Chapter 30
"May we now gather to discuss the events of recent committed between LightningClan young warrior Sparrowtail and IceClan young warrior Cloverstem." Although she was supposed to look directly at the crowds at the trial, the WillowClan leader Plumstar looked straight ahead into the night, with a blank stare. "Please step forward." Acornfur wanted so badly to help her sister, who was now standing in the center of attention, the four Clans gathered around her. Her eyes were filling with tears for her sister's sake.
"Cloverstem, please speak first."
"I… I thought he l-l-l-loved me! How could he be-betray m-m-me? H-h-h-he promised he would never betray me! Ne-e-ever renounce me! Whatever it t-t-t-took," Cloverstem bawled to Plumstar and a jury of warriors. Flintstar scowled.
"I mean not be rude, but I do believe it is the right of IceClan and LightningClan to deal with affairs by themselves without other Clans interfering." He rolled his eyes at the jury.
"Excuse me, Flintstar! These rules were set in place by Wisp and her kits! We will not have you breaking them!" Plumstar sharply glared at the IceClan leader.
"The rules that all Clans must bring their best warriors to a meeting far away from their territory on a night where they could be doing much better things to give opinions on something that does not involve their Clan? Hear me out, Plumstar, I don't know, I might have misunderstood, but Wisp and the Founder's code clearly states that all parties involved in any incidences must give their full voice to the issue that must be considered by an unbiased judging party." He paused for emphasis. "Which does not mean that all of the Clans must gather. It does not mean that we must have this," he flicked his tail to the jury, "in the scale that it is. Now, if you would excuse Blossomstar, her warriors, and my party, we can deal with these affairs cleanly and quietly ourselves!" He glared at Plumstar and Ashstar. "IceClan will be leaving now." His warriors that came to the trial looked at their leader, stunned. "Are we going or not?" Acornfur, Ryeclaw, Ambershine, Cloverstem, Yarrowspring, Squirrelfeather, Driftcloud and Crowfoot all followed Flintstar, leaving the trial at the gathering barn. Juniperwhisker and Flowerhop hesitated before following the rest of the Clan, but all of IceClan followed their leader out of the barn under the dim light of the moon. They proceeded through WillowClan territory, their long fur getting caught on low-lying willow branches and bushes.
"I wonder how those WillowClan slinks can get around here," said Juniperwhisker, panting.
"Shhhh, we're still on their land!" Ambershine hissed, panicked. "Wait until we get back to camp!"
"We'll be here until Wisp and her kits fulfil the prophecy, Flintstar! This trail stuff is nonsense, especially for us. Remember that trial over stolen prey all those moons ago? The trialing warriors had to stay for three days over debate, and our warriors had to stay until they finished," Crowfoot mewed to Flintstar.
"Not here. Not now. This can wait for camp, Crowfoot." Flintstar spoke with crumbling authority- he was obviously anxious to get back to camp. But no, they had to climb the entire mountain from the lowest point of the valley to get to IceClan territory.
Cloverstem was almost holding herself together. Although Goldenfeather, Ambershine and Acornfur had all tried to approach her, she refused conversation and food. She disappeared for long periods of time in the recent moon, and to an outsider it would seem like she was going to visit Sparrowtail, but Redclaw and Flamewhisker had been assigned to track all of her movements. She had not gone farther than the South border of the mountain, where she would spend long periods of time just gazing past the barren cliffs down to the unclaimed forests below.
Acornfur walked silently, careful not to tread over the muddy, sodden patches of land beneath her feet. Her cracked, hard paw pads had the strangest sensation buzzing through them as she trod on the wet ground- like a slick buzzing.
"Do you think anyone at camp has some prey for us once we get back?" Ambershine strode to her sister's side. "I wonder how it's going back in the barn… do you think LightningClan left yet? Blossomstar seemed pretty keen to Flintstar's idea…"
Crick. Someone was walking behind them.
"Who's there?" Flintstar growled into the night.
"Flintstar. We left, too." It was Blossomstar who spoke now. "I agree with you- we need to stop this 'trial' nonsense. Meet here at the barn next quarter moon?" Flintstar stared at the she-cat.
"Alright. No WillowClan or PineClan?"
"We don't need them, do we?"
"Where will we meet, then? We need permission from WillowClan, I think."
"The barn's fair game for anyone, and… it's WillowClan."
"Alright. Next quarter moon, Flintstar."
"I won't forget."