Chapter 70: Execution

The day of the execution was upon them. Whether that execution was of Darkstripe's plan or just Stonefur was still yet to be seen. Darkstripe had gotten whatever sleep he could. At least he didn't have to put up with Tigerstar since the cat seemed convinced he'd won Darkstripe's undying loyalty with that dreadful night. Darkstripe could read the camp. Every cat was on edge for what was to come. Tigerstar didn't hide his displeasure at the rowdiness one of his prisoners seemed to be kicking up. To make matters more annoying for the tyrant, it was the previous Riverclan deputy who was making a racket. Every cat knew Tigerstar's temper. Things would be dealt with soon.

At sunhigh, Tigerstar called a meeting from the bonehill. The thing stank of rot, but a few sharp rib bones were available for Darkstripe's plan. He needed perfect execution and to lie convincingly for this to work. He was relying on Tigerstar's scrutiny to be lax given how he had previously played himself as a brainlessly loyal follower. Stonefur and the rest of the halfclan cats were dragged out of the hole. Stonefur fought the whole way being physically dragged and bearing a few extra claw marks for it. Mistyfoot looked indignant but followed with Greystripe's kits. Soon they were presented before Tigerstar with Blackfoot on his right, Darkstripe on his left, and Leopardstar forced to sit below Tigerstar. Leopardstar truly wielded no power and it showed. Her once ferociously loyal and gung-ho attitude had been deliberately crushed and suppressed in Tigerstar's regime. She was possibly less than even a minion at that moment. Her voice was less than meaningless.

Darkstripe ignored Tigerstar's hateful speech about halfclans and their so called "birth sin." Instead, he busied himself finding a reasonably sharp rib bone in the pile with only feeling. Soon he found one that would work. Carefully positioning his legs to hide the act, he propped the bone vertically, ready for his action.

"Blackfoot…"

Before Tigerstar could finish his statement, Darkstripe put on his somewhat bratty minion act.

"Tigerstar! Can I please do it? Can I? I want to be the one to put that thing in its place."

An annoyed look crossed Tigerstar's face. He'd drawn the tabby's ire, but it was a deliberate action. Tigerstar considered it for a second before relenting. Darkstripe was the one least likely to screw it up in his mind. Darkstripe seemed to have happily padded in place before leaping down the bonehill. Unknown to the observers, that happy padding had been an act. With it, Darkstripe had impaled just above his paw with that rib bone causing blood to leak down his paw. It was a fast bleed since Darkstripe had hit a vein. All the better for the next part of his act.

"You halfclan filth!" Darkstripe yowled.

Darkstripe struck hard and fast at Stonefur's neck. Stonefur even looked surprised at how quickly Darkstripe struck, but his claws were sheathed. A trail of blood covered Stonefur's neck and he fell coughing. Soon he was playing dead, but Stonefur was not a very convincing actor. His chest still rose and fell. Darkstripe needed to play it off quickly or Tigerstar would ask him to finish the cat.

"Hah. Look at that. He passed out from shock." Darkstripe paused as if pondering. "I've got an idea. What do you say I dump him in the river to drown? Then it'll be proof even nature rejects halfclan cats."

Tigerstar liked the idea. He gestured for Darkstripe to do so. Darkstripe grabbed Stonefur by the scruff and began hauling. Once Darkstripe got out of camp, he heard yowling from within. He ignored it knowing it was the raid. Shakily, Stonefur stood up looking Darkstripe over. Hastily, the two made their way over to the river border. While Stonefur swam across, Darkstripe hastily covered and treated his new wound. He couldn't use anything as obvious as cobwebs, so he went with the general anti-infection herbs and plugged the wound. It wasn't a perfect fix, but it would have to do. He cleaned his paw of the blood before returning.

"Darkstripe! We were just raided! Why didn't you return?"

Darkstripe in a panic came up with a hasty lie. "I knew it was a raid. They wanted the halfclans, right? I had to finish off Stonefur so they wouldn't get him. Sorry I didn't get back in time."

Tigerstar took Darkstripe's excuse begrudgingly. At least the execution hadn't been a total failure. His clan had gotten rid of at least one of Bluestar's spawn. He contented himself with the idea.

A few moments earlier

The Thunderclan raiding party lay concealed just outside of the camp watching. Firestar carefully watched Darkstripe as the proceedings began. Tigerstar spouted all manner of filth about the nature of halfclan cats, but what Darkstripe was up to seemed suspicious. It took keen observation, but Firestar saw Darkstripe prop a sharp bone up just behind his dominant striking paw. Then Tigerstar began. "Blackfoot…"

Tigerstar was interrupted by Darkstripe who suddenly seemed all too willing to take part in the execution whining about wanting to be the one to do it. It was not the behavior of the Darkstripe Firestar knew, but maybe it was the behavior of the Darkstripe Tigerstar thought he knew. Firestar feared Darkstripe would be punished, but instead, Tigerstar relented. Darkstripe trotted in place appearing to be happy, but Firestar saw the truth. That bone so carefully propped was stabbed into Darkstripe's leg just above the paw pad.

Darkstripe leapt down at Stonefur and with a yowl struck with the wounded paw. An ugly smear of blood covered Stonefur's neck, but with the ploy, Firestar knew that was Darkstripe's blood. Stonefur fell, but he was so obviously not dead. Darkstripe came up with a lie and dragged the supposedly unconscious cat out of camp. Once Darkstripe was out of sight, Firestar gave the signal.

With a yowl the raiding party sprang into action. They weren't there for a drawn-out battle. They raced in alarming the observing cats. Just as quick as lightning, they struck at the cats holding Mistyfoot and Greystripe's kits hostage. Those cats had been previously loners, so they backed off at the sudden aggression, unused to straight up fights. Firestar and the patrol traded some strikes before retreating with the once prisoners in tow. Glancing back, Firestar happily observed Tigerstar's tail lash in annoyance. The raid had been a success.

While the patrol made their way back, Greystripe, a member of the patrol, had to ask. "Why didn't we jump in earlier? We could have saved Stonefur."

Firestar responded with an amused chuckle. "I don't think you've got to worry about Stonefur. He'll probably meet us back in camp."

Greystripe stood confused. "What? But we saw him die!"

This time Mistyfoot stepped in. "You mean you think you saw him die. That was a ruse. Darkstripe got him out just fine, but I worry he might have done something to himself to make it work."

Firestar nodded. "Yeah. I saw that too. He stabbed himself to get blood on his paw. Stonefur's wound looked real on a first glance, but that blood was Darkstipe's."

Before the raiding party even made it back to camp, Stonefur made his appearance.

"You wouldn't believe how scary that was. I didn't think he could pull it off. I mean, the blood and the strike. I almost thought I died for real. Then he claimed I'd been knocked out. Quick thinking on his part. I didn't even realize I'd been hyperventilating."

Firestar nodded happily at the former Riverclan deputy.

"Yeah. He's really clever like that. So, how soon can I put you on patrols?"

"No can do. Darkstripe said if Tigerclan sees me it'll blow his cover."

Firestar nodded again. "Sounds like him, always planning two steps ahead."

Mistyfoot seemed to have noticed something with all Firestar's praise.

"Wait… You aren't smitten with him or anything right?"

Firestar's ears burned at the statement. "Actually… We're already mates. We jus tcan't let Tigerclan know that."

Mistyfoot's face lit up. "Oh, that's so cute! I never knew Darkstripe or you swung that way. Though, if I were you, I'd try and get him out. Tigerclan is not safe."

Firestar unfortunately had to give her the truth. "I can't. He willingly left to act as a spy. He'd never forgive me if I stopped him. I know he's in a dangerous place, but I trust him to take care of himself."

Mistyfoot just stared at him incredulously before responding. "Ok. Just be ready to get him out. From the brief amount of time I was near him, he stank of stress and trauma. I'm not sure how long he can keep acting."

"Hopefully he won't need to act much longer. I got word that this'll all be over by the end of the next Gathering."

That still was a good ten days away, but at least that wasn't an extreme amount of time. Firestar hoped Tigerstar was too busy with management duties to look Darkstripe's way.