Nettlestar's Atonement {BEING UPDATED}

Chapter Twelve

The clearing stilled. Nettlepaw turned to face the source of the voice, heart pounding. It was Sagefeather, standing boldly in the camp entrance, back from a herb gathering mission, with Mudpaw behind her.

"This is pointless! Why are we attacking each other?" She yowled.

"You've been stealing our prey!" A cat Nettlepaw recognized as Drizzletail, AutumnClan's deputy shouted.

"But you've been doing the same!" Birchclaw hissed. "I scented it myself!"

Sagefeather shook her head. "Neither Clan has been stealing prey. This is a misunderstanding." She had both Clans' attention now. "This was a setup! A distraction! And I know who was behind it all."

"You're meowing nonsense." An AutumnClan senior warrior accused.

Sagefeather shook her head. "Follow me. If I'm right, we don't have much time."

Intrigued, Nettlepaw padded after his medicine cat a short distance out of camp. When he saw the scene before him, his blood went cold.

That's where Featherstar went, he thought sickly.

In front of him was the still body of his leader. She had a clean slice across her throat that had bled and dried up too late. And above her was her own deputy, Liontooth.

Beside Nettlepaw, Finchpaw stifled a gasp and pressed against him, but her father was looking at Sagefeather.

"How did you know?" He hissed coldly.

"Your scent had crossed the border. I knew something was up, so I came back to camp and found this."

He smiled. "Bright she-cat." Twitching his tail in annoyance, he looked around the cluster of cats. "I suppose it's no use hiding the truth any longer."

"I wanted to be leader, to lead SummerClan into greatness and power. I figured, stage a battle between two Clans. During the battle when every cat is distracted, I'd take care of this one and say she was killed in battle." Liontooth explained with a glance at Featherstar.

"I allied with a few cats from AutumnClan. They hunted on our side while I did on theirs. I figured it would cause tension." He licked a paw. "I was right."

"When I heard the plans to attack AutumnClan, I went to warn them." So that's where he was going! Nettlepaw thought in surprise. "I wasn't planning on launching my plan that early, but it was necessary."

Sagefeather bared her teeth in a snarl. It was the only time Nettlepaw had ever seen her truly angry. "You filthy excuse for a warrior." She spat. "I assume in your quest for power you didn't assume how many cats you would hurt?"

"Exile him!" A few cats chanted. "Exile him!"

Liontooth purred. "Very well. Would any cat like to stay loyal and come with me?"

No cat responded. The former deputy bared his teeth in disgust. "Unfaithful worms. No matter. I'll find better, more loyal followers."

"But I can always trust my kits, can't I?" He said silkily, turning toward Finchpaw and Thornpaw.

Finchpaw snarled. "I would never follow you! I am loyal to my Clan and you should have been as well." Her voice hardly shook as she denied her father, and Nettlepaw felt proud of his friend.

Liontooth hissed. "Thornpaw?"

The golden apprentice took longer to respond. "I trusted you." He said softly. "I looked up to you. But not any longer."

His father glared at the cats. "Fine. But I will return, and you all will be sorry you ever cast me away." Then the deputy turned tail and left without a trace.

Sagefeather snarled. "Good riddance."

Featherstar coughed suddenly, surprising all the cats there. She lay for a moment, then rose to shaky paws.

"I heard what happened," she said in a raspy voice. "Is it true?" Sagefeather nodded solemnly.

Her icy blue eyes narrowed. "I think it is time for you to leave." She said to Echostar who had been watching in horror the whole time. He met her cold gaze with one of his own but didn't argue, leaving with his Clan trailing behind.

"I have only two lives left," she said quietly.

Sagefeather nodded. "You must be careful."

Nettlepaw felt Finchpaw leaning on his shoulder when they entered camp again, but he was hardly conscious of the weight. He couldn't believe his own deputy would do such a thing, and even more shocking was his leader's confession. He couldn't imagine SummerClan without its faithful, experienced leader at its head, or without its strong and confident deputy at her side.

But when he saw the scene in camp, his heart stopped. His worries about Featherstar and Liontooth were forgotten.

On the ground, in the center of camp was the still, lifeless body of Nettlepaw's own father, who had died of his wounds before any cat could get to him.

Dustcloud!

* * *

Nettlepaw knew there was no hope of saving his father when Sagefeather exited the medicine den. "He's still alive," she said. "But unconscious. And it's unlikely he'll wake before..." she trailed off. Nettlepaw understood.

Letting out a wail, he raced into the den. Nettlepaw buried his nose into his father's thick fur, now tainted with the sharp scent of blood. He felt like kit, but didn't care. Dustcloud was dying.

Sedgefang, who had entered the den shortly after Nettlepaw, met his gaze with empty and sad eyes.

Sagefeather glanced solemnly at the two. "I'll let you say your goodbyes." She mewed. 

Nettlepaw felt a surge of grief. How can I cope without him?

How can Sedgefang? His mother relied so heavily on Dustcloud, as he did her. They were meant to be together, and now that they were forced apart he didn't know how she would survive.

"Goodbye, my love." She whispered into his fur. "I will never forget you, and will always miss you." Her eyes glinted with grief. "I'll take care of Nettlepaw."

Nettlepaw kept his face buried in his father's side. How could he have been ashamed of having him as a father? He was a great father, always there for Nettlepaw even when he didn't want him to be.

He should have spent more time with Dustcloud. Nettlepaw let out a whimper of grief.

"Goodbye, father." Nettlepaw whispered. "I'll never forget you."

At some point Sagefeather ushered him out of the den and into a nest, but he wasn't aware. He heard voices speaking softly of how Featherstar would name a deputy the next day and Dustcloud would have a vigil, but he wasn't really listening.

He was conscious of Finchpaw padding into the den and laying next to him, pelt pressed to his. They had both lost a father that day.