The Story of Snow: Chapter 48

Instructions

~Warning: Arguing, blood, discussion of death and blood, sickness, fun chapter~ Shadowclan and Thunderclan crossed onto the gathering island, tense and bleeding. The other clans stared at them as they entered. The old anxiety crept up again as all the eyes drew to their bloody pelts. At least they weren’t looking at her paw now. No, they had the dried blood around Whitestar’s neck to look at, the blood soaking Skylight’s paws, the blood still streaming from several wounds from almost all the cats. Whitestar and Barkstar climbed up the great tree in silence. The whole clearing was silent, until Streamstar asked “What in Starclan happened?!” There was a pause as cats started to settle, realizing there would be no time to socialize, before anger flared in Whitestar’s eyes and she snapped “Shadowclan attacked us!” Snowpelt walked towards the edge of the gathering and sat down, the pain from the minor wounds she had acquired through the battle beginning to become painful. All heads whipped to Barkstar as he said “Some of my warriors acted against my orders and did attack, because yesterday, Thunderclan soldiers attacked and killed Willpaw, whose apprenticeship I had been planning to announce tonight, but now I never will.” His voice was calm and even, but there was anger behind it. Windclan and Riverclan cats started whispering to one another, shock and interest rippling through them. As Snowpelt watched, her eyes caught on a Riverclan tom that was looking at her like he’d seen a ghost. Ok… She got up and walked away, out of sight of that cat ‘It’s not important, ignore her. Pay attention’ Snowpelt looked back up to the leaders as Whitestar bristled and snapped “She was trespassing!” Barkstar’s calm demeanor snapped as he snapped “She was still learning the territory!” “She was spying!” Whitestar snapped back, a sort of crazed fear in her eyes. Confusion flashed over Barkstar’s face as he asked “What?!” Grassstar chuckled and ‘whispered’ loud enough to carry over the gathering, “Looks like Thunderclan continues to get worse and worse. Even Ashstar was better than this.” Whitestar whirled on Grassstar, but before she could speak, Streamstar, the only non-hostile leader here apparently, spoke “Hold on, before everyone gets agitated, I would like each of you to tell me what happened,” She looked at Whitestar as if scolding a kit, “Without interrupting,” Then she looked to Barkstar and finished, “You may go first.” Snowpelt silently noted that she was giving Barkstar the advantage in the situation, telling the story first. Barkstar nodded, took a breath, then said calmly “Yesterday evening, while on the dusk patrol, three of my warriors found the body of Willpaw, her neck was cut open. From the bloodstains, she had been killed on Thunderclan territory and her body was dragged over the border and left on ours. There was also thunderclan scent all over the scene. My warriors brought back the body and reported what had happened, and my clan was outraged. I called a clan meeting and asked them to refrain from attack, that we must discuss it at the gathering before we take action. However, it seems that a portion of my clan’s anger was too great to hold back. Although I am still learning about the situation, it seems that those warriors went to the Thunderclan border and killed a cat there, then waited for another Thunderclan patrol to come by. This afternoon, one did. When that patrol investigated the body, the shadowclan warriors attacked. Thunderclan called for reinforcements, and a battle began. By the time I learned of what was happening, the sun was setting. I rushed to the battlefield and arrived as the moon began to rise, which is when I pointed out that the gathering truce had begun and stopped the battle. We then had our dead and heavily injured brought back to camp, and our Medicine cats summoned. The cats dead on the Shadowclan side are…” He looked down to his deputy, Wolfsong, for an answer. Wolfsong went to speak, but only began to cough. Alarm flared through the medicine cats as Noirpool rushed to his side, motioning for Barkstar to move on. Worry flashed in Barkstar’s eyes before he looked to Jaggedmoon and asked “Jaggedmoon?” Jaggedmoon’s clear voice replied “We only lost Sootshine in this battle, and Willpaw before it.” Barkstar nodded and Streamstar looked to Whitestar, saying “Your turn.” Whitestar paused, looking unsure as she stared off into space. Streamstar asked “Whitestar?” Whitestar jumped and shook her head, then snapped “Shadowclan brutally murdered Brightspot!” Grassstar commented “So that’s why Thunderclan lacks a deputy tonight.” The comment had an immediate effect on Whitestar, she tensed up as if under attack, struggling for a response. Barkstar sighed and said “My warriors should not have taken that avenue of revenge, but they must have seen it as equal."