Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Eight

Nightpaw pushed through the bramble barrier protecting the camp. Honeypaw silently brushed by and bounded towards Aspenpaw and Littlepaw. The younger apprentice sighed, hearing the words of the older apprentice echoing in her ears.

"Any cat can be a liar," she'd hissed. "From the oldest elder to the smallest kit. And if a cat within OakClan is a traitor, we will claw their fur off." Honeypaw studied Nightpaw with her teeth bared. "Do you understand that, Nightpaw?"

Nightpaw understood. Am I a traitor for simply existing? She wondered and sighed, her shoulders sagging. She dragged her paws towards the elder's den, ignoring the pang of hunger in her belly and sat down, her ears down.

"What's the matter, Nightpaw?" Asked Cloverleap, lifting her head from washing her back. Nightpaw looked up at the elder, feeling miserable.

"Honeypaw is being mean," she answered meekly, noticing how much of a kit she probably sounded. "Well, she was acting strange when we were heading back to camp after training."

"Strange?" Echoed Deerstripe, looking at Nightpaw. "Honeypaw is a complicated apprentice, Nightpaw." She paused, looking at Cloverleap. "Does she know about Marigoldscar and Bravebranch's other kits?"

Other kits? Nightpaw wondered, looking at both elders with a very confused look. How many litters did Marigoldscar and Bravebranch have? Aren't Littlepaw, Honeypaw, and Aspenpaw their first and only litter?

Cloverleap looked at her denmate, shaking her head. "I don't think so," she meowed.

"It's forbidden to talk about their first litter, Deerstripe." Meowed a voice from behind Nightpaw. Turning around to face the new cat, she came nose to nose with Blackheart.

The medicine cat apprentice seemed calm and collected as he carried some unknown herbs towards Cloverleap and put them in front of her paws.

Deerstripe flattened her ears, eyes burning. "I know that, Blackheart." She meowed stiffly. "But Nightpaw here doesn't know the tale of Hazelhawk and Ravenwatcher."

Before she could go on, Blackheart hissed. "And she doesn't need to know it, Deerstripe." He spat her name as though it were a bad piece of prey. Nightpaw flinched, her fur prickling with fear. "It's a story that haunts our Clan and GlacierClan, we don't need the younger generations to be learning about such treason."

Cloverleap snorted, lapping up her herbs. "You are no better, Blackheart." She shot back, surprising Nightpaw. She's normally kind and not snappy.

This time, Blackheart flinched. "That's in the past, Cloverleap." He meowed carefully. "My past mistakes mean little to me now."

Deerstripe let out a growl, glaring at Blackheart with blazing yellow eyes. "Those 'mistakes' of yours were precious to all the Clans, medicine cat." She hissed, saying Blackheart's rank with venom in her voice. "Not to mention, one of them is part of the Clan you live in right now."

Blackheart said nothing as he fumed, storming out of the den without another word. Nightpaw looked at the elders, shocked at how brutal they were to him.

Nightpaw dipped her head uneasily to the two elders and hurried out of the den. She shook out her fur and looked across the camp to the medicine den where Blackheart was disappearing inside.

I have to check on Halfthroat to see if he's okay. She told herself and forced her paws into movement towards the den. Not even getting to the fresh-kill pile when Applestar padded out of his den with Spiderstem on his heels distracted her.

The leader looked furious as he strode towards the Tall Tree. Behind him, Spiderstem looked frantic and worried as he leaped onto the second branch under his leader.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Tall Tree for a Clan meeting!" Yowled Applestar, his anger evident in his tone.

Nightpaw felt awkward standing in the middle of the clearing like a fool and looked around for her denmates. Littlepaw and Aspenpaw were poking their heads out of the apprentice den and Honeypaw was coming back from the dirtplace.

Where are Reedpaw, Dawnpaw, and Songpaw? She thought, scanning the camp once more but not finding her siblings at all. Strange.

Without another thought of her siblings' absence, Nightpaw spotted her parents sitting down with each other. Her heart warmed and she padded towards them, her tail high.

As she settled down between Voletuft and Gorsewhisper, Applestar began to speak. Nightpaw noticed Spiderstem was looking anxiously around the camp as if searching for something or someone.

What's his problem? She asked herself but shook her head and looked at her leader. He seemed tense on the third branch of the Tall Tree.

"Cats of OakClan!" Applestar meowed, his eyes narrowed. "GlacierClan has once again stolen prey from us, leaving us hungry and weak. They also claim we are in the wrong and that we stole their prey."

Nightpaw's eyes widened in shock. Why would a bunch of fish-loving cats eat forest prey? She wondered. All around her, cats were yowling insults and words Nightpaw had never heard before.

"Those arrogant fish-faces!" Yowled Iceleaf, her eyes blazing with anger. "They should know forest prey is ours!"

"They deserve to be taught a lesson!" Chimed Flightclaw, leaping to his paws.

"We should tear them to shreds!" Nightpaw flinched at the snarl in Songpaw's hiss as he looked up at Applestar. "Make them pay for their crimes!"

Many cats cheered in agreement, making Nightpaw shudder. Songpaw is so violent, sort of like Halfthroat. She glanced at Applestar, who was looking around the camp with his hackles raised.

"We will make Snowstar and her Clan of code-breakers pay!" He yowled. "Those participating in the battle that will happen at once will be as follows: Spiderstem, Iceleaf, Ivyheart, Honeypaw, Littlepaw, Songpaw, Dawnpaw, Nightpaw, Reedpaw, Toadpad, Halfthroat, Blizzardflake, Gorsewhisper, Bravebranch, Scorchtail, Blueheart, Flightclaw, and Redstripe." Declared Applestar, leaping down from the Tall Tree.

Nightpaw sighed, her shoulders slumping as the thought of hurting other cats made her  feel pain. I'll have to do it to defend my Clan's honor. She reminded herself, failing to lift her spirits.

Reedpaw bounded up to her, his eyes shimmering. "I can't wait!" He meowed, puffing out his fur and crouching down, claws unsheathed. "I'm going to shred the pelt of whoever stole our prey!"

Nightpaw looked horrified, staring at her usual kind-hearted brother. "We won't be fighting to kill," she meowed sheepishly.

Reedpaw purred. "Of course not!" He meowed, rising to his paws and nudging her shoulder. "We're just teaching those fish-breaths a lesson!"

Songpaw's voice made Nightpaw's neck fur rise. "Come on, Reedpaw," he meowed icily. "They stole our prey which could cost a few lives from our Clan." The tom looked at his brother then to Nightpaw with a sneer. "An eye or an eye, am I right?"

Before she could respond, Applestar rounded up his warriors and apprentices and began to lead them into the forest. Nightpaw hesitantly followed behind Scorchtail as they left the camp behind and followed their leader towards the GlacierClan border.