Chapter 3

Brambleclaw glanced around warily. He was surrounded by dark trees shrouded in an eerie mist. Beyond the thick ring of skeletal trees he saw only pitch blackness - not the glimmer of the lake or greenery poking out of the ink-like earth. He looked to the sky, and was not at all surprised to find it jet black as well, and scarily so - not a single star of Silverpelt looked down on him, and the bright moon which once guided him by night was nonexistent. Yet somehow he still had enough illumination to see by.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud, his eyes sweeping his mysterious surroundings. Somehow he knew subconsciously that he was not in the world of the living, rather somewhere no living cat must have walked before, but he didn't register that as he took a few tentative steps towards the trees.

"Brambleclaw? Is that you?" Startled, Brambleclaw nearly leapt out of his fur. He whirled around defensively, his claws unsheathed in the fluid motion, only to find himself facing his half-brother.

"Hawkfrost." Relief washed over his amber eyes. "Do you... do you know where we are?"

Hawkfrost's ice blue eyes surveyed him sharply, as if he had to inspect every hair on his body before answering. "Yes." He stepped forwards to stand beside his brother at the edge of the ring of trees. "We are in the Forest of No Stars. I meet our father here in my dreams."

As soon as he heard the words our father, Brambleclaw violently tore away from his half-brother. "No," he snarled, pacing backwards with his head lowered defiantly. His heart may have been shattered, but his loyalty to ThunderClan would never die. The pledge was the thread of sanity he clung to, the only strength for his broken soul, and he would let no one tear it away. "I refuse to meet with that evil traitor to our Clan."

"Is that what you think of me, my son?"

Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost turned as one to see another cat emerging from the mist. It was a huge tabby tom, larger even than Brambleclaw, with huge claws gleaming at his pawtips. His amber eyes, freakishly identical to Brambleclaw's, shone with malice in the nonexistent light.

"Greetings, Father." Hawkfrost dipped his head. "I see you've brought my brother here tonight."

Tigerstar nodded, the mere movement of his head inspiring intense images of strength and power. Muscles rippled through his firm body down to the tips of his paws, where the threateningly sharp claws protruded.

"Indeed I have. Do you know why you're here, Brambleclaw?"

Brambleclaw met his eyes with recalcitrance. "I don't care," he growled. "I will not consort with traitors." He turned to the trees. "I'll be leaving now."

Tigerstar laughed, the laughter echoing across the darkness and vibrating in Brambleclaw's skull. "Where would you leave to?" he challenged, his tone mocking. "And why would you leave when you haven't even heard the whole story?"

"I know the story," Brambleclaw hissed. "You tried to kill Firestar and all of ThunderClan. But Firestar beat you. Don't twist it, because I won't fall for it."

"I had reason," his father retorted heatedly. "You think ThunderClan is strong, being led by a kittypet?"

"Blood doesn't matter!" Brambleclaw yowled, practically bursting from his fur in anger. "I should know that more than anyone, because of the mess that you caused!"

Suddenly Hawkfrost was at his side, brushing his fur soothingly. "Calm down," the RiverClan warrior mewed softly. "Our father can help you. Hear him out."

Brambleclaw was breathing hard, his amber eyes alight. "I don't want his help," he growled fiercely, jerking away from his brother's comfort. "I don't want to take over the Clan like he did. I don't want to kill anyone. So leave me alone!"

"That's not the kind of help we mean," Hawkfrost persisted, his tone almost pleading. "We just want to help you with every day things... like a family." He paused, and if Brambleclaw hadn't known better, he might have thought his brother was being sentimental. "Like the family we never were."

Brambleclaw hesitated. But then his conscience reminded him that he was a strong, proud ThunderClan warrior, and not even his half-brother could take that away. "Thanks, but no thanks," he mewed firmly.

"What about Squirrelflight?" Tigerstar's deep voice cut in with surprising softness. Brambleclaw was immediately on the defensive, his anger reignited.

"What about her?" he snapped, his lips drawing back into a snarl.

"We care about her," Hawkfrost mewed calmly. "You're a part of our family, so your mate is as well."

"She's not my mate," Brambleclaw hissed bitterly. "She chose Ashfur."

"And that's where you're wrong." Tigerstar's menacing presence was growing less and less so by the second, his voice taking on a fatherly quality. "She is your mate. You and she were destined to be together."

"Ashfur stole her," Hawkfrost continued. "Diverted her from her true path. You need to bring her back."

"I need to bring her back," Brambleclaw echoed hollowly, his eyes dull, yet a small sparkle within shone with hope.

"And we can help you." Tigerstar brushed his elder son comfortingly. "As a father and brother would."

"Tell me." Brambleclaw's voice was suddenly raspy, his throat dry and parched. "Tell me how."

Tigerstar rounded on him, bright amber eyes gleaming. Hawkfrost looked on, the sheets of ice that were his own eyes glittering. "All you have to do is convince her that you're greater," Tigerstar whispered, his words so tantalizing they might have been a juicy mouse dangling in front of his son's face.

"How?" Brambleclaw repeated hungrily.

"In time," Tigerstar replied cryptically. "Until then, our family has other matters to attend to. Like that of your sister."

Brambleclaw snapped out of his trance as though struck by lightning, and into another fit of rage. "She's been seeing a cat of RiverClan," he spat. "She's breaking the warrior code."

"We know." Tigerstar scraped his claws against the earth.

"Father sees everything up here," Hawkfrost explained. "He is always watching and observing his kits, and he sees that our sister has disgraced him."

Brambleclaw thought about mentioning that Tigerstar's kits were in three different Clans, by his own folly, but wisely decided against it.

"This needs to be stopped," Tigerstar announced, his words stone-firm. "My daughter, your dear sister, needs to be brought back to honor, and as family, it is your job to do so."

"But how?" wondered Brambleclaw, fully engrossed in his father's words.

"I have an idea," whispered Hawkfrost. "It's simple, really. In fact, it's a way of killing two birds with one stone." He smirked. "Or two cats with one shove."

Tigerstar's huge, malevolent features lit up. "I see. You, my son, are brilliant." Brambleclaw shuffled his paws. "Care to explain your plan to your brother, dear Hawkfrost?"

The pair of icy eyes shone like Brambleclaw had never seen before, like winter snow ignited by the sun. "As you know, I am the rightful deputy of RiverClan." Brambleclaw nodded, entranced. "It's simple. I'll go on patrol with Mistyfoot and Reedwhisker. And the two of them will... accidentally fall off a cliff by the river and into the water hundreds of foxlengths below." He blinked back a false tear. "How tragic."

Brambleclaw found the vague memory in his mind of the valiant warrior Fireheart leading a pack of dogs off the gorge and into the river. He fought it away. That time was long past, and his was here.

"But how will you push both of them?" Tigerstar questioned, but as though he already knew the answer. "I have endless faith in your abilities, my son, but we should not underestimate Reedwhisker or Mistyfoot. That was my mistake."

"Do you have any warriors faithful to you?" Brambleclaw suggested, suddenly horrified with himself for doing so. He was helping plot murder! Mere minutes ago this would have been horrific to him, and he would have slit his own throat before committing murder in cold blood.

But now, for some reason... it seemed okay. It seemed right. Hawkfrost was the rightful deputy of RiverClan, after all, and wouldn't it be better in the long run if he resumed his position? That might not have been enough motivation for the morally-firm Brambleclaw, but then there was Reedwhisker. The nerve of the black warrior, separating Tawnypelt from the warrior code she once held so dear. His death, Brambleclaw convinced himself, was for the better.

"No. Too risky," mewed Tigerstar. "They might rat you out." Suddenly, his features lit up with an epiphany. "What if Brambleclaw helped you?"

"What? I can't!" The ThunderClan warrior was startled, and appalled. Plotting murder was one thing, and it was hard enough to convince himself to do that, but actually committing it? He didn't think he could.

"It's perfect," his father explained. "You'll help Hawkfrost. Against your combined power, Mistyfoot and Reedwhisker don't stand a chance. And then Hawkfrost can blame it on ThunderClan invaders because of Brambleclaw's scent. Just disguise it a bit with leaves and berries so they don't identify you, and spread it around to confuse them."

"That won't go over well with ThunderClan," Brambleclaw argued. "And what if they accuse me?"

"They won't. They'll accuse ThunderClan," Hawkfrost assured him. "ThunderClan will think they're just causing trouble, and dismiss it as Leopardstar being mousebrained. Leopardstar, on the other paw, will think it was ThunderClan. With the two Clans arguing, the attention is completely diverted from us."

"It could start a war!" Brambleclaw protested.

"So? It's not our problem, but whatever damage caused can be healed when Hawkfrost becomes deputy, and eventually leader," Tigerstar meowed. "Keep in mind the favor you're doing your sister, Brambleclaw. It's your duty as her brother to protect her."

The image of Tawnypelt and Reedwhisker, rubbing together affectionately in the dark clearing by the lake, marred Brambleclaw's vision. The RiverClan warrior would destroy her if he didn't do something. He had to help her, he reasoned. And if he was helping his half-brother in the process, then all the better.

Tigerstar started to fade. "It's time for you two to return," he growled. He gazed at his two sons with fondness. "I'm so proud of you both."

"Till tomorrow, Father," Hawkfrost meowed, dipping his head in farewell.

"Till tomorrow," Brambleclaw echoed.

"Tomorrow?"

Brambleclaw leapt up at Rainwhisker's voice in his ear.

"Tomorrow? Are you serious, Brambleclaw? You've been sleeping all morning!" Rainwhisker laughed, prodding him not-so-lightly with his forepaw.

Brambleclaw groaned loudly as he sat up, refusing to acknowledge that he still must not have gotten much sleep after his return from ShadowClan. "Was I talking in my sleep?" he asked Rainwhisker, praying silently that he hadn't. If anyone found out he'd been talking to Tigerstar... well, he might find himself joining his father in the near future.

"Nope. Why would you?" Rainwhisker's head tilted in confusion. "You don't normally. You just mumbled 'tomorrow' when I told you to get up." His bright blue eyes glimmered with excitement. "C'mon, lazybones. You're on sunhigh patrol. Brackenfur's leading." He turned to leave, and was half-way out before he turned back and called, "Get something to eat, then meet me and Brackenfur by the nursery. Hurry up now."

Brambleclaw staggered out to the fresh-kill pile, but food was the last thing on his mind.

x

"You asked to see me, Leafpool?"

Squirrelflight padded into the shaded cove that was her sister's den. The branches of the willow tree swayed lightly above their heads, and the bright sun-high light cast crisscross patters of shade across the earth. The den smelled of mint and herbs, of Leafpool, and the fading scent of Cinderpelt. Squirrelflight pushed the late medicine cat's heartening scent out of her nose as her sister emerged from the brush.

Leafpool's eyes glinted mischievously. "A little birdie told me that a certain someone was spotted with Ashfur," she teased.

"So? Lots of cats spend time with Ashfur," Squirrelflight mewed with feigned disinterest.

"No. I mean, with-with Ashfur."

Squirrelflight took on an expression of playfully fake surprise. "Oh, who? Was it Sorreltail?"

Leafpool cuffed her lightly on the head. "No, silly. You know very well who it was."

Squirrelflight sighed in mock defeat. "Who was your little birdie, then?"

The medicine cat went back to sorting the herbs she had just collected. She had desperately needed restocking after the badger fight, and enlisted Birchpaw and Whitepaw to help. The white-furred apprentice may have given her a hint, but she didn't want to get her in trouble.

"How should I know every bird in the entire forest?" she countered airily, gracefully sweeping up a heap of coltsfoot between her teeth.

Squirrelflight exhaled pointedly. A short silence elapsed, in which Leafpool sorted the disoriented piles of herbs into their own piles. As she placed the last clump of juniper with the rest, she asked quietly, "How's Brambleclaw taking it?"

"Taking what?" Leafpool didn't reply, waiting expectantly. "Oh, that. Me and Ashfur." The medicine cat rolled her eyes. "He seemed a bit upset... which I guess was expected..." Squirrelflight found herself tripping over her words. "But he'll be alright," she concluded awkwardly.

"Yeah," mewed Leafpool, struggling to hide her lack of confidence. "He'll be just fine."

--

A/N: So I've come to the conclusion that now that school has started and I have homework (shudder), it will be very rare when I have the time to (and actually feel like) writing review replies to each individual person.

General replies are fun, though. So. Tawnypelt and Reedwhisker blow your mind? Yeah, me too. I know Tawnypelt's not the type to go ahead with things like that, and she fiercely values the warrior code, but think of it this way. The Clan lines have always been blurred in Tawnypelt's mind, not just because of her own allegiences, but because of her trip to sun-drown-place. She was someone who tried to reunite that Clans... and as for Reedwhisker, I just like him. Don't ask why. Just do.

Oh, and I love this response to your thought to ponder last chapter. Does Brambleclaw seem evil to you? Painted Inkblot's answer: Well, to me he's always seemed like the kind of confused sort who wouldn't be sure which to choose, unless he had something stable on one side that really pulled him to it -- in canon's case, Squirrelflight. He's, I think, one of the more grey characters in the Warriors series, who only seems so good because Squirrelflight pulled him to that side.

Something else to ponder.