AN: Wow, ten reviews overnight! I'm impressed. :D

You guys know I can't spoil anything for you, sillies. All I can say for you, Dreamspirit, is good observational skills. And "wait and see", of course. ;)

C h a p t e r 12

Tigerstar dozed off some time after that knowing that, for the moment, he and Splash were safe.

"Well done," the spirit whispered to him as he dreamed. "You showed courage today, fighting the toms even though you knew you could not win, to save Splash. Splash showed courage as well, struggling to help you."

"Did I complete another test, then?" Tigerstar asked. "Am I ever going to know what they are again, before I do them?"

The spirit simply smiled at him. "Tread carefully, Tigerstar," he murmured, and then was gone.

Tigerstar awoke, feeling much more fresh and energized, although a little wary. Apparently Splash was feeling the same way – the energetic part, that is - for she was chattering on to Gingerstep now.

"You're awake," Gingerstep said, and it was clear from her somewhat pained smile that she was glad Splash would now have someone else to talk to.

Tigerstar simply grunted, and his eyes narrowed at Splash. "You shouldn't have attacked Stain," he growled. "It was reckless and foolish."

"It was the same thing you would have done when you were younger," Gingerstep said. Tigerstar turned to her, blinking. Gingerstep smiled. "Dark Forest cats can watch the living," she reminded him. "You should know that, from the stalking of your children and grandchildren."

"I didn't stalk them," Tigerstar said, his eyes narrowed. Gingerstep simply laughed. Splash glanced between the two of them, obviously puzzled.

"You had children?" she asked.

"He had five – four if you count the Clan ones," Gingerstep said. "From two different she-cats, no less—"

"That's enough," Tigerstar interrupted. Gingerstep had an amused smile on her muzzle, but she said nothing more.

* * *

Around sunhigh – the term was used only because it was familiar to the cats, of course; there was no sun in the Dark Forest, after all – the group set off again, padding down the bank. Gingerstep seemed perfectly at ease, padding along serenely. She knew the territory, it appeared. Tigerstar, however, was weary, his amber gaze constantly darting around as if expecting an attack any moment. That wasn't surprising, considering the events from before. Splash acted as if she was comfortable and happy, but there was a certain look in her eyes that suggested she was more ill at ease than she truly appeared. Tigerstar was grateful she was pretending; it made his job easier, not having to comfort her. Although now that there was a she-cat around, that job might not necessarily fall to him any longer, much to his relief.

Splash soon grew bored simply walking across the bank.

"Tell me a story," she begged Tigerstar. Tigerstar glanced at her.

"No," he said crossly. "I'm not in the mood for story-telling."

"Please?" Splash begged, batting his tail as they walked. Tigerstar twitched it out of her grasp and held it high so she couldn't quite reach it.

"No," he said again. Splash's blue eyes became downcast, and she blinked up at him pleadingly.

"Please?"

"I'll tell her one," Gingerstep offered. Tigerstar blinked at her.

"You?" he asked. Gingerstep narrowed her eyes.

"I was a warrior once too, you know," she retorted. "I grew up on stories." She frowned for a moment, clearly thinking. "Have you heard the tale of Duskheart?"

Splash shook her head, and blinked up at Gingerstep eagerly.

"It's like the tale of Snowfall," Tigerstar warned. Splash glanced at him.

"Is it?" she asked Gingerstep.

"Yes, in a way," Gingerstep replied thoughtfully. "Most of the old stories follow that sort of pattern though, I suppose. Do you still want to hear it?"

Splash hesitated, and then nodded. "Yes," she decided. "I do."

Gingerstep smiled, and then nodded. "Okay.

"Duskheart was a great warrior, perhaps the best in ThunderClan—"

"You were in ThunderClan?" Tigerstar interrupted. Gingerstep glanced at him, and nodded.

"I was, when I was alive," she said quietly. Tigerstar's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I never knew you," he said bluntly, "and I know you aren't new. How do you look so full of lifeforce, but you're so much older than me?"

"It doesn't matter," Gingerstep said, and there was a faint growl in her voice. "Back to the story."

"Duskheart was a great warrior, perhaps the best in ThunderClan, or even the entire forest. Back in those days, there were many tortoiseshell toms, and Duskheart was one of them. Somehow, tortoiseshell toms seemed to be even stronger, smarter, and faster than normal warriors. No one was sure how, but it seemed as if they were touched by StarClan themselves. Duskheart wanted to use this to his advantage, and he fathered many litters – all with different she-cats – to insure that more tortoiseshells would be born. He only cared for them, and selected his mates carefully so that there would be more tortoiseshells in every litter.

"Duskheart was a little arrogant, you see; he was a great fighter and hated to lose. StarClan took an interest in him, and they sent him a challenge; that he could not beat Lionclaw, the strongest warrior in all of StarClan. Duskheart accepted.

"Lionclaw came down to earth in all of his golden glory, and the two of them began to prepare for the greatest battle in the entire forest. All four Clans gathered to watch.

"When the cats struck each other, it sounded like thunder rumbling overhead. Their battle-cries were like the cries of the great ancient cats themselves, and as they fought every cat present knew they would never again see a battle like this in their lifetime.

"The battle raged on for days, neither Duskheart nor Lionclaw willing to back down. They tore at each other until they were both battered and bloody – or rather, Lionclaw was covered in silvery lifeforce."

"Wait," Tigerstar interrupted again. "That's not how my mother told it."

Gingerstep glanced at him, her amber eyes cold. "That is how my mother learned it from her mother," she said coolly. "Stories change over the years, I suppose, as do beliefs. Back then, everyone believed that StarClan was the flip side of here; it was the same forest in StarClan, only full of life and prey."

"Prey?" Splash asked eagerly, and Gingerstep nodded.

"All prey caught by honorable warriors goes to StarClan, to be caught again and provide for StarClan," Gingerstep said, and her voice had the ring of a story recited many a time. "Once they die in StarClan, their strength becomes StarClan's strength, and their life becomes StarClan's life, and they live on forever in the bodies of noble warriors."

"Cool," Splash breathed, and then blinked. "So did Duskheart win, or Lionclaw?" she demanded.

Gingerstep smiled, and continued. "Lionclaw paused only once during the battle, to get his breath. He asked Duskheart to halt his attack, and they could both take a short break. Duskheart agreed, and the two of them sat down on the ground, both breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Duskheart's mind was churning. There was no dishonor in losing to a StarClan cat, and especially not Lionclaw, he knew that. But the glory that could be had, the idea that he had beaten a StarClan cat was just too good to pass up. Duskheart made a decision, one that would shape the four Clans forever.

"He did the dishonorable thing and attacked Lionclaw while he was resting and offguard.

"Duskheart's teeth sank deep into Lionclaw's throat, and although the golden tabby struggled, he knew he was finished. Lionclaw faded away as his body returned to StarClan, and Duskheart let out a yowl of triumph. The four Clans, thinking that Lionclaw had signaled for them to begin fighting ahead and had simply been too slow for Duskheart, congratulated him warmly.

"In StarClan, however, it was a different story. Lionclaw was angry, but not very much so; he conceded that Duskheart might have won anyways. The rest of StarClan, however, was worried. How could a mortal cat beat a StarClan warrior? It was simply not right. It could not be allowed.

"It was then that StarClan made a decision; there would be no tortoiseshell toms. The ones that Duskheart followed would be the last great tortoiseshell toms; after that, they simply were not born, usually. Sometimes there were rare cases when tortoiseshell toms were born, but they were always weak and usually died early in their kithood.

"The four Clans despaired, thinking that StarClan had turned against them, by denying their strongest warriors. StarClan felt pity for them, and so adjusted their decision; sometimes, tortoiseshell toms would be born, healthy ones, and these toms would have all the power of the toms of old. They were extremely rare, however, and were thus prized.

"And that is why there are no tortoiseshell toms," Gingerstep finished. Splash nodded slowly.

"Were there any great tortoiseshell toms?" Splash asked. Gingerstep shrugged.

"Only one that I know of," she said, "his name was Redtail, and he was far after my time."

"How do you know about him, then?" Splash asked curiously.

"Some Dark Forest cats can watch life," Gingerstep said simply, and nodded to Tigerstar, "as your friend knows well." There was a glimmer in her eye.

She knows, Tigerstar thought. She knows I killed Redtail.

Splash turned to Tigerstar, but he simply shook his head.

"Let us not speak of this anymore," he said, and there was a threat hidden in his voice, telling both of them that it was final.

AN: These stories are becoming a regular thing, eh? I just have so many ideas, is all, and the opportunities for reoccurring characters are marvelous. 3 And it is a bit of a poke of fun at Redtail, the magnificent tortoiseshell tom who was not sickly, was very strong, and fathered at least one litter. Ah, you silly Erins….

For those who are curious, Duskheart was actually a character of mine, a black tom with ginger flecks on his mother, technically making him a tortoiseshell. I didn't realize the gender rule at the time, and he really was the father of three litters! No battle with StarClan or anything for him, though. ;)

If anyone's curious, I've also decided that, judging on the poll, most people are open to a different kind of story. However, several of you aren't, so a compromise: I'll work on two stories at one time, after this one. The Snowkit one, I think, and then the Pokemon one. I'll write the chapters at the same time and post them together so if you don't want to read the Pokemon one, you can read the Snowkit one, and if you want to read both, you can! How is that?