Applepaw sat outside the leader's den, tail twitching. She was beginning to worry about her siblings. It had been a few hours since they went in there and Applepaw was restless. Amberpaw left on a patrol earlier and hadn't noticed them, which was good. Amberpaw worries too much, way too much.
Everytime Redclaw would offer to take her on a walk to clear her mind, she sent him away. The sun was beginning to set and she still felt the tension in the air, though she couldn't hear what they were saying in the den.
Finally, a while after moonhigh, Rabbitpaw stomped out furiously, with Graypaw on his tail. Graypaw accidentally stepped on his tail and Rabbitpaw whipped around and clawed her across the face. Graypaw chased after him and they started tumbling over and over. Claws, hissing and yowls caused the Clan to wake. They sat outside of their dens, bleary eyed watching the fight.
Heatherstar pounded out of the den yowling so loudly that it could've been heard by the other Clans, "Stop!" She hissed. Unsheathing her claws, she walked over and tore Rabbitpaw from Graypaw, while Hareflight grabbed Graypaw by the scruff and pulled her back. Rabbitpaw stopped snarling and saw his sister, he stared wide-eyed.
"Graypaw! Are you okay! I'm so sorry!" He frantically started meowing. Hawkheart came out of the medicine cat den and helped Hareflight drag Graypaw to the medicine cat den. Rabbitpaw let his tail and ears droop, his eyes filled with grief, "I-I didn't mean it! I really didn't!" Heatherstar dropped him, letting him hit the ground hard.
Applepaw couldn't stand anymore of this, "What just happened!" She demanded. Rounding up on her leader she growled, "You do not, I repeat, you do not, hurt, my, brother!" Applepaw turned to Rabbitpaw and was fiercely licking him, not caring that her clanmates were glaring and gossiping about this.
Applepaw rose and spun around to meet her leader, "What did you tell them? What did you tell Graypaw and Rabbitpaw which caused them to be like this?" She spat, fur ruffled, "You can tell your Clan, they saw what happened, they should know why." Applepaw sheathed and unsheathed her claws.
Heatherstar's eyes blazed like fire, "Listen here kit, you don't talk back to me. I'm your leader!" She unsheathed her claws but drew in a deep breath before turning around, "I just told them that they need to own up to their own problems."
Applepaw took a threatening step forward but as she braced herself to jump, a cat grabbed her by the scruff and dragged her back, she fought loose and looked up to see Redclaw. "You can't just let her speak to and about my siblings and I!" She whined. Redclaw's ear twitched, he looked furious, but he soon calmed down.
"This is exactly what she did to me when I was younger-" He was cut off by the sound of pawsteps approaching, it was a warrior named Talltail. Applepaw turned towards him, looking up without curiosity, just hatred. He could've done something back there but he did nothing!
***
Night passed and Applepaw woke very early. Looking around she saw Rabbitpaw sleeping in his nest alone. Amberpaw twitching in her sleep in the corner of the den. She walked over to Rabbitpaw and touched her muzzle to his head. His wounds weren't treated because he had stormed off and refused help so Applepaw licked his wounds clean.
She tip-toed to the back of the den and licked Amberpaw on the forehead, calming her twitching and whimpering. Applepaw rested her tail on Amberpaw's shoulder for a brief moment before leaving to the medicine cat den. Hawkheart wasn't there so she stalked over to Graypaw who was hardly breathing.
Giving her a wash, she laid with her sister for awhile. Applepaw then stood when her breathing went back to normal. She walked out of the den, the sun hadn't yet risen so she needed to hurry. Whispering a small goodbye to the camp, she raced out before any cat could see her.
