Chapter 31: First Blood

Sitting in darkness with nothing to do and no one to talk to is a somewhat torturous experience. I expected to suffer this for either a day or until the rest of the journey cats rescued me. Thankfully, I was mistaken. Claws decided to return after a little while surprising me.

"What are you doing back here?" I queried.

"The tribe is riled up since Jaggedtooth was spotted nearby. When they get riled up, well, I'm a pretty good target to take the tension out on. You at least don't seem to want to hurt me. I thought I'd keep you company until they calm down." Claws answered.

I chuffed in response. "At least one of you tribe cats isn't a deceitful fox. I mean seriously. They just catnapped Stormfur and I out of nowhere because of some mysterious prophecy. Not really a good way to endear themselves to us. If Stormfur is some kind of chosen hero, why would he bother to save them? They've proven to him in front of his very eyes that they are willing to isolate him, abduct an apprentice because he might get in the way, and drive out every other cat he knows. What could possibly motivate him to help them?"

Claws hesitated in his answer. "They're… threatening your life. Either he somehow deals with Jaggedtooth, or they'll kill you." Claws admitted.

I rolled my eyes in disgust, I mewed. "Great. Just another reason to hate Stoneteller and his band of blindly devoted."

"I promise that not all of them are bad." Claws tried to placate.

"And who in this cursed tribe could possibly be 'not that bad'? Look what they did to you, what they do to you? You don't deserve this. No one deserves a life like that." I countered.

"Well, there is my sister Dawn's Early Light. She's one of the guards, and she's tangled with Jaggedtooth once or twice to buy time. Whenever one of the tribe gets violent with me, she usually chases them off. It doesn't hurt that she's one of the strongest in the tribe. She's pretty protective of me despite our parents' negligence and the tribe's habit of ostracizing me. I just wish I didn't have to worry her so much. I can't help that I'm not allowed to draw blood." Claws vented.

My keen instincts just caught something. It was something Father told me to always look out for when it comes to rules and how to circumvent them. Admittedly, this made me and Squirrelpaw pretty naughty kits who got away with too much, but I just caught it, a loophole. "Say that again." I mewed suddenly.

"Say what? That I'm not allowed to draw blood?" Claws questioned.

A smile lit up my face. "Yes, that. Note that they didn't say you weren't allowed to fight." A slight rumbling chuckle edged up my throat. Was this what it felt like when Father manipulated Tigerstar? It felt good.

"How can I fight without drawing blood?" Claws queried.

"Easy. You just keep your claws sheathed and don't bite too hard. How would you like to learn? I mean, no one will stop us, and you'll be able to drive off those bullies the next time they attack you. Then your sister won't have to worry." I asked, seeing his ears perk at the mention of his sister.

"I… I'd like to learn… for my sister's sake." He answered slowly.

"Then to begin, I'll teach you how to stand in a fight." I mewed, beginning my instruction.

Claws turned out to be a quick learner, or rather, it seemed that he already knew all this and just needed to put it into motion again. His biggest weakness was his body, which was not accustomed to fighting despite his impressive battle instincts. He tired fast, but he got some impressive hits in on me. It was during the latest round that Claws sent me rolling and I accidentally struck the wall. I could feel a small cut open up where a jagged bit of rock bit into my back leg. I deigned not to say anything about it so Claws would not know he hurt me.

"Are you alright?" He asked cautiously.

"Yeah. I'm fine. That was my bad. I'm not all that used to sparring in the dark, so I didn't realize the wall was so close when I just let myself roll." I answered, positioning the cut out of Claws' view.

"I'll admit, this is pretty fun. I wish I wasn't cursed like Stoneteller said. I'd love to fight for the tribe or teach Jaggedtooth a lesson. He's hurt too many cats, and even if I don't particularly like them, they didn't deserve to die by that beast. I'm sorry that you and your friend were dragged into this. It isn't right, but Stoneteller's word is law." Claws mewed, but I could tell there was a bit more to this. Claws almost seemed excited at the prospect of fighting Jaggedtooth. Was this what Stoneteller meant by him not being allowed to draw blood? Ultimately the thought was irrelevant. If Claws' desires aligned with the needs of the tribe, what did it matter if he enjoyed it? All cats want to pursue something they enjoy, and so long as he kept the pursuit constructive, it would prove to be a benefit.

Suddenly, from the darkness came a female voice. "Well, it's nice to see my brother growing a spine. Proving that he is allowed to fight is something I never expected. Maybe now he'll be able to take care of himself. Regardless, Stoneteller is looking for you Claws. You'd better not keep him waiting. I'd also like to have some words with your new friend." The mysterious cat mewed, emerging into sight. She had a similar color scheme to dad, with the primarily black pelt, white paws, white muzzle, and white chest fur. Her eyes were an amber akin to a sunrise like her name implied. She was also pretty well built with visible muscle rippling beneath her fur. The look she gave me made me shiver.

"Let's talk Darkpaw." She commanded.