Chapter 12:

Tigercloud padded into camp after the gathering. Emberpaw staggered in beside her.

"Go and get some sleep." Tigercloud told her. Emberpaw nodded and trudged over to the apprentices' den.

Tigercloud yawned. She headed toward the warriors' den. She laid down in her fresh moss nest and waited for sleep to come. But it didn't. She felt someone was watching her. She stuck her head up and looked around the den. Darkpool was standing outside the warriors' den, staring at her.

"I haven't forgotten what you've done." He hissed.

"What did I do?" Tigercloud asked him. She stopped herself from shaking with fear. Darkpool was one of the best fighters in the clan and Tigercloud didn't want to pick a fight with him.

"You let my sister die." He hissed. Tigercloud padded out of the den.

"No, I didn't." Tigercloud meowed calmly. "There was nothing any cat could do for her."

"Yes, there was. You just stood there and stared at her while she died." Darkpool hissed and lunged at Tigercloud. He raked his claws along her spine while spitting with fury. Tigercloud screeched and saw cats stream out of the warriors' den and watch the two cats fight. Tigercloud felt claws slash her muzzle. Darkpool forced her to the ground and sat on top of her.

"That's enough!" Tigercloud heard Snowbush meow. Tigercloud turned to look at him. His ears were standing straight up and he was growling at Darkpool.

"What are you going to do about it, deaf Snowbush?" Darkpool mocked him. Snowbush lunged at Darkpool and clawed his eyes. There wasn't a deputy or leader around to stop the fight. Tigercloud wondered how snowbush had heard Darkpool mock him.

When the fight was over, Darkpool was blinded in one eye by Snowbush. Snowbush spun around to see if Tigercloud was okay.

"How did you hear Darkpool?" Tigercloud asked Snowbush.

"I have regained my hearing. I lost it when I hit my head on a rock as a kit." Snowbush explained. "Today, I hit my head on a rock and then I could hear again!" Snowbush meowed. His gaze then darkened. "You need to see a medicine cat." Snowbush meowed sternly and pushed her over to the medicine den.

"What about you?" Tigercloud asked him. He was covered in blood.

"I'm fine. This isn't my blood." Snowbush meowed and padded away. Tigercloud shuddered at the thought of how much blood Darkpool must have lost.

Tigercloud stepped inside the medicine den. She was so tired, she just fell into the nest for cats that needed treatment.