Long Shadows/Chapter 28

Chapter Summary
Jayfeather's PoV
 * Jayfeather and Leafpool head back to the camp, and the gray tabby notices the grief for Ashfur the ThunderClan cats feel. Jayfeather and his mother join Lionblaze, Birchfall, Whitewing, and Thornclaw by Ashfur's dead body, and Leafpool licks the flecked gray tom. Jayfeather feels the heavy sorrow coming from the grieving medicine cat and wonders in horror if Leafpool was in love with Ashfur. The cats surrounding their dead clanmate leaves, and Jayfeather falls asleep licking the gray warrior. The tabby tom wakes up after Leafpool realizes in terror a gash on Ashfur's neck. She tells Jayfeather to check it out, and he too feels the claw mark. Leafpool runs off to tell her father, Firestar, that Ashfur was murdered.


 * Firestar comes over with his daughter to the body and asks in bewilderment who would do such a thing. Leafpool suggests that WindClan did it, but Firestar and Jayfeather quickly disagree. The ginger leader comes to realization that a ThunderClan warrior murdered the tom. Leafpool doesn't want to believe that that was the case. Firestar hesitates but says to let the elders bury Ashfur. Mousefur and Longtail take Ashfur's body to bury it and the Clan says farewell to the warrior. Brambleclaw suggests taking out a patrol to find out more about the death, but Firestar stops him. Both the deputy and Lionblaze wonder what is happening. Jayfeather tells his brother he will know soon and Hollyleaf states that she feels like something terrible will happen. Together the three siblings wait for the elders to return.


 * Mousefur and Longtail enter the camp and Firestar calls a Clan meeting. The cats who weren't already in the clearing come out and gather around in the camp. The ginger tom tells his Clan the news about Ashfur's murder, and the ThunderClan cats can't comprehend the news. Jayfeather feels the horror coming from his siblings and foster mother. Dustpelt and Squirrelflight come up with ways Ashfur could've died, but Firestar unwillingly dismisses them. Thornclaw jumps to the conclusion that it was a WindClan cat. Firestar tells him that there was no evidence. Brackenfur wonders out loud if the leader is saying it was one of his clanmates. Firestar asks who might want Ashfur dead and why. Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Squirrelflight start shaking and hold their breaths. Jayfeather knows that the secret of Squirrelflight not being he and his siblings' true mother must not be uncovered, and that the secret was why Ashfur was murdered.

References and Citations
Lange schaduwen/Hoofdstuk 28