A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait! But after all, it's October, aka school.

Disclaimer: Am I Kate Cary? No. Am I Cherith Baldry? No. Am I Victoria Holmes? No. So unless there's a fourth member of the Warriors team that is kept secret from the public, I think it's safe to say I don't own Warriors.

Chapter 8

"So you're back."

Scorn smiled. The look was almost pleasant, but for the fact the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Yes," he said. "I am."

Moons had passed since Scorn's –then Ferretpaw- first visit with Heat. During that time, Scorn had honed his skills, becoming stronger and cleverer, and made himself known as a rogue it could be dangerous to cross. Being alone made you grow up fast.

"And I hear you've changed your name as well," Heat said, lazily licking herself. "And got a little reputation."

"Yes, such as getting Spine captured by twolegs," Talon rumbled, eyes narrowed.

"He escaped eventually though," Scorn said innocently, eyes wide. "And got the jewel studded collar off only a few weeks after he escaped, too."

"Enough with the small talk," Heat said, standing up. "You didn't just come here to boast of what you've become, haven't you."

Scorn smiled, and this time it reached his eyes. If one had carefully monitored the rogue recently, they would have noticed it was his first true smile in moons.

"I've come, as you very well know," he hissed, heart beating quickly, his want and hopefulness almost able to be smelled, "to once again ask to join BloodClan."

Heat smirked. Scorn seethed; it irritated him that she held the one thing that he wanted, he needed, and that she very well knew it.

"Let's see," Heat said, while Scorn paced the den, skin taut with impatience. Though he tried not to do it so as not to see that smug grin of hers, he couldn't help it.

"What I could gain from you? Another loyal BloodClan warrior, one who is cunning and strong, and a good fighter and hunter."

A smile flashed on Scorn's face for a brief moment. She would definitely accept him. He was as good as BloodClan now.

"But," Heat hissed, looking him straight in the eye, eyes narrowing. Scorn stopped, and hung on to the 'but' like a piece of prey, waiting for Heat's next words.

"But, you got Spine captured by twolegs, have attacked BloodClan members who have annoyed you or insulted you-."

"As would have anyone else!" Scorn interrupted, an annoyed and indignant look on his face.

Talon looked at him sharply, and Heat continued talking, ignoring what Scorn had said. "-hunted near BloodClan, openly mocking us, and much more. In fact," Heat hissed, only inches away from Scorn's face, "who's to say you'd try to become leader?"

Scorn stiffened, and sucked in his breath.

"You want power," Heat rasped, hostility openly showing in her gaze, "You know it, and so do I. And bad things happen to those who are not good at getting it."

"I just want to be a member of BloodClan!" Scorn yowled, impatience reaching to its full peak. "Being in BloodClan itself is enough power!"

"You know it, and I know it," Heat said coldly, walking away and laying down again. "When you get rid of that craving, come back, and you will become BloodClan."

Scorn stared at Heat. How could she do this? He had done everything to make sure he could become BloodClan! He was cunning, he was strong, he was a good hunter and fighter. And still Heat refused.

Rage coursed through Scorn's veins. He would still try to become a member of BloodClan, but one day he'd get revenge on Heat, for what she did.

But for now, do what she wanted. Act like an obedient little kit, and prove he just wanted to be loyal.

"Fine."

------

"Pathetic. Heat still won't let you in, and for good reason. You're just a wannabe little clan cat who thinks they can be BloodClan. Don't you understand that kittypets like you should stay in their nests?"

Thee BloodClan tabby who had spoken smirked, but his skin was also taut, and he was ready for attack.

Every instinct told Scorn to leap at the cat, tear him limb from limb for his insults, show him who was boss, but Heat's words were always there, a soft whisper in the back of his head. He grit his teeth and dug his claws into the ground. At times, it seemed it was too much of a price to pay, even for BloodClan.

The tabby's eyes widened. Apparently he hadn't heard of what Scorn had been doing for the past days yet. It still ended up to the same thing though, which was a look of amusment on the BloodClan cat's face, inwardly laughing that Scorn wouldn't -couldn't- fight him.

A trash can't top clattered to the ground as the BloodClan cat jumped down from it. "There, kittypet," he said. "I'm making it easier for you."

Scorn said nothing, just breathed in and out slowly, eyes narrowed.

This cat didn't contain his laughter. "Too scared to fight, eh, kittypet? Of course. No nerve, no risk taking, just a little kittypet who'd rather be at home with some milk!" Still laughing, the tom padded away down the sidewalk. Scorn could almost sense the cat's contempt for him.

Scorn ground his teeth.

While the weeks passed, Scorn honed his hunting and fighting skills, but further in the city, on an almost deserted street where the BloodClan cats didn't go. He also practiced at disguising his intents, as he was sure they showed on his face. Scorn could tell Heat could easily tell a cat's emotions, their needs.

If Heat still saw he wanted any kind of power, what he did would be all for nothing.

And so it was weeks later, when Scorn had lost nearly all of his reputation, but had become much more clever, that for the third time he went to the most trash ridden place of the city, asking the guards for an audience with Heat.

Scorn was sure the guards were the only ones who were openly amused with him. They were always emotionless, voices flat.

One of the guards appeared back at the front of the tunnel. "Heat will see you."

As he passed the guard, Scorn sensed something. The guard seemed to be filled with a silent chuckling, and though there was no sound or smell to suggest it, Scorn was sure of it. Passing the other guard, Scorn could tell that this one didn't have that silent amusement, but a sort of respect…respect? No one had ever respected him before, except for the fake respect Pardalis had given him. It felt rather intoxicating…

Was this what Heat could do? Sense emotions? Though everyone could, this seemed different, a talent for it. Looking back on his memories, Scorn wondered if all leaders had it. He was certain Firestar could. It had always felt as if he was reading his mind.

Thoughts about emotions and BloodClan swirled in Scorn's head as he walked down the familiar dank tunnel. The strung plants slid across his back as they always did, and like always, Heat was there on a bed of moss, looking lazy, but with calculating eyes and mind inside.

"We meet for the third time, Scorn."

Impatience filled Scorn; he rolled his eyes. Must Heat irritate him with her small talk every time he came?

"I see you are as impatient as ever," the BloodClan leader purred.

Scorn froze for a moment. If she had sensed his impatience, would she still see what he wanted? Or was it only that he had only practiced more with hiding that than everything else?

It must be that, Scorn reassured himself, relaxing a bit.

Heat continued with the same question that she always did. "And what do you want?"

Scorn just managed not to run toward her and shout, "YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT AND WE BOTH KNOW THAT!"

"I want to join BloodClan," the rogue replied, a thin mask of calmness covering his annoyance.

Heat didn't respond, just stared at him, brow furrowed. Scorn could tell she was searching, searching for what he wanted, what he felt. The rogue firmly pushed the idea of power out of his mind, leaving only the power he would feel if he was BloodClan. He let hunting and fighting wander around in his mind, fighting against clan cats with fellow BloodClan members, wearing a teeth studded collar.

After what seemed like moons, Heat dropped her gaze. A slight smile tugged at her lips.

"Welcome," she said, "to BloodClan."

------

"and Scorn!"

Scorn beamed as his name was the last to be called out to go to the gathering. His first gathering as a BloodClan cat. Wouldn't ThunderClan be surprised.

During his short time as a BloodClan cat, Scorn had learned how to move without anyone seeing, lethal fighting moves, and ways to frighten and intimidate other cats. After all this, it seemed impossible that Firestar had defeated Scourge with a simple play dead move.

But best yet, he had gotten a collar. It only had a few teeth so far, but Scorn knew soon every space would be filled with cracked white and yellow. With that collar, everyone would know he was a powerful BloodClan cat.

The BloodClan cats left early for the gathering, since they lived so far away, they'd move quickly and silently, blending in with the landscape and bending not so much as a single blade of grass. The air was filled with a scent he hadn't smelled in a long time – that of the clans. Right now it was ThunderClan –they were in that territory, after all- and Scorn felt a slight pang of homesickness, which was quickly pushed to the back of his mind. BloodClan was everything that ThunderClan was, and more than it, too.

Eventually the cats crossed the log onto the island. They were the fourth to come. As Scorn and his clanmates entered the clearing, he could sense the wave of hostility that came from the other three clans, and could feel the anger directed at Heat especially. The clan acted as if everything was normal and settled down at the east edge of the clearing, while Heat bounded up to the tree branches and Talon by its roots.

Scorn was seated near the other clans. ShadowClan was mostly by him; he wrinkled his nose. ShadowClan scent seemed even more strong and pungent than it had been when he was a ThunderClan apprentice.

The BloodClan tom could see the ShadowClan tom who was near him had his skin taut. He was clearly uncomfortable. Scorn smiled; it seemed he wouldn't even need to try intimidating them.

Something about the tom was familiar though. Scorn stared at him, trying to figure out what it was. The tom was a dark brown tabby, and his amber eyes flashed good naturedly. A slight smell of herbs emanated from him. Wait…herbs…dark brown tabby…suddenly Scorn remembered a pebble, words with an echo to them, "And for a ShadowClanner to look like a ThunderClanner is baaaaaad."

It was Bramblepaw, the medicine cat apprentice!

Like any other cat who could tell someone was looking at them, abruptly, Bramblepaw turned around, fur bristling. "Listen, BloodClan-," he began, looking straight into his eyes. But the moment he looked at them, he stopped talking, and there was an odd look in his eye. "That…that ThunderClan apprentice I pranked…" Bramblepaw murmured, looking at Scorn closer.

"What are you talking about, ShadowClan?" Scorn spat, feigning unknowingness. Afraid of being recognized completely, Scorn moved farther east, among only fellow BloodClan cats.

After a few minutes ThunderClan came, and the gathering started, and the leaders told of their news. Like he had been at his very first gathering, Scorn was bored, and if he hadn't had the self control, he'd probably have been drooling, or sleeping, or both. Which most certainly wouldn't be a good impression on anyone, especially his own clan.

As soon as he heard Firestar's voice though, he perked up. What had been going on there without him?

"We have two new warriors," Firestar said, smiling. "Oakbranch and Creamflower."

Scorn's eyes widened. His siblings…

He looked toward Oakpaw –no,Oakbranch- and was startled by how much he'd changed. He was stronger and as bigger–which was still larger than Scorn, and he looked happy and confident. An odd feeling churned in Scorn's stomach. He could have been announced too, maybe as Ferretfang or Ferretclaw, and bask in the attention. Shocked by this thought, Scorn shook his head. He wasn't ThunderClan anymore, nor Ferret-anything. He was Scorn of BloodClan, and he would probably be announced as a warrior of it too.

Firestar's announcements were short and as boring as the other clans', but Scorn listened to them all the same. Finally Firestar breathed out, and it seemed he was done. But suddenly he began speaking again. "The apprentice Ferretpaw is still missing," he said sadly. The leader's face suddenly looked older and more haggard. "If anyone has seen him, please alert one of ThunderClan, as we would dearly like him back."

After a second of shock, Scorn willed himself to chuckle quietly. It soon came freely, and he could see Heat had that look on her face, that one of inward amusement. For a brief moment Scorn's eyes were just the slightest bit watery, but then without any action from him, it seemed the tears had receded, and while he laughed a bit more, nothing bothered him.

Finally it was Heat's turn. Scorn saw all the other clans' fur bristle and eyes narrow. Heat acted as if she didn't see it, and started speaking a proud look on her face.

"BloodClan is thriving," she mewed. Somehow the way she said it seemed to suggest to Scorn they were living the best and everyone else was inferior. It seemed the other clans felt this too, and faint growls and hisses sounded throughout the clearing.

"We are very strong," she continued. Once again Scorn caught a veiled meaning, like Heat was really saying "We are strong enough to attack…" This time it wasn't caught by the clans. "We have also had a new warrior added to our ranks."

Scorn smiled, then frowned. Whispers like, "Who would want to join them?" or "The poor cat was probably forced to!" rode on the breeze, but were very quiet, only able to be heard by those with very good hearing.

The new BloodClan warrior was positive Heat could hear them; he could just see Heat making a sound, probably a snort of amusement.

"We welcome Scorn to our clan," she finished.

On impulse, Scorn rose up on his hind legs and yowled, causing all the cats to look at him. He sat back down before any ThunderClan cat could recognize him, and smiled coldly, making the other clan cats by him shudder.

Heat smiled down at him, as if giving her approval. "This gathering is officially over!" she yowled, and leapt down from her branch, Talon and then Scorn and his clanmates following.

Three ThunderClan warriors stared at them as they left. Scorn had perhaps spent too much time in the air, and maybe he shouldn't have wanted the attention.

Three saw, three recognized.

And at three different times, very quietly, very faintly, they whispered one word: "Ferretpaw."

A/N: So ends this chapter. Heh, Scorn finally got into BloodClan on his third try, not his second. XD Maybe I'm trying to make it too hard –aka realistic- for him..

Constructive criticism always appreciated!