Twenty One

The air was thick with tension as Dovestar carefully weaved in and out of the undergrowth. She could hear familiar voices in the distance of Twolegplace. She recognized some of the voices she heard, and knowing that there were other survivors sent a shiver down her spine. They were survivors that worked with the Dark Forest. The cowards fled as soon as Tigerstar was killed by his own grandson. She knew that if those survivors were out there, then they were likely plotting the downfall of LakeClan. It meant that all of their lives were in danger, including the newcomers that recently joined them.

A shiver swept through her at the prospect of dealing with them. When Tigerheart first told her of what he overheard with Minnowtail, she knew something needed to be done. They had proof that Minnowtail was working with cats outside the Clan. The biggest hurtle they faced though was dealing with the cats that took Minnowtail's side. The dark gray warrior had allies in the Clan that Dovestar didn't anticipate. Maroonpelt sided with her, along with Emberleaf and even Forestpelt. She would have to tread that path carefully if she wanted to keep the Clan safe from the Dark Forest and the rogues.

She wasn't in any hurry to let her kits become apprentices now that she knew the truth. Their lives would be in constant danger once they became apprentices. It was dangerous enough without the Dark Forest providing a bigger threat. She wanted to keep them safe for as long as she could, but she knew it was a hopeless cause.

Am I doing them more harm than good by keeping them from the truth? she wondered. She also found herself wondering if she should tell the Clan about Minnowtail's intention. If the Clan knew sooner rather than later, it would benefit everyone. Or it could backfire on her spectacularly. The last thing she wanted was to make life worse than it already was. It's better to keep that information to ourselves for now.

She needed a break from the hustle of Clan life. That was part of the reason for her morning walk. She also needed time to think of her next plan of action. It gave her time to mull over the possibilities of where she would go with this newfound information. Of course, there was a possibility that the Clan wouldn't believe her or Tigerheart. Only the two of them had proof that Minnowtail was a traitor, and her excuse wasn't valid to them.

I wish Ivypool was here, she thought guiltily. She'd know what to do. Or even Jayfeather or Lionblaze.

The four of them had worked together in the past to try and put an end to the Dark Forest. Ivypool risked everything by working as a spy against the Dark Forest. She could still remember the guilt weighing her down when she realized why Ivypool started training with them in the first place. Ivypool admitted how jealous she was of her sister and the special attention she would get. Her own sister felt like an outcast to the Clan for so long, and what made it worse was knowing that Ivypool's accusations were true. Thankfully Ivypool had already forgiven her sister all those moons ago. Though it still hurt to know that they reached that point in the first place.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted to no one in particular. "I'm still new at leading this Clan, and it feels as if I'm leading them down a path of death."

Dovestar stopped in her tracks when a pungent scent filled her lungs. She recognized that scent anywhere, and it was enough for her hackles to raise with horror. She followed the trail, dreading what she might find. To her dismay, a bundle of white fur stained with blood lay before her.

She stood there for a few heartbeats, mind reeling with shock as she tried to process what happened to Snowpaw. She and her siblings were almost ready for their warrior assessments. It wouldn't have been long before they finally received their warrior names and earned their place in the Clan. That day would never arrive for Snowpaw, and that hit Dovestar like a ton of stones.

She carefully made her way to the body, inspecting the wounds that were inflicted. To her horror, she saw bite wounds along the apprentice's neck. It was clear from the wounds that a cat inflicted those injuries. Though Snowpaw clearly tried fighting back judging from the tufts of fur in her claws. Her mouth was open in a soundless wail, with blood pooling around it.

"What in StarClan's name happened to my kit?" Dovestar stiffened at the sound of Minnowtail's voice. She was hardly aware of the fact that Minnowtail reached her. Or the claws that scored deep marks along her flank. "What were you doing here in the first place? Why was she found dead with you near her?"

"I found her that way," Dovestar finally tried defending herself.

She suddenly felt incredibly helpless when Minnowtail swiped her claws across her muzzle. The only thing she could do was watch as Minnowtail approached her daughter's body. The dark gray queen's ears flattened with outrage when she saw gray fur along the apprentice's claws and mouth. She knew exactly what was running through Minnowtail's mind in that moment.

"I knew it!" she screeched with fury. "I always knew you were jealous of me, but I didn't think it was that terrible!"

What? Dovestar just stared at her in disbelief when Minnowtail glared at her.

"What's going on here?" She barely had the chance to register what was happening when Hollyleaf's voice cut into Minnowtail's accusation. "What in StarClan's name are you two doing?"

"She killed my kit!" Minnowtail spat. Hollyleaf's eyes widened in disbelief, though Dovestar didn't miss the way Hollyleaf looked between herself and the slain apprentice. Then there was the fact that her paws were now stained with blood after she finished inspecting the wounds. "That heartless cat killed my daughter! She hardly deserves the title of a leader let alone a warrior!"

"Minnowtail, you need to relax," Hollyleaf warned her. Dovestar's ears flattened with alarm when Minnowtail's eyes narrowed with fury. That was the last thing any she-cat needed to be told when their kits were involved. "Look, until we have proof that Dovestar killed Snowpaw, we can't just start spitting accusations at her."

Minnowtail just glared at the two of them when she realized Hollyleaf was taking Dovestar's side.

"Typical of a ThunderClan traitor who killed a cat herself to side with another traitor," she snapped. Hollyleaf's hackles rose with outrage when Minnowtail hit a sore spot. "This is something the Clan needs to hear about!"

Dovestar shared an uneasy look with Hollyleaf, not missing the fire dancing across her eyes. Of course, Minnowtail would use that information against her. The Clans had known about Ashfur and his untimely death. Hollyleaf was the one who confessed to killing him, then she fled. She knew it hadn't been easy living with that kind of knowledge, but now she trusted her deputy more than ever.

Hollyleaf sacrificed enough to show that she cared about her Clanmates. More importantly, she was also valuable to the Clan given her age and experience. She and Mothwing were the most experienced cats they had in the Clan aside from the outsiders that recently joined them.

Neither of them said much when they returned to camp. Dovestar ignored the pain that stung from the injuries Minnowtail left her. She knew they would need to be treated, though doubt prickled the back of her mind. She suddenly found herself wondering if Mothwing would take her Clanmates side. The two of them had practically grown up together, so Dovestar could see them working together as well.

"Snowpaw!"

Mintpaw's wail cut across the clearing when he saw the body of his sister being carried by Minnowtail. He was always closer to Snowpaw than anyone else, and Dovestar's heart wrenched at the thought of explaining what happened to him. The rest of the Clan was alerted by the sound, having emerged from their dens or looking up from their tasks. Aspencreek was the first to approach the group as realization dawned on her.

"She just wanted to make dirt; I wasn't expecting her to go out in the first place," she murmured after bowing her head guiltily.

"Is this what will happen to my kits?" Flosspelt cried while wrapping her tail around Graypaw and Honeypaw.

Both kits struggled to free themselves from their mother's grasp. It was clear they didn't like being pampered by their mother, though Honeypaw looked a bit guilty for leaving her side in the first place.

"Everyone, please stop," Hollyleaf let out a heavy sigh once everyone was gathered in the clearing. Perchfang and Olivelight had only just returned with fresh-kill in their jaws. It was only then that they noticed the fact that most of the Clan was gathered in the clearing. "We're not exactly sure what happened to Snowpaw—"

"She was murdered by that traitor!" Minnowtail spat after carefully placing the body down. "My own kit was murdered by your so called leader! Who's to say it won't happen again to someone else?"

"We don't have proof that Dovestar killed her," Hollyleaf reminded her with a stern look, though other cats chose to take Minnowtail's side already.

Dovestar's ears flattened with guilt when she realized how many cats believed the older warrior. She saw her own kits huddled inside her den, eyes wide with horror when they saw what was happening. Her heart sank when she spotted Tigerheart crouched beside them, hackles raised with alarm.

"We should kill her before she tries hurting someone else," Maroonpelt suggested. "We have enough problems to worry about as it is."

"That would be the best option."

"She has nine lives. It would take time to kill her."

Horror swept through her as realization dawned on her. She was only just beginning to realize how little support she had from the Clan. What made it worse was seeing how her kits reacted to each accusation or suggestion. She wanted nothing more than to forget that this moment happened in the first place. For things to go back to normal, before she found Snowpaw's body.

"Enough!" Hollyleaf finally cut everyone off with a yowl of her own. "I think in this case, exile is the best option we have." Her green eyes flickered with sympathy as she looked at Dovestar. "Until we know who really killed Snowpaw, you will be considered a traitor. If we see you on our territory, we have every right to kill you."

She couldn't respond even if she wanted to. Her jaw clenched when she finally looked at Tigerheart, hoping for him to jump to her defense. The way his eyes narrowed with cold fury was enough for her heart to sink once again. She knew then and there that she was on her own. This time she wouldn't have his support, and she doubted she ever would after that.

...

Hollyleaf let out a sigh of frustration the moment Dovestar disappeared out of sight. Everything seemed to dissolve after that. She knew the Clan was in tethers now that their leader had been exiled. To make matters worse, they had a traitor among their midst that could easily kill someone else. She was also highly aware of the fact that Dovestar hadn't killed Snowpaw. Dovestar certainly didn't seem like the kind of cat who would go to such lengths, especially to an apprentice. That left the burning question of how Minnowtail managed to gain so much support, and why Dovestar didn't bother defending herself.

"I want you to take charge as deputy for the time being," she meowed to Tigerheart. "I don't trust Minnowtail any further than I can throw her, and after that display, I can safely assume she's after the role of leadership."

Tigerheart didn't look surprised at her accusation. Instead, his ears flattened with what she assumed was guilt.

"She was planning something big a few days ago," he admitted warily. Hollyleaf stiffened in surprise when he looked down at his paws shamefully. "I warned Dovestar about it, but I didn't think she'd actually let her own kit be apart of that plan."

A shiver of rage swept through Hollyleaf as realization dawned on her. This was something Minnowtail had been planning for some time. It explained how the dark gray warrior was able to gain so much support. Cats seemed to take her side without hesitation when she started accusing Dovestar of murder. The few that didn't stayed quiet for their own safety.

"Why didn't you bother standing up for her?" she demanded.

The dark tabby looked even more ashamed over the fact that he didn't stand up for his own mate. Hollyleaf had personally seen what Dovestar went through after the Dark Battle. They all suffered from their share of trauma, but Dovestar was affected the most by their loss. She knew how devastating this would be to the young leader.

"Because I have our kits to consider," he retorted. Hollyleaf's jaw dropped in disbelief as Tigerheart finally glared at her. "I made a promise that I would keep them safe. If what Minnowtail said was true, then they're better off staying in the nursery for now. I won't be responsible for losing them."

"So you'd rather lose your mate in the process?" she snapped furiously. Tigerheart bowed his head after realizing what she was implying. "Your head is full of bees if you think that's going to help. Worse still, if she doesn't survive on her own, then we're all responsible for what happens next. I hope you're ready to hold that kind of responsibility."

Her tail lashed in annoyance as she left it at that. She could feel his glare bore through her as she turned towards the medicine cat's den. She knew Mothwing would be concerned about the Clan's safety as well as Dovestar's safety. Given that Dovestar had been wounded before she left, there was a good chance that said injuries could get infected if they were left untreated. Luckily the medicine cat was already aware of what happened when she arrived.

"I sent Rainpaw to track her down and give her a bundle of herbs for the wounds," Mothwing explained when Hollyleaf reached her. Relief swept through her when she realized Mothwing was already one step ahead of her. "I know Dovestar wasn't responsible for what happened to Snowpaw, but the Clan is in denial. It's going to take proof for her to show that she's innocent."

Hollyleaf glanced over her shoulder to look at the small group of cats clustered around Snowpaw's body. The few cats that avoided said group were already going about their duties, trying to act as if nothing happened. Though Hollyleaf knew better than to believe that was the case. Things had gone horribly wrong, and she suspected they would only get worse now that Dovestar was gone. She just hoped that they were ready for the consequences that would follow.