+Trials of Terror-

-Chapter Two+

Over the next few days, the water level stayed the same. The clan was safe and Lionblaze could stop worrying. But something worse would strike the clans.

**

The golden leader whose pelt seemed to blaze in the sunlight trotted over to Lionblaze, smiling happily. "You're going to the gathering. Better hurry." He reported, draping his tail over Lionblaze's shoulders. "The clan is fine, don't worry anymore."

"I know, I'm not." Lionblaze protested, walking away from the leader towards the bramble tunnel that allowed the clan to exit and entrance the camp. Night was beginning to settle over the lake and they would have to go a bit faster to make it to the gathering.

Firestar took his position at the front of the clan, gazing at them proudly before announcing, "Ok, it's time to go. Brambleclaw, you'll be staying behind to guard the camp." The brown tabby nodded in the shadows of the warriors den, nearly invisible. Firestar nodded and turned to leave the camp. Lionblaze ran after him, eager to go the gathering.

**

When they got there, after crossing through Windclan territory and over the tree bridge, the leaders took their places on the tree and waited for the clans to quiet. Leopardstar began with a worried voice, "Riverclan has been suffering from the excessive rains and the streams have flooded. But the prey in still plentiful and our warriors are still as strong as ever. Other than that, no news."

The Windclan leader, Onestar, went next, "The water has done nothing to our territory and the rabbits are still running. Our warriors are still very strong and ready to take on any intruder." He shot a glance at Firestar before stepping back.

The Thunderclan leader went next. "The water has reached into the forest but it has not threatened our camp or prey. We are still strong and can take on any attack thrown at us…" Firestar paused at the end to stare at the Windclan leader before he turned his head towards the Shadowclan leader.

The leader had his head lowered to his chest but he looked up when Firestar had finished. "Shadowclan is well fed and the water level has done nothing to our territory." He meowed loudly enough for everyone to hear but in a rushed voice.

The clans stayed silent for a few moments until Leopardstar announced, "That is it for the gathering." All the leaders, except for Blackstar, nodded in agreement and jumped from the branches of the tree to join their clans.

Firestar walked to the front of his clan, the tip of his tail twitching slightly. "Let…" Before he could finish his sentence, he stopped and gazed over at Shadowclan. Lionblaze looked too and as soon as he laid eyes on the cats, a screeching yowl pierced the air, making his pelt prick.

One of the Shadowclan cats snarled something at his clan before turning and sprinting towards Thunderclan. The cats reacted on instinct instead of on the Warrior Code. Even though they were at a Gathering, the cats attacked.

Brambleclaw's POV

Brambleclaw rushed forward, launching himself at the Shadowclan cat. Rage filled the other cat's dark green eyes as he flew into Brambleclaw, sending him into a bush. The attacker immediately its jaws towards Brambleclaw's throat. He lashed out one of his paws, scratching him across the Shadowclan cat's face. He didn't seem to notice as he ran forward again, biting deep into Brambleclaw's foreleg.

His clan mates came to help him, fighting off the lone Shadowclan warrior. A different yowl split through the air. "Stop!" It was Shadowclan's leader. The cats stopped battling briefly and Shadowclan warriors rushed in. What surprised Brambleclaw was, they weren't attacking them. They were grabbing the hissing warrior by the neck and pinning him down. They avoided his attempts at attacking them and one of the other warriors bit his neck, leaving the struggling warrior limp on the ground.

"You just killed one of your own warriors!" Squirrelflight yowled from behind Brambleclaw.

Blackstar looked up solemnly at her and the rest of Thunderclan. "We had to." He meowed, almost whispered.

"Why?" Came the voices of many others, not just Thunderclan though.

The leader shook his head and meowed louder, "Something is attacking my clan."

"What is?" A meow interrupted from where Riverclan was sitting.

"A disease!" A Shadowclan elder rasped, standing up and walking to the front of Shadowclan.

The clans stared at the elder strangely. Brambleclaw hadn't known of any illness that could do that to a cat. He bent down and licked his foreleg where the warrior had bit him.

Mothwing, the golden Riverclan medicine cat, spoke, "I've hard of that! My mother told me!" She looked around the island, as if to see if she was there.

"What was it called?" Firestar questioned, narrowing his eyes at the she-cat.

"Rabies. Sasha said when a cat gets this they go crazy and start trying to kill any living thing they can find." She lowered her voice into a whisper and locked her eyes on Brambleclaw. "They only way it can be spread is if the infected cat bites another animal."

Firestar turned to face his clan and asked, "Was anyone bit?"

Brambleclaw slowly nodded and stood up, holding his paw out.

Firestar looked at him with a faint look of horror before looking at Mothwing again. "Is there any way to treat this?"

"Sasha didn't know of anything. I've never seen this before so I wouldn't be able to test a herb."

"We should ask Starclan." Meowed Blackstar, looking thoughtfully up at the sky.

Mothwing looked at Blackstar doubtfully. "I don't think they will be able to help."

And Windclan cat yowled, "If Brambleclaw is infected, why don't you kill him?"

Squirrelflight gasped and meowed back, "We don't know he's infected!"

Ashfoot whispered to the angry cat, "Breezepelt, let Onestar take care of this."

Breezepelt ignored her and hissed back, "You just saw what that insane Shadowclan cat did! It was trying to kill us."

Squirrelflight opened her mouth to yowl back at him, but Firestar silenced her with his tail. He then meowed calmly, "From what just happened and what Mothwing says…I believe we should…" The leader paused and looked at Brambleclaw sadly, "I think we should kill him to prevent infection."

Brambleclaw hissed at his leader, "I will not be killed because of what some Shadowclan cat did!"

Firestar had a pained look in his eyes. He meowed back softly, "I'm sorry...you saw what that cat did. If Mothwing is correct, and I believe she is, you might pass it to another warrior. If this gets too bad…I think all of the clans could die."

"I don't care what Mothwing said...she's probably lying."

"I am not!" Yowled the Riverclan medicine cat, leaping forward and unsheathing her claws.

Leopardstar growled from her perch in the tree. "Stop it! My medicine cat does not lie and Firestar is correct! The risk of infection is too great!"

Breezepelt stepped out of the crowd of cats. "Then lets get the job done now before it's too late." The black cat sprinted towards Brambleclaw. He leaped out of the way and ran towards the shore of the island. He jumped off a rock and into the freezing water. There was a splash and two more cats were in the water with him.

Brambleclaw franticly clawed at the water, rising to the surface. Breezepelt and another Riverclan cat were swimming towards him. There was a yowl from the island. "Stop it! Get back over here!" But the warriors ignored the leader, Onestar, and swam towards Brambleclaw.

This time it was Firestar, "Graystripe and Squirrelflight! Get him back here alive."

The two cats dove into the water and swam after Brambleclaw. By this time, he was already ashore. 'I didn't even do anything wrong. Brambleclaw thought, running from the Riverclan cat that was climbing out of the water. I was just trying to protect my clan…and Squirrelflight.' The Riverclan cat jumped and was on top of Brambleclaw, biting into his neck.

Squirrelflight's POV

Squirrelflight swam through the water, although she could see the Riverclan cat, Rainstorm, already on land. He was on top of Brambleclaw.

Then Breezepelt climbed out of the water, not far ahead of her. Squirrelflight yowled at them, "What did you do to Brambleclaw?" She closed her mouth, afraid of the choking water.

Breezepelt turned around, the moonlight glinting off his eyes. "We took care of him. The clans are now safe."

Squirrelflight looked at him in disbelief as she pulled herself out of the water. The water dripped off her pelt, already making a small pool in the rocky sand where she stood. Breezepelt's words still echoed in her mind.

"What?" Graystripe asked, as he walked towards them, examining the limp cat on the ground. He looked up at the cats. "Didn't you hear the leaders? They said not to kill him." Graystripe shook his head. He mumbled, "Brambleclaw…"

"He's dead?" Squirrelflight asked numbly, already expecting the answer.

Rainstorm's cold voice answered her. "Yes. Like Breezepelt said, the clans are safe." He turned to face her. His sharp green eyes studied her, as if he was watching a prey mouse. "Would you rather have him dead," He flicked his tail towards Brambleclaw, "or your whole clan dead?"

"That was murder! How do you know he had it?"

Rainstorm gave her a questioning look. "It was not murder. It was for the good of the clans."

"You liar!" Squirrelflight hissed, leaping at him. The warrior easily jumped out of her way.

"You would understand…if we hadn't killed him he would have killed you. Or someone else. It was better this way."

"Murderer!" Squirrelflight yowled at him as Graystripe pulled her away gently.

**Wow…that was long. Review if you want…you should. Cool people review. Next chapter should be on here within a week. Possibly sooner if I get inspiration.**