The Kin of the Tortured Servant
Chapter 8
Swallow's POV
Gingerstar14: This is when the fic gets a new twist!
I blinked open my eyes and winced as I sat up. My paw was still burnt, but I could stand up easily. I tested my paw, and then streched. Maybe I could ask Bonestar when I could mate with Tigerpaw again. She was young, and it might take longer to make her pregnant. I flexed my claws and padded out from the overhang of a black rag and a square box.
"Swallow..." I turned to see Hisk pad over to me. "Guess what I found?!"
"What?" Probably some dumb torture method.
"A she-cat. Bonestar says she can be mine. I mean, for torture."
"Huh?"
"Torture." He repeated quickly. "I want to try that burning metal. You, obviously can't handle it." His eyes glimmered, and I lashed out a paw and caught him under the chin.
Hisk curled his lip. "Since you know so much about torture, and she-cats, I want you to take a look at her. I also wanted you to help me."
I relaxed, and smoothed down my fur. "Sure. Where is she?" I meowed. "The cage by Tigerpaw's?"
Hisk nodded. "Yup! Let's go!" I following him to the cages. Kink was conscious again, but he was laying on his side with the metal muzzle we found wrapped on his face. In the cage beside Tigerpaw, was a small brown-speckled she-cat.
"Tigerpaw!" She squeaked.
Tigerpaw stirred. "Robinpaw?"
"Robinwing, actually. What are you doing here?" the brown she-cat rose to her paws and pressed her nose into the mesh. "We looked everywhere for you!"
"I was captured by ShadowClan and given to DarkClan. Which is this," Tigerpaw flicked her tail.
"Quiet!" Hisk barked. "What are you doing?"
Jink slunk out from behind the cage. "I don't know about this, Hisk. This cat here says she's really important to her Clan. She's the healer, as far as I can tell."
"Healer like Comet was, you coward!" Kink snarled from his cage. He strugged to sit up, his eyes blazing. I blinked, not sure of what was going on. Jink recoiled as though Kink had attacked him.
"Like Comet is," a voice hissed. I rolled my eyes and turned, expecting to see Crown. But a huge ginger tom was standing there, his fur bristling. "You release these cats, or the fury of the Street Strut Gang will-"
"You mean that bunch of kittypedts?" I laughed. "Better get out of here, Comet, before we send you to Bonestar." I took a pace forward. "And don't even think about going over to Jink,"
"Jink is not my concern," Comet dipped his head. "Although Boss Lukar might not agree," he padded forward. I sighed. The last time I had seen this cat, he was vanishing from Barn Gang's former camp, along with his recruits from his Gang. They had come to defend Barn Gang from DarkClan, but had failed. Yet I did not miss his thinly veiled threat.
"Jink, fetch Bonestar." I ordered. "And tell him the Street Strut Gang may be around," Jink nodded and sprinted off.
"You will release these prisioners," Comet repeated. He took another pace forward, and then with a flick of his tail, a gray tom darted sideways from behind the fence to flick open the cage where Kink and the others were. Hisk darted forward and knocked him off his paws.
Comet bent and helped the young tom up. It infuriated me how calm he stayed, while the prisioners were looking on franticly, wondering what was about to happen. "We are all kin, Swallow. You know we come from SkyCl-"
"Where is Boss Lukar?" A snarl came from behind me, and Bonestar leaped forward, his fur bristling angrily. "I want to speak to him. This isn't about SkyClan, is it?"
"Somewhat." Comet mewed. "You cannot deny that DarkClan is slowly diminishing. And Street Strut Gang is no longer thriving. Barn Gang is gone. But that is not why I am here."
"I repeat, where is Lukar?"
"Lukar does not concern you," Comet flicked his tail, "But we cannot let these prisioners remain here."
Bonestar rolled his eyes. "I'm not speaking to a Troup. Get your Boss or go home!"
"I am Captain of Squad One." the ginger tom's green eyes bored into mine. I had been a Captain before we broke up.
Then I saw the scruffy black tom pad forward, his white tail flicking, and his green eyes flashing. "Who wishes to speak to me? Comet tells me you have captives?"
Bonestar sat down. "At last! I tell you-"
"We must speak in private. This concerns the welfare of your Clan," Boss Lukar growled.
"Very well," The two leaders padded off to Bonestar's den. The rest of us settled down to wait.
TIGERPAW'S POV
I didn't know what to think. Everything had happened so fast. Robinwing, Comet, Boss Lukar, and now they said that Barn Gang was destroyed! But I didn't know what to think when Bonestar padded to my cage.
"Tigerpaw," he flicked open the cage with his claw. "I know you want freedom, and though I don't care, what Boss Lukar says makes sense. You lived in a Clan, correct?"
I nodded. "Yes,"
"Good. Then I have a proposition for you,"
