Chapter 12, Council

Shadowflight bounded into the camp, her mind spinning. She wanted to help Demon live, she really did. But…who else would support her? Skyfeather and Leafcloud wouldn't care, and Nightwind barely knew him. Then Rockpool, he…his mind was occupied with other she-cats.

She looked around. Ravenstar had leaped onto the Highrock. Her whole flank was covered in little scars. Quill marks. It was clear whose side she would be on.

"We are going to have a council about Demon," she yowled. "Everyone choose their side. If you would like him to be killed, leap up beside me. If you think he should be turned into the forest, walk to him."

Then Demon was let out of his bracken bush, his guards dragging him along. Birchoak had his head pressed on Demon's neck, keeping his head down.

Then Ashfur, Thornclaw, Shrewtail, Hollysky, Dustpelt, Ferncloud, Shalepelt, Flametail, Seapaw, and Yarrowpaw all leaped up on the rock. Birchoak looked up at Ravenstar. "I'm not on his side," he yowled, "But I still need to guard him!"

"He doesn't need guards," Shadowflight mewed quietly.

Birchoak gave her a disgusted look, then leaped up beside Ravenstar.

Rockpool had appeared in camp, looking queasy. Shadowflight didn't look at him.

Then she saw Nightwind pad over to Demon, and Hunterpaw approached quietly behind her. Leafcloud look uncertain, then padded over to sit beside Nightwind.

Snowfeather came to Demon then, and Skyfeather sat at the nursery. Finally she came and sat down, right next to Snowfeather.

Shadowflight looked over at Rockpool from her place beside Demon. He was sitting still, between Ravenstar and Demon. He looked from one to the other, then back again. The whole Clan was waiting for him.

Shadowflight couldn't take her eyes off him. She felt that she could do nothing to help his decision.

Finally, with a shake of his head, Rockpool leaped over to Ravenstar. He looked up once at Shadowflight, and met her fierce green gaze.

Demon looked up at the ones on his side, and gave them all a small smile.

"Okay!" Ravenstar shouted, "First I would like the ones on my side to say why they think Demon isn't innocent."

Ashfur quickly stepped foreword.

"Demon here, he shows signs of wanting to hurt others. I think it's in his blood to kill cats for prey. He protects Shadowflight, and Shadowflight alone. That's not loyalty! I think he protects her because they are planning to kill all the Clan, then run away, and fall in love." He snickered.

"NO!" Shadowflight shouted, on her feet, objecting. "He doesn't love me, because he would have told me. I think the reason he protects me is that I was the one that found him in the forest when he was…er…stuck in a bush, and I pulled him out. I'm his friend. He doesn't know anything about the warrior code, so he doesn't know that loyalty is to the whole Clan, not to one. Also, he is not even part of the Clan, so how can you blame him for loyalty? Guards, I am ashamed that you don't watch what he eats. You bring him mice, but he prefers bark. How can he eat cats? Most of you are as big or bigger then him."

Ashfur was quiet, flicking his tail a little bit. There was an unsteady silence.

Then a small, shaky voice spoke up. It was Rockpool.

"I am on no ones side, even though I sit over here. I find no reason for Demon to be put to death, he is merely being himself, a porcupine, not a cat.

But I find myself angry at him, Shadowflight was happy with me, but he started falling in love with her."

Ravenstar spoke then. "I dislike him very much. Does anyone have more to say?"

All the cats on her side leaped into the air, but all their reasons that they gave her basically the same as Ashfur's.

But no one on Shadowflight's side spoke. Demon was still.

"Okay, everyone on my side have said they think he is guilty, and no one on the other side has said anything except Shadowflight. The amount of anger on my side is so strong, and on the other side so low, that Demon is guilty."

"That's not fair!" Shadowflight roared. She looked down at Demon. He still didn't move. Then, when the clamor died down, he said, "I am ready for death."

Shadowflight sat down, and looked at her paws.

Ashfur and all the others from Ravenstar's side leaped down to Demon. They thronged around him.

But suddenly, the porcupine wriggled free, leaving some quills in many cats' paws. He dashed to the gorse tunnel and looked back, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. "I have plans," he yowled, then leaped foreword, fastening his teeth into the scruff of Nightwind's neck. He turned around and bounded away, holding the writhing black she-cat in his jaws.

Instantly the whole Clan was running after him, or it could have just been Shadowflight, or maybe only a few cats, but all Shadowflight knew was that she was going to catch him.

She was scrambling up the ridge to WindClan territory; she was just out of Fourtrees. She saw Demon ahead, lumbering over to Highstones. He still had Nightwind. Then he was scrambling over rocks, and then…then…he was at the base of the mountains, and he lunged foreword, and…disappeared.

Okay, that's only one chapter of the four I'm giving you…PLEASE REVIEW!! Whoa, bet you guys didn't think that Demon was going to be evil!