Chapter One:

Ashfur rose and stretched in his mossy nest. Sunlight streamed through the entrance to the Warriors den. It was a beautiful day, however his mood soured when he saw Squirrelflight curled close to Brambleclaw.

They've been inseparable ever since the battle with the badgers, he thought. I hope it doesn't last. Every cat in ThunderClan knew that Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight shared a close bond, but after an argument one day, the two barely spoke to each other. After a horde of badgers attacked the camp, however, they had forgiven each other.

Ashfur loved Squirrelflight and he hoped to become her mate. After all, they had formed a tight bond when Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight had had their quarrel.

Ashfur rose from his nest and stepped into the clearing. He padded over to the fresh-kill pile and selected a rabbit for breakfast. Before he could eat it, however, he spotted Squirrelflight sliding out from the thorn bush that served as the Warriors den.

"Squirrelflight!" Ashfur called, bounding across the camp. "I've got some food," he mewed. "Come sit and eat with me."

"Huh?" Squirrelflight seemed distracted. "Oh." The ginger she-cat looked at him. "Ashfur, I have something I need to tell you."

"You can tell me here," Ashfur settled down with his tail curled neatly over his paws. "What is it?"

"I'm..." Squirrelflight began, looking troubled.

Ashfur felt pain stab his heart to see her so distressed. "You can tell me," he meowed gently.

Squirrelflight nodded. "Thank you,Ashfur," she said. "I'm glad that you're my friend, otherwise this would be harder to say."

Ashfur blinked, confusion sparking in his mind. What was so difficult to say to any other cat? And what else did she say? "Friend...?" The gray tom murmured. I'm just a friend? Nothing more than a friend?

Squirrelflight continued. "I needed to tell you, Ashfur, that I'm going to become Brambleclaw's mate. I want to spend my life with him." She paused. "I hope you understand."

Ashfur felt as if someone had dumped icy water on him. Shock coursed through his body. Eventually he managed to say, "no, I don't understand, Squirrelflight. I thought...I thought you loved me!"

Squirrelflight sighed. "I'm sorry, Ashfur, I really am. But you were always just a friend

...and I still want you to be my friend."

Ashfur closed his eyes and dug his claws into the earth. This can't be happening! The gray tabby thought.

"Look, Ashfur." Squirrelflight cut through his thoughts. "I really care about you as a friend, but I don't want any more than that."

"But I love you!" Ashfur sputtered. "We'd be great together, Squirrelflight, I know we would," he said quietly.

Squirrelflight said, " I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. But Brambleclaw--well, I think StarClan has destined us to be together."

"I don't know how you can say that!" Ashfur snarled. "You said yourself that it's impossible to trust a cat with Brambleclaw's heritage. He's a great cat, I know, but he is still Tigerstar's son."

"I'll judge Brambleclaw by his own actions," Squirrelflight retorted, "not by something that other cats did long before I was born."

"I'm only thinking of you, Squirrelflight," Ashfur said. "I can remember Tigerstar. His paws were red with the blood of innocent cats. Did you know that he murdered my mother to lure a pack of dogs into our camp?"

Squirrelflight said something, but Ashfur wasn't listening. But then she said, "But that doesn't mean that Brambleclaw will turn out like his father."

Suddenly the branches to the Warriors den rustled and Brambleclaw slid out of the branches.

"Hi, Brambleclaw!" Squirrelflight meowed, turning to the brown tabby.

Brambleclaw purred and touched noses with her. Ashfur stared, hatred rising inside of him like storm clouds on the horizon.

Then Brambleclaw called something up to Firestar, and after they exchanged a few words he turned to Squirrelflight and asked her if she would join him in a dawn patrol.

"I'm going to check on Birchpaw," he said and turned towards Leafpool's den.

Ashfur entered the dark den and spotted his apprentice, Birchpaw, lying in his nest. One eye was bruised and swollen badly, and the fur on his haunches was missing, to be replaced with dozens of bleeding scratches and bites.

"Hello," Leafpool mewed to Ashfur.

"Hi," Ashfur replied. "How is Birchpaw?"

Leafpool picked up a marigold leaf and gently squeezed the plant's healing juices onto Birchpaw's eye. "He's healing," she answered.

"Good," Ashfur blinked. "Well, I'll see you later, Leafpool." The gray tabby got up and padded out of the den.

He sighed when he saw Sandstorm and Firestar grooming each other's' fur on top of the Highledge. They had been mates for as long as he could remember, and he couldn't help but wish that he and Squirrelflight had shared the same bond. It was all going to be so perfect. They would have had kits and been happy. Even Firestar and Sandstorm had had their kits, Squirrelflight and Leafpool.

As Ashfur had these thoughts, he felt as if a barrier of ice was being built between him and Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. I love her, he thought, but she hurt me. And that calls for revenge.