Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Prologue

The night air was peaceful, only a soft gust of wind rustled the leaves on the trees that stood tall like mountains piercing the sky. The quarter moon hung overhead, shining brightly as it watched the land below it.

A group of cats slept in dens that were held up strongly with brambles and leaves for shelter. Soft snoring could be heard, not enough to wake the slumbering cats but loud enough to make ears twitch.

One cat was restless, not sleeping like the rest of his Clanmates. The black tabby tom paced the small space that wasn't occupied by cats glaring at him. His tabby pelt was fluffed up with alarm and his yellow eyes gleamed with worry.

Inside a bigger den than the rest, two she-cats and a tom were inside. The tom was speaking calmly to a black and white spotted she-cat while the other she-cat kept her kits out.

"Calm down, Blackheart." Meowed a silver tabby she-cat. She sat nearby, watching with sympathetic purple eyes. "Specklewatcher will be fine."

Blackheart didn't respond, his nerves too high to process what the she-cat was saying. Will she be okay? She'll be in so much pain. Swiftflake better be treated her well, Brownfoot too.

A gray and white tom grunted, clearly unhappy. "She better, I need to give her a piece of my mind once those rascals are born."

"Watch your tongue, Thistlespirit." Scolded the she-cat, glancing at the nursery uneasily. "Kits are a blessing to any Clan, you know that. And Specklewatcher is going to be just fine." She added.

Thistlespirit glared at the she-cat. "Just because she was your apprentice, Eeltail," he growled. "Doesn't mean you can coddle her!"

"I'm not coddling her, Thistlespirit!" Argued Eeltail, her tail lashing from side to side. "I just want her to have an easy birth." She paused, looking at the tom in the eyes. "And you should too."

The warrior let out a hiss and turned away, pelt bristling. "She should be having my kits." He spat. "Not some medicine cat's from another Clan."

Blackheart rolled his eyes, making eye contact with Eeltail, his head shaking. "I just hope this goes by quickly so I can go home," he meowed quietly.

Inside the den, a wail came from one of the she-cats and the three cats leaped to their paws. A few murmured words could be heard, but it didn't soothe Blackheart's nerves.

A couple of anxious mews could also be heard, making his eyes widen and he padded quickly towards the den. Eeltail beat him to the entrance and stood in front of him, shaking her head softly.

"Don't go in, Blackheart." She warned, looking over her shoulder. "Swiftflake and Brownfoot need their space to help Specklewatcher."

"But she needs me!" Protested the medicine cat and Eeltail nudged him back, her eyes soft. "Specklewatcher!"

A cry of pain made Blackheart freeze, trembling. Thistlespirit turned around with a sympathetic glint in his eyes now. The black tabby tom sat down and muttered words to himself.

Eeltail flattened her ears as another shriek wracked the night air, demanding for help. The she-cat looked at Thistlespirit, sharing a silent conversation that Blackheart didn't try to decipher.

Panicked mews made Blackheart raise his head from staring at his paws, seeing Swiftflake, the medicine cat, rush out of the nursery and diving into his den. The young tom sprinted out and hurried right back in the nursery.

Blackheart leaped to his paws, racing after the medicine cat. He felt teeth sink into his tail but he pulled free, leaving Eeltail and Thistlespirit to helplessly call his name after him.

In the nursery, Specklewatcher was breathing heavily and blood surrounded her. The white patches of fur were stained red with blood as Swiftflake rushed back and forth, pressing cobwebs on parts that made Blackheart sick.

Brownfoot looked at Blackheart and dipped her head, exiting the den without another word, her kits following her. Blackheart heard the queen speaking to the two cats outside but he didn't know what they were saying.

"I need to stop the bleeding!" Meowed Swiftflake as his eyes got increasingly troubled and worried for the pregnant she-cat bleeding to death in front of him.

"Swiftflake," Blackheart's voice cracked with sadness and anxiety. "Will she-she be okay?"

The tom didn't answer but his eyes said enough. The black tabby tom looked at his mate, tears forming in his yellow eyes as his mate's breathing got slower and weaker.

"S-Specklewatcher," he whispered, padding towards the she-cat and laying by her head. "My love, please, open your eyes."

The she-cat groaned, her eyes fluttering open to take in the sight of her crying mate. "B-Blackheart," she murmured.

The tom scooted closer and lifted her head, resting them in his paws. "I'm here, Specklewatcher," he mewed. "I-I'm here." Grief crashed into Blackheart like a wave. He didn't want to lose the only cat that made him truly happy.

"Why don't we n-name the kits?" Rasped the she-cat, turning her attention to the three bundles lying at her belly. Two of them weren't moving, the third barely clinging to life.

Blackheart gulped, nodding. He looked at one of the unmoving kits, a spotted white tom. "H-his name will be L-Leopardkit." He meowed shakily.

Specklewatcher nodded weakly and coughed, spitting blood onto her mate's tabby fur. "T-The silver she-kit will be named Silverkit," she murmured.

"That sounds perfect," Blackheart mewed, licking Specklewatcher's head to keep her awake. "Why don't you name the last one?"

The she-cat nodded and looked at the final kit, a black she-cat. "N-Nightkit," she meowed finally.

Swiftflake looked at the family, sorrow in his eyes. "Beautiful names," he commented.

Blackheart nodded, looking at his mate. She had closed her eyes and her head moved limply in his paws. "Specklewatcher?" He meowed, panicking.

Swiftflake shook his head, eyes clouded with sympathy. "Blackheart, she's gone." He mewed quietly.

"No!" Blackheart wailed, nudging her over and over. "Specklewatcher!"

Swiftflake exited the den, leaving Blackheart to sob. "Eeltail," he meowed. "Get Maplewhisker and Lionstorm to bury the two kits, Specklewatcher's dead."

Eeltail's eyes widened but did as she was told. She padded away, her tail dragging behind her as she went to go find the two warriors.

"Thistlespirit," the medicine cat meowed. "Get Blackdust and Duststar. They need to get Blackheart home with his daughter."

"What about Specklewatcher's body?" The tom asked hesitantly.

Swiftflake looked over his shoulder, hearing the sobs of Blackheart. "I'll bury her."

The tom nodded and bounded away, leaving Swiftflake alone with his thoughts.