Chapter 28: Reveal
I was strangely glad to be out of camp. Despite the lessening of tensions taking down the ex-Shadowclan leader provided, I still felt my skin crawl with unresolved uneasiness. I was starting to question myself. Tigerclaw and Brokenstar were drawing too many parallels. To cover Ravenpaw, I'd have to let Tigerclaw have free rein of his position for roughly twenty-seven days. It wouldn't be unreasonable in that time for him to bump me off given how much I knew and the threat I represented.
Ravenfeather's warm presence warded off such unpleasant thoughts. Once we were a good distance from camp, I signaled for us to stop.
"I think this is far enough. Now it's time for Ravenfeather and I to share the secret we've been keeping hidden." I mewed.
In a show of strange bravery, Ravenfeather brought himself to my side and imparted a look that told that this was not the time for nonsense. His green eyes which usually were downcast in either fear or embarrassment were instead piercing. They weren't a lively emerald like Fireheart's Instead, they were deeper, like a forest green with small flecks of brown. It was like his eyes had their own little forest within them.
"I'm ready. Let's tell them… about Redtail." Mewed Ravenpaw slowly as if to add dramatic effect.
Graystripe just tilted his head in curiosity, but something about how Fireheart's fur rose, his eyes dilating, and his claws peeking out from his paws told me he already had a clue as to what we meant. How he knew was anyone's guess. Maybe Redtail creeped into his head one night and hinted at it. Regardless, we were the ones with the knowledge on how far Tigerclaw was willing to go.
"I'm going to state it slowly so you both can draw your own conclusions. There is irrefutable proof that Redtail died after Oakheart. Ravenfeather is a witness as well as several Riverclan cats. Oakheart died in a rockfall from which Redtail escaped." I meowed with conviction.
Graystripe looked puzzled while he tried to piece together what that meant. Meanwhile Fireheart's hackles raised as he got what I implied. It's shocking how well proving all the things that couldn't have happened can make the truth more palatable. Graystripe is slightly below average intelligence in the clan, but if I can get him to draw the same conclusion as Fireheart, who was well used to my roundabout way of getting my point across, then I'd be able to convince the clan much easier.
"So did Redtail just bleed out or something?" Asked Graystripe, trying to somehow piece together Tigerclaw's story with the facts he'd been given.
"No. Spottedleaf confirmed it. Redtail died near instantly from a neck wound. He died several tail lengths away from the rock fall. He even watched Riverclan retreat." Responded Ravenfeather.
"Then… Who killed him? You said he died from a neck wound that killed him fast. Was there a rogue there or some other Riverclan cat?" Graystripe questioned, trying to stick to Tigerclaw's narrative. I could tell by the look on his face that his faith in Tigerclaw's story was starting to slip.
"That's the question worth all the freshkill in the pile. Tell me, if Riverclan just retreated due to the death of their deputy, and most Thunderclan cats retreated due to fighting a losing fight, who is still there to see Redtail. A rogue wouldn't hang out near a battlefield so far into hostile territory just to pick off one cat. Revenge? No. That's unlikely. Riverclan was in a state of panic since what looked like an act of Starclan just stole their deputy away. Then who is still there? Who stands to profit from Redtail's death?" I lead on.
"A deputy candidate. But Lioneart…" Graystripe mewed defensively.
"Lionheart wasn't the only deputy candidate. Who seemed most angry when Lionheart was chosen? Who worked their way into Bluestar's good graces systematically?" I fired back.
"Tigerclaw…" Mewed Graystripe, a look of realization dawning on his face. "But Tigerclaw is one of the strongest and most respected cats in the clan. Why would he?"
"As I started telling you before, Tigerclaw's brain just does not work like a normal cat's does. I once had a similar condition. In essence, Tigerclaw has no capability to feel empathy. He can't put himself in your paws. He cannot understand another cat. He literally can't think about any cat besides himself as anything more than something divergent from himself. It's why he's a terrible teacher and why he's so battle hungry and hates retreating. He can't understand that others will never have his mindset. I am as close as they come. He feels comfortable talking to me since I'm the closest thing to him talking to another him. With the unavoidable selfishness that comes with that kind of mind, Tigerclaw looked for a purpose. The one he decided on was victory at any cost." I lectured, trying to explain why a seemingly good cat could turn out to be bad.
"But the code!" Graystripe grasped at.
"Tell me, what is the purpose of feeding the elders and queens first, in a way that directly benefits me." I mewed darkly.
Graystripe just stammered, unable to come up with a real answer.
"There is an answer. You just have to be cold about it. Queens are a resource to up the total cat power in a camp after an investment of roughly three quarters of a year. Elders are tactical advisors useful for when a cat encounters a new issue that may turn out to be an old reoccurring issue." I answered.
"But that completely disregards that they are a cat!" Fireheart hissed.
"Exactly! That is how Tigerclaw thinks. No cat but him is really a cat in his eyes. He sees himself as the sole existence. I'm, to him, something like a reflection, an alternate, more valuable than what he sees normal cats as, but ultimately disposable. Tigerclaw has decided his purpose is to win, to gain power. When he truly believes only he exists, what is the point of obeying the boundaries rules make? Playing by the rules is more a suggestion to him than a barrier. He'll cross it if he thinks it'll get him what he wants. Thankfully, I've already got some plans in place. He's not going to play so dirty when I've given him the tools to play within the code. He'll come to realize this reflection has just as much control over him, if not more, than he has himself." I finished with my malicious grin growing widely on my face. Ravenpaw's light purr and warm fur pressing into my side only making it grow all the wider.