Silverstrike's Story

Chapter Five Nighttail's POV

                                                                     FLASHBACK 

Nighttail had always been second best.  She remembered when they were kits.  Her brother Snakefoot was better than her at everything.  And when it was time for them to become apprentices she figured she would be better at the stuff that mattered.  

The truth was she was a bad apprentice.  She could barely hunt.  Couldn't fight at all.  She had to take the assessment twice.  TWICE.  "Nobody has ever had to take it twice before."  She remembered Aspenfur saying.  Though she passed it the second time and grew to be a respectable senior warrior. Nobody thought she would become deputy over Snakefoot.  Snakefoot was just so strong nobody thought about her becoming it once.  They would say Owlclaw would be surprising.  Nighttail, impossible they would say.  Her own mate, Rockpelt had said that Snakefoot would become deputy.

And they didn't mean bad they just couldn't imagine Nighttail becoming deputy.  Frankly she couldn't either.  So when Swiftstar said that she would be deputy.   The first cat she looked at was Snakefoot who was storming off.  She looked back at Swiftstar "Me."She says in amazement.  "Well I'll do my best." She and Snakefoot had never been great friends or anything.  But they always had that littermate bond.  But now that was gone.  He never spoke to her and the only times she spoke to him was when she was giving out patrols.  In the meetings that Swiftstar called.  He usually only brought his "two best warriors."  He somehow didn't notice the tension and how both of us only ever spoke to him not the other.  Nighttail started to realize that she wasn't just made deputy because she was the better warrior.  She figured that there might be a prophecy or a vision or something that involved her.  So she started hanging around the medicine cat den a lot.  And she got no information at all.  She would ask Petalleaf and at first she would say she had no idea what she was talking about.  But after the first couple visits she would just ignore her.  So she went to Swiftstar.  She knew it was a risky move.  But she had to try.  So she walked into Swiftstar's den and she meowed "Swiftstar why am I deputy?" she asked.  He looked surprised.  "Well Nighttail I think your the better warrior" he meowed.  "That's not it" she said.

Swiftstar started to look annoyed.  "Yes it.." "No it isn't" she interrupted.  "Did you get a vision?" "If I got a message or not I am your leader and I order you to leave."  "So you got a message." She said.  Nighttail leave he growled.  Nighttail strolled out the door.  How interesting she thought. Very interesting.  There were two things that Nighttail and Snakefoot could agree on.  That Swiftstar was stupid and don't tell Snakefoot's biggest secret.  The thing was in a battle against Riverclan Snakefoot killed a queen in the heat of the moment.  The queen had kits and they died because they couldn't get milk.  Snakefoot regretted this and swore he would never have kits.  But Mapleleaf had his kits.  He was devastated.  So he watched the nursery like a hawk.  Once they were born he protected them from afar.  He didn't do it close up because he was afraid it would make him look weak.  It wouldn't of course but he didn't know that.  Nighttail remembered she felt the same way about her kits but her motherly side won over and according to Rockpelt "she spoiled Rabbitleap and Finchfur."   But she was afraid that Snakefoot was ruining those kits life.  Especially Silverpaw.  He had no friends mediocre at everything.  Brave and curious.  She remembered how Snakefoot would unsheathe his claws when they practiced.  She wouldn't tell though.  It would make her look weak and Nighttail would rather look anything. ANYTHING but weak. She noticed how Sharppaw would do the same to Silverpaw.  It was amazing how mentors don't notice these things.  But she didn't tell she decided it was up too Silverpaw if he wanted to tell or not.  She had taken a liking to the young tom.  She reminded him so much of herself.  That's why she was so happy when Silverpaw asked if Frostpaw could go on the patrol.  She was happy that he had made a friend or maybe something more... she shook away the thought.  She was just happy he had made a friend.  He had even basically been abandoned by his mother.  Even though she knew the reason.  It was still mean.  But most of all it unnerved how alike she and Silverpaw were.  And even more how the same Sharppaw and Snakefoot are.

    Snakefoots darkest secret reminds me a lot of the Bloody Baron from  Harry Potter. How he killed the Grey Lady but anyway Hope you Enjoyed!