Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Eleven

A paw prodded Nightpaw's side and she slowly opened her eyes, groaning. She was no longer in StarClan, much to her relief. Mottlesong was standing over her, gazing at her intently as she held a bundle of herbs.

Looking around, Nightpaw saw Honeypaw, Reedpaw, Dawnpaw, Scorchtail, and Redstripe laying in their own nests, patched with herbs and cobwebs.

"W-what happened?" She croaked, her throat dry. I don't remember a thing. "D-did we win?"

Without answering, Mottlesong turned away for a moment and carried a bundle of soaked moss. She set it by Nightpaw's muzzle, watching as the wounded apprentice began to lap gingerly at it.

The cold water rushed down her throat, making her gasp and lick more urgently. This is the best water I've ever tasted! She thought as she eagerly drank.

When she pulled her head away and licked her lips, Mottlesong began to redress her wounds. Her body ached, with grief and regret. I should never have attacked Tawnypaw. Nightpaw thought, wincing as her wounds were exposed. Then Hickorypaw could've saved Finchheart.

"Lie on your back, Nightpaw." Mewed the medicine cat, slicing through her thoughts. "I need to check that chest wound you have."

Nightpaw nodded, shifting her position so she was rolled onto her back. Pain sparked in her back but she ignored it, biting her lip. "What happened?" She repeated.

Mottlesong didn't look at her as she replied as she worked. "The cat that was attacking you slashed your chest by the looks of it." She meowed. "It's deep and it caused you to slip unconscious. You'll be fine if you rest and don't open it up."

"How are the others who fought?" Nightpaw pressed, seeing a shadow on the medicine cat's face. "Did anyone die?" I never saw any of my Clanmates in StarClan, I think.

Mottlesong nodded, making Nightpaw tense. "Blizzardflake was killed by a split neck." She meowed sadly, her eyes misting. The older she-cat shook her head, the emotion evaporating. "The Clan is in mourning for him, but we will go on."

Nightpaw didn't reply as Mottlesong drew away from the she-cat, eyes distant. She didn't try to stop her as she forced through the pain of getting to her paws and staggering out of the den.

It was sunhigh and not a lot of cats were presently in camp. Only a few were sharing prey or clustered around Spiderstem, asking to go on a border patrol or on a hunting patrol.

Russetbriar's kits weren't playing outside the nursery. Probably mourning the loss of their father. Nightpaw guessed. She was never close to the senior warrior, but she respected him.

Nightpaw forced her paws to take her into the clearing where Halfthroat was sharing prey with Ivyheart. I suppose he would be a bit more worried that his apprentice nearly died in her first battle. She thought bitterly as she approached the two.

Ivyheart noticed her first. "Nightpaw!" She meowed, nudging Halfthroat. "You're okay!"

Halfthroat looked away from her. Was he proud of her that she survived her first real fight? Nightpaw shifted her attention to the silver tabby she-cat.

"Just in pain," she answered, looking into Ivyheart's friendly green eyes. "I'm ready to get back to training," she meowed and glanced at her mentor.

The gray scarred warrior looked at her in surprise, but masked his emotion and nodded coolly. "Are you sure?" He meowed, tail flicking. "You just got out of the medicine cat den and you're barely able to stand or walk, let alone train."

Anger rose in her paws and she flattened her ears, narrowing her eyes. "I'm fine," she repeated, tail lashing. "I'll be ready for whatever you throw at me, Halfthroat."

Her mentor looked pleased that she was upset and he rose to his paws, stretching. "Very well, Nightpaw." He meowed, looking her over with intimidating green eyes. "Let's go train."

The way he said it made Nightpaw shiver, but she nodded nonetheless and followed her mentor out of the camp, sending Ivyheart a small smile before scampering after him.

**********

Halfthroat stalked into a clearing, one Nightpaw had never seen before. He stopped, turning to her with his eyes dancing with malice. "Well?" Prompted Nightpaw's mentor. "Fight me, unless you're too scared."

"I'm not scared of you, Halfthroat." Nightpaw meowed boldly, only half lying. "And I'll prove it." Without warning, she darted towards her mentor, ramming her shoulder into his chest and hearing the breath rush from his lips.

Without missing a beat, Nightpaw slashed her paw across his cheek with her claws sheathed. She felt a massive paw hit her in the head and she staggered, her vision blurry momentarily.

Halfthroat grinned at her. A sick, twisted smile that made Nightpaw's blood boil with rage. She let out a screech and leaped on his back, digging her claws into his shoulders as he reared on his hind legs to shake her off.

Nightpaw flung her body to the left and crashed to the ground with Halfthroat hitting the ground with her. Pain crept into her left shoulder but she ignored it with a hiss, kicking with her hind paws at Halfthroat's back.

Her mentor laughed and unsheathed his claws, digging a paw of claws into her right hind leg and hanging on. Nightpaw growled, unsheathing her claws and clawing at his shoulder in an attempt to get him off.

Halfthroat sank his teeth into her leg and pulled her towards him without warning. Warm blood began to escape her new wound and she winced slightly. Claws sank into her shoulder and Nightpaw let out a cry of pain.

She frantically looked around, desperate for something to defend herself with. A stick lay not far away from her right shoulder and she looked back at her mentor as he pinned her down.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she weakly slashed at his chest and reached for the stick, grasping it in her teeth. Turning her head around quickly, she shut her eyes as she saw teeth heading for her neck.

Crack! The sound of the stick splintering made Nightpaw open her eyes to see Halfthroat biting the stick. Hissing, Nightpaw kicked her mentor in the belly and surged upward, pinning him to the ground as she panted over him.

Halfthroat looked tired but his eyes glinted with pride that made Nightpaw warm all over her body. "Well done, Nightpaw," he meowed approvingly, pushing her off and getting up.

"Thanks," she breathed, panting. Nightpaw looked at the stick lying at her paws. "It was a last resort." She confessed, looking up at her mentor with wide eyes.

Halfthroat nodded. "You did well," he praised. Suddenly, his eyes hardened and he stared at Nightpaw, who shifted her paws uncomfortably. "Nightpaw," he meowed, his tail flicking. "When I became a warrior, my mentor made me keep a promise that I uphold to this day." Her mentor paused. "Do you know what that promise was?"

Nightpaw looked at her mentor's eyes, blinking. "To protect your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?" She guessed quietly, to which Halfthroat shook his head.

"He made me swear to put my Clan above all else, even if that means that cats have to die. The Clan comes first, no matter what." Halfthroat's eyes bore into Nightpaw's, intense and cold.

Nightpaw flicked her tail, slightly unnerved. "Do you want me to put my Clan above all else?" She asked.

Halfthroat smirked. "Yes," he meowed. "Nightpaw, do you swear to put your Clan above all else even if it costs the lives of your friends or family?"

Nightpaw forced herself to look Halfthroat in the eyes, her own burning with determination. "I swear it, Halfthroat." She breathed, her paws trembling as her mentor nodded.

"Good," rumbled her mentor. "I think you're ready." Nightpaw frowned at Halfthroat, confused.

"Ready?" She echoed warily. "Ready for what?" Nightpaw looked her mentor in the eyes, searching for any emotion as he spoke.

Halfthroat smiled a twisted, wicked smile that made Nightpaw's claws curl into the ground. "Ready to meet the others."