Pale grass brushed the tomcat's ashy fur as he stalked the long shadows that led him silently to a path no other cat would ever know. He sighed heavily as he saw a she-cat ahead who was mewing happily, curling her tail around her so-called 'kits.' Ashfur knew that Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze weren't Squirrelflight's real kits. As to who was, he'd no idea. Not even Brambleclaw knew the truth about who he thought were his kits.

But Squirrelflight had never felt the pain he'd felt when she chose Brambleclaw over him. His insides exploded. He felt like dying. But he didn't want to die. He wanted to live to hurt Squirrelflight as much as she'd hurt him. Nothing hurt like losing when he knew it was already gone. For him and Squirrelflight it was too late, but he could get revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge.

He'd tried to kill Firestar, her father, to make her suffer as much as he did. Brambleclaw, sweet, protectful, innocent, noble, loyal, Brambleclaw, had to go and rescue him, though. It made Ashfur sick, that Squirrelflight always won, even when she lost. He tried to kill her kits in a fire. But Squirrelflight had said that they weren't really her kits. And she'd meant it. So now, to Ashfur, it only meant one thing -- he had to tell everyone. Nothing could hurt Squirrelflight more than being shunned by her clan, her mate, her leader, her father, and her "kits."

"Ashfur!" Hollyleaf hissed, beckoning him with her black paw. Ashfur grumbled as he slunk towards her, stealing a glance at Squirrelflight. He looked away when she looked back at him, a sharp pang filling his body.

"What? Are you going to tell me off, like your littermates?" he choked, glaring at her. "Well, nothing can stop me from telling everybody."

Hollyleaf narrowed her eyes into slits. "Remember what Jayfeather said, Ashfur."

"I'm not scared of a little medicine cat who thinks he can scare me by popping up in my dream with a little prophecy," Ashfur retorted, turning on his heels and stalking away to the path going to the log that lead to the island.

Jayfeather stood next to Lionblaze as they watched Ashfur. "Let's go," he sighed.

Squirrelflight followed Ashfur until he got to the log. No one was around. She stared him in the eye. "What in StarClan's name do you think you're doing, Ashfur?"

Ashfur hissed, swiping her cheek. "It doesn't matter to you, though, does it? Nothing matters to Squirrelflight, oh no! No one can hurt her, make her possibly feel the pain that they felt when she betrayed them!"

She winced at his blow, then looked at her feet half-puzzled and half-guilty. "I never meant to hurt you," she mewed.

"But you did! You knew you would! I'm sick of this, Squirrelflight!" Ashfur urged. "I am going to tell everyone. You will know the suffering, the pain, the rejection that I felt. And then, only then, you can tell me that you're sorry."

"Uh, Ashfur?" Squirreflight said. "You're kind of going to the gathering..."

He turned and ran towards to the river bordering WindClan and ThunderClan, sprinting with all his might to get home when suddenly he ran into a huge branch. It swiped his stomach as he tripped and went flying into the flowing river.

"You're not sorry," he choked as he got swept away, a gash in his cheek.

Shaking the water that Ashfur splashed on her off her pelt, Squirrelflight hung her head low. I might as well have killed him, she thought. What difference does it make? It's my fault he's drowned.

She stared at Ashfur's body, sinking into the bottom of the river as he bled to death. The she-cat felt like a helpless kit. "Ashfur," she whispered. Stalking away, she realized that she would never be sorry.

But maybe she knew what he felt like now.