𝚂𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 || 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 #1

Chapter Five

Hailwatcher's heart leaps into his throat as Slightclaw knocks into Birchstorm and unbalances him.

Attempting feebly to reassure himself that this can't be real and trying not to make any noise, Hailwatcher creeps closer to the action, ears quivering.

Birchstorm staggers back, swiping at the ShadowClan deputy's cheek and letting out an enraged snarl.

"Traitor," he growls.

He furiously lunges at his assailant, but Slightclaw thwarts the spotted warrior's retaliation; feigning right before swiftly ducking out of the way, he scores his claws down Birchstorm's side.

"Well, at least you're not rusty yet," sneers Slightclaw.

"You're getting up there, you know."

"Are you kidding me?" Birchstorm growls back, hissing in pain; droplets of blood leak from the lacerations on his side and start trickling through his fur.

"Is this some kind of sick game to you?"

"If it helps to to think of it that way, then sure," replies Slightclaw, unbalancing the spotted warrior with a precise tackle.

A shaking Hailwatcher briefly ducks his head as the two toms fight, willing himself to breathe.

He looks up to see that Birchstorm has Slightclaw pinned, though not in a particularly effective manner.

The ShadowClan deputy's unbothered expression betrays that he has something planned, but he remains quiet as Birchstorm leans down to snarl in his face.

"What is wrong with you?"

The spotted warrior's remark elicits no response- Slightclaw instead laughs dryly and delivers a swift jab to the inside of Birchstorm's foreleg.

Birchstorm hisses in fury as his foreleg suddenly goes limp; sneering, Slightclaw kicks up hard with his hind legs and sends his opponent staggering backward.

The ShadowClan deputy leaps again, giving Birchstorm barely a moment to catch his breath before he hits the ground.

Hailwatcher hears a grunt; Birchstorm glares up at Slightclaw, who now has him pinned.

Slightclaw's right paw slowly draws closer to Birchstorm's throat, claws fully extended; he starts to apply pressure.

Clearing lacking reservations about finishing off his opponent, Slightclaw instead seems keen to toy with Birchstorm a little.

The spotted warrior lashes out at his adversary's chest with a faltering swipe, his struggle to breathe becoming more and more prominent.

Slightclaw tightens his grip.

"What? Have you something to say?" the ShadowClan deputy inquires, staring disdainfully down at his trapped opponent.

Birchstorm, fighting for breath, curls back his lips in a snarl.

"...Don't you dare lay those filthy claws of yours on- them-"

Slightclaw hums amusedly, his free paw poised to strike.

"...No promises."

Digging his claws into Birchstorm's throat, Slightclaw tears.

Birchstorm begins to writhe on the ground, letting out a horrible, garbled screech as blood bubbles in his throat.

The blood pools out onto the grass; a small trail of it trickles from his opened mouth.

Horrified, Hailwatcher crouches closer to the base of the bush and sucks in breaths, hoping to relieve the burning pain in his chest.