Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Nightshrike?" Goldenpaw batted her muzzle with a paw, making her hiss. "Are you okay?" A moon passed since she went to challenge Apple and since then, she was snappy and harsh. Even to Reedpaw and Voletuft, she hissed and snarled. Within that moon, Goldenpaw and herself grew a lot. Nightshrike was now the height of Voletuft and Goldenpaw was the size of Flightclaw.

Voletuft had given birth to three small kits. Graykit, Wolfkit, and Ferretkit were strong but smaller than the average litter of kits. Since they were born a moon early, they were kept in Reedpaw's den so they could be monitored during the day and night. Frostgaze also gave birth to three kits, Poolkit, Lakekit, and Wildkit were as playful as they were reckless. Not only did Voletuft and Frostgaze give birth, Iceleaf did too. She gave birth to two daughters: Sedgekit and Silverkit. With so many kits in the nursery, some warriors had to expand the den so they all could fit.

With the deputy in the nursery with wailing kits, Spiderstar appointed a new deputy. Secretly, Nightshrike was wanting to be chosen but instead, he chose Tawnywillow. Tawnywillow was an okay choice, Nightshrike and the senior warrior didn't cross paths often, but she respected the deputy somewhat.

Goldenpaw's swat at her muzzle snapped Nightshrike from her trance and she unsheathed her claws and slashed his muzzle. Blood sprayed the ground and Goldenpaw let out a hiss of pain and crouched down, glaring up at his mentor with hate. "What was that for?" He demanded as Nightshrike licked her claws.

"Oh, nothing." She smirked and rose to her paws. "Do you want to earn your warrior name a bit early?" Nightshrike watched as her apprentice nodded eagerly. She got in his face, surprising the tom. "Would you kill a cat for it?" She asked, breathing on his bloody muzzle.

"Yes," breathed Goldenpaw, gazing up at his mentor with wide eyes. "What will we do?" He asked and Nightshrike grinned, feeling her claws digging into the ground.

"We will be getting another deputy," with a smirk, she turned around and padded back to camp with Goldenpaw on her heels.

**********

It wasn't hard to get Tawnywillow out in the open. All Nightshrike and Goldenpaw had to do was report to the deputy that there was something they needed to discuss without the company of any other warriors.

"What is it you need to discuss, Nightshrike?" The oblivious deputy asked when Nightshrike and Goldenpaw told her.

"It's private," Nightshirke had replied and flicked her tail. "It's about Gorsewhisper's death."

Now, they were padding through the forest to a secluded part of the territory. Nightshrike faced the deputy, lips curled into a dangerous smile. Behind Tawnywillow, Goldenpaw crouched down, snarling.

"What is this?" Demanded the she-cat, looking from Goldenpaw to Nightshrike. "Nightshrike, what are you-" She didn't get the time to ask when Goldenpaw leaped at the she-cat with a loud hiss. Good. Thought Nightshrike as she watched her apprentice slash his claws across Tawnywillow's shoulder.

Tawnywillow let out a howl of pain and fury and lashed out with a paw, catching the golden tabby apprentice on the ear and leaving a large sideways V. Nightshrike grinned maniacally and pounced on the deputy, snatching her ear between her teeth and biting through the flesh. With all her might, Nightshrike jerked her head back and felt the skin tear away and Tawnywillow yowled in pain.

Goldenpaw bounced back, a gash on his chest but his eyes burned bright with malice and cold excitement as Nightshrike pinned Tawnywillow to the ground, one paw on her chest and the other on her neck. Nightshrike saw fear in the she-cats eyes and she sneered.

"Scared, deputy?" She taunted and easily dodged a weak blow to her shoulder. "You should be." Tawnywillow's eyes widened in shock as Nightshrike pressed down on her throat, gasping.

"Y-you had so much p-potential." Croaked the deputy, eyes bulging and slowly starting to glaze over. "S-Spiderstar saw g-greatness inside you, N-Nightshrike."

Nightshrike unsheathed her claws, allowing them to prick Tawnywillow's neck. "And that greatness will aid me in becoming deputy and then leader of OakClan." Tawnywillow blinked at her, wheezing. "And when I'm leader, I will destroy GlacierClan. First, I need to rid the Clan of your deputyship." She smiled. "Say hello to Gorsewhisper and Deerstripe for me, Tawnywillow." As the deputy's eyes rolled in the back of her head, Nightshrike pushed down as hard as she could until the deputy stopped moving and breathing.

"Is she dead?" Asked Goldenpaw, startling Nightshrike. The tom watched from a distance, eyes unreadable. Nightshrike nodded and grasped the dead she-cat's scruff in her jaws.

"Let's get her home and prepare for your ceremony." She growled through Tawnywillow's fur as she and Goldenpaw dragged the deputy away.