Shimmerlake appeared to have had the thought at the same moment as Spottedfern. "Shh!" She murmured fiercely, flicking her tail in front of talkative Pineleaf's muzzle. The patrol hushed, ears pricked for any sound. The scent had been /very/ fresh. Spottedfern felt a surge of daring in her chest, something rare. She /was/ leading this patrol, after all. As sneaky as a serpent, she slithered forward through the greenery. Behind her, the sounds of Willowpaw following with Shimmerlake and Pineleaf were barely audible. Willowpaw's nose brushed her fur. She turned around. "Let me lead." She hissed. "I have the best nose." That was true, so Spottedfern moved aside. The scent gradually became stronger. Willowpaw suddenly stood up and hissed. "We're at the border! They must have crossed back into their own territory." Pineleaf, in the back, stiffened. "Wait!" He growled. He tasted the air curiously, flicking his tail from side to side, and suddenly pounced on a juniper bush to their right. A yowl exploded from the clusters of blue-purple berries, and two cats-a golden she-cat and a dappled brown tom-tumbled out of the bush and sprawled across the ground, pelts a mess. The ThunderClan patrol stood there in shock. "What in StarClan?"
