A new chapter of the no-longer-a-one-shot fanfic!!! I hope you enjoy it!!! Decided to end this at the first Gathering of Tigerstar's leadership!!!
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"I'd like to see any of y--" Oakpaw let out a screech of pain as Squirrelkit bit into his tail. Looking on fondly, Tigerclaw watched as his kits worked together to drag Oakpaw down off the mud pile they created in the center of camp so that the apprentices could train. However, Tigerclaw's kits saw the apprentices training more as a game and Tigerclaw saw no harm in permitting the training session to include a more kit friendly form of training. Besides, the apprentice's have been training diligently enough for the past quarter moon. What's the harm of taking a break from their intense training regime?.
The game included a giant mud pile that an apprentice must stay on and protect from invading intruders. The invaders would then in turn try and drag the one on top of the mound off and claim it for themselves. So far, none of the apprentices have lasted or succeeded in preventing his kits from overpowering them and taking the mound for themselves. HawkClan, or SquirrelClan, depending on which kit you asked, were who Tigerclaw's kits had dubbed themselves as they took on the apprentice's. Working together against their foe's, where they lacked skills and experience, they made up for in determination and numbers.
Wetfoot sighed from where he sat with the other mentor's. Shaking his head as he called out to his apprentice, "give it up, Oakpaw. You've already been knocked off." And indeed he had, the small, light brown apprentice had slid all the way down to the bottom, where he was being surrounded by kits. Two of which, Hawkkit and Bramblekit, were trying to hold the struggling apprentice down but just barely.
"Who's next?!" Tawnykit hissed, looking eager to continue. "We'll flay any of you that even attempts to get in our way!"
"Let him go, Bramblekit, Hawkkit." Tigerclaw called out to his kits. At once they let the defeated ShadowClan apprentice go, the apprentice in turn huffed in annoyance as he sat up and shook mud out of his pelt, spraying the surrounding kits with the wet dirt in a petty form of revenge. However, Tigerclaw could tell this would fuel his kits desire to get back at Oakpaw at some point.
"Can I go next?" Cedarpaw, a dark gray apprentice with yellow eyes, begged his mentor; Russetfur.
"I don't see why not." The dark ginger she-cat told her apprentice. "Hopefully you'll last longer than these other two."
Oakpaw shot the dark ginger warrior a glare as he passed by her to join a sulking Rowanpaw. Snag's temporary, who Tigerclaw hopes to make permanent, apprentice sat glaring at the frolicking kits. Rowanpaw hadn't even lasted but a few mouse-heartbeats before Squirrelkit decided she didn't like the taunts coming from the older cat, and had her siblings attack him mercilessly till he toppled down off the mound underneath a fur pile of withering kits. A lesson in humility would do the apprentice some good.
Before Cedarpaw could excitedly join in on the training, Fireheart, at the head of her hunting party, entered through the thorn tunnel with Flintfang and Fernshade following behind. All were carrying their own prey. And as they passed by, their kits took notice of their mother's return and abandoned the warriors and apprentices to instead pester their mother with questions about the hunting patrol.
"I think that's enough training for today," Tigerclaw meowed, watching Cedarpaw's whiskers droop in disappointment. "Though perhaps it wouldn't hurt to see if the kits would like to continue playing after they are done driving their mother insane." Cedarpaw seemed to perk up at the mention of possibly continuing the game, so did the other apprentices who were trying to hide their own interest in playing with the kits. Regardless of losing, the apprentices still had fun.
"Though I believe you three should check in and see how the elders are faring. Now shouldn't you?" Tigerclaw didn't pose it as a question, it was a direct order and the assembled apprentices could sense that.
With respectful dips of their heads to Tigerclaw and their mentors, the apprentices darted off to go check on the elders. With a few words to the apprentice's mentors, Tigerclaw concluded the training sessions for the day.
Padding away, Tigerclaw was halted in place by a soft voice speaking to him from behind, "They really seem to respect you," Tigerclaw turned his head, ears perking as Fireheart approached him, "almost like you're taking over everything around here."
Tigerclaw wasn't sure if that was Fireheart just stating an observation or making an accusation, either way it didn't sound like the flame-colored she-cat was judging him for taking charge. ShadowClan needed someone in charge that knew what they were doing and what these cats needed.
"I have grown a lot of trust since I came here." Tigerclaw shrugged his broad-shoulders, his thick tail flicking sharply behind him. "It wasn't easy, there was a lot of distrust at first. But I showed them my worth and they've kept me around since."
"I see that." Fireheart hummed in agreement. "You've seemed to have done it so effortlessly. Even though you were once from a rival Clan. It was never easy for me when I first joined ThunderClan, though I suppose it would be different for a kittypet than a Clanborn cat."
Tigerclaw recalled Fireheart's earlier days in the Clan. Nobody, especially Tigerclaw, wanted or agreed to a random kittypet joining ThunderClan all of a sudden. It had happened so quickly and out of the blue that there wasn't really any room to protest. Fireheart's fight with Longtail solidified Bluestar's decision to keep Fireheart, the then kittypet, in the Clan.
Tigerclaw had been angered by the decision and had made things difficult for Fireheart on purpose to get the kittypet nuisance to leave voluntarily, otherwise he would resort to just chasing her out. But his own decision changed after a while of spending some time with the quirky, charmingly mature ginger she-cat. After that he found he wanted to keep this former kittypet in the Clan. A special one time exemption he always claimed.
"I wonder if Graystripe and his kits are faring just as well in RiverClan." Fireheart continued, sounding forlorn.
That caught Tigerclaw's attention, "Graystripe joined RiverClan?" Tigerclaw never minded the big, solid, dark gray warrior before. Sure, Tigerclaw didn't approve much of his laid-back attitude or his sometimes borderline disrespect. But he never had much of a problem with him. Not until Fireheart came along and Tigerclaw secretly began to feel jealous of his and Fireheart's close friendship.
When it was revealed that Graystripe broke the warrior code by taking on a mate from another Clan, and not only that but fathered kits with them, it completely disgusted the dark brown tabby. It also enraged him that Fireheart knew about the secret relationship and said nothing. And though he made no secret of his own that he disapproved of the action, Fireheart still agreed to nurse and take care of the half-Clan kits alongside their own. Regardless of how exhausted it made her, and how ungrateful Graystripe had been.
"There was a dispute about Graystripe's kits not shortly after you…left," Fireheart awkwardly worded, "we were on the brink of a war over them, but Graystripe decided to give them over to RiverClan to avoid that. Though when it came time to give them away, Graystripe said he couldn't live without them and decided to join them in RiverClan."
Tigerclaw wanted to say good riddance, but it wasn't his place anymore. He wasn't a part of ThunderClan and so not his problem. Graystripe was better off in RiverClan where he could have a new fresh start instead of living in the shambles of his ruined reputation and loss of trust of his birth-Clan. Tigerclaw blatantly ignored the comparison between them both.
"That must have troubled you." Tigerclaw said instead.
Fireheart sadly nodded, "I missed him for a bit, but it wasn't before long I was exiled from ThunderClan and had other things to worry about instead."
It still rubbed Tigerclaw the wrong way whenever Fireheart brought up the fact that she and their kits had been exiled for the sole reason of Tigerclaw's betrayal. Being suspicious would have been understandable, anyone close to him would have been suspected of being in on his plans. That's why he had brought no one in on his plans outside of the rogue's. Longtail, Darkstripe and Dustpelt might have all supported him up till that point, but they made it clear they wanted nothing to do with him after it was all revealed to them and the Clan as to what he had done to get to where he was. He was right to distrust them with such information. Fireheart and his kits needn't be burdened with such knowledge, no one was ever supposed to find out, so he saw no need to let them know what he was up to. Not that Fireheart would ever let him follow through with his plans, he found that out the hard way.
Wanting to wipe the look of sorrow from her fact, Tigerclaw changed to a lighter topic, "Both you and the kits seem to be settling in quite nicely."
Fireheart once again nodded, "Everyone has been so sympathetic and kind towards me and the kits ever since we got here. It's surprisingly easy to get along with most of the warriors, many are laid-back and accepting about our joining the Clan, and the kits seem to like it so far."
"So do you like it?"
"I wouldn't say that I like it," Fireheart replied, face scrunching up in thought. "It's much better than living on our own. And the way everything is going it's good to see that the kits are safe and happy."
"That's go--" Tigerclaw broke off what he was about to say as he instinctively snapped his head over towards the thorn tunnel entrance as a heavily wounded Boulder, who was being supported by Mowgli, came skidding into camp.
"Whitethroat's been murdered," Mowgli wailed, the brown tom's fur was spiked along his shoulders, along with streak's of blood coming from various cuts that could only come from another cats claws.
Boulder's eyes were screwed shut in pain as he collapsed in the clearing, grunting as Runningnose instantly was at his side, checking him over as all their Clanmates gathered around after hearing the warriors exclamation.
"What do you mean he was murdered?" Wetfoot demanded, only to be shoved aside as Tigerclaw took his place and faced Mowgli.
"Tell me everything." Tigerclaw demanded, feeling the eyes of the ShadowClan warriors on his back as he took charge of the situation. "Leave nothing out."
"M-me, Boulder and Whitethroat were just patrolling the border wh-when a ThunderClan patrol came out of nowhere and just attacked us." Mowgli stuttered out, his green eyes wide with distress. "They caught us off guard and we weren't prepared to fight them. There were too many of them. They killed Whitethroat right in front of us, no hesitation at all, both me and Boulder just barely escaped with our lives."
Tigerclaw's amber eyes widened in surprise as he shared a look of disbelief over his shoulder with Fireheart who was standing right behind him with a similar look of surprise in her jade green eyes.
"Why would ThunderClan attack you?" Russetfur asked, sounding just as surprised as the rest of the Clan seemed to be.
"We don't know." Boulder grunted out as Runningnose slathered a strong smelling paste against his wounds. "But they could still be lurking around--"
That spurred Tigerclaw into action, "I want a patrol of warriors; Russetfur, Wetfoot, Flintfang, and Fireheart, you'll come with me and the rest stay behind and protect the camp." Tigerclaw didn't even hesitate to call out a patrol of strong fight ready warriors, nor did he hesitate to add Fireheart to the patrol, he just gave the order and everyone fell into place.
As soon as Tigerclaw felt the warriors he had chosen for his patrol gathered behind him he raced out of camp, the sudden fury and injustice of the situation lending him the speed and strength to cut down the time it took of reaching the border with ThunderClan practically in half.
"Whitethroat!" Wetfoot gasped somewhere over his shoulder as the unmoving body of the black tom with white chest and paws came into sight. The area scented heavily of ThunderClan, which aligned with Mowgli and Boulder's recount of being attacked by ThunderClan.
Tigerclaw came to a halt and carefully looked for signs of any ThunderClan invader that might still be around, but it seemed that the ThunderClan patrol had already retreated back over to their own territory.
Tigerclaw let out a frustrated growl of contempt. This injustice will not stand, not when it was obviously unwarranted and unprovoked. It disgusted him to think about how far his birth-Clan had fallen morally since his departure.
"Why did they do this?" Tigerclaw heard Fireheart whisper behind him and turned to see the flame-colored she-cat staring down in horror at the now dead ShadowClan warrior.
"Because they are a bunch of fox-hearts, that's why." Russetfur hissed beside her, equally horrified at the form of her Clanmate laying dead in front of them.
"ThunderClan has never done something like this before." Flintfang pointed out, sniffing at Whitethroat's torn pelt. "Why would they do something like it now?"
"Why does ThunderClan do anything?" Wetfoot meowed, sadly staring down at his departed Clanmate.
"ThunderClan needs to pay." Russetfur hissed, glaring over towards the tall oak trees on the other side of the Thunderpath. "Whitethroat's death cannot be unavenged."
Tigerclaw felt the sentiment flow between the ShadowClan warriors, only Fireheart looked uncomfortable but she did not speak out against them. Tigerclaw himself was also angered by the smaller warrior's death, but the dark tabby knew that now was not the time for a fight.
"We'll take Whitethroat's body back and hold a vigil for him." Tigerclaw meowed, turning away from staring at the ThunderClan's side of the border. "We're going to need time to figure out a plan and how to proceed from there."
"But Tigerclaw--" Russetfur's protest was cut short by Tigerclaw's stern glare, the dark ginger she-cat seemed to know that there would be no retaliation just yet.
Instead Russetfur, with the aid of Wetfoot and Flintfang, carried Whitethroat's body back to camp while Fireheart and Tigerclaw stayed back.
"I can't believe this." Fireheart meowed, glancing down at the remains of blood and ripped off fur. "Why would Bluestar--"
"Bluestar's mind has weakened," Tigerclaw theorized, "this unprovoked attack stemming from growing paranoia most likely."
"Do you think Bluestar is targeting ShadowClan exclusively, or perhaps she--" Fireheart trailed off, the unease in her voice giving Tigerclaw all the information needed to understand her worries.
"Bluestar would have no way of knowing that I, you or the kits have joined ShadowClan." Tigerclaw reassured, "not unless someone from ShadowClan had told her or a patrol had been trespassing onto ShadowClan territory."
"Then why would--" Tigerclaw gently tapped Fireheart on the muzzle, now wasn't the time to be standing around talking, not after a patrol had been attacked and one of their own killed. It was too dangerous to be out here on their own.
"We'll talk more back at camp." Tigerclaw promised, and watched as Fireheart dipped her dainty head in agreement to the idea.
But as they padded back to camp side by side, Tigerclaw swore that Bluestar would not get away with what she had done.
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Fun facts:
This chapter was actually supposed to go into the fire scene but then as I looked back over Tigerclaw's Fury wiki I completely forgot about Whitethroat so I added that in and that gave way to a totally new idea that I'm gonna add…can't spoil anything but I really want to!! (So next up will probably be Nightstar's death and the fire scene and then of course my little surprise!!!)
Yes, I got inspiration for the game the kits and apprentice's are playing from Ivypool training in the Dark Forest!!!
Tigerclaw love's his children and is going to be an amazing father.
ThunderClan attacked ShadowClan on Bluestar's orders.
Bluestar is off her rocker and without Fireheart there to soften the blow Bluestar is gonna get worse and ThunderClan is just going to follow orders instead of questioning them.
If Fireheart and her kits were banished because of Tigerclaw…wouldn't that also mean that other cats were banished as well? Wink, wink ;)
