Warriors | A Prophecy Reborn: Book 4. (Hidden In Darkness)

~Hidden In Darkness: Chapter 21~

The clearing was silent with only the heavy pattering of rain to break it.
"You will not attack an elder," Tigerfur snarled, his eyes narrowed as he glared at Spidertail.
Spidertail sheathed his claws as though he may back down, but he unsheathed his claws again as Tigerfur turned his back on the other warrior and hooked his ear, ripping it.
With a yowl, Tigerfur spun around.
It seemed as if the two toms were going to keep taking sneaky swipes at each other until someone interfered.
"Spidertail!" Fernstar yowled furiously.
Spidertail glared at Tigerfur, envy and resentment in his amber eyes, and surged out of the camp and into the wet forest.
"Tigerfur, come to the medicine den!" Russetfire told the deputy.
"Willowleaf, Specklefern, go back to the kits in the nursery," Fernstar ordered. "Beeflower, go with Rockhopper back to your den. Brackenpaw, Coldpaw, go to the apprentices' den and wait until after I've spoken to your mentors. This meeting is dismissed!"
The cats hesitantly returned to their dens.
Tigerfur walked toward the medicine den.
Behind him, Russetfire thought she saw shock on Swiftflight's face through the bracken covering the entrance.
She was so close to siding with him, but she wasn't prepared to hurt any of her Clanmates for Half-Sight, assuming she was ever going to agree with him in the first place.
"What happened?" Spiraltail asked from behind her. "Tigerfur's ear is bleeding."
"Yes," Russetfire said absently. "Spidertail's gone."
"Gone?"
"He left," Russetfire assured her. "He's not dead, but he did get into an argument with Willowleaf... He tried to attack Beeflower."
"Beeflower? What did she do?"
"Told him the truth. Cats like him can't handle the truth."
Spiraltail sat up. "I noticed Frostpaw in the den opposite mine. Fernstar made her your apprentice?"
"She did."
Spiraltail nodded. "I'll go back to the warriors' den for now."
"I'm sorry about Darkclaw," Russetfire said quietly.
Spiraltail halted at the entrance. "So am I," she muttered. She walked back out and ran across the muddy clearing and back to the warriors' den.
Russetfire checked and cleaned Tigerfur's ear in between showing Frostpaw what to do for small cuts or scratches.
After tending to Tigerfur, Russetfire spent the rest of that day teaching her about the different herbs and their uses, while Frostpaw's brothers went out on the dawn patrol and hunting patrols.
Finally, night had fallen, and Russetfire heard someone whispering her name, but it wasn't Firpaw this time.
"Russetfire," the voice said again.