Chapter Eleven
Back at camp Wild found Cloverpaw, securing leaves on a bush. With the addition of Stormflower, her kits,Willow, and Pebble the den was now to small to accommodate all of them and Wild,Cloverpaw,Pebble, and Willow were going to stay in under the bush. "Hey" said Wild startling Cloverpaw "Relax it's just me" she said.
Wild sat next to Cloverpaw and continued "I have a few questions, about your past and that Duskwater who recognized you." "Oh uh" said Cloverpaw "Well you see I umm once just trespassed on PineClan's territory. You now nothing serious."
She finished with an anxious smile. "Come on Cloverpaw" said Wild "We've gone to far for secrets now." "Okay fine" Cloverpaw sighed "But if I tell you, I tell everyone."
They found the remaining cats in the den, and explained the situation to them. Soon everyone was sitting in a semicircle around Cloverpaw.
"Once in PineClan there was a she-cat named Ravandawn, she was the deputy. One day a passing rouge named Astuto came to their territory. Everyone in the clan thought that he was trouble, everyone except for Ravandawn. She liked how brave and cunning he was. Soon she began sneaking out to meet him, they became friends and then lovers. Soon however it was discovered that Astuto was stealing prey for PineClan and they drove him away. This wrecked Ravandawn, especially since she was pregnant with Astuto kits. In PineClan everyone scorned her, and it seemed like the stand-in deputy Bearheart would be picked to replace her. Ravandawn sunk deeper and deeper into her depression. Soon afterwards she had a kit, a kit named Cloverkit."
The cats gasped, but Cloverpaw shot the a look and went on with her story. "Ravandawn planned that she would leave the clan and hunt for Astuto after the kit became an apprentice. However she was approached by a young tom named Duskshade. He told her that he could make her leader and end the gossip about her kit, if she made him deputy. Ravandawn readily agreed. Soon after both the leader, than and Bearheart went on a patrol. Tragically the leader fell into the river. Bearheart drowned trying to save him. All the clan wept except for the two murderers. The next day Duskshade declared that Ravandream should be the new leader. The other cat's argued saying that she was a nursing queen, but Duskshade rebuted those question's, saying that Cloverkit was old enough to eat solid food. Another queen would care for her! So with all questions answered the cats of PineClan begrudgingly made Ravandream leader. Most cats did find it strange that upon her first act as leader Ravanstar made Duskshade deputy, but they stayed quiet. Ravanstar brought strength to PineClan through many new ideas inspired by Duskshade. Soon there was the harsher penalty for trespassing, and all rumors about the leader were put to rest. By this time Cloverkit was to become an apprentice, she chose the path of a medicine cat. However the leader and deputy became paranoid of Cloverpaw. Flintfleck never seemed to really believe the story about the death, and could be filling Cloverpaw's head with lies. She could even have been planning to overthrow them. So without a second thought, Ravanstar ordered her own daughter killed. The next day Duskshade took Cloverpaw for a walk when they got to the cliff, he shoved her off. He knew that nobody would question him, he was the deputy, and everybody respected him. However Cloverpaw didn't die, she was lucky enough to land in a pond. There she survived for a week eating crowfood, but her wounds didn't heal. So she went up the stream to hunt for herbs. She was attacked by a weasel but then was saved by a passing rouge." Cloverpaw finished looking straight at Wild. Suddenly Cloverpaw began to cry and Wild moved over so sit next to her a groom her fur, quietly purring.
