Author's Note/Rant: I originally loved Hawkfrost's character. To me he was a loyal, dedicated warrior trying to do as best he could for a Clan he wasn't even born into. Even when his parentage was revealed, I was okay with it. I thought Hawkfrost could accept Tigerstar as his father without setting down the same doomed path. I thought he could learn from history's mistakes, like Brambleclaw could. I thought wrong. Hawkfrost died and continues to bother living cats from the Dark Forest. Brambleclaw became a goody-goody deputy. Here's how the two find a home and redemption together. 'Cause a little misunderstanding over something like murder can go a long way.
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. All original material belongs to me.
"Let him run,
Let him live,
But do not forget what we cannot forgive"
-One of Us, Lion King II Soundtrack
"He's a disgrace to ThunderClan! He should have died in that fire."
"How in StarClan's name did we not see this coming sooner? When his sister left for ShadowClan seasons ago we should have suspected him of following in his father's pawsteps from then on out."
"Tigerstar would be proud. His hatred and murderous instincts live on in his sons. Especially his eldest."
Ears pressed flat against his head, he remained crouched in terror, unable to defend himself from the relentless bombardment of insults. His thick dark tabby fur was patched crimson with his own dried blood. Once proud broad shoulders were hunched over, formerly massive frame diminished in his unbearable shame. He shivered pathetically like a kit from the cold. The chilling glares from his Clanmates was far worse than even the leafbare winds. Amber eyes wide, he could only stare up at his leaders silently. There were no more words left to him.
Hawkfrost, the half-brother that had shared his company and his dreams over the past couple of moons, was in equal disgrace. Born a loner and yet being hailed as a prodigy by RiverClan when he reached apprentice age, he was feeling true disgust and loathing for the entire time in his formerly blessed life. The same cat that had been appointed a temporary deputy before ever receiving his first apprentice now only faced scorn from his former comrades. Not even confident Hawkfrost had the sureness to bear such rejection.
Alone in a sea of malice and snarling faces, the two half-brothers huddled close together. Their only comfort now could come from the other.
Firestar perched atop of Highledge, gazing down at the two warriors in his midst. He was no longer the legendary ThunderClan leader renowned for his mercy and compassion. His normally warm green eyes blazed with cold fire. This was the side Firestar rarely revealed, had not shown itself in seasons. Here was the wrath of a Clan leader clear for all to see. Marring his ginger pelt were fresh wounds, a grievous one wrapping its way around his throat. It was proof of the life he had just recently lost. A chilling reminder of the many more he would have lost if not for timely intervention from his warriors.
Leopardstar stood by his side. Her amber eyes still glimmered with faint traces of pain as she gazed down at her favorite warrior. She used that feeling of utter betrayal to fuel her rage. Claws unsheathed and revealing her fangs in a snarl, her rage rivaled that of her legendary namesake.
Firestar at last raised his tail. The curses and sharp hisses from his warriors and the RiverClanners present reluctantly died down. Yet nothing could soften the glares directed at the half-brothers. Or from cats whispering into the ears of those next to them. For once two rival Clans were united in their betrayal and hatred.
"Brambleclaw. Hawkfrost." Leopardstar choked only slightly at the name of her former apprentice, but plowed resolutely on. "Ashfur reported that he saw the two of you with Firestar imprisoned in a Twoleg trap. A patrol of warriors was sent out to investigate this seemingly ridiculous claim. Not only were you found talking over him, Firestar was in the process of losing one of his lives! What reasons do have to justify outright murder?"
Hawkfrost stammered helplessly. He, who could persuade a fox to eat cat-mint instead of cats, was unable to articulate a single word. Voice gone altogether, Brambleclaw glanced desperately around him for a final time. Surely one of his Clanmates would support him? Realize he had never intended to kill Firestar! It had been Hawkfrost's idea and Hawkfrost who had lured the ginger tom into the trap!
The few cats that returned his imploring gaze had only ice in their eyes. Most averted their eyes and pretended he no longer existed. Stormfur was one who refused to look him in the eye. Berrykit and his siblings cowered against their mother's side. Mothwing was locked on her paws and shivering violently. Leafpool seemed utterly lost in the unbelievable chaos. Brambleclaw's mother, Goldenflower, wasn't even present. Squirrelflight was sobbing into Ashfur's shoulder. Her mate was dead to her.
"You're right," Firestar spat sharply, cutting off Hawkfrost's pathetic stuttering. "There is no logical reason for this madness. Nothing but your ambition and lust for power. You two desired only to have control over your Clans. Just like Tigerstar." He sighed, closing his eyes in momentary anguish. "We believed you two to be above your father's cruelty. All of the forest was able to overlook your heritage and give you a second chance. You threw that offer back into our faces."
"They were always like this!" Brook yowled. "It was Hawkfrost who instigated Stormfur and forced Leopardstar to exile us!" She snarled hatefully at her tormentor. "Let us return the favor now!"
"Exile?" repeated Dustfur haughtily. "Such a light punishment was tried on Tigerstar. He plagued the Clans for moons afterward and lead to the deaths of countless others! Exterminate such dangers once and for all!" He bared his fangs savagely at this.
There was silence as his suggestion settled in. Brambleclaw felt a cold snake wrap around his belly in horror as realization dawned like a blood-red sunrise.
"Execution!" he whispered frantically into Hawkfrost's ear.
His brother cursed in astonishment. "Crazy, sadistic maniac!" he hissed back. "That sentence hasn't been carried out for seasons. Not since Brokentail!"
To the half-brothers' unbelieving terror, a fair number cats yowled in eager agreement. Many of them were RiverClan, who remembered Tigerstar's reign of horror all too vividly; The involuntarily fusing of ShadowClan and RiverClan to form TigerClan. Mass slaughter of prey to construct the Bonehill. Imprisonment and torture of HalfClan cats. Most were desperate to make sure such horrors never came to fruition again.
Hawkfrost shuddered at this personal blow. His Clanmates had been so quick to turn against him, disregarding him as yet another aspiring tyrant. They were right.
"Execution?" Leafpool echoed with a gasp. "Should we really descend to such a level? Murder in all forms is against the warrior code!"
"You're one to talk!" Dustpelt retorted angrily. "One of those monsters is your sister's mate! The same cat you claimed was ordained by StarClan to be the next deputy!" Ignoring Ashfur's furious hiss at that accusing statement, he glanced pointedly over at Stormfur. "Well, what do you have to say, Stormfur? It was these toms' father tortured you for several moons and ordered the cruel slaughtering of your mentor, Stonefur. Do you believe the descendants of such unforgivable evil deserve to leave this camp alive?"
The dark gray tom exhaled with difficulty. "Brambleclaw lead the way to Midnight on that impossible journey and got us home safe and sound. He was helpless to prevent Feathertail's death. When Brook and I were exiled, it was Brambleclaw who offered us temporary residence here until we could return home to the mountains. Give him the leniency he has earned. His brother, on the other paw..." Stormfur trailed off, amber eyes growing cold. "Not all of RiverClan is oblivious to the way Hawkfrost treats his sister. I do not blame Mothwing for fabricating a false dream to persuade Leopardstar to banish us. All responsibility for that crime rests on the cat who forced her for doing it. Spare Hawkfrost no mercy."
Leopardstar turned to gaze sharply at the young golden tabby she-cat. "Mothwing! Is any of this true? Has your brother been manipulating your decisions and actions as a medicine cat?"
Hawkfrost inhaled sharply. Brambleclaw saw the dark tabby had turned to his sister, ice-blue eyes glittering beseechingly. His half-brother just detected his sibling give a barely perceptible shake of his head. Brambleclaw also swore he could hear a pleading mewl subconsciously building up in Hawkfrost's throat.
Mutely, Mothwing shook her head. Her brother relaxed, flopping to the ground in relief. "My actions were entirely my own." She dipped her head in shame. "Forgive me Leopardstar. I was jealous of how easily Stormfur was accepted back into RiverClan with a Tribe cat at his side. It took moons for some cats to accept me as the new medicine cat because of my loner mother. I just wanted to take revenge against them for that."
Firestar sighed heavily. "You are not at fault here. It is up to StarClan and your leader to proceed with your personal matters." Hesitating, he turned to Squirrelflight. He obviously wanted his daughter to not go through any further suffering, but it was unavoidable. The lives of two cats depended upon her words. "Squirrelflight? You know personally of Brambleclaw's prior bravery and self-sacrifice for cats in all four Clans. You also suspected Hawkfrost of treachery long before most of us. What have you to say regarding their punishment?"
Gulping nervously, Brambleclaw risked a surreptitious glance at his former mate from the corner of his eyes. He had almost driven her away forever by hanging around Hawkfrost and arousing her suspicions. Yet he had sworn to Squirrelflight he had given up seeing his half-brother for her. She had trusted his promise as sincere and had chosen him over Ashfur. Now Squirrelflight believed he had betrayed her again. She would never believe the truth, not from him. Brambleclaw bowed his head in silent resignation and braced for her merciless sentence.
Squirrelflight lifted her dark ginger head from Ashfur's fur. Her anguished gaze was not for Brambleclaw, but solely for her father. It conveyed all the emotions her choked answer could not.
"Banish them."
Brambleclaw knew Squirrelflight would reject him. She believed him to be the treacherous liar Hawkfrost had turned out to be. She and an patrol of cats had caught him looming over a helpless Firestar. His own Clanmates had lunged at him before he could explain himself and denounce his brother as a maniac. Their rough romance was over once and for all.
Still, those two words stung him more than the blows delivered by a wrathful ThunderClan.
Leopardstar nodded at these words and spoke again, words hard and cold as ice. "You have heard the judgment passed by those cats closest to you. Hawkfrost, from hence forth you are banished from RiverClan forever. Cats have my permission to kill you if you set a single paw upon Clan territory." Holding back her sorrow at these condemning words, she beckoned for two of her younger warriors. "One journey to WindClan camp and the other to ShadowClan. Inform Blackstar and Onestar of Hawkfrost's dangerous status."
The two solemn warriors nodded in assent and dashed out of ThunderClan camp. Hawkfrost's fate in the forest was sealed.
Brambleclaw's turn to fate the same punishment by his leader was next. For a final time, his pleading amber eyes met his former mentor's. Firestar's eyes were the same shade of brilliant green as Squirrelflight's, but his gaze only held rage instead of grief. How could he have possibly known that Brambleclaw had begged Hawkfrost to see sense while he had been unconscious and at their utter mercy?
"The same sentence applies to you, Brambleclaw," Firestar intoned expressionlessly. "Should you be caught upon any territory, including ThunderClan's, I expect the warriors to hold nothing back." Dustpelt and several others caterwauled eagerly at this. Silently, the ginger tom glanced up at the setting sun. "I give you a period of grace. Both of you have until the sun sinks full beneath the horizon to leave Clan territory. When night falls, so does your guaranteed protection."
The two half-brothers shared a desperate glance. Their previous hatred for each other had been all but forgotten during the tragic turn of events. Forgetting that they had disagreed over what to do with Firestar, that their earlier argument had almost escalated to a fight to the death, they fled together.
They fled south, back in the direction where their former home lay in ruins. With frantic speed that would have made a WindClan warrior envious, the exiled kin remained stuck to the lake shore, trusting the vows of peace would remain so long as they did not intrude upon enemy territory. With the darkness of nightfall snapping at their back-paws and their vengeful former Clanmates sure to be close behind, Brambleclaw and Hawkfost's hopes of ever regaining their former honored places in their respective Clans crumbled to dust.
Along with those useless hopes, Hawkfrost's ambitious dreams of domination over the entire forest and Brambleclaw's simple dreams of peace and love shattered beyond repair.
There was nothing left to do but run and pray their paws were swift enough to evade the death that pursued them.
Next chapter: Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost at last reach shelter. Angry at each other and desperate for comfort, they return to the Dark Forest to seek Tigerstar's advice on how to regain their Clans' grace. However, their father has a rather unexpected reaction to their arrival. Also, a certain dead cat related to Brambleclaw defies the will of StarClan to guide him and Hawkfrost on the right path.
1. So, yeah, short prologue. The chapters will be about twice the length as this.
2. In case you haven't pieced the puzzle together yet, the ThunderClan patrol reached Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost before their fight broke out. That meant Hawkfrost never died, and Firestar wasn't awake to see his deputy defending him. The ThunderClan patrol saw two conniving sons of Tigerstar discussing how to kill Firestar. Before Brambleclaw could explain, he was attacked and dragged injured back to ThunderClan to await his punishment with Hawkfrost. He never got the chance to defend himself.
3. I trust all characters are still in character. I honestly do expect Hawkfrost's confidence and pride to be completely shattered by the utter rejection by the Clan he depended upon since kithood. Brambleclaw was too shocked to defend himself against vicious accusations. Squirrelflight can only grieve over the supposed loss of the cat she loved and the 'realization' Brambleclaw tried to murder her father. All of their characters from this point on will develop accordingly to such betrayal and destruction.