"MARSHCLAN!"
From the Fallen Cypress, Whitestar called her Clan to gather. The cats poured from their dens like ants to swarm the clearing. Puddles of rain water and mud collected between them. The grass was sodden from the night before. Above, heavy clouds of gray swirled, veiling the sun. Only a dim light shone through, scarcely chasing the shadows from the early morn. Vultures spiralled beneath the clouds and above the camp. Their large black wings cast more shadows below.
The MarshClan cats began to murmur worriedly, staring at a body dressed in flowers at the center of the clearing. A dark gray tabby was adorned with marigold blossoms and white lilies. Smothering his mangled throat were red zinnias, but the massive red petals did little to hide the gore. If anything, they accentuated it. In his jaws was the bundle of sage meant to help guide him to his final resting place. Despite the sickly sweet smell, flies began to gather and relish the rot as the body sweltered in the humidity.
Jasminefur was quick to usher her kits back into the nursery at the sight of the corpse.
"With a heavy heart, I must address our latest crime," Whitestar announced. "One of our greatest warriors was slain yesterday. We brought him to you, so that you may grieve our loss before we bring his killer to justice."
The MarshClan cats bowed their heads and shut their eyes as the vigil began.
"As one of our greatest mentors and protectors of the Code, he was named Longpath. Many of his apprentices still stand with us today, while others have laid down their lives, as he has, in the name of their Clan."
A sniffle arose from the crowd, coming from Zinniablossom. She grieved into Sandthroat's shoulder while she watched Whitestar deliver her eulogy.
"He was also a fierce fighter. In battle, he suffered a wound so great, he almost fell to it. None could doubt his courage or loyalty after that day. Once he recovered, he came to me, humbly asking to be named Longscar, for he was proud to overcome such a grave injury and wished to be known for it. So, Longscar he became."
"Hear, hear!" exclaimed the crowd of MarshClan cats in cheer for the name of their lost warrior.
Sedgestrike watched her Clan cluster close and cheer for Longscar. Her lip peeled back in disgust. They were a murder of crows, gathering around the dead eagerly, preening their feathers and spreading their wings, all too eager to see the blood to be repaid. She could hardly recognize her Clanmates now. They shrunk from crows and contorted into bees. Buzzing the same tune, they moved lifelessly at the bequest of their almighty queen, ignorant of their shortening lifespan. They would all sacrifice their lives without question for the good of their hive, for the sake of their queen, and they accepted their fate, so long as they could soak their bodies in the honeycomb and blind themselves with sweet pollen.
"Bring forth the accused!" Whitestar ordered from her perch.
By her haunches, Sedgestrike was dragged. She did not protest. Though the feeling of Snakefang's claws digging into her stung, and the force of Grayjaw's tugs ached, she kept her jaw locked and her one good eye on Whitestar. Hisses and spits greeted her as she was placed before Longscar's corpse. She was forced to see him close. He looked even worse than she remembered. The heat of riverswell encouraged his body to rush towards decay. His body was bloated, full of death. If not for the flowers to disguise the gore, Sedgestrike may have lost her composure. Did she really do that to him?
"Sedgestrike," Whitestar mewed. "You are brought before MarshClan today, accused of murdering Longscar. Witnesses claim you did so to allow your mother, Fernstream, to escape into the Land of the Fallen and betray her Clan."
"Fernstream…" Sedgestrike whispered under her breath. She shut her eye and shivered. She felt a coldness sink into her bones and freeze the marrow within. She needed someone, a friendly face. But all she saw before her was the Order. They were lined up before her below Whitestar's perch on the Fallen Cypress. Batface was among them, but his eyes were shut. He seemed to be muttering something, but she could not hear over the buzzing flies and shrieking vultures.
Turning around to look for Yewbranch, or Ospreyflight, or Blueflower, she was stopped by a smack to her jaw. On either side of her, Snakefang and Grayjaw remained. It was Grayjaw that struck her, and now he was eyeing her fiercely, daring her to look back again. She refused to oblige him.
"The witnesses stand before you, Sedgestrike. The whole of my most trusted warriors," Whitestar continued. She craned her head over the row of cats that sat before the hollow trunk she sat on. The entirety of the Order of the Destined Paragons glared daggers at Sedgestrike. Sedgestrike took the repeated stabbing of glare after glare with clenched teeth and bristled fur. "You were once among them," Whitestar pointed out scathingly. "Excelling in strength and duty, it was I that dubbed you an honor graduate. You once represented a class of warriors most high. You once were a warrior to be looked up to, an example of what hard work and dedication could create. Now, you stand before me and the rest of MarshClan accused of murdering another of the most prestigious in your Clan. What do you have to say in your defense?"
Sedgestrike's eye rolled up to watch the buzzards circle. They seemed closer now. The heat of day was upon them. The clouds could only contain so much heat before they coughed blows of humidity. Longscar's rotting body beckoned the buzzards. Sedgestrike thought she could hear the beat of their wings. At least Longscar would be shielded from their hungry beaks in the safety of the earth. As for Fernstream… She was left for the fish to feed on.
"My defense…" Sedgestrike breathed.
Camp was so quiet, one could hear the flutter of a butterfly's wing. Humidity grew thicker, drawing the air from the cats' lungs.
"I have no defense," Sedgestrike admitted at last. "Not for myself. I know what I've done." She glared at Whitestar. "I am not going to waste my time defending myself. Instead, I'll be defending the cat that didn't get this chance. My mother. Fernstream."
"Silence!" Whitestar hissed, eyes blazing. "She lost her privilege the moment she chose to leave us! This is about you—"
"But you assumed she was leaving, didn't you? You didn't get to hear her side. You didn't give her the chance! And now she's dead."
Shocked murmurs rose from the crowd of MarshClan cats. Soon, the shock gave way to rage and it rippled through the cats, causing their pelts to bristle and their eyes to glint.
"She lies!"
"Justice for Fernstream!"
"Just kill her!"
The whirlwind of cries rattled Sedgestrike's bones. Lightning struck the Clan, sending them into a frenzy. Electrified by fear and rage and confusion, their voices came together and thundered.
"I avenged Fernstream! I avenged all of those that fell to you and your "trusted" warriors when I killed Longscar!" Sedgestrike did not know how her voice was able to ring out above the rest. She felt like the fire and fury of all the cosmos were within her.
"Silence!" Whitestar cried.
"No! I won't be silent! Not anymore. I won't stand by and let you silence anyone that chooses to oppose you. We serve and fight and provide for this Clan and we deserve to be heard!"
The MarshClan cats began to quiet, catching Sedgestrike's words with slackjaws.
"You're a coward!" Sedgestrike cried. "You hide behind your warriors and let their paws get dirtied with the blood of the innocent in the name of justice. Well, I see no justice here! If justice were true, my mother would still be alive!"
MarshClan began to stir uncomfortably, glancing between one another, not knowing what to look for.
"Grayjaw, Snakefang, take her—"
"Whitestar," Batface rasped, opening his eyes at last. "You must let her speak. The laws of the trial command it. The accused must always get their defense."
Whitestar's tail lashed. "No," she decided coldly. "She is not voicing her defense, she is inciting disorder and confusion."
"You see?" Sedgestrike growled. "Again, she chooses to silence those that dare defy her. Do not be so foolish and think she will not treat you the same way. We are all just pawns she can dispose of, nothing more."
Unrest disquieted the MarshClan cats. Some shuddered, others seethed, the rest were frozen.
"I only dispose of those that are a danger to the Clan," Whitestar admitted plaintively. Her gaze raked over the Clan. "My duty as leader is to protect and guide each and every one of you, to ensure you lead safe and comfortable lives in exchange for your toil. Those that wish to corrupt what it is we work for are those I send away."
"But you don't send them away, do you?" Sedgestrike snapped. "Those Fallen, those cats, they never again see the light of day when they leave MarshClan camp."
"You are truly misguided, Sedgestrike," Whitestar mewed. "I pity you, I do. The Fallen are given a life in exile in exchange for their crimes. But you? You will not be given that chance. To think I would let you walk out of my camp after showing such insubordination. After you insult our way of life, spit on the corpse of the cat you slayed, you think I would let you walk free to join the Fallen?"
Sedgestrike stiffened, her blood cooling from a boil to ice.
"You've admitted to killing Longscar, and you've showed no remorse in doing so." Whitestar jumped down from the Fallen Cypress. Her face was as cold and blank as a bed of frost. The Order parted before her, creating an aisle that led straight to Sedgestrike.
On either side of her, Grayjaw and Snakefang pressed close, blocking her movement. But their closeness was unnecessary, Sedgestrike was already frozen under the infuriated gaze of Whitestar. She moved slowly but gracefully like a beast on the prowl, and Sedgestrike knew she was the prey. The only thing between them was Longscar's lifeless body.
"The punishment for your crime is death. A life for a life, the blood must be repaid, and no one else in MarshClan is fitted for such a heavy task but myself," Whitestar mewed.
"We must rise!" A cry from the crowd sounded.
Whitestar faltered, eyes flashing.
Sedgestrike forgot how to breathe. She was unable to look and see where the cry came from, who it was.
Then, another voice sounded. "There is no justice!"
"No justice! No justice! No justice!"
The chant came from different voices all around the camp, loud and angry. Whitestar's eyes glanced about furiously, trying to find the cat responsible, but as one voice faded another rose up somewhere else.
"We must rise! We must rise! We must rise!"
"Find the traitors," Whitestar commanded scathingly to the Paragons flanking her. "Do not allow them to stir our Clan into chaos."
As the Paragons began to peel away from Whitestar, the chanting grew louder. Sedgestrike was being crushed between Grayjaw and Snakefang, and she felt like she could no longer fill her lungs. All the Paragons began to filter through the crowd, all but Batface. He remained beside Whitestar, eyes shut, unmoving. Sedgestrike could see him shaking.
"That was an order, Batface," Whitestar hissed. Sedgestrike thought she heard her voice falter.
"I won't," Batface grunted.
"What?" Whitestar growled. Her claws were unsheathed now, glinting in the dim moonlight.
The entire Clan was silenced by their exchange, watching with wide eyes. Thunder sounded, deep and loud like the pounding heart in Sedgestrike's chest.
"I won't do it." He gazed into her eyes unwaveringly. There was not the slightest twinge of fear in his face. "Sedgestrike is right about you. You do not rule with justice, you rule with fear."
For once, Whitestar's cold visage broke. Cracking like ice against the river flow, nothing but shock remained.
"Let her go," Batface whispered. "Prove that there is a shred of mercy left in you. Please. Show me you still have it."
Instead of coldness, Whitestar now wore an expression of boiling rage. "You are nothing but an old fool," she dismissed, spitting. "You allowed your brain to be poisoned by the traitors. Traitors do not deserve mercy."
"Whitestar," Batface rasped.
"Seize him!"
Before the Paragons could return to Whitestar's side, Batface shrieked. His caterwaul was followed by a spray of blood. Sedgestrike watched as a shadow took over Whitestar, pinning her to the ground and staining her white fur red with its touch. Screams of terror sounded as Batface brought his claws down on Whitestar's face.
"Your reign of terror ends here, Whitestar," Batface roared. "I won't let you hurt anyone else! I won't let you take anything else away from me!"
Snakefang and Grayjaw rushed for Whitestar, and Sedgestrike could breathe again. She fell into the grass as freedom rushed into her. She watched horrified as Batface was taken down by Grayjaw. Before he could hit the ground, his eyes found her, and unmistakeably he mouthed, "Run."
Distant thunder boomed as Sedgestrike was engulfed once more in chaos. Bodies rushed in every direction, cries of fear and anger rose from MarshClan. Splashes of water and blood filled the air. Sedgestrike pushed through the crowd, knowing this would be her only chance to escape. She heard the bloodcurdling cry of Batface and shuddered. Before her she saw a smudge of different colored pelts as MarshClan scattered and panicked.
Then a crash, and Sedgestrike was knocked to the ground. She looked up in confusion, seeing Zinniablossom staring down at her, enraged.
"Look what you've done!" she cried.
Zinniablossom raised her claws, only to be tackled by Littlebrook. Sedgestrike got to her paws, eye wide with disbelief. Littlebrook's blue eyes flashed.
"Run," she mewed as she kept Zinniablossom restrained.
It all made sense then. Sedgestrike looked around once more, realizing what she was seeing. Risen fought within the crowd, keeping the Paragons at bay as the rest of the Clan darted around in confusion, unsure of who to fight for, who to fight against.
"Run!" Littlebrook mewed again before getting slashed by Zinniablossom's claws. Blood splattered across Sedgestrike's face, and the warmth and reek of it stirred her instinct. Run.
She moved for the sawgrass, carried by the wind of her need to survive.
Run.
She jumped over Claytooth's body. She wasn't sure if he was dead or alive.
Run.
She was crashing through the sawgrass and sugarcane, feeling her fur tear. The screams from camp followed at her heels.
Sedgestrike could see the glint of the marsh water through the grasses ahead, but then a shadow emerged. Round, frightened green eyes stared at her through the dark.
Mudpaw.
Sedgestrike slowed, coming to a halt before her brother. She was panting shakily. In her haste to escape, she reopened her wounds. Blood slowly trickled down her body.
"Mudpaw," she rasped. "What are you doing?"
Mudpaw stared at her trembling. "Why did you say those things?" he whimpered.
Sedgestrike panted, shaking her head. "Mudpaw, now's not the time. I can explain more to you later, but I need to get through—"
"No!" Mudpaw's fur bristled. "I—I won't let you. Not until you admit you were lying."
"Lying?" Sedgestrike shook her head. "No, no I wasn't! Everything I said was true, Mudpaw. Our mother is dead, Longscar killed her—"
"No!" Mudpaw cried. "No, he wouldn't do that! He was good and loyal. He would never…"
"Yes, he would," Sedgestrike assured him softly. She took a step closer to him. "They would all do the same, if Whitestar wanted them to."
"Stop! Just stop. Why do you always do this? Why do you have to mess everything up? Why can't you just—just—"
Behind her she heard the rustle and panting of several cats.
"Don't let her get away!"
"She's up ahead! Stop her!"
Sedgestrike's heart fluttered. Panic settled into her bones, rattling her. She looked to her brother in desperation. "Mudpaw, everything I've ever done, I've done to keep you safe. I would never lie about our mother. Now, please, let me through. Or-or come with me, if you want. Come with me and I'll show you the truth—"
"No!" Mudpaw unsheathed his claws, still shaking. "You will not escape. You can't run away from what you've done."
The crashing came louder now, more frantic. They were gaining on her, fast.
Sedgestrike shut her eye. "I'll ask one more time, let me go," she whispered desperately, voice shaking.
"I—I won't." Mudpaw stood firm, lips trembling.
"I'm sorry," Sedgestrike cried. Lunging forward, she last saw her brother with wide eyes full of fear before she slashed across the bridge of his nose, sending blood squirting into his gaze.
She was left with the echo of his pained, enraged wails as she crashed into the marsh. Water splashed up in her wake, wetting her bloody, muddy fur and bogging her down. Her splashes were echoed by her pursuers. She glanced back to see Zinniablossom, Otternose, and Spiderfang on her tail.
She knew she would not be able to outrun them for long. She knew she could not make it across the river without being caught.
She knew what she had to do.
Breaking into the palmetto grove, she bounded through, getting dusted with sugar sand. She could feel Zinniablossom's hot breath on her tail tip. On either side of her, Spiderfang and Otternose were closing in, flanking her. She was being corralled.
Halting, she turned on Zinniablossom, screeching as she lashed her claws out to catch her chin. The she-cat snarled in pain, buckling backwards. Sedgestrike seized the gap and charged up towards the higher standing cypress forest, towards the training gully. She weaved through the cypress knees and ferns, hearing Spiderfang and Otternose close behind.
She found Oakbridge, running across it. The spongy moss growing on the tree sabotaged her footing, and she careened to the side of the bridge, clinging to it by her two front paws as her body swung.
She heard Spiderfang giggle eagerly. "We've got her now!"
Sedgestrike scrabbled up the side of Oakbridge as Spiderfang closed in with Otternose not too far behind him. Excitedly, he pounced but Sedgestrike was ready, sliding onto her back, she timed her kick well, and sent him flying off the side of the bridge, forcing him to cling to its side.
Turning, she rushed for the cover of bracken. Cypress knees protruded from the sodden earth, hungrily chomping at the rushing bodies. She weaved between the earthy fangs, getting her ribs grazed in her haste. Otternose was close behind. Sedgestrike could hear the she-cat's nimble paws effortlessly glide closer.
The shadows of the cypress forest reached for Sedgestrike as the storm clouds above began to churn, rumbling ominously. Mud clawed at her paws, dragging her down into the bog, where she would meet an early grave. Her muscles tore through the struggle, screaming with the effort. She refused to die here. Red and green ferns brushed against her muddy, bloody fur, catching droplets of scarlet running off her body. Fog began to filter through the undergrowth, beckoning Sedgestrike into the gray light.
Otternose was reaching for her then; her claws emerged from the ferns, raking at Sedgestrike's hindleg. She screeched as Otternose buried her claws in her. Whirling onto her back, she kicked furiously, feeling her back paw collide with Otternose's chest. Her pursuer grunted in pain, only to leap from the thick, dark ferns and land on top of her, hissing. Sedgestrike's eye widened in rage. She was too close to lose now. Otternose bit at her shoulder, and Sedgestrike stole the opportunity to bring her heavy paw onto the side of her face, dragging her claws down Otternose's ear, shredding it. Otternose screamed, recoiling off of Sedgestrike.
Ahead, the river roared. Swollen with rain, it belched billows of mist into the air, which swirled over the water quarry of boulders. The heavy mist sluggishly crawled over the lip of the cliff, breathing into the forest. Sedgestrike could taste the river in the silvery motes. A stretch of sleek grass was all that stood between her and the cliff's edge.
"Aha! She's stuck! She's stuck!" Spiderfang cheered from the shadows of the forest.
Sedgestrike did not wait for his parade to arrive, she broke for the cliff, limping furiously. Blood trickled from her wounded leg, slowing her. Her ragged breath disturbed the thickening mist, sending it cascading over her broad shoulders like a gray cape.
The deputy emerged with his warriors flanking him. Blood dribbled from Zinniablossom's nose, staining her bared teeth red. Otternose was panting heavily, blood running into her eye from her torn ear. They slowly closed in on Sedgestrike, tails lashing eagerly.
Sedgestrike's back leg buckled as she reached the edge of the cliff, and she lay before its sheer drop. She rolled, looking down from the edge, seeing jagged rocks blurred by the misty air. Foam spurted from the dripping jaws of hungry waves. The river rushed doggedly, hunting for the end. Sedgestrike slowly turned her head, seeing the MarshClan cats grinning at her inevitable capture.
"Best stop now!" Spiderfang crowed. "You're good as dead. No one can survive that fall."
Rising shakily to her paws, Sedgestrike glared at the deputy. Her breath became more rapid and shallow, and her eye rolled to the rushing river. Through the mist, she thought she could see the shine of pale green eyes. Something squirmed in her chest. A need, a calling, to the end. Her body was ice. Her body was fire.
Sedgestrike jumped.
She was greeted by the sound of a crash.
Followed by darkness.
Then pain.
"The sun will set on us unless we rise."
