Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warriors. It belongs to Erin Hunter.
'Thoughts' Dreams Memories
Sandpaw's wounds continued to heal and in that time, she spent her days cooped up in the medicine den simply talking to the demon kit. She was a tough nut to crack, always arguing back but...in Sandpaw was honest, it was different, to say the least. There was a rawness to the kit that Sandpaw was sure none of her Clanmates had and listening her speak about her ways of doing things, while brutal had the apprentice hanging on every word.
"For us, to live is the same as to fight." the kit said, looking proud in her words and flexing her claws with a grin.
Sandpaw sighed while shaking her head, a small grin on her own on her muzzle. "Is there ever a time you don't fight?"
"Sleeping."came the curt answer, to which Sandpaw only grumbled, should have seen that coming.
While the pair talked, in Bluestar's den with her senior warriors, a different conversation was going on.
XxXx
"Bluestar, are you so sure it's wise to take in a demon?" Whitestorm asked, his tail twitching to and fro as his eyes shifted to the den entrance, he couldn't see the medicine den, but his thoughts were clear.
"It would be easier to keep an eye on her here than if she was out prowling the forest. Besides, if we can temper her, having a demon at our side would make for a great advantage to ThunderClan." Bluestar said, lowering her voice to an almost enticing degree.
"That may be true Bluestar," Lionheart cut in, looking thoughtful, his paws kneading the ground. "But there's still a risk. We might just end up going to to feed her. There is no guarantee that she would take to us. After all, she thinks that we are responsible for killing her father. Such anger and hatred is hard to control and the fact that she's a demon makes it even more so."
Bluestar looked from one tome to the other, seeing the different options of both. However she only closed her eyes and sighed before opening them again. "What you are saying is true but...I have been watching her. Sandpaw seems to go along with her or at the very least the kit seems to tolerate her. If we go go by that, step by step, I think we can succeed. What do you think, Spottedleaf?"
The pretty tortoiseshell molly had been in her own world, listening but not saying anything. She looked over at Bluestar, careful to not look her directly in the eye as to not give away her secret. She tilted her head, her claws coming out as she scraped them along the sandy floor.
"I think...that she is a dangerous and uncontrollable force. But...like you, I believe there might be a chance to change her and mold her into our ways. She's still young and well, that might work to our favor. She doesn't know much else and well at the very least she knows that without us to provide for her, she'd starve. To keep oneself alive, that is often one of the greatest motivations."
Redtail, another tortoiseshell and the Clan deputy, narrowed his eyes as he looked from one molly to the other, sanding up as his tail lashed. "Keeping herself alive?! Is that truly the best we are going to do?! Bluestar, all of you, surely you can't be serious? This is a demon! Surely you can't think of having such a black-hearted creature among our ranks? She won't think of us as Clanmates, there won't be any fellowship she would feel towards us. She'll only think of us as food! There's no way that such a foul, self centered, self-preservating monster could become one of us! We'll all be dead before newleaf!"
At his outburst, Spottedleaf slowly got to her paws, her claws staying out as she turned to face Redtail, her amber eyes glaring daggers at him and were like cold flints of steel digging into the tom's flesh. The green fleck in her left eye were unmistakable and Redtail suddenly felt it hard to breath. The other cats felt a chill in the air as the medicine cat stepped closer to her Clan deputy.
"Black-hearted? Foul creature? Redtail, those are some pretty harmful words you are using. You never know who could be listening and who can take offense. Demons...are something you know nothing about. How they act, how they feel. How they can change for the better or ill. You say that she would only think of you as food, that she does not know fellowship, you know nothing!"
"You forget how strong they can be, how easy it is for them to crush little cats like you!" the molly intoned softly, getting closer to the tom, raising her claws to the male's neck, who only trembled and tried desperately to move but his body wouldn't obey him.
"Spottedleaf!" the powerful shout of Bluestar stopped the younger molly in her tracks and she turned to her leader, and the silver-blue female flinched and took a step back. Cod, ice cold fear rippled down her spine as she looked upon Spottedleaf, the younger Clan cat's muscles were rippling under her fur, ready to strike at any second. But it wasn't that which stayed Bluestar, such fury, such hatred in the other's eyes...It was enough to choke on yet the leader found she couldn't look away. She felt herself falling, falling, falling. Then Spottedleaf hissed and turned her head away and Bluestar felt herself able to breath again.
When Spottedleaf moved away, Redtail sunk to the ground, his whole body shaking. However, Bluestar kept her eyes on Spottedleaf and feeling her leader stare, the younger molly kept her head down.
The whole den was silent afterward and Bluestar mentally sighed before realizing that she would have to end this quickly. "Your views, all of them, are to be considered. But I still think that this is the best course of action to take. Besides, the warrior code states that we should never turn away a kit that is in danger or in pain. Regardless if she is a demon or not. So, saying that, I've made my decision. That kit will join ThunderClan and will be made an apprentice!"
With that, the others then nodded and began to file out of the den, with Redtail giving Spottedleaf as wide of a berth as he could. Yet before the medicine cat could leave, Bluestar called her back. Spottedleaf hesitated before walking back, her head still lowered.
"You almost attacked Redtail." Bluestar stated, her voice firm yet quiet. Spottedleaf narrowed her eyes at that but said nothing, wrapping her tail tight around her paws. She only looked up when Bluestar stepped forward, allowing the leader to press her nose against the younger's forehead before going forward even more and gently nuzzling the younger cat and Spottedleaf, after a moment, accepted that kind gesture with a relived sigh.
"I'm sorry," she began but Bluestar gently cut her off.
"I know it's hard for you but please...you are all Clanmates. You must protect one another. Show Redtail and all that doubt you that you do understand fellowship, that you can have loyalty to more than yourself."
A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I got caught up in somethings. Hope you enjoy this chapter~ Hopefully the next won't take as long to get up and on-site.
