Shattered Roots #1: The Last Leaf

Chapter 19

Leafpaw devoted the rest of the day to trying to dig a decent tunnel. Despite all her efforts, the deepest hole she could dig was the size of a small hare. Being a usual fast learner, she had no idea why her efforts gave a result that's not half as impressive as she expected.

Throughout the whole training session, her mind wandered elsewhere. She couldn't silence her thoughts about Birchpaw. They flooded her mind like a rushing river. She hoped that by training, she could distract herself from these thoughts, but instead they grew louder than ever. Once sun-fall came, Doehoof stopped her.

"Leafpaw, it's getting late already. You haven't eaten anything since we started training," the mentor urged, her voice laced with concern. "We can train more tomorrow, now you need to go back."

Leafpaw reluctantly complied with her mentor's orders. She walked with a sluggish pace, her tail drooping downwards. Though flakes of snow entered her tired eyes, she didn't care. All she could focus on was her spiraling mind.

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Days passed by in a blur for Leafpaw. Her doubts didn't cease to haunt her and Silverpaw's anger never died down. She kept telling herself something wasn't right with her investigation but she had no idea what it was.

"Leafy! There you are!" Owlpaw called cheerfully as Leafpaw entered the apprentices' den. "Where have you been?"

Leafpaw forced a smile. "Training, the usual."

"You sound worked out, did you spend the entire day chasing fish on the ground?" Leafpaw didn't answer, instead her eyes focused on her paws, her fur spiking up in uneasiness.

"Hey, hey, Leafy?" Owlpaw checked, sensing her lack of emotion. "Are you... alright?"

Shakily, Leafpaw sighed. "No, not really."

"But today is our triumphant day now that Birchpaw's gone! Or is something else bothering you? Wanna talk about it?" Leafpaw knew he wanted to help but his words only left a foul feeling in her heart.

"That's the thing, a voice in the back of my mind tells me that Birchpaw is innocent and that... I'm a monster for exiling him."

Owlpaw's ears stood up, his eyes blinking with confusion. "A monster? You're a hero! Without your help, we couldn't have cracked this case!"

"Am I really a hero? Now my best friend practically hates me for exposing Birchpaw."

"Your best friend? Wait..." Owlpaw paused to think. "Oh! You mean Silverpaw? C'mon, it's natural that she'd feel this way. She really likes Birchpaw after all. It's no surprise that she'd be mad at you for doing this."

"He means a lot to her, Owlpaw. I doubt she'd get over it in a few days."

"I know, I know. Just, get your head out of the clouds and remember that you did the right thing. If Birchpaw were still here, who knows how many more of our Clanmates would fall into his claws!"

"Owlpaw, do you think we, uh, judged him too harshly?"

"What do you mean?"

"We never really knew him that well. What if we pointed our paws mindlessly at him just because he seemed suspicious on the outside? What if there's more to him that we overlooked?"

"I don't think so. After all, the evidence leads to him. Did Silverpaw tell you that?"

"Well, maybe..."

"Don't take everything she says too seriously, she's going through a rough spot after all. I'd be as frustrated if I were in her position," Owlpaw advised with a soft, understanding gaze. He flicked his paw onto a half eaten dove and offered, "Wanna share? You look like a dead-beat squirrel!"