Chapter 55: Bluestar's Council

The next Gathering was still a few days away, but Bluestar decided to call Whitestorm, Lionheart, and I into her den. It seemed a little strange until I noticed Tigerclaw was out on patrol. She must have been waiting for this opportunity and wanted to keep Tigerclaw none the wiser. We all sat down in what visibly appeared to be a council. Lionheart and Whitestorm seemed a bit confused at the summons, so I had to infer they were not brought up to speed on what was going on.

"Bluestar, what seems to be the problem? You usually don't call for Lionheart and I unless it is serious, and I notice Tigerclaw is not in attendance." Whitestorm queried.

"I've called you both here as well as Smudgefoot for a suspected case of treason. Right now we have no definitive proof, but Smudgefoot, the accuser, seems to believe Tigerclaw is in fact a traitor. He claims he has the means to provide proof with the caveat that Brokentail must be dealt with a certain way. More specifically, he claims Brokentail has the required evidence but will only provide it if his life is spared. I want your thoughts. Is it worth the effort to investigate? Has Tigerclaw been suspicious enough to warrant the investigation. If Smudgefoot fails to prove his claim, what repercussions will he face?" Bluestar mewed firmly.

"A traitor?! I've known Tigerclaw since he was a kit. Sure he's always been a bit ambitious, but he'd never go that far. Right?" Whitestorm responded.

"Hold on Whitestorm. I think there may be some merit to Smudgefoot's claim. I cannot say Tigerclaw has committed an act of treachery, but he has exhibited some suspicious behavior. Assuming Brokentail somehow knows Tigerclaw is a traitor, how would he know? The only answer is if they interacted directly. The only case where they could have colluded was in Brokentail's recent raid. I'd usually brush that off as hearsay, but Tigerclaw was always a proponent of ensuring a sizable force was always in camp. Yet when Brokentail attacked, we had only two warriors in camp. Admittedly Bluestar and I snuck out, but that still was not a good resting force. I'd say that is enough to warrant suspicion." Lionheart mewed.

Ever since Lionheart injured his leg, he seemed far more introspective. It in a way humbled him. He was wiser and thought out his actions more. The threat of death can really change a cat.

"Even if Tigerclaw did collude with Brokentail, that is only one case. We would be operating based off one assumption. I'd say that's not enough suspicion to need an investigation." Whitestorm replied.

"But that isn't all Tigerclaw has done that has been suspicious." I mewed in response.

"What do you mean? You are leveling some heavy accusations, so you better have good reason." Whitestorm bit back.

I couldn't fault Whitestorm for being defensive of Tigerclaw. He was kithood friends with him. The question was, had he ever understood what Tigerclaw was? I believed in the back of his mind he did. He just needed to stop pretending Tigerclaw was not.

"Before Brokentail's raid during the sickness outbreak, something extremely unlikely occurred. An apprentice was crippled on the Thunderpath. Do either of you remember the events preceding it?" I asked.

Bluestar decide to chip in and give the report. "I was sick in my den. Greencough. Anyways, Dustpaw came running in claiming Tigerclaw had an urgent report at the Thunderpath, something I needed to see. I could not travel. Fireheart was supposed to let Tigerclaw know on the way back from herb collecting that I could not go. Instead, his apprentice acted without thinking, and ran off to alert Tigerclaw to the issue. She was injured when she arrived."

It was my turn to continue the story. "I was the one who attended to Cinderpaw's injury first. She had been extremely lucky. Based on where it hit, she did not have much time to react. I later went out to check the site. The incident happened on a blind corner. Monsters usually make an effort to not hit us, but that spot is just after a turning point on the Thunderpath. In other words, the monster didn't have a chance to try and stop. If you remember, Cinderpaw was tracking Tigerclaw at that point. Tigerclaw, being the experienced warrior, would know the danger of that area. Also, why had he gotten onto the Thunderpath at all? He claimed Shadowclan had been on our territory. It doesn't add up." I stated.

"So… what? He wanted to kill Cinderpaw?" Lionheart mewed.

"Not at all. As Bluestar stated, she was the one called out there. Cinderpaw was there by chance." I replied.

"You are claiming Tigerclaw tried to kill Bluestar." Whitestorm mewed.

"He has the motive. I also have reason to believe he is involved in Redtail's death." I responded matter of factly.

That caused the pair to freeze. Bluestar, on the other paw, kept her composure. "Elaborate. That is an accusation that cannot go unaddressed."

"I'm sure you all went about investigating that death yourselves to a certain extent. Riverclan claims Oakheart died before Redtail. They've also got proof that Oakheart died by a rockfall. Redtail at least survived the fight. Riverclan retreated, fearing it was an act of Starclan. Thus, the only two, or rather three we know about in the general vicinity at the time of Redtail's death were Redtail himself, Tigerclaw, and Ravenfeather. Unfortunately, Ravenfeather's memory of the battle appears to be foggy, but he was a fresh apprentice, so we can assume he wouldn't be able to kill Redtail. I also know him personally. He's averse to fighting in general. Sure, there are other potential possibilities, but all of them are equally improbable. A rogue is unlikely to hang around an active battle. The wound was too deep to be a bleed out. That just leaves Tigerclaw as the most likely suspect. Again, it is not enough proof to definitively say he did it, but given these three occurrences, I'd say verifying his loyalty is a worthwhile thing to do." I stated.

Whitestorm looked a bit put out. I believe he did not believe Tigerclaw was a traitor, but he was also wise enough to look into it anyways. "Fine. I agree to taking up Brokentail's deal but only to prove you wrong. I trust Tigerclaw, but you've given enough to justify your suspicions."

Lionheart gave his answer next. "I don't like giving in to Brokentail's demands, but we need to clear the air. As long as these suspicions are active within our clan, we will not be truly unified. I am for the investigation."

Then Bluestar gave her answer. "I am also in agreement. We'll take Brokentail out to a safe location Smudgefoot claims to know about. I personally do not like that Brokentail would be getting off without punishment, but our clan's needs are priority."

"I wouldn't say without punishment. The place I am thinking of is a certain Twoleg with a tendency to be a bit too exuberant about cats. Brokentail will not enjoy the life I plan to give him. I've had a cat sent there before. We'll probably meet him on the way." I replied with a malicious chuckle.

Bluestar looked at me with a measure of curiosity. "This cat you said we might meet; his name wouldn't happen to be Mr. Tinkles?"

My slow nod brought about a cruel smile from every cat present. They realized the same flaw I planned to exploit in his deal.

"Well, he did only say survive. He never did say how." Whitestorm mewed with a chuckle that slightly made my fur rise.