know where it is, after all. And take Squirrelpaw with you since he's small, and . . . how about Sharpfang?"

Icetail's ears flattened. "Why them two?" he asked. His paws shuffled uncomfortably.

"Squirrelpaw will be better at fitting through small spaces, and Sharpfang is a good fighter; a good claw to a paw," Sparrowheart replied, with a twitch to his whiskers at the last statement. Icetail almost rolled his eyes.

Brightstar nodded of approval. "It's a good patrol. Report to me as soon as you get back."

"Okay," Icetail found himself murmuring. He wasn't thrilled to be going out with Sharpfang, but the bigger problem was how dark and mysterious that hole was. "What if it isn't as dangerous as we think it to be?"

"Then come back to camp, flea-brain," Dewfang meowed, thumping Icetail's head with his paw. "Hey, brother."

Icetail turned abruptly. "Oh, hi," he said, startled. "Where did you come from?"

Dewfang motioned to the warriors den. "I heard some action going on in my sleep. Everything okay?" He looked between Sparrowheart and Brightstar.

"Everything's fine—" Icetail began, but his father cut him off.

"Go lead a patrol in MarshClan later on," Sparrowheart said to Dewfang. "Take careful warriors with you and make sure you avoid the spot where the ground crippled."

"Where's that suppose to be?" asked Dewfang. "Is this what the fuss is about?"

"It's near MarshClan, but on our territory," Ashtail said. "Like Sparrowheart said."

Sparrowheart flicked his tail dismissively. "Go on. I have things to do," he meowed. "We haven't got all day."

Icetail nodded and padded away. He headed over to Sharpfang, who was stretching in the warm sun. "Sharpfang?" he asked.

Sharpfang turned to Icetail. "Hmm?"

"You and Squirrelpaw have to go on a patrol with me. We leave as soon as possible."

"Just us?" he asked, clearly not surprised. "Why just two warriors and an apprentice?"

"We have to scout the crippled ground by MarshClan," Icetail explained. At least Sharpfang wasn't starting his drama, or at least didn't seem to be planning to. "We leave now."

"I guess I have to," muttered the tom. "Squirrelpaw!"

In a matter of seconds, Squirrelpaw emerged from the apprentice den and ran up to Sharpfang and Icetail. "Oh, Sharpfang!" he said. "Did either of you call?" He turned between the two warriors.

"You're expected to go on a mission with us," Icetail meowed.

"A mission!" gasped Squirrelpaw. "What kind of mission? A battle mission? A spy mission?" He bounced up and down. "It'll be my first!"

"We're exploring," said Icetail. "Might not be as fun as you want it to be. But you are expected to go with us."

"I'm so excited!" he exclaimed.

Sharpfang sighed. "Well, Icetail, if we are leaving, I think we should go now," snapped the older warrior coolly. "Might as well get this mission over with so I can share a nice vole with Sagepelt."

Sagepelt and Sharpfang are mates, Icetail recalled. He didn't want to question it, but he wondered deep down how in the first place Sharpfang was able to attract such a nice she-cat. Every one in MoonClan knew that more kits would be coming, especially with the warm weather approaching.

"Let's go. And tell your mentor where you are going," Icetail ordered.

Squirrelpaw nodded and bounded away to the small group of senior warriors talking together. Sharpfang and Icetail waited in silence for a few heartbeats until the apprentice returned.

"Ready!" he said eagerly.

Icetail nodded and lead his patrol out of camp. Sharpfang was still being quiet; Squirrelpaw jumpy. No cat said a word during the whole trip all the way back to MarshClan. Icetail looked around. It was easier to see now that it was dawn and the sun had risen.

"So where's this dumb hole?" muttered Sharpfang. "I bet it's nothing. Brightstar is too cautious."

"Well, you don't know," snarled Icetail. "What if there's badgers at the bottom? If it isn't taken care of now then we'd have a badger raid and our Clanmates would be in danger."

"Oh, badgers!" squeaked Squirrelpaw with excitement. "I want to fight a badger! I'll tell Silverpaw all about it. Ha! I bet she is going to be super jealous."

Sharpfang looked down to Squirrelpaw with disgust. "Jealousy isn't a good thing, stupid," he growled.

Squirrelpaw's head ducked in embarrassment. "Oh . . . I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . ."

Icetail shoved Sharpfang away from Squirrelpaw. "Don't be so harsh on him! He is only a young apprentice. He will learn, but not like that, Sharpfang."

Sharpfang heaved a sigh. "Whatever," he muttered. "Where's the hole anyway?"

"It's—" Icetail looked around. He'd seen it a moment ago . . . where was it? Then, he finally spotted it, a small opening in the ground, yet big enough to swallow a cat whole. "There it is."

Sharpfang turned and padded up, sniffing inside it. "It smells like rock, gravel and water. Rain water," he murmured, hostility gone. "And something disgusting. Like a twoleg monster."

"Maybe it rains down there?" suggested Squirrelpaw with his voice low. He was scared of Sharpfang, Icetail noticed.

"That's a dumb idea," Sharpfang growled. "Use your head for smarter things, Squirrelpaw."

Squirrelpaw ducked his head down, ashamed. But Icetail nudged him. "Hey, you never know," he said to Ripplefur's son.

The apprentice brightened up. "Thanks, Icetail. Are we going down or what?"

"Yes, let me just test something out first . . ." Sharpfang said, with a large rock in his mouth. Now what was he doing? Sharpfang dropped the rock down the hole, and a tumbling sound was heard. The rock kept tumbling down, down, down, until it was not heard anymore. "This is definetly a tunnel by the sounds of it. Made of rock all the way down."

That was actually smart! Icetail thought with surprise.

"Go first," said Sharpfang to Icetail, stepping out of the way.

Icetail snapped his head in Sharpfang's direction. "What?" he asked, bristling. It's dark down there . . . Icetail did not want to admit it but he was afraid—dark areas and closed spaces caused his fur to bristle with unease.

"Just go," hissed Sharpfang, "or else I'm gonna have to push you down there myself. You're such a pain!"

Icetail glared at Sharpfang. Why choose now to be such a fox-heart? he thought with irritation. "Fine, I'm going," he muttered at last, not wanting to seem like a scaredy-mouse. Sharpfang grunted, and Icetail slowly began to pad down the slope.

But suddenly, his paw slipped on a pebble, and his yowl of surprise was cut short as he tumbled down. The hole was eating him alive! Oh StarClan, help! he thought, his mind yowling to StarClan's heavens.