The flash of brown caught the black tom's eye. His reaction was quick, flicking his tail away and turning on the attacker. Ravenstrike looked to where the brown tom's jaws were, right where his tail had been. The yellow-eyed warrior lunged forward, toppling the tom over.
The brown tom's green gaze was fierce and angry as he tried to shove the bigger tom off him, but Ravenstrike held firm.
"Good job Ravenstrike." As if the words were a signal, Ravenstrike backed off his opponent to look at Dust, who flicked his tail to the brown tom. "Bark, you can go now."
Bark got to his paws and padded away, Ravenstrike's yellow eyes following. He turned his head back to Dust, who was sitting with his tail wrapped neatly around his paws.
"You're getting much better, Ravenstrike," the tom purred, "in no time you'll be able to fight my best warriors, maybe even me."
The black tom perked up at the words. 'Dewfang will be so proud of how I can fight now!'
"Have you found anymore recruits for the Dust Whips?"
"A few," Dust responded with a nod, "perhaps you could fight them and test your skills out?"
Ravenstrike's yellow eyes fluttered with unease a bit, mostly hidden. He'd learned how to hide his emotions well, but not well enough. Dust must have noticed.
"You need to be able to, you'll be doing it once we fight against RushClan."
"I know." Ravenstrike gulped. "Send them in."
Dust smiled, turning and padding into the forest. Ravenstrike watched as he left and soon after returned with a gray tom, almost the same size as the black warrior who was now his opponent.
"Ravenstrike," The tom greeted in a low and even voice.
"Smokerunner."
Ravenstrike burst forward as soon as he'd finished his opponent's name. He still felt uneasy  but he barreled into Smokerunner anyways. The gray tom fell backwards, but quickly rolled afterwards.
Ravenstrike, unbalanced, fell. The gray tom jumped at him, and Ravenstrike responded with a swift and powerful kicked with his back legs, sending Smokerunner flying and giving him time to jump to his paws. He ran forward again, scoring his claws against the gray warrior's muzzle with a flinch.
'That's just how they train. That's just how they train.'
Smokerunner's claws slashed across Ravenstrike's cheek in response, sending warm scarlet blood dripping off. The yellow-eyed tom bit down on the gray tom's paw, unbalancing him. The black warrior's paws pinned the opponent down, staying firm despite the strong kicks to his belly.
"Good." Ravenstrike began to scramble off of Smokerunner at Dust'a voice, but froze as he spoke again, "Don't just leave him there. Finish him! We cannot make RushClan better of all the cats in its ways are alive!"
Ravenstrike's yellow eyes grew more uneasy and uncertain.
"Do it you coward! You wanted to help, didn't you? He's trying to betray us and keep RushClan's horrible ways. Do you want your Clan to stay in bad leadership?"
'No! I don't, I just want to save them!'
Ravenstrike lifted a paw, claws extended. Smokerunner's amber eyes sparked in surprise and he froze in his attempts to shove the black tom off, shocked. The black tom closed his eyes as he swung the paw down, feeling something warm and sticky wash over his paw. Blood.
He opened his yellow eyes to look down at the gray tom, his Clanmate. The gray pelt was stained crimson at the throat and his amber eyes were clouded over. Ravenstrike shivered.
'I'm a murderer now, but it's all for the Clan. I'm doing this for our future, and I cannot let that be jeopardized!'