CHAPTER TWENTY

HAZELPAW | THUNDERCLAN CAMP

Hazelpaw listened to Dewpaw tell her about everything that happened at the Gathering. Hailpaw and Swiftpaw had earned their names, Dewpaw had said, Haillake and Swifthop.

    "You know, I think I mixed their suffixes up." Dewpaw murmured. "I think it's Hailhop and Swiftlake."

    Hazelpaw rolled her eyes playfully. "Do you know for sure?"

    "Nope! But you know what I do know for sure?" Dewpaw's eyes twinkled challengingly.

    "Hm?" Hazelpaw looked at her, until she heard growls outside of camp. A patrol that had just left backed into camp. WindClan smell wafted over, making her fur rise. Was this a ambush?

    A poorly planned one, it seems. Hazelpaw twitched her whiskers. Beestar was at the front, with an apprentice she recognized as Rosepaw, and the deputy, Aspenflower. There were two other she-cats, but Hazelpaw didn't know WindClan warriors well enough to remember each name.

    Hazelpaw noticed them circled around something. Or some cat.

    The circle broke apart, releasing a terrified Sootripple. Hazelpaw tilted her head, confused. Why was he with the WindClan cats? Why did the WindClan cats throw such scornful and disgusted looks his way?

    Nectarstar came out of his den, eyes narrowing at the sight of the WindClan patrol. Beestar faced him, opening his jaws to speak.

    "This warrior," spat Beestar, saying the word 'warrior' with emphasized disgust, "is a killer."

    "What?" Nectarstar asked harshly. "You can't go around accusing my warriors-"

    "We have witnesses." Aspenflower smoothly intervened. "Myself, Waspeye," she gestured to a black she-cat, "Thistlemoon," she pointed at the other warrior, "and Rosepaw." Aspenflower nudged the medicine cat apprentice forward. Hazelpaw felt bad for Rosepaw; she had looked completely fine up until the attention was on her.

    "H-He tried to kill me." Rosepaw's words echoed in Hazelpaw's. Dewpaw and Hazelpaw shared a glance, both trying to grapple what they just heard.

    "That's crow-food rubbish." Nectarstar sneered.

    Hazelpaw noticed some ThunderClan cats looking around, and finally realized that they were looking for Honeypool. The deputy wasn't in camp at the moment, so the WindClan cats were going to have a hard time with Nectarstar.

    Mistysong was sitting outside of her den, watching with interest.

    Why won't you talk some sense into Nectarstar? You're his medicine cat and sister for StarClan's sake! Hazelpaw shouted in her head. She wasn't really going to sit there, right?

    Beestar was growing irritated by Nectarstar's persistence, tail tip twitching. The tension was growing, and the two leaders argued with each other for several minutes. Sootripple was clearly uncomfortable, ears flattened.

    I don't know who to believe. Sootripple was so kind every time I spoke with him. Hazelpaw looked at her paws. Then again, he was on WindClan territory.

    Just as both leaders looked ready to rip each other's throats out, Honeypool and his patrol burst through the entrance. Honeypool noticed the WindClan cats and padded over.

    The WindClan cats informed him, shooting nasty looks at Sootripple and Nectarstar while doing so.

    "So," murmured Honeypool, "you're claiming Sootripple tried to kill her? He chased her across WindClan's territory..."

    "Yes, Honeypool." Aspenflower confirmed.

    Honeypool nodded. "And you are all convinced that he is the one who killed Finchfall and the other cats who have been murdered?"

    Beestar nodded.

    "I don't think we can jump to that assumption, but he will be exiled." Honeypool promised.

    Nectarstar chimed in. "We should have an emergency Gathering tomorrow to talk and grieve for the ones we lost, probably to Sootripple's paws."

    "Good idea." Beestar murmured. "I'll send a patrol to RiverClan, if that helps?"

    "It does." Honeypool meowed gratefully.

    "WindClan, let's head out-"

    "You can't just strut out of here." Nectarstar rolled his eyes. "Flameshade, Runningsky, and Beechpaw, escort them to the border."

    The named cats scurried forward, leading the WindClan patrol out. The tension was still high, however. Hazelpaw's eyes strayed over to Sootripple.

    "I actually..." Dewpaw's whiskers trembled. "I like him. I can't be loving a murderer." Her distressed whisper nearly rose to a wail.

    Hazelpaw comfortingly draped her tail on Dewpaw's back, but her sister shrugged her tail off and shook her head sadly.

    "Since you are a danger to our camp," Nectarstar's growl caught Hazelpaw's attention, "it'd be best to get you out of our camp and off of our territory as soon as possible. Sootripple, you have broke the warrior code, something we warriors stand by very closely. As punishment for killing several warriors, you will be exiled. Don't show your face around here or my warriors won't hesitate to shred you." Something in his voice unsettled Hazelpaw, sending a chill down her spine.

    "Get out of here!" Cats began yowling. Albeit shocked, Sootripple picked himself up and bolted out of the camp.

    "Make sure he's gone." Honeypool muttered to two warriors, Rootspeckle and Seedfall. The two she-cats nodded and raced out after Sootripple.

    Dewpaw's ears flattened. "He was so young. How could he have such murderous ambitions?"

    Hazelpaw nudged her sister. She didn't like how Dewpaw controlled her own feelings. When Dewpaw was happy, Hazelpaw was happy. Now, when Dewpaw was rarely miserable, Hazelpaw was miserable. She had no words to comfort her sister, though.

    Turtlecreek spotted them and padded over, nudging both of them.

    "What's wrong, Dewpaw?" Turtlecreek murmured fondly, licking her daughter's cheek.

    Dewpaw turned away sullenly, ears flattened. "Nothing." The silver she-cat muttered, getting to her paws and walking to the apprentice den.

    "Does she miss Sootripple?" Turtlecreek questioned Hazelpaw.

    Hazelpaw nodded mutely, turning her head to dodge Turtlecreek's gaze. Did she know Dewpaw liked Sootripple?

    "I'll go comfort her." Hazelpaw mumbled, getting up and trotting away.

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