Hai, guys~! 8D Ready for Chapitre Treize? (Chapter 13... In French... xD Lawl at probable misspelling of Treize.) Snap... 13's an unlucky number~ D:
Review Replies:
Katie Ladmoore: Well, I'm excited that you're excited! ^_^ Thanks for reading! And yush, Ross is awesome~ x:D Enjoy!
Chat et Chocolat: *pulls a rope and a huge amount of plushies bury you* 8D Yepyep, Graygray's dead~ D: But who knows what'll happen because of that? (I do! xD) As for the names, you only need to focus on Mourn, Ross, and Nightfall. They all had those names while they were with their rogue band, but changed their names to Sampson (Mourn), Ray (Ross), and Dusk (Nightfall). But when they became full members of the Clan, they were given Clan names; Snowclaw (Mourn), Darkwhisker (Ross), and Duskfeather (Nightfall). Hope that's not too confusing 8D So nope, the name Sampson was not given to a girl. xD And yay, chocolate! 8DDDDD Oh, by the way~ *huggles*
LegendaryHero: Heee. x3 I have to agree, Jayfeather is quite awesome~ And yursh, that is quite in your face... much to the joy of Rainwhisker and Ashfur. x:D As for ThornDusk, well~ You'll see~ ^_^ Thanks for reading!
Macey-the-Invisible: Yes, poor Graygray D: YAY Foreign Word of the Day!! 8D I do very much like. xDD *huggles*
.Energy: Thank ya, Darkeh! ^_^ *glomples*
Revriley: You're welcome again! And again! xD Hee, good idea about Longtail, but unfortunately he doesn't find out himself~ x:3 He does rock, though! 8D Thankies for reading!! ^_^ Enjoy~ *huggles*
silverstarfan: We shall see~ x:3 Thanks for reading, enjoy!
cometdancer49: xD Sorry 'bout that! Thankies so much for reading!! x3 *glomps*
(Sorry if I spelled some words wrong in those review replies, I'm kinda in a rush and don't have time to double check... xDD)
Onto the unlucky chapter 13... xD
Chapter 13
Beneath the Moonlight
There was a dead silence for only a few seconds before panic immediately filled the camp. Shrieks and gasps were heard from about every cat, frantically talking and yelling to each other in fear. Phrases such as "Graystripe's dead!?" "Who did this?" "Was he alone?" surrounded me; I winced as a particularly loud wail-- probably from one of the queens-- broke out.
At once, I turned to Ross, my eyes narrowed. He was alone with Graystripe. Only he came back to camp. Who else could have killed him? But what about the plan? a voice rang in my head. The plan was to kill Graystripe and Firestar at the same time. Why would Ross disobey the orders of his own brother?
The black and white tom had caught my eye, and shot back a cold glare. "You think I did this?" he hissed quietly in my ear. "I didn't. We both know that would be turning against the plan. Someone else killed the deputy."
"But who?" I flicked an ear and glanced over at Mourn, who had been eavesdropping on our secret conversation. His amber eyes were wide with disbelief. "No one from the main patrol would have. And everyone else was in camp... Right?" I went over this in my mind quickly before nodding.
"Right. Which means it wasn't anybody in this Clan." I think.
"Everybody, calm down!" bellowed Firestar, though his voice was detectably cracked in shock and pain. "We need order here!" The Clan began to settle down, though there was still anxious mumbling.
The ginger leader turned to Sandstorm. "Do you know who killed him?" he demanded, trying to be strong. Obviously him and the deputy had been good friends.
"We haven't inspected his body thoroughly yet," she murmured, lowering her gaze. "We don't know. But he was a few paces inside ShadowClan territory; maybe they did it."
"Why would he be on ShadowClan's land?" mused Firestar quietly, before he was promptly cut off.
"May we have everyone's attention?" boomed a voice, and one quite familiar. I raised my head and looked over to see Rainwhisker and Ashfur standing on some of the low rocks of the Highledge. Their matching blue eyes were gleaming in the sunlight and narrowed to slits as they cast their gazes over the crowd, pausing for a while on me, Mourn, and Ross. Great, I thought, stifling a sigh of exasperation. There they go again.
"Rainwhisker!" exclaimed Firestar, his voice hard. "Ashfur! What are you two doing up there?"
"We're sorry, Firestar," apologized Ashfur-- in a rather fake voice, if I do say so myself-- "but we just wish to say something." All heads turned to the two toms, waiting impatiently to hear what they had to say. I exchanged glances with Mourn and Ross; I could tell this wouldn't be good.
Rainwhisker began. "Obviously, we don't know for sure just how Graystripe died. If he was found in ShadowClan, then maybe they really did do it. And this may make sense, to some-- we are in bad terms with them right now. But it's over food. I hardly think that even they would kill ThunderClan's deputy over food." He paused, as if letting it sink in. A few cats glanced at each other, expressions of uncertainty plastered all over their faces.
He continued. "But I don't know if anyone of you knew this... And we just wanted to point this out... But Darkwhisker went out on a solo patrol with Graystripe a few hours ago. He came back, but Graystripe didn't. And this is right before he's found dead."
"What are you suggesting!?" exclaimed Brightheart, her one green eye wide with shock. "That Darkwhisker did this!? How could you say that?"
"Hear us out!" Ashfur shouted over the sudden outbreak. "Darkwhisker, Duskfeather, and Snowclaw all joined the Clan just days ago. They knew how to fight exceptionally well, for loners who had fled from their barn. And they jumped into our battle against ShadowClan quite quickly, even if they knew it wasn't their fight. As if trying to earn our trust."
The Clan was quiet now. A few of them glanced over at us, as if they were actually thinking it over. I waited for Ross to say something, anything, but someone else spoke.
"Please, stop!" I pricked my ears and looked over to see my brother rise to his paws, his eyes wide with desperation. "I've come to see this Clan as a home. And just when we're starting to make friends, we're accused of murder?" He had a pitiful look on his face, and I flicked an ear, praying that he knew what he was doing.
"Ro... Darkwhisker didn't kill Graystripe. None of us did. Please, believe us!" His amber eyes were huge as he looked around pleadingly; and then, Cloudtail stood up.
"I believe them," he growled, glaring at where Ashfur and Rainwhisker stood on the rocks. "I've been getting to know them, and they're good cats. They would never hurt Graystripe." Brightheart nodded firmly in agreement.
"Yeah!" chimed Squirrelflight. "They've helped us out a ton since they've been here. They're Clanmates!"
"That's right," rasped Longtail, standing up defiantly from where he sat beside Goldenflower and Mousefur. "You accuse them of being traitors, you're accusing your own Clanmates."
"Duskfeather saved me," murmured a low voice. Gazes were averted to the medicine cat den, where Thornclaw sat right outside, his amber eyes blazing. Leafpool sat next to him, watching him carefully, as if making sure he wouldn't hurt himself. "When I was caught in that fox trap, she was the first one that found me. She could have just let me die, or finished me off. No one would ever know. But she saved me. If you two think that they're bad, then go ahead. But I'm not buying any of it." I found myself smiling a bit at his words, without even meaning to. The golden-brown warrior spotted me, and gave a small grin back. I quickly looked away, a sudden feeling of embarrassment coming over me.
"I'm with Thornclaw!" chimed Whitepaw.
"Yeah, me too!"
"Same!"
Cats began yelling at Ashfur and Rainwhisker, telling them to sit back down and to "keep their mousebrained ideas to themselves." (That particular line being courtesy of Longtail.) And I just sat there, watching them silently. They had so much faith in us. I felt a twinge of pity, knowing that their opinions would soon change, whether they wanted it or not.
Ashfur and Rainwhisker narrowed their eyes, and the latter sent us a glance. We locked gazes, his expression overflowing with distrust and distaste. I fought the urge to smirk at him. His very own Clan was on our side, not his. We were winning.
"Everyone, calm down!" Firestar bellowed. "I will not allow this nonsense to carry on!" He looked at his patrol; "Sandstorm, Brackenfur, come with me. We'll go to Graystripe and find out what happened." There was fatigue and sadness in his voice, and he wasn't trying too hard to cover it.
"Shouldn't Darkwhisker, Duskfeather, and Snowclaw come with us?" Sandstorm asked quietly, smiling softly over at us. There was no challenge or suspicion in her voice, only kindness. "Just so they can completely clear their name." Firestar thought about this for a second before nodding.
"Very well. You three... Come with us." The ginger tom began to lead the group up the slope; his ears were flat against his head and he dragged his paws slightly. Poor guy, I thought, somewhat sarcastically.
The air was getting cooler, and I stayed close to Ross and Mourn as we walked behind Firestar, Brackenfur and Sandstorm. Clouds were forming and covering the sun; maybe it would even start raining again. How perfectly fitting with the mood. It was uncomfortably quiet as we made our way towards ShadowClan. Sandstorm had her head bowed a bit, her eyes darkened with grief, and as strong as Brackenfur was trying to be, his legs shook just a tiny bit with each step he took. Nothing needed to be said. And so no one spoke.
The undergrowth thinned out, and the green, deciduous trees were being replaced with dark evergreens. The leaves and twigs were taken over with dead pin needles, and the familiar scent of ShadowClan met our noses. Soon, Firestar halted, flicking his tail. We stopped; Ross, Mourn, and I looked at him expectantly.
"This is the border," he mewed. I shivered a bit; something about it seemed so ominous. Or maybe that was just the wind. "Well?" he said quietly, turning to his warriors. "Where is his body?"
"It's just a bit further along this way," murmured Brackenfur, his ears flat against his head. "A bit further down the border."
We kept walking silently; sometimes, Mourn and I would exchange glances. Ross seemed to pretend we weren't there. And soon, a new-- yet all too familiar-- scent washed over me. Blood. We're getting close, I thought gravely. If we don't pick up the pace, the flies will get him before we even get there...
Suddenly, Mourn came to a halt, his eyes widening as he looked off further into ShadowClan territory. "Is... Is that him?" he squeaked; I think he sounded more pitiful than intended. Heads were raised, eyes averted into the direction he was looking; and we saw him. From where we were, it was but a gray lump, though there was no doubt. That was Graystripe's body.
"No," Firestar breathed, his green eyes glimmering. "No... Graystripe..." He began into ShadowClan towards his beloved deputy's body, nearly tripping on his own feet in his haste. Brackenfur slowly followed after him, his shoulders sagging and tail drooping. Sandstorm glanced sadly at the three of us before giving us a small nod and leading us over.
I pricked my ears and halted when we reached where the cat lay. I craned my neck forward to get a better look; his gray fur was matted with blood, and below him, pine needles soaked in red. He had a few deep gashes, including one stretching from his left shoulder to his back leg. His ear had been tattered in the fight, and there was a small cut directly below one of his eyes, still bleeding. His amber eyes were still open, and one last look of defiance outlined his features. After a few more moments of inspection, I noticed a laceration below his chin, on his neck... The killing blow, I'm sure. It all made me wince, just a bit-- yes, even me. Am I so heartless...?
"Graystripe," rasped Firestar again, shaking his head with disbelief as he simply stood there and stared the dead tom. His tail was between his legs, his ears flattened, every muscle in his body sagging with grief. It was as if a sudden realization came over him, as if he hadn't believed a word that Sandstorm had said and it only just clicked that it was all a reality.
And then, the great leader fell to the ground, burying his nose against Graystripe's bloodied neck. He clenched his eyes shut, as if that would make everything go away. Sandstorm was looking at the dead deputy, her mouth open slightly and her green eyes shimmering in emotion. She tried to keep herself from trembling, but she eventually gave up and let her feelings take over. She dropped down beside her mate, touching her muzzle to Graystripe's. Brackenfur shakily sat down, bowing his head as he said nothing.
I sighed and glanced at Mourn and Ross. Mourn was too caught up in it all, looking at Graystripe in horror, but the other tom caught my gaze. His expression was unreadable, as was mine. I looked away, facing the Clan cats. I felt slightly awkward; I didn't know what to say or do. Finally, I bowed my head, copying Brackenfur. Ross and Mourn did the same.
It was quiet for a long time.
But soon, rising above the stench of blood came a new smell; the smell of cats. ShadowClan cats. I raised my head, and the others slowly got to their paws. Everyone but Firestar, that is-- I couldn't tell if he was oblivious to the approaching ShadowClanners, or if he just didn't care.
And then, three cats appeared from behind an oddly jagged boulder-- Russetfur, their deputy, with Rowanclaw and Oakfur. I remembered them all from the recent battle, and fighting with Oakfur one-on-one. He seemed to remember me too, and sent me a deathly glare, looking as if he would have liked nothing more than to rip my tail off. Go ahead, I thought, smirking lightly. Attack me, right now. We outnumber you, two to one. See where that will get you.
Russetfur stepped forward, her green eyes glinting fiercely as her dark ginger fur bristled. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice nearing a snarl. She glared down at Firestar, who gave no reaction. He continued to just lie there, apparently overtaken by grief. Pathetic. "Can't you see your in ShadowClan territory, you mousebrains!?"
And so, Brackenfur took over. "A better question," he growled, his tail lashing, "is, 'Why is our deputy dead in your territory?'"
The she-deputy narrowed her eyes to slits, pulling her lips back. "Your precious deputy killed one of our kits! We found him here, looming over her body!"
"That's foxdung," snarled, Sandstorm, stepping in. "Besides, even if you did see him with her, how do you know that he was the one that killed her!? Maybe he saw her in your territory and was alarmed, and came over to help!" When it took Russetfur a moment to reply, it was clear to me what had happened. After Graystripe told Ross to get back to camp, he made his way along the ShadowClan border to meet up with the rest of the patrol. It was as Ross said. But along the way, Graystripe found a ShadowClan kit in pain and went over to help. Some ShadowClan cats found him, and killed him, thinking that he killed the kit with his own claws. Or, maybe not. Maybe they knew that he was only there with benevolent intentions, and they used this as an excuse to get back at us. To get back at ThunderClan for winning the battle.
"We saw him," Russetfur growled slowly, obviously choosing her words carefully. "We saw him kill her."
"There's a chance that you saw wrong," Ross replied smoothly, calm and cool as always. "Or perhaps you're just lying. Graystripe wouldn't do that."
"Oh, really?" hissed Rowanclaw. "And who are you three? Did Firestar take in even more outsiders?"
Ross narrowed his amber eyes, and I watched him quietly. "We're warriors of ThunderClan," he said. "And don't bring Firestar into this."
Oakfur snorted and glanced at where the ginger tom lay. "Some leader you have. Caught up in his own grief and making his warriors speak for him. How pathetic." He spit out the last word, peering at us all in disgust.
"Well?" challenged Russetfur, keeping her head high. "What are you going to do, Firestar? Or are you just going to sit there, wallowing in pity?" I followed her gaze to my temporary leader, watching as he finally got to my paws. He walked forward and stood beside his warriors. He looked at Russetfur silently, his green eyes shining. Yet, he didn't say anything. Idiot! I thought. They killed your precious deputy! Fight them! We outnumber them! But still, he said nothing. Finally, he turned to Sandstorm and meowed quietly, "Help me with Graystripe's body." The she-cat frowned but complied, heaving the cat onto their backs. Without another word, they turned, heading back towards ThunderClan territory. Brackenfur and the three of us exchanged glances, but nonetheless followed after our leader, leaving the ShadowClanners to watch us walk away. They were satisfied, I could tell.
xGxRxAxYx
There was an uncomfortable air in the camp, still and quiet. Leafpool had managed to clean up the blood from Graystripe's coat, and cats were now individually mourning for him in the center of the hollow. I thought that I may as well show my respects, too, and so when Sorreltail was finished, I went up to the gray cat's body. I leaned down, touching my nose to his and whispered in a voice barely inaudible, even to myself.
"Goodbye, Graystripe," I murmured. "If ShadowClan hadn't killed you, you wouldn't survived a bit longer." I paused, smiling gently as I lifted my head and looked down on him. "Not by long," I chuckled lightly, "but..." I let out a sharp sigh, trying to push away any sadness I felt-- which was, surprisingly, a fairly decent amount.
It was now night. The sun had set just about an hour ago, and the waxing moon shone calmly as it bathed everything in a soft glow. The darkening clouds were now gone, leaving the starry sky clear.
Thornclaw had managed to get himself out of the den and over to the camp's center to mourn-- with Leafpool's help, of course. I watched as he sat alone, next to Graystripe's body, murmuring things to him that I couldn't hear. He shakily got to his paws, attempting to walk on his own. He was doing an adequate job, I have to say. I got up and padded over to him, and when he noticed me, he smiled slightly. The two of us sat down beside each other, watching Clan life silently, not saying even a word for the longest time.
"...You okay?" I asked quietly, glancing over at him. I think my concern for him was a bit too obvious in my voice.
"Hmm?" Thornclaw blinked and looked at me. He looked tired; his eyes were duller than usual, and he let out a heavy breath, but he offered a tiny grin nonetheless. "Yeah... I'm fine. Well, I mean, considering the current circumstances..." He broke off, but held my gaze. I watched him silently, taking note of his features. And something was set off in my mind, a sudden realization of how handsome he really was. Off-guard, I quickly turned away, focusing my stare elsewhere.
"...What about you?" he asked quietly. "I can't imagine what it must have been like, receiving all of that dung Ashfur and Rainwhisker said about you..."
I smiled slightly, turning back to face him. "Must have been even harder for Darkwhisker, being directly accused of killing Graystripe." I sighed and gave a tiny shrug of my shoulders. "It's all in the past now, though. But I still can't say that those two trust us... Me, Snowclaw, and Darkwhisker, I mean."
"They will," assured Thornclaw, smiling tiredly. "Just give them time. They're stubborn ones." I blinked a few times before, grinning just a bit before looking at the ground.
"Thanks," I said quietly, and the warrior batted me lightly on the shoulder with his paw.
"No problem."
We sat together for a few more moments, and I was aware of the slightly awkward atmosphere between us. I shook my head quickly, trying to get out any thoughts I had for him. He's an enemy, I attempted to tell myself. A piece of shit that ran us out of our home. But when I looked back up at him, and he smiled so kindly at me... I couldn't help but smile back.
"Attention, cats of ThunderClan!" bellowed a voice suddenly, causing me to jump slightly at such an intrusion to an almost peaceful moment. Firestar was standing atop the Highledge, his head held high as his fur ruffled in the wind. Looks like he's out of his filled-with-grief phase.
"ShadowClan killed Graystripe," he said slowly once he had gotten everybody's attention. A few cats growled in response while a few hissed remarks about ShadowClan beneath their breaths. "They accused him of killing one of their kits, but we all know that they used this opportunity as an excuse to get revenge for our winning the recent battle." The leader narrowed his eyes, and a new fire swept through them. "Tonight, we are going to avenge Graystripe's death. And all the lies that ShadowClan's been spewing."
One cat let out a cheer, followed by another, and another.
"We will attack at Moonhigh!" he announced. "Dustpelt and Spiderleg will stay to guard the camp incase of any invasion. Before we leave, make sure that that the brambles surrounding the camp are secure, just in case there should be an intrusion. Brackenfur and Brightheart, I'm putting you two in charge of that." Firestar paused for a moment, gazing across the hollow. "Eat and rest before we go. I will call everyone together when it's time." As he made his way down the Highledge, a few cats yowled in determination, and the silent, uneasy peace was broken.
"I suppose I'll be staying here," said Thornclaw, chuckling lightly and halfheartedly. He looked at me and smiled with confidence. "Good luck, Duskfeather."
I grinned as I got to my paws, dipping my head. "Don't worry about me," I purred hoarsely as I made my way over to Mourn and Ross.
The clock was ticking, every second that passed closer to when we would launch our nighttime attack. And we would be ready.
*Fistpump* Here they go again! Those crazy kids~ Growin' up so fast~ xDD
Review and you shall get an Ashfur plushie, because I'm running out of ideas. xD I love CC~
Till next time!
Pearly