A New Horizon Book 4: A Fallen Star {COMPLETE}

Chapter 17

Nightheart reluctantly limped away from Falconheart and Sedgefern with Rabbitspring at her side. I can't believe I lost again. She cursed under her breath. Why can't I beat that stupid cat!

"Nightheart," Rabbitspring mewed quietly, Nightheart looked down at the she-cat. Her pelt was stained with blood and the wound on her ear continued to bleed which made Nightheart's stomach knot. I couldn't even defeat him when I was protecting Rabbitspring. She sighed. "What happened back there? Do you have some kind of history with Falconheart that I don't know about?"

Nightheart stopped in her tracks. I can't tell Rabbitspring about the Dark Forest. I just can't. "Back when I was an apprentice we attacked SunClan camp." Nightheart explained. "He picked a fight with me before he was an apprentice, I didn't know that at the time, though. That's how he got the scar on his nose." She thought back to that day. "His father chased me off, but that wasn't the last of it. Later, when he actually was an apprentice there was another fight but he beat me then. Much in the same way." She looked at her shoulder, the blood slowly falling from her wound. "He's just so arrogant and I can't stand it, he gets under my skin."

"Well you can't be reckless." Rabbitspring mewed, staring at her paws. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

Nightheart looked away, feeling incredibly guilty. She's right. I'm better than this, I'm not a reckless apprentice; I'm a warrior. "I'm sorry, Rabbitspring." Together, the two she-cats found Blackstorm and Skyfeather who had been waiting at the edge of the border with herbs to treat wounded cats.

Ravensong had made it here along with Lilyclaw. The tabby she-cat had some nasty claw marks down her belly which Skyfeather was treating. "Nightheart," Blackstorm looked up from Ravensong, his blue eyes resting on her shoulder wound. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Blackstorm." Nightheart assured him. "But I should probably get this treated, and Rabbitspring needs her ear treated."

"That can wait until after the battle." Rabbitspring mewed, it's not that bad." Nightheart didn't agree but she didn't have the energy to argue. She sat down and waited for Blackstorm to treat her.

The entire time that Blackstorm chewed up marigold and used cobweb to soak up the blood and stop the bleeding he didn't speak. He seemed incredibly off, and Nightheart had a big theory as to why that might be. He doesn't like the fact that we're fighting Honeyfrost's Clan. Everytime she thought about Blackstorm and Honeyfrost it made her angry, both for the fact that he was breaking so many rules and that he had yet to actually tell her. We tell each other everything.

Then why haven't you told him about the Dark Forest? Nightheart asked herself, feeling suddenly guilty. I guess I don't have much room to complain. She looked up at Blackstorm who worked hard on treating her wound. I just wish we were as close as we used to be. What if our friendship is gone forever?

"There," Blackstorm stepped back, giving Nightheart's shoulder a sniff. "You should be good." She looked at her shoulder, it was wrapped in a thick layer of cobwebs and the smell of herbs flowed off of the dressing.

"Can I go back and fight?" She felt useless not being able to help her Clan in this fight, AshClan had such small numbers.

"Are you serious?" Blackstorm's eyes sparked with annoyance. "I just wrapped your wound, you really want to run back out there and have it torn off right away?" He let out an angered sigh and spun around. "Is fighting the only thing that warriors think about? Do whatever you want, Nightheart."

The sharp edge to his voice pained Nightheart, he really was mad at her. She flattened her ears. "Relax, Blackstorm." Skyfeather spoke up as he treated Lilyclaw. "And to answer your question, Nightheart: No you cannot go back out there. You have a bad wound, what you can do is stay here and help us. Rabbitspring, however can go back out. A wounded ear isn't going to stop hinder you."