Challenge: Liar

Word Count (min. 500): 1251

Rating: K+, mentioned death and violence

A Web of Lies

"Nettlestrike is dead!"

The cats in the Clan lifted their heads towards the owner of the shrill yowl. A ginger and white patched she-cat burst into the Clan, followed by two warriors. The she-cat was in hysterics but the two warriors carrying the still, brown mottled tom were oddly straight-faced.

Curious, I thought to myself. Flamewish and Lightningmask are usually in hysterics with their sister by now... But why is Blossomfire upset? I thought she hated Nettlestrike...

As Blossomfire ran through the camp, telling everyone that Nettlestrike was dead (just in case they didn't hear her the first time), I noticed the brother and sister put Nettlestrike's body down on the floor in front of Nightstar. The black tom was noticeably upset and I could see that he was trying his hardest not to break down. Tears welled up in his yellow eyes and blinked them away as he called for the Clan to assemble.

I padded past the slowly-assembling cats and up to Nightstar. After a bit of persuasion, he let me take a good look at the fallen warrior. His face was twisted into a snarl (ironic that such a grumpy cat would spend his last moments angry) and he had deep scratches all over his body, tinging the fur around them a nasty crimson. I looked closer and saw a few short strands of dark ginger fur stuck in his claws.

"Fox."

I jumped in surprise and looked behind myself, noticing Blossomfire standing there, solemnly. Great StarClan, I didn't even hear her coming!

"Fox?"

"Yeah," she sniffed. "It caught us by surprise by the river. Nettlestrike defended himself well, but it overpowered him quickly and killed him."

"Where did the fox go?" I asked.

"When it pinned him— just before he died— he kicked it into the river and it drowned," Blossomfire answered instantly and almost... instinctively... as if she'd practiced it before she came here.

I narrowed my eyes in a suspicious glare, but shook my head with a chuckle for my boldness. I'm probably just overthinking this. I can't go around accusing her of murder just because she answered my question quickly.

"C-cats o-of PuddleClan..." I heard Nightstar stammer before he cleared his throat and recomposed himself. "Nettlestrike was a brave and loyal cat who was a friend of many and an enemy of none."

I heard a few scoffs but I stifled my own. Nettlestrike? No enemies? Hah!

"He was a courageous cat and without him, Cloverpaw would not be here. He saved him from that ravenous dog when he was just a kit," Nightstar continued. "If he had not followed Cloverkit, Firekit and Shellkit, who knows what could've happened to this Clan."

I opened my mouth in protest but was beaten by Flamewish.

"Lies!" the dark reddish she-cat spat. "He didn't save Cloverpaw! He was the one who led them all out of camp! I saw him! It wasn't Nettlestrike who saved Cloverpaw! It was me!"

Nightstar narrowed his eyes. "I thank you for your input," he meowed coolly, "But I don't believe that it's right for you to be speaking about a fallen friend in such a tone."

"Friend? Hah!" Blossomfire sneered. "The only friend he had was you. Nettlestrike will rot in the Dark Forest for all he's done. He killed two of my kits and Cloverpaw will never become a warrior because of him, he's started countless battles against TreeClan for no reason, he's taken on a mate from DustClan as well as two from this Clan— that's right Leafblossom, he was lying when he said he loved you— he's broken the Code too many times to count, he's—!"

"That is enough!"

Blossomfire's smug gaze faltered as the normally calm leader raised his voice. I even think I did a double-take, surprised that the tom's voice could even reach that level of volume.

"Nettlestrike was an honourable warrior who will forever be remembered for his many good deeds!" Nightstar growled. "And I'm sure his memory will live on in many of your hearts. Clan dismissed."

He sent me a glance and, knowingly, I called for my apprentice, Cloverpaw. The young ginger and white tabby tom limped up to me quickly and stared icily at Nettlestrike's still body with his one remaining eye.

"Grab my herbs and anyone who would like to sit vigil with Nettlestrike tonight," I ordered him gently.

"Yes Reedfeather."

He dipped his head and turned away from me. I heard him let out a purr of greeting and I turned around to see his mother nuzzling up to him, whispering softly in his ear. I turned back around to start preparing Nettlestrike for his vigil and later, burial. I grabbed the fur from his claws and gave it a sniff. Suddenly, I felt a cold wind down the fur on my neck as a cat breathed heavily behind me and the same scent filled my nose. I was right...

"Fox, you say?" I asked.

"Mm-hm," came the response.

I turned on my back legs to face Blossomfire. "I know what you did," I meowed simply.

The ginger and white she-cat's eyes widened. "Was I that obvious?"

"Why, Blossomfire?"

She let out a breath and as if a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders, she explained her entire plan to me.

She had convinced the deputy Oakfoot to let her lead a patrol around the river and chose her two siblings and Nettlestrike to come along— both Lightningmask and Flamewish aware of the plan. After she had chosen the right time, she and her siblings attacked the unsuspecting tom and she dealt the final blow. Knowing that no one would suspect anything if she told them that a fox had attacked him, she didn't bother worrying about cleaning her ginger fur from his claws. But that had been her downfall...

"But I still don't understand why," I meowed.

"Don't you get it?" she groaned. "He was a murderer! He killed Firekit and Shellkit! He told everyone that he had caught my kits sneaking out and had saved them from the dog, but he lied! He led them to the dog and Nightstar was too blinded by his friendship that he didn't listen to me when I told him. I needed to put matters into my own paws and I needed revenge on him. You wouldn't understand; you don't know what it's like to be responsible for innocent lives who get taken away from you."

Does she know she's talking to the medicine cat? I sighed and thought back to Nightstar's announcement just before. It was obvious that he had lied about Nettlestrike. I'd known him for long enough to tell when he wasn't being completely honest. I knew that he was aware of all the things Nettlestrike had done, but his judgement was clouded by the idea that his best friend could change.

"Are you going to tell the Clan?" I asked after a long pause.

She licked her chest arrogantly. "If Nightstar is allowed to lie, then I am too." She hesitated. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

I thought for a second. If I agreed to stayed silent, I'd become a part of this web of lies, but at the same time, I was very fond of the headstrong young she-cat and I feared what would become of her if the Clan ever found out. Besides, Nettlestrike probably deserved it.

I smiled at her. "If Nightstar is allowed to lie, then I am too."