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"So we're not going to attack then?" Heatherwing's tone did not sound accusatory, rather incredulous.
For some time now, Palestar, Honeyclaw, and the Warriors' Council had been standing together to converse about SnowClan's border shift. Larkpaw was aware of the fact that, as an apprentice, she had no right to eavesdrop on this conversation, but she couldn't stop herself. Her curiosity was too great and would not let her rest.
Tail lashing quickly, Heatherwing continued, "We can't just let them get away with this! After all, they captured Larkpaw to force us to give them territory. And now they've moved the border anyway."
Palestar bowed her head. "I haven't forgotten that," the grey and white she-cat replied. "But we can't afford to fight at this time. Believe me," she added more forcefully as Patternleaf's fur bristled, "I'd like to get back at them just as much as you would. However, we can't risk unnecessary injury or even death this close to Leaf-bare."
Larkpaw winced at the word 'death'. How likely was it that cats would die because of a border conflict?
"I think that's a sensible solution," Gooseleap intervened. "It's already hard enough to find enough prey. We can't afford to hunt for the wounded too."
"Then that's how it will be." Palestar stood up. "Don't give in to their threats. It's better if you tell the patrols, Honeyclaw," she meowed, addressing the golden tom.
With a twitch of his ears, he signalled that he had understood.
Then the meeting broke up and the cats streamed off in different directions. Only Palestar stayed where she was. For a while, she just sat there, her gaze fixed thoughtfully on the sky.
Seeing her leader like this made Larkpaw wonder if she had ever regretted her decisions. Usually she always seemed like a cat who was smart and knew what she was doing. Now, however, Palestar gave the impression that she wasn't sure of her decision.
I just hope she made the right choice. Just as Larkpaw was about to get up and leave, Palestar's meow suddenly sounded over to her, making her flinch in shock. "Larkpaw! Come here."
The apprentice immediately realised why Palestar wanted to talk to her. Tensely, she padded over to her while the thoughts in her head were washed away like a raging river until she thought she couldn't get a word out.
With an indefinable expression on her face that was more a mixture of sternness and regret, Palestar held eye contact with Larkpaw. "I suppose you know why I want to talk to you," she began in a low voice.
Fear was like a tendril of thorns wrapped around Larkpaw's throat, preventing her from saying a word or even nodding. The fact that Palestar's blue gaze was boring intensely into her fur made her even more nervous.
"I'd best get straight to the point. Why did you go to the SnowClan border in the first place?"
At that moment, the invisible tendril fell away. Larkpaw gasped for air. SnowClan border? Did she think I went there all this time? That must mean that Reedpaw hadn't revealed anything.
