Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Sixteen

Nightshrike raised her head, her eyes adjusting to the light pouring into the warriors' den. She slowly rose to her paws and stretched, relishing how her muscles stretched.

With a yawn, she padded out of the den and looked around, spotting Spiderstar watching the Clan from the Tall Tree. Two days passed since Applestar's exile and Spiderstar had been overshadowed with the former leader's betrayal.

Nightshrike could see in his eyes that he didn't want to become Applestar, who now was named Apple. Who would want to be? With a shudder, she looked to the new deputy, Iceleaf.

She was a good choice for a deputy, Nightshrike knew the senior warrior would keep her Clanmates in check when it was needed. Iceleaf always sent out patrols at the right time and seemed to radiate an aura of power and respect wherever she went.

"Nightshrike," Halfthroat's mew made the new warrior turn to face her old mentor. "Come on, we need to go on a patrol with Songpaw, Reedpaw, and Toadpad." He meowed gruffly and Nightshrike nodded on instinct.

As she followed her former mentor towards the group of cats, Nightshrike couldn't help but glance at the nursery where Ivyheart's kits were playing tag.

I hardly remember being that small and innocent. Nightshrike thought, shaking her head as Applekit tripped over her paws and ran into Snowkit. Maybe it's because of all the times I hit my head.

"Nightshrike!" Growled Halfthroat, grabbing her from her thoughts of being a kit. "Let's go before Iceleaf tells us to go." He meowed and stalked towards the camp entrance.

Nightshrike said nothing as she fell in step by Toadpad, who glanced at her uneasily. You're so wary of me because I got my warrior name several moons early. She thought, glaring at the black and white tom. I want nothing to do with you and I never will.

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Nightshrike lifted her head, looking blankly in front of her as Halfthroat raised his tail for the patrol to stop as they neared the GlacierClan border.

"Wait," growled her former mentor as he sniffed the air. "Get down and be quiet, they've crossed the border." Halfthroat crouched down, eyes narrowed as Nightshrike slid next to him. "Unsheathe your claws, Nightshrike and get ready for a bloody battle."

Nightshrike nodded tail flicking and unsheathing her claws silently. Her shoulders tensed as she saw a rather large GlacierClan patrol sniffing around.

"Remind me why Snowstar wants OakClan's forest, Swiftfang." Complained a dark gray tom. "It's too foresty for my liking."

Swiftfang growled in annoyance, tail lashing. "It isn't your choice whether or not Snowstar wants more territory, Cedarpaw."

Nightshrike inched forward, ignoring the glare she was getting from Halfthroat. She could see through the bushes in front of her that there was Swiftfang, Cedarpaw, Petalfire, Birdfoot, and Spiritpaw.

"Stop blabbering and keep walking, Cedarpaw." Meowed Petalfire, eyes lit with annoyance. "Spiritpaw, stop trying to sniff everything you see."

Nightshrike looked at Halfthroat, ear turning to him. She looked him in the eyes and looked at Songpaw, Reedpaw, and Toadpad. "Songpaw, go get back up from camp." She hissed, tail lashing. "Toadpad, you're with me. Reedpaw, you're with Halfthroat."

Toadpad nodded and slid by Reedpaw and looked at Nightshrike. "What do we do?" He whispered and Nightshrike's ear twitched.

"Wait for my signal then we spring the ambush." She answered. "When Songpaw gets back, we shove them towards the border." Nightshrike looked over at Halfthroat and Reedpaw and nodded.

As Nightshrike and Toadpad got into position, she flicked her tail and leaped out of the bushes with a snarl. "Attack!" She crashed into Birdfoot, bowling her off her paws and pinning her to the ground.

Toadpad let out a growl and charged at Petalfire, who hissed and pounced on his back easily. Nightshrike hissed, slashing her claws at Birdfoot's ear and feeling the flesh tear satisfyingly.

The warrior hissed in pain and kicked her off, dealing a blow to Nightshrike's cheek. The black she-cat glared up at the GlacierClan warrior, preparing to leap at her again.

Claws scored against her flank and Nightshrike let out a snarl of pain and fury as she whirled around and lashed out blindly with a paw. Her claws sliced through the fur and flesh of her second attacker and she recognized Spiritpaw.

"Leave her alone, you mange-pelt!" The apprentice hissed and leaped onto Nightshrike's back and began to claw at her shoulders.

Nightshrike yowled in pain and turned her head and sank her teeth into Spiritpaw's leg. She tossed the apprentice off her back and leaped for Birdfoot, paws outstretched.

A flash of black fur slammed into her side and Nightshrike gasped for air as she hit the forest floor on her side. Coughing, she staggered to her paws and faced her opponents.

"Nightshrike!" The yowl from Reedpaw made all three cats turn their heads just in time for them to witness Reedpaw crashing into Spiritpaw, hissing. "Get away from her!"

"You need an apprentice to save your tail, Nightshrike?" Taunted Birdfoot, who glared at Nightshrike. "You're no more than one yourself."

Nightshrike bared her teeth, pain flaring in her back where Spiritpaw's claws had dug in. "I was given my warrior name early," she spat back.

Birdfoot sneered. "You won't take on a true warrior, Nightpaw." She charged at Nightshrike, who braced herself to take the full-grown she-cat's weight.

A yowl from behind Nightshrike and a sudden gasp told her that Songpaw's backup had arrived. Owlflight was grappling with Birdfoot and Honeypaw had joined Reedpaw.

Nightshrike looked around, seeing Cedarpaw locked in a fight with Littlepaw and Dawnpaw. Toadpad was struggling underneath Petalfire and Nightshrike let out a yowl and raced to aid her Clanmate.

Nightshrike collided with Petalfire and grappled with the she-cat, her claws digging into the enemy she-cat's shoulders. She slashed her claws across Petalfire's chest, blood spraying her face.

"Get off her, you flea-pelt!" The sound of Cedarpaw made Nightshrike turn her head. Teeth sank into her scruff and the apprentice pulled her away from his Clanmate. "Pick on someone your own size!"

"With pleasure," hissed Nightshrike. She ran at the apprentice and darted to the right, narrowly avoiding his claws and lashed out with a paw, catching him on the side.

Teeth sank into her tail and Nightshrike let out a yowl of pain. Kicking out with her hind leg, her paw collided with Cedarpaw's mouth and he jerked his head back, whimpering in pain.

"GlacierClan!" That was Birdfoot. "Retreat!" Nightshrike saw the gray and white warrior dragging Spiritpaw away by the scruff. She wasn't moving.

"And stay out!" Hissed Owlflight as they retreated.

"Or we'll do more than hurt you!" Added Flightclaw. He turned to his Clanmates. "Is everyone okay?"

Nightshrike nodded painfully, silently wishing she didn't kill Blackheart at the Moonpool. "I'm okay, but Reedpaw and Dawnpaw don't seem too good."

Reedpaw dragged himself out of a clump of bracken, blood splattered onto his pelt. "I'm okay," he croaked.

"So am I," Dawnpaw called weakly as she trailed after Reedpaw, blood leaving a trail. "Why did they want the territory so badly?" She rasped, looking at Toadpad.

"Snowstar wanted it, apparently." Growled Halfthroat as he helped Toadpad to his paws. "Let's go report this to Spiderstar, I'm sure he'd have a thing or two to say about this."

As they began to limp back to camp, Nightshrike looked to the left and flicked her tail. She saw a yellow tabby pelt with blue eyes. Nightshrike blinked and the cat retreated into the trees out of her line of sight. I guess Applestar wasn't loyal to us in the first place. He just watched us almost get killed and didn't bother to help.