Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 2. (A Path Beyond Stars)

~A Path Beyond Stars: Chapter 30~

"Spidertail did what?" Frostpaw growled. Reedtail and the other two apprentices had found Ashpelt and Frostpaw hunting near a large rock, and Coldpaw had told them of what he had just witnessed.
"What a fool he is," Ashpelt grumbled as the apprentices talked. "Why would he do that to an apprentice? He's older than that, he should know better."
"Not every cat older than us is wise," Reedtail pointed out. "Yes, Rockhopper and Beeflower are smart, but they've seen worse battles than Spidertail or any of us could ever dream of."
"True," Ashpelt agreed. "However, he's still nearing Tigerfur's current age. Tigerfur is actually smart, and so was Creamfur. Silver-Eye was too smart for his own good."
Reedtail growled slightly at the mention of Pineear. The fact that he was truly plotting against his Clan... Reedtail and her denmates had grown up knowing lies, and even the warriors couldn't confirm what had truly happened that night.
Until now. Thanks to Spiraltail, the small group of young warriors, as well as Fernfeather, now knew the truth behind Half-Sight's betrayal.
Russetwhisker wasn't meant to die, she realised. He thought at first that Russetwhisker had fully agreed with Pineear, but she was still hesitant on her decision. He took out Russetwhisker as a precaution... Russetwhisker's death was what made everyone the way they are now.
She briefly remembered the older warriors being quite open-minded to Stonestar's kits, but since Russetwhisker's death and their apprenticeship, everyone had become hostile toward any of Stonestar's offspring, and given the amount of apprentices he trained and the amount that survived, which was barely any, the situation was growing worse by the second.
While Reedtail and Ashpelt spoke to each other on the matter of Pineear, and the apprentices continuously complained about Spidertail's lack of experience as a mentor, they made it back to camp, digging up their prey as they walked.
"I'll take the prey to the pile," Ashpelt offered. "Frostpaw, come."
Frostpaw trotted up to her brothers and grabbed some of their prey and the four cats walked off to the fresh-kill pile with Reedtail's share as well as their own.
"Reedtail," Fernfeather called with a tone of impatience. "Come here."
Confused, Reedtail padded over to meet Fernfeather sitting with Spidertail and Tigerfur beneath the Highledge.
Spidertail glared at her as she approached. Tigerfur sat calmly next to the ThunderClan deputy.
"I heard you took Brackenpaw from Spidertail a short while earlier," Fernfeather said.
"She did," Spidertail snarled.
"Quiet," Tigerfur said. "Is there a reason as to why you took Spidertail's apprentice from him?" he asked, turning to Reedtail.
Reedtail stared at Spidertail. "Did you even tell them what you were doing?"
Fernfeather and Tigerfur gave Spidertail a skeptical look.
"I took Brackenpaw off him because he could've hurt him," Reedtail said to the deputy. "His excuse for forcing his apprentice back to camp: 'He scared the prey away'."
Tigerfur let out a snort of laughter and Fernfeather rounded on Spidertail. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded. "Stonestar never treated you like that. I'd expect you to know better."
"That's not-" Spidertail began, and then Coldpaw ran up to correct him.
"I heard you," the young apprentice said. "You were shoving my brother back to camp and you said he scared away some prey. He told me he didn't scare any prey."
Spidertail's ears were flat against his head. He snarled at the apprentice, his tail lashing, and Tigerfur growled at Spidertail as a warning.
Brackenpaw caught him going somewhere, Reedtail thought. He's afraid of telling anyone what Spidertail was up to.
"And," Coldpaw went on, "I saw him leave early, before dawn, without Brackenpaw. Brackenpaw went with Ashpelt and Frostpaw because Spidertail was missing."
And he ran into him, Reedtail finished. They must have gone hunting at some point and Brackenpaw picked up Spidertail's scent. I assume he followed it and ran into him while Spidertail was headed back to camp. StarClan, he can't even mask his scent from an apprentice?
"Perhaps the apprentices are correct, and you should no longer be Brackenpaw's mentor," Fernfeather grumbled.
Reedtail froze. The apprentices had already spoken to Fernfeather about Spidertail, prior to all this?
At least they have brains, Reedtail thought with a quiet sigh.
Spidertail didn't do anything to defend himself. He merely sat, angrily glaring at Reedtail and her apprentice.
"If you have no more to say on the matter," Fernfeather said, looking at all three of them now, "I will hold a meeting."
"Before you do, may I talk to you?" Reedtail asked.
Fernfeather hesitated, then nodded. "Find your littermates, Coldpaw," the deputy said to the apprentice, who padded away. Tigerfur led Spidertail to the fresh-kill pile.
"What is it?" Fernfeather grunted impatiently.
"How is Stonestar?" Reedtail said quietly. "I haven't had the chance to see him."
Fernfeather hesitated. "He's gotten worse, I cannot lie to you about that," she said slowly. "Russetfire isn't sure if he'll make it through to Greenleaf, or even late Newleaf."
Reedtail dipped her head in understanding. She knew it was possible he would lose his final life to a sickness, though she didn't want to accept that it could happen so soon.
Fernfeather got up and jumped up onto the Highledge. Reedtail and a few other warriors were already gathering around.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around for a Clan meeting!" Fernfeather yowled. The apprentices, elders, warriors and Specklefern padded over to sit beneath the Highledge, looking up at Fernfeather.
"Cats of ThunderClan," the deputy announced once everyone had settled, "cats have been complaining to me about Spidertail and questioning his skills as a mentor. Brackenpaw asks for a new mentor. Who would like to train this apprentice?"
Coldpaw looked up at Reedtail expectantly, but she shook her head, reminding him that she wouldn't, and couldn't, be chosen as Brackenpaw's new mentor.
Windcaller, Flameclaw, Whitestripe and Voleroach were the first to stand.
"Brackenpaw?" Fernfeather said, looking down at the apprentice. "Who would you like to be your mentor from now on?"
Brackenpaw turned around and looked at the volunteering warriors. His eyes lingered a moment on his father, then stood up and walked over to Flameclaw.
Fernfeather nodded. "Very well," she said over the falling rain. "From now on, Flameclaw will be your new mentor. He was trained well and I'm trusting him to teach you what he knows."
Reedtail saw Windcaller close his eyes, as though he was relieved to see Spidertail was no longer mentoring his son.
A rumble of thunder echoed once more in the darkening sky.
"It would be close to a Gathering now," Reedtail muttered as Fernfeather jumped off the Highledge.
"What?" Coldpaw asked.
"I forgot, you haven't been to a Gathering yet," Reedtail said, standing up. "A Gathering is when the moon is full and all the Clans meet at an island in the middle of the lake."
"The Clans hate each other!" Coldpaw retorted.
"There is a truce that holds at the island during the night," Reedtail told him. "No cats are allowed to attack each other as long as that truce holds, no matter how much they may want to."
"Coldpaw!" Frostpaw called from the fresh-kill pile. "Let's go play in the den!"
"Off you go," Reedtail said. The apprentice ran over to his sister and the two of them quickly ducked inside the apprentices' den.
"Come with me," Tigerfur said as he walked up behind Reedtail, making her jump. "We'll do another quick patrol before you leave."
Reedtail froze. Fernfeather had told Tigerfur about her mission to spy on ShadowClan tomorrow night?
As if he had heard her worries, Tigerfur paused on the way to the small patrol and backed up, whispering, "Worry not. Only I know, unless you have also told your friends."
Reedtail let out a large sigh of relief. She followed the senior warrior to where Spiraltail, Mossgaze and Swiftflight were waiting.
The majority of their night was spent patrolling in different directions, but eventually, a nice long while before dawn, they managed to get back to camp and sleep.
Reedtail slept with a slight headache that night.