Chapter 67: Judgement
I had been up and moving for a few days when Bluestar approached me. She had a serious look in her eyes and I could see Whitestorm and Lionheart positioning themselves behind Tigerclaw.
"It is time." She quietly mewed, gesturing at Ravenfeather and Fireheart who moved to cut off the exit to the camp. She must have let them in on the plan.
Bluestar moved with purpose in front of Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw perked, seemingly expecting some kind of order from Bluestar. Bluestar met his eyes unwaveringly before giving her order.
"Now!" She ordered in a disturbingly level tone.
Lionheart and Whitestorm leapt, pressing Tigerclaw down with their combined weight and pinning him by pressing his shoulders into the dirt. Tigerclaw acted with alarm, but it wasn't fear, more shock.
"What is the meaning of this?" He growled, drawing forth almost all of Thunderclan.
Bluestar looked down upon her now captured former deputy. "Tigerclaw, you stand accused of attempted murder targeting myself twice, colluding with other clans instigating an attack, getting an apprentice crippled, and involvement with the death of the former deputy Redtail. I have personally been involved with the investigation and have confirmed that the two attempts on my life were valid. What say you in your defense?" Bluestar commanded.
"Murder you?" He sputtered. "That's ridiculous! How would I even do that? I'm strong and straightforward." He bluffed.
Bluestar slowly began to pace as she began her counter argument. "During the whitecough outbreak a certain incident occurred that left an apprentice crippled. It began with an unusual call for aid from Dustpelt under your orders. He was ordered to send me to the Thunderpath alone to check out a so called Shadowclan scent. I was too ill to respond, but an eager apprentice went to give you the news of my condition. The spot she tracked you to was confirmed by Smudgefoot to be what he called a blind corner. Monsters cannot react to anything on the Thunderpath if it rests on that corner, thus making a danger spot that you knew of. Cinderpaw was lucky to only lose a leg that day." Bluestar recounted, eliciting hushed murmurs throughout the camp about the validity of the accusation.
Tigerclaw was cleverer than I gave him credit for. He came up with a counter on the spot. "Yes. I did request Bluestar come and check out the Shadowclan scent on our territory, but only because it was off. If I requested anyone else, it might have caused an uproar. I know now that the scent was Brokenstar and his rogues. The happenstance that this took place on that blind corner is irrelevant. It was a pure accident that Cinderpaw stepped onto the Thunderpath and got hit." He stated calmly, bringing forth more murmurs and disagreement throughout the clan. Could it all have been an accident, was the question on the tip of all the cats' tongues.
Bluestar turned dramatically before launching into the next accusation. "I would have believed it so if it were not for what you did afterwards. With the new presence of bones discovered on the border, you whipped the clan into a frenzy. Cats per patrol were doubled. I had recently gotten a tip on an accusation directed at you and had secretly departed with Whitestorm to investigate. During that time, another patrol reported the presence of bones. Under your command, you ordered an attack patrol consisting of near every able-bodied cat in the camp. It was during this time that Brokenstar was able to invade and attack the camp. We were fortunate that Fireheart and two apprentices who were soon named warriors were able to hold the camp until reinforcements arrived. Brokenstar's invasion slipped right through the gap in the patrols you coordinated. I could pass this up as luck if it weren't for Brokentail's later admission. He claimed that you personally gave him a deal. One which involved the assassination of myself, Fireheart, and Smudgefoot. He claims that if you had succeeded, you would have helped him take back over Shadowclan." Bluestar stated, causing even more cats to question Tigerclaw's character.
Tigerstar had taken the time from Bluestar's testimony to construct a reasonable rebuttal. "You'd really take the word of a treacherous exile? Brokentail claimed that to cause dissent within our clan and weaken us. I do not know how Brokentail's raid got in without our attention."
Bluestar tilted her head realizing Tigerclaw had made a mistake. "So you claim incompetence for Brokentail's ability to raid the camp unmolested?"
Tigerclaw hissed in response now realizing he'd accidentally called into question his own capability as a deputy. "No! It was a pure fluke. Brokentail has been harassing our borders for several days. It is not beyond possible for him to have found a gap in our patrols and exploited it."
"And yet it is still your fault that the camp was undermanned during the time of the crisis, taking that far too large raiding party. Regardless of the outcome of this trial, I will have to have you step down form the position of deputy." Bluestar mewed coldly.
Tigerclaw thrashed violently, but fortunately Whitestorm and Lionheart were able to keep the pin despite taking some scratches from the outburst. "You spiteful rat! I did nothing wrong! There was proof of heavy Shadowclan presence on the border, so I reacted accordingly! You're just doing this because I was Thistleclaw's apprentice! I earned where I am, and I won't let some delusional and baseless accusations steal that from me!" He yowled, causing several cats to flinch.
Bluestar seemed unfazed by Tigerclaw's outburst. Instead, she resumed her pacing before beginning her final accusation. "Finally, we have reason to believe you were involved with the death of the former deputy Redtail. While there is no proof to you killing Redtail, we do have proof that you misreported the incident. According to you, Oakheart killed Redtail and you killed him in revenge. This order of events is impossible. We have confirmed that Oakheart died during a rockfall that Redtail managed to escape. You did not kill Oakheart. From there, Riverclan fled believing the rockfall was an act of Starclan. The question remains, who killed Redtail. You were the only one around who could have witnessed his death. Explain." She ordered.
I noticed Tigerclaw begin an act, looking somewhat chastised but not guilty. Despite his act, his eyes held a cunning that screamed that he knew how to counter her argument. "I admit I embellished my accomplishments. Oakheart indeed did die by rockfall, but Redtail did not come out unscathed. He was heavily wounded and was not likely to survive. I could tell he was in pain, so I did the only thing a kind cat could do. I mercy killed him. I told the story differently to retain Redtail's honor."
The silence hung heavy. Was Tigerclaw really going to get away with it? He had countered all of our arguments with ease. He'd still lose his deputy position, but he had won this battle… That was until Ravenfeather cut in.
"That's a lie!" He yowled, stepping forward into the center of the camp and the trial.
Tigerclaw gave Ravenfeather an evil look, but Bluestar let Ravenwing's objection stand. "Oh? Then what proof do you have to the contrary?" She mewed gently, trying to ease Ravenfeather to give his testimony.
"You don't have to do this. He's already been stripped of power." I mewed, hoping to keep Ravenfeather safe.
"Actually, I do." He replied to me quietly before raising his voice for the whole clan to hear. "I was there at the time of Redtail's death. I witnessed his murder! Redtail had made his escape from the rockfall, but he was not harshly wounded. He only had some superficial scratches and bruises from his bout with Oakheart. I had been hiding under a bush, waiting for the fighting to end. I was about to reveal myself to Redtail when I noticed some cat creeping up on him. At first, I thought nothing of it since it was Tigerclaw. That is when it happened. Tigerclaw pounced on the unsuspecting Redtail and tore his throat out with one clean blow. I, being an apprentice, panicked and fled back to camp. Unfortunately, I passed out before I could relay Tigerclaw's foul deed. By that point, it was too late. Tigerclaw had circulated his narrative. I couldn't hope for any cat to take me seriously. I was just an apprentice. That's when I got lucky. I confided in Smudgefoot about my fears and he came up with a solution, a lie. He gave me the plan to fake amnesia to our medicine cat. It went exactly as he planned. I was spared the scrutiny of Tigerclaw since he no longer believed me to be a threat. I have now broken this silence because I could not just let him get away with it. Redtail's death deserves justice. I do not wish to live in a clan where I must fear our deputy's ambitions."
"You lied to me!" Tigerclaw hissed while surging forward with a vicious strength. I interposed myself between the two, giving Tigerclaw a look of absolute contempt.
"Do not forget me Tigerclaw. It was your own doing that brought this about. If you had been patient, played by the rules, and not let your ambition make you reckless, I would have never had need to reveal your treachery." I mewed, drawing gasps from the watching crowd. "I gave you the means to play fair. I taught you the correct way to win. I was the one who taught you how to claim the position of deputy… And how did you repay me? Your haste caused My friend's apprentice to be permanently crippled. You attempted to have me killed because you deemed me a threat. Despite me knowing what you did to Redtail, I wanted you to make it to leadership. I thought you had what it took, but you proved me wrong. I was the one who facilitated your rise, so it is only fitting that I am also the one to make you fall. I have made us even. Do not incur my wrath further." I hissed, stunning Tigerclaw to silence.
After a moment of silence, Bluestar spoke up, now sitting upon the high rock. "Then it is time to issue my verdict. For your crimes of murder and attempted murder, you Tigerclaw are exiled! If we find you within our territory, we will grant you no mercy."
Lionheart, Whitestorm, and Sandstorm escorted Tigerclaw out. Bluestar kept the camp convened until their return for one more announcement.
"Unfortunately, with the revelation of Tigerclaw's treachery, we are now without a deputy. I must also reveal an uncomfortable truth. I do not in fact have four lives remaining. I only have one, and my age definitely showing. It is for this reason that I propose doing something unusual. I wish for Fireheart to be my successor, but Smudgefoot will be the acting deputy." Bluestar suggested, drawing angry murmuring throughout the clan. It went against tradition. Why was it Fireheart and I?
"Quiet!" She commanded. "There is a reason a deputy is to succeed a leader. It is because they have the time to gain the experience to lead. Unfortunately, I cannot claim we have that time for a successor to passively gain the experience. It is for this reason that I am taking upon myself the duty of training Fireheart to succeed me that we need an acting deputy to fulfil the duties of a regular deputy. Fireheart has proven himself both empathetic and unwavering, traits absolutely necessary in a good leader. Meanwhile Smudgefoot has proven himself both logical and efficient. He already has the skillset to keep the clan on track while I am preoccupied with training my successor. I pray you accept these unusual circumstances. Thunderclan has always been the ones to innovate and not only survive but challenge the world. Even if today is bleak, we will have a bright tomorrow, even if we have to drag the sun into the sky ourselves!" Bluestar yowled, completely turning around the dreary mood and rallying the clan.
… My clan. It was My clan now… Mine… I couldn't do half measures anymore. The clan was my property. It was mine, and I'd protect it with every fiber of my being. I'd dip to any low if it kept them safe. Afterall, it was mine.