Stormy Sunset (a short story)

A young yellow tabby she-cat runs into the shed, shivering with cold. Her pelt is soaked from the rain that pours in torrents.

An ancient brown tabby she-cat sits on the dirt floor, her head drooping to her chest as she dozes. She wakes suddenly at the yellow tabby's entrance. 

"Eh? Who're you?"

"Just a traveler who wants to dry off a bit," the yellow tabby responds quickly. "I'll leave you alone once the rain lets off, I promise."

"This rain won't let up for a while, young'un. It's a real spring storm."

The yellow tabby sighs. "I can't stay long. I need to keep moving."

The brown tabby's eyes brighten. "I sense a story there. Tell it to me. You aren't really going anywhere until the storm dies, you'll be miserable."

"I deserve it." The younger cat's mumbled reply is barely audible.

"Tell me," the ancient one insists. "You've piqued my curiosity."

"It's awful, really. You don't want to know what I've done."

"Yes, I do."

"I can't..."

"You must!"

Another sigh from the yellow tabby. She isn't planning to live with this old cat. What harm would it do? She doesn't wish to speak of it, as it is too recent. Too painful. And yet... Maybe telling it would be for the best... She doesn't care if the old tabby is her friend.

"It's a long story," she cautions.

"I don't care. This is going to be a long storm, I feel it in my bones."

The young she-cat takes a deep breath, and begins her narrative. "I will never forget the day it all began..."

~

"Has anyone seen Shellstorm?"

My heart seemed to jump into my throat as Railtail's urgent yowl rang through the camp. Shellstorm was one of WindClan's greatest warriors. But he had not been seen since his hunting patrol the day before. 

Worried murmurs rippled through the Clan.

"What if a fox got him?"

"What if he ran onto the Thunderpath?"

"What if Twolegs took him?"

That last cry was from Shellstorm's new apprentice, Hornetpaw.

Myself, I wasn't worried that any of the Clan's speculations were true. Shellstorm was too great of a warrior for anything silly like they suggested. I admired his skills greatly, to tell you the truth. All the same, it was certainly unusual for a cat to just up and vanish like that.

Search parties went out, to no avail. Shellstorm was well and truly missing.

I scarcely knew myself during that agonizing day. I was as scatterbrained as a squirrel kit. I think I was afraid. The Clan seemed a different place with the cloud of uncertainty hanging over us.

Then the blow fell.

A RiverClan patrol came to our camp just before sundown. Somehow, I knew instantly why they were there. Railtail led me to them, let me see the mangled pale gray thing they had carried to us. It was Shellstorm, of course. He had drowned, the RiverClan cats said.

All I could do was stare at him. Well, not him anymore, just an empty, pitiful husk. I supposed he was in StarClan now. I think I was grieved by this, but mostly just numb. Rabbitstar let me stay beside his body till the moon rose to its peak and it was time for the burial.

As I watched the elders drag the remains of the great warrior away, I felt like I was just an empty husk, too. My apparent lack of emotion led the other cats to talk about how cold I was, how awfully cold and detached.

I didn't care.

~

"You loved this Shellstorm very much, didn't you?" the old brown tabby meows softly.

The yellow tabby hesitates. "Y-Yes... I guess I did love him." Her voice, however, is completely bland, without feeling—her words seem forced.

A moment of silence, then she continues her tale.

~

Shellstorm had drowned, the RiverClan cats had said. There was a wound on his head, suggesting that he fell into the river and struck his head on a rock, which would have knocked him unconscious and left him unable to swim to save himself.

What killed Shellstorm was not the question. The question was, how did it happen? The Clan speculated wildly. Was he fishing in RiverClan's territory and just fell in? Was he hunting along the cliffs, when he slipped and fell into the gorge? If he was hunting in RiverClan's territory, what if they had caught him and drowned him on purpose?

Nobody really believed that last one. RiverClan was known for being the peaceful Clan, so it was unlikely that they would kill a trespasser. ThunderClan or ShadowClan, maybe. But RiverClan? Certainly not!

The Clan was rather miserable and quiet, when Marigold showed up at dawn with a stranger. Marigold lived at the farm with her mate and kits, and was a good friend to WindClan.

Rabbitstar told Marigold that it wasn't a good time for a visit, and asked if she remembered meeting one of the search parties.

"Of course," was Marigold's reply. "I take it you haven't found him."

"We found Shellstorm all right – rather, RiverClan found him. He's dead, Marigold," Rabbitstar explained. "The Clan is still grieving. We'd prefer to be on our own, you understand."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," the loner said gravely. "But actually, it's because of Shellstorm I've come."

Rabbitstar pricked his ears curiously. "What do you mean?"

Marigold gestured toward her companion. "This is Paws. He specializes in finding missing cats and the ones responsible for the disappearances. He really is very clever. He calls himself a... What was it?"

The stranger—very odd-looking he was—replied immediately. "A detective. I find the truth behind wrong acts."

My Clan leader gave Paws a half-amused, half-exasperated look. "I really think we can manage. My Clan would just like to grieve in peace. Now, would you mind?" And he looked meaningfully at the camp entrance.

"Pawsy is quite good at what he does, Rabbitstar. Surely you want to know why Shellstorm died?" Without giving him time to reply, Marigold continued: "Just give him a chance."

Paws spoke again. "Let me try. I promise you this: Either I discover the truth by sundown, or I will leave you alone for good."

Rabbitstar narrowed his eyes. Railtail came to his side and hissed, "It won't hurt, and he might even bring justice for Shellstorm!"

What did I want? I wanted them to go away. Rabbitstar was right, we didn't need a nosy stranger. And what a stranger! Such a jarring difference from my Clanmates! I realize I haven't described Paws to you yet, maybe I had better do so now.

His coat was just plain gray, but that wasn't what made him so unusual; it was his shape. He was like a great big egg suspended on little twigs, with his round plump body and slender paws. His head was egg-shaped as well, and his ears were narrow and almost pointed. Paws' ludicrous appearance and silly name led me to underestimate him, for when he made eye contact with me, I saw at once that he was no fool. Those bright, intense, piercing green eyes seemed to peer right into my very being.

Without meaning to, I shuddered.

~

The old tabby fixes the young one with a questioning look. "How was this Paws so intimidating? From what I see, he was so ridiculous your leader didn't want him."

The yellow tabby's eyes take on a faraway look, as though she is still lost in her tale. "It was his eyes...always the eyes. I can't truly explain how he made me feel..." She shakes her head firmly and resumes the narrative.

~

Rabbitstar did let Paws stay, but he insisted that Marigold leave. She had no objections, and Paws didn't seem to need her presence. So one loner left while the other stayed. I would have preferred Marigold, to be honest. I'd already decided I didn't like Paws.

I stayed nearby and listened—okay, shamelessly eavesdropped—as Paws talked to Railtail about Shellstorm's movements. The deputy began by explaining how he was on a hunting patrol the day before yesterday at sunhigh.

Paws, of course, immediately had a question. "Who was on this patrol with Shellstorm?"

Railtail had assigned the patrol, and she had a good memory. "Tinypetal, Snipewing, Sunnystripe, and Hornetpaw."

"Tell me, what was the relationship of these cats to Shellstorm? Did any have problems with him?" Paws asked.

"They all got along fine," Railtail began. "Tinypetal is one of his littermates, and they are very close. Snipewing and Shellstorm were friends, not especially close, but they got on just fine. Hornetpaw was his apprentice. And Sunnystripe..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at me sympathetically. Quietly she continued, "They were very fond of each other, you understand."

The odd stranger dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I will speak to each of them. Tell me, were any other cats out of camp at all on that day? After Shellstorm's patrol?"

Railtail's reply was prompt. "Three tunnelers: Harrierclaw, Dapplestone, and Gorsenose. And there was the evening border patrol, but we'd already realized that Shellstorm was late when they went out."

"So we may most likely be able to discount the border patrol. Well, I will interview them if it becomes necessary," Paws decided, and with a grateful nod to Railtail, padded over to me.

"You are Sunnystripe, I believe," he said by way of greeting, and I nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss. You were mates, I understand?"

"Yes," I whispered. Why did this odd cat have to bring that up? I didn't want to talk about it!

Those green eyes, so bizarrely terrifying earlier, were now soft with sympathy. "Can you tell me what Shellstorm was like?"

I sighed heavily. "Well, he was a brilliant fighter, and somewhat temperamental—"

"No, no!" Paws interrupted sharply. "What I meant was, what was he like in his attitudes toward others? How did his Clan—and the others, too—perceive him?"

Every word felt like a thorn being dragged through my throat, recalling anything about Shellstorm was so painful. "He was greatly respected for his fighting skills, but did little to make himself popular otherwise—I'm talking about the other Clans. His Clanmates were all very fond of him, though of course he started quarrels more often than the rest of us. But always loyal and devoted to the defense of WindClan, so every cat trusted him when things got rough." Another sigh. I didn't know what else to say.

Paws nodded thoughtfully, a faraway look in his eyes. "Hm, very good. And what did you think of him? Truly?"

"I loved him. With all of his faults, I did love him." That much had been true.

The odd gray tom touched me lightly with his tail. "I am sorry he died so young, you had no chance to live your lives together," he meowed sympathetically.

A moment of silence seemed to stretch into an eternity.

Finally, Paws spoke again. "I have only one more question, then I will leave you—but you must answer it however much it bothers you. What were your actions on that hunting patrol?"

I hesitated only briefly before replying. "When we split up, Snipewing went off alone towards the farm, Tinypetal took Hornetpaw towards the ShadowClan border, and I hunted...I hunted with Shellstorm. For a little bit. We caught a rabbit together and he told me to take it back to camp. That—" I broke off and gulped "—was the last time I saw him."

"Thank you, Sunnystripe. You have been very brave in telling me all of this. And now, I go to ask other cats questions. Farewell." He dipped his head to me quite courteously and padded away.

~

"When did he finish? How many cats did he talk to?" The old tabby's gaze is full of curiosity. Without giving the younger she-cat time to respond, she adds, "And how awful it must have been to sit and watch helplessly!"

The young she-cat sighs. "He took all day, speaking to many cats and even left camp for a time. When he was finished, every cat was anxious to hear what he said." She pauses, lost in her recollections. "You're right, I was helpless..."

She gives herself a shake and resumes her tale. "It was sundown when Rabbitstar called the Clan together..."

~

The Clan was assembled, all curious to see if the odd stranger had managed to solve the mystery of Shellstorm's death. My own heart was pounding wildly. I had seen over the course of the day how clever Paws really was. Now it was time to see if his skillful questions had uncovered the truth.

I was sure I didn't want to hear the truth. A cat in WindClan had killed him, of course, but announcing who to all of us could rip the Clan apart—a killer in our midst. We didn't need to have this upheaval.

I was scared.

Paws sat on the Tallrock, his eyes gleaming as his gaze swept across the gathered cats. He rose and, taking a deep breath, began to speak.

"The time has come to bring justice to the murderer of Shellstorm. And I tell you, he was killed by one of you sitting here before me! I have no absolute proof. But I know undoubtedly who it is. It is the mind that reveals all..."

He paused for breath, and a mesmerized silence hung across the Clan. Paws certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

"There are seven cats central to this mystery. I shall start with Tinypetal, Shellstorm's littermate. She said her brother was a very loyal warrior. She lied! It is her instinct to defend her brother, as they loved each other very much. Tinypetal doubted what she said. Why did she lie? Was she simply shielding his reputation? Or... Did Tinypetal wish to hide her reason for wishing her brother dead?"

"That's outrageous!" Tinypetal yowled, springing to her paws. "I would gladly have died myself to save Shellstorm any time!"

"I did not say you killed Shellstorm," the detective meowed soothingly. "I merely said you wished him dead. And why? You suspected him of being a traitor—but you never could figure out why. No, your innocence is certain. You were seen by a ShadowClan patrol, and the times don't match up. Beside that, I am convinced of your loyalty to your brother—you would do anything to protect him."

The queen's fur was still ruffled, but she sat down.

"Now we come to the tunnelers. I can deal with them together, as they claim they were together all day long. I know the tunnelers are often looked on as their own sub-Clan, not without reason. They are fiercely loyal to each other above other Clanmates. From the stories they told me, I see two possibilities: Either Dapplestone, Gorsenose, and Harrierclaw all banded together to kill Shellstorm, or... Two of them are covering for the third, who they are convinced is guilty."

The three tunnelers in question were huddled together, their eyes burning. But they remained silent.

"Harrierclaw and Gorsenose are mistaken. Dapplestone is not the murderer! She is, however, guilty of breaking another of your codes: She has a mate in SkyClan."

The tortoiseshell tunneler hung her head, without protesting, and shocked murmurs rose around her. Paws continued above the babble.

"She sneaked away to visit him when she thought her two companions too busy to notice. But they noticed her disappearance, all right, and when Shellstorm's body was found, they thought the worst. Their tunnelers' loyalty prevented them from denouncing her, though."

"What in StarClan's name makes you think Dapplestone is involved in...in anything?" Harrierclaw demanded furiously.

Paws blinked gently. "Even now your defense betrays her. Both you and Gorsenose remembered too clearly what Dapplestone did that day, but remembered little about what the other did. This led me to believe you were lying."

Gorsenose then spoke up, his tail twitching. "But you've no proof of anything!"

"Her reaction to my announcement, the SkyClan cats I spoke with—yes, I met cats from other Clans—and most of all... Dapplestone, you should probably step down from warrior duties until after your kits come."

The disgraced she-cat only nodded.

The detective began a new analysis. "Snipewing, who has no one to vouch for him. Not a close friend, but a Clanmate. Nothing was unusual in their relationship. But there was tension! Oh yes, never letting it show... But Snipewing was not disappointed by Shellstorm's death. Indeed, he was glad to see the fierce warrior out of the way—"

Snipewing's eyes blazed as he yowled, "Are you accusing me!? I would never kill a Clanmate!"

"I am not accusing you," Paws meowed calmly, completely unruffled by the other cat's aggression. "But nevertheless, you were hopeful after his death. Why? Because you love Sunnystripe. At the same time, you knew she was happy with Shellstorm, and only wanted her happiness. Even if you had planned to murder Shellstorm, you would not have done it when Sunnystripe was around—you wouldn't want to see her unfairly framed."

Snipewing loved me? That was news to me. I'd never even had a clue.

Paws continued. "Snipewing is not responsible for Shellstorm's death. And now we come to the apprentice, Hornetpaw. He was with Tinypetal the whole time, or so it is claimed. He, too, was seen by the ShadowClan patrol. But is it possible that, scared that he might meet a gruesome end like his predecessor, Hornetpaw snuck away and pushed his mentor off the cliff?"

"Now really!" Tinypetal exclaimed. "He's just an apprentice. Why are you frightening him like this?" She turned her gaze on the apprentice, who was cowering in terror.

"Rest assured, Tinypetal, Hornetpaw did not kill Shellstorm." Paws' piercing green eyes turned on me.

I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. No! Paws wasn't about to discuss me, was he?

"Sunnystripe. Brave, clever, Sunnystripe. Shellstorm's last apprentice was your sister, was she not? Ploverpaw was killed by a fox when out hunting, and Shellstorm came too late to save her."

No, no, no, NO! Why, why was he dredging this up? In my mind I could see the mutilated body of my little sister, the closest kin I had left in the Clan.

He continued. "Everyone believed it an accident; surely she couldn't blame him. But she did! Ploverpaw's death was no accident, it was murder. A devious trap, all because Tinypetal's suspicions were correct... And Ploverpaw had seen her mentor in the act of committing treason!"

An enraged outcry broke upout from the cats around me; I simply felt numb. Empty. I couldn't bring myself to act offended at the suggestion that Shellstorm was a traitor, because I had no reason to be.

Because it was true.

Because I saw him kill my sister.

~

"No!" The shocked gasp of the old she-cat cuts into the narrative. Her eyes are wide with horror. "You said you were mates! How could you?"

The young she-cat's eyes look dull and tired as she answers slowly. "I...never believed him capable of it. And we were already together when she died... I was afraid to break up with him because I was afraid for my life."

The old tabby shakes her head. "You were lucky he died, then."

The yellow tabby's gaze seems to be fixed on something in the distance as she picks up her tale, without responding directly to her companion.

~

The green eyes scorched me.

In my mind, that day replayed itself. The day she died. The day he betrayed me. The day I lost all that used to be myself.

I was out hunting when I heard shrieks of pain and fright. I ran as fast as my paws could carry me to the source. There was a strong stench of fox mixed in with... Cat blood!

I crouched under a gorse bush and approached slowly, because I could hear a voice speaking. When I was able to see what had happened... The world crashed down around me.

My sister lay on her side, a mangled mess of bloody fur. And standing nearby, looking coldly down at her, was Shellstorm.

Ploverpaw moaned softly. "I want Sunnystripe..." Her breathing was shallow, and every word seemed to be an effort. "Please..."

"No."

My heart dropped to my belly. What was this madness?

My poor, tiny sister could only stare in shock.

As Shellstorm explained, my blood ran cold. "You know too much. You must never be seen alive by any cat, ever again. I don't trust you to keep your chatty little mouth shut." His voice was low and strangely soft.

"Traitor," Ploverpaw gasped. "You'll...never get away with..." She trailed away as she squeezed her eyes shut in agony. I wanted to help, but at the same time, I couldn't move, I was paralyzed, transfixed by the sight before me.

"I already have, little apprentice," Shellstorm hissed. "You'll never stop me from working with ThunderClan now!" And right in front of my horrified gaze, he dealt a sharp blow to her neck. "We can't have any other cats come along, before you're dead."

Ploverpaw gave one last choking cry, then fell completely still. Shellstorm watched impassively, then turned and ran, yowling, "Help! Ploverpaw's been attacked!"

That treacherous, vile, stinking, snake-hearted cat that I thought myself in love sealed his fate that very moment. With each passing heartbeat, I grew more certain that no cat would believe the truth: They would think I was mad with grief.

And maybe I was—but that didn't alter what I had seen and heard.

The babble of voices around me slowly penetrated my consciousness and I became aware of Rabbitstar's voice screeching my name. I allowed myself to drift back to the present.

"Sunnystripe, is this true? Did you kill Shellstorm?” My leader's gaze burned into my own as I turned to face him.

What could I say?

"Yes."

~

"WHAT?!" The elderly she-cat's screech sounds clearly above the pounding rain. "You couldn't have done it, it's not true!" Her voice is half pleading as she stares at the yellow tabby crouched beside her.

"I killed my mate. That is the truth, you must believe it." The young she-cat's eyes look pained and her voice sounds dull as she confesses her crime.

The old brown tabby simply shakes her head in shock as the other cat continues.

~

Rabbitstar exiled me. What else could he do? I had broken one of the most important laws of the warrior code. I had taken justice into my own paws and turned my back on my Clan. I no longer belonged.

I left that very day. The last thing I remember was Snipewing begging Rabbitstar to let me stay—even if his pleas were successful, I don't think I could have stayed: My Clanmates would never trust me again. 

I have been traveling for a quarter moon now, and I've had a lot of time to think. After Ploverpaw's death, I only lived for a chance to take revenge. That kind of living is destructive.

I had believed killing Shellstorm would bring me peace. Instead, it only brought more grief, more anxiety... And regret. I know now I should never have done it. But it's too late to change anything. I just have to live with the consequences and that's that.

~

The old tabby she-cat is silent.

"I'm a murderer. I can never again live with other cats." The yellow tabby's voice has become hard, determined. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I should go." She rises to her paws and slips out of the shed, back into the torrential rain.

"Sunnystripe..." The brown tabby whispers the name softly. Such a beautiful name, and such a tale of darkness. 

She could only hope that the young cat would one day rediscover light.

~

Author's notes: This just came to me when I wondered what it would be like to tell a story from a murderer's point of view. I ended up liking Sunnystripe so much that she is now the star of a full-length sequel to this, I Am a Rock. Fun fact, I don't usually use the word "sun" in warrior names, but originally, I wasn't even planning to continue the story. Oh, well!

Another thing I might as well mention is that Paws is more or less Hercule Poirot in kitty form. He is half Chartreux; I wanted to make him pure Chartreux, but they don't have green eyes.