Chapter 11

A lot can happen in nine moons. Rainfall could avoid most gatherings in nine moons, RiverClan could go missing in nine moons and Hailpaw could become increasingly distant from his sister in nine moons, and Sunstripe could be found dead outside of the warrior's den in nine moons.

"What is StarClan's name happened?!" Hissed Birdstar as she glared at the body in front of her, Grasswhisker placed his tail on her shoulder,

"Murder." He muttered. None of the ShadowClan cats knew what to do, and Rainfall could see a few of them glancing at him in suspicion.

"May I suggest trying to find fur in her claws or around the murder sight, maybe scenting it as well." Mewed Quickclaw, Birdstar nodded slowly and paced around Sunstripe, sniffing and examining the body. This went on for a few minutes before the she-cat looked up.

"Hailpaw." She meowed, and Rainfall purred in satisfaction.

Outcries were heard throughout the Clan as Hailpaw padded forward, Dogpaw was too shocked to say or think anything. My brother's a murderer she thought, saying it over and over in her head, and finding it sort of made sense. Hailpaw hadn't hung around with her in a long time, he'd started spending more and more time training as a medicine cat. His muscles had also gotten harder and leaner and he had a strange new look about him.

"Hailpaw. I know you cannot speak, so nod if you killed Sunstripe." Birdstar mewed, from the corner of her eye, Dogpaw thought she saw Hailpaw look to Rainfall, but only for a second. Hailpaw nodded. More gasps.

"I will leave it to a Clan vote on what to do with you. All cats who wish to exile Hailpaw and save him from death, step forwards." Birdstar hissed. Dogpaw couldn't move, she was still too shocked, and none of the other cats moved either.

"Then, Hailpaw you will be killed." Birdstar growled, she showed no feelings of any kind as she stared at the white tom curiously, probably trying to see his reaction, though he didn't have one.

Birdstar prowled up to the tom and raised her head, showing her sharp teeth, and struck down to Hailpaw's neck, Dogpaw braced herself for Hailpaw's demise and closed her eyes tightly.

Hailpaw didn't let Birdstar get him. He leapt at her, clutching his claws into her back and bit her, the flow of blood sliding into his mouth, the she-cat gave a cry of rage and pain, and twisted in his grip, he jumped away, she was covered in blood.

"Get him!" She hissed, except nobody did, the ShadowClan cats stared at something behind them, and Hailpaw turned around quickly, WindClan and ThunderClan had arrived. Just as planned. The white tom glanced at Rainfall, who nodded. Then Hailpaw scrambled away from ShadowClan, into the dark forest beyond.

WindClan and ThunderClan were too much for ShadowClan to take on alone, but no matter how many times Birdstar tried to reason with the cats attacking, they never stopped. Dogpaw found herself in a flurry of battle, hopelessly searching for Jaypaw, Rainfall or even Grasswhisker for a sense of comfort and reassurance, but she couldn't see any of them through the fighting.

She yelped as a tortoishell she-cat leapt onto her, she smelled of herbs, she was a medicine cat. Why was she fighting?

The she-cat dug her claws into Dogpaw, raking fur out, her green eyes glazed, almost bored. Dogpaw fought back, but the she-cat was much stronger than her, and seemed to move with a confident ease she had seen only Rainfall and Hailpaw perfect.

Just when the she-cat was about to give a final strike, a familiar voice came from behind Dogpaw,

"Leafpaw! Stop!" Yelled Rainfall, the she-cat stopped in her tracks. Dogpaw let out a sigh of relief, followed by confusion, why would Rainfall know who the she-cat was? He had been a loner all of his life and never attended gatherings. How has Rainfall not got a scratch on himself yet?

"Rainfall, what's happening?!" Dogpaw yowled at him as soon as he'd picked his way over to her, the she-cat, Leafpaw, studied them both curiously before leaping off into the battle.

"I'll explain everything once we get away from here." Rainfall muttered under his breath, motioning to Quickclaw, who was stood, yelling at the grey tom from a few tails lengths away. Dogpaw followed him wordlessly, she would rather go with Rainfall than be stuck in a battle on the hopelessly failing losing side.

Hailpaw bolted through the forest. Everything had gone as planned. Sunstripe was dead, nobody suspected Rainfall and the other Clans had attacked ShadowClan. As he ran, the stones and twigs on the ground snagged his paws, making them prickle, Hailpaw though back to when he had been a warrior apprentice. Back to before he knew nothing of Fell and her ideas and didn't know he was a circle cat. But now he was smarter, he would follow Fell until she changed the Clans, one way or another. Fell was always right.

Author's Note : Sorry I've not updated in a while! Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favourites! xxx