The snow has stopped by the time Graystar and Tawnypaw return to camp. The clouds have cleared away and the setting sun casts long blue shadows over the thin coating of white that powder the ground. Both cats are carrying fresh-kill; he had watched his apprentice's hunting skills and been impressed by the young cat's concentration and skillful stalking.
They have just reached the top of the ravine when they hear a yowl behind them. Graystar turns to see Cloudtail bounding through the undergrowth.
"Hi," pants the white warrior as he catches up with them. His eyes widen when he sees their catch.
"You've had better luck than me and Brightspirit along with our apprentice. We couldn't find so much as a mouse."
Graystar grunts sympathetically as he leads the way toward the gorse tunnel. He notices that Sorrelkit, the most adventurous of Willowpelt's three kits, has left the camp and climbed halfway up the steep slope farther along the ravine.
To his surprise, she is with Darkstripe; the warrior is bending over her, saying something to her.
"Odd," Graystar mutters through a mouthful of squirrel fur, half to himself. "Darkstripe has never shown much interest in kits before. And what's he doing out here on his own?"
Suddenly he hears a sharp exclamation from Cloudtail and his friend and former apprentice flashes past him, hurtling along the side of the ravine, his paws scrabbling against the loose snow-covered stones.
At the same moment Sorrelkit's legs crumple underneath her sturdy tortoiseshell body and she starts writhing in the snow. Graystar drops his fresh-kill in amazement and horror as Cloudtail yowls, "No!" and flings himself on the dark warrior.
Darkstripe claws and flails at him with his hind legs, but Cloudtail's teeth are sunk in his throat and would not let go.
"What-?" Graystar dashes down the slope with Tawnypaw right behind him. Along with the pawsteps of a few other cats descending down the ravine slope. He dodges the fighting cats, still locked together in a whirlwind of teeth and claws, and reaches Sorrelkit's side.
The little kit twists and turns on the ground, her eyes wide and glazed. She is letting out high-pitched moans of pain, and there is foam on her lips.
"Get Cinderpelt!" He orders Tawnypaw. His apprentice nods seriously and shoots off, her paws sending up puffs of snow.
Graystar bends over the young kit and places a paw gently on her belly.
"It's all right," he murmurs softly, hoping to comfort Sorrelkit. "Cinderpelt is coming."
Sorrelkit's jaws gape wide and Graystar catches a glimpse of half-chewed berries in her mouth, scarlet against her white teeth.
"Deathberries!" He gasps. There is a dark-leaved shrub growing from a crack in the rock just above his head, with more of the lethal scarlet berries clustered among the leaves. He remembers a time many moons ago that Fireheart told him about, when Cinderpelt had appeared just in time to stop Cloudtail from eating the deathberries, and warned him of how poisonous they are.
Crouching over Sorrelkit, Graystar does his best to scoop the crushed berries out of her mouth, but the kit is in too much terror and pain to keep still and make his task easier. Her head thrashes from side to side, and her body is convulsing in regular spasms that to Graystar's horror seems to be growing weaker.
He can still hear Cloudtail and Darkstripe screeching in the throes of their fight, but they seem oddly far away. All his attention is concentrated on the kit. Then to his relief he feels Cinderpelt arrive beside him.
"Deathberries!" he tells her quickly. "I've tried to get them out, but…"
Cinderpelt takes his place by the kit's side. She has a bundle of leaves in her mouth; setting them down, she mews, "Good. Keep holding her, Graystar, while I take a look."
With two of them to help, and the kit's struggles definitely growing weaker, Cinderpelt is soon able to paw out the remains of the deathberries. Then she rapidly chews up one of her leaves and stuffs the pulp into Sorrelkit's mouth.
"Swallow it," she orders. To Graystar she adds, "It's yarrow. It'll make her sick."
The kit's throat convulses. A moment later she vomits; and he can see more scarlet specks among the pulp of leaves.
"Good," Cinderpelt mews soothingly. "That's very good. You're going to be fine, Sorrelkit."
The little kit lies gasping and trembling; then Graystar watches in dismay as she goes limp and her eyes closed.
"Is she dead?" he whispers, sorrow piercing his heart.
Before Cinderpelt can reply, a yowl comes from the entrance to the camp. "My kit! Where's my kit?"
It's Willowpelt, racing up the ravine with Tawnypaw. She crouches beside Sorrelkit, her blue eyes wide and distraught.
"What happened?" "
She ate deathberries," Cinderpelt explains. "But I think I've gotten rid of them all. We'll carry her back to my den and I'll keep an eye on her."
Willowpelt begins licking Sorrelkit's tortoiseshell fur. By now Graystar has seen the faint rise and fall of the kit's flank as she breathed. She is not dead, but he can see from Cinderpelt's anxious look that she is still in danger from the effects of the poison.
For the first time he has a chance to draw breath and look for Cloudtail. The white warrior has pinned Darkstripe down a few tail-lengths away with one paw on his neck and another on his belly. Brighsprit and Snowpaw watch on from afar. Darkstripe is bleeding from one ear, and he spits in fury as he fights vainly to free himself.
"What's going on?" Graystar demands.
"Don't ask me," snarls Cloudtail.
He can hardly remember seeing Cloudtail look so savage, even when the dogs and Tigerstar were concerned.
"Ask this…this piece of fox dung why he tried to murder a kit!"
"Murder?" Graystar echoes. The accusation is so unexpected that for a heartbeat he can do nothing but stare stupidly.
"Murder," repeats Cloudtail. "Go on, ask him why he was feeding deathberries to Sorrelkit." "
You mouse-brained fool." Darkstripe's voice is cold as he gazes up at his attacker. "I wasn't feeding her the berries. I was trying to stop her from eating them."
"I know what I saw," Cloudtail insists through gritted teeth. Graystar tries to recall the image of the warrior and the kit that he had seen when he paused at the top of the ravine.
"Let him get up," he meows reluctantly to his former apprentice.
"Darkstripe, tell me what happened."
The warrior rises and shakes himself. He can see bare patches on his flank where Cloudtail has clawed out lumps of fur.
"I was coming back to camp," he begins. "I found the stupid kit stuffing herself with death berries, and I was trying to stop her when this idiot jumped on me."
He stares resentfully at Cloudtail. "Why would I want to murder a kit?"
"That's what I want to know!" spits Cloudtail.
"Of course, we know who the noble Graystar will believe!" Darkstripe sneers. "There's no use expecting justice in Thunderclan these days."
. " I know Cloudtail is an honorable warrior. I trained him myself. But since you think I will take his word for it over yours then as soon as Sorrelkit wakes up, she'll be able to tell us what happened. Whether or not it supports your story or Cloudtail's."
As he speaks he thinks he sees a flicker of unease in Darkstripe's eyes, but it is gone so quickly he could not be sure.
The dark warrior twitches his ears contemptuously.
"Fine," he meows. "Then you'll see which of us is telling the truth."
He stalks off toward the camp entrance with tail held high.
"I did see it, Graystar," Cloudtail assures him, his sides heaving from the fight. "I can't understand why he'd want to hurt Sorrelkit, but I'm quite sure that's what he was doing."
Graystar sighs. "I believe you, but we have to let every cat see that justice is done. I can't punish Darkstripe until Sorrelkit tells us what happened. Otherwise it would be seen as unfair. You did a good, though, beating Darkstripe. You know when Fireheart was an apprentice in the forest he couldn't believe Longtail was beaten by Fireheart. Well now he knows why. Cause you guys are some tough kitties."
Cloudtail smiles, "Thanks Graystar. Though I can't believe Darkstrie was mad about Longtail getting rear handed to him by a kittypet, and then he was beaten by a kittypet."
Graystar purrs, glad he is able to lighten the mood. Hopefully Sorrelkit, if she ever does, can tell them what really happened, he adds silently to himself, hoping that the kit will recover.
He watches Cinderpelt and Willowpelt gently picking up the kit and carrying her toward the gorse tunnel. Sorrelkit's head lolls limply and her tail brushes the ground. His belly clenched as he remembers the kit bouncing around the camp. If Darkstripe had really tried to kill her, he will pay.
"Cloudtail" he murmurs, "go with Cinderpelt. I want you or another warrior on guard in her den until Sorrelkit wakes up. Ask Sandstorm and Goldenflower if they'll help. I don't want anything else to happen to Sorrelkit before she's fit to talk."
Cloudtail's blue eyes gleam with understanding.
"Okay, Graystar," he meows. "I'm on my way."
He bounds down the slope and catches up with the other cats as they disappeared into the tunnel. Brightspirit and Snowpaw swiftly follow him, with the scarred she-cat muttering to herself that she hopes Sorrelkit is alright.
Graystar is now left in the ravine with Tawnypaw.
"I've left a squirrel up there," he meows to his apprentice, jerking his head toward the top of the ravine.
"Could you collect it for me, please? And then you can rest and eat. You've had a long day."
"Thanks," Tawnypaw mews. She takes a few steps up the ravine and glances back.
"Sorrelkit will be okay, won't she?"
Graystar lets out a long breath. "I don't know, Tawnypaw," he admits. "But I hope so."