Warriors: Divided Loyalty

Chapter Forty

It was nearly sunhigh by the time Timberskip and a newly named Nightstar returned to the DawnClan camp. Lichenstorm was the first to greet them, touching noses with each of them and sending sparks through Nightstar as their noses touched. Timberskip dipped his head and slunk away towards the nursery.

"How was it?" Asked Lichenstorm as he followed Nightstar towards the Jagged Stone. "Did you get your nine lives and your name?" Nightstar let out a sigh and flicked her tail over his mouth and raised her voice.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Jagged Stone for a Clan meeting!" She yowled, power tingling in her paws as she spoke the summons. Things will have to change around here. But, that can wait until my kits are born and become apprentices. She thought as the Clan, her Clan, gathered around. "I have returned from the Moonpool and have gotten my nine lives and my new name from StarClan."

Cheering erupted from the cats below and Nightstar soaked it all in at once. "Before sunhigh passes, I would like to appoint my deputy." The cheers died and were replaced with silence as every warrior straightened. "I say these words before the spirits of StarClan so they may hear and approve my choice. The new deputy of DawnClan will be Lichenstorm."

The tom looked shocked but smiled and nodded nonetheless. He rose to his paws and padded towards Nightstar. "I am deeply honored by your decision and I vow to serve my Clan until the day I die." He meowed and the cheering began once more.

"There is one more ceremony I must perform before I dismiss you to your duties," she went on and saw Leafpaw's eyes light up. "Leafpaw, come forward."

Her apprentice took a couple of excited strides forward and Nightstar leaped down from the Jagged Stone and addressed her apprentice. "Leafpaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" She asked. Leafpaw's eyes sparkled and she opened her mouth.

"I do, Nightstar." She meowed strongly and Nightstar twitched her whiskers.

"I, Nightstar, leader of DawnClan call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has worked hard to understand the ways of a warrior and I condemn her as a warrior in your honor." She raised her head and looked at Leafpaw. "Leafpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Leaffire." She touched her muzzle to Leaffire's head and felt her tongue graze her shoulder fur. "StarClan honors your tenacity and abundant energy and we welcome you as a full warrior of DawnClan."

"Leaffire! Leaffire! Leaffire!" Chanted the Clan, the loudest being from Pebblewhisker, who watched Leaffire with warm eyes as she slunk towards him.

"Meeting dismissed," Nightstar turned away and began to pad towards Lichenstorm. Then, remembering she was now the leader of DawnClan, she slackened her strides and sat down next to her deputy.

Lichenstorm let out a small purr and glanced at her. "Are you okay?" He asked softly and Nightstar nodded. "Come on," he stood up and flicked his tail. "We have yet to bury Thorntail and Clearstar and we need to prepare them for their vigil."

Nightstar shook her head, surprising her deputy. "The Gathering is tonight, the cats who will attend won't get to sit vigil." She meowed and rose to her paws. "Lichenstorm, I have to ask a favor from you."

The deputy nodded and tilted his head to the side. "Yes, Nightstar?" He asked and looked at the black she-cat. Nightstar gazed at her deputy and shifted her paws.

"I-I'm expecting Thorntail's kits, so is Halfsnow." Nightstar nearly winced at how emotional she sounded. Almost. "But, I can't have these kits while being a leader of a Clan that depends on me." She glanced up at Lichenstorm, surprised to see his gaze glinting with support. "Lichenstorm, can you help me take care of these kits until they become apprentices?"

Lichenstorm let out a long purr and gently nuzzled her. "Of course I will, Nightstar." He meowed and licked her cheek. "Will they know about their real father?"

That question hit Nightstar hard. She wanted Thorntail to see his kits be born, become apprentices, mold into warriors, and possible leader or deputy. She shook her head. "Not until they're older." She decided. "They need to be old enough to understand that Thorntail was a respected warrior that was killed in his prime. Nothing less than that."

Lichenstorm didn't argue and he dipped his head. He padded away and Nightstar headed for the leader's den. Her new den that she should've been sharing with Thorntail. She took a step inside, the fur along her spine rose and she resisted the urge to run from the black void. Her paws moved forward and soon, she was lying in a freshly lined moss nest with feathers and tiny pebbles she shuffled back and forth between her paws. The sunlight was soon blocked by the shape of a cat and Robinfire's scent filled the den.

"I brought you a squirrel," she meowed, her voice muffled by the prey. Robinfire padded forward and stood in front of Nightstar and gently laid the creature down in front of her.

"I'm not hungry," she lied and shifted onto her belly to muffle the growling. Robinfire sighed and sat down, looking out of the den. Nightstar looked up at her friend and sat up, tail flicking over her front paws and her growing belly bulged, making Nightstar uncomfortable.

"Thorntail used to be such an arrogant furball," meowed Robinfire suddenly. Nightstar glanced at her, confused. "He was so proud of himself, I'm surprised he even got a mate in Halfsnow."

"Why are you surprised?" Asked the new leader, tail twitching. She was curious to know why Robinfire spoke of Thorntail like that. Are they related?

The red tabby warrior let out a sigh and her shoulders shuddered. "They were friends since the time they opened their eyes in the nursery many seasons ago." She sounded sad and Nightstar narrowed her eyes slightly. "Halfsnow's father didn't like it that she was spending so much time with Thorntail, er, Thornpaw at the time. He watched them closely whenever they were training. It was easy, considering he was Thorntail's mentor."

"You haven't said his name." Noted Nightstar. "Why is that?"

Robinfire shot her a glance. "Before Clearstar became leader, there was one cat that was brutal to all the others. Clearstar was Clearwater at the time and we wondered why he deeply disliked Thorntail's mentor. He was exiled from GlacierClan for one reason or another and ended up here."

"Like me," Nightstar meowed and her paws started to tingle with realization. "What's his name?"

"It's forbidden to say, but you're my leader." Robinfire sounded reluctant. As though saying the treacherous name somehow brought shame onto her shoulders. "His name was Badgershade. Strange cat but very strict and manipulative. Our leader at the time, Heronstar, fell victim to his honey-like words and charming personality. Badgershade did many horrible things to this Clan, but when Thorntail became a warrior, Badgershade was killed in battle against OakClan."

Nightstar listened without speaking, though she wanted to ask so many more questions. How did Badgershade become so vile? Why did he mentor Thorntail? Did he corrupt Thorntail but died before he could do anything?

Robinfire faced her, eyes dark and shadowed. "You are a very young and inexperienced leader, Nightstar." Her voice was tight and her eyes sparkled as she rose to her paws. "Clearstar was quick to trust you because he knew your father. Blackheart was well-known in all the Clans for his ability to save every cat he ever treated. However, when he died at the Moonpool all those moons ago, Clearstar saw him inside you and let you in. My question is, did he ever regret it?" Without giving Nightstar a chance to speak, Robinfire dipped her head and padded out of the den.