Chapter Eight

Dragonheart leapt to her feet. "What?" she gasped. "She's missing? Where did she go?"

"I scented her over to Twolegplace," I answered. "You don't think that it was she that told BloodClan we were weak?"

Dragonheart hesitated, a worried gleam in her eyes. "I don't know," she admitted. "My own sister…a traitor…"

I nodded in understanding. "I'm the only one who has noticed her disappearance," I mewed. "We could go find her, and see if that really is the case. Who knows? Maybe I'm mouse-brained and she's just off hunting a rabbit or something."

"Right." Dragonheart paused, thinking. "Let's bring Whitepaw along with us. She's almost a warrior, and she could use the adventure."

"Sure," I mewed, "and how about Spiderpaw too –" but Dragonheart had already taken off. I sighed inwardly. Ah well, I didn't want to waste time in finding Spiderpaw; Dragonheart was already coming toward me with Whitepaw.

"Remind me again why we suddenly want to take a patrol near Twolegplace?" mewed the white-pelted she-cat, confused.

"Time to go, Glacierclaw," meowed Dragonheart, ignoring Whitepaw.

We padded quickly, but casually out of camp, then turned instantly toward Twolegplace. Whitepaw panted close to us.

"Where are we going?"

"Flamestorm's missing," I mewed. "We brought you along for a bit of help."

"I'm honored. But why do you need help?"

I hesitated. "We have a theory that it was Flamestorm who told BloodClan that we were weak."

"Whoa!" Whitepaw let out a startled gasp and faced me with huge green eyes. "Flamestorm might be a traitor?"

"Well, the way she was acting…"

Whitepaw said nothing more on the subject as we sped toward Twolegplace. At last, we reached the white Twoleg fence and came to a quick halt. Dragonheart peered closely around, sniffing intently.

"I smell lots of stuff," she mewed. "Lots of cats." She looked at me, worried.

"Could just be a few kittypets," I suggested.

But Dragonheart shook her head. "No. These are weak, starving, sick cats. Definitely not kittypets." She sighed. "BloodClan."

"What about Flamestorm?" asked Whitepaw.

"I think I smell her a little bit, but…there are so many cats it's hard to tell."

"Where does the trail lead?" I mewed.

"Up this way."

Dragonheart padded around the first Twoleg nest and into the grassy area behind it. The scent of many cats became stronger. My fur started to bristle with alarm.

"Okay," I mewed, "maybe we should go back to camp, you know, get a few warriors –"

It started with a sudden yowl. Then cats – skinny, but muscular cats – erupted out of the grass, hissing, snarling, clawing. There were so many! I leapt back in surprise, and unsheathed my claws. Was this BloodClan? I wondered. It had to be.

It took me a second to realize that a large group of the BloodClan cats had circled around me. They closed in on me suddenly, grabbing me hard by their teeth. I snarled and tried to escape, but they were so much bigger than I was.

And where were Dragonheart and Whitepaw? Had they gotten away? Or was BloodClan bringing them, too?

BloodClan dragged me roughly through the grass, far away from ThunderClan camp. I had never been in this part of the forest before. At last, we once again entered a tussle of trees, and BloodClan dropped me on the ground in the center, and the former kittypets formed a circle around me.

I looked around wildly for Dragonheart or Whitepaw, but I didn't see them anywhere.

"Don't bother looking," mewed a voice. A horribly familiar voice. "We let them go back to your pitiful Clan."

The BloodClan cats parted slightly to allow a gap in the circle. A single cat stalked through, her tail swishing defiantly and triumphantly.

I knew this cat. It was Flamestorm.

I swallowed hard. I had to act like I wasn't impressed. "Stupid of you to let Whitepaw and Dragonheart go back to ThunderClan camp," I mewed. "They'll come back with lots of warriors."

Flamestorm shrugged. "BloodClan is many. We can take on a pathetic Clan like yours."

"And you're leader?"

The ginger-pelted she-cat raised her head proudly. "I am indeed leader of BloodClan," she answered.

I snorted and looked around the cats. "Do you know how old this cat is?" I mewed. "She's barely a warrior! Her warrior ceremony was yesterday!"

One of the cats shrugged. "She teaches us," he mewed.

"What?"

"I teach them the ways of Clanlife," explained Flamestorm. She was circling me now. I shivered. "BloodClan is not an organized Clan. There are no mentors. Everyone is a warrior. Elders and the sick are left to fend for themselves." She purred in amusement. "But I am teaching them the ways of Clanlife. I teach them about mentors, hunting patrols, everything. In exchange for power."

"Power," I repeated. "I can't believe you, Flamestorm. You're acting like Tigerstar."

The BloodClan cats murmured nervously to each other at the mention of this cat's name.

"Tigerstar had the right idea," answered Flamestorm. "He wanted power over all four Clans. And that is what I will have soon. Now." She began to circle me at an even faster pace. "You will die today, Glacierclaw."

"Why me?" I mewed, trying not to show my fear. "Why not Dragonheart?"

Flamestorm hissed at her sister's name. "Dragonheart is a fool," she whispered. "A different-Clan-sympathizer. A peacemaker. But you, Glacierclaw, was the cat that tried to reason with me the most. You were the one, Glacierclaw. You thought you could be my friend." She yowled with laughter. The other cats joined in.

Slash!

Flamestorm raked her claws forward. They scratched my nose. Droplets of blood ran into my mouth. I hissed in pain.

Flamestorm dropped suddenly into a battle crouch. "Time to die, Glacierclaw," she whispered.

I copied her crouch. If I was going to die, it was better to die like a warrior.

She leapt!

I flung myself into the air, claws raking her side. But Flamestorm was quicker than I was. The wounds that the cats had given me when they had dragged me here were affecting me. I hissed sharply when Flamestorm's claws raked into my back, and her teeth chomped on my hind leg. I yowled.

"That the best you can do, loner?" she hissed. Flamestorm struck again. Her claws chipped my ear. I gasped.

I leapt back, then pounced. I sailed above Flamestorm, and landed on her, sinking my claws and teeth into her sides. She wriggled hard, slashing me, and managed to break free of my grip. She launched at me once again, and her jaws met my throat.

I let out a startled gasp of pain and surprise.

My body slowly hit the ground. Flamestorm let go of me. I could hear her saying something, but I couldn't understand.

And then I felt the last breath leave my body.

"Glacierclaw!" I yowled out loud. Whitepaw tackled me to get me to shut up. I scrambled to my feet and peeked out the small hole of grass.

Flamestorm, my sister, was standing over the dead body of my best friend, Glacierclaw.

I felt unbelievable hatred burn inside me. How could she? My own sister! Flamestorm had killed Glacierclaw!

"No," I whispered, "no…"

"Dragonheart, shut up!" hissed Whitepaw. "You're going to get us killed!"

"Glacierclaw!" I moaned. "She's dead."

"Yes, and so will we if you don't be quiet!"

"I can't watch anymore," I gasped, turning away. "I'm going back to camp for reinforcements."

"Wait!" Whitepaw grabbed me and pulled me toward the small hole.

"Throw her body into the bushes," Flamestorm was saying. "We'll do something about her later. For now, we have to plan the attack on my old Clan, ThunderClan…"

A few BloodClan cats picked up Glacierclaw's body and tossed her carelessly into some shrubbery. I growled under my breath. Flamestorm would pay. Oh, yes, she would pay.

"Okay, now we leave," whispered Whitepaw, and she shoved me away. We walked clumsily back into the forest, then broke into a run toward ThunderClan camp.

My mind was spinning with what I had just witnessed. Flamestorm killed Glacierclaw…Flamestorm took control of BloodClan…Promised them an organized Clan…the mouse-brained fool. Once BloodClan understood, they would kill her.

We tore quickly into camp. The Clan cats let out shocked yowls at how quickly we were going. The two of us bolted toward Firestar's den.

"Firestar!" I mewed. "We've got to talk! This is important!"

The ginger-coated tom looked up in surprise. "Dragonheart, Whitepaw. What is going on?"

"Flamestorm is a traitor!" I gasped. "She told BloodClan that we were weak! She's in charge of BloodClan! And she's planning to attack!"

Firestar leapt to his feet. "When?"

"We don't know."

He hesitated, considering. Then, "Where is Glacierclaw?"

Whitepaw and I glanced at each other.

"We'll tell you what happened to her later," I answered.

"Can we beat them by ourselves?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered, surprising myself. "They were weak and starving. There had to be less of them than last time."

And with that, Firestar ran out of his den and leapt upon the Highrock. He did not bother calling his Clan because they had gathered there anyway, signaled by us.

"Dragonheart and Whitepaw have brought back startling news," he mewed, and hastily told them about what we had told him.

"How do they know this?" demanded Dustpelt.

"We were tracking a scent trail," I called out. "It led to the back."

"Why would BloodClan listen to Flamestorm?"

"Where is Glacierclaw?"

One by one, we answered the questions, except the last one, of course. Firestar then rounded up most of his warriors and apprentices for this battle. And with that, ThunderClan headed for the battle grounds behind Twolegplace.

I raced beside Whitepaw and Squirrelpaw, the blood pounding in my ears. This would be incredible, I thought. Challenging BloodClan. We were out of the forest. I winced at the openness, with no trees, but still pressed on, through the forest. I was getting tired already, but it was probably just because I was so scared.

"It's this way, Firestar," I panted, and flicked my tail toward the clearing to the right. "BloodClan will be there."

Firestar nodded but said nothing. ThunderClan raced through the grass, and froze suddenly in the clearing. My blood ran cold when I saw BloodClan facing us. I was satisfied to see that they looked dumbfounded and confused.

"Flamestorm!" shouted Firestar. "What are you doing? You belong in ThunderClan!"

Flamestorm let out an impatient hiss. "Not anymore, I don't, Firestar," she mewed. "My new life is with BloodClan. Here, I can have so much more power. It's great."

Firestar sighed, shaking his head. "Flamestorm, you have heard of Tigerstar? He failed. As will you."

"I doubt it," replied my sister, and nodded to the rogue cats behind her. "BloodClan, attack!"

Firestar yowled the signal as well, and the two Clans leapt into battle.

A ginger tom barreled into me. I hissed with anger and surprise and sank my teeth into his leg, disgusted at the matted fur. The tom yowled and clawed at me, but I leapt away and aimed for his throat – killing him.

I looked wildly around the clearing of tusseling cats. I didn't care about them; I wanted Flamestorm.

I found her watching the battle calmly on the side of the crowd. I ran toward her and tackled her viciously. She hissed, tumbling onto her side and getting up quickly.

"You wouldn't kill me!" she hissed. "You couldn't kill your own sister!"

I lashed out my claws and raked her face. "You are not the sister I once knew," I whispered. "You killed Glacierclaw!"

Flamestorm flinched with surprise and rammed me over, sinking her claws into my shoulder. She held me to the ground.

"You saw that, did you?" she hissed. "Well, Glacierclaw deserved to die. She was a horrible warrior."

"She was not!" I cried, leaping away from my sister's grip. I let out a yowl filled with anger and sadness and leapt at Flamestorm.

But just as I was preparing to deal out scratches and bites, I realized that there were at least twenty Twolegs swarming into the area. Even worse, no one noticed it, being busy fighting. I froze in shock and wondered what in StarClan's name was going on.

Yeah…so…I died…

Right. The next chapter is the last one. I know, I really have a thing for the number nine, but seriously, I cannot think of anything else to write. I didn't even realize that this was all I had planned out. Anyway, the next chapter will be up VERY soon. Maybe even tonight.

Review!