Nightfrost's Choice

Chapter 22

The clan was quiet.

So quiet, Nightfall could hear Petalfur's kits, Leafkit and Jaykit, squeal in the nursery.

Petalfur herself looked evenly at Fernstar. "Are you accusing us of killing Adderclaw?"

Fernstar met her gaze evenly. "I never said that." She meowed coolly. "I only asked if any cat knew anything about Adderclaw or if they saw him being killed."

Petalfur glared at Fernstar. "I would know if a ValleyClan cat killed my mate!" She snapped.

"I wasn't accusing you." Fernstar shot back. She sighed, swishing her tail over her paws. "Please, speak out of you know anything. The slightest detail that might seem irrelevant could help us solve this mystery."

Nightfall looked around. All her clanmates looked uneasy, and some cats were shifting away from each other.

Even Fireheart stiffened next to Nightfall.

Nightfall shivered. Great StarClan, we're all suspecting each other!

Her blood chilled when Dewfur stepped forwards. "I-I think I know something." Dewfur confessed.

Fernstar looked sharply at Dewfur. "What? Speak up, Dewfur." She added a little more gently. "You have nothing to fear."

Dewfur looked at her paws nervously. "I'm not pointing any paws, but I saw..." She hesitated.

"Go on." Fernstar coaxed.

Nightfall looked at her littermate. Dewfur looked scared, fearful, almost. Nightfall prayed her sister hadn't gotten herself into any trouble and waited for the answer.

"I saw... Skypelt." She confessed.

There was a collective gasp and all eyes turned towards the white warrior.

He looked shocked. "What? No!" He gasped.

Nightfall looked at him. Was he capable of killing Adderclaw?

Indignant protests and awful jeers echoed through the clan, and Fernstar raised her tail for silence.

"That's enough!" She yowled, her eyes flashing. She turned to Dewfur, her pelt bristling. "That is a bold accusation, Dewfur! What proof do you have?" She snarled.

Dewfur didn't flinch. "I had to leave Nightfall's patrol early, because I had to make some dirt. On the way back to camp, I saw Skypelt sniffing around the ferns right where Adderclaw had been killed."

"I was hunting!" Skypelt snarled, lashing his tail.

Dewfur met his gaze. "Alone? I thought you were supposed to be with Swiftblaze." She meowed coolly.

"Swiftblaze was practicing with the apprentices so I went on my own!" Skypelt argued.

"Likely." Dewfur sniffed.

"Enough!" Fernstar interupted. "Dewfur, tell us what you saw and that's it."

Nightfall watched with horror as her littermate went on: "I assumed that Skypelt was just hunting, but he looked like he was tracking something... some cat." Dewfur's eyes glinted and Nightfall gasped. "Then, when I got back to camp, I heard the news that Adderclaw was missing. Nightfall's patrol came back and found his body... right in the spot where Skypelt was lurking about."

A murmur of shock ran through the clan and everyone edged away from Skypelt.

Petalfur and Mistycloud were glaring murderously at him.