Chapter 6
"No!" Graytail yowled as she ran to her mother, her tail between her legs,
Hazel walked over and sat by her.
"She was a friend of mine…" the pretty tortoiseshell whispered loud enough for Graytail to hear.
"Needleclaw! You shall be outcasted!" Yellowstar rasped in emotion.
"How could you?!" Graytail eyes were glazed with pain, as she looked at her mother again.
Graytail unsheathed her claws, and scraped at the soft earth.
"He… he deserved it! I killed Sageclaw! Father, do you hear me?! Be proud!" Needleclaw yowled as he lifted his snout in the air.
It was clear that he has gone crazy.
Yellowstar looked around for Carvy, then Graytail saw his gaze fall on the sharp-tongued warrior, whose ear was badly nicked and bleeding. Foxpaw ran over and tried to playfully paw at him, but Carvy just shooed her away with a hiss.
"What happened?" Yellowstar demanded.
"I brought this stupid furball back to camp, then he stopped dead when he saw Leafheart walking toward the fresh-prey pile. I tried to stop him, but he hit me right on the ear, and ran as fast as a squirrel could climb a tree!"
Yellowstar's tail swished in anger as he looked at Needleclaw.
"Carvy, Toadshade, Wolfear, and Flinchfern. Outcast this warrior, and make sure he stays out." Yellowstar flicked his ear in signal, as the four strong warriors surrounded Needleclaw, and pushed him out of camp.
"I'm coming with you!" Clawpaw pelted out of the apprentice's den and raced after her mentor. No one stopped her.
Yellowstar looked down at Leafheart in pain,
"Mistlefang, Pineheart, Graytail, Hazel, and Silentsong. Take Leafheart's body and bury it at the Sacred Hills."
Graytail pushed her muzzle into Mistlefang's smoky-colored pelt in grief, the scent of her soft fur calmed Graytail a bit.
"You must be brave, young warrior." she rasped.
Feeling so close to the elder she has played with when she was a kit, made her feel protected, as if she were a kit again.
Mistlefang rasped her tongue on Graytail's ear,
"When you were a kit, all you needed was a piece of moss or cobweb to play with! Leafheart is in Moonclan now, watching over you, waiting for you when your final breaths come. You can survive without your mother. Your strong, young Graytail."
Comforted by the wise elder's words, she soon remembered the prophecy Silentstar had sent her. When they got to camp, she sneaked out to the Gathering place.
When she got there, a shadow of another cat, walked closer.
This… this must be the other stone cat!
Graytail was excited to meet this cat.
The icy stare looked back at her. She immediately knew who it was.
Graytail was ready for the sharp retort from Carvy, but he asked gently,
"A-are you the other stone cat?"
"You had the dream too?" Graytail asked.
Carvy finally came into view, the brand-new nick on his ear was covered in cobweb.
They both turned in the direction of the bushes, as a rustling got louder.
"What are you doing here?" Carvy looked at Bunnypaw and Foxpaw as she tumbled out of the bushes.
"Wanted to see what you guys were up to." Bunnypaw's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Does it look like we're doing anything?!" Carvy snarled in the apprentice's face.
Graytail felt hot with embarrassment. Stupid furballs, she thought, as she saw the embarrassed look on Carvy's face too. She tapped Carvy with her tail,
"We may as well explain."
Carvy's face softened, "Okay." he mumbled.
Graytail got closer to the apprentices, Carvy gave Foxpaw a soft cuff around the ear. "Okay," Graytail meowed, "Moonclan came to us in a dream…"
