Chapter Eleven
Homecoming
Moments later, a Thunderclan patrol found Featherpelt with the dead cats around her. The patrol – comprised of Blossumleaf, Riverbreeze, and Hawkclaw – surrounded the loner. Featherpelt cringed at the sight of them. Her former clanmates looked like Falconstar – emaciated bodies racked with battle scars and fresh wounds. Has leadership under Falconstar been this bad?
Featherpelt felt the weight of the patrol's hostile glare. She waited for them to attack her, but, to her surprise, Hawkclaw spoke instead. "Did you do this?" he growled, his voice sounding gravelly.
The she-cat met Hawkclaw's amber eyes. She opened her mouth to reply, but the tom smacked her face. "I don't need you to say anything. I know you did this. Murdering my father wasn't good enough for you. You just had to kill my brother, too, and any tom-" He gestured with his tail to Night's body, "-that got in your way."
Featherpelt kept her mouth shut. Partly because of the throbbing pain in her cheek, but mostly because what Hawkclaw said was true. Except the part about her killing any tom that got in her way. She knew if she explained herself, Hawkclaw wouldn't believe her story. He would just assume that she had wandered on to Thunderclan territory to kill Falconstar. If only Night was here to back me up, she thought, glancing at her father's corpse - the only witness she had to Falconstar's confession.
Hawkclaw placed a claw under Featherpelt's chin and forced her to stare at him. Featherpelt winced as his claw dug into her skin. The Thunderclan deputy noticed and sneered at her. The rest of the patrol quietly watched the scene with unsuppressed curiosity. "Aren't you going to say anything? Surely, you have some story that explained how you were not involved in my brother's death. Don't you, you worthless piece of –"
Suddenly, a dark gray tom burst into the scene, his coat shiny with sweat. He didn't seem to notice Featherpelt or what his deputy was doing to her as he yowled, "Hawkclaw! You must come back to camp immediately. Shadowclan is attacking our camp!"
"What?!" Hawkclaw exclaimed, his amber eyes blazing. "This soon, Stormclaw?"
Stormclaw nodded. "Ye-Yes," he panted. "I just.. passed…a Riverclan patrol…on their way…to our camp."
Hawkclaw looked at his patrol then back at Featherpelt. "If we weren't at war with the forest, I would kill you myself," he snarled. "Leave and never return. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to kill you the next time I find you on Thunderclan territory." Then, with a flick of his tail, the Thunderclan deputy and his patrol raced off into the bushes towards camp.
Featherpelt could not believe what had transpired. Hawkclaw, the cat who hated her guts, just let her go? She figured the war must have been pretty bad for Hawkclaw to not have killed her.
Lightning rippled across the sky. Featherpelt shuddered, flashbacks of her sister and now deceased father filtering through her mind. I should go. she thought gloomily. There is no reason for me to go back to Thunderclan. Everyone thinks I'm a murderer; Cloudflight has her own life now, and Falconstar is dead.
The silver she-cat trudged towards the end of the clearing, trying to think of the route that would take her back to her new home. That's when she stopped dead in her tracks. I can't go back. Featherpelt told herself. Night's death would be meaningless if I go back to being a coward.
She turned around and started running to the Thunderclan camp. Though it had been moons since she had been to her home, she still remembered the way to go. As she neared the gorse tunnel, the only entrance into the camp, Featherpelt heard screeches of fighting cats and the yowls of cats in pain. She put on a burst of speed and raced into the camp.
As Featherpelt took in the scene, her stomach felt as if it had crawled into her throat. The battle looked like a giant free-for-all. She sniffed the air and caught the scents of Windclan, Shadowclan, and Thunderclan. It seemed as if the entire forest seemed to be fighting each other in this camp. Fury coursed through Featherpelt's veins as she saw her son locked in battle with a tom two times his size. The two toms were standing on their hind legs, snapping at each other's throats. She was about to rescue Sunstrike when her son gained the upper paw. He let go of the tom and stepped quickly to the side. The momentum caused the tom to fall in the dirt like Sunstrike wanted. Sunstrike then ran his claws through his pelt, leaving behind long, jagged streams of blood. The tom cried out in pain and took off.
That's when Sunstrike noticed her. His face was expressionless as if he did not know how to react to her presence. "Featherpelt?" he rasped, surprised.
His mother touched noses with him. "Yes, love, it is me," she said, gently.
Sunstrike looked as if he was about to respond when a loud yowl filled the air. The two cats turned to see Hawkclaw fighting three huge cats. Without a word, Featherpelt and Sunstrike dashed towards them. Hawkclaw shot Featherpelt a murderous look as they approached the fight.
"I can take them!" he insisted, swiping a paw at a ginger tom. "I don't need your he-"
Hawkclaw's words were lost as the other two cats – a tortoiseshell she-cat and a white tom - focused their attention on the newcomers. The tortoiseshell leapt at Featherpelt. Featherpelt rolled out of her way and aimed her claws at her eye. She smiled in satisfaction as she felt her claws sink into the tortoiseshell's eye. The she-cat screamed but refused to run off. Instead, she smacked Featherpelt's paw away from her eye and threw herself at the loner. The silver she-cat tried to sidestep her opponent again, but the tortoiseshell had learned her lesson. She stuck a paw out and knocked Featherpelt off her paws. The loner stumbled to the ground.
The tortoiseshell she-cat smiled cruelly at the loner as she loomed over her. "I would have expected more from a-" The she-cat paused with a puzzled look on her face. "You don't smell like a Thunderclan cat. Who are you?" She didn't get her answer. Sunstrike pushed her away from Featherpelt, knocking the tortoiseshell into a rock. The tortoiseshell bounced off the rock and crumpled to the ground. Featherpelt would have thought the she-cat was dead had she had not seen her foe's chest slightly rising up and down.
The loner glanced around the clearing. Thunderclan appeared to be losing the battle. We need reinforcements. She thought. But where? Every clan in the forest is he-
That's when she realized Riverclan wasn't here. An idea formed in her head, and she ran away from the battle.
"But you don't understand, Skystar!" Featherpelt protested. "Thunderclan really needs your help! Cats are dying out there!"
Featherpelt was standing on the floor in the leader of Riverclan's den. She was trying without success to convince the black and white she-cat to help her clan in the battle.
"But why should Riverclan help Thunderclan?" Skystar snapped, lashing her tail. "What interest of ours is that your clan wins the battle? All your clan ever does is steal from prey from us. Perhaps a fight with the other clans might teach them a lesson. Besides, why should I trust the word of an exiled murderer? How do I know you aren't lying?"
Featherpelt let out a frustrated huff. It took all of her strength to refrain from blurting, "I am not a murderer!" because she knew Skystar would probably say, "That's exactly what a murderer would say."
Starclan, help me! She yowled in her head, desperate. Unfortunately, none of her warrior ancestors responded. Featherpelt was on her own.
"Look," the loner said, "I know that you think I'm a murderer, and I get that. I probably wouldn't believe me too if I strolled into your camp and told you the entire forest is attacking my clan. But, I swear to you by Starclan that what I am saying is true. Thunderclan needs your help."
"What interest is it of ours if we help Thunderclan?" Skystar's deputy Stoneeye demanded, echoing his leader's concern. Featherpelt jumped. She hadn't seen the mottled brown tom walk in.
Featherpelt forced to look the deputy in his one good amber eye. It was kind of hard to since his other eye was missing. "If you don't help Thunderclan win, who's to say Windclan and Shadowclan might try to take over Riverclan next or turn on each other? Think of the future of the forest. It would forever be in turmoil until we all wipe each other out."
Neither Skystar nor Stoneeye responded. They exchanged a look then returned their gazes to the loner. "We'll fight with you, Featherpelt," Skystar said, "But let me make myself clear. This does not excuse Thunderclan for stealing our prey for the past few moons."
Featherpelt wasn't sure what she was talking about, but did the diplomatic thing and answered her with a "Thank you, Skystar."
"Alright then," Skystar said. She turned to her deputy. "Stoneeye, gather a battle patrol. We have a battle to win."
Sorry for the long wait, guys. I have been extremely busy with school and had a very nasty case of writer's block. Hope you guys like this chapter! Please review or comment. (I need feedback). Have a great day/night!
