Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. Erin Hunter does.

Desire

Scourge stared straight in front of him. A few moons passed and he was staring at the new cats that were trying to fight their way into The Guard. One of those cats was Mint. Following orders, Almond, Mint's mother, had brought her last born over as soon as Mint was old enough and strong enough to be by herself. He knew that if Mint went back to her mother every day after her training practice then she might become attached to some other tom. And for Scourge, leader of BloodClan, that was not an option. He wanted her.

The only problem was Lilac, still. Scourge had been giving Lilac hints that he didn't love her anymore, but she was stupid because she didn't seem to get the hints. First he had stopped letting her come close to him. Then he stopped telling her things. He stopped ordering prey to be sent to her and he even cut her out of The Guard that he had allowed her into. But she kept coming back. She was like a tick.

He watched Mint dodge a blow from the larger tom she was fighting against. This was the last round of the competition. The kits would fight one another and then move up in rank until there were only two kits left. Those kits would then fight it out and then whoever won the last round would be taken under apprenticeship with a warrior from The Guard. So far it was an even fight between the big tom Lilac's brother, Thistle and the wonderful she-cat, Mint. Thistle was older than Mint, since he had only been two moons when the last competition for The Guard was going on. So, he had to wait six moons until he could compete for a spot.

They were both spectacular, and this fight could go on forever. The rest of The Guard were sitting around the tumbling kits, giving them plenty of room and hoping that whichever kit won, they got to train.

"Enough," Scourge snarled, Mint was on Thistle's shoulders, digging her claws into his fur when Thistle had rolled over, squashing her against the hard ground. "This is taking too long."

"So, who won?" Storm asked curiously, after all, Mint was his daughter. His head was tipped to the side as he stared at Scourge. It was normally tradition to wait until one of the kits had the other pinned down. Then he would announce who would take the triumphant kit and the other kit that lost would be sent to one of his Regular Warriors.

"They both did," Scourge answered coldly. He glared at his Clan. They were staring at him with shock and nervousness.

"Are you sure we should do that?" Bone spoke after the long shocked silence. "Two apprentices? They'd get in the way of everything! It's hard enough with one apprentice being dragged around with us. They slow us down tons. I mean they're a great honor but they're a great responsibility."

"Are you saying my decision is bad?" Scourge questioned his deputy quietly. His eyes were cold slits and he advanced up to his deputy slowly. Bone's doubt about the apprentices turned into pure terror.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," Bone shook his head. "That's not what I meant, Sir." Bone instantly changed his demeanor, from scornful to a respectful warrior. "I only meant that The Guard is a special elite group and we many things. And it's very hard to train both apprentices while keeping up with the large Clan."

"Then I'll take one and train it myself," Scourge sneered. Inside he was exploding with joy. How lucky was this? "If it's too much trouble for your warriors."

"No, it's alright, Scourge," Silver murmured softly. Scourge whipped his head around to see a light gray she-cat. She was a very attractive cat who had the air of being a soft, gentle queen. That wasn't so. She was just as vicious as the rest of The Guard. "Really, Scourge, you really mustn't worry yourself with an apprentice. They are a lot of work, but The Guard is trained to deal with many great honors. We can handle another kit. It's no problem."

Scourge shook his head while his Clan agreed on her words. "Bone has already told me how much work they are. And because apparently my Guard is weaker than I thought and they can't handle another kit, I will take one."

"Which one will you take?" Clover questioned.

"Mint," Scourge meowed coldly. He gave a slight flick of his tail and she padded up nervously towards him, as if she couldn't believe her ears and it might be a trick.

"Let's see…" Scourge searched his Guard. Bone was a definite out for being a mentor. One, he had argued with him and angered him, and he was the father. Clover couldn't mentor, she was the mother. Parents could never get mentored by their parents. That meant they got too close to them. As Scourge knew, strong families could overpower him. His eyes stopped at Ice. Thistle and Ice could probably get along well…Another rule for choosing mentors, find cats that don't look like they'd be on each other's tails every moment, that meant complaining and a Guard that was separated.

"Ice," Scourge meowed. "Take Thistle, you're his new mentor." Ice perked up. He must've not been expecting an apprentice. He had just finished training Clover a few seasons ago. Ice dipped his head and Thistle went up to greet him. He dismissed his Clan.

He saw something stir behind him. He turned his head a few inches and looked at a pile of rubble, pretending to be in great thought; Lilac and Mint were arguing and he wanted to hear every word. . Scourge strained his ears to hear what they were saying.

"Why is he training you?" Lilac was asking.

"Dunno."

"You know he is still training me, right?" Lilac meowed coldly.

"He took you off The Guard," Mint pointed out vehemently, getting the hint that Lilac was furious.

"Because," Lilac sneered stiffly. "He has other plans for me."

"Like what?" Mint asked in fake curiousness. "Maybe he wants to make you the first slave cat in this Clan. Maybe you'll be the dung-cleaner-upper…the possibilities are endless."

Scourge's ears perked a little. Maybe Lilac would be good for that job. She certainly would be off of his tail and she'd be doing something useful. But that trick you taught her. Your signature move...He told himself. Scourge cursed silently. How could he have been that stupid? Why did he have to teach her that move?

"You think you're so smart—"

"Because I am," Mint interrupted. "You however don't seem to understand that you might've been someone a few moons ago, but now you're nothing! I'm in your spot. Get used to it, weakling."

Lilac screeched with fury and then leapt onto the newest apprentice. Scourge whipped around, not pretending to be ignoring what was going on between the she-cats now. He thought he'd have to interfere but he never did.

Mint had learned a lot, while Lilac's moves were messy and cocky, mocking the new apprentice. Scourge had no idea where a five moon kit could have learned all of that stuff, but he was shocked as Mint jumped into the air with such quickness and landed perfectly on Lilac's shoulders. She began tearing Lilac's fur out, tuff by tuff. Lilac was trying to buck her off but wasn't doing too well on that because Mint was still tearing. Finally Lilac rolled on her back to escape Mint's claws but when he was on her back, Mint had jumped up and landed on her stomach, pressing her claws against Lilac's throat.

Lilac wriggled underneath Mint and leapt at her, taken by Surprise, Mint jumped back. Lilac had one claw extended on her right front paw. Scourge knew where this was going. He couldn't let Mint get finished off by Lilac, especially with the move he taught her.

"Nice try, Lilac," Scourge sneered. Scourge knocked Lilac off balance in the air. She tumbled to the ground. "I taught you that move and it was the biggest mistake of my life." Scourge had been avoiding Lilac as much as possible, so much he didn't notice that she was a little bit bigger than her was.

"No matter," Scourge muttered to himself. He padded up slowly to Lilac. Her eyes were wide and her silver fur bloody.

"Scourge!" she gasped. "Why didn't you let me kill her? She's just a kit! What are you? Stupid?"

"Better watch that tongue of yours, Lilac," Scourge meowed coldly. "Or I'll finish what Mint didn't."

"Why, Scourge? You really wouldn't kill me? Would you?" Panic flew into her eyes. "Was it because of that remark I made? I'm sorry! I didn't mean it." Lilac was on her paws.

"Of course, you didn't," Scourge meowed sarcastically.

"Mint can fight her own battles, can't you Mint?" Lilac jeered. "Or are you too weak to do that now?" Lilac leapt at Mint but Scourge knocked her down again.

"Stop wasting your time," Scourge finally meowed. He stepped back, giving Lilac the glare that made every cat slink back a little. The things looks could do to stupid cats… "Mint, kill her. She's becoming too much of a nuisance. Next thing she'll do is turn my loyal cats against me. Kill her."

The sleek black cat pranced up to Lilac. Scourge noticed that she was slightly limping. Her left hind left had been bitten hard and her shoulders were wounded. Mint leapt up and landed on Lilac's stomach, like a cat hunting a mouse, she made a swift kill, but not before whispering loudly, "Nice try, you lose."

It was a clean cut that wouldn't have hurt.

"Wonderful." Scourge praised her. Her eyes lit up. "Where'd you leanr all of that? It's almost Regular Warrior worthy. Not many kits can do that."

"My father, Storm." Mint meowed simply. "When you said you wanted me in The Guard, my mother told Storm, who took me out every day to practice."

"Wasn't he a little busy? After all, he had Night to train, didn't he?"

"Did he? I'm not sure. I guess so, now that I think about it…" Mint didn't say anything else.

"Alright," Scourge meowed. Scourge studied her face. It was smooth and angular, giving her a more mature look. She was lithe and thin now. She could've been mistaken for a adult cat, not a kit, if was larger.

"Go find a nest," Scourge ordered. "If you're not up and waiting over there," he flicked his tail by the table, "By the time I wake up tomorrow, then you'll regret it, got that?"

"Yes, Sir," Mint meowed, suddenly formal. But the way she said it was almost mockingly. Almost. She dipped her head and then padded off. He watched her leave. She gone before he could actually stare. But he knew one thing: she was gorgeous and she was quick-witted and talented. Lilac had also been talented, but she didn't measure up to Mint. Lilac. He smirked. she was gone. He had wondered when he was going to get rid of her. And then she offered him the perfect excuse and then he didn't even have to do it. He could just say that he needed to see what Mint could do and when…or he could just purely lie and say she was found dead and that he had nothing to do with it. Bone would get mad…

Bone. That was another matter. His deputy was getting too comfy with his place. So comfy Scourge was wondering if Bone wanted to be leader…That would mean Scourge would have to die. Scourge shook his head. He couldn't have that. He couldn't have a deputy forgetting his place. He'd have to do something about that too…