Chapter Two

Lionblaze & Cinderheart

"Sorry, Jayfeather. I'll talk to you later." Lionblaze trotted over to Cinderheart, and purred happily when she brushed against him. She looked at him, her eyes dark, dark pools.

"Let's go," Cinderheart exclaimed. She squeezed through the thorn barrier, Lionblaze right behind her. She turned, and Lionblaze stifled a look of horror and hatred. He looked behind her and saw Tigerstar's pitifully dark coat race through the undergrowth.

"Let's hunt here..."

A few moments later, surprisingly, Cinderheart came back with herbs, and not prey. She looked at Lionblaze, and a frown came upon her face. Her look softened as he turned and sat next to her. Cinderheart bounded forward, carrying the bundle of herbs with her. They squeezed back through the thorn barrier. He saw Jayfeather looking at them, with big, blind, blue-eyed stare. Lionblaze gasped in horror when he saw the Dark Forest warrior claw Jayfeather's back, and he saw Hollyleaf's eyes as she watched Jayfeather's cuts slowly start to gush blood...faster...faster. Hollyleaf cried into his ear,

"Jayfeather, stay awake...no! Don't close your eyes...not yet, don't lea-" Her cry ended as her neck suddenly split.

"Hollyleaf! No! Jayfeather?" Lionblaze whimpered. Suddenly, a voice caught his attention,

"Lionblaze, you will not win. If the three join the Dark Forest, ThunderClan will be spared." Lionblaze whirled around. He stared into the dark, sinister eyes of Tigerstar.

"You traitor! You...you killed them!" Lionblaze exclaimed. Suddenly he felt ashamed, because he should have fought Tigerstar from the beginning.

Tigerstar chuckled.

"Oh, no. They are not dead," Now, Tigerstar's voice was only in the wind. "Yet. Lionblaze, join the Dark Forest, and you won't lose your litter-mates."

"Lionblaze! Jayfeather's hurt! Stop staring into space!" Hollyleaf's voice rang out. Lionblaze was suddenly jolted into reality. He saw Jayfeather's convulsing form, and felt tears brim in his eyes. Only then, did Leafpool, joined by Cinderheart, race to Jayfeather with a mountain of cobwebs and a lot of marigold.

"Cinderheart, can you handle the marigold poultice while I clean Jayfeather's wound and dress it in cobwebs?" Leafpool asked. How can she act like that, when she might be losing her own son that she trained?Lionblaze thought.

"Yes, Leafpool." Cinderheart replied. Lionblaze watched his brother gushing blood, and realized that he had no choice. He didn't want his litter-mates dead.

He was going to join the Dark Forest. Tigerstar's voice rang in the wind,

"Good, brave, young warrior."