Chapter 9

"Another day in captivity," Squirrelflight sighed.

Starling nodded in agreement. It had been several days already since she had been taken captive, and the only saving grace was having Squirrelflight for company. Starling had no idea how Squirrelflight had gone on for so long on her own.

Another day of Hawkstar driving me mad, Starling thought to herself.

Ever since Hawkstar had made the "offer" for Starling to join TigerClan, he had been relentlessly trying to get her to say yes. Hawkstar was doing everything from offering her a bigger share of fresh-kill than Squirrelflight got (which Starling denied) to even letting Starling roam the camp on her own, without guards. It was awful.

"What do you think he'll do today?" Squirrelflight wondered. The ginger she-cat was washing her chest fur. "Catch you an eagle?"

Starling curled her lip. "I hope not," Starling growled. "If he does, I hope it claws his eye out."

Squirrelflight purred.

"You know," she mewed, "it's funny."

"What?" Starling asked.

"Just… oh, it's nothing."

Starling narrowed her eyes. "Obviously it's something."

"OK, fine," Squirrelflight sighed. "Don't claw me for this, but I think Hawkstar has a thing for you."

Starling looked at Squirrelflight, quite sure that she had suddenly gone mad. Maybe she was wrong – eight moons of solitude must have warped her mind somehow.

"Are you kidding me?" Starling hissed. "You think that classist, arrogant, sociopathic, ball of fluff has a thing for me?"

Squirrelflight shrugged. She mewed, "I know it sounds crazy, but think about it! I've been around Hawkstar for moons and I've never seen him go after another cat like he's going after you."

"I'm a loner," Starling insisted.

"I'm sure that's a factor," Squirrelflight agreed, "but in all reality Hawkstar's on such a power trip I don't think he cares what you are. He's just being mad that you aren't cooperating with him. He thinks TigerClan is this awesome, amazing thing – and the thought that someone doesn't want to be part of it must just be baffling him."

Starling frowned. "I'm not sure how I feel about him having a thing for me… but if I'm flustering him I'm going to enjoy every moment of it."

"Don't fluster him too much, though," Squirrelflight meowed, her eyes turning dark. "Or there might be some… bad consequences."

Starling's neck fur ruffled. "I'm not going to sit by and let him think he can manipulate me into liking him," she meowed. "I don't care what he does to me."

"You might care if he tries to kill you," Squirrelflight pointed out somberly. In a whisper, she murmured, "Or your father."

Starling tipped her head questioningly.

Squirrelflight sighed. "Ashfur and I were close before all this happened," she explained. "Ashfur thought we were closer than we really were – he loved me; at least, he claimed he did. I didn't love him back, though. He was a good friend, and that's all I thought it would be. I was fighting with Bramblestar and I needed a friend."

"He took the rejection hard, then," Starling decided.

Squirrelflight nodded. She dug her claws into the soft earth and growled, "He plotted with Hawkstar to have my father lured out and murdered – all because I didn't like him the way he liked me! Can you believe that?"

"I can't believe that," Starling growled. "How could a tom – or any cat – treat some other cat as if they're property? That's absurd!"

"I thought he was my friend," Squirrelflight sighed. "That, even if he didn't like me for rejecting him he would get over it. But he didn't, and now my father is dead and Ashfur is Hawkstar's right-hand warrior."

"There's no soul in his eyes," Starling meowed. "No emotion."

"Hawkstar has a hold over him that's… well, it's just plain unnatural!" Squirrelflight insisted. "He's killed cats left and right and not even ruffled his fur."

He's one to watch out for, then, Starling decided. A remorseless killer…

"Anyway, I'm sure they'll be calling for us soon," Squirrelflight sighed. "The routine doesn't change much, I'm afraid…"

As if her words had summoned him, Voletooth poked his head inside the willow log.

"Out you come, loner," he called. "Now."

"Just me?" Starling asked.

"You're the only loner in there," Voletooth snapped. "Now out with you – Hawkstar wants to see you."

Starling sighed.

"Good luck," Squirrelflight offered.


"Leave us," Hawkstar ordered.

Voletooth murmured a respectful good-bye before turning away. Starling turned back to Hawkstar.

"Ah!" Hawkstar purred. "There you are."

Starling was smart enough not to say anything in reply. Blackclaw was sitting just beside Hawkstar – the two of them were sharing a meal of fat fish. Starling curled her lip at their sharp-smelling breath.

"I have a task for you," Hawkstar went on.

Starling blinked. She had to say something this time. "I'm not a member of your Clan, Hawkstar," she pointed out. "I'm a prisoner - I shouldn't be doing tasks for you."

Surprisingly, Hawkstar didn't reprimand her.

"This isn't anything like a patrol or hunting," Hawkstar meowed. "Just a meaningless task. All my warriors and apprentices are busy, including Mothwing's apprentice, Willowshine. I need you to go with Mothwing to collect some of her herbs."

Starling frowned. The same thoughts that were running through her mind seemed to be running through Blackclaw's, too.

"You'd trust a loner to guard your kin?" the smoky warrior asked, disbelief in his eyes.

Hawkstar yawned boredly. "Mothwing was a warrior before she was a medicine cat," he reminded the deputy. "I think she can handle herself with Starling. And anyway, it's just for herb collection – nothing terrible. I just don't want her to go alone."

Blackclaw frowned, but he didn't dare question his almighty leader.

Starling was still skeptical. "I could just run off, you know," she meowed.

"You know better than that," Hawkstar purred. His ice-blue eyes gleamed. "There is no fleeing TigerClan."

Starling flattened her ears. She remembered Ashfur's soulless stare. He'll be having me watched every step of the way, no doubt.

"Fine," she decided. "I'll go. Where is this… Mothwing?"

"Blackclaw," Hawkstar mewed, "take her to Mothwing and see them on their way. And fetch Russetfur, will you? We have things to discuss."

Starling tipped her head.

"Nothing you ought to be worried about, loner," Hawkstar chuckled. "Things are just going to get a little more exciting around here."