the accusation

~~~

FOR A MOMENT, the ThunderClan cats were shocked into silence. Of course, as Violetpaw recalled, there had been a huge murder accusation after Violetdust's death - in fact, right now, from the corner of her eye, she can spot Sunbounce throwing a glance at Stormbird's direction. But it hadn't been something her Clanmates have thought about since then, simply because it was too unpleasant to think about.

Clearly, Lilystar was thinking the same thing, for she let out an uncomfortable laugh. "You're insane, Crowstar."

The SkyClan leader caught on to her unease instantly, and leaned forward like a warrior cornering his prey. "That didn't sound very confident."

"I'm sorry if my disbelief wasn't strong enough," the tortoiseshell retorted. "Just what is wrong with you? What murderer do we have?"

A low growl came from Crowstar's throat. "I don't know, but StarClan told me. They told me you were hiding-"

"StarClan?" This time, Lilystar's laugh was truly of disbelief, loud and high. "StarClan hasn't been in contact with us for over six moons-!"

"The first visit came before their disappearance," Crowstar spat. "But since, once a moon, I'll get a dream. The same voice in my head, always repeating the same thing-"

"What?" the ThunderClan leader snapped. "What does that fake voice in your head say?"

The dark gray tom glared at her. "StarClan always tells me this: the Ghost Assassin dwells in ThunderClan."

A long pause drew out this time as everyone ran Crowstar's words through their minds. Violetpaw drew the words Ghost Assassin from her memory, the supposed murderer of Ashbird, Crowstar's daughter, and perhaps the killer of Violetdust - though most cats in ThunderClan thought that part as a joke.

And clearly, right now, most cats thought Crowstar was pulling their tail. The heavy, earlier tension started to melt, and many started twitching their whiskers with amusement. Because the Ghost Assassin was fake. It was a nursery tale. Violetpaw remembered Ravenpaw telling her that much.

"I'm serious!" Crowstar snarled, when he realized that his audience - other than his SkyClan cats - hadn't taken his words to heart. "I mean it-"

"The Ghost Assassin?" This came from RiverClan's leader, Dewstar. The brown she-cat's tail-tip twitched in laughter. "Crowstar, that's not real."

"Well of course it is!" Crowstar angrily lashed his tail. "He killed my daughter. He killed Ashbird."

Suddenly, Violetpaw recalled the words Sorrelpaw had spat her way earlier. 'My mentor, Oakbounce, has told me all about ThunderClan's evils. You killed his mother.'

The white she-cat's eyes widened as she realized what this must mean. Ashbird is Oakbounce's mother.

Trying to stay discrete, she glanced over at Oakbounce. It must be weird, having cats throw your mother's name around like this, to see her slowly become a story character in a nursery tale. But the gray tom held his chin up high, keeping his eyes pinned on Crowstar.

Does all of SkyClan believe that the Ghost Assassin is real, and in ThunderClan? Violetpaw shivered. That's delusional.

Back up on the Great Oak, Lilystar rolled her eyes. "Ashbird went on a walk in leafbare. It was cold and everything was covered in frost, she slipped and fell on her head-"

"A newly made apprentice would not slip and fall on their head," Crowstar hissed, "and I hope you're not expecting me to believe that my daughter would make such a mistake."

"Whatever. These monthly visits from StarClan really sound more like an issue between you and your medicine cat than decrees," Lilystar scoffed. "If you have nothing else to say, if I may be allowed to continue my report-"

"Give the Ghost Assassin up," Crowstar interrupted with a snarl. "Give him up so that I can finally avenge my daughter's death."

Lilystar laughed again, though this time it was much more annoyed and cold, and swept her tail out to her patrol. "I don't know who he is. But you're welcome to him, if you have an identity."

Violetpaw followed Crowstar's hostile gaze over to her Clanmates. The idea that any of them had killed a SkyClan cat from years ago was absurd. Her mentor, and Brightpaw's father, Sunbounce; his mate, Whitebird; Stormbird, a cat who seemed to be a hard worker and most accepted as innocent; the deputy Russetfrost, and his mate Blossomsky, a kind she-cat whose eyes could never shake a certain heavy sadness.

On and on she went, until she reached her own parents, Swanfrost and Frostsky, sitting near the edges. Though Frostsky had a positively fed up and annoyed look on his face towards Crowstar, his hard expression softened a little as Swanfrost pressed herself closer to him for warmth in the cold night.

How could any of them be the Ghost Assassin?

Crowstar scanned them, though he clearly didn't have a name. Finally, he turned back to Lilystar. "I don't know, but I do know this: if the Ghost Assassin turns himself in, SkyClan will stop pushing borders. Otherwise, we will show no mercy and kindness to any ThunderClan cat."

"What does that mean?" WindClan's leader, Breezestar, meowed. "A war?"

Lilystar's eyes sharpened. "That's ridiculous, Crowstar," she snapped when the SkyClan leader didn't deny it. "A war over a nursery tale - do you know how many lives we could lose over something as stupid as this?"

Crowstar shook his head. "We won't lose any lives if you turn the Ghost Assassin in to me."

"Oh, for StarClan's sake-!"

"SkyClan is leaving." Crowstar pushed himself to his paws coldly, then beckoned to his patrol. "I'm sorry it had to explode like this, Lilystar, but it had to be said. Better said now than to keep it for many more moons. I know you've been worrying over border issues, and now you know what we want. It's a fair trade."

The tortoiseshell she-cat narrowed her eyes. "All I know is that we don't have the Ghost Assassin, and over my dead body will you push into our territory because of some fake dreams."

Crowstar growled, but chose to end the conversation there. "Snowbird," he called to his deputy. "Gather the patrol, please."

Without another word, the SkyClan leader leaped off the Great Oak neatly, and led his cats out into the moonlit night. 

As soon as he was gone, the rest of the cats burst into furious whispers. Gustpaw turned to the ThunderClan apprentices again with a curious smirk, but Sweetpaw shot him down quickly with a glare. 

All throughout this, the full moon glared down brightly on them, almost unnaturally; StarClan must really be gone. From what Violetpaw had been told, they should've shown that they're displeased by clouding the moon.

"ThunderClan will now be leaving as well." Lilystar turned to the other leaders. "I hope you understand."

"Of course," Dewstar mewed, a nervous little smile on her face.

Russetfrost moved quickly in collecting his cats, and as he did so, Frostsky crossed the island towards Violetpaw, Sweetpaw, and Brightpaw. 

"Come on, kits," he murmured when he reached them, sweeping them with his tail. "It's time to go. Brightpaw, I think your parents are looking for you."

"Okay," the calico replied, bounding away after she mumbled an unfocused goodbye to the other Clans' apprentices.

Violetpaw and Sweetpaw did the same, before following Frostsky towards their Clanmates.

"Dad," Violetpaw started when they'd reached Swanfrost, and she gave both her kits licks on the ear. "Dad, there's not really a Ghost Assassin, is there?"

She'd asked this question to both Ravenpaw and Sunbounce, but never once to her parents. She was interested in what they had to say, but as it turns out, Frostsky's answer was remarkably similar to the ones she'd received previously.

Her father thought about it. Then, "Not as far as I know."