"I'd like to discontinue our alliance."
Tigerstar flattened his ears to his head, shoulder fur rising. Leopardstar simply shifted her position on the muddy soil, not breaking eye contact. Tigerstar shook his head, snarling.
"None of what Firestar said is true! The only cat I've ever killed was Oakheart, and that was to avenge Redtail!"
Leopardstar sighed, "Tigerstar… we've known Oakheart wasn't killed by a cat for moons."
Tigerstar stood up, defensively and anxiously, "Whoever told you that is lying," he snarled.
Leopardstar shook her head, "What good would our medicine cat have lying about the death of a warrior? To make it easier on his brother that he'd even died? None of his injuries were enough to cause his to bleed out and die. He was squished by rocks."
Tigerstar didn't look as if he could speak. He snarled, "So I saw one situation wrong! Redtail was standing right next to Oakheart and Oakheart had fallen long before the rocks fell on him. I thought Redtail killed him, and a warrior need not kill in battle and Thunderclan didn't need such a disloyal deputy at such a time. It was necessary!"
Leopardstar shifted, sighing through her teeth. She supposed Tigerstar could have a pass on that one. Battles were hectic and misseeing couldn't be faulted. Something in the bottom of her gut told her Tigerstar was lying, but she ignored it. "What of the other cats Firestar mentioned. Brindleface?"
"Got killed by dogs."
"Runningwind?"
"Whitethroat. The car hitting Whitethroat was Starclan's punishment for doing so."
"And…" Leopardstar struggled to get the name out. "You plotted with Brokenstar to kill Lionheart?"
"No, no! I overheard Brokenstar thinking out loud about attacking Thunderclan's camp and threatened to take the rest of his lives! Lionheart's death was unfortunate but he died nobly. Bluestar was mad to keep Brokenstar in camp, I agree, and Lionheart's death was because of Brokenstar, not me."
Leopardstar was silent, contemplating this. Brindleface being killed by dogs certainly made since. But Whitethroat killing Runningwind, or anycat for that matter, regardless or not of sickness, just didn't make sense. Brokenstar was a wicked leader, and she knew Tigerstar had dead kit siblings himself, so she could certainly see his hatred for the tom.
She shook her head, "What business would Whitethroat have killing Runningwind?"
"Search me," he muttered simply, "He was dead before I came to Shadowclan. What business would I have murdering Runningwind, hm?" he went on before Leopardstar could answer, "Exactly. I have no reason to."
Leopardstar opened her eyes and stared coldly up at him. "I don't think you're being truthful," she muttered simply, "Why would Firestar want to lie to the clans? He's always been a very truthful, loyal warrior."
"One of Firestar's best friends was Ravenpaw," Tigerstar snarled, "Ravenpaw was terrified of me and wanted to see me exiled. Ravenpaw didn't have courage of his own, so Firestar stood up for him and now is trying to pin all his lies on me, even after I'm gone from Thunderclan."
"Why would he? After you were gone from the clan, what's the point of lying? Surely it must be rooted in some sort of truth!"
Tigerstar pounced on her. "Oh, so you believe a kittypet over me?!"
Leopardstar snarled, reaching up and tearing off what was remaining of his right ear. Tigerstar yowled, leaning down to tightly clench is jaws around her throat. Leopardstar gasped, clawing at his shoulders, but Tigerstar didn't let go. Soon enough, her eyes closed, and reopened to see the silvery-blue tinted forest below big dark starry sky.
She turned over so that she was crouching, shaking her head. She couldn't believe her first live was taken by a cat she considered a friend. She looked up, and in front of her sat a familiar ginger-and-white she-cat.
"Br-Brightsky?"
The she-cat shook her small head, tapping the ground with a paw before looking over her shoulder and waving her tail. From the bushes emerged three cats. One ginger-and-white, more muscled and fluffier than the first. One golden-brown, spotted, who looked just like Leopardstar. The last was brown and had a creamy underside, also spotted.
"Greetings, my daughter," greeted the fluffier ginger she-cat, purring and rubbing her muzzle against Leopardstar's neck.
"We didn't expect you to come so early," said the golden tom.
"I didn't expect anyone to be around except Brightsky. Greetings. I don't believe I know you."
The golden tom sat, drawing a paw over his ear. "We're your littermates. Starclan gave us warrior bodies and warrior names."
"Hailstar and Crookedstar picked them," the brown tom added. Leopardstar blinked, eyes full of love and happiness.
"Carpkit, Oatkit, Waterkit-! I hardly recognized you! What names did you all get?"
"I am Carpfin."
"Oatflight."
"And this is Waterdapple," Brightsky said for the petite she-cat, "She was never able to find her voice."
Leopardstar tilted her head sadly, but Waterdapple didn't seem depressed in the slightest.
"This wasn't really… how we saw your first life being lost, Leopardstar," Carpfin chuckled, nervously, "But, you sure are here!"
Oatflight purred in laughter, but quickly got more serious, "We've come to warn you of the future's events."
"Oh?"
"Regarding Blackfoot," Carpfin continued, "We know you don't care for him much right now, but we see two drastically different paths for him, and one you're heavily involved. Blackfoot, after Tigerstar's eventual death, will either return to Shadowclan and lead them for moons, or father a Riverclan warrior's kits and stay."
"In Shadowclan he would be a great leader," Brightsky admitted, "His deputy after him would lead the clans to unneeded tyranny, and Blackstar himself will break ties with Starclan and the warrior code for several moons to come."
Leopardstar looked conflicted. She didn't need them to tell her who the mother of his kits might be. She'd always thought she may have had kits in her future, but was always conflicted about actually having them.
"Would I still be Riverclan's leader, nursing kits?"
Carpfin nodded, chuckling, "You're stuck to Riverclan's leadership like a flea on a fox."
"Though it is reasonable to say that your deputy would take over a few of your duties," Oatflight chimed in, "But we trust you to choose a good warrior without any dark intentions, in that path."
"But, speaking of deputies," Brightsky said, sadness edging her voice, "We saw an involvement with Blackfoot and Stonefur, too. It's very depressing, and, quite frankly, disgusting, but we're afraid it must happen, either way."
Leopardstar anxiously turned to Carpfin. Sure, Stonefur would probably be too old to lead Riverclan after her, but dark and disgusting involvement with Blackfoot still having a warrior name? The fur on her back pricked anxiously.
"Yes," Carpfin sighed, "Stonefur… will be murdered. In the best path, by Blackfoot, should you believe it."
"What could be good about my deputy being murdered by a tom in supposed to have kits with?!" Leopardstar panicked, voice high.
"Well, in the other, which was very short, Tigerstar murdered the five of them. Blackfoot, Stonefur, Mistyfoot, Featherpaw, and Stormpaw." Carpfin said quietly, not wanting to speak of the words.
Oatflight nodded, "Stonefur will have died a noble death, and he will have saved Mistyfoot, Featherpaw and Stormpaw's lives! If everything goes correctly, they will all live fulfilling lives, and die nobly!"
Leopardstar took in a shaky breath, "And if Blackfoot refuses to kill him, and they're all murdered?"
Brightsky spoke, "Tigerstar takes control over all the clans, murdering Firestar and any of his descendants and any cat who breath his name."
Leopardstar snarled breathily, "I knew he shouldn't be trusted."
"Right, but he sure won't let you out of Tigerclan," Oatflight meowed, "If you speak out against him he'll take the rest of your lives and there will only be three clans, forevermore."
"Three clans, should he decide not to take over Windclan and Thunderclan," Carpfin said gravely, "And he'd never leave them in peace."
Brightsky sighed, shooing her kits away with her tail, "We've told her so much already," she said sadly, "Now that you what will happen, you must forgive Blackfoot, kits or no!"
Leopardstar dipped her head, "I'll try. It may take moons but, I'll try."
Brightsky nodded, taking her starry kittens back off into the bushes. A few fox-lengths away Leopardstar could see the faintest outline of a golden-spotted figure. Herself, she figured. At her leg, sat a little while kit, her legs and head golden. When the ghost of her first life stared over her shoulder at the living Leopardstar, the kit blew away.
Leopardstar's eyes shot open, taking in a big, deep breath. Her neck was caked with dried blood through the wound was gone. She was back in the muddy hollow she'd chosen for her and Tigerstar's meeting spot. Tigerstar had long gone, and now she was being prodded by a black six-toed paw.
"Leopardstar…! Leopardstar, have you any lives left?"
The tom jumped back at her sudden awakening.
"Thank Starclan," he breathed.
Leopardstar felt the need to snarled at him, but couldn't bring herself to it. He'd not killed yet and when he did, he'd be under threat of death, and Featherpaw and Stormpaw would be alright-
Ugh, she thought. I can figure out my emotions later. Now I've got a pounding headache.