Duskflower's Story

Chapter 9: Joystripe's Betrayal

Duskflower could not believe what she was seeing. Her own brother killed four innocent kittens. She couldn't just sit back and do nothing. She ran towards him to confront him. 

"Joystripe wait!" She yowled.

"What do you want Duskflower, I'm busy." 

"Busy you say...plan on poisoning someone else."

"What...wait what are you saying." He suddenly got nervous.

"I saw the deathberries. I can't believe you killed the kits."

"Don't be a mouse brain. These are not deathberries, these are..um..berries I found in the forest."

"Don't lie to me. Why did you do it." 

"I had to." He said finally telling her the truth.

"I don't know what to say." 

Duskflower ran off to find Branchstar to tell him everything. But as she went over her mother stopped her.

"What happened to you."

"I'll explain later, I have to see Branchstar."

She went inside the leader's den where she overheard Tansyleaf talking to Branchstar.

"I'm telling you, those kits did not die a natural way. And today I saw that the deathberry bush had been plucked and my store of deathberri-" Tansyleaf stopped mid-sentence as Duskflower came in.

"I am so sorry to intrude but I have some important news."

"Well then tell us." Said Branchstar.

"Joystripe poisoned the kits. He stole deathberries and killed them."

"What are you saying, don't be silly." Replied Branchstar.

"I saw him walking out from the medicine cat's den with deathberries and when the kits died he was washing his paws and red peeling from deathberries came off."

"It does make sense. My deathberries have been stolen. But I don't understand why he did it."

"It doesn't matter, a cat like him has no place here. Thank you for telling me."

She dipped her head and walked out. She went to Willowheart and explained everything. Willowheart looked horrified to say the least. 

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey come to the Lightning Rock for a Clan Meeting."

The Clan came from all the sides. The elders were grumbling as they had been interupted from a long sleep. Rosevine was the only one who didn't come out. 

"I am sorry for calling this meeting without a notice beforehand but this is important. We have a murderer among us. Joystripe!"

The whole Clan gasped. Everyone started talking among them.

"Quiet please. Joystripe do you have anything to say?"

"I did kill the kits." He said very quietly.

"HOW DARE YOU." Yowled Rosevine almost clawing his eyes out. Moustail and Willowheart looked at their son with disgust.

"LightningClan has no need for cats like you. Get out of our territory and if we see you here again we will chase you out."

"Wait..no...please, she will kill me. She...she made me do it."

"Stop with your excuses, Crystallight and Stormheart escort this cat out."

My own brother, I can't believe it. That piece of fox dung.

She went over to Willowheart to comfort her. 

"Don't waste time thinking over him."

"I just can't believe it. I feel as if it is my fault, maybe I didn't pay attention to him."

"Its not your fault."

Duskflower gave her mother a lick on the shoulders and went over to Stormheart. 

"I know today has been a bad day for you but the Clan still needs to eat. Can you and Ivythorn go hunting."

"Of course I will go call her."

Ivythorn and Nectargaze were eating a squirrel together and whispering very softly. She could tell that they were talking about Joystripe, the whole Clan was. She ignored the stares cats gave her and made her way towards Ivythorn.

"I mean, I thought he was odd but I wou-! Oh...hey Duskflower."

"Hi, Stormheart wants us to hunt together."

"Sure I'll be there in a moment."

She made her way up the Lightning Path and looked down at the camp. On the outside everything looked the same but she knew that as long as Berrytail was lurking nothing would be the same ever again.