Feathers in a nest

This took forever and a day to finish! And it's not even that long! So sorry, but I hope that... Okay, nothing can make up for this! So very sorry!

"Wake up!" A harsh voice bit into Nightpaw's dream.

"I- What…" Nightpaw stood up and shook off the feeling of sleepiness. "Darkfang?"

"Get up," The gray-and-black warrior snarled. "We're going into the forest." He stomped out of the den.

Who put thorns in his nest? Thought Nightpaw, stretching. Who-ever it was, I want to congratulate them. Not even a ShadowClan warrior would dare to do that!

She stepped out of the den. Badgerpaw was still asleep by the entrance, and Nightpaw couldn't help giving him a small kick. Unfortunately, the apprentice then grabbed hold of her paw, and started to bite into it, like it was a mouse. She growled at him, but he just rolled over, and caught her ear between his paws. He started batting it, like a kit.

"Get off me, mouse-brain!" Nightpaw hissed. The world must have been mad at her though, because right then Darkfang barged into the nursery, and glared at his new apprentice.

"He grabbed my paw!" Nightpaw complained before he could say anything.

Darkfang blinked, then said: "Uh- Well… Well, why was your paw near him anyway?"

Nightpaw hesitated. She could lie… She sighed. No, she couldn't. "I kicked him…" The ground looked very interesting all of a sudden.

"Well, you shouldn't have kicked him!" Darkfang seemed to remember something. "And as a punishment… You can remake Thinstar's nest. This means the thickest moss you can find, and weave in feathers."

"Is that what Thinstar told you to do?" Nightpaw glared at him, then added: "Almighty mentor?"

"Who told you I was your mentor?" Darkfang snapped.

Oops. "Um… I heard Thinstar say it last night."

"You eavesdropped?" Darkfang unsheathed his claws.

That leaf is such an interesting shape! In fact, I'll just keep staring at that as I nod…

"Fine then," An evil smile appeared on Darkfang's face. "When you make Thinstars nest, you will weave in one- no, two feathers. Each time I tell you off, or you get a punishment, you will weave in another feather."

Nightpaw glared at Darkfang. "So whenever I get in trouble, Thinstar gets move comfortable?"

"A third feather," Darkfang mewed. "And I hope you're aware that you will have to find these feathers yourself?"

Nightpaw dug her claws into the ground, then bit back a scream. "Yes, Darkfang." She said dully.

"Good. Now, follow me." Darkfang waved his tail, and strode through the entrance.

XXXXXXXX

Nightpaw's belly howled with hunger when she walked past the fresh-kill pile, which was stocked with mice, but when she leant for one Darkfang waved his tail in her face, and said:

"Ask your mentor, or if I'm not around, Thinstar, Goldenclaw or a senior warrior, before you take some fresh-kill. Another feather."

Nightpaw bit her cheeks, and said in an I-am-totally-being-polite voice: "May I please have some fresh-kill, Darkfang?"

"No." Darkfang strode off, through the camp entrance, and into the forest.

"A pile of stinking mouse-dung, that's what you are." Nightpaw muttered, and ran after him.

XXXXXXXX

They reached the Lake, and sat down.

"The Warrior Code," Darkfang began. "Is the law that all the cats of the forest, WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and ThunderClan," He emphasised the last word, as if Nightpaw had already broken the Code a thousand times, "Live by. There are several parts to the Warrior Code. I believe you need to be reminded of some of them."

"Are you saying I'm a traitor?!" Nightpaw hissed, leaping to her feet.

Darkfang stared at her. "You attempted to kill Daypaw. That is against the Warrior Code. You should be banished for that, but Thinstar was merciful, and-"

"Thinstar wasn't 'merciful'!" Nightpaw yowled. "He let me stay because he was scared I would build an army to attack the Clans!"

"Another feather!" Darkfang hissed. "Sit down and listen to me, without interrupting!"

Nightpaw forced herself to relax, though inside she was wishing she had been banished. At least then she wouldn't have to put up with this mouse-brain.

Darkfang sighed. "One of the Laws of the Code, is to not kill another cat. What is one of the Laws of the Code?"

"To not trespass on another Clan's territory," Nightpaw answered, just to annoy him. After she got a glare and another feather though, she changed it to: "To not kill another cat."

"This means that you can't kill or murder or drown or poison or…"

And so it went on.

XXXXX

Nightpaw weaved the final feather into Thinstar's nest. Fourteen in all. Sighing, she slumped out of the den, dodged Darkfang and Thinstar (who were talking quietly), and ran out into the forest.

The day had been horrible. Darkfang had made her sit by the Lake all day, forcing her to repeat the Warrior Code again and again… And again. It took all of Nightpaw's strength to stop that evil red haze to cover her vision. It still pestered her now.

Why should she fight it? There was no-one here now.

No.

Yes.

No.

Of course not.

Yes!

Nightpaw snarled, and with an exhilarating rush of energy, pounced on the trees.

XXXXXX

Darkfang watched his pesky apprentice sneak out of camp. He quickly explained to Thinstar his abrupt leave, then followed her.

He tracked her scent to a huge oak tree. The bark had been torn off it, and claw marks reached to the highest branch. Nightpaw's scent smothered it.

The next thing he saw, was a giant tree branch, torn from the tree, once again with traces of Nightpaw all over it.

The final clue he found was Nightpaw herself.

She was still black, but she seemed so much bigger, and muscled. Her unsheathed claws were longer and sharper than TigerClan's. Nightpaw snapped her head towards him, and he saw her eyes.

They were glowing red.

The colour of blood.

The colour of evil.

Without hesitating, Darkfang turned, and ran.

XXXXXX

Nightpaw watched him flee. She considered chasing him, but decided against it.

The trees stood above her. They would be so easy to snap… To break… To destroy…

Yes! It's fun!

Nightpaw prepared herself to leap.

A scent reached her nose. A familiar scent.

Silentsong stood watching her former apprentice, sadness in her eyes. Without fear or hesitation, she walked forward, and touched her on the nose.

It was painful, watching all that power fall away. But Nightpaw fought it, and soon stood as herself again.

Silentsong tipped her head to the side, but then disappeared into the forest. Nightpaw didn'tt attempt to follow her.

XXXXXX

Darkfang raced to camp, with every intention to tell Thinstar to re-banish Nightpaw. But as he ran, doubts appeared, and he slowed, then stopped.

If he told Thinstar to banish her, Thinstar would ask why. And who would believe him? No-one, that's who. So he wouldn't tell Thinstar. But… he was not having Nightpaw as his apprentice again. No. Never, ever, ever again.

XXXXXX

Nightpaw crept back into camp, hoping no-one would notice her, but of course everyone did. Thinstar was on the Highledge, eyeing his kit angrily.

What had she done, that had made Darkfang resign from mentor duties so quickly? He didn't know, but he had formulated a new plan.

"Nightpaw, your mentor's Silentsong again," He said it as though it was no big deal, and ignored his Clan as he strode into his den, where Spottedheart was waiting. "Silentsong is Nightpaw's mentor again." He interrupted her. "But I don't trust her. Spottedheart, I want you to spy on Nightpaw and her mentor."

Spottedheart blinked. "I- Of course."

Thinstar purred. "I knew I could count on you."

Spottedheart nodded, but then whispered so quietly her leader couldn't hear: "But I wish you didn't."