Riverstone's Betrayal

Six

 Nightpaw rushed out across the battlefield, calling out.

"Rubypelt? Eveningblossom? Where are you?" His voice shook as he spoke.

Eventually, he caught sight of a scarred cream-colored coat crouching at the edge of the fight.

"Eveningblossom? Is that you?"

Eveningblossom looked up as she heard her name, amber eyes searching for her caller.

"Eveningblossom, thank StarClan," Nightpaw sighed, rushing to the medicine cat. "Riverpaw's hurt. We need your help."

Eveningblossom sprang to her paws. "Where is she?"

"She's outside of the battle," Nightpaw meowed urgently. "I dragged her out."

"Take me to her."

The two cats raced across the battlefield, dodging bundles of claws and teeth as they made for Riverpaw's hiding spot. Nightpaw spotted her first and veered towards her, with Eveningblossom quick to follow.

In the little hollow, Riverpaw was still and silent.

"Oh, Great StarClan," Nightpaw breathed, panic lighting his eyes.

"Riverpaw! Riverpaw, can you hear me?" Eveningblossom called, sounding as fearful as he felt.

Riverpaw did not respond. Nightpaw dashed to stand next to her, terrified, and pressed his ear to her chest. He could hear a faint heartbeat, and the whistle of air as she breathed in and out.

Nightpaw breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Eveningblossom's anxious face. "She's still alive."

"Which means we can save her," Eveningblossom sighed, relieved. "You keep fighting for the good of the Alliance. I'm going to find Rubypelt and another warrior that isn't hurt too badly and we're taking her to BoaClan camp to see what we can do."

"Alright," Nightpaw meowed. He watched Eveningblossom whisk away to find Rubypelt, then turned around and leaped back into battle.

His first target, of course, was Cypresspaw. The huge gray apprentice was sparring with an enraged-looking cream-colored warrior, leaf-green eyes glimmering with malice. His broad shoulders were rising and falling as he breathed heavily. Cypresspaw, Nightpaw realized, was breathing as heavily as the warrior, and though his blows were tactical, they were messy and blocked easily by the larger tom.

That must be Mambafang, Nightpaw realized. Riverpaw said he was always angry.

Mambafang hissed and landed a blow across Cypresspaw's eyes, making the tom yowl and stumble back with his eyes closed. Nightpaw used the delay to leap in, grabbing hold of the larger tom's scruff and pulling off scraps of fur. Cypresspaw screeched and whirled, turning to face Nightpaw. His eyes were undamaged as they opened, clouded with blood from the scratch across his face.

"Hey, don't be so serious," Nightpaw taunted him. "You got yourself a real battle scar now."

Cypresspaw let out a mighty battle cry and leaped on Nightpaw, claws fully unsheathed. Mambafang attacked from behind, claws raking down the tom's back as Nightpaw scratched at the tom's face and neck. Cypresspaw writhed to get free of the double attack, and when he finally freed himself to face Mambafang again, Nightpaw scooted away and scrambled up a tree. He hoped Cypresspaw wouldn't notice the frantic claw marks in the trunk.

Nightpaw crouched there, watching Cypresspaw's face as he turned back around to face Nightpaw. He loved the wild confusion that spread on it, and he leaped down from the tree, landing on his shoulders and knocking him down. Cypresspaw snarled and whirled to face him, slicing his claws across Nightpaw's cheek. Nightpaw yelped as he slammed into Cypresspaw headfirst, leaving both of them confused.

"Stop! Stop fighting! Oh, great StarClan." Amberstar was dashing between the warriors, earning himself a few good scratches. "CobraClan! Recover!"

Immediately all of CobraClan detached themselves from the rest of the Clans, some struggling free and others who were hiding slipping into the growing group. The entire Clan clustered together, joining up but not retreating.

Recover, Nightpaw thought. What a neat trick.

Amberstar pulled away from the Clan as other cats stopped fighting, BoaClan looking around confusedly and ViperClan snarling as they broke away from the Alliance.

"I want to speak to Flintstar," Amberstar meowed, searching for someone in the crowd. Maybe Blazescar? "We need to talk. I'll be bringing Beechstar and some of his warriors along with my own."

"And why would ViperClan want to associate with the Cobra-Boa Alliance?" Blazescar hissed, pulling away from her Clan.

"Because we may be able to work something out," Amberstar meowed coolly. "And if this deal falls through, CobraClan will fight until your warriors are none. Keep in mind we have both suffered greatly because of your little stunt. I would hate to dwindle your territory any farther."

Nightpaw hesitated at that. What does that mean?

Blazescar hissed. "Very well. Choose your cats, CobraClan."

Amberstar sighed. "Give me a day to think about it and let my warriors heal. We will be there at sunhigh."

"You best hold up your end as well," Blazescar warned. "Otherwise Flintstar would adore any chance he has to take your territory."

Amberstar's eyes narrowed. "So be it. Keep what you have. We will discuss this later." Amberstar turned. "Let's go, CobraClan."

"Amberstar, wait." Nightpaw stepped forward. "What about Riverpaw?"

But Amberstar was already walking away, Clan in tow. Nightpaw felt a sinking feeling settle like a stone in his chest.

Amberstar was gone, and Riverpaw and Rubypelt had been left behind.

Blazescar narrowed her eyes at CobraClan as they left, then turned her eyes to BoaClan as they regained their bearings. "ViperClan," She bellowed suddenly in her deep, oily tone. "Move out."

In the blink of an eye they had gathered, and in another blink they were gone. BoaClan was left alone in the clearing. Silence fell.

"Eveningblossom? Rubypelt?"

"Yes?" Eveningblossom emerged from the outer ring.

"Where's Rubypelt?"

"He recovered with the rest of CobraClan," Eveningblossom explained. "He left Riverpaw to me. I think we should let her recover in BoaClan. Lend me a paw?"

"Of course," Nightpaw meowed. "We might have to, since CobraClan left without her."

"I'll see what Beechstar thinks once she's safe in camp," Eveningblossom told him. "For now, as a medicine cat, her safety is all that matters, along with the rest of the injured cats."

"BoaClan, let's head back," Beechstar called ("Speak of the devil," Eveningblossom laughed.). "We did what we could. Are there any warriors who can't walk?"

Silence greeted his words. Nightpaw sighed with relief.

"Good." Beechstar let out a sigh as well. "Any injured warriors need to meet with Eveningblossom back at camp."

"Come on, Nightpaw. Let's get Riverpaw into camp." Eveningblossom spared him a glance as she turned to head towards where Riverpaw was laying. Nightpaw trailed behind not long after her, searching for a hint of Riverpaw's pale orange fur.

He finally spotted her laying where she had been earlier. "There," he meowed, pointing her out with his tail. Eveningblossom wasted no time in rushing to her, tailed closely by Nightpaw, and together they hoisted the small she-cat up. She was surprisingly light for a cat from CobraClan; Nightpaw felt he might be able to lift her on his own.

Still, Eveningblossom supported the heavyset gray tom as they carried Riverpaw across the Boa-Cobra border. They stayed behind the others so that she could be carried with plenty of space.

Nightpaw almost jumped out of his fur when Riverpaw started awake close to camp.