Before any cat could say anything, Tigerclaw edged away from the mass of panicked warriors. Cats were looking at each other in confusion, but to Tigerclaw what had happened was clear. Firepaw hadn't chased after Yellowfang straight away. He had told Ravenpaw and Graypaw first, and convinced the fools to come along.
Tigerclaw just barely suppressed a growl.
He had no choice now; he had to act alone. Nonchalantly weaving around his Clanmates, Tigerclaw made sure his face held a serious expression that didn't betray the panic fluttering in his chest. He fixed his eyes on the gap in the camp wall by the nursery.
As soon as he reached the edge of the camp, Tigerclaw turned his head to make sure he wasn't being watched. Bluestar had leaped down from the Highrock, and looked to be interrogating Dustpaw and Sandpaw, with Redtail at her side. Some cats were huddled in small groups, while others had formed a circle around Bluestar, Redtail, and the apprentices. Now that it was obvious that the situation was much bigger than originally anticipated, they would probably leave as soon as the patrol was made, which made it all the more important for Tigerclaw to escape undetected.
Darkstripe met his gaze, and Tigerclaw gave him a steely eyed stare, warning him not to follow. He slowly slipped through the space between the thorns, and the sounds of the camp disappeared behind him.
When he was sure he was out of sight, Tigerclaw broke into a full on sprint.
He knew what he had to do. He would find the kittypet before Redtail's patrol did, and rip him limb from limb. He let out a snarl. If the shadow cat was going to stop him, now would be the time.
StarClan help me-
Tigerclaw let out a snarl; he had used that saying out of instinct.
The scent trail of the kittypet mingled with the ones of Ravenpaw and Graypaw; it was clear that Firepaw had ran to his friends and convinced them to join him as soon as he'd heard Tigerclaw talking about Bluestar wanting to kill Yellowfang. And somehow, Ravenpaw had agreed to it! Tigerclaw could hardly believe his apprentice had the guts to follow Firepaw, and cursed his bad luck. Literally the single time it would have been useful for Ravenpaw to be a timid mouse-heart he decided to be brave!
The Thunderpath came into view; Tigerclaw halted, and waited for a single monster to pass by. The moment its paws blurred past he pelted across, paying no heed to the grimy water that soaked his fur. Redtail's patrol must have left by now. They could be right behind him, and the only way his plan would succeed was if he got to the kittypet first.
He'd have to kill Firepaw and make it look like he was killed by a ShadowClan patrol. How he'd get rid of Graypaw and Ravenpaw he wasn't sure yet, but he'd think of something. Then he'd probably end up in the battle with Brokenstar's warriors….
He wasn't worried that the absence of Firepaw would have any serious repercussions on the battle though. While ShadowClan put on an appearance of strength, right now it was in ruins. A takeover would be simple enough, especially with Tigerclaw there to help. In spite of his agitation, Tigerclaw suppressed a purr. It amused him that Brokenstar had such a poor hold on his Clan, especially when he had called himself the greatest leader in all the Clans back in the Dark Forest during his previous existence. When Tigerclaw ruled the forest, every warrior would obey him. Eventually he'd rule StarClan, and for good measure, the Dark Forest.
Thinking of the Dark Forest, Tigerclaw was reminded of Mapleshade. Unlike many Dark Forest cats, Tigerclaw hadn't known of Mapleshade's existence until later in life, and in his opinion, that had helped him a great deal. He didn't seek to please a manipulative she-cat; he thought for himself. Sure, she had given him suggestions over the seasons, but they were mostly just pushes in the right direction. He didn't need that now. He wondered if Mapleshade could communicate with him in this life, even if she wanted to. Not that he would want to associate with the crazed she-cat, but it was an interesting thought.
But he was getting ahead of himself- he had to kill the kittypet before worrying about taking over ShadowClan and the Place of No Stars.
The pine forest loomed above his head as he continued on. He opened his mouth to breathe in the scents of the woods. He was still on the apprentices' trail, and underneath their scents he could detect Yellowfang. Hopefully she had went the same way as she had the first time- not that Tigerclaw would know, since he hadn't been involved in the kits' rescue, but solely for the fact that neither she nor Firepaw and Graypaw had been discovered by a ShadowClan patrol then. If his luck held, they wouldn't be found this time either.
The apprentices' scents grew stronger as Tigerclaw ducked behind an oak tree. He could still hardly believe Ravenpaw had done this. The disobedient apprentice had to be nearby… Tigerclaw scanned the marshy clearing, digging his claws into the ground. There he was! Hidden by the undergrowth, the skinny black tom was sitting next to Graypaw and Firepaw. His pelt was bristling, and as usual, he looked terrified. Tigerclaw began to make his way toward him and was unsurprised when the apprentices were completely oblivious to his approach.
"Ravenpaw!" Tigerclaw spat out the name of his apprentice. "What in the name of StarClan are you doing on ShadowClan territory?!"
"Tigerclaw?" Ravenpaw spun around. "How did you find us?"
Tigerclaw stalked past his apprentice and up to the kittypet. "You!" He jabbed the kittypet's chest with a forepaw. "What do you think you're doing, bringing them out here?!"
Firepaw's eyes burned indignantly. "He didn't bring us," Graypaw protested before Firepaw could say anything. "We came with him!"
"A likely story!" Tigerclaw knew he had to play along with this performance. He cursed his lack of foresight again; he should have known the kittypet would have gone running to his two closest friends. "Cut the fox dung! You know what you did!"
"What?" Firepaw sounded puzzled.
Tigerclaw snorted. "It's all so obvious now. I should have known a kittypet could never be trusted!" He began to pace, keeping his gaze focused on Firepaw. While his hatred of Firepaw was real, the act was for Graypaw and Ravenpaw. "You thought your little plan with Yellowfang worked, didn't you? Had the whole Clan fooled?!"
"What…" Firepaw trailed off. "What are you talking about?" Graypaw and Ravenpaw were staring at him in bewilderment.
"Don't play dumb, kittypet," Tigerclaw spat, unsheathing his claws and thrusting his muzzle in Firepaw's face. "Thought you could share ThunderClan secrets with ShadowClan and get away with it? Perhaps you thought they would make you a warrior. I suppose it make sense- that's an impossible dream for a kittypet if you had to do it the right way in ThunderClan."
"What?!" Firepaw's mew was outraged now. "I'm loyal to ThunderClan! I would never betray my Clan or my Clanmates!"
"It makes even more sense that you and Yellowfang would work together so well," Tigerclaw continued, "what with you both being traitors to your Clans-"
"I'm not a traitor," Firepaw responded stubbornly.
"He's not." Graypaw padded up to stand by Firepaw's side; Ravenpaw joined him anxiously a moment later. "You've got it all wrong- we're here to help!"
Tigerclaw swung his head around to face Graypaw. "Right. You, a mouse-heart afraid of his own shadow, and a kittypet apprentice are much more suited to the task than a warrior. Of course you should disobey your leader's direct orders and find the rogue yourself!"
"But we didn't know if Yellowfang stole the kits or not!" Firepaw meowed. "We couldn't just let her die without letting her speak for herself first!"
"That is Bluestar's decision to make!" Tigerclaw spat.
"Yellowfang was here! She told us she was following the kits' scent trail. You can ask her when she comes back here with help so we can rescue them!" A note of anger had made its way into the kittypet's voice. Good.
Graypaw's tail was bristling. "It's true. I'm not sure I believe her, but-"
Tigerclaw flattened his ears. "Then why are you still here?"
Firepaw swished his tail. "I had to at least find out the truth before I just let her die!"
It was a minor miracle that no ShadowClan cat had noticed their voices yet. Focusing a glare on the kittypet, Tigerclaw felt a growl rumbling in his throat. This was a waste of time. "You two," he meowed finally, jerking his ears toward Ravenpaw and Graypaw. "Leave. Firepaw and I have much to discuss."
Neither apprentice moved. Aside from the fact that this was a flagrant show of disrespect, the whole situation was infuriating. He'd wanted to kill the kittypet, not Graypaw and Ravenpaw as well! Tigerclaw let his gaze swivel from Ravenpaw, to Graypaw, to Firepaw. Maybe Graypaw was a lost cause, but he wanted to at least avoid killing Ravenpaw; his apprentice had made so much progress it would be a shame for that to be wasted.
"Ravenpaw." Tigerclaw lowered his voice to his most terrifying growl. "I will say this one more time. Go home. Now!"
"B-but Tigerclaw," Ravenpaw meowed, his eyes wide, "we just saw Yellowfang. She didn't steal the kits, or at least that's what she said-"
"Are you questioning my orders?"
Ravenpaw gave a terrified shake of his head, although he was trembling so much it was difficult to tell whether it was a yes or a no. Tigerclaw decided to act as though it was the latter.
"If you ever wish to become a warrior, you will return to camp and inform Bluestar of where we are! Now!"
"But-"
"Go." Tigerclaw glared at him. Ravenpaw stared back, the fur along his spine bristling, and for a long moment Tigerclaw thought he wasn't going to relent.
Thankfully, Ravenpaw saw sense, and backed down. "Fine. I'll- I'll tell Bluestar, and she'll send a whole group of warriors." Ravenpaw nodded, seemingly to himself, and began to hesitantly pad in the direction of ThunderClan territory. "Yes, that will help."
"Ravenpaw…" Firepaw's shoulders drooped.
"It will be okay." Ravenpaw shot an inquiring glance at Tigerclaw. He seemed to be trying to reassure Firepaw as much as himself. "I won't be long." Awkwardly, as though he expected Tigerclaw to call him back, Ravenpaw tentatively headed into the woods.
Tigerclaw nearly purred at the dismay on the two remaining apprentices' faces as the sound of trembling pawsteps disappeared behind him. "Good. Now we will have a patrol of warriors to help when Yellowfang returns to ambush us." He unsheathed his claws, observing the kittypet's reaction. "That is, of course, if we still need it."
"No, you can't!" Firepaw meowed, jumping in front of him. He obviously recognized that Tigerclaw was threatening Yellowfang's life, and Tigerclaw purred. If the kittypet attacked first it would be all too easy to explain his death. "Yellowfang said she didn't take the kits!"
"I'd hardly trust the word of a ShadowClan spy." Tigerclaw looked down at Firepaw triumphantly. He was only a tail-length away now.
"I'm not a traitor, Tigerclaw. I swear it by StarClan…" Firepaw was still talking, but Tigerclaw wasn't listening. Redtail's patrol could arrive at any moment. There might be mere heartbeats left to execute his plan.
Shadows were rising up all around him, turning the marshy ground pitch black. Darkness flooded Tigerclaw's vision. He needed to do this- the kittypet had to die. It was for the good of the forest, the good of ThunderClan… Blood pounded in his ears. Any moment now, and he'd do it. Blazing green eyes met his, challenging him. Firepaw had gone silent. Something was holding Tigerclaw back- probably the possibility that the shadow cat might destroy his very existence if he went through with this- but he wasn't going to hesitate any longer. Any moment-
The shadows suddenly evaporated as Graypaw's voice piped up. "Redtail! You're here!"
Gritting his teeth, Tigerclaw turned.
Redtail was standing shoulder to shoulder with Ravenpaw, and behind him were Whitestorm, Willowpelt, Runningwind, Darkstripe and Mousefur. "Tigerclaw?" The tortoiseshell tom's obnoxious meow rumbled in Tigerclaw's ears. "What are you doing here?"
Was this really happening? Realizing that he was shaking, Tigerclaw made an effort to flatten his fur before facing Redtail. "I thought it prudent to leave as soon as possible after the meeting," he explained, using all his self-control to sound unfazed. "Luckily enough, I found these three-" he jerked his head to indicate Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw- "lying in wait to be ambushed. The rogue told them she would come back and help them rescue the kits. It is clear that Yellowfang has filled their ears with lies." He glanced around warily. "Any moment a battle party could arrive at this spot."
"Ravenpaw tells me that Yellowfang went for help." Redtail frowned, flicking his tail in signal, and led the patrol forward so they were one group. "It is possible that she is telling the truth." Tigerclaw snorted. Redtail stared past him. "I would like to hear what Firepaw thinks."
Firepaw dipped his head. "Thank you, Redtail." His mew was edged with relief. "Yellowfang didn't steal the kits, or at least that is what she claims. She was just following their scent trail."
"And she is to return?" Redtail gazed at Firepaw, his expression unreadable.
"She should be back anytime now," Firepaw replied. He shifted his paws nervously, and gazed up at Redtail, whose eyes were carefully scrutinizing him. No cat spoke for a long time.
"What I do not understand," Redtail meowed quietly, "is why you thought it necessary to take it upon yourself to find Yellowfang." He blinked, his expression solemn.
"I thought Bluestar wouldn't listen to me…" Tigerclaw's pelt prickled with relief when the kittypet stopped there; all it would take was news of his conversation with Darkstripe and suspicions about Tigerclaw's involvement would start. "I know Yellowfang may be guilty still, but we should at least find out instead of killing her without a trial."
Closing his eyes, Redtail shook his head to himself. "Firepaw," he began, "you have lived with us for many moons, and aside from that, you are Bluestar's apprentice. You should know that she is fair. Bluestar would never kill a cat without hearing their side first. StarClan forbid, if a cat ever tried to murder her, she would hold a fair trial for her attempted killer."
That… was definitely true. Tigerclaw scowled at the memory of ThunderClan discovering his plans during his first life.
"I just thought…" Firepaw ducked his head. "I am sorry for the trouble I have caused. It's just that I've spoken with Yellowfang for moons. I thought I knew her. She may not be the most pleasant cat to be around, but I don't think she killed Lionheart or stole the kits.
Redtail sighed. Finally, he spoke. "At least this has brought about one good thing. Yellowfang will be returning to this spot, and she can tell us what happened for herself."
Firepaw met Redtail's eyes. "We can trust her." Redtail looked at him, and after a long moment gave a tiny nod.
But can we trust you? Tigerclaw wanted to growl, but kept silent. It was sinking in now. After all his seasons of plotting, he had missed his chance. This couldn't be the end of his plan, could it? No! he snarled inwardly. There must be a way! Perhaps during the battle with ShadowClan…
Yes! That was it! Tigerclaw scowled thoughtfully, reassured by the idea that was slowly taking shape. Hope wasn't lost. It would be difficult to pull off, but the kittypet certainly could still die today…
