Chapter 6

Shadestorm's trial

Silvereyes sighed heavily, knowing the next few moments of her life could decide the fate of Duskclan. Two nights ago, her sister, Moonsoul had approached her and told her all about Shadestorm's murders, and how he was controlling Cinderstar. When Moonsoul had explained her plan to help Cinderstar, Silvereyes quickly agreed. She loved manipulating cats, as dark as it sounded, and she had jumped at the opportunity to be part of such a large scheme.

Now that the time had come for her to deliver, she couldn't help but be a little nervous. If she couldn't pull this off, Shadestorm may be able to call her on her bluff, and that would ruin Cinderstar. "Alright, here goes," she meowed softly, and stepped out of the warrior's den. Cinderstar had just called for a gathering, and all the other cats in the clan had already moved to the surround the shaft of light that came through the roof of the camp. Cinderstar stood in the center of the shaft of light, his silver fur shining with the light of the sun. Silvereyes sat near the edge of the crowd, not wanting to be close the front of the group.

"Cats of Duskclan, we have been caught in a time of unrest. I feel we need to settle this. Some of you believe that the Dawnclan cat Lightningpelt isn't responsible for the death of our previous deputy. I have come to put those rumors to rest." He paused, glancing through the crowd. His eyes met hers, and she noticed the relief in his eyes. She nodded slightly, letting him know she was ready to back up his story about Clovepaw. "They are true. Lightningpelt had nothing to do with Willowhisp's death." Murmurs spread through the crowd. Silvereyes glanced at Shadestorm sitting near Cinderstar. Surprisingly, he seemed pretty calm, even though she figured he knew where this was going. Cinderstar motioned for silence with a flick of his tail, and the crowd obeyed. "You probably want to know who the true murderer is. I regret to inform you, that I was wrong about Shadestorm. I have had several cats come to me with evidence that Shadestorm actually killed him, and he has admitted to the murder himself." This time, the crowd broke into angry yowls. Shadestorm, at the front of the group, remained unusually calm. He's going to bring up Clovepaw, she thought. Cinderstar called for silence again, and then turned to Shadestorm. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he asked, his words cold.

"I do, actually," Shadestorm meowed in response. He stood, and moved so he was standing on the edge of the light. "My clanmates, hear me out before you convict me as a murderer and send me away. I hate to inform you that Cinderstar is lying to you. I have found out some terrible news about him, and he wants me to keep silent." Shadestorm actually looked regretful. He's a good actor, she thought. "Cinderstar has a son, born of a Dawnclan cat. He feared I would share this secret, and he would lose his position, so he threatened to blame Willowhisp's death on me, but my fear for your wellbeing was stronger than my fear for myself. Please, you must believe me. I had nothing to do with Willowhisp's death. To prove I am not lying, Cinderstar's son is Clovepaw." The crowd was thrown into unrest again, and Cinderstar's cries for quiet went unheard. Then, Moonsoul stepped forward.

"I have lived with Cinderstar all my life, and I've never known him to be a liar," She yowled over the noise of the crowd. They quieted down, so they could hear her words. "I'm sure we can prove who is telling the truth here. Shadestorm, what evidence do you have to prove that Clovepaw is actually Cinderstar's son?"

"Well, for one, look at him. He's a spit image of Cinderstar!" Shadestorm meowed.

"There is such a thing as look-alikes, Shadestorm. I see the similarities, but not enough to prove that they are related at all. You will have to do better than that," Moonsoul meowed in response.

Shadestorm nodded. "I can understand that. Alright then, don't you think it's a bit suspicious that Cinderstar was the one to bring the kit here, and that it smelt of Dawnclan, not a rouge? Plus, he said that his mother starved to death, in the middle of Greenleaf. What, was she unable to hunt? Prey has never been scarce in the forest during Greenleaf. We both know that. Plus, if the mother had died of hunger, and Clovepaw was as young as he was, wouldn't he have shown signs of hunger too? Yet he was small and plump. He wasn't unhealthy at all. To top it all off, right around that, a queen in Dawnclan lost one of her newborn kits at the same time Clovepaw was brought to Duskclan. No cat in Dawnclan knows what happened to him. He was too young to have wandered off, and there were no signs of a break-in. The kit couldn't have just disappeared."

Silvereyes sighed. She could see Cinderstar growing nervous, despite his attempts to act disgusted at Shadestorm's story. Alright, my turn. "I cannot disprove the part about the missing Dawnclan cat, but I know Clovepaw is not that kit," she meowed. All eyes turned to her. She squirmed, acting nervous. Luckily, it wasn't too hard.

"Are you sure? How would you know, sister?" Moonsoul asked.

"Because…" she paused for effect, and bowed her head, as if ashamed. "Because the kit is mine." Shocked gasps echoed through the crowd.

"It… it is?" Moonsoul stammered. Silvereyes simply nodded. "Then… why wasn't he born in the clan?" Moonsoul asked.

"Because I had him before I joined the clan," Silvereyes replied. She glanced up, meeting her sister's eyes.

"Then… is Cinderstar the father?" Moonsoul asked.

Silvereyes was about to say yes, but then she stopped for a moment. Was it really all that important for the clan to know that Clovepaw was his son? What if she claimed that the father was actually a rouge? She shook her head no, and then meowed, "His father is dead. He died right before I had the kit… I couldn't raise him. My grief was too much. Cinderstar stumbled across me soon after that, and I asked him to take the kit, so he could have a better life. By this point, Moonsoul, you had already joined. I knew about Duskclan, because of you, and I knew that if you were happy there, my son could be too. Cinderstar was kind enough to bring the kit to camp. I had no idea he didn't tell anyone who the kit's mother was, until he approached me a couple of days ago and told me he had lied. I don't understand why he did, but it doesn't matter now; Shadestorm's story isn't true." She put some conviction to her last words, hoping to convince the clan.

"What about how the kit smelled of Dawnclan?" Shadestorm asked. He sounded calm, but there was anger in his eyes, anger that most cats wouldn't notice.

"She gave birth to him on the boarder of Dawnclan and Duskclan. The kit must have picked up the scent," Cinderstar meowed. He shrugged. Silvereyes noticed that he seemed more confident now. Then his eyes grew cold. "You have no way to disprove that you murdered Willowhisp's, Shadestorm. You cannot mark me a liar, and we have proven you to be one. It's my word against yours. Duskclan, do you believe my story or his?"

Silence rained for a few moments, and then Thornmouth meowed, "Shadestorm's a murderer. He does not deserve to live amongst us." Yowls of agreement echoed through the camp. Shadestorm bowed his head in defeat.

"Send him away, Cindestar!" A cat called, and more meows of agreement echoed through the clearing.

"I agree. A murderer does not deserve a place in Duskclan, especially not the place of deputy. Shadestorm, from this moment on, you are banned from Duskclan. Leave now, before my anger becomes too great and I decide to withdraw my mercy and just kill you now," Cinderstar meowed, his voice eerily calm. His words sent shivers down Silvereyes' spine, and she tried to hold in a shudder.

Shadestorm stood, and walked towards the entrance, his tail and head held high. He didn't say another word as he strolled through the camp, and out the cave entrance. "Silvereyes, Thornmouth, Adderstripe, follow him. Make sure he makes it out of our territory," Cinderstar meowed once he was out of sight. Silvereyes stood and hurried after Thornmouth and Adderstripe, who were already moving towards the camp entrance.

The three tracked Shadestorm to the edge of their territory. He slipped over the border, and disappeared into the trees on the other side. They waited a few minutes at the border to see if he tried to cross back over, but they didn't see him. They then headed back to camp. Silvereyes found Cinderstar waiting in the same spot. Thornmouth approached Cinderstar and meowed, "He's gone across the border."

"Good. Hopefully we never see him again." He then sighed, and muttered. "I must consult with Moonsoul. I need a new deputy, again." He then stood and padded towards the medicine cat's den, in search of Moonsoul. Silvereyes headed towards the warriors den, and sat outside, mulling over the gathering in her mind, hoping that she had managed to convince everyone.

Just then, Clovepaw approached her. The apprentice had stayed in the apprentice den during the gathering, but she knew he knew the truth. "Can we talk, somewhere private?" he meowed. She nodded, and he said, "Follow me." He led her to the apprentice's den. He sat across from her, and then said after a few moments, "Thank you, for helping my father."

"I was glad to help. I couldn't resist being part of such a story," she meowed with a grin. After a few more minutes, she stood and left, claiming she was hungry. She grabbed a piece of prey and nibbled on it.

Near sunset, Cinderstar called another meeting. Silvereyes moved to the center of the camp again. This time, hardly no light shone through the crack in the cave roof, leaving Cinderstar in shadows. "I have decided who is to be the next deputy," he meowed. He paused, and then began the ceremony. "I say these words before Starclan, so Duskclan's ancestors and Willowhisp may hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of Duskclan shall be Thornmouth."

All eyes turned to the senior warrior, muttered an annoyed "about time I'm recognized for my tribute to the clan." At first, Silvereyes was surprised by his reaction, but then she noticed how he smiled, and as he walked forward to join Cinderstar, he held his tail and head high. Clearly, he was happy, he just had a strange way of showing it.

"Thornmouth, I hope and pray to Starclan that you will be a better deputy than the previous one. You have already proven your loyalty to this clan time and time again, and I hope you remain loyal as you serve as deputy," Cinderstar added. Silvereyes couldn't help but notice hint of bitterness to his words when he mentioned the previous deputy.

"Of course, Cinderstar," Thornmouth meowed softly, his usual sharp tone replace by one of respect. He bowed his head to the leader, than sat in the vacant spot Shadestorm had occupied earlier that day, and the first meeting.

Cinderstar scanned the crowd, looking for someone. After a few moments, he began to speak again. "Now, I have one more thing to do. I think it's time our clan's only apprentice became a warrior. Clovepaw, please step forward." Clovepaw did so. Cinderstar began the ceremony."I, Cinderstar, leader of Duskclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your code and I commend him to you as a warrior. Clovepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Clovepaw seemed prepared for this. Maybe Cinderstar had mentioned something to him before, Silvereyes thought, He is his father, after all. "I do," Clovepaw meowed, his words strong but calm.

"Then by the powers of Starclan I give you your warriors names: Clovepaw, from this moment on you shall be none as Clovefur. Starclan honors your bravery and honesty, and commends you for your help in discovering Shadestorm's treachery. We welcome you as a full warrior of Starclan." As tradition in Duskclan, Cinderstar bowed his head in respect to the young warrior, the only time the leader bowed to anyone. Then, he stepped closer, and whispered something to Clovefur. No cat was close enough to hear, but Silvereyes guessed that the leader was probably congratulating his son. "Alright, meeting dismissed," he meowed, and the crowd dispersed.

Silvereyes approached Clovefur and meowed, "Congratulations, Clovefur. You will have become a fine warrior," she meowed as she nudged the young cat's shoulder with her nose.

"Thank you, mother," Clovefur meowed evenly. Only his eyes betrayed that he was lying, and Silvereyes was the only cat nearby. She knew the clan around her thought she was Clovefur's mother, so she knew they would have to act the part. She smiled, and then padded away, wondering just how big of a conspiracy she had entangled herself in.

ALLIANCES

Dawnclan

Leader

Rowanstar- Brown tabby she-cat with white markings and golden eyes.

Deputy

Sablestorm - Tortoiseshell tom with golden eyes. Apprentice, Owlpaw

Medicine Cat

Heatherwhisker - Dark copper tabby she-cat with white markings.

Warriors

Sandstone - Sand colored tom.

Wolfheart - Dark gray and black tortoiseshell tom with blue-gray eyes.

Gingerclaw - Ginger colored tom.

Braveheart - Once timid black she-cat.

Lightningpelt - golden tabby tom.

Silverwing - Pretty silver she-cat with a small scar above her eye.

Squirreltail - squirrel colored she-cat.

Apprentices

Owlpaw - Tan tom with a white belly, chest, and chin. He has pale blue eyes.

Queens

Rippleshine - Siamese she-cat.(mate- Sablestorm Kits- Gingerkit, Silverkit, Gentlekit, Sandkit)

Elders

Cloudedeyes - old gray she-cat. Blind.

Duskclan

Leader

Cinderstar - Broad shouldered dark gray tabby tom.

Deputy

Shadestorm - Black tom with dark eyes.

Medicine Cat

Moonsoul - Dark blue point she-cat with pale blue eyes.

Warriors

Whispspirit - Blue and white tabby she-cat with gray eyes.

Thornmouth - Older, battle scarred brown tom with a very short temper. Apprentice, Clovepaw

Adderstripe - Brown tom with markings that resemble a snake, and a sandy belly and paws.

Silvereyes - blue point she-cat with silver eyes. Moonsoul's only litter mate.

Apprentices

Clovepaw- Dark brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Elders

Gentlefoot - Pale tabby she-cat. she retired young after loosing her last batch of kits to a horrible miscarriage that left her body permanently damaged.

Chanceclan

Leader

Fallstar- Completely black she-cat with golden eyes and a long, jagged scar along her left side.

Deputy

Oakfur- Dark brown tabby tom with yellow-green eyes and a scar across his chest.

Medicine Cat

Aquasky - Long haired blue she-cat with yellow eyes.

Warriors

Mystictail - dark blue, almost black she-cat. She looks black with a blue sheen. Senior warrior. Apprentice, Poppypaw

Wolfclaw - Brown and gray tom with long, abnormal sized claws. Senior warrior. Apprentice, Quickpaw

Brakenclaw - Bracken colored tortoiseshell tom. Senior warrior.

Darksong - Black she-cat and sister of Fallstar. Senior warrior. Apprentice, Reefpaw

Maplefur -Red tabby she-cat with aqua eyes. She's blind in one eye, and a scar crosses that side of her face.

Shadowleap - Black and gray tom. Fallstar's brother.

Singinglark - beautiful golden tabby she-cat with a white chest, belly and paws, and piercing, icy blue eyes.

Firestripe - brown tom with white and orange calico-like markings and green eyes.

Echocliff - gray tom with dark blue eyes.

Shadedmoon - long-haired light silver she-cat with darker patches. Her voice was damaged in the fire that killed her in her previous life, and so it's very raspy, and sometimes when her throat is dry, she can't talk at all.

Apprentices

Poppypaw - Dark orange she-cat with black patches and yellow eyes.

Quickpaw - black and white tom.

Reefpaw - pale cream colored she-cat.

Queens

Whitebird - white she-cat with pale brown speckles. (mate- Echocliff. Kits- Lightningkit and Juniperkit)