Chapter 12 The Trial pt 2
"Whitestar please explain the filth's crime." Moon ordered.
He stepped forward and cleared his throat. Whitestar shifted his paws for a moment until he looked up at Moon.
"Darkpaw has been accused of stealing Snaketooth's prey. I never saw him have it, but according to Brightpaw, Wolfpaw, and some other cats, they saw him have a rabbit." Whitestar explained.
"There're lying!" Darkpaw hissed silently.
"But at least dad was being honest. If he didn't see you have it than Daisypetal didn't see you have it either." Lightpaw mummered.
"Are you sure?" Darkpaw asked.
"Positive. They maybe high rank cats, but that doesn't mean that their word will go against ours." Lightpaw assured.
"Alright if you're sure." Darkpaw meowed.
Through the whole time they've talked, Moon looked unsure of what to do. She looked at Daisypetal signaling her to speak.
"Daisypetal tell us what happened in your own words." Moon ordered.
She stepped forward and dipped her head respectfully at Moon.
"I was in Whitestar's den discussing with him about Wolfpaw's training when I heard yowls coming from the camp. When we left the den, we saw Snaketooth attacking Darkpaw with a rabbit next to him." Daisypetal explained.
Lightpaw's pelt bristled in fear and anger. If Moon used that as her advantage, would there be a chance Darkpaw was found guilty? He looked up to see one of the Star council cats staring at them. The cat was a small white tom with black patches and had blue eyes. His gaze was expressionless almost like he was in a trance. Lightpaw wasn't alone, Moon, Whitestar, Daisypetal, Cloudberry, the rest of the Star Council, and the rest of Lightclan looked at the small cat.
"Pisces what did you find?" Moon asked.
Pisces snapped out of it and looked at Moon. His gaze was somewhat of relief and anger. After a few moments, Pisces calmed down and gazed at Whitestar and Daisypetal.
"I'm afraid Whitestar and Daisypetal have been mistaken. Darkpaw didn't steal Snaketooth's prey, but rather the rabbit was given to him by Brightpaw and Wolfpaw." Pisces announced.
Yowls of outrage broke the silence. Lightpaw and Darkpaw looked at each other surprised and overjoyed. Moon wasn't satisfied either but she looked the two apprentices with a grunt. Cloudberry looked at the two apprentices pleased and relived. Moon silenced everyone with her tail and looked at a dark violet-blue tom with white chest, chin, belly, paws, muzzle, green eyes and dark brown curly horns.
"Aries do you have anything to say on the account of this trial?" she asked.
He nodded and took a step forward in the moonlight. Lightpaw surprised that a cat was able to have horns let alone have a fur color that was different than anyone else's. Aries looked at the Lightpaw and Darkpaw with thought and wonder.
"I believe that Darkpaw is not guilty. This trial should've never happened and I can't believe that these two apprentices responsible for Darkpaw's accusation would come up with this scheme." he meowed outraged.
"I agree. This was a waste of time." Sagittarius hissed.
Everyone was getting angry and agreeing with Sagittarius and Aries that this was a cruel and horrible way for a slave to be apart of a sick joke. After a few moments, Aries silenced everyone with his tail and looked at Darkpaw with curiosity and wonder.
"But I do wanna know this... Darkpaw can you tell us what happen a few hours ago?" he asked.
He nodded. Darkpaw got up slowly while wincing through the pain and looked up at Aries.
"Me and Lightpaw were out gathering herbs for Cloudberry. We had just finished gathering juniper berries, coltsfoot, cobwebs, catmint, and marigold and we were about to gather the last amount of cobwebs and marigold when Lightpaw spot a familiar looking plant. He asked me to run back to camp and get some old marigold for comparison. But when I got there, Brightpaw and Wolfpaw approached me. They said that I've been working too hard and I deserved a award. They gave me the rabbit and then walked away." he explained.
"And what were about to do with the rabbit?" Moon asked sneerfully.
"I was about to save it for later, but then Snaketooth saw me with it and was furious. He ran up to me, smacked me on the ground and then broke my legs." Darkpaw finished.
He soon laid down after that with Lightpaw helping him feel comfortable. The cats of the Star Council started mummering to each other and Moon gazed at the two apprentices then at Cloudberry.
"Cloudberry, can you confirm the injuries, the confrontations, and the task you assigned the two apprentices to do?" she asked.
"Yes I can confirm it. They did a fine job gathering the herbs especially the catmint. We're finally stocked for leafbare." she meowed.
Moon nodded and looked at the two apprentices sternly. After a few moments, she glanced at the Star Council cats.
"It's time to vote. All in favor of innocent?" Moon meowed.
Every member of the Star Council rose their paws including Lunar. Moon counted each paw until she reached the last one and gave a firm nod at each cat.
"It's official. The Star Council hereby finds Darkpaw not guilty of the crime." Moon announced.
Cheers came from the anti-slave cats, but angry mummers and whispers spread to the rest of the clan. Whitestar smiled and nodded at Moon. Lightpaw and Darkpaw looked at each other relieved and overjoyed, then they looked at Cloudberry who shared the same feeling of joy as well. Lightpaw grabbed Darkpaw by the scruff.
"You hear that Darkpaw? The next few moons are rest and relaxation for you." he purred.
"Oh no you don't." Moon meowed.
Lightpaw, Darkpaw, Cloudberry, Whitestar, Daisypetal, and the rest of the clan looked at her confused until they noticed that Moon's expression had changed into a evil grin. Whitestar got on his paws and looked up at Moon.
"Moon no not him please you just found him not guilty." he pleaded.
"But you still owe us Whitestar." she sneered.
Lightpaw looked at his father confused and let go of Darkpaw's scruff.
"Dad what is she talking about?" he asked.
Whitestar ignored him and the Star Council looked at Moon confused as well. Pisces was the first cat to step forward.
"Mom we can't hold him here any longer. He's been found not guilty." he meowed.
Moon looked at her son with a sweet motherly look and a grin that spelled trouble.
"Oh Pisces you know what i'm talking about." she meowed.
He did know what she was talking about, but Pisces looked over at Darkpaw then at Moon.
"But we agreed that we would only take a slave that was actually guilty not him." he meowed.
"True, but my patience is thinning and besides... I can tweek our agreement." Moon meowed.
"But you can't! This goes against the trust we share with Lightclan. If we break that trust, then we have any little chance of fixing it." Sagittarius protested.
"Hm it's a risk i'm willing to take." Moon meowed.
"Lightpaw what is she talking about?" Darkpaw asked worried.
"I-I don't know." he choked.
Moon gave a evil smirk at Whitestar than at Daisypetal.
"Daisypetal kill the filth!" she ordered.