Chapter 36
The clan gathered in the clearing, waiting to hear who would be going to the gathering tonight. Duskfeather stayed at the back of the group. It felt weird to be with cats that weren't really her clanmates. She glanced up to the full moon that was slowly rising in the sky. She felt a pang in her heart. The moon was the name sake of her real clan, her real home.
Just then Maplestar padded from her den, distracting Duskfeather from her thoughts. Maplestar walked to the bottom of the White Tree before announcing who would be going. "Everyone is attending except Twigshade, Silvertear, and Foamfur," Maplestar called. Duskfeather was surprised that she wouldn't be leaving any warriors.
The last time they had no warriors was when Shardclaw and Paletree lost their lives. A few other cats looked shocked too but before they could say anything about it Maplestar raced outside of camp. Duskfeather had no choice but to follow her.
Oceanclan, Stormclan had already arrived by the time they got there. Greystar greeted Maplestar with a friendly nod. Belugastar even dipped his head to her. The iciness between the two clans was beginning to fade.
"Duskfeather," Sparklewish cried. She beckoned her over to where she and Sandheart were sitting by the deputies. Duskfeather hurried over to her. "Hi Duskfeather," she purred.
"Hi Sparklewish, Sandheart," she greeted the two medicine cats. Sandheart dipped her head to her. "Where's Sealfeather?" Duskfeather asked.
"He retired to the elders den. I'm the solo medicine cat now," Sandheart explained.
"Congratulations," Duskfeather purred.
"Has Twigshade retired yet? Surely he's old enough," Sparklewish mewed. Duskfeather shook her head.
"He's still the medicine cat," she mewed. Sparklewish and Sandheart exchanged a look. Before they could say anything there was the thunder of paw steps. Turning around Duskfeather saw Swiftstar leading his clan onto the ice. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw their unsheathed claws and bristled fur.
"Moonclan attack," Swiftstar yowled. His warriors streamed past him and plunged into the clearing. The other clans barely had time to turn towards them before they were upon them.
"Frostclan gather together," Maplestar yowled from where she was perched on the Frozen Falls.
"Back to back Stormclan," Greystar yelled.
"Form a group Oceanclan. Use your strength," Belugastar ordered. Slowly the three clans separated into three groups. A few cats still tussled in the clearing but most had formed circles around their weakest members and were fighting against the Moonclan cats.
"Duskfeather, over here," Sandheart mewed. Duskfeather glanced at her friend. She and Sparklewish were behind a few rocks. They were tending to some warriors that were already badly wounded. Duskfeather rushed over to help.
The battle raged on behind them as they healed their clanmates. She could hear the leaders shouting out orders. It seemed Frostclan and Oceanclan had formed alliances but Stormclan had yet to choose what side they were on.
"Go find some more wounded cats," Sparklewish ordered. Duskfeather nodded and crept back around the rocks. Keeping to the shadows she slunk around the battle to find any wounded warriors.
"Why have you broken the truce Swiftstar?" a voice growled. Duskfeather pricked her ears and tiptoed towards it. Maplestar and Swiftstar were facing each other a little ways away from the fighting clans.
"Why did your warriors kill me warriors?" he shot back.
"We did no such thing?" she hissed.
"Their bodies rank of your scent. It was obviously Frostclan warriors," Swiftstar insisted.
"We did not harm your warriors," Maplestar growled.
"You lie," Swiftstar hissed. Quick as lighting he lunged forward and caught Maplestar's foot between his jaws. He bit down hard. The sickening sound of cracking bones echoed through the air. Maplestar yowled in pain and stumbled backwards. Swiftstar continued towards her, his mouth dripping with her blood. "You will die just like my warriors," he growled.
His paw slashed through the air. Time seemed to slow as they grew closer and closer to Maplestar's neck. It seemed as loud as thunder when they hit her. Duskfeather closed her eyes as Maplestar's body fell to the ground.
"You deserve worse fox-heart," Swiftstar hissed. Opening her eyes to slits she watched the Moonclan leader stalk towards Maplestar to take another life. He raised his paw to deliver the blow but before he could bring down his paw Tundrafoot tackled him to the ground. Swiftstar looked surprised as he was knocked away from her. Tundrafoot tackled him again and the two toms rolled away from the ginger leader.
Duskfeather hurried to her leader's side. Maplestar's eyes stared ahead at nothing. Blood trickled from her open mouth. Suddenly she gasped and blinked her eyes. Duskfeather pressed her paws to her neck to stop the blood.
"It's okay Maplestar, you'll be alright," she soothed.
"No Duskfeather I have to tell you something," she gasped. "You have to know why you never met your parents," she heaved.
"You can tell me when your better," Duskfeather mewed gently. Blood was still pulsing from the wound and more seemed to flow out when she spoke.
"No you must know," she insisted. "It was him, her mate. That's why Starclan took them. She broke the code," Maplestar mewed. Duskfeather blinked in confusion.
"Who's him. Who was her mate?" she asked. Maplestar took one last shuddering breath, then was still. Duskfeather back away from her. Then an image shone in her head. Creamfoot, Twigshade, and Maplestar were in the nursery. Twigshade was there. He knew about the kits, he knew about her. "I have to talk to him," she gasped. Turning around she raced back to camp.
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Twigshade was sleeping soundly when she arrived. She hurried to his side and shook him awake. He blinked in confusion. His eyes fell to her bloody paws.
"What have you done?" he asked.
"Moonclan started a battle at the gathering," she explained. Twigshade opened his mouth to say something but Duskfeather stopped him. "I have to now. Why did Starclan take Creamfoot's kits? Why?" she demanded. Twigshade was silent. In the distance thunder rumbled.
"Let's go for a walk," he mewed suddenly. Getting to his feet he lead the way outside. Duskfeather followed him into the woods. He stopped when they were a good ways from the camp. "I was young," he began. "We both were. Young and naive. Creamfoot was so beautiful, I couldn't help but fall for her. We didn't mean for it to happen but it did. She got pregnant. The kits were fine at first but then Starclan took them. As punishment for breaking the code," he mewed.
Duskfeather absorbed what he said. Twigshade was the father to Creamfoot's kits. He was her mate. That's why Starclan took the kits. "So you took us so that no one would know you broke the code?" she checked. He nodded.
Duskfeather looked up. Into his yellow eyes. His shinning yellow eyes. The stuck out against his dark brown tabby fur. Brown fur, she thought. Suddenly she gasped. "You did it," she gasped. He tipped his head. "You killed them," she whispered. Twigshade was still, then he nodded. "Why?" she demanded. "You had everything, you were highly respected and the clan looked up to you."
Twigshade smiled. It was an odd smile. A dark twisted smile. "My first victim was for power," he began. "I was ready to be the solo medicine cat so I killed Softsnow," he mewed. Duskfeather gasped. She was unaware he had killed the former medicine cat. "The leader before Maplestar, Icestar, had seen me kill her so I killed him too. My first apprentice, Songpaw, witnessed that murder so I was forced to take her life as well. I would have stopped after that but I had to keep the secret safe."
"Snowyowl saw Creamfoot and I together so I attempted to end his life, Silvertear interrupted it though. I tried to kill her in case she had recognized my but, Roarclaw stopped that murder. When Snowyowl woke up he recognized me so I told him that if he told anyone I would kill Silvertear. Unfortunately Blackice overheard that conversation so I killed him too."
"After that was Orcafin. His death is a little more complicated. I was still worried Snowyowl would tell so I had to get him on my side. I tricked him into thinking Silvertear loved Orcafin. I told him I would kill him so that Silvertear would be his. That is why I killed him."
"I was the one that killed Roarclaw too. I was picking herbs by the border and he was hunting. When he saw me he recognized me from when he rescued Silvertear. I had to kill him so he wouldn't tell anyone," Twigshade mewed.
"What about Birdflight and Sunwing? Did you kill them?" Duskfeather asked.
"Yes. I saw the dream you had at the Star Tree. I knew you would want to tell them so I had to kill them. No one could know the secret," he finished. Duskfeather was quiet as she listened to his story. Different emotions swirled inside her. Rage, sadness, confusion, and fear. She closed her eyes.
Faces flashed in her head. Softsnow, Icestar, Songpaw, Blackice, Orcafin, Roarclaw, Birdflight, and Sunwing. They stared at her with bright eyes. Calling out to her for help, for vengeance. He eyes flew open.
"You will pay," she growled. There was a flash of silver as she unsheathed her claws. Just then rain began to fall. Thunder roared as she leapt.
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Silvertear gasped as her clan returned from the gathering. Maplestar was in the front. She was leaning on Tundrafoot and bleeding heavily from her neck. Snowyowl and Whitefox were dragging Stormstep's body into camp. Lichenheart was being supported by Herontalon while Furledpaw and Bigpaw were leaning on each other. They were drenched from the rain. It had stopped by now.
Silvertear ran into the medicine cat den to get Twigshade but to her surprise it was empty. "Twigshade's gone," Silvertear yowled as she ran back outside.
"Where's Duskfeather?" Whitefox asked. The clan looked around. She was gone. Silvertear felt worry fill her heart. Where was her sister. Just then Duskfeather pushed her way into camp. She was dragging Twigshade's body in her mouth. The clan gaped at her.
"I found his body by the Moonclan border. They must have killed him to avenge their warriors," she announced. No one challenged her. Dropping his body in the middle of camp she ran to get herbs from the medicine cat den. Running back out she began to help her clanmates.
Silvertear and Foamfur helped her the best they could. When she was finished she approached Silvertear with sad eyes. "We need to talk," she mewed.
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"No," Silvertear whispered. "I'm Frostclan, not Moonclan." Duskfeather pushed against her comfortingly.
"I'm so sorry Silvertear. I would have told you before but," she trailed off. Silvertear swallowed back tears.
"I'm going back to camp," she announced. Getting to her paw she began to pad away. Suddenly pain shot through her stomach. She collapsed onto the ground.
"Silvertear," Duskfeather gasped.
"My kits," Silvertear panted. "They're coming."
A/N:
So now we know who the murderer is. Some people would say that he was crazy, some he was just protecting his secret. Well the truth is he's crazy. He's literally insane. The only thing he did that wasn't crazy was loving Creamfoot. She kept him sane. And as for Duskfeather she wasn't just blinded by fury and killed him. She did it purposefully with a clear head. It was her destiny. This chapter reminded me of the song Blow Away. You should listen to it. Well please review.