Exile
The next morning Bigpaw woke up stiffer then ever. Leaf-bare nights were getting colder and colder. He struggled to his paws and padded over to Darkclaw's den. "Darkcl-" Bigpaw croaked but it wasn't even a whisper. His throat was so sore it hurt to talk.
"Bigpaw?"
Bigpaw flinched as Silverpaw came forward; he let out a wheezing cough. "Great StarClan!" she hissed under her breath, careful to not to wake Darkclaw. "What happen?"
"Well," Bigpaw meowed hoarsely. "Sleeping alone in Leaf-bare?"
Silverpaw padded toward and nudged him softly, he flinched. "Well," she mewed after a while. "You have a fever, cough, and wheezing. I'm sorry but you have Whitecough."
"Really?" Bigpaw mewed happily. "So I get to stay in here?" Silverpaw nodded and walked into the herb storage.
"I can get Feverfew for the low fever, Catmint for the cough…" Her voice trailed off as she came back out with a jaw full of herbs. "Eat these."
Bigpaw laid down and reached for a leave just as a huge paw swiped them away. "What are you doing?" Darkclaw hissed from beside Bigpaw. His fur was bristled to the tips; he looked at Bigpaw then at Silverpaw confused and angry. "Silverpaw! I told you not to help him."
Silverpaw bristled back. She padded straight up to Darkclaw and yowled right at him "Are you a medicine cat?"
Darkclaw paused.
"The last time I checked you were! Medicine cats are supposed to help any cat that is hurt or sick. Isn't that what you told me two days ago?"
Bigpaw looked at Silverpaw, shocked. However, Darkclaw looked as mad as a badger. "You are my apprentice," he yowled so loudly Bigpaw wanted to hide his ears. "You do as I say, and because of you." He turned his glaring eyes toward Bigpaw. "If you take one step in this den, or you, Silverpaw, look once at him. We won't hesitate to kill him."
Silverpaw was low to the ground now, eyes wide and shocked. Bigpaw didn't want to stay in any longer. As fast as he could, he dashed out of the medicine cat den. However, he ran straight into Littlestone.
"Bigpaw!" she yowled with shock, her eyes darting back and forward. Once she settled down she ordered. "Go hunt."
With a sigh, Bigpaw did as he was told. It was a good thing Cloudpelt showed him around after he took care of the elders.
oOoOo
Hunting was awful. In leaf-bare, pray was very scarce. So it didn't help that Bigpaw caught only one mouse. He coughed when he found a vole and Littlestone didn't teach him how to hunt a rabbit. The first step he took the skinny rabbit dashed off.
The sun was starting to sink and night was approaching quickly when Bigpaw decided to come home. One mouse, Bigpaw thought tiredly. If I can't rest the whole Clan could get sick.
Before he reached camp, a strange scent waved over him. One that he strongly recognized but the smell of the mouse confused him, so he ignored it. However, it got stronger and stronger along with the scent of freshly spilled blood. Concerned, Bigpaw buried his mouse and dashed toward camp.
Once he reached camp he figured out what the scent was, ShadowClan. Bigpaw feared for his Clan when he saw the thorn entrance. It was unrecognizable. The thorns were trampled, the scent of blood was strong, the scent of ShadowClan hung in the air, and scraps of fur flew weightless in the wind.
As Bigpaw picked his way around the trampled entrance he could hear every cat murmuring. Some saying how ShadowClan attacked without warning, or without reason. Bigpaw walked up to Winterpool and mewed with a shaky voice, "What happened?"
Winterpool looked at Bigpaw with shock and relive. However, Bigpaw had to hold back a yowl of shock, Winterpool's left eyes was closed were an enemy warrior scratched her, her chest was covered in dried blood making her snowy pelt look muddy. "Where were you?" she purred. "It doesn't matter, you're safe."
She looked up at Stonestar who sat like a hawk, preached at the edge of Highledge. "ShadowClan attacked right after the evening patrols headed out. Stonestar ordered two patrols to check ShadowClan and WindClan borders and another to search a badger's den. A couple of warriors and I were left alone with Stonestar." Winterpool paused. "You can figure out the rest."
Bigpaw paused; none of this news surprised him. Winterpool eyed him for a moment, wondering something only she could know. Bigpaw looked away from her and noticed every cat was seriously wounded.
"Because of their sneak attack," Stonestar hissed suddenly, silencing the murmur below. "We lost the battle pathetically. Now, they own a chunk of territory! Who told them?"
"What?" called Darkclaw who stood right beside Silverpaw, bristling. "Are you saying someone warned them?" Bigpaw looked at Silverpaw, ignoring whatever Darkclaw was saying, but she didn't dare turn toward Bigpaw. Only a flick of her ear told him she knew he was there.
"Who was it?" he called again. "ThunderClan was unguarded. Goldenstar and his warriors attack as the camp when only a couple of warriors were here. Three patrols were out, and ShadowClan had no reason to attack. We hadn't talked to them; put a paw on their territory, nothing! Someone warned them!"
Riverpaw stood up so quick Bigpaw flinched; Whitecough was still lingering to him. "I know who," he hissed angrily. "I barley smelled it, I was on one of those patrols. It was faint for it was barely over the line." He paused and scanned the crowd twice before the jumped up to join his father. Stonestar willingly let him take his spot. "It is the only one without a scratch!"
Ever cat scanned the crowd; Bigpaw knew in a heartbeat that Riverpaw was blaming him. It was too obvious. "Are you saying I did it?" Bigpaw croaked, claws sheathing and unsheathing angrily.
"I smelt it too," Cloudpelt hissed sadly. Her back looked shredded and torn even through the cobwebs. "I know who it was; I just hoped it wasn't true. Bigpaw, you have been talking to ShadowClan, you told them that the patrols would be out!"
Winterpool yowled loudly in shock and backed away from Bigpaw. "That's where you were!" she yowled. "I thought-" Winterpool didn't say any more as the cats around spat at Bigpaw and hissed angrily.
"Bigpaw," Stonestar yowled before Bigpaw could even open his mouth to ague. "You are exiled from ThunderClan. You have till the sun sinks out of sight." Stonestar looked over at the setting sun; only a tip peeked over the horizon. Stonestar looked back at Bigpaw and purred mockingly. "You better hurry."
What's the small kit going to do now? R&R to find out what!
