ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Venom

Chapter 14

If possible, rain seemed to fall harder, soaking Echoleaf's dead body, making it look like a lump of wet fur. Which, Mintpool supposed, it was. The blood trickled away, washed by the rain, but didn't stop pouring from the wounds. 

"What should we do with the body?" Mamba wrinkled her nose, stepping forward. 

"Let it rot," one of the rogues, who Mintpool recognized as Shadow, a Council member, meowed. Cheers of agreements followed her words.

Cobrastrike's tail-tip twitched. "We could... and just let AirClan go into a storm of worry? That would drive them pretty crazy, not knowing what's happened to Echoleaf."

Holly padded over to Mintpool's side, brushing her pelt against the gray tabby's. "This is the perfect time to join AirClan as a spy."

"What?" The gray tabby blinked at her friend, shocked. "Now?"

Holly nodded eagerly. "Yeah. You could bring Echoleaf's body to AirClan, say rogues killed her, and you want to re-join. And now that you've killed a very important member of AirClan, there's no way the rogues could say that you just want to run back to your Clan."

Mintpool ruffled her pelt against the rain. "Mamba's still going to say that."

"It doesn't matter what she thinks," Holly mewed softly. "She's just one cat. When you do get your revenge on AirClan, her opinions won't matter one bit, will it?"

"I suppose..." Mintpool trailed off, considering Holly's words. If I do bring Echoleaf's body back, AirClan might think I came back because I'm frightened. That would make sense, wouldn't it? And they'd be pretty desperate for a medicine cat. "Okay."

The discussion for what to do with Echoleaf's body was still raging as Mintpool stepped forward. "I have an idea of what to do with her body." 

Mamba's gaze whipped towards her, clearly annoyed. "Well, go on. Tell us."

"I'll bring it back to AirClan," Mintpool mewed, "and say that rogues got her. And, AirClan wants me to return, right? Without their medicine cat, they'll be even more desperate. So, I can "rejoin" AirClan and spy on them."

"How can we trust you won't give away our secrets?" Mamba challenged.

Mintpool swept her tail. "I just killed an essential member of AirClan. The entire Clan could collapse without a medicine cat. Do you really think I'm on their side?" 

Cobrastrike twitched his pelt. "A spy on the inside would be nice... Ivy? What do you think?" He turned to a small brown she-cat besides him.

At first glance, Mintpool knew who it was; the Council Leader. She was respected by every cat in the rogue group, even Mamba and Cobrastrike. She was small, looking weak and pretty, but was much deadlier and smarter than she let on. Like poison ivy. She spoke little, too, letting cats around her bicker, listening to everything everyone else says around her. It was told that she knew every cats' secret. And, if honest, she frightened Mintpool. The gray tabby had no idea how much she could accomplish. 

"I think the spy idea is good." Ivy's voice was... hard to describe. It was gentle, yet manipulative at the same time. "We have no idea when the Clans are planning to attack, and our spy patrols are getting us nowhere."

Mamba flicked her tail. "But what if we just attack first?"

Ivy fixed her with a hard look. "Don't you think the Clans would feel worse, knowing that they were so close to victory yet failed?"

The two cats stared at each other, before Mamba finally ducked her head with a nod of agreement.

"So, the spy idea?" Cobrastrike prompted.