Darkstripe's good feelings faded to fear. His heart raced, and he knew his eyes betrayed his fright. "W-what are you meowing about, Fireheart?"
"You don't think I haven't noticed?" Fireheart rumbled, green eyes flashing mischievously. "That I haven't seen you become excited whenever you come back to camp and that you always listen to whatever Mousefur has to say when she's assigning patrols? Do you honestly think that I haven't noticed her grow?" Darkstripe's claws unsheathed, and his head spun. Fireheart knew. Soon, so would every cat. And when the Clan knew, so would Tigerstar, and Mousefur's and Darkstripe's fears would become a reality.
Darkstripe's fear lessened when Fireheart meowed softly, "I'm not planning on telling anyone, Darkstripe."
"I thought you hated me. Why not ruin my life, after I tried so hard before to ruin yours?" Darkstripe spat, but his voice was not threateningly, for he was so choked in relief.
"Because you're the only cat who's spoken more than telling me to check the ShadowClan border to me in the last seasons," Fireheart whispered. "And you're the only other cat that wishes nothing but hate against Tigerstar."
A purr formed in the silver warrior's throat. He had not purred to anyone except Mousefur for moons. "Thank you. Why do you hate Tigerstar like I do?"
"Why do you?"
"Because he treats me like I never did anything to help him."
"Help him? How?" Darkstripe's eyes narrowed. Fireheart was a little too curious about that.
"Always supported him," Darkstripe hissed. "Always followed him. I never complained when he told me to do something because I knew he would someday return the favor."
"That he would make you deputy when he became leader," Fireheart understood, nodding his head. "But he didn't. Nor does he plan to, I think. Not with Mousefur, and the way he treats you. I think he'll sooner choose Longtail."
"Have you ever wanted to be deputy?" Darkstripe spat.
"Once," Fireheart admitted. "When Bluestar was leader. I wanted to become deputy, so I could drive Tigerstar out of the Clan and the forest forever." His voice was suddenly as sharp as Darkstripe's. "And you too Darkstripe, then I did want that. And that morning before the battle with WindClan. You lied to the Clan. And that lie drove everyone away from me!"
Darkstripe crouched down. Guilt washed over him again. He knew what he'd done. He had done it gladly too, before he fell into love. Before his heart wasn't clawed to shreds every day. "I'm sorry. I was different then. I was Tigerstar's follower, I was…"
"Not in love?"
Darkstripe's eyes flashed. "Do you want every cat to hear?"
Fireheart purred again, green eyes gleeful. "Sorry, but I find it adorable. The heartless Darkstripe in love? How did that ever happen?"
Darkstripe's fur fluffed out in embarrassment. He turned the subject around. "You're still in love with Sandstorm," he accused.
Fireheart fell silent, and his face was torn once more. His ears and tail drooped, and he looked dull again. Darkstripe wished he'd never said that. Wasn't the former kittypet suffering enough? "I'm sorry, Fireheart, I didn't mean…"
"I know," the tom grumbled, but his eyes were pure sorrow. "I thought she loved me. But now she has Dustpelt's kits…what about me?"
Darkstripe felt so sorry for the young warrior, he put his tail tip on the tom's shoulder. He knew Mousefur loved him back. He couldn't imagine what this young cat felt when he saw his love mothering some other cat's son and daughter. But a burst of pride flowered in him. Soon, Mousefur would be having his son and daughter. Or daughters and or sons.
Fireheart narrowed his eyes. "Darkstripe. You don't trust Tigerstar?"
Darkstripe didn't answer right away. Tigerstar called it treason to say such things about him, the hidden-tyrannical leader of ThunderClan. He would end up like Fireheart if other cats besides Mousefur knew his true feelings. But he felt that he could confide in his former enemy. Here was another loner within the Clan who hated Tigerstar as much as he did. "No, I don't," he hissed. "However lucky he was to become leader since Bluestar was killed by a rogue."
"I know she wasn't."
Darkstripe turned his head. He had heard Fireheart openly challenge Tigerstar to admit murder, but Darkstripe hadn't taken any care of that before, like the other Clan cats. Everyone knew he was wrong, that he was only saying those things because he had hate against the dark leader. But now, now that he trusted Fireheart, he was tending to listen a bit more. Now that he knew the cat was not a liar at heart.
"Who did it then?" Darkstripe meowed.
"You know the truth, Darkstripe," Fireheart meowed solemnly. "You know Tigerstar as well as I do, even more. He was your mentor, your friend. You may have been blind to his faults before, or you may have seen it as his glorious traits. But you know you were wrong. Tigerstar murdered Bluestar."
Darkstripe wanted to deny it. A murderer alive in ThunderClan, leader of the Clan? Having the ability to turn warriors against however hated him? Having control over every aspect of ThunderClan life. Well, not every aspect…he never once caught he and Mousefur together, after he made the law banning any power-holding cat to fall in love.
But he knew the truth. He knew it with every hair on his pelt Fireheart was right all along. "I know. I know." He gazed into his friend's green eyes. "We have to do something."
"I've been trying all this time," Fireheart growled, but his hate was not at Darkstripe anymore. "I've pleaded with Bluestar in my dreams to tell me what she knew. But she…she won't say anything. Out of loyalty to her old deputy, Tigerclaw. She won't turn against him, not even now, not even in death in StarClan."
"There is another way." Darkstripe had an idea spark in his head, and right before he could tell Fireheart, a dark shadow fell upon the two cats. He turned to see his adversary, Tigerstar, with Longtail and Dustpelt standing behind him. All three cats' amber eyes were gleaming.
"So, this is how you obey orders, Darkstripe?" Tigerstar hissed. "Talking with that loner?" Fireheart's green eyes blazed with more fury than they had in moons, and Dustpelt actually flinched.
"I fed the queens," Darkstripe spat back, tail bristling. "I was only talking to Fireheart; you act like I was sharing prey with a ShadowClan warrior."
"When you pull your own weight, you may rest and speak to whoever you want to." Darkstripe normally would have listened to Tigerstar and strived to please the leader of ThunderClan. But not a murderer. Not a killer. He raised his chin, his neon blue eyes flaming, and his fur making him appear twice his size. His tail was thick as a squirrel's. "
"When I pull my own weight?" Darkstripe screeched, and other warriors turned to stare at the confrontation. "I've done everything you've ever said, Tigerstar! I've never betrayed you once before, I've never betrayed ThunderClan, and I've only betrayed myself. I haven't shown myself any loyalty. I've only done what every other cat has said."
"What has come over you, Darkstripe?" Longtail gasped. "This isn't like you!"
"Pride," Darkstripe spat. "Pride for who I am, and pride for ThunderClan as it should be. You shouldn't have ever become leader, Tigerstar!"
"Treachery," Tigerstar grumbled. "Watch what you say, Darkstripe. I am not just any warrior you can speak how you want to. I am the leader of ThunderClan."
"Through the eyes of the innocent, yes."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Tigerstar shrieked, and his long claws slid out. Darkstripe gasped inwardly. Tigerstar wouldn't attack him, not in front of the whole Clan, would he?
"You're nothing but a cold-hearted liar, Tigerstar." Darkstripe said those words without any spite, without any anger. Only fire for what he knew to be true. Fireheart dipped his head behind him. He hadn't ever spoken up to Tigerstar before, and for his hope to come from once Tigerstar's closest ally, it gave him fire as well.
Tigerstar's claws dug further into the ground. Darkstripe kept his head level, not losing one bit of dignity when Tigerstar expelled him from ThunderClan. But the dark tabby tom did not banish him. He only waved his tail to summon Longtail and Dustpelt away. His amber eyes glinted once, and silently, so his followers and the Clan wouldn't hear, he hissed, "I shall be watching you, Darkstripe. One wrong move, and you will be a warrior of ThunderClan no longer."
Darkstripe raised his head even further, not looking at his former mentor. The dark leader stalked away to speak with a dusky brown she-cat. Mousefur nodded, dipping her head, and listened to everything the leader said to her, but her eyes drifted to her mate the whole time. Her eyes whispered, What happened?
Fireheart stood beside Darkstripe, and the black tabby turned to the ginger tom, knowing he was not alone. The two toms watched Tigerstar as he gave orders to his deputy, but Mousefur was not intent. As soon as Tigerstar and his warriors moved away, Mousefur only remained still until the dark tabby walked into his den. That was when the she-cat sprinted across the clearing the shadows where Darkstripe was. She noticed Fireheart, and her yellow eyes shone with confusion. "Hello, Fireheart." Her lyrical voice rang with her puzzlement.
Fireheart dipped his head to the ThunderClan deputy. "Mousefur." The beautiful brown warrior gazed at Darkstripe with many unspoken questions. Her eyes darted to the forest and back, and Darkstripe knew she wanted to speak in private. Darkstripe dipped his head in farewell to Fireheart, and the ginger tom said goodbye. The two cats left Fireheart to sink back to his belly, resting his head on his paws, but his green eyes were staring out into space, sparking with intelligence.
Mousefur and Darkstripe padded out into the forest somewhat casually, in case any other cat looked their way, until they were out of camp. That was when Mousefur faced her mate and spoke softly. "I heard Tigerstar talk to you. He has no right to speak with you that way!"
"I was disrespectful," Darkstripe admitted, lowering his head. "He had every right to talk to me the way he did."
Mousefur's eyes flashed. "I don't like him belittling you. You are the best warrior in the Clan, better than the rest of them, better than Tigerstar. They just can't see that!"
"I'm not ready to be good in his eyes," Darkstripe meowed. "Not after what I said."
Mousefur sighed, and she embraced him, nuzzling against his neck fur. "Mousefur-" Darkstripe began after a few moments. "What are you going to do when your kits come?"
Her gold eyes darkened. "I've considered running from ThunderClan before it happens."
"But where will you go? In leaf-bare too?" Darkstripe murmured.
She took a deep breath and finally, she meowed, "I'm not sure. I don't want our kits to be Clanless. They deserve to live as warriors. RiverClan, perhaps?"
Darkstripe dipped his head, and purred, "RiverClan warriors, our kits?" His voice hushed. "Mousefur, but what about those few moons before they do come? When you should be in the nursery?"
Mousefur's eyes clouded. "Run then?"
"It will be leaf-bare still. The kits won't come before new-leaf."
"Then…" Mousefur murmured, confused.
"What if I took over as deputy before?"
Mousefur's loving eyes became flat and she took one step back. This was what he had always wanted, that he knew she knew, and he never knew she feared his ambition. But this was not for power now. This was to protect her and their unborn children.
"Please, Mousefur," he pleaded. "Tigerstar can't hurt you if you're not deputy. And I'll have influence over the Clan to turn them against him."
"Turn them against him?" she echoed. "Darkstripe…I don't like Tigerstar, but he is still our leader, until we flee to RiverClan. You're…what you're saying is an act of betrayal; it's against the warrior code to go against our leader!"
"Mousefur, please listen and don't repeat what I say to any other cat," Darkstripe meowed urgently, and his love was silent and intent when he spoke again. "I was talking to Fireheart before." Her yellow eyes sprang with many questions, but she didn't move or speak. "I woke him before he froze in his sleep, and we spoke about…a lot of things for a while. He…he knows about us, Mousefur."
The beautiful warrior's eyes flashed with fear. "You told Fireheart?"
"No, he found out for himself," Darkstripe explained. "He isn't stupid or blind like the Clan thinks. And he isn't against ThunderClan, he's against Tigerstar. And so am I. He told me something that will never make me trust our leader ever again."
"What did he say?" Mousefur whispered softly, pressing against him.
"Something dreadful. Mousefur." The queen looked up into his eyes. "Mousefur, no rogue killed Bluestar. It was Tigerstar."
