"I can't believe we didn't get to fight a fox," Stormthorn grumbled, as they padded back into the camp.
Sagestep rolled her eyes, and started to tell him that it was a good thing, that the fox had already moved on, but the sight in front of her made her stop in her tracks.
In the middle of the clearing, several cats were gathered around the still forms of Antstar, Tigerslip, and Weedtail.
"What happened?" Dovetalon gasped, "Who did this?"
"Well, it's kind of a strange story," Storkbeam began, beside her, Podbranch nodded.
"Well, what is it?" Sagestep snapped, wishing that all of these cats would stop beating around the bush.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes," Fuzzytuft meowed, shaking his head.
"Seen what?" Sagestep growled.
"Just get to the point!" Snaileye spat.
"It's terrible! We don't have a leader, a deputy, or a medicine cat anymore, what are we going to do?" Swifthaze yowled.
"I have medicine cat experience, I could-" Greentuft began, however, he was cut off with a collective no.
Sagestep didn't think he deserved to be the medicine cat again, not after how he betrayed the clan.
"So, what happened?" Snaileye asked the question again, that was probably on everyone's mind, who hadn't been in the camp when the incident occurred.
"Well, Weedtail killed Antstar-" Woodflame began.
"Inconceivable!" Ryedust spat, "Weedtail was a loyal medicine cat, he would never."
"But he did," Pebbledust meowed; her eyes wide, "And then Tigerslip killed Weedtail."
Rosesnout nodded.
"Then, he fell and hit his head on a rock."
"Wow, I guess Tigerslip really slipped up," Sandymask snorted, Sagestep shot a glare at the tom, however, her glare shifted to Dovetalon, when the white tom jumped on top of the stump, where Antstar used to give her announcements.
Why is he up there? Why is he acting like he's the leader all of the sudden?
"Attention everyone!" he yowled, "I know you're all scared and sad about the deaths of Anstar, Tigerslip, and Weedtail, but trust that everything will be okay, before he died, Tigerslip told me that once he became leader, he would make me deputy-"
"That's a lie!" Webpelt yowled, cutting him off.
The white tom narrowed his eyes at her.
"Are you doubting your new leader, Webpelt?"
"Is there any proof that Tigerslip asked you to be leader?" the silver tabby demanded.
"Yeah, how do we know you're not lying?" Wolfsnow asked.
"I was there, I heard Tigerslip say it!" Brambleburr exclaimed.
Webpelt rolled her eyes.
"You're just saying that because you're in love with him."
"What?" Fallingfrost demanded, casting a glare in Brambleburr's direction, which went unnoitced by the brown she-cat.
"Everyone stop!" Greentuft yowled, jumping up onto the stump beside Dovetalon.
Rage flared in Sagestep's chest, it was bad enough that Dovetalon did that, but a traitor doing it, just makes things so much worse.
"I've been having many visions these past couple of moons, visions of things coming in eights, eight ducks swimming, eight birds flying, eight trees..."
"What is your point?" Petalshade groaned.
"My point is, I think StarClan is trying to tell us, that we should split into eight clans, also, while I was helping Weedtail gather herbs, I saw some things."
"What kind of things?" Flickerthorn gasped with his eyes wide.
"No one cares, stop wasting our time!" Tinyeyes spat.
Dovetalon shook his head.
"I think we should hear what he has to say, it could be very important."
Sagestep stared hard at the ex-medicine cat, who did this cat think he was? Wanting to split up the clans, and faking omens to get his way?
She sank her claws into the ground, waiting to hear the rest of what he said, before sharing her own thoughts.
"I saw a rook carrying a thorn," his eyes drifted over to Rookthorn, "I think that means, that you're meant to be one of the leaders, of one of the eight clans."
The black and white spiky furred tom purred proudly.
"I won't let my clan down!"
"How can you just accept that this is right?" Weaselshine asked.
"Yeah," Raggedbriar meowed, "How can we trust anything Greentuft says?
"I think we should let him finish, plus, I think the idea of splitting into different clans sounds like a splendid idea," Minnowhaze meowed.
It's a terrible idea! Sagestep wanted to yowl, but her curiosity to see who else Greentuft would name as the leader stopped her.
"Well, get on with it, who is going to be the next leader?" Dovetalon asked, with a slight gleam in his dark eyes.
"Sparkeye."
"Oh nice!" the bright ginger tabby exclaimed, "It's going to be a lot of fun coming up with a name, I already know that I want my clanmates to have excellent eyesight such as myself."
Sagestep shook her head, she couldn't believe how easily some of these cats were accepting Greentuft's lies.
"And the next one?"
"Podbranch."
"But I don't want to split into different clans," the spotted tabby meowed.
Finally! Sagestep thought, someone with some sense!
"I'm sorry Podbranch, but I can't help what visions StarClan sends me," Greentuft meowed.
"Like they sent you any at all," Starlingfern muttered, however, if Greentuft heard her, he gave no indication of it.
"And the next leader?" Dovetalon asked, shuffling his paws.
"Tinyeyes."
"WHAT? Have you got bees in your brain?" the small-eyed tom shook his head, "I'd love to be leader someday, but I want to earn it, not have some traitor lie and give me the position."
"Be quiet," Grassthistle spat, "I don't want to split up into different clans either, but Greentuft is an honorable cat, and we should respect him."
"Oh yeah, honorable, what kind of cat goes off and mates with someone, when he's supposed to be taking care of the sick cats?" Tinyeyes demanded.
"Greentuft has made his mistakes, but haven't we all made mistakes?" Grassthistle asked.
"Not a mistake like that!" Tinyeyes exclaimed, and many cats yowled their agreements.
"Can we just get onto who the next leaders will be?" Dovetalon sighed.
"Turtleflight."
"I'm with Podbranch, I don't want to split into different clans," the tortoiseshell meowed.
Sagestep was glad that not every cat had bees in their brain, but she wished that they'd wait until Greentuft was finished, before making any remarks.
"Before you ask Dovetalon, the next leader is Shredcloud."
The calico didn't say anything, much to Sagestep's relief, she just shook her head.
"Eelfish."
The skinny dark tortoiseshell raised her head proudly.
"I want my clan to reside by the water, I think it'd fit my name perfectly."
"And who's the last leader?" Dovetalon asked; his voice an octave higher than normal.
"Chivespring."
Sagestep stared at the two cats on the log, unsure of what to think, Dovetalon said that Tigerslip promised him deputyship, which would make him the rightful leader, but according to Greentuft's visions, Dovetalon wasn't meant to be leader at all.
One of them was lying, but who?