Chapter 5

In a daze, Thornpaw stumbled back into ScarClan camp. When he finally made it in, he was met with as many eyes as there were in the entire Clan.

A meeting was going on. Strikestar sat on highstone, staring at the ginger tom like everyone else.

"Um, hi." Thornpaw mumbled. A few groans met his words, and everyone turned back to their leader. He stayed low, trying to fit into the crowd.

"What was that all about?" Cedarpaw whispered to his brother. And when Thornpaw didn't reply: "We were waiting for you in order to start the meeting."

What's so important that I have to be here? He wondered.

"When I became leader I started a tradition; that once a moon we would have a Clan gathering. Where everyone can share news."

As Strikestar talked, Thornpaw's gaze wandered to the black pelt of Smokecoat. The warrior had beaten him to camp. What if he voiced his suspicions at this mini-gathering?

"Crimsonwing, you said you had news?" The leader's gaze turned to the orange she-cat."

"Yes, I do." She replied as she climbed up the mighty rock and replaced Strikestar. "Almondnose and I are proud to announce that we are expecting kits."

The Clan erupted in cheers so loud that Thornpaw's ears nearly broke. At the other side of the clearing, Almondnose was being harassed with questions. Poor tom.

"I have news!" Rosepaw yelled over the clamor. Cedarpaw's ears perked up in surprise as the yellow she-cat ascended Highstone.

"Smokecoat told me today that he doesn't think Brambleblaze killed Hollyflame, and I just want to say that I agree."

Murmurs echoed around the hollow, and Thornpaw felt the now-familiar squeezing in his stomach. Then, it was replaced with anger. Whoever started these suspicions is going to get their tail chewed off. He thought bitterly.

"But who else would do such a thing?" Cobaltstripe hissed from the front right of the mass of cats.

"But would any of us expected Brambleblaze to do it?" Rosepaw countered. "He was the sweetest cat in the Clan. It caught even Lizardtuft by surprise when he killed Hollyflame."

So Lizardstone covered her tracks. Thornpaw knew that his mother was smart, but he had still be praying to StarClan that she did something to divert the suspicion.

"We don't have any evidence that it wasn't Brambleblaze." Duckwing joined in. "How are you going to prove this, Rosepaw?"

The apprentice opened her mouth, but she said nothing.

"Because Thorn, Sunbeam, and Lizardtuft disappeared after the battle." Smokecoat piped in. "It could have been one of them."

"Lizardtuft would never do something like that." Alderfern stood up for his daughter, to Thorn's relief. After a few seconds, he continued, "This is madness! An apprentice has no right to say such things."

Rosepaw's head fell as she descended from the rock. Thornpaw watched as she walked over to Cedarpaw and sat next to him. Alderfern watched her with glaring eyes.

"Rosepaw was only voicing her opinion, isn't that the purpose of this whole meeting?" Smokecoat chimed in, making Tawnyflight shake her head like she was saying Here we go again.

Smokecoat jumped on the rock, facing the Clan. "We were down by Hollyflame's grave earlier today, and I smelled something strange." The tom paused, watching as the cats whispered among themselves for a few heartbeats. "It was unmistakably Lizardtuft."

Thornpaw swallowed. If Lizardstone was in ScarClan territory, she could be in danger. He started threading his paws in the dirt to keep himself from screaming.

"You mean, she could be out there?" Strikestar spoke up after sitting at the back of the rock while the debate took place.

"It was only a few days old at most." Smokecoat responded.

Strikestar walked up to the front of highstone. "ScarClan, if there's any way my sister is still alive, we need to find her."

"That's not what I meant though," Smokecoat interrupted, "I'm saying that she could have killed Hollyflame."

Murmurs of protest met his words. Some cat yelled: "Her own sister?!"

Thornpaw stepped backwards, and again, and again, until he had made his way out of the crowd. Then, he turned and ran out the tunnel, biting his lip to keep the words inside.

Rosepaw and Smokecoat were mousebrained if they thought he didn't know something. Soon they were going to come for him, and Thornpaw didn't know if he could keep the truth from them.