*Parsleystar*
The spring rain danced its way through the protecting canopy of the weeping willow. Drops of water dripping from the fragile branches. Kits took their turn leaping, trying to reach the lowest leaf. Their pelts reflecting the full moon.
Parsleystar watched over her camp proudly. The winter poverty had just ended, the full moon marked the beginning of spring. The fresh-kill piled high, filled with goats and squirrel. The cool wind flowed through her long fur. she blinked away the small hairs that irritated her eyes. Parsleystar's paws fidgeted, itching to run. She hasn't ran in a long while, her deputy confining her to camp. She noticed how she payed much more attention to detail when you're old. The thought that her time serving the clan was almost over oddly calmed her. Parsleystar lived a long life, but something wasn't complete. Something was missing. In the corner of her eye, Parsleystar noticed her medicine cat, Berrydawn, inching up to the branch where she was resting. The fidgety medicine cat always looked worried, but tonight something was... different. Her eyes filled with comfort, or relief. Usually that wouldn't bother her if it was any other cat, but this was very unusual.
Berrydawn lowered her head in respect, and began to speak.
"I had a dream." The old she-cat rasped.
"An omen?" Parsley star questioned, trying not to sound worried. The medicine cat slowly spoke, taking her time, unlike herself.
"Sort of, but perhaps we discuss this in my den?" She nodded towards the direction of her den. Her eyes glinted with urgency, but still remained calm. Something was definitely wrong.
Parsleystar nodded in agreement, and hopped from her branch. Her paws lightly pressed into the undergrowth, snapping small twigs. The medicine cat followed after, her paws slamming into the ground, knocking herself off balance. Berrydawn wasn't the most graceful cat in the clan. This was the reason she had to resign her duties as a regular apprentice to become a medicine cat apprentice.
Berrydawn clumsily stood back up, and pawed quickly to her den. She didn't stop, or even look back to make sure Parsleystar was following.
A group of warriors eyes were filled with worry. Parsleystar followed Berrydawn and calmly blinked at them with reassurance. She didn't want her clan to worry about something that wasn't relevant. She had to be sure the omen was real. There has been incidents in the past where her medicine cat had misunderstood a dream. The warriors nodded in response, but still looked as worried as before.
When they reached Berrydawn's den, she halted. The medicine cat turned around and looked Parsleystar in the eyes.
"Hold on one second, I'll holler when I'm ready for you to come in," she said abruptly. Berrydawn quickly slipped into her den.
why would she want me to wait? She wanted to discuss a omen. This was very suspicious. But if I disobey my medicine cat, that shows I do not respect my clanmates.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of Berrydawn's paws padding towards the entrance of the den. She didn't take as long as Parsleystar thought. The anticipation of getting into the fidgety cat's den filled her stomach. Parseystar needed to know what was wrong.
"You may come in," the she-cat finally spoke. Parsleystar brushed past the vines hanging from the entrance of the medicine den. The leaf of a vine pierced the inside of her ear. She flicked her ear in annoyance, and focused on the lightly lit den. Nothing was different than normal, in fact it was the same as always.
The medicine cat stepped in front of Parsleystar. Berrydawn sighed, and then began.
"You can come out"
A smoky black cat slowly stepped out front behind a wall that lead to the herb-storage room. Parsleystar's hair rose, and her claws naturally unsheathed. The young cat flinched and ran to Berrydawn's side. The cat wore a collar. It was a kittypet.
"How DARE you bring a KITTYPET into the center of my camp without my consent!" Parsleystar yowled. The medicine cat didn't flinch, nor move.
"This is Blackie, a kittype-"
"I'm not a mouse-brain, I can see it's a kittypet!" Parsleystar spat. Berrydawn began to show frustration. She stepped towards Parsleystar in defense of Blackie.
"Will you just listen to me? Trust me on this" she twitches her tail in anger
"I will not! You will take this nuisance back to where it came from immediately!" Parsleystar hissed. She was serious, and there was no changing her mind.
"No." The medicine cat stood her ground.
The leader lunged towards the medicine cat, ripping at her throat. The medicine cat clawed at Parsleystar's belly, trying desperately to defend herself. Berrydawn had little to no training, leaving herself defenseless.
The kittypet bolted out of the den in fear. He was unnoticed by the two fighting cats. Parsleystar swiped at Berrydawns temple, leaving her stunned. The leader took one last bite at the medicine cat's throat, and she was gone. The life flowed out of Berrydawn's eyes, and her pelt went cold. Blood flowed from her ripped throat.
Parsleystar sat over the medicine cat in triumph, and jumped when she heard the noise of paws thundering into the den.
"Parsleyst-" a neutral voice rang from the entrance of the den. Parsleystar turned and saw her deputy, Iceheart staring at Berrydawn. Next to her was the young kittypet and Iceheart's apprentice, Shadepaw.
"What did you do?" Iceheart's shaky voice rang throughout the den. The deputy moved her gaze to Parsleystar.
"I did what should have been done a while ago. If anyone asks, that nasty kitty pet followed Berrydawn into camp when she was gathering herbs, and will be killed and added to the fresh kill pile immediately." Parsleystar's tone was frantic but serious.
"But... that's cannibalism!" Icehearts eyes filled with fear. Next to her, Blackie's pelt practically rose off his back. He was frozen with fear. "It's against the warrior code." she cleared her throat and tried not to sound frightened.
"Do you think I care about the warrior code? I can rewrite the rules when I want. And I say, we eat the scrap." Parsleystar unsheathed her claws. Iceheart looked at her straight in the eyes.
"I'd rather die than break the warrior code"
"Then be a dear and do it. I dare you." Parsleystar laughed "you'd do me a favor if you left. You're weak and useless! I should have never made you deputy!" she hissed with enthusiasm.
Icehearts heart beated noticeably loud. She seemed to be contemplating a decision. Finally, she stood up, and padded towards her leader. "Maybe I will leave"
"You're bluffing. you wouldn't survive a day on your own"
"Watch me" the young deputy wakes out of the den entrance, and toward leaf-branch. The kitty pet and apprentice followed after, tail in between their legs.They had their clan meetings around it, Parsleystar sitting on the branch. Iceheart pushed her hind-legs off the ground, leaping onto the thick branch. The she-cat gracefully turned to the clan, which was already gathered in the center. The commotion in the medicine cat den had made a conversation around the camp, starting untrue rumors.
Parsleystar ran out of the medicine cat den and yowled at the deputy "what do you think you're doing? You have no authority calling clan meetings without my consent!" She hissed. Parsleystar half wanted to stop iceheart but the other half told her to listen. She wanted to hear the nonsense iceheart decided to cause all of this commotion for.
"Eclipseclan, I come to you with news. Tonight, your very own, thought to be trusted, brave, strong, clan leader has murdered her own medic."
Gasps filled the crowd, wails and yowls of disbelief rose around the camp.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Parsleystar?" Iceheart yowled with anger. Her white fur rose high, and ears were pointed sideways.
"That is true. I did indeed take her life. But the truth is, she was ready. She tried to bring danger into our clan through this Housemouse" her tail flicked at blackie. Hisses and yodels grew louder. "I see I have made two mistakes. One has been trusting Berrydawn, but the other one has been trusting you. You have been trying to put me in danger, and so has berrydawn. I know what you have been plotting, trying to start rid of my last two lives. What do you have to say for yourself?" Parsleystar snapped.
"That is ridiculous, Parsleystar! I've been the one trying to preserve your last two lives, you ungrateful liar!" Iceheart bared her teeth.
Parsleystar lunged onto leaf-branch, knocking the deputy onto the hard ground. She squeaked as she plummeted down. "Tonight, iceheart will be exiled for lying to her leader, to her clan, and plotting the death of her trusting leader. Iceheart has been a traitor all along, and will pay for her antics". Cats went silent. All eyes were on iceheart.
The once-deputy stood up in the direction of her clan mates. "Tonight, I leave. I am no longer trusted by your leader, and I am very disappointed. When I was a kit, I wanted to do my best, I wanted to serve my clan as a warrior, I wanted to be a deputy and worked hard for it. I believe in starclan, I believe in the warrior code, and I know the majority of you could and would say the same. I am setting off to start my own clan. One that will not try to eat innocent cats for their enjoyment. One that will not break the warrior code. One who will not accuse the innocent. I cannot do this alone. Who's with me? Who can I trust to embark this journey to new territory, who trusts that I will serve my clan with respect?"
No cat dared to speak. No cat moved. All eyes were on the white she-cat. The whistle of the spring wind blew through the weeping willow, interrupting the silence.
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