AN:

Warriors06: *kicks Splashpelt*

Ravenwhisper: Why thank you! That's very kind of you. :D

Heatherflower: You'll just have to wait and see. :D

Cinderpaw: *types extra slowly*

48

Batpaw sighed quietly at seeing the ThunderClan warriors return, battered, bruised, bloody, but triumphant.

"All went well, I take it?" he asked. Brightstar nodded quickly, and called the Clan, without bothering to getting up on the HighRock. "I think RiverClan has gotten the message," she said simply, causing laughs to ripple throughout the Clan.

"Come on, all of you," Batpaw said irritably. "The sooner I treat you, the sooner I can go back to sleep."

He checked each of the cats over, patching some of them up, simply dismissing others. He tended to Tigerpaw's stomach, before allowing him to go. Only Brightstar remained in her den; she had apparently taken quite a beating.

"You were in the battle?" Foxpaw asked in surprise, blinking at him. One ear was torn, but she was otherwise unharmed, except for a few scratches.

"I couldn't stay behind, could I?" Tigerpaw asked simply. Foxpaw laughed.

"That was brave of you, for sure," she said. "Is Brightstar angry?"

As if on cue, Batpaw called, "Brightstar wants to see you, Tigerpaw!"

Tigerpaw winced. "I guess we'll just find out, huh?" he asked, before padding into the medicine den. Brightstar blinked at him as he entered with bright eyes; despite her injuries, she seemed pleased.

"Sit down, Tigerpaw," she said with considerable warmth.

"Am I in trouble?" Tigerpaw asked.

Brightstar shrugged. "Of a sort," she said. "You weren't supposed to come, Tigerpaw."

"I had to!" Tigerpaw burst out. "No one here cares more about those kits than I do!"

"That may be so," Brightstar said, "and that is precisely why you couldn't come." Her eyes were gentle. "You love those kits, and I couldn't have you endangering the mission. I was afraid you would seriously hurt someone, or attempt to see the kits; an act that might qualify as full-fledged war. This was a simple mission, nothing more, and above all I didn't want it to escalate. I know you care deeply for the kits, and having compassion for others is a good thing. I was just afraid it would overtake you. And I was right; you disobeyed and nearly killed Splashpelt."

"But I saved your life!" Tigerpaw objected. Brightstar chuckled.

"Yes, one of them, and I'm very grateful for that," Brightstar said."I might have sounded snappish earlier, but in truth I am very grateful to you, don't underestimate me on that."

Tigerpaw blinked, and then nodded. "You're still a young cat, and young cats are often reckless," Brightstar continued. "However, you did show great courage today, just like your father."

Tigerpaw blinked in surprise. "M-my father?" he said, and then his ears flattened. "My father didn't have courage. He died like a coward."

Brightstar's eyes blazed. "Who told you that? Surely not Dapplefur!"

"No, I just heard it somewhere is all," Tigerpaw said, surprised by Brightstar's ferocity. "Isn't it true, though? He died on the Thunderpath."

"Yes, he did," Brightstar said, "but he died a hero.

"It was during the battle with ShadowClan; the final battle before you were born. It was a little while before you were born – two moons, perhaps? – and we were winning, running the ShadowClan cats off one by one. Your father and I had always been close friends, ever since we were young. He, Snowflight, and Firestorm used to get into all kinds of trouble….Your father had just run off a ShadowClan warrior. We were fighting near the Thunderpath, and so she was fleeing over it, badly injured. Your father would have let her go, but a monster was coming down the Thunderpath quickly, and the she-cat couldn't escape. He raced across the path to knock her out of the way; he almost didn't succeed, for she was still hit by the monster and set flying. He was crushed. I was there, watching the entire thing, but I was powerless; I was dying at the time, and as everything began fading for me, I saw him stirring briefly on the path. He was still alive, but I was already gone, and there was nothing I could do…by the time I returned, he was dead, and the ShadowClan she-cat had escaped. He didn't know it when he died, but she lived, and his actions later led to the eventual peace between our Clans; she was a favorite of Darkstar, you see, and she told him of your father's selfless act. In fact, if he had not saved her, you might have been killed when you went to ShadowClan as a kit."

Tigerpaw's eyes widened. "And he never knew?" he whispered. "So my father was a hero after all?" When Brightstar nodded, Tigerpaw frowned. "Why didn't you tell anyone? Everyone thinks he died a coward!"

"I didn't realize the implications of his death when I told the Clan he died on the Thunderpath," Brightstar admitted, "and when we were at war against ShadowClan, I was afraid his memory would be tarnished; I was afraid the Clan would think he had foolishly sacrificed himself for the enemy. Now that we are allies with ShadowClan, perhaps I can tell the Clan of what really happened…." She closed her eyes. "In any event, your father was a hero, at least in my eyes. You're a lucky cat, to have had a father like him. Your mother was lucky, too." She smiled at him, and then yawned. "Much of the day still remains, but I find myself fatigued, so if you would please allow me a moment to relax…."

Tigerpaw nodded quickly. "Of course," he replied, and got to his paws. He padded out of the medicine den before pausing and turning back to Brightstar. "Wait a moment," he said. "There's one thing I still don't know…what is my father's name?"

Again, Brightstar looked surprised. "You don't know…?"

Tigerpaw shook his head wordlessly, and Brightstar's eyes gentled. She looked almost as if she wasn't going to answer at all, and Tigerpaw turned to go. Just as he stepped out of the den, he heard Brightstar whisper,

"Oakstripe."

AN: Not the best name but not the worst, right? /prepares for disappointment whiplash