Chapter 2: Sunningrocks Aftermath
We fell into an uneasy silence after I snapped at Ravenpaw. I couldn't help hissing internally for letting my emotions show through so easily. It was only in this silence did I notice something. Ravenpaw's step pattern was step, step, step, pause, step. He was limping. This needed addressing.
"Stop." I commanded, forcing my apprentice as well as the dazed deputy to halt. "Ravenpaw, let me get a look at you." I ordered.
"It's really nothing." Ravenpaw fearfully deflected.
"You're limping. That isn't nothing. Let me look at the damage." I commanded in a level tone. Ravenpaw flinched, but he ultimately capitulated. It didn't take me long to find the cause of the limp. Ravenpaw had a nasty gash running the length of his shoulder. How he got it, I could not fathom, but it looked pretty bad. If he kept walking on that leg, he'd likely exacerbate the wound. I let out a sigh in response. There really was only one solution to the problem.
I lay flat while looking Ravnepaw in the eyes. "Alright. Climb on."
"What?! I can't…" Ravenpaw timidly objected.
"That gash on your leg is pretty extensive. You walking on it will only make it take longer for you to recover. That's not even mentioning the blood loss you've likely been feeling up until now. You're feeling dizzy, right?" I pressed. Ravenpaw nodded slowly. "Then you're not too far from passing out. I'll carry you back so you don't make it worse. You better follow Spottedleaf's instructions when we get back. I don't want to hear about you reopening it because you decided to go on a walk or run." I commanded.
Ravenpaw warily clambered onto my back. Being one of the biggest cats in the clan, it wasn't all that difficult to carry him. We still had a long walk ahead of us. What was I even thinking when I initially planned to assassinate Redtail? Just carrying the scrawny apprentice was a test of endurance. Eventually we made it to camp, me guiding Redtail in while having to duck so I didn't drag Ravenpaw through the thorn barrier.
Bluestar emerged from her den upon our entrance. She looked upon us, noting Ravenpaw's wound and the sizable bump on my head from where I struck that rock. "Redtail, what happened out there?" Bluestar queried.
Redtail reached the edge of lucidity at the question. "Huh? When did we get back to camp?" He mewed almost to himself, still uncomprehending that there were other cats around.
"He's in shock. He had a duel with Oakheart. I don't know which of the two was mousebrained enough to do it, but the duel ended up under one of the boulders. Their fight must have shifted it and it came crashing down killing Oakheart but barely missing Redtail. He's honestly lucky to be alive. I believe he's still coming to terms with nearly dying." I answered.
Bluestar nodded at my answer. "Good to know. I'll have him checked on in a little bit. What concerns me is your answer. You're not usually this expressive in your words."
I grunted in response. "I took a hard knock to the head in that fight. Felt something shift in the way I think. I'm going to have Spottedleaf check on it. In the meantime, I do have to say something about Redtail and the battle. As rude as it is to say, either he or Oakheart made a very poor decision. If it was Oakheart, Redtail should not have let himself get baited into such a dangerous place. Regardless, only one of them still lives. Riverclan can easily blame Thunderclan for the event, claiming Redtail either had intent to do this or he was foolish enough to do this. Either way, they have an excuse to declare war. As long as no token punishment happens to Redtail, they will continue to have justification to attack." I explained.
Bluestar nodded thoughtfully at my words, but she also looked taken aback a bit at how far out I thought this issue. "Something really did change about you Tigerclaw. I do not know if it was good or not. For now, go and get yourselves checked out by Spottedleaf. I'm going to see if I can snap Redtail out of his daze."
I nodded in agreement before trotting into the medicine den. Within were two young cats as well as Spottedleaf. One was Graypaw, an annoyingly kittish apprentice who I pitied Lionheart for having to deal with. The other… he conjured that same feeling of unknowing familiarity. His bright orange pelt was something I had never seen in the clans. The faint stench of the Twoleg Place clung beneath the stench of gully water. He must have come from there. I paused briefly to check this new cat out.
"Name." I grunted as a command.
"What?" mewed the orange cat.
"Name. What is your name kit? I haven't seen you before." I meowed back firmly.
The orange cat flinched at my harshness, but he did give a response. "Rusty, no, Firepaw. Rusty was my old name."
Fire… That name brought with it a sense of rivalry. I could just sense that this cat would become my long-time foe. He must be the hero. Well, we can't have the hero learn of my evil too quickly. How much better would it be when the inevitable reveal came if I fostered in him a sense of trust. The very idea was too tantalizing to pass up.
"Firepaw huh. A strong name. How long ago did you get here?" I questioned, knowing fully well the new apprentice was likely here less than an hour.
"Not that long ago. I had to prove myself in a fight against Longtail." He mewed in answer.
"I assume Longtail went easy on you since you're not bearing any scars. Regardless, the fact that you remain proves Bluestar saw something in you. Since you're new here, I suggest you visit the elders for some stories, but before that, you might want to wash yourself. I can smell the gully on you." I replied.
Firepaw licked himself in embarrassment. I ultimately left him to see Spottedleaf, slightly forgetting Ravenpaw was still on my back. Spottedleaf rushed over pretty quickly and pulled the apprentice off me, which I had in fact forgotten I was carrying. She fussed over his shoulder for a moment before coming to confront me.
"Seriously Tigerclaw. What kind of fights are you dragging this apprentice into? You know he's unready for real combat. He's scarcely a moon into training." He lectured.
"It's not my fault. Redtail was the one who asked me to check out the Riverclan border with him. He didn't tell me that it would only be a patrol of three. Even then, how was I supposed to know that Riverclan would attack at that exact moment? Ravenpaw knew to abandon the fight and hid. I can't really expect more than that from him yet." I countered.
"Then how did he get this gash?" She hissed back.
"Starclan knows, but I don't. I was too busy with two other cats. At least he was concerned enough to stick around and see the aftermath instead of fleeing back to camp." I replied.
Spottedleaf looked like she didn't believe me, but she had no proof to the contrary, so she just let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll let it slide this once. If he gets hurt more on one of your impulsive patrols, I'll be letting Bluestar know."
I chuffed in response. Like that would do anything. Bluestar knew just as much as her when it came to my apprentice's training. In fact, she understands it better that Spottedleaf could ever know. She knows I want Ravenpaw to succeed, even if it is just to better my image. Any failure of his reflects on me, hence why he's so frustrating to work with.
Spottedleaf looked annoyed with me for remaining standing there. "Well, what are you still doing here? You dropped off your apprentice. Shoo!"
I shook my head at her. "Actually, I think you should check me out as well."
"What? You pull a claw or something?" She dismissed.
"I'm pretty sure I've at least got a concussion, possibly more. One of those Riverclan rats slammed my head pretty hard against one of the boulders. Something definitely happened during that hit. I don't know how best to explain it besides my personality drifted a bit." I explained.
Spottedleaf rolled her eyes, clearly believing what I said was a lie. She decided to humor me anyways by checking the bump on my head. When she pressed it slightly, I let out an involuntary hiss of pain as it felt like my whole head was just electrified. Spottedleaf actually reeled back in response.
"This… How are you even still conscious?" She mewed with astonishment.
"I mean, that hurt, but I've felt worse pains." I answered.
"That's not what I meant. Your skull is cracked right near the temple. I'm questioning how you're even still alive. A hit like that should have killed you given how close it was to your brain. Have you been feeling anything strange like a numbness in your paws, blurring of vision, or a strange taste in your mouth?" Spottedleaf pressed while forcing me to lay down.
"Not that I've noticed." I responded, now starting to doublecheck my own senses.
"How about losses in concentration, difficulty remembering directions, or forgetfulness?" She continued, pacing a bit as she was clearly trying to figure out the consequences of the hit.
"Nothing like that, but I have noticed my personality shifted a bit. I still feel like me, but I've felt this sense of clarity ever since. Things just are easier to understand now. It almost feels like how I thought before was blurry." I answered.
Spottedleaf stopped her pacing, clearly in thought. "That's not entirely impossible. There have been cats known to undergo a change in personality after a head wound, but it usually makes them more impulsive, not less. In either case, you got really lucky. I'd like for you to stay here for a while so I can make sure there are no other consequences of taking such a large hit. Do not, and I repeat, do not fall asleep until I give you some medicine. You definitely have a concussion at minimum."
"Yeah. Yeah. I'll just lay here watching the pretty medicine cat do her work." I dismissively teased.
"You're just like Thistleclaw." I heard her mutter, igniting my rage.
"DO. NOT. SPEAK. OF. HIM. TO. ME." I growled fiercely, causing her to jump.
She ended up mostly avoiding me after that, only getting close enough to give me an herb bundle which I took without a word. I closed my eyes, wishing for sleep. I could still see in my mind that detestable cat. Evil always has an origin, and he was mine.