salt in the wound || warrior cats

chapter 5

the fight

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IF ANY CAT WASN'T paying attention before - or, at the very least trying to keep up the pretense of minding their own business - they certainly were now. Shrieks and yowls filled ThunderClan's camp as the two toms wrestled with each other, sharp claws drawing their own Clanmate's blood.

"Sunbounce! Sunbounce, what're you doing? Get off!" Frostsky demanded, grabbing at the ginger tom with little success. "Stormbird, stop-"

"I'm not fighting you!" Stormbird roared at Sunbounce, ignoring the white tom and swiping angrily at the ginger feline on top of him; despite his words, he'd drawn out his claws too, and now crimson splattered on Sunbounce's already red pelt. "You're crazy!"

"I think I'm allowed to act a little crazy towards the cat that killed my sister!" Sunbounce spat.

Everyone in ThunderClan knew Sunbounce's family had struggled deeply with his sister Honeykit's death. And now, the murder of Violetdust seemed to make the ginger tom crack.

"I didn't kill her!" Stormbird snarled back, and a puddle of blood had formed on the dirt ground before Frostsky and ThunderClan's deputy, Russetfrost, managed to drag the two apart.

Both were in bad shape. Sunbounce's ear was torn, and there were claw marks running down his body; Stormbird was littered in scratches, and it seemed that Sunbounce managed to bite a deep gash into his shoulder. For a moment, they just stood there, panting and glaring at each other, with the buffer of Frostsky and Russetfrost between them.

"Now what just happened here?" Russetfrost thundered, his voice full of anger. "Clanmates turning on each other with the issues at SkyClan's borders and entering leafbare? We're meant to be supporting one another, not hurting. What will Lilystar say when she sees this?"

Sunbounce hissed. "I was only fighting Violetdust's murderer. Funnily enough, I find that to be justified."

Annoyance flashed in Stormbird's green gaze. "I didn't-"

"You've already said countless times that you didn't kill Violetdust, and Lilystar's cleared you of the crime." Sunbounce paused, and for the first time in this entire argument, he sounded stable in using logic to back up his words. "But Violetdust died near the lake, there's no way a cat from any other Clan could've gotten through our territory undetected. You were the only one-"

"But I didn't do it!" Stormbird meowed fiercely. "I didn't, I swear on StarClan."

Sunbounce laughed flatly. "And how much does that count for now that StarClan's abandoned us?"

Violetkit had heard - from whispers passed around by every cat - that StarClan had broken contact with the Clans almost immediately after Violetdust's death. Swanfrost had been very upset to learn that her kits knew of this worrying situation, but it was hard to keep it a secret when it was on every cat's mind all day.

Speaking of Swanfrost, the queens - Swanfrost, Whitebird, and Ivydust - had been working hard to fight their way through the crowd to reach the kits, and now finally arrived. With a sweep of their tail, they beckoned their kits into the nursery and away from all the chaos, putting them to bed (though nobody fell asleep) as soon as they entered before retreating to a conversation of their own.

"Really, you'd think Sunbounce would know better," Whitebird, Sunbounce's mate, murmured quietly. "I mean honestly, causing a scene like this..."

"Violetdust was very dear to many of us," Swanfrost replied tightly, and Violetkit had a feeling they'd had this conversation countless times. "Blossomsky and Russetfrost had never gotten over Honeykit, and now-"

"Yes, but attacking a Clanmate is simply unheard of," Whitebird mewed. "I understand he loved Violetdust, but there's no need for this."

"The real question," came Ivydust's low voice, "is whether or not Stormbird played a role in Violetdust's death."

A pause occurred as the queens thought about it.

"They used to be quite close when we were apprentices," Swanfrost meowed slowly. "They grew apart once we became warriors, but I still can't imagine he'd do anything to harm her."

"Maybe they had something going on secretly," Whitebird suggested after a beat. "Did she tell you anything, Swanfrost? You were her best friend, after all."

The pale gray queen inhaled sharply. "If she had something going on, she didn't tell me."

There was clear tension between Swanfrost and Whitebird, which Ivydust broke with the sound of her clearing her throat. "Well, we'd best get back out there, shouldn't we?"

"Do you reckon the kits will stay put?" Swanfrost asked.

"I'd best Ravenkit's asleep already," Ivydust replied, her voice getting distant as she ducked out of the nursery, and the sound of paws crunching dry dirt came as Swanfrost and Whitebird followed her.

As soon as they were gone, Violetkit leaped to her paws and poked Sweetkit. "C'mon, let's go see what's happening."

The gray tabby she-kit peeled open one eye to give her sister a pointed look. "I'm not sure. Mom sounds upset. I think it's best to stay here."

"You're no fun," Violetkit meowed, before turning her attention across the den to Whitebird's nest. "Brightkit?"

"I shouldn't," came Brightkit's muffled voice, as though she'd dug herself a deep spot beneath the moss. Clearly, Sunbounce's fight had freaked her out. "I've never seen Dad like that before. I don't-" She broke off, as though unsure of what else to say.

"Fine." Violetkit shrugged, hopping out of Swanfrost's nest. "I'll go by myself."

She was all set to go when a voice piped up from Ivydust's nest. "No, I want to come."

Turning around, the white she-kit scowled at what looked like nothing more than a shadow slipping this way and that. "I thought your mom said you were asleep."

"She thought I was asleep," Ravenkit sniffed. "Big difference."

"Whatever." Violetkit rolled her eyes though he couldn't see it. "You can't come along."

"Why not?"

"Because I say so," Violetkit snapped. "I don't want your company."

Ravenkit tipped his head in his stupid, infuriating challenge, his yellow eyes gleaming through the darkness towards her like the sun. "Well what if I don't want your company?"

Violetkit frowned, confused. "What?"

But before she'd worked it out, Ravenkit had already sprinted past her and was wiggling out of the nursery's entrance, calling over his shoulder, "But thankfully, I'm a nice cat, so I guess I won't say no if you join."

The white she-kit gaped after him; now, he'd made it seem like she's the annoying one that insisted on tagging along. But, curiosity pushed past her pride, so all she did was mutter, "Annoying furball," before following Ravenkit out of the nursery.