"I could possibly make myself a better nose but I would need to look up how to do it, and then I'd still have to learn which smells meant what."

"Well, if you did want to do that, I would teach you the Clans' scents.  Or - do you think you'll have picked them up by the end of today, Cricket?"

"Most likely, but I can't piss them into place as a teaching aid, he'll still have to go sniff the borders."

"But if you're with Cam you can point out when you're crossing one."

"Yes."

"I would still want a better nose if it were me, though."

"It seems like it might be distracting at least at first."

"I suppose.  And then maybe all your Twoleggy things would smell bad to you and you'd have to replace them."

"Possible! And that would be so inconvenient."

"I - imagine so.  . . . Ravenpaw likely didn't want to say in front of WindClan, but the reason he left ThunderClan is that Tigerclaw was trying to kill him."

"...why was Tigerclaw trying to kill him?"

"Ravenpaw knew Tigerclaw killed Redtail, ThunderClan's then deputy."

"I'm going to need to take notes on cat politics."

"Okay."

He opens a new file. "Can you go over all the cat politics I might need to know again so I can write it down this time?"

"Yes.  Bluestar is the leader of ThunderClan and I am its deputy.  Our previous deputies were Tigerclaw - now called Tigerstar - Lionheart, and Redtail, in order.  Leopardstar is the new leader of RiverClan and we don't know who she'll pick as her new deputy.  WindClan has Tallstar and Mudclaw, and ShadowClan has Tigerstar and Blackfoot.  ShadowClan's previous leaders were Nightstar, who led for a very short time before dying during their recent plague, and Brokenstar, who was in all respects a terrible and cruel leader."

"Great, thank you."

"Oh, was that all you wanted?"

"You can go on," Cam clarifies.

"I see.  Where to start . . .

Sunningrocks is a piece of ThunderClan territory by the river.  It's been ThunderClan's for as long as I've been here, but it used to be more contested.  RiverClan attacked it one day, just as I was joining ThunderClan, and both Clans' deputies died in the ensuing battle.

Tigerclaw told us that Oakheart, RiverClan's deputy, had killed Redtail, and that Tigerclaw had killed Oakheart in retaliation.  But Ravenpaw had seen that Tigerclaw attacked Redtail, and we later determined that Oakheart had been killed by falling rocks."

"Accidental falling rocks or assassination falling rocks?"

"I don't know for certain.  Probably accidental, although it was still during the battle so I don't imagine it was entirely clear-cut.  Ravenpaw started running away after he saw Tigerclaw attack Redtail - he was just an apprentice, there really wasn't anything he could have done - so he didn't see Redtail die, but I think Redtail was probably pushed under the rocks, instead of killed by Tigerclaw directly.  From what I remember of his injuries."

"I don't suppose it would be useful for me to check."

"Just - make a new dead Redtail body?  Here?"

"More like a tiny diorama of the entire scene, possibly several of them from various moments."