Chapter 31
Springstar climbed into her den, really just a hole in the twoleg place that led to a closet. It was nice an comfortable with all the old twoleg clothes though, and after the long day Springstar was ready to go to sleep. It wasn't going to happen.
Frogcroak came over to the hole. "Springstar?" He walked in. "Springstar have you seen Bellpaw?" Springstar shook her head. Frogcroak shuffled his feet and looked around wildly in worry. "She's been gone a while now, and I tried to find her on my own, but I couldn't. And I'm getting worried."
"She's meeting 52." Both cats turned to see Wisdompaw staring at them.
Springstar dropped a little lower in her surprise. "You can talk?!"
"Of course. But you learn a lot more when you listen than when you talk. Which brings me back to the point. Bellpaw went to see 52, she's been meeting him since Winterfur announced she wouldn't be medicine cat apprentice."
"Bellpaw's meeting with a cat from Leader's rogue group?" Springstar demanded. Wisdompaw nodded. Winterfur had gotten close to her den by then and was listening in, but Springstar didn't care at the time. "Well why didn't you say something before?! This is dangerous!"
"It's not." Wisdompaw hissed. "That's why. 52 has never tried to bring Bellpaw to Leader, and he's been trying to show emotions."
Springstar sputtered for a moment, but it was Frogcroak. "Excuse me, but doesn't anyone realize my apprentice is outside the territory, alone, with a rogue from the group we're going to fight tomorrow?"
Springstar nodded, bringing herself back to the moment. "Right. Let's go after her."
"Can I come too?" Winterfur asked, stepping forward. Springstar opened her mouth to object. Winterfur must have realized what she was going to say since he added, "Batpaw's gone too."
Springstar looked down and nodded. "Okay. Let's go." All of them left then. All of them that is, but Wisdompaw. Springstar looked back at the apprentice. She was back to not talking, but she flashed Springstar a mischevious smile before the cats had left the twoleg place and she disappeared from sight.
"This way." Frogcroak instructed, leading them down the thunderpath.
They ran all the way to the edge of the territory and into the neighboring forest. There were so few scents out there, it was easy to find Bellpaw and Batpaw's, especially since they were the only ones who didn't have the scent of the rogue group.
The three found Bellpaw, Batpaw, and 52, but it wasn't what they had expected. Bellpaw was dead. Batpaw had his head buried in her fur. 52 was looking lost, but the tears falling from his eyes proved Wisdompaw was right. 52 was trying, and succeeding, to show emotions.
But there was a dead body here. Springstar walked into view. "What happened here?" She snarled threateningly.
52 took a step back and quickly tried to act like he hadn't been crying.
"It's my fault Springstar." Batpaw whimpered, lifting his head away from Bellpaw's body. "I thought he was going to hurt Bellpaw," He waved his tail at 52 without looking him. "So I attacked. And Bellpaw stepped in between . . . and . . . I killed her." He looked away again, falling back into his sister's fur.
Winterfur gasped. "This is my fault." He breathed. Springstar shot a questioning look at him. "I made Batpaw medicine cat because of a sign from Starclan. I thought it meant Batpaw would be a better apprentice, but now I think it might have been telling me this." Winterfur explained.
Springstar shook her head. "It's not your fault for misinterpreting signs."
"Starclan?" 52 echoed.
Springstar turned to him biting her lip. She'd forgotten about him, but he did provide a problem. She nodded. "You can come back with us if you want." She offered. "We're going to . . . honor Bellpaw."
52 paused, but his lack of expression made it impossible to figure out what he was thinking. "Oh . . . kay." He agreed.
Springstar nodded and addressed everyone at once. "That battle's off."
"Oh that's good." All the cats turned as a new cat came into view. Leader. "It makes it so much easier to kill you."
