Chapter seven: Punishment Pays Off
"Sandstrike," Tigerclaw greeted her when she opened her eyes, sometime around Sunhigh. "Would you like to come hunting with me and Darkstripe?"
"Yeah, just let me ask Whitestorm," Sandstrike replied, stretching her forepaws out in front of her.
"You're a warrior now, you don't have a mentor to ask," Tigerclaw reminded her.
"What about Lionheart?" Sandstrike asked.
"We'll be hunting, he doesn't care so long we come back with a decent catch," Tigerclaw shrugged. With that, the dark brown tabby left the den to meet Darkstripe outside. Sandstrike scrambled to her paws and followed them into the forest.
"Where's Longtail?" Sandstrike asked when they were far enough from camp.
"He's busy guarding the Sunningrocks border, just in case Riverclan forgets the lesson we taught them last night," Tigerclaw explained. "Besides, he doesn't fully approve of murdering clanmates to gain power."
"It does break the code," Sandstrike reminded him. "Longtail just doesn't see that rules are meant to be broken."
"I'm glad we see eye to eye," Tigerclaw smiled. "Speaking of rule breaking, how about we hunt on Riverclan's land on this side of the river? Just to remind them who's in charge."
"Water voles," Darkstripe's eyes gleamed with greed.
"I see no reason to have a meal after we've caught enough, seeing as Sandstrike hasn't eaten," Tigerclaw agreed, turning his paws towards enemy land. They crossed the scent marks, and Sandstrike opened her mouth, her senses flooded with signs of prey.
"Meet me in the hollow over there when you've caught a thing or two," Tigerclaw said, flicking his tail towards a wall of ferns before he disappeared into the reeds. Darkstripe went towards the river, while Sandstrike stayed in the forest, heading towards Fourtrees. She caught the scent of a rabbit that had strayed from the moor, and swiftly chased it down. She found Tigerclaw waiting in a peaceful hollow where Darkstripe already waited with two mice.
"Sandstrike, Thistleclaw informed me he and his other Dark Forest friends would inform you of their plan," Tigerclaw began. "So now we just have to plan our approach."
"And how do we frame Whitestorm?" Darkstripe added.
Tigerclaw had a malicious gleam in his eyes as he licked the mouse blood off his paws. "It all starts," he grinned, "With Sandstrike eating that rabbit."
"Bluestar?" Tigerclaw called into the leader's den. "A word?"
"Of course, enter," the regal she-cat replied. Tigerclaw led the way, followed by Sandstrike, whose ears were flat against her head and her tail between her legs. Darkstripe brought up the rear, a half-eaten rabbit in his jaws.
"Clearly our newest warrior has forgotten the code. Perhaps she thought eating after the ones who need feeding was only a rule for apprentices. I took these two out hunting, and when Sandstrike didn't show up at our prey stash, I went to look for her, finding her greedily eating this rabbit," Tigerclaw explained. Darkstripe dropped the piece of prey at Bluestar's paws.
"I hadn't eaten, so I figured the first catch could be mine," Sandstrike added meekly. "I see it was wrong. I'm sorry."
"'Sorry' fills no bellies," Bluestar growled. She turned to Tigerclaw. "Did you at least catch anything this morning?"
"A full nest of mice," Tigerclaw said smugly. He had sought out that specific prey because he and Darkstripe had failed to wash the scent of mouse blood from their muzzles.
"That's something, at least," Bluestar sighed. "Sandstrike, I want you to hunt enough prey to feed all the kits and queens-"
"Bluestar, if I may add my opinion," Tigerclaw interrupted. "We have plenty of warriors to hunt, but we have no apprentices to clean dens. Let others feed the weak cats, while Sandstrike does apprentice duties."
"The nursery and elders' den?" Sandstrike asked.
"The apprentices' den could use some cleaning before Goldenflower's kits move in," Tigerclaw reflected. "And my nest could use some more moss."
"Yes, I need some more bracken in mine," Darkstripe added.
"Very well," Bluestar said briskly, flicking her tail. "Sandstrike, replace all the nests in the elders' den, nursery, and clear out old nests in the apprentices' den, and replace any nests in the warriors' den that need it. Perhaps you should ask Yellowfang if she needs a new nest."
"Might I recommend finishing the day with clearing the elders' ticks, and maybe helping Yellowfang collect herbs?" Tigerclaw glared at Sandstrike scornfully. "Young cats are arrogant, we must ensure they don't repeat such stupid mistakes."
Sandstrike stared coldly back at Tigerclaw. This had been planned, but he hadn't told her she'd be doing all the apprentice duties on her own.
"Yes, what he said," Bluestar yawned. "Anything you don't finish today you can do tomorrow. No eating until it's done."
"Yes Bluestar," Sandstrike said, dipping her head to the blue-gray she-cat. The three warriors exited the den.
"Have fun," Tigerclaw murmured in Sandstrike's ear. "I'll grab some moss for you so you can get to Whitestorm's nest by nightfall. Don't forget to do Fireheart's as well." Sandstrike nodded and headed to the hollowed out log where the elders slept.
"Sandstrike? Shouldn't you be on patrol?" Goldenflower looked up as her daughter entered the bramble den.
"I got in trouble on patrol," Sandstrike muttered. "I was ordered to clean out all the dens as punishment."
"Well, be glad the kits are playing outside," Goldenflower purred. "They're quite the pawful, and you'd be tripping over them if they were confined in here."
"Frostfur's watching them?" Sandstrike guessed as she began to claw together the white queen's nest.
"She hasn't let them out of her sight since the patrol rescued them from Shadowclan," Goldenflower nodded. "I hope Brokenstar is truly gone, but if not, I'd gladly shred him to protect my kits!"
"Hush!" Brindleface hissed, wrapping her tail around her four sleeping kits.
"You shouldn't speak of Brokenstar around the kits," Goldenflower's mother, Speckletail, scolded.
"Who's Brokenstar?" Mistlekit squeaked, blinking at the older cats with her wide amber eyes.
"No one important," Speckletail soothed, shooting Goldenflower a glare. "Go back to sleep."
"It might be better if they go outside so I can clean your nest," Sandstrike objected.
"I'm not helpless, even if I'm old!" Speckletail snapped. "I can clean my own nest!"'
"In fact, my nest won't even be used much longer anyways, and it's still fine. I'm sure Frostfur can clean her own nest, and you have a lot more work ahead of you," Goldenflower whispered. "Why don't you move on to the apprentices' den?"
"Thanks," Sandstrike murmured, slipping out of the den. She was then hit with a bundle of tabby and black fur. Sandstrike staggered, then fell as six more kits tackled her.
"Sorry Sandstrike!" Frostfur called. "Kits, let her up!"
"We totally ambushed you!" Lynxkit exclaimed, leaping to his paws, his ginger tail waving in the air excitedly.
"I never guessed you were there," Sandstrike purred as she got to her paws. "You seven will be great warriors!"
"Are you okay?" Littlekit asked, blinking at his older sister with round amber eyes.
"I was just attacked by the forest's most dangerous cat, and barely escaped with my life!" Sandstrike said dramatically. "Now, I have to clean out the apprentices' den for when you all move in there."
"I can't believe we have to wait another quarter-moon," Redkit moped.
"It's not all fun, you have to do chores too!" Sandstrike called over her shoulder, ducking into the apprentices' den. She swiftly clawed together the stale nests and dumped them in the dirtplace. She then proceeded to the warriors' bramble den.
She hastily took stale bits of moss and bracken out of Tigerclaw's and Darkstripe's nests, then went to Whitestorm's. She found what she was looking for: tufts of long white hair. She buried them in the moss and took it to the dirtplace, extracting the fur and hiding it in the shadows of large oak roots. She gathered some moss and returned to the warriors' den, neatly finishing all the nests. She grabbed Fireheart's favorite prey, a squirrel, and went to Yellowfang's den.
"Ah, is it finally my turn to get a new nest?" Yellowfang asked.
"In a moment, first I wanted to get Fireheart some prey," Sandstrike replied, sitting down beside the wounded ginger warrior. "How's your leg?"
"It's healing," Fireheart shrugged. "Slowly. I just want to get into the forest again."
"Well, you'll need food if you want to hunt again. I know squirrel's your favorite," Sandstrike nudged the prey closer to the tom.
"Oh. Uh, thanks," Fireheart mumbled shyly.
"Are you going to stand there awkwardly or clean my nest?" Yellowfang snapped.