Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It was cold by the time night fell on DawnClan's camp. Small snowflakes began to slowly make their journey down to the lifeless ground and Nightshrike allowed the cold flakes land on her pelt. Timberskip pushed his way out of the nursery where Echospeck and her five kits were sleeping. She had been kitting for over a day and her small kits needed sleep.

Timberskip padded towards her, looking tired and happy. "Nightshirke," he meowed, dipping his head. "After several hours, Echospeck's birth is finally over."

Nightshrike didn't particularly care, but she hid it. "That's wonderful," she forced herself to purr. "What are the kits' names?" She asked.

Timberskip purred. "There are three she-cats and two toms. The she-cats are named Rosekit, Petalkit, and Stonekit."

"And the toms?" Nightshrike prompted.

"Dustkit and Mistlekit," the tom responded. "They're so adorable, more so than I first expected."

Nightshrike forced a purr of congratulations and rose to her paws, stretching. "It's getting late, we'd both better be off to our nests." She nodded to the medicine cat. "Goodnight, Timberskip." The tom flicked his tail and padded off towards the medicine cat den. Nightshrike flicked her ear and padded towards where Leopardcoat and Birdwatcher were guarding the camp. She saw them watching silently and shrugged, thinking she heard something.

Before she could make it to the warrior's den, she heard a hiss and a loud thump! She whirled around, snarling as cats poured into the camp. "We're under attack!" She yowled into the den. "DawnClan, attack!" Nightshrike unsheathed her claws and sprang at the cat coming at her, one drenched in mud and reeking of fox dung.

She clashed with the other cat; a tom. Nightshrike could only see his eyes and that made her furious. How pathetic he would conceal his identity to save his tail. The voice sneered in her head. Nightshrike lashed out with a paw and slashed his cheek, making him hiss and retaliate. She ducked, narrowly missing a paw to the eye. As the snow began to fall less and less, the mud slowly dripped from her attackers' pelt and she narrowed her eyes.

"You will suffer," hissed the scathing voice of the tomcat. Nightshrike let out a snarl and reared on her hind legs, aiming a blow to his cheek. "You will suffer for what you did to me!" A heavy paw hit Nightshrike on the shoulder and she fell to the ground, looking up at her attacker. She hissed and scrambled backward as he stalked towards her. He raised a paw, not to strike her, but wiped the mud off his face. His dark ginger face was revealed and his burning yellow eyes gleamed with a hunger for revenge and hatred.

"Rowantail," the tom's name was like thorns on Nightshrike's tongue as she spat his vile warrior name. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She glared at the tom that had ruined her life, and he smirked.

"I'm sure you know why I'm here, Nightshrike," he purred, flicking his fluffy tail under her chin. She snapped her jaws at it but earned a tsk tsk tsk from Rowantail. "You got me exiled, you got me shamed in front of all the Clans!" He had a crazed look in his eyes and Nightshrike tensed.

"You don't belong here, Rowantail," growled the cracking voice of Thorntail. Nightshrike looked passed her rival and saw the sickly tom standing strong, his ribs jutting out from his pelt. "You better leave before things get ugly," Thorntail warned, taking a shaky step forward.

Rowantail sneered, glaring at the tom. "Thorntail, my old friend." Nightshrike narrowed her eyes and she scrambled to her paws, watching the two carefully. "Come to assist me?" He dipped his head and Thorntail let out a hiss.

"Of course not." The tom crouched down and darted forward. Instead of going for Rowantail, he skidded to a halt between Nightshrike and the former GlacierClan warrior. "Run, Nightshrike," he hissed and Nightshrike looked up at him in surprise. "Go, before he kills you."

Rowantail let out a maniacal laugh and Nightshrike bared her teeth. "And I'll kill Thorntail like I killed Deerstripe and Gorsewhisper." His head went from side to side like a snake, making Nightshrike angrier. "Back when I took that elder's life, you were a mere apprentice. Fresh out of the nursery." He looked her over and Nightshrike's pelt pricked. "Come to think of it, you haven't changed in the slightest."

Thorntail glared at the tom and Nightshrike stood taller. "Take your flea-bitten lackeys out of here, Rowantail. This is not their battle." Rowantail laughed once more and grinned wildly at Thorntail.

"You're sick in the body but healthy in the head, I see." He sneered and Nightshrike looked from her mate to the cat who made her seethe in rage. "You protect that traitor like she's the best cat you've ever crossed. You left Halfsnow to roll in her heartbreak while she expects your third litter of kits." Nightshrike glanced at Thorntail, who looked shocked. "And yet, you don't even know that Nightshrike is expecting kits."

"I'm not!" She hissed and took a few steps towards Rowantail. "Liar! Just as you always were and always will be."

Rowantail snorted. "You feel uncomfortable when you wake up, deputy, don't you? You feel pains in your stomach because the kits are rousing. Dismissing it as hungry or cramps when really, you're ignoring the hungry cries of your kits."

Nightshrike felt dizzy as he spoke the truth. I never thought about kits. She admitted then shook her head, glaring at the tom. "What is your point, Rowantail?"

The tom didn't answer as Thorntail darted forward and the two toms crashed into each other. Nightshrike shut her eyes and stepped back. She opened them and cried out in sadness. Rowantail had Thorntail pinned to the ground, smirking as he hissed and squirmed. Without hesitation, Nightshrike leaped for the tom and tackled him off her lover.

"Get away from him!" She shouted, clawing Rowantail's ears as he tried to rear on his hind legs and swat her away. Nightshrike went for his belly, claws ripping open the soft flesh as Rowantail yelled in pain. "You will not take away another cat I love!" With a swift swipe, Rowantail's throat slashed open and he fell to the ground, gasping and gurgling.

"H-help me!" He pleaded, gazing up at Nightshrike with glassy yellow eyes. "G-get a medicine cat!"

Nightshrike sneered, grinning down at him as she put her paw on his shoulder. "And show you mercy? Never. You will die in pure agony just like Deerstripe and Gorsewhisper." She said no more as the crazed light in his eyes died and he stopped breathing. She turned away, satisfied that her rival was dead.

"Nightshrike!" The worried meow of Lichenstorm roused her from her cloud of brief satisfaction and the harsh reality settled in. She turned, seeing the tom with wounds so deep, she didn't see where they stopped. "It...It's Thorntail and Clearstar. Nightshrike, they're both dead."