The angry argument had died away while Frecklewish was speaking, and all the cats looked expectantly toward their leader.
Hawkwing was the first to speak.
“Now we know that our destiny is still out there,” he meowed.
“We should never have listened to Darktail. What does he know about StarClan?”
Leafstar was unimpressed. “Let go of your anger, Hawkwing,” she told him. “This is the time to focus on our next move.”
“Should we try to find Barley now?” Bellapaw asked. “He might be able to tell us where the Clan cats are. At least we know he’s trustworthy,” she finished with an awkward glance at Darktail.
That’s a good suggestion, Hawkwing thought at the mention of Barley, the farm cat who had come with Ravenpaw to bring Bellapaw and her brother Rileypaw to SkyClan. He would never lead us wrong.
The white tom dipped his head toward Bellapaw, a thoughtful look in his eyes. “I understand why you might be doubtful,” he meowed in response. “Even though I was wrong about the directions, I still believe I know where the Clan cats are, and I can save you a lot of time if you trust me again. I just need to think of a better way to get there.”
“Suppose we send out another questing patrol,” Firefern suggested, her eyes brightening as she gazed at her mother up on the Rockpile. “They could look for ‘the spark that remains,’ and bring Darktail along to guide them.”
“No! I’m against that,” Sharpclaw snorted with a flick of his tail. “What if the vision isn’t telling us to go anywhere to find sparks to dispel darkness, but rather warning us to be alert? What if a danger is coming to SkyClan? If you ask me, we should strengthen our borders as much as we can, before it’s too late.”
Hawkwing’s anger rose again as he listened to his father’s cautious advice. Before he could stop himself, he let out a derisive growl.
Sharpclaw’s head swiveled to face him. “Show some respect!” he hissed.
“I do respect you!” Hawkwing protested. “But I disagree with you over this. We have to go out and find our destiny.”
Sharpclaw rolled his eyes. “You make me wonder if we made you a warrior too soon,” he snapped. “You’re showing all the maturity of a kit.”
If Sharpclaw hadn’t been standing on the Rockpile, Hawkwing might have leaped at him, claws extended. But his anger had to burst out somehow, even though he knew he should control himself in front of his leader and his Clan. “I’m not a kit!” he yowled. “I survived a quest Billystorm couldn’t!”
“That’s enough!” Leafstar stepped forward, her amber eyes blazing with fury. “You might be a warrior now,” she told
Hawkwing, every word forced out through her teeth, “but you should still know your place. You’re no good to the Clan if all you do is disrupt our important meetings, and make them all about you.”
Hawkwing took a step back, daunted by Leafstar’s anger; she was normally so calm and controlled. I wish I hadn’t mentioned Billystorm. That was a cruel thing to say to Leafstar.
“I’m sorry—” he began.
“‘Sorry’ catches no prey,” Leafstar snapped. “I’m trying to work out how to keep my Clan strong and healthy, and you’re getting in the way. You’re being disruptive, and I won’t put up with that.”
Instinctively Hawkwing glanced at Sharpclaw, expecting that his father would back him up, or at least defend him. But Sharpclaw was looking just as stern as their Clan leader.
“You need to hold on to your temper,” he told Hawkwing. “It’s too short—the kind that can get cats into trouble.”
“I know just the thing to calm you down,” Leafstar mewed, her eyes glittering. “You can go and tend to Echosong in the medicine cat den. Keep her clear of ticks, and sort through her herbs to throw out any that are shriveled or rotting.”
Hawkwing let out a moan, staring at his paws. That’s a job for an apprentice!
“Well?” Leafstar asked icily. “Why are you still here?”
“What?” Hawkwing asked, briefly confused. “Don’t I even get to stay for the rest of the meeting?”
“The meeting is over, as far as you’re concerned.” Leafstar swept her tail in the direction of the medicine cat den. “Leave,” she ordered. “Your punishment starts right now.”
Feeling every cat’s gaze upon him, Hawkwing stumbled off after Frecklewish. Every hair on his pelt was burning with shame.
How did that go so wrong?
Chapter 10
Hawkwing stood in the medicine cats’ den, sorting through Echosong’s herb stores. It was the morning after the Clan meeting, and already his punishment seemed to have stretched out for moons.
Sticky juices from the rotting herbs clung to his paws. They stink! he thought resentfully. And they’ll taste vile when I try to wash my paws. I’ll never get clean!
The shriveled herbs were no better. They crumbled under Hawkwing’s paws, littering the floor of the den with dust and scraps. And I know which cat will get the “privilege” of cleaning that up!
“What’s wrong, Hawkwing?” Echosong, still resting in her nest, raised her head and gazed at him with compassionate green eyes.
Hawkwing huffed out a breath. I told Echosong why I’m being punished, he thought. So why does she need to ask?
“I know I shouldn’t have challenged Leafstar at the meeting,” he admitted. “But I’m annoyed that I’m being punished while that traitor Darktail is still stalking around camp as if he owns the place! It wasn’t my interpretation of your vision that sent us on a fool’s quest and got Billystorm killed. It was that rogue Darktail—he should be the one doing the gross duties.” He gave a lash of his tail. “In fact, he shouldn’t even be in camp at all. He doesn’t belong with this Clan—he’s not one of us.”
As he spoke, Echosong was looking thoughtful. “True, I was not expecting fate’s claw to be so treacherous this time,” she responded. “But any cat can make a mistake, and I have to believe that StarClan brought Darktail to us for a reason.”
“What reason?” Hawkwing challenged her.
“I don’t know,” she conceded with a nod of her head. “But just because we can’t work out what it is yet doesn’t mean the reason isn’t there. We have to search for it, that’s all.”
Hawkwing’s anger eased a little at the medicine cat’s wise words, but a moment later he had to suppress a growl of annoyance as Darktail strode into the medicine cats’ den.
“What do you want?” Hawkwing demanded. “Have you come to rub it in, that our Clan leader took your side?”
Darktail dipped his head low. “I really didn’t mean for any cat to suffer,” he mewed. “Not Billystorm, and not you. I understand that you’re angry, but I promise you, once you’ve calmed down, you’ll see that I meant no harm. You need the pain in your heart to pass, that’s all.”
“What do you know about pain?” Hawkwing snarled. You didn’t lose a brother, he thought. You don’t understand what Billystorm meant to this Clan.
Darktail heaved a long sigh and sat down beside Hawkwing, wrapping his tail around his paws. “You have no idea… ,” he murmured. Hawkwing paused, curious. At first, Hawkwing thought he would say no more, but after a long silence he started to speak again. “I had a friend… he was not kin to me, but we were brought up together as kits. We did everything together, for many, many moons. Then, one long, hard leaf-bare, when prey was scarce, he got weaker and weaker…” Darktail’s voice quivered; he broke off again, then choked out, “Then he died.”