Traitor // A Warriors Mafia Minigame

Round Six, Scene Six

"Pebblestrike, you are safe for now. You have been voted innocent. " Sleekstar studied Pebblestrike; the gray tabby was trying to act indifferent, but he could tell from his quivering tail and flickering gaze that he was trying his best to hide his apprehension.

"Thank you." Pebblestrike dipped his head solemnly.

Perhaps something good came out of all this; Pebblestrike seems more serious than before. "Don't thank me, Pebblestrike. I'm not one of those who voted. That, and the fact that you could still be murdered," Sleekstar added quietly to himself. "Now, we must rest. Please, stay alive."

***

"Is going for Dovefern too obvious? I mean, I want revenge on her too, but she just might be prepared for me." The killer lounged in their nest, the other warriors around them, sleeping soundly. They closed their eyes, relishing the thought of claiming another warrior as their own... wresting out that vermilion liquid for themselves... filling themselves top-full of the stuff. Part of them pitied the others for never being able to enjoy that kind of meal.

But what kind of cat mourns for their prey? Save the obvious choice of Dovefern, who should become my next... feast for the senses, I should say?

The killer lay their eyes on each potential target one by one, until eventually they chose their victim. 

"Oh," the killer whispered, "poor little Lichenleaf..." they savoured the sound of the name on their lips. "Li- chen- leaf..." The killer pushed themselves up and stood over Lichenleaf, who slept in the nest beside their own. "Now his life has a purpose, now his body has a purpose... to serve me." 

The killer raised a paw and stroked Lichenleaf's fur lightly. "What a pity it is that I won't have an appetizer of fear-scent before I devour you," they purred. "But it'll have to do for now. I'm not risking having my prey escape."

Extending their claws, the killer slashed down on Lichenleaf's belly, over and over and over. In seconds, all that was left was a mess of bloody fur and exposed flesh.

The killer reared back and laughed, their fangs catching the thin shafts of moonlight that shone into the den. They crouched down, ready to indulge into their newest meal. Their teeth hovered over the bloody flesh. Then they paused. "Oh, but it's simply not the same without the exhilaration of the hunt," they whispered. "Maybe... "

***

In the morning, another mangled mess awaited the warriors in the centre of the clearing- Lichenleaf's remains, which had partially been torn away once again. 

Swiftshine choked on a scream; yet another murder and yet another mutilated body to behold was too much for her faint heart. She scrambled back, not even attempting to comprehend it anymore, nor try to share tongues with Lichenleaf before he was buried. 

"Oh, dear." Starlingtalon lay her tail across the cream-colored she-cat's shoulders. "Let's be going, okay?" She spoke gently, as if she were comforting a frightened kit. Swiftshine nodded numbly and allowed herself to be steered away by the ginger-and-white she-cat. 

Pebblestrike only took a swift glance at the body before flinching and averting his gaze. "I'll... I'll wake Sleekstar," he mumbled, before slipping away, anxious to leave the body behind. 

Birchtuft glared at Lichenleaf's broken form, partially in disapproval, partially in fear. "This was already horrible when only Ivygorse was killed, but now more and more cats..." He shook his head wretchedly. 

Brindlespring's gaze flitted angrily around the cats, including the disappearing Swiftshine and Starlingtalon. "Who is responsible for this? We have to expose the murderer as soon as possible."

"But we can't exile another innocent cat!" Perchberry clawed at the ground in frustration. "Don't forget what we did to Tigersong and Poppyfoot; that can't happen again!"

"I'd rather exile half of the innocents than live another day with a murderer breathing down our necks," Dawndust growled irritably. "At ;east then that half will be free from the chance of being killed off like a piece of prey."

Perchberry whipped around to glare at the ginger tom, bristling. "Are you even listening to yourself? How can you say that?" Her astonished tone morphed into a hostile growl. "What if it were you who we were voting for? How would you feel if your own Clanmates told you that you were disloyal and that you were no longer welcome?" The silver she-cat's gaze narrowed to tiny slits. "Perhaps you're responsible, and you wouldn't care. what we have to say about you."

"What?" Dawndust stared wide-eyed at Perchberry. "I just want-"

"You're saying you want us to be banished, to be torn away from our friends forever!" Perchberry yowled. "Don't try to defend yourself! You're the killer, aren't you? That's why you want us gone!" She unsheathed her claws, ready to attack Dawndust.

"No! You can't attack your own Clanmate, Perchberry," Dovefern gasped. She thrust herself between Perchberry and Dawndust. "He wants the killer gone, just like the rest of us." Dovefern continued. "He just... has a different point of view. A different solution."

Perchberry growled wordlessly, but the fur on her shoulders lay flat and she sheathed her claws.

Meanwhile, Dawndust had slowly started to back off from Perchberry, suddenly intimidated, by her.  

"Dawndust, stop-" Pebblestrike's voice. 

Dawndust stopped and turned out just in time to avoid bumping into Sleekstar.

"Oh, um, sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. We have more important things to worry about," Sleekstar meowed matter-of-factly. "Another warrior is dead and we still don't know who the killer is."

"We must target the suspicious," Perchberry meowed. "No, I don't mean you," she added as Dawndust's fur began to rise. "I mean a cat who acts like they would be innocent and unsuspectible, but might not keep that face up at night."

Sleekstar hesitated, considering what Perchberry was saying. "Are you talking about Swiftshine?"

"What? That's impossible!" Dovefern gazed incredulously at Perchberry. "She's never been comfortable around blood or death; as an apprentice, she couldn't even hunt properly because of that and her timidity! She'd never be able to murder!"

"It's a justifiable suspicion," Dawndust meowed reluctantly. "I mean, that fear could be a simple ruse to throw us off the scent."

"So you're saying that she faked her timidity and fear of battling, blood and death ever since she was a kit, just so she could kill all of us off one by one sometime?" Pebblestrike snorted. "I mean, come on. Let's be honest; a killer would at least need real bravery, and Swiftshine has none."

Dawndust nodded to Pebblestrike. "You have a fair point. However, I must stand by my theory. I know I have no real proof of it, but who knows which cat is really innocent at a time like this? She could still be pretending to be scared of all those. She could've easily grown out of it and be quite sadistic now."

"We've known every cat here since kithood," Birchtuft argued. You'd think we would know one another's true personalities by now. No cat can hold up such a strong and contradictory disguise for so long."

"That is true..." Perchberry cast a sideways glance at Birchtuft.

At this moment, Starlingtalon returned with a still shivering and apprehensive Swiftshine. "Did something happen while we were gone?"

"A cat has been... accused," Sleekstar told her. "A strange choice, but we'll have to vote anyway."

"Who was it?"

A/N I'm not saying Perchberry's the deputy, just putting that out there

~Bubble