Chapter Twelve
“How could you have let this happen, Pinebolt?” The sounds of muffled paw-steps stepping firmly upon the ground filled the night air on the moors. Pacing back and forth, irritation causing his fur to stand on end, eyes narrowed almost to slits as he tried thinking of what to do; Smokestar was beside himself with frustration. The moment Pinebolt and the other three apprentices had returned to Shadowclan, the dark silver tom noticed something was off immediately.
It wasn’t from the look on Pinebolt’s face, hung low with deep guilt and ridden with regret, ears drooped to the sides while his tail was slack completely; nor the stony and smooth face of Sagepaw helped things any better. The fact that Graypaw and Silverpaw looked as though they had just witnessed a murder, spelled it out for him completely. Well, the lack of the appearance of Bloodpaw definitely spelled it out for him. However, Smokestar didn’t jump right into the conversation. How much the others knew, he couldn’t tell, but he didn’t want others knowing the situation.
When he had locked eyes with Pinebolt, the latter shook his head before walking away. They had to wait until nightfall before Longsky, Dewhare, Pinebolt, and Smokestar gathered around the High Rock further away from the camp. Nostrils flaring wide open, mouth tightened in a grimace, his ears angled backwards and tail sharply curved; Smokestar was…he couldn’t explain his feeling of disappointment. “Smokestar…” Pinebolt began, only to be cut off immediately by the other tom.
“Thanks to Sagepaw, everything has almost been fully spilled out to Bloodpaw. His mind must be completely damaged from what he learned, and you allowed it to happen UNDER YOUR NOSE!!” Rounding on Pinebolt sharply with such fury and resentment, the body of Smokestar began to tremble like a leaf caught in a gale.
The silence between the two toms was deafening. Pinebolt looked as though he was about to start crying, eyes were trembling while shadows started to cover his face. What he’d done, no, what he had said to Bloodpaw? Seeing the betrayal crossing over his apprentice’s face? That was the worst kind of pain he had ever felt. Ever experienced. He had shredded the trust between him and Bloodpaw. Shredded it to the point where there probably wasn’t any way to mend it. And he allowed it to happen without stepping in. He felt like fox-dung. No, he was far worse than fox-dung.
“What do you think we should do now?” Spoke up Dewhare, hoping to ease the tension that flowed all around them. “Don’t you think we should go and look for Bloodpaw? I know he’s hurting right now, and doesn’t trust us in the slightest for what we’ve done to him, but he’s also very vulnerable at this moment. Who knows in Starclan what’s going to happen to him if some other cat finds him in such a state.” Even though she had a paw in this, Dewhare worried about the kit she had raised. He was hers still, even if they weren’t blood.
“I’m not sure where to even start,” Mewled Smokestar as he briskly walked past Pinebolt without even looking him in the eye. However, he stopped just a whisker-length away from him and spoke very coldly. “You better pray to Starclan that HE does not find him. I promised her that I would keep everything from him until I was sure that he could handle the truth given to him someday. To think it would be so soon, and from another apprentice that doesn’t know dung about the truth; this is going to end badly if he finds Bloodpaw before we do.
I hope you’re happy, Pinebolt. Because of Sagepaw and your actions, Bloodpaw is about to venture on a journey by himself. A journey that might lead him to a dangerous rogue that she chose to leave for a better life. And you probably handed him to him all wrapped up.” Scoffing harshly, Smokestar and the others left Pinebolt on his own.
The chirps of crickets filled the void as Pinebolt just sat there. Then, he began to whimper hard as silver tears streamed down his face. Shamed that he caused this to happen. Not gently, but hard enough to push away a cat that had been asking and asking with no answer to his questions. Only to be continuously told it was nothing. And now, another apprentice; one that hated him, told him the cold hard truth. But, it wasn’t the full truth though.
“I should’ve told him sooner. I shou-should’ve given him some of the answers he wanted. Bloodpaw. Oh Bloodpaw, I’m so sorry.” He stuttered as more and more tears began leaving his eyes. “BLOODPAW!”