CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Eagleheart had never killed another cat before.

Why? he thought. Why did she have to do this? Why couldn't she just calm down?

Beside him, he heard the soft, reassuring tone of Icestar's voice. "You both showed true loyalty today. I am proud to lead such fine MesaClan warriors."

To Eagleheart, the praise felt too distant to offer any relief, like the sight of cool shade too long a trek away. He tore his eyes away from Darkstorm's dead body to glance at the other two. His kittypet Clanmate looked shaken, her eyes tightly focused.

With a flick of his tail, Icestar picked up Lucky's body by the scruff and started to drag him back toward camp. The warriors kept their silence on the way back.

Socks was one of the first cats to catch sight of them as they returned. "Lucky?" she called out.

"Lucky! Oh, no—" That was Batfur.

His heart aching, Eagleheart didn't realize his gaze had sunk to the level of the dust until he heard Yuccaclaw's voice.

"Where's Darkstorm?"

Most of the warriors in camp were staring at them by now.

Icestar leapt onto Flatstone to call a Clan meeting. Eagleheart was barely listening. Fluffyfern was sticking close to the tabby's side, clingy as a kitten, as he folded himself down and lowered his head onto his white paws. He was only vaguely aware of Icestar telling the story of finding Lucky "already taken by StarClan" as he watched the dust before him indent with his breaths.

Would Lucky go to StarClan? Did being part of MesaClan, even for a little while, guarantee him that honor? Eagleheart wasn't sure, but he was too devastated to care. Darkstorm was dead, and he had been a part of killing her. He knew that she would turn on Icestar one day, but he couldn't have imagined it would be as terrible as this—as terrible as his own claws painted with his future mate's blood.

He could never speak with her again. They could never go to Warrior's Outlook together. They would never get to have kits.

"We disagreed as to the cause of his death," Icestar continued. "That's when Darkstorm, who has always suffered from an unstable mind, lost her wits and betrayed MesaClan by viciously attacking me for no reason."

Icestar paused there, looking across the Clan.

After a moment, Yuccaclaw yowled, "And?"

"…And, unfortunately, she was so persistent in her attacks that there was only one way to stop her for good."

Meaning, the three of them had killed her together. Eageheart's stomach twisted with grief. A few warriors gasped, and Scorpionpelt swore, "By the teeth of the dead!"

"The vigil for our fallen Clanmate Lucky will—"

"She's dead?" Yuccaclaw shouted. "You killed her? You killed my daughter?!"

"Unfortunately, she gave us no choice."

"And what about the vigil for her?" Peccaryfur demanded, interjecting.

Icestar turned his steady gaze on her. "Darkstorm was a traitor. There will be no vigil for her."

"YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER."

"Yuccaclaw, please contain yourself."

"CONTAIN MYSELF?" she shrieked. "My daughter is dead because of you. You're not my leader anymore. You're not even my brother. I'll sooner become a kittypet than accept another order from you."

The rest of the Clan was silent, Nightheart too burdened with grief to console her, and Scorpionpelt and Mesquitestripe had begun backing away from her.

"Yuccaclaw," Icestar mewed, his voice finally breaking with strain. "You realize this will make you a traitor, too, as well as anyone who stands with you."

Peccaryfur walked over to stand at Yuccaclaw's side, staring up at the white tom in defiance.

Eagleheart couldn't believe this was happening.

"Anyone else?" Icestar asked.

"Wait!" Eagleheart shouted. "You're making a mistake! Icestar is our rightful leader, blessed by StarClan! Where's Deadeye? Ask him—he'll tell you!" But when he turned his head and looked across camp for any sign of the medicine cat, he couldn't find him. "Where's Deadeye?" he repeated, and he galloped to the medicine cat den. There he found the old tom crouched back deep in the shadows, muttering to himself a few shaken words in between spots of silence.

"Snakeskin and skunk dung," the warrior cursed. "You're no help when you get like this."

Deadeye didn't answer, his eyes foggy and far away.

The young tabby felt Copperpaw appear at his side, nudging him and rubbing his shoulder with his cheek. "Leave him alone. He can't hear you right now."

Eagleheart whirled on him, exclaiming, "He's the medicine cat! We need him! The Clan is rebelling against our leader and someone has to explain the will of StarClan—"

"StarClan doesn't matter," Copperpaw replied.

His brother stared at him.

"Nothing does, anymore. It wouldn't be enough to stop what's happening. It is as StarClan foretold."

Eagleheart narrowed his eyes. "Medicine cats," he muttered as he turned away. When he emerged from the den, Yuccaclaw and Peccaryfur were gone. Off to Twoleg-place to become kittypets, he assumed. Good riddance. At least most of the Clan was still intact. Hopefully, when the hunting patrol got back and Skunkpelt and Smokefang returned from whatever they'd gotten up to, no more would follow down the path of betrayal.

After the vigil for Lucky, Eagleheart sought out Icestar and sat beside him to watch a ring of vultures circle in the distance, a deep exhaustion pervading his bones.

"I miss her already," he mewed.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," Icestar replied with a nod.

She was never coming back. She was never coming back. He'd never get to touch her again. "How will I have a family now?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"Smokefang would make a good mother, don't you think?"

"I guess." Eagleheart thought about it for a moment and found himself warming toward the idea. Smokefang wasn't near as ornery as Darkstorm had been. He could make her his mate easily. The warrior took a deep breath and sighed, pain glistening in his soft blue eyes. "So there's still hope."

"There will always be hope. And if you do not find your satisfaction with her, then perhaps you will take interest in others. We still have new Clanmates yet to come."