The morning's arrival felt like a moon away. The night had hung heavy over Grassclan, and still lingered come dawn in the form of thick clouds. The warrior's den remained shrouded in darkness, as if Starclan themselves were urging the clan to stay inside and mourn another loss. Yet when Swiftcloud awoke, she found herself all alone. Outside, a meeting had been called. When she pushed her way through the narrow entrance of the warrior's den, she was met with a chorus of yowls.
"Justice!" Cried Dewstone uncharacteristically, tears welling in her fury-lit eyes. "Treeclan must be held responsible for this crime. We must attack!"
Swiftcloud couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd never seen the Code Keeper act out like this. But an important memory popped into Swiftcloud's mind as she watched the scene unfold. Jaybird was Dewstone's mother; she had been the very first kit Jaybird ever adopted. It was no wonder she would be so angry. I can't say I blame her.
"Yes," Whitestar agreed with her warriors. "I see now that Treeclan will stop at nothing to take the Forest Patch back from us. We mustn't try being civil anymore, if this is what it comes to. Innocents being slaughtered... No more Grassclan cats shall needlessly die to settle scores. Instead, today, we shall finish this war! We will face Treeclan with everything we have, and settle this feud once and for all."
"Grassclan!" Gingerstrike roared. "Grassclan!"
"Grassclan! Grassclan! Grassclan!" Everyone else cheered along. Swiftcloud found her own voice lifting to join her clanmates, settling down as Whitestar swept her tail.
"Tigerfang, Swiftcloud, Gingerstrike. You will all accompany me to Treeclan's camp. We are going to have ourselves a little chat with those squirrel-kinning warriors. Come." The beautiful siamese she-cat leapt from the Tall Stone to the grass below, already heading for the bramble tunnel. Swiftcloud pushed her way from the crowd, joining Tigerfang and Gingerstrike as they padded over to join with Whitestar. Chicorynose bid them farewell as they departed, the encouraging yowls of the clan going with them, fading the further the patrol traveled from the hill they lived upon.
The patrol padded far across the meadow, over the Twoleg bridge and towards the thick brush of the Forest Patch. They disregarded the scent markers entirely, marching onward with their intent to confront Treeclan. Today, even Swiftcloud paid no nevermind to their trespassing, of which she would always acknowledge whenever visiting the deeper part of the woods. Her mind was still too clouded with anger and grief for the loss of Jaybird. Sleep had barely helped to quell the anguish she felt. And the clan meeting this morning had only worked to rile her up more. Her head was buzzing like a hive full of bees. All she could focus on at the moment was getting to the bottom of this slaughter. And of all the other murders Treeclan had committed too.Recently, I've spent so much time focusing on Snowfrost being a murderer, that I forgot all the blood Treeclan has shed, Swiftcloud realized. But I won't let my priorities be muddled anymore. First, I'll help defeat Treeclan. Then I'll stop Snowfrost, before she strikes again. Swiftcloud was aware of why she was brought on the patrol today. Not only was she meant to prove they had come in peace, given that she was not a Fighting warrior. But she was also meant to act as a spy. Whitestar had not said so, but Swiftcloud was sure her job today was to look for evidence of Jaybird. She would look for clues, to see if the queen had been lured to the woods or brought against her will. Or to find out if she really had drowned in the river all on her own.
Deep down, Swiftcloud hoped Jaybird's death was merely an accident. Maybe the fur between her claws belonged to something she'd caught and eaten. And when she'd gone to quench her thirst, her paws slipped and she was sucked in by the current of the river. But Swiftcloud's instincts told her otherwise. The fur didn't look like it belonged toany sort of prey animal. It didn't seem like it could belong to a predator either, especially with no wounds to prove Jaybird had encountered one. The only other creature that could leave behind fur like that was a cat. It was a bit long, similar perhaps to a Treeclan warrior's pelt. It seemed only logical to assume a cat from the enemy clan could have done this.
Unless my first theory was correct, Swiftcloud dreaded. That would mean Snowfrost is responsible for this death too. But Swiftcloud couldn't let herself bring this case on as evidence of the medicine cat's murderous wrath. It didn't fit Snowfrost's pattern. None of her other known victims had been killed violently. They'd all seized to death after taking some kind of poison. And Jaybird was Snowfrost's sister. Swiftcloud couldn't see Snowfrost wanting to cause harm to any of her kin. Even if they had argued. Even if they weren't close. Would Snowfrost really go so far? Was she even capable of killing with her own claws? Medicine cats barely had any warrior training. Just the bare minimum for self defense. Most were not very strong. But it wasn't hard to swipe at someone. And it certainly wouldn't be hard for a healer to know exactly where to claw to kill. Or to tell when a cat's swallowed enough water to stop them from breathing. Swiftcloud gulped at the thought, a shudder rippling through her body from nose to nubby tail-tip.
Gingerstrike suddenly paused as they walked, head erect and nose twitching. Swiftcloud snapped from her contemplation to focus on him, the rest of the patrol halting to join in.
"Wait-" He ordered, dashing off into the forest.
Swiftcloud exchanged a glance with Tigerfang, chasing after the wayward warrior. They found Gingerstrike settled down a shallow slope. Right by the edge of Treeclan's creek. His ruddy ginger body stood out against the murky blue-brown water rippling in the bank beside him. He was bent over, snout nearly scraping the silt below his paws.
"I smell Jaybird here. It's faint, but it's her scent." Gingerstrike looked up at his clanmates, eyes shining.
"How are you so sure?" Tigerfang questioned with a tail lash. He padded over to join the other warrior, sniffing at the creek shore with his nose crinkled.
"She was mates with my sister. Believe me, I know what Jaybird smells like. She was here. This is where she died."
Swiftcloud glanced around.
"No, wait," she interjected, padding over to a cat-sized indent in the sediment a mouse-length from the water's edge. Beside it were two sets of paw prints. The tracks led both to and from this very spot from the top of the slope. "Look at this. I think this is where Jaybird's body must have been. There doesn't seem to be any signs of a struggle. No drag marks, except from the edge of the creek up to this spot. I think Treeclan might have been telling the truth!"
"We can't know that for sure. Jaybird could have been drowned on our territory and left for the river to claim. And it just so happens her body washed up here," Gingerstrike pointed out.
"Regardless," Whitestar chimed in as she met with her warriors on the shore, "we've already tested what was left of Blazestar's good will by attacking his warriors. Whether or not we can prove they killed Jaybird now means nothing. We must press on with our mission. We can't let ourselves be distracted anymore."
"I agree," Swiftcloud mewed, padding back up the slope. She tilted her head, motioning for her clanmates to come along. Whitestar, Tigerfang, and Gingerstrike followed, keeping up an even pace once the patrol had made it into the denser parts of the forest. They took their mandatory pause by the Thunder Path, crossing over it two by two before continuing onward. Eventually, the landscape began to slope once more, revealing the blackthorn barrier of Treeclan's camp.
Tigerfang was the first to make his way up into the Entrance Tree. Swiftcloud climbed up a heartbeat after, then Whitestar, and finally Gingerstrike protecting their rear. As they descended on the other side, the patrol's presence was noticed in an instant. Swiftcloud's pelt bushed with alarm at the sheer number of cats who'd turned to stare at them. It would seem Grassclan had intruded during a clan meeting. A time in which the whole of Treeclan was present.
Tinystep and Batwing's ears flattened in distrust of the uninvited patrol. Silverhawk, Treeclan's former Den Mother, growled beside her adult kit, who looked an awful lot like Thornberry. His expression was sour, but anxiety glittered in his pale yellow eyes. Moonface and Sunflower whispered among themselves near the fresh-kill pile, eyeing Grassclan's warriors with worry. Across the camp, Magpietail emerged from the nursery to see what all the fuss was about. Her kits had followed her out, their energy ripe with curiosity. One of them gasped at the sight of Gingerstrike, their face lit like sunlight on water. They crouched to the leaf littered floor, ready to pounce their way over to their father. But Magpietail held out her tail to stop them. As much as her own expression shone with yearning, she couldn't allow herself nor her kit to reveal her secret relationship with the ruddy ginger tom. Swiftcloud glanced over at her clanmate, seeing his own longing reflected through his gaze at the pretty white and black patched she-cat. Swiftcloud pitied them both. The most noticeable cat out of all among Treeclan's crowd was Blazestar. He sat tall upon the Great Stump, displeasure and annoyance prominent on his tense features.
"Grassclan warriors!" A warrior named Honeydrop cried out.
"How dare they set paw in our camp after what they've done!" Another, Fogbreath, snarled.
"Let them pass," a queen piped, gaining the attention of all her angered clanmates. That queen was Brightsky, Swiftcloud realized, Treeclan's current Den Mother. "They've clearly come to talk. Let's hear what they have to say."
Cats around the clearing murmured to one another, but no objections rung out. Eventually, the crowd parted down the middle to create a path upward to the Great Stump. Brightsky stepped out, dipping her head respectfully to the visitors. Then she turned, leading the Grassclan patrol forward as if they were kits about to be named. She moved aside gracefully once they'd reached their destination, seating herself beside her mate and deputy, Wolfheart.
Whitestar stepped forward, Swiftcloud and Tigerfang pressed to either side of her. Gingerstrike protected them all from behind, glaring sharp thorns at the onlooking collective of Treeclan, daring them to try and harm his leader.
"Blazestar," Whitestar growled, tilting her head back to lock eyes with the other leader. "One too many of my warriors have perished because of this war. This needs to end now. Enough fooling around. We must fight; a winner must be declared at last."
"Indeed," Blazestar gave a dark grin. His tail curled, raising into the air. "I agree with you, Whitestar. Treeclan shall face off against Grassclan one last time; all or nothing. If you'd like, I'll even allow you an extra day to prepare." The Treeclan leader's tone was loud and arrogant, like he was goading Whitestar on for his own amusement. Or perhaps he was putting on a show for his warriors' sake. As Swiftcloud glanced around, she could tell Blazestar's clanmates were eager and excited to hear more about the finale to this moons old fued.
"And this fight will decide everything, yes? The fate of the border? Up to the Thunder Path?" Whitestar proposed. It would seem she was willing to play the firey tom's game. And all the cats, including Swiftcloud and her patrol, were eating it right up.
Blazestar gave a curt nod. "Or the entire forest. Depends on the winner."
"So be it," Whitestar agreed, dipping her head. Blazestar copied her movements, the leaders lifting their heads after a moment of pause. Treeclan erupted into a cheer, silenced quickly by a flick of Wolfheart's tail.
Whitestar lifted her head then turned, looking at each cat from her patrol. "Come, Grassclan. We must prepare."