Chapter 65: Darkening Black Thoughts
Darkstripe felt like his pelt was full of ants and ticks. Wherever Tigerstar had touched felt itchy and dirty. He couldn't groom those spots as thoroughly either. Tigerstar needed to be kept under the illusion that Darkstripe was into him. Just the thought was disturbing. By now Darkstripe had developed a sixth sense for when Tigerstar was nearby. To him it felt like a wave of grime, making his skin crawl. He was in a perpetual state of discomfort that made him somewhat twitchy.
Darkstripe was thankful that Tigerstar seemed to be occupied with other problems. Shadowclan was still largely recovering from Brokenstar, so outright attacks were off the table. Despite that, Shadowclan's numbers were growing. They were up to a respectable clan size in comparison to just a few moons ago where they were by far the smallest clan. The return of most of Brokenstar's rogues was the primary reason the clan's numbers swelled. The other was the number of pregnant queens. Tigerstar seemed to have incentivized having mollies become queens. It did mean less cats were overall active, but within six moons, the clan would be competing for the largest clan size. Only Riverclan could really compete.
Darkstripe followed Blackfoot out into Shadowclan territory. He honestly expected Blackfoot to pull what Tigerstar did during his apprenticeship and just have him figure out hunting, but he was proven wrong. Blackfoot, despite being Tigerstar's deputy, was attentive and understanding. Under Blackfoot's tutelage, Darkstripe learned Shadowclan hunting techniques rather quickly. It didn't hurt that his pelt blended into the marshes rather well. Darkstripe was honestly enjoying himself.
"You know, I get why Tigerstar chose you as deputy. You're observant, calm under pressure, and loyal to a fault." Darkstripe mewed to the deputy. His last line was a vague hint at what he was playing at.
"Thanks. Most of Shadowclan doesn't see me that way. They just see me as a former member of Brokenstar's rogues." He responded.
"But you learned from it. You won't let your loyalty be blind again. You now better understand what your loyalty should be to. Not every cat figures that out. Some cats even learn it wrong. They become loyal to themselves or the history of their clan. They never realize that the term clan does not mean the location or way of life. It's a group of cats who have banded together as a family. They may not be your blood, but every cat in Shadowclan you should consider family." Darkstripe explained.
Darkstripe could be sagely when he felt like it, but he tended to keep those moments private. No cat would believe Darkstripe could give such advice because he rarely did it.
Blackfoot seemed to be pondering Darkstripe's speech. He was so used to following the Warrior's Code and following the lead that he never took the time to consider who he did those acts for. Slowly he nodded as he let the philosophy sink in.
"Yeah. You are right. Shadowclan is my family. I may need to start changing things if I really consider it like that. I've been lax on some things I shouldn't because it was my immediate family and strict on others because I thought it was about cats not related. It's unbecoming of a deputy to act that way. I can do better."
That was not the direction Darkstripe was hinting at, but it was a welcome one. Darkstripe had hoped to sow a seed of doubt in Blackfoot about his leader, but it took a different direction. Maybe now Blackfoot would make a conclusion on his own about Tigerstar's malicious nature, but it was now out of Darkstripe's paws without outing himself.
When the pair got back to camp, they decided to eat together. Blackfoot usually kept himself isolated, but something about Darkstripe left him more amicable about his presence. Soon they were even sharing tongues. Blackfoot had a plethora of stories. They weren't always sweet or had a moral, but they were interesting. Darkstripe on the other paw took the time to teach Blackfoot about how to read other cats. He wasn't a master of it by any means, but he could typically read a cat's outward emotions and could trace back most to their source. A couple Blackfoot didn't even know about was revealed by Darkstripe based on how they looked at each other and how they seemed to choose moments to spend together.
Teaching this skill was inherently selfish. Darkstripe's goal was to give Blackfoot all the tools to see Tigerstar's treachery. It didn't hurt that these skills would make him a better cat. By the next day, cats around camp were taking notice of Blackfoot's behavioral change. He went out of his way to address issues after spying cats that looked partially distressed. He openly talked more with other cats because he now could learn the camp's relationships easier. Suddenly, Blackfoot wasn't such a detestable deputy.
Tigerstar was not a fool. He quickly noticed Blackfoot's change. It wasn't negatively impacting him directly, but he'd have to step more cautiously around his deputy. It gave him a bit of worry. Blackfoot's change made Tigerstar look like a more competent leader, but it also meant his underhanded tactics would become more noticeable. His eyes shifted to Darkstripe, his blindly loyal former apprentice. Based on his own memory, he believed Darkstripe sought this change to make Tigerstar's job easier. Instead, Tigerstar received a double-edged sword. He couldn't outright fault his apprentice. As he thought it over further, he realized he'd have to reward him in a manner. It didn't have to be anything public, but Darkstripe wouldn't strive to be better if he wasn't rewarded for trying.
Tigerstar finally had a thought. He was still meeting Sasha. He could bring Darkstripe along to "reward" him. Darkstripe was blindly loyal and could keep a secret. He'd give the cat what he wanted. He'd make Darkstripe his secret mate. Then Darkstripe would be unshakably loyal. Tigerstar was already getting excited at the prospect. Two cats totally submissive to him were a dream come true. Maybe he'd have more when he finally took over the forest. He'd love to have Goldenflower back in his paws. Mistyfoot and Stonefur were also in his ideal pool if only to spite Bluestar's ghost. He shook his thoughts out. Two were good for now.