"Brambleclaw?"

Brambleclaw twitched his ears and turned away from the fresh-kill pile. Jaypaw glanced up at him, dropping a vole and a mouse onto the stash.

"Ah," the warrior mewed approvingly. "I see you've caught some prey." He tensed suddenly. "I suppose Ashfur actually did teach you something."

"Stop it," Jaypaw hissed. "He's mentoring me like he's supposed to!" Brambleclaw looked a bit startled at Jaypaw's defense of Ashfur. "Brambleclaw, there was something I wanted to ask you."

Brambleclaw hesitated. "What?"

"Why does every cat think that Ashfur is a traitor?"

Brambleclaw was silent for many heartbeats. "Jaypaw, it's kind of a complicated matter. Basically, Ashfur betrayed the Clan by helping Hawkfrost lead Firestar into a fox trap set by the Twolegs."

Jaypaw cocked her head to one side. "I know that. I mean, did any cat see him do it?"

"Erm, no." Brambleclaw shifted from paw to paw. "See, Jaypaw, Ashfur hates me. He wanted Squirrelflight for a mate. So when Firestar made me deputy, he wanted to kill Firestar because he was so angry."

"Oh," meowed Jaypaw. She shook herself. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. "Thanks, Brambleclaw."

"Why did you want to know?" The dark brown warrior blinked.

"Because I asked Ashfur, but-."

"You asked Ashfur? But he tried to kill Firestar! You can't expect him to tell you the truth."

"Well, he didn't answer me anyway," grumbled Jaypaw. She swished her tail. "All he did was get really annoyed. Not like it matters."

Brambleclaw looked her straight in the eyes. "Jaypaw, do not provoke Ashfur. He could kill you!"

"Sure!" spat a voice. "I would kill my own apprentice, huh?"

Brambleclaw's pelt bristled. "Ashfur!"

The gray warrior was padding into the camp. "Good," he meowed to Jaypaw, abruptly ignoring Brambleclaw. "You caught some fresh-kill. That's better than some mousebrains can do." He shot a mean glance at the ThunderClan deputy.

Brambleclaw hissed, but a white colored warrior brushed past him. "Pay no attention to him, Brambleclaw. Don't worry, the rest of ThunderClan knows he's a traitor." The tom, Cloudtail, padded up to grab a mouse.

Stormfur was behind him. He gave a look of sympathy to Ashfur; he knew what it was like to have loyalties questioned.

"Oh, don't you feel bad for him," meowed Cloudtail disgustedly. "He's a traitor, you know. Or maybe you wouldn't notice that. You're part RiverClan, that pack of stupid furballs."

Stormfur looked at him, confused.

Jaypaw blinked. "Cloudtail, what do you mean?"

"Nothing," muttered Cloudtail. He stalked off with his mouse.

"He must have a furball stuck somewhere," mewed Brambleclaw, glancing at Stormfur. Not all of the Clan completely trusted the Clan and Tribe cat, and Cloudtail was one of those cats.

Stormfur shrugged, then picked up the vole Jaypaw had brought back and carried it over to Brook. Brambleclaw narrowed his eyes, and followed Cloudtail.

Ashfur snorted. "Well, I guess I'm not the only cat who the Clan doesn't trust, though I don't know why Cloudtail was being so mean."

Jaypaw had to agree with her mentor. "I wonder what got into him." She looked at Ashfur. Something Brambleclaw had told her was bugging her, but she couldn't quite put a paw on it.

"You did hunt well," admitted Ashfur. "Better than some mousebrains, really. Especially Bramb-."

"Thanks," intervened Jaypaw hurriedly, cutting off the tom's meow. She didn't want to get any cats angry again. "I'll go hunt again," she offered. I need to take the queens some anyway."

Ashfur dipped his head. "All right."

Jaypaw flicked her dark brown tail, then raced off through the gorse tunnel and into the forest.

Okay, I know that I made Cloudtail all mean, but in the summary it says that hatred towards Half-Clan cats is beginning. I have to start it somewhere! Anyways, keep reading and keep reviewing!