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Recap: More cats are growing sick, and Frostpaw's afraid that it's from Jaguarpaw's greencough. Frostpaw talks to Ratpaw, but they're interrupted by Snowcloud, who seems distant and distracted. Later, Minnowstar picks the cats for the Gathering. Willowfall seems relieved when Snowcloud isn't picked. The group heads off to the island. Minnowstar accuses Blossomstar of having left Jaguarpaw at the border so that ShadowClan would find him, bring him in, and get infected by his greencough. Blossomstar denies it. Then, Snowcloud appears, out of breath, claiming that Willowfall killed Graystar and Emberheart.

Chapter 30

A Mother's Love

[Willowfall]

"..."Willowfall killed Graystar and Emberheart."

There was a moment of silence as every cat on the island stared at Snowcloud.

Willowfall stood there, completely still. Her heart seemed to have stopped. She felt suddenly numb. Her mouth had dropped open slightly, blue eyes widened in disbelief as her fur ruffled in a cold breeze. Her mouth was dry, her spine was tingling. She was unable to process what was going on. It had taken her a moment to even realize what Snowcloud had said. What had just happened? Had she heard correctly?

"Just make sure that Snowcloud doesn't go to the next Gathering."

Badgerkit's words shot through her mind. They had been ringing in her head ever since she'd gotten that message. He'd told her that Emberheart was planning something. Was this it? Had Emberheart told Snowcloud what she'd done?

Willowfall had been relieved to find out that Snowcloud wasn't invited to the Gathering, because if she had been, she would have had to do something to prevent her from going. Tell her that she was sick and that she had to stay behind with Onespot. Anything. But she hadn't been picked, so Willowfall had felt almost giddy with relief.

But that didn't seem to matter, now. Snowcloud had followed them here, apparently anxious to say whatever it was she had to say. And she said it. In front of Minnowstar, Frostpaw, and the entirety of ShadowClan and RiverClan. She felt as if she were in a dream. That this couldn't actually be happening. She couldn't formulate her own thoughts. She couldn't speak out, she couldn't claim that Snowcloud was lying. She just stood there, stunned and at a loss for words.

After a painfully long moment of shocked silence, Minnowstar slowly lifted her head from where she sat, her eyes narrowed.

"Snowcloud," she said quietly, "What in StarClan's name are you talking about? Willowfall, our medicine cat, a murderer? Graystar and Emberheart both drowned!"

"Listen to me!" breathed Snowcloud as she looked up at her leader, actually looking anxious and desperate, ears flat. "Those weren't accidents! StarClan told me! They showed me! Willowfall pushed Graystar off the dock, and two moons ago, when Emberheart died, she didn't drown, she... Willowfall-"

"Enough!" snarled Minnowstar suddenly, looking quite angry, her fur fluffed out. "I've had enough of your stories, Snowcloud! First you come to the Gathering that I hadn't invited you to, and now you slander your own medicine cat-"

"It's true!" Snowcloud called out, now looking around the crowd wildly. Willowfall didn't know what to do. She felt as if she were watching a performance and that it wouldn't be appropriate for her to take part in it. "I-"

"Snowcloud!" Minnowstar hissed. "You are wearing my patience. I suggest you return to camp before I make your punishment worse than it is already."

Snowcloud gaped at her, quickly shaking her head, looking utterly defeated and hopeless.

"Wait..."

Ears pricked and heads turned to where a voice had come from. When Willowfall saw who it was, she stared. Olivepaw and Ratpaw were standing up next to each other, ears flattened.

"...It's true," muttered Olivepaw, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Snowcloud's telling the truth. I... I saw it happen. I saw her kill Emberheart. I was there."

"And... Willowfall told me about Graystar," Ratpaw said faintly, his eyes closed, looking pained as he shook his head gently. "Snowcloud... Snowcloud's right."

Once again, silence took over. The only thing that could be heard was the rustling of dead branches as the harsh wind swept by.

Willowfall was staring at Olivepaw and Ratpaw, though she could sense as everyone, slowly, turned their heads to look at her. Finally, she made herself look around the island. The eyes of dozens of cats glinted in the moonlight, some of them wide with disbelief, some of them shaking their heads and looking around at others, not sure whether to really believe it or not.

Finally, Minnowstar said, more quietly this time, "...Willowfall?"

The medicine cat stiffly forced herself to look up at her leader. Her expression was hard, but otherwise impossible to read. The beautiful she-cat's silhouette was dark against the sky, but the moonlight shone on her features, including her deep frown.

Willowfall swallowed and replied quietly, her voice scratchy, "Yes, Minnowstar?"

"...It isn't true, is it?" Minnowstar asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She turned her head away, apparently unable to look at her. "Tell me it isn't true. Tell me and everyone else that there's been a mistake."

Willowfall looked up at her, feeling a sharp pain stab at her heart. She could feel the gazes of every single cat on the island burn into her pelt. The silence was overwhelming. She felt dizzy and sick. She opened her mouth to speak, but she found that her throat had closed and no words could come out. Finally, with a frown, she lowered her gaze, tail lowering and ears flattened.

"...So it is true," Minnowstar murmured. Willowfall flinched at her words and raised her head, eyes wide, to look around the clearing. Harestep was looking at her, but when she caught his gaze, he turned his face away. She spotted some of her fellow Clanmates- Swallowflight, Bluepelt, Briarclaw... Ravenheart, Cinderblaze, Icewhisker... Cinderblaze and Swallowflight were gaping at her, their eyes wide and shining brightly. Bluepelt looked at her before turning away. Ravenheart and Icewhisker had deep frowns on their face, and Briarclaw kept shaking his head, eyes wide, apparently refusing to believe it.

And then she spotted Frostpaw. The medicine cat apprentice was staring at her, blue eyes huge and glimmering with shock and emotion and disbelief. Her ears flattened, and she looked completely helpless and unable to comprehend just what exactly had just been said. She shook her head slowly, as if asking, begging her mentor to deny what Snowcloud and the others were saying. Willowfall felt another sharp pain and rigidly turned away, unable to look at her any longer.

"...My mother," came the soft voice of Minnowstar. Willowfall winced slightly and raised her head to look at her. The leader had closed her eyes, her head bent low. But when she opened them and looked at the medicine cat, they were suddenly flaming, narrowed to slits, her fur standing on end and her tail lashing wildly. "My mother... All this time, I thought it had been an accident. That she'd slipped off the dock and drowned." She shook her head before beginning to make her way down the tree. Anxious murmurs began all around as everyone watched the leader hastily make her way towards Willowfall, lips pulled back. Blossomstar looked quite entertained. "You killed her! You killed my mother!"

Suddenly aware that her leader intended to attack her, Willowfall stumbled backwards, eyes wide as she shook her head.

"Minnowstar-"

"You traitor!" hissed Minnowstar loudly. Everyone's eyes were on the two of them. "Murderer!"

Willowfall looked wildly around her, unable to think, not knowing what to do. Everyone stared at her, silent again. They didn't know what to do, either.

And then, without any warning, Minnowstar suddenly leaped forward, knocking the surprised Willowfall to the snowy ground.

Then, everyone began to panic. Cats were yelling out at them and to each other as a crowd formed around them. Those in the back were pushing through, trying to see. Some of them hid their faces, unable to watch. Willowfall let out a gasp as she looked up at Minnowstar, who had pinned her to the ground. In a fury, the leader raised a paw, ready to strike. But before she could, Willowfall kicked out her back legs and managed to roll out from under her. She quickly got to her paws and turned to face Minnowstar, who was bristling in fury.

"Minnowstar, stop!" she breathed. "I don't want to fight you!"

The leader didn't seem to hear. She ran forward again, blinded by anger and sadness... mostly sadness. Willowfall could see it in her eyes and she felt another sharp pang of regret.

Minnowstar lashed out her paw again, but this time, Willowfall didn't dodge it in time. Sharp claws slashed her shoulder, and the medicine cat let out a sharp cry of pain as blood began to trickle down her pale, moonlit fur. The next thing she knew, she was shoved to the ground again and felt claws sink into her shoulders. She looked up at her attacker, wincing, seeing her paw rise against the shape of the full moon. Willowfall clenched her eyes shut.

But the next thing she knew, the weight was pushed off of her and she heard a voice yell, "Stop!"

Opening her eyes, she breathlessly got to her paws, a bit shaky, and lifted her head. Her eyes widened at what she saw, and she took a tiny step back.

"Blacktail..."

Blacktail had pushed Minnowstar to the ground; the latter was now getting to her paws, glaring at him in fury.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "This isn't your fight!"

"It isn't yours, either, Minnowstar," Blacktail said quietly, calmly. "You have to stop fighting. Hurting Willowfall isn't going to solve any of this. And it isn't going to bring your mother back."

"Shut up!" rasped Minnowstar, shaking her head as she stood up, trembling just slightly. "Shut up-"

"Listen to me, Minnowstar," Blacktail murmured, his voice not much louder than a whisper. Willowfall could just barely hear. "You need to stop fighting. Please."

Willowfall watched silently, her shoulders still stinging and feeling emotion well up inside of her. Why had Blacktail come to help her? Why...? Hadn't he wanted nothing to do with her anymore? She tried to meet his gaze, but he avoided it.

Minnowstar lowered her head, apparently thinking something over. Finally, she stood up, looking at Willowfall straight in the eyes. Her own were narrowed with distaste, but she lifted her head and lashed her tail.

"Very well," she said loudly for everyone else to hear. "Willowfall, what you have done defies the code of StarClan. But I'm sure you know that by now." She shifted, and everyone watched, silent. "Willowfall, you are hereby exiled from ShadowClan. You have until dawn to leave the Clans' territory. If you are seen after that, you will be treated as an enemy. If you have anything to say, say it now."

It was completely silent as the medicine cat stood there, blue eyes wide, feeling as if claws were gripping her chest. She blinked a few times, hesitantly glancing around at all the eyes that were on her. Many of her own Clanmates were looking away in disbelief. She spotted Frostpaw, her head on Ratpaw's shoulder, eyes closed as she shook her head softly. She caught Ratpaw's gaze; he frowned and looked down at his paws. She looked over at Snowcloud; the warrior was still standing by the roots of the tree, her expression impossible to read before she, too, looked away.

Willowfall let out a shaky breath of air. Exile. She was... She was exiled. She was banished from ShadowClan, from these cats that she had grown up with and spent her whole life with. She couldn't come back. She was "an enemy."

She swallowed with quite a bit of effort and let out another raspy breath, realizing that all eyes were on here, waiting for her to say something, anything, to explain herself, to confirm all the horrible things she'd done.

She shifted slightly, at first, not knowing what to do or say. There didn't seem to be any point in defending herself, claiming it wasn't true. Snowcloud... The only way she could have found out was if Ratpaw or Olivepaw told her, wasn't it? No... What about Emberheart? She had been planning this. She had been seeing Snowcloud in her dreams, waiting for this Gathering. Even after her death, Emberheart wanted her revenge, and it seemed as if she would do anything and use anyone to get it.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she let out a deep breath, closed her eyes for just a moment before opening them again, and looked over the entire crowd. Straightening up, she began to speak.

"...I was seeing a tom from another Clan," she said slowly. Everyone was silent. Many seemed shocked. She caught Blacktail's gaze for just a moment before he looked down at his paws. Willowfall swallowed and continued. "...I was pregnant with his kits. I was meeting him one night, and... Graystar... Graystar had followed me. She heard everything." She flicked an ear, glancing around uncomfortably. The silence was overwhelming. "...She told me that the minute my kits were born, she would kill them," she said, a bit louder. This caused a few cats to murmur quietly to themselves in surprise. Willowfall flicked her tail.

"...I wanted to protect them," she murmured. "I didn't think it was fair that my kits should die because of what I chose to do in my life. I... I was angry, I pushed her off of the dock... She fell into the lake. I didn't mean for it to happen-"

"Foxdung," hissed Minnowstar, eyes still flaring with anger. "If you didn't mean for it to happen, why didn't you save her?"

"Could you let me finish?" growled Willowfall, irritated. Minnowstar narrowed her eyes, but kept quiet. All eyes returned to the medicine cat.

"...I couldn't let her take the lives of innocent kits," she said, her voice growing soft again. She felt a sudden, intense pang of sorrow, but she tried to push past it. "I ran away. I was scared, and confused... I wanted what was best for my kits. And for the tom that I was seeing." This time, she couldn't bring herself to look at Blacktail, but she sensed his eyes on her. The she-cat looked up at the sky; the stars were twinkling magnificently. "Graystar drowned," she said softly. "I didn't know that it would happen. I just wanted what was best for my kits." She looked back at the crowd; some of their expressions had changed to something like sympathy. "I'm sure every mother here can relate to me," she said quietly. Glancing around, she saw Swallowflight and Bluepelt lower their heads.

"Don't you dare try to gain their sympathy," spat Minnowstar. "The fact remains that you broke the warrior code by having a mate, let alone a mate form another Clan. And what about Emberheart? Are you going to claim that you killed her for the good of your kits, too?"

"Actually," said Willowfall bitterly, eyes narrowed as she looked at her leader, "Yes, I am. Emberheart told me one night that she had to talk to me, so she led me out into the woods. And she told me that if I didn't get out of ShadowClan, then she would kill my kits."

"You're lying," growled Minnowstar. "Emberheart wouldn't do something like that."

"Really?" Willowfall mewed, voice edgy with sarcasm as she lashed her tail. "She's hated me ever since her son died. Badgerkit. He had eaten deathberries, but Emberheart blamed me for letting him die. In her eyes, I killed him. She couldn't stand me. So she threatened me with the lives of my kits. She attacked me first. I was only defending myself. I was trying to push her away, and she felt backwards, hitting her head on a rock. That's how she died. Listen," she said, raising her voice, as now quite a few cats were murmuring to themselves in confusion. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Any of it. But if I said that I regretted what I've done, I would be lying. Protecting my kits is the most important thing a mother can do. I did what I thought had to be done, and that's all."

She let out a deep breath as silence once again enveloped the crowd. Some of these cats actually looked like they understood. Especially the mothers.

"Minnowstar," Willowfall said quietly, looking at her leader in the eyes. "You've never had kits. You'll never understand what a mother would do to protect her family. Ever."

"Silence!" the silver tabby hissed. "That doesn't excuse what you have done. None of this would have happened if you had obeyed the warrior code and hadn't had a mate in the first place. You've had the chance to explain yourself. Your words aren't changing my verdict. You murdered my mother, and I will never forget that. Now get out. We're done here."

Willowfall stared at her, fur prickling. She hadn't expected Minnowstar to change her mind. In fact, she was becoming more and more aware that she didn't ever want to deal with this cat again. Minnowstar was blinded by her own emotions, just like Emberheart had been.

But what about the others? Her friends, the other medicine cats, Frostpaw... And what would Onespot think when he found out what had happened? Would she ever see any of these cats again?

She finally turned away, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind. The eyes of dozens of cats remained burning through her pelt as she at first walked, and then began to run away from the crowd. Breaking through the undergrowth, she trotted over the log-bridge. She ran through the snowy fields, the island behind her. Her mind was surprisingly clear, but she tried to put her focus on running. She didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't come back. She tried not to think about the ones she was leaving behind; for some reason, Blacktail kept appearing in her mind.

Shaking her head, she kept running, the moon above her lighting her path, the cats on the island growing more and more distant.

Heh, at least it only took me two weeks to update this time instead of a month? D;

Review and I'll love you forever and you'll get some chocolate :)

Till next time,

Pearly