Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Forty-Seven

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Jagged Stone for a Clan meeting!" Yowled Nightstar, furious with her tail lashing to and fro. As her Clan gathered, she went on. "OakClan has stolen prey from us for the last time! It's time we show those flea-bitten mange-pelts not to take our prey!"

Cheering reached her ears as her Clanmates yowled their approval and anger. For several days, Nightstar's former Clan had been stealing large amounts of prey and leaving DawnClan to starve. Even though they were a moon into leafbare, every piece of prey they could catch mattered in feeding the future of the Clan.

Nightstar lashed her tail and unsheathed her claws, allowing them to scrape against the stone she perched on. "We will attack at once!" She declared and looked around the clearing. From the nursery, the kits were watching with wide, excited gazes and she shook her head. The kits were eager for battle, sure, but they'd die in their first skirmish. "Lichenstorm will take the first patrol consisting of Leopardcoat, Birdwatcher, Larkflight, and Sparrowflower. Robinfire, you will lead the second patrol with Stormbird, Thornbite, Dewpath, and Goldenpatch." She looked around. "The rest of the warriors will come with me and a few of you will stay behind and protect the kits."

Fennelfur and Leaffire stood up. "We will help the queens protect the nursery." Meowed Fennelfur, tail flicking. "However, two of the queens shouldn't be in the battle in case they get severely hurt."

Echospeck let out a snarl and Poppybee hissed. "We will fight for the kits no matter what!" Growled Poppybee, tail lashing. "OakClan has taken away precious prey that was supposed to be used to feed the bellies of our kits."

Nightstar nodded and leaped down into the mass of her warriors. "Let's go!" She ordered and swiftly trotted out of the camp, her Clan behind her.

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As they neared OakClan's territory, Nightstar felt memories of her exile flooding through her. She was suddenly inside the camp she called home for most of her life, performing warrior duties alongside Dawnflame and Songscratch. Nightstar shook her head and leaped over the stream that separated the two territories. No longer am I one of them. She reminded herself as she led her warriors into the dense forest. The trees had lost most of their leaves and looked bare and jagged against the cloudy sky. Blood would be spilled today. The blood of her former Clanmates.

Lichenstorm and Robinfire split up and took their groups the long way to the OakClan camp, going in opposite directions. Nightstar unsheathed her claws and flicked her ears, seeing two cats at the entrance of the camp. Poppybee and Echospeck sprinted forward and tackled their enemies, slashing their ears.

Nightstar threw her head back. "DawnClan warriors, attack!" She yowled and charged into the camp, her Clan on her heels. At once, a full-on battle broke out and she stood in the middle of it. In front of her stood Volepelt, the cat who was named after Voletuft.

"You," snarled the tom as he lunged at Nightstar. "You traitor!" Nightstar easily dodged a blow to the cheek and kicked his side with her hind leg. She raked her claws down the length of his side and heard him yelp in pain as blood welled at the wound.

"Spiderstar exiled me for the death of Tawnywillow, one that I did not cause." She snarled and snapped her jaws at his tail that whisked by. "Goldenfire was a gullible apprentice when I trained him. He is the one who killed the deputy, not me."

Volepelt hissed as claws raked his ears and slashed Nightstar's face. "You expect me to believe you?" He sneered and leaped to the side as the leader lashed out with a paw, aiming for his muzzle. "Tawnywillow was a noble warrior and deputy, she did not deserve to die at your claws."

Nightstar smirked and shoved the warrior away, making him stagger. She lunged at him and pinned him to the ground, teeth bared in a malicious grin. "Noble warriors are destined to die in battle. Some sooner than others." With one final swipe, she slashed open Volepelt's throat and watched as blood gushed from his neck. Raising her paw, she licked her claws and looked around.

The battle raged on around her and she relished the screeching and yowling of pain and rage. Nightstar saw movement and she noticed no cat guarding the nursery. Smirking, she slithered through wrestling cats and slid inside. Honeyheart was tangled outside with Robinfire and Larkflight so Nightstar could easily slip right in. Scanning the nests of moss, she spotted two pairs of gleaming eyes and smiled.

"Come on out, kits." She cooed, crouching down and reaching out a paw. "I won't hurt you. I know a place where no cat can find you." One of the kits crawled towards her, his dark blue eyes wide and scared.

"W-where are you going to take us?" He whimpered as the other kits followed, eyes scared. "W-we can't leave our mother."

Nightstar looked over her shoulder and saw Honeyheart being struck by Larkflight. She looked back at the kits and shook her head in false sadness. "Your mother is dead, kits." At their open mouths, she went on. "Come with me and my Clan and I can keep you safe. You are not safe here with all this fighting."

The she-cat nodded slightly and Nightstar picked her up by the scruff with her brother on her back. "Hang on," warned the leader as she turned tail and strode out of the nursery. No cat seemed to notice the leader with the kits and Nightstar inwardly smirked as she slipped through a gap in the bramble wall and saw Poppybee limping out of the battle. "Poppybee!" She meowed through the kits' scruff.

The queen saw her and her eyes widened. "What are you doing?" She hissed, seeing the kits.

Nightstar set the she-cat down and explained. "They are not safe here. They are coming back with us so they don't get hurt." Poppybee looked suspicious.

"What about their mother?" She asked, tail flicking. The kits looked at the she-cat, eyes wide with awe.

"Dead," Nightstar lied and took the tom off her back. "Take them to camp while I check on the others. Don't let them out of your sight!" She called as she raced back towards the noise of battle.