Twenty Three

It took a while for the shock of what happened to wear off. She wasn't even sure where to begin when Rainpaw found her. The apprentice's face was filled with sympathy along with a mixture of anger and grief. She understood why. Snowpaw was her sister and they had been close. Rainpaw likely believed her mother's side of the story, and she couldn't blame the medicine cat apprentice for taking her side. What she didn't expect was for Rainpaw to leave behind a bundle of herbs that Mothwing organized. It took a few heartbeats for her to register that the apprentice was gone by the time she figured out what the herbs were for.

Then came the grief that followed as realization finally dawned on her.

She had nowhere to go. The Clan would likely turn on her if she tried returning now. Minnowtail had them all in a frenzy by the time she realized what was happening. She knew somewhere deep down that she wasn't fit for her position. No matter how many times Mothwing or Hollyleaf tried reassuring her, she knew they were wrong. Maybe it was better for Hollyleaf to take her place. Maybe Hollyleaf would have the experience to take down Lightning and defend the Clan. Either way, there was no point in going back. Not unless it meant risking her own lives and the lives of whatever family she had left.

Dovestar let out a heavy sigh as she finished applying the cobwebs to her wounds. She didn't bother with the herbs Mothwing gave her. The wounds weren't deep enough that they were needed, but it still stung nonetheless. Minnowtail knew where to strike and when to strike. She had been too stunned to fight back, and at the end of the day, it wasn't worth fighting back.

She was right after all, she thought bitterly.

She sat there for a few minutes, unsure of where to go from there. The lake loomed in the distance, leaving a painful reminder of what she was about to leave behind. She couldn't return… not until she had proof that she didn't murder Snowpaw in cold blood. Until that point, she was on her own. Or so she thought.

She paused in her stride when she heard the sound of pawsteps approaching. Her eyes narrowed when she picked up an unfamiliar scent. She was ready to turn and run when a small tabby cat emerged from the undergrowth. The tabby stopped midstep when they registered the fact that she was crouched in a patch of ferns.

"What's a cat like you doing way out here?" Her ears pricked forward at the sound of a she-cat's voice. From the scent of milk she picked up, the she-cat was a queen who recently gave birth, or she was still nursing kits. "You better not be one of those Clan cats that snoops around here, or Lightning's followers!"

Dovestar flinched at the ferocity of the cat's voice. She dealt with enough trauma for one day. She wasn't in any hurry to pick a fight with someone else, especially given her recent encounter with Minnowtail.

"I'm not here to start a fight," she said quietly. The tabby straightened up after noticing something about the former leader was off. Then her eyes widened when she saw the cobwebs across her wounds. "I just need a place to spend the night; I'll be on my way in the morning."

The tabby didn't look entirely reassured, though thankfully she didn't attack.

"Doesn't look as if you can attack even if you wanted to," she meowed thoughtfully. She looked at nothing in particular, as if debating whether or not it was worth trusting this stranger. "Alright, fine. I'll let you stay, but touch one hair on my kits and you'll be flayed." She supposed that was fair enough. The feelings would have been mutual if the roles were reversed. The tabby led the way further into the brush, and Dovestar reluctantly followed. "My name's Tiny, by the way. I'm sure you can figure out why."

Tiny… it's an interesting choice in names.

She wouldn't say anything against that though. Most outsiders thought Clan traditions were strange.

"My name is… Dove," she admitted carefully.

The last thing she wanted was to inform the cats that she came from a Clan. Judging from the scents mixed in the air, there were more around them. She suddenly found herself wondering if these were the same group of cats Aspencreek and the others came from. Tiny flicked an ear in her direction and led the way deeper into the undergrowth to what she assumed was where the cat had been sleeping.

To her surprise, a small group of cats were living in the undergrowth. Her eyes widened as a ginger and white tom emerged from a small bush, while a pale gray she-cat with amber eyes followed suit. Two apprentice-sized cats bounded across the clearing to greet Tiny, who stood with relief when they reached her and touched noses with her.

"It's okay, just some strange cat I ran into," she explained when one of the younger cats asked who the visitor was. Dovestar watched the group curiously, not missing the way they eyed her with suspicion. "I don't think she's much of a threat, judging from how small she is. Just keep an eye on her in case she does anything funny."

The ginger and white tom shared a look with the pale gray she-cat before approaching Dovestar. She was taken aback by those vivid green eyes. They reminded her of Sandstorm's eyes and the way they used to glow.

"You must've done something to gain Tiny's trust. It takes a lot for her to let outsiders anywhere near our clearing," he meowed with a dip of his head. Dovestar wasn't sure what to say when he sat down, wrapping his tail around his paws. "My name's Pounce, and that gray cat over there is called Mist. We've been living together here for a few moons now to avoid Lightning and his gang."

They're all victims of those rogues, she thought guiltily.

She could tell from the scratches and scars along their pelts and muzzles that these cats faced brutality in the past. Pounce was missing an eye while Mist had thick, angry looking scars along her shoulders from where she had been hurt. She had a feeling Lightning was more than responsible for a few of those scars. It explained why Tiny was so suspicious of her. Though she couldn't help but wonder if these cats had any relation to Forestpelt and the outsiders that recently joined them.

"Thank you for letting me stay for the night," she bowed her head gratefully, knowing full-well these cats were risking their lives to let her stay.

"It isn't every day a cat comes around from the lake area," Pounce replied. "We all thought those wild cats would attack us one day, but they're the least of our worries at this point."

A shiver swept through her when she realized what he was implying. After learning about Lightning and what he was capable of, she had little doubt Pounce was telling her the truth. Then there was the fact that the Clans hadn't been their biggest threat after all. She suddenly found herself wondering just how vulnerable the Clan was to outside threats.

"I won't be too much of a burden," she reassured them.

Pounce shared a knowing look with Mist. Dovestar couldn't shake off the feeling that she made a mistake in leaving the territory. But she also knew that if she stayed, her lives would be on the line. This was the next best thing as far as she was concerned, and she hoped that she could find the proof she needed that she wasn't responsible for Snowpaw's death.

...

The Clan was still struggling to comprehend what happened just a few days ago. Tigerheart wasn't sure what to make of the situation. At first, the only thought occurring to him was to keep the kits safe. He knew it wasn't fair to immediately pin the blame on his own mate. He was well aware that Dovestar would never hurt a cat unless the situation demanded it. What hurt the most though was listening to the kits ask where their mother went. They knew something wasn't right when their mother didn't return that day, or the following day.

"I want Maroonpelt and Smoketuft to go on patrol," Hollyleaf ordered after finishing another ceremony. Since they finished their warrior assessment just a couple of days after Dovestar's exile, Hollyleaf took over and held a ceremony for Stonepaw and Mintpaw. They were now known as Stoneclaw and Mintwhisker. More warriors meant that there were better chances of sending out successful patrols to ensure the borders were safe. "Take Stoneclaw and Mintwhisker with you, and keep an eye out for any trespassers."

Smoketuft nodded in agreement and flicked his tail towards the three cats in question. Stoneclaw was already wide awake and raring to stretch his muscles. Mintwhisker had been a bit more subdued since their sister died. Not that Tigerheart could blame the young cat. He knew exactly what it was like to lose a sibling. Once that was settled, the four cats left while another patrols returned from hunting. With leaf-fall along the way, prey was getting harder to come by. So Tigerheart wasn't surprised to see a lack of fresh-kill when Olivelight returned with Perchfang and Pepperfoot.

Things are only going to get harder without a proper leader, he thought guiltily.

The loss of a Clan leader was always a low blow to any Clan. Knowing what happened and what led to Dovestar's departure made it even worse. She was his mate, for StarClan's sake. He didn't bother standing up for her when he had the chance. What made it worse was knowing that he knew about Minnowtail's treachery and what she was planning with Scorchfur.

"… when everyone else is sleeping. It's the only way to find out what happened to her." Tigerheart stiffened at the sound of Leafkit's voice. He glanced over his shoulder to see the three kits huddled in a corner whispering to one another. "Father won't tell us what's going on, so it's our job to find out the truth."

"What if we get caught?" Whitekit asked warily. "They might hold back our apprentice ceremony."

"I don't want to be an apprentice unless Mother is the one holding it," Mudkit scoffed. Tigerheart was taken aback by the sheer determination in his voice. He knew how close the kits had been to Dovestar, so it made sense for them to try and figure out what happened to her. "I'm tired of waiting around to see if she'll come back. Leafkit's right; we have to go and find her!"

"You three aren't going anywhere," he scolded them. His whiskers twitched in amusement when all three kits jolted in surprise. "Do you honestly think I'm that mousebrained?"

"But Dad, why isn't she coming back?" Leafkit demanded. His heart sank at the tone of her voice. He had no proper explanation as to why their mother suddenly vanished from the Clan. He didn't give them the chance to say goodbye. Worse still, he didn't let them see Snowpaw's body for multiple reasons. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"The others don't seem to think so," Mudkit grumbled. "They keep accusing her of hurting another cat, but Mamma would never do that."

His heart wrenched when he realized what the kits were implying. He knew somewhere deep down that they were right. Their mother had never shown signs of attacking anyone unless the situation demanded it. In fact, their mother had been rather fond of the newer apprentices. There was no way Dovestar would have hurt Snowpaw. That meant convincing the Clan though, and Minnowtail's influence had become stronger since Dovestar was exiled.

"I wish there was an easy answer to that question," he let out a sigh and sat down beside them. All three of them shared uneasy looks. They were already aware of the rumors that spread like wildfire. He had to tread this conversation carefully if he wanted to avoid unnecessary confusion. "Your mother knows how to survive though, and she'll be back soon enough."

He hoped that was the case. The last time she suffered from a panic attack didn't end well for anyone involved. Then there was the fact that she suffered from depression before this mess. He knew she would inevitably fall into that state again, and this time, she would have to face it alone. He suddenly felt worse than ever after realizing that notion.

"Tigerheart, can I have a word with you?"

He blinked in surprise when Hollyleaf suddenly approached him. Ever since Dovestar was exiled, Hollyleaf had been taking her duties seriously. She refused to let anyone else take over as deputy while she led the Clan. Tigerheart supposed that for now, it was for the best. He could tell Minnowtail was itching to become deputy from the way she kept pestering Hollyleaf on a daily basis.

"I hope this isn't about what I told the kits," he muttered. "They're already having a hard enough time."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she admitted. Tigerheart narrowed his eyes when she sat down and gestured for him to do the same. He held back a sigh of frustration and did just that. "Look, I understand where they're coming from. They just lost their mother and they're still trying to cope with that loss. But they are almost ready to be apprentices."

"Mudkit will likely refuse his ceremony from anyone else," he deadpanned without hesitation. Hollyleaf hardly looked surprised when he stared at her in annoyance. "And truthfully, I couldn't blame him. They lost their mother like you said. They miss her." He paused to let that sink in before another thought crossed his mind. "You couldn't possibly believe Minnowtail's claim, could you?"

Hollyleaf was ready to respond, mouth agape, when she closed it and blinked. It was only then that he realized she likely believed Minnowtail's accusations.

"I don't know what to believe," she finally replied. "The only thing I care about is keeping this Clan safe, even if it means exiling our leader. Until we know for sure who killed Snowpaw, then she can't be seen around our territory."

Tigerheart's jaw clenched with frustration when he realized what she was implying. He understood from a leader's standpoint what she meant by that. But that didn't make him feel any better as he thought of how this would affect Dovestar and their kits. He doubted this would end well for anyone involved, especially when they found out who really killed Snowpaw.