Sleeping softly within the sheltered confines of the nursery, Squirrelkit, Leafkit and Finchkit snoozed unaware of the storm of war that gathering around them.
Spottedleaf gently bent down and gave each of her daughters a small lick on the ear before looking back at Goldenflower. The older queen had the litter of kits tucked in close to her stomach.
" Are you sure they will be alright without me," Spottedleaf fretted worriedly as only a queen can for her newborn kittens.
" Relax," soothed Firestar alongside her, "Goldenflower will be more than capable of looking after them."
For a while Spottedleaf glanced at Firestar then gazed longingly back at her kits.
" Let me stay with them please," she begged, threatening to then push Goldenflower out of the nest and climb in to nurse her kits.
"No," said Firestar firmly but kindly, "Cinderpelt and I both agree that you need to get out of the nursery for a bit and the gathering is a perfect opportunity." Ever since the birth of her kits, Spottedleaf's usual unwavering kindness and generosity had been coupled with a mother's instinct to love her young. While this did mean that not only the kits, but indeed anyone who came into contact with Spottedleaf would be instantly fussed over and treated with great affection, it did however mean that Spottedleaf spent a lot of time in or near the nursery, only leaving to travel as far as the medicine den to help Cinderpelt and even then she would grow restless until she could return to her litter.
"I assure you they will be fine," smiled Goldenflower, "No off you go."
Sill unsure, Spottedleaf finally padded with Firestar to join the others attending the gathering. Bramblepaw was looking at the older cat's with a look of anticipation and fear. He had been training hard since he had been made an apprentice just a half moon ago. Even though Spottedleaf knew her mate had his doubts about the young tabby, she knew that Firestar was impressed by Bramblepaw's enthusiasm and skill. He would make a fine warrior.
" Whitestorm and Longtail are remaining behind to guard the camp. Stonefur will stay in the medicine den ," Firestar meowed, "The rest of you follow me," Without another word, he turbed on his heels and darted into the undergrowth with his warriors in pursuit.
The journey to the gathering was relatively uneventful and upon arriving the ThunderClan warriors suspected that all was peaceful. Then the saw the cats of WindClan!
Huddled in the centre of the clearing, a pitiful band of WindClan cats led by Tallstar warily watched the ThunderClan warriors. Freshly formed cuts snaked across their bodies and tufts of fur had been savagely ripped out from each warrior. They looked like they had been through the dark forest and barely lived to tell the tale.
" Tallstar!" Exclaimed Firestar rushing over, "What happened?'
Before Tallstar could even open his mouth, a deep throated maniacal laugh echoed through the clearing. Stepping out of the shadows, Tigerstar smirked as he padded over to the leaders with Blackfoot and Leopardstar behind him. The former leader of RiverClan looked pale and powerless in the face of Tigerstar's brutal ambition.
"I can answer that," the tabby sneered, " I offered WindClan a chance to join us and they refused. So naturally we decided to show them the error of their ways."
"You savages," snarled Tallstar, "You killed Gorsepaw."
Firestar's eyes widened. He had carried Gorsepaw when he and Greystripe had returned WindClan to their home. Casting a glance over, he saw Spottedleaf attempting to soothe Morningflower. If Gorsepaw's mother knew the she cat was there, she gave no sign.
" I shall repeat my offer," Tigerstar snarled, "Join me and live, or die."
" Never, " snapped Firestar,"You promise power and equality but you deliver only slavery and death."
"I expected this much from a kittypet and a half clan friend," sneered Tigerstar evilly. A yowl came from the back as Dustpelt restrained Mistyfoot from rushing out and evicerating Tigerstar. " What about you Bramblepaw."
" Never growled," Bramblepaw, "You're a twisted evil tom and must be stopped!" While Tigerstar snarled in rage, Firestar smiled at his apprentice. By rejecting his father, Bramblepaw had proven himself loyal to ThunderClan.
" What about you Tallstar? " Tigerstar hissed
"Fox dung! " growled Tallstar, "I will fight you until the end. WindClan shall side with ThunderClan to strike you down."
Pride flowed through Firestar and he could not deny the feeling of admiration he felt towards Tallstar. Even though he had been battered and beaten, the WindClan leader refused to bow his head in submission to Tigerstar's malice.
" So you would rather side with a clan led by a kittypet, who let's apprentices leave to join their rivals," At this moment, Firestar glanced at Tawnypaw. Eyes lowered, the young she cat showed only revulsion towards her sire.
Tigerstar went on. "A clan in which the medicine cats can't even follow their code. Or did you not hear? The latest ThunderClan litter is that of Firestar and Spottedleaf!"
Immediately murmurs began to race around the gathered cats. Backing towards Firestar, Spottedleaf spooked Darkstripe among the ranks of Tigerstar's warriors and hissed. Only by gently licking her on he ear was Firestar able to prevent her from launching herself at the dark tom.
"Even if they did break the code in that regard, " Tallstar glanced warmly at Firestar then glared at Tigerstar. " He has more honour than you and I would sooner die by his side than live by yours." He then got up and padded over to sit beside the ThunderClan cats.
"Here here," yowled Onewhisker ad he and the remaining WindClan cats rushed to join Firestar.
" So be it," snarled Tigerstar baring his fangs, "But know this, with their last breath your warriors will blame ou as they drown in a tide of your blood. BloodClan, show yourselves!'
Slinking eerily out of the shadows like a pack of malevolent spectres, a large group of cats began to enter the hollow. Adorning theit necks with collars but from the teeth and claws that lined them, Firestar knew that these were no pampered kittypets but cold hearted killers. Takin up ranks beside TigerClan, the BloodClan warriors formed silent ranks beside Tigerstar. Already they outnumbered he clans and more kept coming.
At the head of the mysterious warriors was a large black and white tom. Powerful muscles rippled under his fur and his collar was adorned with teeth. As he sat with Tigerstar, Firestar assumed this cat was the leader.
Then another tom appeared, no larger than an apprentice. For a moment, Firestar believed that this may have been the BloodClan medicine cat. Then he saw the eyes.
Looking up, the tom glanced at the ThunderClan cats with icy blue eyes. Holding no warmth within their frozen depths, the eyes showed no signs only compassion or empathy, only a cold unfeeling distance such as that as a hunter regards his prey, combined with a hidden, far darker meaning.
As the tom sat down, Firestar could make out more this newcomer. His frame, though small, was lithe and powerful. His fur was a deepest ebony that would have shamed night bar a solitary white sock. Long curled claws reinforced by hollowed out dog fangs tore up the earth impatiently. Studded withore teeth Han any other, his purple collar bore testament to the diminutive warrior's combat prowess, a series of trophies taken over countless battles.
"Time to meet your end fools," sneered Tigerstar, "BloodClan attack!"
Immediately dropping into various combat stances, he warriors or ThunderClan and WindClan prepared to fight side by side against the combined might of BloodClan and Tigerstar. But no cat moved.
" With all due respect Tigerstar," meowed the small black tom, "You may have offered us territory, but this is my clan and mine alone. They will fight when I say." He then turned to Firestar. " My name is Scourge and I am the leader of BloodClan."
For a while, Firestar simply stared finding it hard to believe that such a small cat was I charge of such vicious cats. Only by looking at Scourge's collar was he able to believe it. Then it hit him. Perhaps of if he told Scourge what Tigerstar was like, maybe Scourge would withdraw from Tigerstar's side and maybe even join ThunderClan.
"Scourge," bowed Firestar, "I am sure your intentions are noble but you are making a mistake. Tigerstar cannot be trusted."
"Don't listen to him. Remember our deal Scourge,' hissed Tigerstar but the surprise of everyone, the tiny tom silenced the tabby with but a glance. Scourge the regarded Firestar.
" Tigerstar told me he had enemies in the forest which does mean you could be lying. " For a moment, Firestar's heart sank as he realised he may have to face the black tom after all.
"However," Scourge continued,"I don't like sending my cats to die without good reason. I will listen to your words."
Firestar's hopes soared. He had a chance, small if maybe, but a chance to draw support away from Tigerstar.
" Cats of all clans," he yowled, "Tigerstar cannot be trusted..." From the on he went to tell about how Tigerstar had killed the deputy Redtail and the tried to betray Bluestar alongside Brokenstar in a desperate bid for power. Disgusted yowled rose up from the crowd and Leopardstar glared at the tabby as though she were about to dissolve the alliance between ShadowClan and RiverClan then and there. Scourge however remained passive.
Firestar then went on how to describe how Cinderpelt had been injured in a trap Tigerstar had set by the road for Bluestar, getting hit by a monster. Looking over at Cinderpelt, Firestar could she was just as shocked as everone else. She had never seen it coming.
He then went on to describe how Tigerstar had attacked using the dogs and had ordered the execution of the half clan cats after manipulating Leopardstar into giving him effective power of RiverClan.
"That is Tigerstar's history," he finished," It shows that he will do anything for power and that he won't share it with you or anyone else."
For a moment the clearing went quiet as Scourge paused to think. Spottedleaf quietly leaned towards Firestar.
" Do you think Scourge will join us?" She mewed quietly. She hid her fear incredibly well as she regarded the tom.
" I hope so," Was all Firestar could go honestly say, "If not, this could get messy real quick." He then dropped his voice lower, "If this does turn into a fight, I want you to run back to ThunderClan, take the kits, Cinderpelt, everyone to safety and don't look back."
"You're mad if you think I will leave you," Spottedleaf hissed softly.
"Please." Firestar mewed, "For me."
Before Spottedleaf could answer, Scourge looked up again and spoke to the gathered cats.
"This indeed has been an interesting turn of events," he meowed, "I will think about what you have said Firestar. There will be no battle today."
Relief flooded through Firestar. Even if Scourge hadn't promised to draw his forces away from Tigerstar, he was at least considering it.
" You traitor," snarled Tigerstar turning to Scourge, claws unsheathed.
"I am not your servant," smirked Scourge coldly, "I never was, so don't you dare presume to command me."
Tigerstar roared a blood curdling battle cry and launched himself at the small tom. The atmosphere went quiet as every warrior held their breath and waited for Scourge to be rendered limb from limb.
However to the frustration of Tigerstar, Scourge danced out of the way of the well timed pounce. Enraged, Tigerstar hacked and slashed at Scourge with tom and claw in a fury of blood lust. But he could not hit Scourge.
Snarling in challenge, Scourge rushed Tigerstar and with an almost contemptuous flick of his claws, slashed open Tigerstar's neck. Gurgling as blood well up in his throat, Tigerstar fell to the ground with a thud. Scourge was standing over him in an instant.
"Remember me?" Scourge hissed into the dying tabby's ear. What exactly these cryptic words meant, neither Firestar no Spottedleaf quite knew but it was clear that from the flash of realisation in his eyes that Tigerstar did.
" You." He gurgled as blood pure out of his mouth, staining the ground crimson.
" That's right," smirked Scourge darkly, "I never did forget."
As Tigerstar lay there dying, Firestar couldn't help but feel both shocked at the relative ease at which Scourge had defeated the warrior but also relief hat Tigerstar was one step closer to being permanently gone. But even he wouldn't have wished upon Tigerstar what Scourge did next.
Raising his claws, the BloodClan leader then slashed his long claws through Tigerstar's under belly. Giving a violent shudder and an agonised crt, Tigerstar's body then fell silent only to be reanimated and subject to the unbearable torture. Spottedleaf hid her gaze in Firestar's fur as the fiery tom fought his own feelings of revulsion and horror.
Tigerstar was dying nine times!
When at last the body fell silent, instantly panic and chaos arrose from the ranks of the ShadowClan warriors who darted around the clearing in serve panic. Scourge mean whole, who had been watching Tigerstar's death with a sadistic pleasure, brought his paw down heavily down upon the tom's jaw. With a sickening crunch, a tooth rolled out and was instantly snapped up by Scourge and pushed through his collar to join the other trophies.
" Your fried thought he could control us," he sneered as he turned to Firestar, who was for once speechless, "He was wrong. This forest is ours now. I will give you three days. You may join me or leave but if you remain in this forest, I will slaughter you down to the last kit." At these words, Firestar felt Spottedleaf's muscles tensen.
" Until then, " Scourge meowed calmly as though this were all normal, "Farewell."

Silently, he turned and left the clearing. Following the silent call of their leader, the BloodClan cats slunk away back into the shadows leaving only a bloodied corpse and an unnatural silence which hung over the clan cats until late into the night.