Chapter Twenty - The Violet Flower's Truth
Hazelpaw and Daisypaw hurriedly made their way to Ashstar's den as soon as training was over.
Because of all the madness surrounding the investigation of Mousestripe's death, warriors barely paid attention to the two apprentices as they slunk past; with exception to the heavy set tabby tom with the scarred eye who gave them a look as they went through the camp entrance.
Hazelpaw hoped they looked innocent enough.
Upon arriving at the leader's den, (a cave-like room with overhanging lichen covering the entrance) the two detectives grimaced at each other encouragingly, before Daisypaw announced their presence.
There was a pause as Hazelpaw waited to hear Ashstar's voice. But the voice who answered wasn't Ashstar's at all.
It was Mothfur's.
"Come in." She called as the two she cats looked at each other in panic.
Neither of them had expected this. Hazelpaw's mind went into overdrive.
Asking Ashstar for the flower is frightening enough, but asking one of our three remaining suspects for the evidence that might prove they had done it - that's more terrifying all together!
"Come in!" Mothfur called again; this time her voice was tinged with annoyance.
"We'll just have to bluff it!" Daisypaw whispered to Hazelpaw. "This could be our chance to finally eliminate her!"
Or prove that she did the murders!
Hazelpaw opened her mouth to tell Daisypaw not to risk it, but the cream she cat had already pushed her way through the over hanging lichen.
Hazelpaw reluctantly followed, her heart pounding in her chest and her legs wobbling slightly. It took all her effort to keep her fur flat.
Daisypaw, however, was acting as if there was nothing wrong in the slightest.
"Oh! Mothfur!" She said as if it was a pleasant surprise. "Good afternoon."
"Good afternoon, Daisypaw, Hazelpaw." Replied the dappled brown she cat.
Hazelpaw thought she looked like a harmless fright, fur dishevelled, amber eyes dull and nose a bright colour. But Hazelpaw had learnt that appearances could be deceiving, so the grey she cat purposely sat down a safe few tail lengths away from Mothfur.
Daisypaw took a deep breath.
"Mothfur, this is probably a terrible thing to ask you. I should probably wait until Ashstar comes back - it's a rather difficult request -"
"Well, as you can see, today Ashstar left me in charge of camp while she deals with the Clan Guard. Anything you wanted to say to Ashstar you can say to me, young warrior." Said Mothfur.
"Okay! Well in that case….I'm sure Ashstar told you how I bumped into her this morning. I feel absolutely dreadful and I shall never forgive myself for it, but - well I dropped something when I crashed into her. It was a gift for Rosethorn, a flower to replace the one she lost. I know I shouldn't have had it, and as soon as I realised I had lost it I knew the only thing I could do was simply come down and beg Ashstar to give it back."
"How sweet," Said Mothfur, swaying as she stood up. "What was it exactly?"
Hazelpaw braced herself, feeling as though she was about to be attacked by a humongous BrightClan warrior.
"It's a deep purple violet with a short, green stem." Described Daisypaw.
Hazelpaw held her breath and waited for Mothfur to yowl loudly, or faint or launch herself at them. Instead, the dappled brown she cat merely looked confused.
"But, Daisypaw, what an odd coincidence. How strange. Are you sure?" Asked Mothfur, her brow wrinkled.
"Ashstar has just found her own flower that had been missing all last quarter moon - a violet, just like that. She just showed it to me and here it is in her nest."
Mothfur wandered over to the leader's immaculately woven nest and took something out of it before placing it down in front of the two she cats.
"You see this is Ashstar's dear," Mothfur told Daisypaw. "Are you sure the flower you lost is like this one?"
There, on the den floor, was the missing clue - the violet flower.
There was a slight pause.
Hazelpaw gaped in astonishment.
Daisypaw blinked. Then began speaking very fast.
"Oh no! Oh how annoying! You're right. I'm terribly sorry. Very sorry to have bothered you. Come along Hazelpaw. I'm sure Mothfur's very busy. Come on Hazelpaw!"
Daisypaw had to shove the slate grey she cat out of the den. She couldn't take her eyes off the purple violet flower on the den floor.
It can't be.
No, it can't be!
But it was.
There the flower sat, looking so ordinary on the den floor, except that it meant something extraordinarily terrible.
Mothfur wasn't the murderer.
Neither was Rabbithop or The Flame.
It was Ashstar.
Oh yes! It's HER! It's Ashstar! Unbelievable! Or is it? Was that a total blindside or had you already guessed it was her like ten chapters ago? Whatever the case, I hope you still enjoyed this chapter. And that reveal kinda raises more questions than answers, so you can stew on the mind-blowing (or utterly predictable) fact of Ashstar being the murderer for a week and then tune in next Mon/Sun to found out why (WHY?!) in Silverpelt she did it. See ya then!
-Fastbreeze37