Three moons after Mothstar, Sunstream, Sparrowflight, Ivypebble, and Cloudstone's burials, all was peaceful in the RiverClan camp. The ShadowClan apprentices had left with the remedy for blackcough, and Rainstar was persistent with training Bearpaw.
Now, the three littermates were sitting with their mentors in a clearing.
"Everyone, today is your second assessment. We will all be watching your progress, and skills." Rainstar told the apprentices. "This assessment will be a little bit different, though. Today, instead of hunting river prey, or birds, you will hunt land prey." All the apprentices groaned.
"Do we have to?" Shiningpaw complained.
"You need the practice. We've mostly only gone over fish and birds." Mantisflame replied. The more Bearpaw got to know Mantisflame, they seemed less intimidating and more quiet and reserved. Bearpaw had also noticed no one ever shared tongues or prey with him. Although, Shiningpaw's dislike for her mentor never went away.
As the six cats all loped in different directions, Bearpaw wondered why they needed to catch land prey. It's not like any cat eats it. It tastes to musty. Bearpaw could sense someone watching him, but he ignored it. Probably Rainstar.
Bearpaw had good luck, and found a large mouse scurrying around in the leaves beside a beech tree. Bearpaw crept up to it, and pounced. He landed neatly on top of the unsuspecting rodent, and nipped at its spine. He soon found a vole, a shrew, and even an elderly rabbit.
After taking his catch back to the clearing, Bearpaw laid down. I'm so hungry I could eat my whole catch; musty-tasting or not. Later, Shiningpaw trotted into the clearing carrying three mice and a squirrel.
"You caught a squirrel? How'd you manage that?" Bearpaw mewed, astonished.
"It was trapped under a tree root," Shiningpaw admitted. "It couldn't escape when I found it." As she was speaking, Plumepaw smoothly stalked into the clearing, holding a rabbit twice his size. "That'll feed the entire Clan- and then some!" Shiningpaw remarked.
"I know. It was on the border of WindClan territory. Actually, in the border of WindClan territory. Only a few tail-lengths." Plumepaw mewed.
"You shall return that rabbit immediately!" Rainstar's harsh voice came from behind them.
"Plumepaw, you know that WindClan is starving!" Rockwhisker came up behind Rainstar, looking dismayed.
"I-I'm sorry." Plumepaw stuttered.
"WindClan needs that rabbit far more than we do." Mantisflame stalked up to them from the side. "And, we don't even eat rabbits."
"If Sparrowflight could see you now-" Rockwhisker began to say, then cut herself off.
"If Sparrowflight could see you, which he can from StarClan, he would be very displeased." Rainstar finished. "You all pass the assessment except for Plumepaw, who must return the rabbit immediately and then retake the assessment."
"What! I Caught it, didn't I?" Plumepaw meowed in defense of himself.
"You stole it." Rockwhisker corrected.
"A good warrior doesn't steal prey." Shiningpaw mocked. Plumepaw hissed, and leaped at Shiningpaw, claws outstretched. Shiningpaw shrieked when she saw the blow coming, and ducked; but she was too late. Plumepaw had bawled her over, and was pummeling her belly with claws sharper than thorns.
"Plumepaw, Stop!" Rainstar commanded, but the yowls of pain from Shiningpaw drowned out the order. Rockwhisker hurried over to Plumepaw, and dragged him off the shrieking apprentice. Shiningpaw looked like a torn up piece of moss; she was bloody and beaten. Bearpaw rushed over to her side.
"Shiningpaw? Shiningpaw, are you alright?" Bearpaw leaned over her.
"Bearpaw…" Shiningpaw weakly whispered. "My throat and belly hurt…" Shiningpaw's head lolled to the side, and Bearpaw could see claw marks all along his sister's underbelly reaching up to her chin.
"Get Maplefern!" Bearpaw yowled at the warriors. Rockwhisker and Mantisflame hurried away, leaving Rainstar behind.
"How could you have done this to your sister, let alone your Clanmate!" Rainstar scolded Plumepaw.
"You!" Bearpaw snarled at Plumepaw. "How could you! She could be dead!"
Plumepaw shuffled his paws. "I-I don't know. I just got really angry all the sudden…"
"You attacked Shiningpaw because you got a little angry because she was teasing you!" Bearpaw growled. "You ought to be banished!"
Rainstar trotted over Shiningpaw, who's breathing was very shallow. "I'm no medicine cat, but I believe she may live." Rainstar examined the wounds on Shiningpaw's neck. "These are deep. Very deep." He gingerly took one claw and prodded a wound. Shiningpaw choked, and Rainstar swiftly drew away.
"We're here." Maplefern's meow came from the direction of the camp. Bearpaw turned quickly to see Maplefern. Ivorytooth, Rockwhisker, Mantisflame, and Spiderstrike standing a little way behind the medicine cat. Maplefern wasted no time in rushing over to the injured cat, and checking the wounds. "Who did this to Shiningpaw? Rockwhisker and Mantisflame didn't give details."
Bearpaw shot a menacing glance at Plumepaw. "He did."
"Oh." Is all that Maplefern said in reply. She continued checking the wounds. "Her windpipe is punctured. We can't move her, or she won't be able to breathe. Gather moss and feathers, so we can make a nest around her."
All the cats except Plumepaw got to work; collecting and bringing back things like moss, ferns, and feathers. Plumepaw sat in the middle of the clearing, staring at Shiningpaw's barely moving body.
"It's not my fault. It's not my fault." Bearpaw heard Plumepaw whisper every time he walked past. Once, he tried stopping in front of Plumepaw to say, "But it is your fault. You're the one who attacked her." but Plumepaw only stared blankly ahead. He's in shock. He is probably shocked that he didn't kill Shiningpaw, only horribly wounded her. Bearpaw bitterly swept past Plumepaw, only to be face-to-face with Rainstar.
"We will confine him to camp until he tells us why he attacked Shiningpaw. Then, after that, we will decide his punishment."
Bearpaw nodded. "Alright. But if Shiningpaw dies, promise me you'll banish him forever."
This time, Rainstar nodded.
When Shiningpaw had stabilized enough to move back into camp, Rainstar had Plumepaw put under guard.
"It was an accident!" Plumepaw tried to reason. His guards, Spottedcloud and Flintfoot, only shook their heads.
"That's not what we heard." Flintfoot meowed in a sad voice. "We heard you attacked Shiningpaw, and then didn't even try to help when everyone was making a nest for her." Flintfoot glanced at Spottedcloud, and changed the subject. "Oh, I heard that Pigeonwing went hunting near ShadowClan territory and hasn't come back yet."
"Strange. I hope he wasn't captured. Rainstar will have to send a search party to look for him sooner or later, unless he comes back himself." Spottedcloud replied.
Bearpaw was standing in front of Plumepaw, watching him try to reason with his guards.
"I just got angry! I never wanted to hurt her! Let alone kill her!" Plumepaw looked exasperated. Flintfoot shuffled his paws and sighed.
"Even if you didn't mean to hurt Shiningpaw, we have to punish you for attacking her." Spottedcloud reasoned.
"You deserve punishment!" Bearpaw spat at his littermate. "She could've died! She still might die! Because of you!" Bearpaw ran off, into the apprentice' den. Earlier, Maplefern had told him that Shiningpaw could have no visitors until she could tell if Shiningpaw would die. Now, Bearpaw lay in the apprentice' den, thinking. Shiningpaw looked better when we moved her to camp. She has a good chance of surviving. Then, Plumepaw can apologize, and we'll all be together and happy again. Bearpaw knew this was not true, but he wanted to believe it. He knew that if Shiningpaw survived, there would always be tension between them. He knew that things would never truly be normal, no matter how hard you try to make peace.
"Bearpaw?" Maplefern's voice came from the entrance of the den.
"Shiningpaw's dead, isn't she." Bearpaw sadly padded towards Maplefern. All his hope had vanished like mist in the sun.
"She wants to see you to say her final goodbyes. She can't speak very well, so don't make her talk too much." Maplefern signaled for Bearpaw to follow her. He got to his paws, and stepped into the blinding sunlight. It's a beautiful day. He thought sadly. Why does it have to be so tragic?
Bearpaw crouched beside Shiningpaw's nest, listening to her raspy breathing.
"Shiningpaw? It's me. Bearpaw." Bearpaw whispered quietly into her ear. She stirred, and opened her eyes. The wounds on her underbelly and throat looked no better, and some of the scratch marks had dried blood encrusted on them.
"Bearpaw…" She breathed. "I'm going to die…"
"I know. You'll be happy in StarClan." Bearpaw felt overwhelmed with emotion for his sister. "You'll be happy." He repeated.
"Good… I'll visit you…" Shiningpaw's breathing got shallower. "Promise me…"
"What is it?"
"Promise me… You'll go to the place of rocks and stones… To create new life… Promise me." Shiningpaw's breathing slowed, and finally stopped altogether. She gave one final shutter, and was still.
"I promise. I promise." He choked out. Bearpaw rested his muzzle on Shiningpaw's head. "I will go to the place of rocks and stones. I swear." Bearpaw silently grieved for his lost sister. "Where's Plumepaw?" He said after a long time of silence.
"He's under guard next to the apprentice' den." Maplefern replied. "I assume you want to banish him."
"I don't want to, but at the same time, I do. It's like- It's like if your best friend killed your mother, but they're your best friend. You don't know what to do. Avenge your mother, or forgive an old friend."
Maplefern rested her tail on his shoulder. "I know how you feel."
"But you don't! Your mother and father never died of blackcough! Your brother never killed your sister! You don't know anything about how I feel!" Bearpaw's sadness suddenly turned into rage.
"I do know. My sister, Rushingwater, died of greencough. That's when I decided to be a medicine cat. I want to prevent things like this from happening. I knew the only way to serve my Clan like that was to follow the path of a medicine cat. You may find the same for yourself."
"But I want to be a warrior!" Bearpaw objected.
"I don't mean become a medicine cat- I mean follow the path that is right for you. Listen to what your heart and mind tell you."