Warriors || Aspenrose's Goodbye

Chapter Twelve

Aspenpaw pushed through the thorn tunnel that led out of camp. She followed Blackheart and his apprentice Graypaw. The moon rose above their heads as they padded through the forest. Aspenpaw turned her head up to the stars. Redfang is up there now, hunting peacefully with StarClan.
She sighed. We did our best. It was his time, and he's not in pain anymore. Duskheart was sitting vigil, along with her littermates, for her father. She had asked Blackheart to take Aspenpaw with Graypaw to do a training session.
"Why?" Aspenpaw had asked. "Medicine cats don't fight."
"No, but they need to learn to defend themselves just in case," Duskheart had replied, grooming Redfang's body for burial, eyes glazed with grief.
Aspenpaw snapped out of her thoughts as she realized they had reached the training hollow.
Blackheart turned to face Aspenpaw. "Right," he started. "First I want you to pretend Graypaw is a ShadowClan warrior that's attacking you. You are a ThunderClan warrior. I want you to fight back as best as you can "
Aspenpaw nodded nervously. She was a lousy fighter, even worse than her hunting skills. She watched as Graypaw got ready to spring at her. Something seemed off, though. There was a suspicious glint of hatred in the gray tom's amber eyes.
Graypaw leaped at Aspenpaw. Aspenpaw dodged aside, Graypaw barely missing her fur, and landed clumsily in the tall grass. Her paws flailed in the air as she scrambled to get up.
Aspenpaw felt paws rake across her exposed belly. Although his claws were sheathed, Graypaw's blows were hard and unforgiving.
Aspenpaw grunted. She managed to find her footing and reared up to leap on top of Graypaw, battering at his back with her hind legs. A gleam of satisfaction was sent through Aspenpaw, but she gasped in surprise when Graypaw rolled over.
The gray tom put his heavy paws over her chest. Aspenpaw wriggled, but couldn't get free. Graypaw leaned his head close to Aspenpaw's ear.
"I'll never forget what you didn't do for me," he hissed. "ShadowClan deserved punishment. But it's too late for that, so someone else has to get it."
Aspenpaw gasped in horror as Graypaw raised his paw. A silver gleam from the moon caught his claws and set them shinning. As he brought down his claws, Aspenpaw closed her eyes, bracing for the blow. Time seemed to move slower.
"Graypaw, no!" Blackheart's shocked yowl hit Aspenpaw's ears.
But Graypaw didn't listen. Something warm trickled down Aspenpaw's left shoulder before she even realized how much it stung. She opened her eyes on a face of satisfaction. Graypaw was shoved off of her by his mentor and scolded, but Aspenpaw didn't catch what Blackheart had told him.
Blackheart rushed over to her side, helping her to stand. "Are you alright, Aspenpaw?"
Time sped back up to normal, leaving Aspenpaw panting with a stinging crimson shoulder. She dared look at it, and suddenly realized how deep the cut was. If I didn't know any better, that's going to leave a scar.
"I'm fine," she replied. "Just take me back to camp."
Blackheart hobbled Aspenpaw out of the training hollow, with Graypaw trailing behind. She turned back to look at him, and suddenly wished she hadn't.
His broad frame followed in pursuit, amber eyes glistening with satisfaction; his single paw stained with scarlet blood.