Chapter 14. Punishment
Gingerpaw was the first cat to hear the screech from the medicine cats den. The sound came from the nursery. Gingerpaw and silentpaw sprinted to the nursery. They weaved through the tunnel.
Ferretwing sat in her nest coughing. A half eaten mouse lay alongside the tan she-cat. Something green was poking out from a neat cut on the mouse's flank. Ferretwing coughed. " What is that stuff, it tastes disgusting!". She looked like she was going to be sick.
Gingerpaw watched as Ferretwing wrectched. Cloudfang sniffed the mouse. " Parsley! Some cat has stuffed parsley into your mouse…" He exclaimed.
Silentpaw knew who had done this. It was so obvious. She's tried to kill of Ferretwing's milk supply! He told Lilytail. " Why she's done it it half obvious though" Lilytail said matter-of-factly.
" Parsley! My kits!' Ferretwing gasped. " There are no other queens who could take on my kits if I can't feed them!" Cloudfang put his tail on her shoulder.
" You'll be ok, You vomited most of it up" He told her. She nodded still worried. Silentpaw used some moss to clean up the mess.
" Who gave you the mouse?" Gingerpaw asked. Ferretwing looked shocked.
" I don't really want to say this… but it was Leopardheart" Ferretwing whispered. Gingerpaw seemed shocked, but she hadn't seen how suspicious the bengal queen had been acting.
Cloudfang ran out of the den. Ferretwing cleaned the kits, as if trying to distract herself. Silentpaw cleaned up the mess.
Nightstars loud call came into the den. All cats came into the centre of camp. The few who knew who had put the parsley in the mouse, stared at Leopardheart. She came out of dirt place looking a bit happier.
" Leopardheart! Step forwards!" Nightstar said, keeping calm. Leopardheart came forward. She was pushed through the crowd to the front of the high boulder. " For reasons, the clan mustn't know, you are going to be punished for your crime!" Nightstar growled.
Leopardheart's face showed no expression. " I know having and losing your kits was traumatic, but it shouldn't lead to you abusing the cat's who are trying to help you! You will be put on double duties for the rest of this moon and the next! I hope you are sorry for what you have done and it won't happen again" Nightstar growled.
Leopardheart scowled. Gingerpaw knew what double duties were. Her father as a young warrior had to do double duties once, for disobeying orders. They were the harshest punishment nest to exile.
You had to guard camp every night, and hunt on all patrols during the day and do as many patrols as possible during the day. And if all the hunting patrols and border patrols were done you had to clean out the elders den, the nursery, the leaders den, dirt-place, the apprentices den and the warriors den. It was hard, tough work. Her father only had it for a day. But leopardheart had it hard.
In some ways, Gingerpaw felt sorry for the misguided she-cat.
What do you folks think of the punishment Nightstar has given Leopardheart? Was it really that nessacery? Consider these points:
. She didn't kill Ferretwing
. She lied to another clan mate to get the herbs
. She really hurt Greywing
. Its for the rest of the moon AND next moon.
. She's not going to be able to sleep at ALL during that time, unless she's given premission.