Raggedstar watched his warriors quickly kill off the Dark forest messenger. Good. No on knows.
He waited for most of his warriors to leave with Cherrypaw's body. Raggedstar looked up to where he knew his son was watching. This is just so perfectly staged!
Raggedstar waited for Cherrypaw to come back for Starclan. When she did he had already made sure that no other cats besides Dark forest cats were in the area.
"Come we have to get moving!"
"But you killed me!"
"What?"
Raggedstar grabbed Cherrypaw by her scruff and ran up Brokenstar's tree. Neither Brokenstar nor Hawkfrost had seen them yet.
He lunged at his son, shoving him backwards. He pushed Cherrypaw at Brokenstar, and ripped open her flank. He knew that his warriors would arrive soon because of her cries so he'd have to work fast; he could already see them coming. Raggedstar snapped he neck, and watched her fade. Brokenstar glared down at where the body was.
"Well father, though you are a coward, I never expected you to be a murderer too."
"Shut up." As his warriors caught up, seeing Raggedstar's bloodstained paws, they launched themselves at the two Dark forest leaders. With hisses of outrage, they fled, outnumbered.
"I'm going to kill him!"
"Brokenstar."
"I'm going to kill him!"
"Brokenstar!"
"I'm going to kill him! Rip every last bit of flesh of his-"
"BROKENSTAR!"
"What?"
"Why did he kill her? She was just an apprentice. A clan apprentice."
"Well she found out about the rats."
"Wait, so the rest of Starclan doesn't know?"
"Hawkfrost, of course they don't! Those soft hearted fools could never stomach what goes on here!"
"What are we going to do?"
"I don't know!"
Whitewing sat back, shocked at what she had just heard. Dovewing had told her about what Raggedstar had done, and she just couldn't believe it! Raggedstar- a murderer? No just no.
She heard Brokenstar come up behind her. He looked haggard and exhausted.
"Dovewing, we can't raid Starclan now, they will be on watch. So as to save food, the prisoners won't be getting any."
"What? But that's now fair!"
At this Brokenstar seemed almost to laugh.
"Fair my dear? If life and death were fair, Mapleshade would be in Starclan with three fully grown kits around her, with a loving mate. Tigerstar would be ruling the forest! I would be-"
"But that wouldn't be fair! All you two would do is murder in cold blood!"
"Well Starclan could have at least left us to rot in peace!" Brokenstar glared at her, daring her to disagree.
When she didn't he smirked. She glared at him as he left.
Whitewing fled with the rest of the prisoners. The rats were coming! Hawkfrost guided them into a tunnel, and pushed a rock onto the entrance.
Brokenstar looked around, he seemed to be counting them. His eyes widened as they fell on Tigerheart.
Tigerheart slowly turned, surveying the cats around them.
"Where's Dawnpelt?" He asked after a long pause.
Brokenstar sighed. He knew this was going to happen some time.
"It's to late, Tigerheart. The rats will get her. I am sorry. We'll kill her for you, you don't need to see her."
Tigerheart stared at him in disbelief. "Are you offering to kill her for me? That's my sister you're talking about! I'm not just going to let her die!"
"There's nothing we can do for her, I'm sorry."
Tigerheart lunged towards Brokenstar, but the other tom was ready. Hooking his claws underneath Tigerheart, Brokenstar flipped him over.
"When she comes back to join Starclan, we will kill her for you. You should be grateful!"
"Grateful?!" Tigerheart could not believe his ears!
Brokenstar sighed. "When the rats get 'em, they don't come back… healed.
"What do you mean?"
Brokenstar was silent for what felt like a long time. "Oh why am I trying to protect you? She will come back, half bone. Her flesh will be gone; she will look like a living corpse. The best thing for her would be to kill her; put her out of her misery. I thought you wouldn't want to see her after she is eaten, but if you would like the honor of killing her, then go ahead!"
"What?! Then we have to save her!"
"We?"
"Yes!"
"Tigerheart, no."
"Why you foxhe-"
Scratching at the roof interrupted Tigerheart, and he looked up.
Dovewing heard low moans coming from above her. Dawnpelt!
"Let me in, they're coming!"
"Dawnpelt!" Tigerheart threw Brokenstar off him, and raced towards the sound.
"No! If you open that, we will all die!"
"Coward!"
Brokenstar let of a screech of fury, and lunged at Tigerheart, sending him flying.
Dovewing stared at him in shock. She knew Brokenstar was cruel, but to leave a cat to be eaten alive?
"You don't understand. I've seen them. They're unstoppable. If they even touch you, you get the plague."
Brokenstar lowered his head.
I wonder how many cats he's seen ripped apart in front of him? I wonder how many of his warriors he saw die, helpless to do anything? Well, they brought it on themselves by breaking the treaty.
Dovewing closed her eyes, waiting for Dawnpelt's screams to stop. Tigerheart was struggling to break free of Brokenstar, but the Dark forest leader held fast.
Finally, when it was over, Brokenstar let him up.
"Foxheart!"
Tigerheart glared at Brokenstar.
"You're lying!"
Brokenstar just looked at him, fury gleaming in his eyes. Slowly he stood up and opened the entrance. He pulled himself out, and beckoned to Tigerheart to follow him.
"Behold, your sister."